Rekindled Hearts: The Tycoon’s Reluctant Love

Chapter 171: Chapter 170: This Woman, Mysterious and Unfathomable

The ones who entered were the president of Li University and Ming Yao’s mentor Sun Lihua.

Sun Lihua glared at Ming Yao with fury, “I warned you during the last competition, you need to rely on genuine talent and learning, otherwise you’ll only be smashing your own feet with a rock!”

Sun Lihua looked towards Gu Siting with a grave expression, “President Gu, I am truly sorry, Ming Yao is not the winner of the last Li University Fashion Competition, her work was plagiarized!”

As soon as Sun Lihua finished, the conference room fell silent for a few seconds.

Ding Jie and Zhong Ling clearly didn’t believe it.

“What makes you think Sister Yao plagiarized?”

Sun Lihua took out a copy of Ming Yao’s previous report card and design, “As Ming Yao’s mentor, I am very clear about her abilities, she simply has no talent for design.”

“President Gu, take a look at her previous works, they couldn’t even make it to the finals! Yet, to compete with her sister for the inheritance, she plagiarized someone else’s work. I am truly heartbroken to have taught such a morally corrupt student!”

“This issue affects the fairness of the big fashion competition at our Li University, as well as its reputation. We would not be here if we didn’t have sufficient evidence,” she said.

The always silent president nodded, “President Gu, we have already investigated the matter thoroughly, Ming Yao does indeed have suspicions of plagiarism, we will cancel her championship qualification, announce it to the entire school, and award the championship trophy to Ming Wan.”

Sun Lihua said, “President Gu, our Li University must take responsibility for this competition, and for your company, that’s why I recommend Ming Wan to collaborate with you!”

Sun Lihua glanced towards the door, “I have asked Ming Wan to come, let her come in and speak with you.”

Sun Lihua called Ming Wan in.

After Ming Wan entered, she looked at Gu Siting cautiously, biting her lip, and with a weak voice, she said, “Fourth Master, it’s fine if you don’t work with me, but the nature of my sister’s plagiarism is so grave, I fear it might bring a bad influence on Gu Corporation if it gets out…”

Ming Wan, with tears in her eyes, looked at Ming Yao, with a mix of pity and frustration, “Sister, how could you plagiarize someone else’s work just to compete with me for the Autumn Water Studio? Don’t you know that plagiarism is a taboo in design competitions? By deceiving the school and Fourth Master like this, doesn’t your conscience hurt?”

Sun Lihua looked at Ming Wan wiping her tears and then glanced at Ming Yao who sat at the conference table indifferently, without a trace of shame, and she angrily said, “President Gu, do you see this? Ming Yao, who comes from a rural area, knows nothing about design. She has been the worst student in the school for years. Unable to win, she resorts to plagiarism. Such vile behavior should be announced all over the internet and be blacklisted by the design industry!”

Ming Wan, in a soft and weak voice, said, “Teacher Sun, my sister probably didn’t do it on purpose. She won’t do it again. Please, I ask the school to keep it a secret for my sister’s sake, she already realizes her mistake—”

Ming Wan looked at Ming Yao with pleading eyes, “Sister, please say something, say you’ll never plagiarize again. I think both the school and Fourth Master would give you another chance!”

“Ming Wan, you’re just too weak, too kind-hearted. With things like plagiarism, once there’s a first time, there will be a second!”

Ming Yao leaned lazily in her chair, her slender fingers fidgeting with the pen she was preparing to sign with. Hearing Sun Lihua and Ming Wan’s back-and-forth, she couldn’t help but curl her lips into a smile.

“You’ve talked so much, but where is the evidence of my plagiarism?”

Seeing Ming Yao remain defiant to the end without a hint of remorse, Sun Lihua’s face turned green with anger.

“I’ve been teaching for many years and have never encountered a student as incorrigible as you.”

Ming Yao raised her eyebrows slightly, “Nor have I encountered a teacher like you who can’t tell right from wrong, has eyes at the bottom of her feet, and can’t judge people clearly!”

“You—”

Seeing Sun Lihua and Ming Yao arguing, the president frowned and said, “Call Henry, the Chief Designer from Starburst Headquarters, over.”

At the mention of Henry’s name, Ming Yao’s hand, which was playing with the pen, paused slightly.

Once Starburst Company got on the right track, Ming Yao seldom went to the company.

It was mostly left to the senior management.

She hadn’t expected Henry to come to Li City.

Someone must have deliberately invited him over!

Ming Wan went downstairs to call for Henry.

Henry was a famous international designer and one of Starburst’s apprentices.

The person he most admired was his master, but his master, blessed with beauty but a short life, passed away prematurely.

Even though their master was no longer in this world, they had to properly guard Starburst on his behalf.

Now that someone dared to plagiarize his master’s work, he was determined to make sure that person could no longer mix in the design circle!

“Teacher Henry, the plagiarist is quite brazen. Our principal and counselors confronted her, but she still refused to admit it!”

Henry had seen the work of the plagiarist who won the championship. Although it was claimed to be a new creation, the design style and details were identical to his master’s work.

Anyone familiar with his master’s style could tell at a glance that it was imitation and plagiarism.

How could Henry tolerate someone who stole the essence of his master’s work?

If she dared to plagiarize, he would surely crush her!

Ming Wan, seeing Henry’s expression, knew that Ming Yao’s reputation in the design circle was completely ruined this time.

Once burdened with the reputation of a plagiarist, it would be difficult to clear her name in the future!

She had only recently taken over Autumn Water Studio. Even with Old Madam Ming’s support, if the issue of plagiarism was exposed, the shareholders would definitely oppose her.

By then, Autumn Water Studio would fall into her hands.

Thinking of this, Ming Wan couldn’t help but curl her lips with a gleeful smile, taking pleasure in another’s misfortune.

Lately, Ming Yao had slapped her in the face several times, and she truly couldn’t wait to see Ming Yao with a disheveled appearance, completely losing face in front of Fourth Master!

Soon, Ming Wan led Henry to the conference room.

Ming Wan secretly snapped a photo of Henry entering the conference room and then anonymously posted on the Li University forum.

[Breaking! Ming Yao plagiarizes Starburst work in fashion contest, Starburst’s Chief Designer personally arrives to expose her!]

Having posted the message, Ming Wan exited.

She was waiting to see Ming Yao get a fierce face-slapping by Henry!

Seeing the Chief Designer from Starburst Headquarters come over, Gu Siting’s expression imperceptibly tightened.

He was aware of Starburst’s international reputation.

If it weren’t for a serious issue, the Chief Designer of Starburst wouldn’t have made this trip.

Did Little Swindler really plagiarize Starburst’s work?

That was impossible!

The nights she was drawing the design drafts, he had secretly glanced at her work.

She wasn’t copying someone else’s work; she had created it on her own.

Gu Siting glanced at Ming Yao and noticed she was slightly bowing her head, with a slight, almost imperceptible, curve on her lips, as if thinking about something, which made him frown.

He couldn’t guess what she was thinking at the moment.

This woman was mysterious and unfathomable.

Yet, deep inside, he inexplicably trusted that she was not the plagiarist.

Upon seeing Henry arrive, Sun Lihua greeted him warmly, “Senior Henry, that is the student who plagiarized the Starburst work, Ming Yao!”