Everyone checked into the Fu Hotel. The competition was set to begin in five days, during which the contestants would design their costumes and prepare their runway shows.
In the presidential suite, Celia flipped open the entertainment news on her tablet. The headline blazed across the screen:
"Xia Xiaofu, the Glamorous Beauty, Appears in Celia's Livestream!"
She arched a brow and glanced sideways. "Xiaofu, looks like you just made me a headline."
Xia Xiaofu sat casually on the bed, her rhinestone heels dangling from her fair, delicate feet. "Cici, you're far too low-key. It doesn't take much for you to make headlines."
Celia blinked. "And what exactly do you mean by that?"
"Simple." Xia Xiaofu leaned forward, her peach-blossom eyes shimmering with amusement. "Yara Lu is obsessed with you. Why don't you just reveal you're Little Buddha and let her bow down properly?"
"…That won't work." Celia sighed.
"Fine, then try this—my godson is the young heir of the Fu family. If the public knew that, the news wouldn't just trend. It would crash the servers."
Celia pressed her fingers to her temples. She almost regretted letting Xia Xiaofu talk so freely.
Seeing Celia's silence, Xia Xiaofu's smile faded. "Cici, don't tell me you've really fallen for President Fu?"
"…Of course not."
"If not, then why haven't you told him about your pregnancy? Everyone knows he's generous with women. If he knew, wouldn't it be easy for you to secure whatever you wanted?"
Celia looked at her helplessly. "And what then? That kind of story usually ends in heartbreak—or worse. Yara Lu may not deserve him, but she's irreplaceable in his heart. I'm just a stand-in."
"Stand-in?" Xia Xiaofu lifted a brow. "Cici, take another look. You and Yara don't even resemble each other."
Celia had thought the same the first time she saw Yara Lu—she'd always assumed they looked alike. But in reality, they didn't.
"It's fine, Cici. If you truly like President Fu, just remember—sometimes the man destined for you will outshine any so-called childhood sweetheart."
Celia caught the glimmer of sincerity in Xia Xiaofu's words, but quickly changed the subject. "Enough about me. Let's talk about you and Mr. Jin."
At the mention of Jin Han, Xia Xiaofu's expression soured. "Why bring him up on such a good day? That's bad luck."
Celia's eyes lit up with mischief. "Come on, Xiaofu. We're best friends—we promised to share everything, even our men. Don't hide from me."
Xia Xiaofu smirked. "No problem. You can have him. I'll hand Jin Han over to you."
Celia: "…"
Jin Han, somewhere else: "…So generous. Thanks, I guess."
Fu Group – President's Office
Nathaniel Fu sat behind his desk, reviewing documents. Without looking up, he spoke coolly to Secretary Song. "The opening ceremony is over, right? Have someone push Celia through to the next round."
Since Yara Lu had spoken, he had no choice but to let Celia compete. But there was still room to maneuver.
Secretary Song hesitated. "President Fu, I'm afraid that won't be possible—not quietly, at least."
Nathaniel finally looked up. "And why is that?"
"Because Miss Celia brought in Xia Xiaofu. The entertainment industry is already in an uproar."
Nathaniel frowned. "Xia Xiaofu?"
He pursed his lips, pulled out his phone, and opened WeChat. He shot a message to Jin Han: What's going on?
Jin Han replied instantly: ?
Nathaniel typed back: You've been single for two years. Now, instead of keeping your wife in line, you let her show up at my event?
Jin Han: …
By that evening, the internet was already ablaze.
On Weibo and major fashion forums, trending hashtags shot to the top:
#CeliaAndXiaXiaofuOnTheSameStage##TopDesignerAndTopStar##YaraLuOvershadowed#
The comments section exploded with excitement:
Netizen A:"Oh my god, Celia actually invited Xia Xiaofu as her model? This is a god-tier team-up!"
Netizen B:"Poor Yara Lu, she thought she had it all under control, and now she's been completely outshone."
Netizen C:"When your rival has both talent and beauty, plus Xia Xiaofu as backup… you just pack up and go home."
Netizen D:"CC's goddess and the Fu family's secret favorite, standing together? My eyes are blessed today."
Netizen E:"Yara Lu must be fuming right now. Meanwhile, Celia just became the internet's new sweetheart."
The overwhelming tide of attention left no doubt—this competition would be anything but ordinary.