RGL – Chapter 164

Su Min had never really considered working abroad or joining a large multinational corporation. However, she was very interested in collaborating with such companies.

That said, she was well aware that with her current capabilities, she wasn’t truly qualified to work with such firms. Even her collaboration with William had only come about because of the influence of Shu Jing and Ke Wan. It was only after their business had shown promising results that William decided to continue working with her. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have had the chance at all.

The fashion show was scheduled for the afternoon. Professor Wu, along with a few other professors from the university, had brought the students into the exhibition hall early in the morning.

From the moment they stepped through the entrance, the students were completely stunned.

Everywhere they looked, people were dressed in stunning, fashionable outfits. The cutting-edge designs and sparkling jewelry created a refreshing and dazzling atmosphere for the students.

Especially striking was how everyone in the venue, decked out in luxury and glamour, carried themselves in a way that felt completely different from the average person one might meet on the street. It felt like an entirely different world.

Although Wu Yang and the others had received invitations to the event, it was clear that their presence wasn’t considered important. From the moment they arrived, no one had even come to greet them. The professors seemed to have anticipated this, and simply led the students to find their own seats.

“The exhibition won’t begin for a while. You all can walk around on your own for now. Just remember, this isn’t our home country—be careful about everything, and don’t get into any trouble with others.”

“Got it, Professor,” the students responded enthusiastically before heading out.

Su Min quickly followed them, wandering around the exhibition hall with the group.

It wasn’t every day one got the chance to visit a place like this—if she didn’t take in everything she could, she’d be letting herself down.

“Look, they must be from Country Z. Just look at those clothes—so ugly and tasteless. What are they even doing here? Don’t tell me they’re actually here for the fashion show. Country Z has fashion designers? Even if they do, they can’t possibly be any good.”

They hadn’t even made it halfway around the hall when voices filled with disdain started sounding off.

Su Min’s English was decent, so she immediately understood what they were saying. Her heart flared with anger. She looked up and saw a few blonde-haired, blue-eyed women in thigh-revealing dresses standing nearby, pointing and talking about them.

Su Min felt incredibly frustrated. She wanted to confront them, but didn’t dare cause a scene at this moment, so she pretended not to have heard anything.

Some of the other students, even those whose English wasn’t fluent, could roughly guess what was being said. Their expressions quickly darkened. Some were ashamed; others were indignant.

But at this moment, they all chose to stay silent, answering the ridicule only with defiant gazes.

“If you don’t want to be mocked, you have to prove yourself. If you don’t have the strength right now, then you have to accept the mockery.”

Just as the group stood frozen in place, a deep male voice drifted over to them.

They turned around and saw a man in a navy-blue suit walking toward them. Su Min recognized him immediately—he was the man who had left the hotel with Professor Wu yesterday. This must be Mr. Lewis, whom Professor Wu had mentioned that morning.

Mr. Lewis walked up to them. Seeing the embarrassment and anger on their faces, he couldn’t help but smile. “You understood what they were saying just now?”

“We understood a bit. It wasn’t anything pleasant,” one male student said with a frown.

The others nodded in agreement.

Mr. Lewis chuckled. “If you didn’t like what they said, then remember it—and work on your own strength so that one day, they’ll be forced to admire you. But don’t let shame and anger get the better of you. As young people, you must learn to keep your cool.”

“Thank you, Mr. Lewis.” Though still angry, the students had no way to refute his words. Besides, they didn’t really have the confidence to argue with others just yet—they hadn’t even graduated. What could they use to win anyone’s respect?

Mr. Lewis smiled again, then suddenly looked toward Su Min.

She had been quietly observing him this whole time and was caught red-handed. Embarrassed, she quickly lowered her head, her face flushing with warmth.

Fortunately, Mr. Lewis pretended not to notice and turned to leave.

Only after he walked away did Su Min finally let out a sigh of relief. She had only been curious and had glanced over a bit too long—she hadn’t expected to get caught.

When the fashion show was about to begin, Su Min and the others returned to join Professor Wu Yang.

The professors had already set up their cameras, ready to capture all the outfits as reference material to bring back home.

Su Min took out the notebook and pen she had prepared, ready to record useful ideas and designs.

As soon as the show began, Su Min felt overwhelmed. The fashion on display far exceeded her expectations. Some of it even rivaled—or surpassed—styles she had seen from future trends.

