RMWDS -Chapter 274 Love Most Deeply

After a long period of contemplation, the vast majority of contestants in the venue had already finalized their creative directions.

Hundreds of embroiderers showcased their individual strengths, and the themes were as diverse as flowers in full bloom—each perfectly interpreting their own version of “Love Most Deeply.”

Many veteran artisans with deep experience took a grand, expansive approach. With a single stroke of inspiration, they depicted mountains and rivers stretching for thousands of miles—layered peaks and ridges, flowing rivers and vast seas, stitching together a magnificent vision of China with every needle and thread.

Some younger contestants preferred lively creatures. The adorable giant panda—a national treasure—became a popular subject. Black and white threads layered intricately, capturing the panda’s lazy, endearing posture in a lifelike and youthful depiction.

Beyond that, flowers, plants, and seasonal scenery were also major themes. Elegant peonies in full bloom, camellias trembling with morning dew, tranquil lotus ponds under moonlight—some refined and graceful, others vivid and rich, offering endless variety that kept the audience on the viewing stands thoroughly engaged.

And what was Wen Xiuning embroidering?

Butterflies.

Miao Yunyou turned to glance at the butterfly hairpin on Ling Nianci’s head and smiled faintly, already understanding part of it.

That hairpin had been personally made by Ling Yunxiao for his daughter during a recent moment of free time. It featured three butterflies closely accompanying one another.

Two large butterflies had their wings fully spread. Their feather-like silk threads were arranged in dense, orderly layers, with clearly defined structure. The wing tips gradually faded in natural color transitions from dark to light, making them look so lifelike that they seemed ready to take flight at any moment. Beneath them was a small, delicate butterfly. The three were arranged in a staggered composition, nestled together as if protecting one another. The design was vivid and full of life.

The velvet-flower craftsmanship carried a unique matte softness with a warm, human touch. Combined with the girl’s delicate features, the result was naturally harmonious and breathtakingly beautiful.

Those three butterflies represented both Ling Yunxiao’s love for Ling Nianci, and Wen Xiuning’s love for her.

To Wen Xiuning, mountains and rivers, countless flowers, and all worldly scenery were secondary. What truly mattered was the quiet companionship of their family of three—that was her irreplaceable “love most deeply.”

For this competition, Wen Xiuning was still using concealed-thread mirage gauze embroidery, and even working in double-sided embroidery.

Tens of thousands of threads as fine as hair moved freely in her hands—stitching, layering, and shading were all executed in one smooth flow. While other contestants constantly changed threads and revised their designs in anxiety, she remained calm and steady from midday until sunset, never once showing urgency.

During the process, several experienced judges walked past her workstation during inspection rounds. Seeing that the embroidery cloth remained completely blank with no visible pattern, they couldn’t help but feel puzzled, wondering if she had not yet begun—or had already given up.

A whistle sounded, and all contestants stopped stitching at once. The noise of the venue rose again as the competition officially entered the final judging and exhibition stage.

One after another, exquisite embroidered works were brought to the display platform—mountains and rivers, flowers and birds, living creatures, seasonal landscapes, and scenes of everyday life all gathered together. Masters from all sides competed on the same stage, and the atmosphere became intensely competitive. Judges scored and commented one by one, while spectators in the stands enthusiastically cheered for their favorite pieces.

Before long, it was finally Wen Xiuning’s turn.

When staff members carried that seemingly blank piece of embroidery onto the display platform, waves of discussion instantly erupted across the stands, filled with doubt and disbelief.

“That cloth has no pattern at all? She spent several hours and ended up with nothing?”

“That’s far too childish.”

The master artisans on the judging panel also frowned, their faces full of confusion.

Within the entire judging panel, only Director Lu remained calm and composed. Leaning back in his chair, he wore a faint smile, his eyes filled with knowing certainty—an expression of someone fully confident and already aware of the outcome.

Having an “all-knowing perspective” in advance really did feel great.

Facing the doubts and confusion of the entire audience, Wen Xiuning stood beside the display platform, her expression calm and steady as she said gently:

“My work uses a double-sided concealed-thread mirage gauze embroidery technique. Ordinary lighting cannot reveal the pattern. Could you switch to a soft spotlight for me?”

This had been pre-arranged with Director Lu. Knowing the venue had soft lighting, she had dared to use such a specialized embroidery technique.

A warm golden spotlight fell vertically from above, precisely enveloping the embroidery cloth. In an instant of silence, the previously plain and blank surface began to transform—the densely layered stitches slowly emerged as hidden patterns were revealed.

The lines were smooth and fluid, the details exquisitely intricate. The vivid image instantly stunned the entire audience, completely silencing all prior doubts.

On the front side of the embroidery, the composition was simple and direct: only three butterflies.

Two larger butterflies stretched their wings gracefully, appearing to lean gently toward each other, while a smaller, delicate butterfly nestled beside them.

Someone in the viewing stands suddenly stood up, pointing at the embroidery and then at a nearby child—Ling Nianci—in disbelief.

“Identical! Those three butterflies are exactly the same as the hairpin on that little girl’s head!”

Everyone immediately turned to follow his gaze.

The on-site photographer reacted instantly, rushing forward with his camera and zooming in on Ling Nianci’s hair bun. He captured a high-definition close-up of the velvet-flower hairpin and projected it onto the giant central screen, displayed side-by-side for comparison.

Identical. Truly identical.

Wing patterns, curvature, dot placement, antenna structure—everything matched perfectly down to the finest detail. Not only the overall shape, but even the smallest edge textures of the butterfly wings were replicated with absolute precision, without the slightest deviation.

The entire audience was deeply shaken.

This was entirely hand-embroidered work, yet it achieved such perfect consistency. This level of needlework skill had already surpassed almost every other contestant in the venue.

Just as everyone was still immersed in shock, Wen Xiuning raised her hand, signaling the staff to flip the embroidery cloth and reveal the reverse side.

When the back side of the cloth was shown to everyone, even Miao Yunyou—who had already braced herself for surprises—couldn’t help but let out a soft gasp.

The reverse side was not butterflies.

Within that small piece of fabric was a landscape of layered mist and clouds, overlapping mountain ranges, and peaks hidden within the sea of fog. Vegetation covered the hills, and the interplay of illusion and reality in the mist gave the scene depth and tranquility.

It was unmistakably Mount Xuanwu.

Wen Xiuning said softly:

“This side depicts the place where we live—our home. Family and home are my greatest preference, and also the ‘love most deeply’ I wanted to express in this work.”