Chapter 45 - Another Team Competition
Rebirth of a Fashionista: This Life Is Soo Last Season
In other people’s eyes, they only saw that Xu Jiaojiao had said something, and then that handsome Italian guy’s face started to look like Xishi clasping at her heart[1], seeming as if he’d just suffered a big shock. When the girls saw such a youthful and energetic handsome young man become so dejected, their hearts ached for him.
Wang Wei approached Sheng Jiaoyang and whispered, “Jiaojiao, what did you say to him? Why does he seem so devastated?”
Sheng Jiaoyang looked innocently at her. “I said that I’d seen others more handsome than him and that was his reaction.”
Wang Wei was speechless. Without rhyme or reason, why would you say something like that to the handsome guy?
She then quickly looked over at the distressed Henry and gave him a thumbs-up while praising him with her broken English, telling him that he was the most handsomest man that she’d ever seen.
Henry suddenly said, “Sorry.” Then, he stared profoundly at Sheng Jiaoyang before turning around and leaving.
“What happened to him?” Wang Wei stared blankly.
“I don’t know!” Sheng Jiaoyang still had an innocent expression.
At this time, Luo Yi walked over and said teasingly, “Jiaojiao, you rejected his confession, didn’t you? Look at how shocked that poor handsome guy was… Tsk tsk!”
Wang Wei widened her eyes. She looked towards Sheng Jiaoyang and stared at her while trying to discern whether what Luo Yi had said was true or not.
Sheng Jiaoyang threw up her hands and said helplessly, “I’m telling the truth, the person I like is indeed better looking than him.”
“If you weren’t rejecting his confession, then you wouldn't have said that, right?” said Luo Yi.
“Who knew that he'd suddenly say that he wanted to be my boyfriend? How long has it been since we’ve met each other? Italian men are the most affectionate, so by all means, please don’t believe their nonsense.” He actually dared to play tricks on her, hehe!
“They’re? Jiaojiao, you’ve met other Italian guys before?” Luo Yi caught the loophole in Sheng Jiaoyang's words.
Sheng Jiaoyang blinked and replied with a straight face, “No, I haven’t.”
“Then, how do you know that Italian men are the most affectionate? You even said that with such certainty.”
“I’ve heard from others,” Sheng Jiaoyang replied matter-of-factly.
Luo Yi and Wang Wei were speechless.
Nearby, Zhuo Yiyan asked the contestants to gather outside.
Everyone exited the store and stood outside in a row.
"This time, it’s another team competition. Everyone is aware of what we’re doing next, right?” announced Zhuo Yiyan.
“Dividing into teams!”
They’d competed for a few rounds now, yet they still didn’t understand the production crew’s intentions. They must’ve gone nuts.
“According to the usual practice, the number one on the notice list and the winner of the photoshoot will be the team captains. Xu Jiaojiao, Xiao Yang, please step forward.”
When the two heard their names, they stepped forward.
“You two can play rock-paper-scissors. Best 2 out of 3 will decide the winner, and whoever wins can pick their teammate first.”
Xiao Yang was lucky and won the right to pick first. The first person she chose was her best friend, Chen Han.
Sheng Jiaoyang picked Pu Mingyu.
Luo Yi looked at Sheng Jiaoyang and hoped that she would pick her next. This way, the three of them would make a strong team and the odds of winning this team competition would be even higher. She didn’t win the exemption pass in the last round, so she hoped to advance through this round smoothly.
They played rock-paper-scissors again, and Sheng Jiaoyang won this time. She glanced at Luo Yi before she picked Wang Wei.
“Me?” Wang Wei was surprised. She knew her strengths very well. For her to make it to this round, she must’ve used up the blessings of eight lifetimes already. She didn’t expect for Xu Jiaojiao to pick her at such a critical period.
Luo Yi was also very surprised. Xu Jiaojiao had picked Wang Wei, so she’d thought that the next one would be her. After all, she and Pu Mingyu worked well together. She couldn’t believe that Xu Jiaojiao had chosen someone with such weak capabilities as her teammate.
Xiao Yang looked at the remaining people and hesitated for a while before picking Luo Yi, who she hadn’t cooperated with before. Luo Yi had been ranked in the top three with the greatest strengths throughout the competition so far.