Paris, the capital of fashion, truly lived up to its name. Su Min couldn’t help but marvel in her heart.

“It’s amazing—they invited us to tonight’s gala!”

Wu Yang approached the group, eyes full of delight.

The other students also looked thrilled. In fact, ever since Wu Yang’s talk yesterday, their perspectives had already begun to shift.

Even Zhang Qiufeng, who had always been quiet, looked visibly pleased by the news.

Attending the gala meant they would get a rare opportunity to interact up close with fashion industry elites. Whether for learning or networking, this was a golden opportunity.

Of course, they would have to dress up first—there was no way they’d be allowed into such an event dressed like they were now.

Su Min had come with the intention of promoting her own designs, so she had brought a formal evening dress—a qipao, entirely handmade by Tian Su and Zhang Qingqing. The plum blossom embroidery on the dress made it elegant and eye-catching.

When the group gathered to head to the gala, Wu Yang looked at her dress in surprise and asked, “Did you design this too?”

Ever since learning that Su Min was the designer behind the “Xiuse” brand he had praised before, Wu Yang had seen great potential in her and wanted to mentor her seriously. Now, seeing the dress she wore, he was once again amazed.

Although he didn’t have deep expertise in traditional clothing, it was still clear to him that this design was truly excellent.

The other students were also surprised to learn that Su Min had made the dress herself.

Su Min smiled and said, “I was worried I wouldn’t have anything to wear, so I figured I’d make something.”

Wu Yang nodded approvingly. “Wearing your own design to a fashion event—now that’s creativity. It’s a great way to show your skills.”

Upon hearing that, the others couldn’t help but feel a bit regretful. If only they had thought of that earlier—they could have designed something to wear themselves.

Now looking at Su Min’s dress, several of them quietly began to see her as a rival.

It wasn’t out of malice. After all, every talented person likes having a worthy competitor. And this kind of competition was healthy—it came with no ill intentions.

By the time the group arrived at the banquet venue, it was already quite full.

Su Min noticed that a few models had also shown up. The way they dressed was clearly different from ordinary people—some were dressed particularly revealingly, while others had a distinctly unconventional style.

“There they are again.”

Su Min was sipping on a glass of red wine when she heard some teasing remarks in English from nearby.

She turned around and, sure enough, it was a few familiar faces—the same blonde, blue-eyed foreign women who had mocked them at the fashion exhibition.

Su Min realized that these women seemed particularly fixated on her group. It would have been fine if they had only said a few things back then, but now they were still laughing and glancing over with thinly veiled contempt.

“Su Min, stick close behind me,” Wu Yang said, walking over with a wine glass in hand. His expression wasn’t very pleasant either—clearly, he had also heard those mocking comments.

“Professor, who are those people?” Su Min asked as she followed behind him.

“It’s different overseas,” Wu Yang explained. “They have these so-called socialites—ladies from wealthy or aristocratic families. Some of them are designers. They all tend to share one thing in common: they look down on Chinese people.”

There was a trace of bitterness in Wu Yang’s tone. Over the years, he had finally managed to step into international circles, but he had always remained on the periphery. Not because he wasn’t capable, but simply because, in their eyes, a yellow-skinned man like him was automatically considered inferior.

“Professor, they’re just snobs who look down on others,” Su Min muttered. Even though she was mentally mature, she couldn’t help but feel indignant in the face of such blatant international prejudice.

She thought to herself: back in the day, when our ancestors in China were already wearing silk, those people probably weren’t even wearing underwear. And now they have the nerve to look down on us?

Wu Yang sighed. “That’s just how it is. Our country hasn’t developed as fast as theirs. Back then, people were still struggling to get enough to eat and wear—who had the time to think about fashion? It’s only in recent years that we’ve started to take this industry seriously. My generation is about to retire. The future will be in your hands.”

Su Min could sense some unwillingness in his voice and chose not to press further.

As they were speaking, a woman in a blue dress approached.

Her golden hair gleamed under the lights, and she looked striking—especially the jeweled brooch on her blue dress, which added an air of elegance and nobility.

The moment she appeared, many people turned to look at her, whispering amongst themselves.

Su Min took another sip of wine and quietly observed the woman.

“That’s Alice Christine,” Wu Yang whispered.

