“Two hundred yuan.” Song Fengwan smiled. “After I receive the money, let’s go to a restaurant.”

The other two people in the dorm room were naturally happy.

Miao Yating was in the design class. Every day, she either drew design drafts, stayed in the dorm room to watch dramas, or read the school forum. When the list came out at around 10 p.m., Song Fengwan was washing her clothes when she heard Miao Yating calling her.

“What’s the matter?”

“On the judging panel, what’s your relationship with Tang Jingci?”

“She’s my senior sister.” Song Fengwan didn’t expose her relationship with her cousin.

Moreover, according to Tang Wangci’s father’s relationship with her grandfather, it was reasonable to call her her senior sister.

“Someone posted on the school forum to defame her.”

“What?” Song Fengwan hurried over.

A thread titled [The design competition is unfair. There is favoritism and fraud.] had been posted on the forum.

And the person accused was Tang Jingci.

This person mainly started from two aspects to argue that the competition was unfair.

First: Tang Jingci wasn’t Joe. She didn’t have any works or any achievements in the industry, so she wasn’t worthy of being a judge.

She had been pushed out by the Duan family to promote the design exhibition and to become familiar with people in the industry. She couldn’t represent Joe, so there was a big problem with the judging this time.

Second: She had a special relationship with Song Fengwan, and very few second-year students won awards, so she must have secretly helped Song Fengwan. There might be some benefits involved.

“Is this person a fool? If she really helped you cheat, how could you have only gotten a consolation prize? At the very least, she would let you get first or second.” Hu Xinyue was caught between laughter and tears. “This person is just jealous that they didn’t win the award themself and deliberately found fault with you.”

“But Wanwan, does your senior sister really not have any achievements in this aspect?” Miao Yating tilted her head and looked at Song Fengwan.

Someone specially searched for Tang Jingci online. Other than some people with the same name, there were no records of any awards. Compared to the reputation of the other judges, not only was hers shabby, but it was on a completely different level.

“There should be.” She had seen Tang Jingci’s sketches and knew that she was helping Tang Wangjin, but she had never asked what she did.

Judging from her sketching skills, she wasn’t at the level of playing around.

Like her cousin, Tang Jingci usually brought some raw materials and carving knives with her when she went out. She couldn’t possibly carry stones all day to run around the world to show off.

“The person in this post said that they’ve already written to the president’s mailbox. As a judge, your senior sister will definitely attend the award ceremony in a few days. Let’s wait. There might be a good show soon.” Hu Xinyue shrugged.

“Actually, ever since you announced your relationship with your third brother, many people have been jealous of you. Many people can’t wait to see something happen to you and for you to make a fool of yourself. Otherwise, how could this post be so popular?”

Song Fengwan smiled indifferently and returned to the bathroom to continue washing her clothes.

***

The thread was only on the forum for a few hours before it was deleted. The next day, the school sent a notice through the various tutoring classes to say that the design competition’s judges had all been screened and were qualified to hold a position. They hoped that no one would spread rumors. The specific matters would be explained in detail at the award ceremony.

Because the award ceremony would also display the works of some teachers and judges, the school planned to take this opportunity to clarify the situation. The students didn’t dare to say anything openly, but they were still discussing it in private.

Song Fengwan was worried that Tang Jingci wasn’t prepared and would be troubled, so she specially told her in advance.

“… Do you mean that someone will make things difficult for me at the ceremony?” Tang Jingci had just carved a small red jade statue of a young girl. She cleaned the jade chips on the table, washed her hands, and was applying hand oil.

“It’s only a possibility.” Because the award-winning students might be chosen by large companies, all the students were very concerned about this competition. “Do you have any works?”

Tang Jingci chuckled. “Do you think your art school’s leaders are fools? Because Duan Linbai often sponsors school activities, he stuffed someone without any skills into the judges’ seats? Isn’t this just waiting for people to nitpick on him?

“Speaking of which, you even held a position under Uncle-Master. It’s inevitable that some people will be jealous…”

Song Fengwan pouted, as if she had something to say but was too embarrassed to say it.

“What do you want to say?”

“Are you in engaged in jade carving or artistic creation?”

“I carry knives around all day. What do you think?” Tang Jingci continued to wipe her hands.

Her skin was very thin. Under the glaring table lamp, the light shone through, and the skin was translucent.

“But why did my cousin say that your hands are clumsy?”

After Fu Chen’s birthday, Qiao Xiyan had returned to Suzhou. Even though Tang Jingci was in the capital currently, he had taken on a museum job to help with a relief sculpture in the sculpture hall, so he didn’t rush to the capital. But his work was coming to an end, and he would be arriving in the capital in two days.

“What did you say?” Tang Jingci’s cold facial features looked freezing under the light.

For people like them who relied on their hands to make a living, being criticized for being clumsy was even more serious than a personal attack.

“This is what my cousin said…” Song Fengwan said timidly.

They were a couple, so Song Fengwan must have asked Qiao Xiyan what she did and if she also played with jade carvings. Qiao Xiyan said, “Her hands are clumsy.”

“Qiao Xiyan said that?” A smile appeared on Tang Jingci’s lips. She picked up the carving knife beside her hand and weighed it in her hand.

“Big Sister Tang…” Song Fengwan heard something wrong with her tone and knew that she had said something wrong.

“I’m fine. Thank you for reminding me.”

After hanging up, Tang Jingci took a stone beside her hand and carved Qiao Xiyan’s name on it.

“My hands are clumsy. Are you blind? You’re the clumsy one!”

He’s too much.

***

Qiao Xiyan had just finished his work at the museum and returned home. He took a shower and was about to video call Tang Jingci when he was told that she was already asleep.

It’s only half past six in the evening. Why is this woman sleeping?

But a straight man like him naturally wouldn’t think that something had happened to her. He thought that she had been too busy recently and was tired, so he replied: [Then you should rest. Good night.]

Tang Jingci waited for a long time, but she actually received this message. She was so angry that she couldn’t fall asleep for half the night.

Why didn’t he ask why I slept so early? Good night?

Qiao Xiyan, you bastard!

Qiao Xiyan was a straightforward person and didn’t think too much. He rarely expressed his feelings for Tang Jingci directly. He couldn’t sleep at night and was restless. He walked around his yard, and his throat was itchy. He took out a cigarette from the inside of his drawer and lit it.

After quitting smoking for a long time, he suddenly smoked a strong cigarette and choked a little.

“Hey, why aren’t you sleeping in the middle of the night?” Qiao Wangbei was busy until midnight. When he returned home, he saw the black shadow in the yard and was almost scared to death. “You scared me to death!”

“I couldn’t sleep.”

Qiao Wangbei stared at him for a long time. He didn’t know that Qiao Xiyan had already hooked up with Tang Jingci. “Xiyan, you’re not young anymore.”

Qiao Xiyan didn’t say anything.

“Your cousin is already in a relationship.”

“What do you want to say?”

Qiao Wangbei thought for a long time and said, “Your mother passed away early, and I didn’t care enough about you. It’s normal for men to have some desires. It’s human nature.”

Qiao Xiyan raised his eyebrows. This old man is getting more and more improper. What nonsense is he saying?

“What are you trying to say?”

“Are you thinking about women?!”

Qiao Xiyan’s fingers trembled. The cigarette ash landed on his thick fingers, but it didn’t feel hot. At his age, why doesn’t he feel embarrassed saying such things?