Chapter 23 - Investigating Someone

Five days had passed since the party, and during these days, the production team hadn’t allowed the contestants to rest and had arranged full courses and training every day.

Now, everyone was familiar with walking on a runway and shooting photos.

Soon, the day of the final assessment arrived.

This time it was a lot simpler. Everyone had five minutes to work with a photographer to take a photo, and the photo would then be posted on the official website and Weibo account. Netizens would vote for the best five photos, allowing those five people to enter the top 15. Additionally, professional judges would rate each photo, and then choose another 10 contestants based on the overall scores.

From the current 30 contestants, half of them would be eliminated.

This part of the competition was very cruel, but it was also quite fair. Each training assessment was broadcasted live. Under the supervision of netizens, the judges gave relatively fair scores, avoiding any prejudices due to personal emotional factors. Therefore, this comprehensive performance test was the best method to reflect one’s strength and level. Moreover, netizens had to vote for the best photo online, and they could deduce the popularity of the contestants based on the voting results.

The program had always followed the preference of the audience, so the popular contestants would go further in the competition.

The photos were taken in a studio, and in order to reflect fairness, the poses and backgrounds were selected by the contestants themselves. They could choose to have a backdrop based on their outfit, so this way, even if the photos didn’t look good, they couldn’t blame it on the production team.

After a busy day, the half-month training camp would come to an end.

The production team gave the contestants a two-day vacation. At the end of the two days, the contestants would return to face the results. Who would leave and who would stay wasn’t something that they were able to control.

When they were leaving the villa, many contestants cried because they knew that once they left, they may really have to leave the supermodel home forever.

“Jiaojiao, where are you going after this? Do you want to join us?” Luo Yi pulled Sheng Jiaoyang as she asked.

“No, I want to go home.”

“Okay, I have your contact details anyway. If anything comes up, we can contact each other by phone.”

“Mm, see you!”

After those that had a good relationship finished saying goodbye, everyone parted ways.

As for Sheng Jiaoyang, she went back to her new home where she hadn’t even lived for two days. She didn’t see Xu Qing anywhere, and it was only then that she remembered that Xu Qing had left to be a maid.

During this half a month she’d gotten used to being surrounded by many people, and now that she was all by herself, she felt a bit uncomfortable. There was a kind of empty feeling in her heart.

She thought for a moment before picking up her phone and calling Xu Qing.

After a while, the call was finally answered.

“Jiaojiao, has your competition finished?” Xu Qing’s surprised voice could be heard from the phone’s speaker.

“I can take a break for two days.”

“Is that so? Well then, I’ll request two days off to accompany you!”

“Good.”

After hanging up, Sheng Jiaoyang accidentally caught a glimpse of the smile spreading across her face in a nearby mirror.

She was left in a daze after realising how happy she was to know that someone would accompany her.

It seemed that she’d completely adapted to her current identity.

Now, she could calmly treat herself as Xu Jiaojiao. Since it was an arrangement given by God, then she would willingly accept it. And, since she was no longer in a poor environment, she would strive for things to continue improving.

The only worry she had left was her grandfather’s health. Grandfather would be turning 70 this year. In the past few years, he’d suffered multiple shocks from first his wife’s death, and then his daughter’s death. His body was gradually deteriorating. Now that she’d had an accident as well, how could her grandfather accept it?

She really wanted to fly abroad to find her grandfather and tell him in person that she was still alive and well!

However, she didn’t have a passport or visa. Most importantly, she wasn’t 18 yet and was still under the responsibility of a guardian.

“What should I do?”

Sheng Jiaoyang lay down on the sofa, pulled out her phone, and absentmindedly surfed the web.

Suddenly, she came across an entertainment article.

Her gaze hardened.

[International supermodel Lin Na and her rich boyfriend have announced their peaceful breakup!]

What happened? Why would Mei Niu and George break up? Before she’d returned to the country, they were still very sweet to each other.

Sheng Jiaoyang could still remember what had happened when they’d dropped her off at the airport.

Mei Niu had hugged her and said that she didn’t want to let her go. Then, George had jokingly said, “Hurry up and go! You can come back when Lina and I hold our wedding.”

At that time, Mei Niu had rolled her eyes and couldn’t help but laugh. Anyone could see that she was looking forward to her marriage to George.

The two had obviously wanted to marry each other, so why did they break up?

She hadn’t heard of any conflicts between the two before she’d gotten into an accident, so it must be something recent.

The next time she saw Mei Niu, she should just reveal her identity.

In this world, other than her grandfather, Mei Niu was the only other person who knew her the best. From elementary school to university, they’d spend more time together than their closest relatives. Furthermore, there were many common secrets between them.

Just as Sheng Jiaoyang was worrying, in a certain villa, Xu Qing had encountered trouble.

“You’ve only been here for several days, yet you’re already requesting a leave of absence? Who’ll come and clean the house if you’re gone?” asked a woman donned up like a lady. She was sitting on the sofa and cast a sidelong glance at Xu Qing.

“I…there’s a few matters to deal with at my home.” Xu Qing lowered her head.

“Aren’t you single? Who else is in your home?”

Xu Qing kept silent; she didn’t want the person before her to know of Jiaojiao’s existence.

“Xu Qing, do you find this job too tiring? Or do you still have feelings for my husband?” the woman casually asked as she looked at her nails.

“I don’t!” Xu Qing quickly denied.

“Then, that’s good. You’ve seen it these last few days right? My husband cares a lot about my family. Even after so many years, he still brings back a gift for me and Wenwen every time he goes on a business trip. So, you shouldn’t have any weird ideas. My husband chose to divorce you because he didn’t like you, that’s all. And I, as his most beloved wife, saw how desolate and pathetic you were, so I offered you some light work in my home. You shouldn’t ever bite the hand that feeds you!” the woman arrogantly snapped, her words carrying a double meaning.

Xu Qing bit her lip and didn’t respond.

The woman lifted her chin in triumph before she waved her hand in dismissal. “Fine, if you want to ask for leave, it’s okay. For the next two days I’ll just call in a temporary worker to take care of the villa.”

“Thank you!” Xu Qing turned around and quickly left.

“Wait!” the woman suddenly said before continuing, “You don’t plan to quit, right?”

“I don’t.” Xu Qing inhaled deeply before walking out of the villa.

The moment she stepped out the door, tears rolled down Xu Qing’s cheeks.

If it wasn’t due to a lack of money, she wouldn’t have taken the job. She didn’t want to see these people who’d hurt her in the past. However, for her daughter, no matter how much she suffered, it would be worth it.

Beep beep!

As she was walking, she heard the sound of a car alarm.

Xu Qing wiped her tears away and turned to look, only to see the car of the Pan Family’s mistress trailing her with Xiao Song behind the steering wheel.

“Madam told me to give you a ride, so don’t refuse the Madam’s kindness. Hurry up and get in!” Xiao Song said.

Since he’d said that, Xu Qing didn’t refuse and quickly entered the car.

However, she only let Xiao Song drop her off at the gate of her neighbourhood.

Xiao Song sized up the area, then turned his car around to return to the villa and report to the Madam.

“Ming Hua Garden on College Road?” After hearing Xiao Song’s report, the woman trimming a flower branch narrowed her eyes.

She’d lived here for so long she knew of all the high-end districts nearby.

Xu Qing lives in such a high-class district but dresses like a poor-looking woman to find a job, and she just so happened to run into her by chance? Who would believe that she isn’t harbouring any ulterior motives?!

Picking up her phone, she dialled a number.

“Hello, Lao Zheng, I need your help investigating someone.”


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