It took Su Min a moment to register the name, but then it clicked—she remembered seeing this woman in one of the fashion magazines William had brought back. Alice Christine was the editor-in-chief of a leading fashion magazine and a trendsetter in the industry.

According to William, countless models would fight tooth and nail just for a chance to appear in her magazine. No wonder her entrance had caused such a stir.

From her corner, Su Min continued to observe the woman. It was hard to tell her age—despite being nearly forty, she still looked youthful, her features carrying a unique charm. As people say nowadays, she had that queenly aura.

Before long, this fashionable queen figure disappeared into the crowd, clearly busy with her social duties.

Su Min stopped staring and began to wander the venue, wine glass in hand.

“Su Min?”

A gentle voice suddenly came from nearby. She turned and saw Li Weisi, dressed in a navy-blue suit, holding a wine glass and looking at her from a short distance.

Seeing someone familiar, Su Min didn’t feel comfortable avoiding him. She walked over with her wine glass. “Mr. Li.”

Li Weisi nodded, a faint smile at the corner of his lips. “Are you settling in okay here?”

“Not bad,” Su Min replied with a smile. “Even though things are quite different from back home, I’m adapting well.” She then looked slightly puzzled and asked, “By the way, Mr. Li, you called me by name just now. I’m curious—how did you know my name?”

Li Weisi clearly hadn’t expected her to ask so directly. He paused for a moment, then smiled and said, “I heard it from… Professor Wu. He mentions you often—says you’re his most promising student.”

Su Min didn’t quite believe it, but since he had given a reasonable explanation, she could only accept it and smiled. “Professor Wu flatters me.”

Li Weisi merely smiled ambiguously. Then his gaze suddenly deepened, looking directly at Su Min without the slightest hesitation.

It was the first time Su Min had been stared at so openly by an adult man. She immediately felt uncomfortable, clutching her wine glass tightly. She thought to herself, These people who grew up abroad are so bold—they don’t care how their gaze might make someone feel. Back home, no one would look at someone like that.

Still, because of Li Weisi’s connection to Professor Wu, she couldn’t say anything outright. So she found an excuse, said a few polite words, and walked off with her glass.

Li Weisi watched her flustered retreat and the corner of his lips curled ever so slightly.

As soon as Su Min left him, her face flushed with embarrassment. She quickly set her glass on a waiter’s tray, asked for directions to the restroom, and hurried off.

As she entered the restroom, she saw a woman in a long blue dress standing by the sink, furiously scrubbing at her clothes while muttering under her breath, “Sh*t! Sh*t!”

Su Min felt awkward upon hearing that.

She hadn’t expected someone so well-dressed to curse so naturally—and judging by the tone, it definitely wasn’t the first time.

Su Min was about to wash her face when the woman, apparently hearing someone come in, suddenly turned around. Upon seeing Su Min standing there, her face immediately clouded with displeasure.

“Were you eavesdropping on me?” the woman shouted in English.

That was when Su Min got a good look at her and immediately recognized her—it was none other than Alice Christine, the fashion editor who had caused a stir earlier.

Now realizing who she was, Su Min was even more surprised. Who would have thought that someone who looked so glamorous on the outside would be this blunt in private? Especially with that big red wine stain on her skirt—she looked quite disheveled.

Noticing Su Min staring at her skirt, Alice barked again and went over to lock the bathroom door from the inside.

“You know who I am?”

Su Min nodded instinctively, then quickly shook her head when she saw Alice’s expression worsen.

Alice frowned deeply, eyes filled with impatience and disdain. “Go find me something to wear.”

“You want me to get you clothes? From where?”

This was a formal reception—who would have extra clothes lying around?

But Alice didn’t care. She scowled and said, “Go find me a pretty outfit. I can’t let anyone see me like this.”

Su Min stood still for a moment, thinking it over. “I’d like to help, but I don’t know my way around. And you know how it is—everyone here has passes. People like me who don’t have one will only get gossiped about even more if I start asking around.”

Seeing that Alice was about to erupt again, Su Min quickly raised a hand. “Wait! I have another idea. I can help you make a new outfit. What do you think?”

“Then what are you waiting for?” Alice snapped, haughty as ever.

Su Min really wanted to scoff at her attitude, but she knew that in this place, connections and technical skill were everything. She had neither, so she could only take a gamble. If she pulled this off, she might just be able to build a connection with this influential editor—and that would open a lot of doors in the future.