The remaining people were the internet celebrity, Yin Meiling, and two other contestants who ranked the lowest in overall strengths.
Their team was the most desperate. From the beginning, Xiao Yang, Luo Yi, and Xu Jiaojiao could contend with each other on equal terms. In addition, Pu Mingyu’s strength was also fairly good. However, in the end, they’d joined hands, adding on to their team’s strength while leaving these three weak contestants behind.
The competition hadn’t even started, yet they’d already lost hope in competing.
“Jiaojiao, I’ll slow you down,” Wang Wei said to Sheng Jiaoyang.
“Don’t worry.”
“That’s right, you have the exemption pass for this round, so you’re not afraid of being implicated by me,” Wang Wei stated knowingly, completely misinterpreting Sheng Jiaoyang’s words.
Sheng Jiaoyang glanced at her, but didn’t correct her. If that was how Wang Wei could feel at ease then she’ll just let her continue thinking like this!
Pu Mingyu watched as Luo Yi walked to Xiao Yang’s side before looking at Wang Wei and Sheng Jiaoyang. A trace of comprehension flashed through her eyes as she understood something.
After dividing into teams, Zhuo Yiyan began to issue the missions.
The contestants had to go to five clothing stores in different locations for commercial modelling interviews. After completing all the interviews they had to return to the starting point. The team that passed through the most interviews using the least amount of time would gain the victory, and all the team members would advance in rank. The team that did the worst would have one member eliminated from it.
The owners of the five clothing stores were all designers, and the stores only sold their own clothing designs. They all happened to run short of poster ad models.
Next, each team was given a map, and the locations of the stores were marked with asterisks. They could see from the map that the distance between the stores and the starting point varied greatly. This way, it was up to the teams to decide how they wanted to plan their itinerary for the interviews.
This time, the production crew were kinder and gave them a little bit of pocket money as travelling fare. Of course, it was only enough for them to take a ride to the furthest clothing store.
As soon as Sheng Jiaoyang got the map and pocket money, she set off with Pu Mingyu and Wang Wei. When it comes to her, she never had to spend time planning anything. The moment her eyes landed on the map, she’d already visualized the optimal itinerary in her mind.
“Jiaojiao, aren’t we going to study the itinerary?” asked Pu Mingyu while she followed Sheng Jiaoyang.
“Don't worry, no one knows this place better than I do,” replied Sheng Jiaoyang as she went up to the roadside and hailed a taxi.
As soon as they got in the taxi, Sheng Jiaoyang spoke Italian and told the driver which way to go and their destination.
When the driver heard an extremely fluent Italian accent, he was astounded. He then turned around and looked at Sheng Jiaoyang, asking her if she grew up there.
Sheng Jiaoyang replied that she’d lived there for a few years, and at the same time also praised this city a bit.
Upon hearing that, the driver was so happy that he imposingly told them that he’d take them to their destination free of charge.
A smile then blossomed on Sheng Jiaoyang’s face.
“Jiaojiao, what are you guys talking about?” Wang Wei asked curiously when she saw her smile.
“Uncle said that he would take us there.”
“Take us there? No need to pay?” Wang Wei asked, astonished.
“That’s right.”
In that instant, Wang Wei and Pu Mingyu also smiled happily. Pu Mingyu sighed in her heart. The treatment was truly different when following a high achiever. She could enjoy this without even lifting a finger.
Sheng Jiaoyang continued to chat with the enthusiastic uncle. By the time they arrived at their destination, the uncle already regarded her as his friend. When he learnt that they were recording a competition program, he enthusiastically offered to help them. He even said that he would cover their whole journey. After saying that, he stopped by the side of the road and waited for them.
“Jiaojiao, quickly tell Uncle for me that he’s too kindhearted and that I like him very much!” said Wang Wei, almost jumping with excitement upon hearing Sheng Jiaoyang’s translation.
Sheng Jiaoyang smiled and thanked the driver before leading Wang Wei and Pu Mingyu into the clothing store, which was the farthest from the starting point.
1. Xishi clasping at her heart - Xishi was a famous Chinese beauty who was often ill and she would clasp her heart whenever her illness flared up, and would look morbidly beautiful.