Chapter 545: Tit for Tat
Paula’s eyes lit up.
Ella’s smile deepened. "Have you ever heard of Mr. Ronald?"
Paula froze. "The chief perfumer of Country Y’s royal family—he’s attending this competition too?"
"Of course. Ronald studied under the legendary Piper..." Ella’s lips curved into a smirk. "These two are the treasures of Country Y. With them here, Selina is bound to lose completely."
...
The next day.
A thousand perfumers arrived in City A to be interviewed.
Such a large-scale competition, held in cooperation with the royal family of Country Y, naturally drew the attention of the entire Country M, Country Y, and even the world.
Each perfumer was asked a few simple questions, introducing their design concepts and perfumes. The interviews lasted just a minute or two, and after editing, each person’s screen time would only be a few seconds. But for many perfumers, this was already a golden opportunity.
Country M had countless perfume studios. Most weren’t well known, their products weren’t expensive, and not to mention abroad—even domestically, many people had never heard of these perfumers’ names. But that didn’t mean they weren’t outstanding. What they lacked was simply a stage.
Reid Group gave them that chance.
By the time Selina finished her interview, it was already three in the afternoon.
She was just about to leave the venue when a commotion broke out in front of her. A crowd was gathered like stars around the moon, escorting someone and blocking her path.
After listening for a while, Selina finally understood—Country Y’s chief perfumer, Ronald, had also arrived and would be serving as a judge for the competition.
This man carried significant weight in the global perfume industry. With him there in person, it was no surprise that the perfumers from Country Y treated him like a star surrounded by devotees.
Selina, however, had no interest in Ronald. She turned to leave—when suddenly—
"Is this Miss Clark?"
Ronald stepped into Selina’s path.
Selina turned around, raising her brows slightly.
To her surprise, Ronald declined the invitations from the other perfumers and instead walked straight toward her. The perfumers who had been trailing Ronald now shifted their attention to Selina.
Selina still had no interest in Ronald. She had first heard of him back when she entered the perfume industry at fifteen, under the pseudonym "Piper." Her impression of him had never been good.
So when Ronald stopped her, Selina narrowed her eyes. "Mr. Ronald."
Ronald wore a smile, though it didn’t reach his eyes. There was a trace of disdain in his tone as he spoke mockingly: "After yesterday, Miss Clark has become a household name. Everyone in Country Y has now heard of you."
The room fell silent. No one present was a fool; everyone understood Ronald’s insinuation. The perfumers from Country M didn’t look pleased.
But Selina remained calm and unruffled. "Well, since I was the one Miss Paula apologized to, it’s only natural I became well known."
Her words directly threw Ronald’s comment back at him—why was she famous? Because Paula had apologized to her.
As for why Paula had apologized—Selina was certain Ronald wouldn’t dare push the matter too far.
Sure enough, Ronald’s smile stiffened, though he quickly continued: "Miss Paula is still young. She was only joking with you, Miss Clark. Who would’ve thought you’d take it so seriously, even troubling the queen herself?"
Ronald sighed. "Ah, are people from Country M always so petty and humorless? Seems we in Country Y are much more generous, hahaha."
The Country Y perfumers around him echoed, "That’s right. We all knew Miss Paula was joking, but the women of Country M actually thought Paula was insulting her. What a joke!"
"Maybe Miss Clark has never had any friends before, which is why she can’t take a joke. Poor Miss Paula—she only wanted to befriend Miss Clark, but Miss Clark turned out to be so stingy."
Ronald looked as if he were helpless. "Sorry, Miss Clark. We people of Country Y are simply more easygoing. Joking is our way of making friends, but you... ah, never mind. Perhaps it’s just cultural differences between our two countries—can’t be forced."
Selina actually laughed in anger.
Everyone present knew perfectly well what Paula had meant.
—Paula had deliberately insulted Selina, telling her to wear a nightclub dress, degrading her, comparing her to a woman who sells her smile.
But in the mouths of these Country Y people, this was supposed to be a joke?
The perfumers from Country M couldn’t take it anymore.
"What nonsense! A joke? Does Miss Clark even know Paula that well for her to joke like that?"
"Here’s a fun fact: for something to be called a joke, the person being joked about has to find it funny. That’s what makes it a joke!"
Ronald put on the same helpless act again. "See? See? This is exactly what I mean about people from Country M—you just can’t say anything to them."
The perfumers from Country Y around him burst out laughing.
"Hahaha, so sensitive—they can’t even handle a few words."
"It was just a joke! We already said it’s part of our Country Y culture."
"Hilarious! People from Country M really can’t handle the spotlight."
Then Selina suddenly pulled out two hundred in cash and said slowly, "Mr. Ronald, you’re fairly easy on the eyes. Take this as a tip for keeping me company."
She added with deliberate calm, "Mhm, though Mr. Ronald is a bit older, I suppose he’d still be considered handsome in Country Y."
Some perfumers from Country M immediately caught on.
"I wonder how much Mr. Ronald charges per hour? The top hosts at nightclubs can cost hundreds of thousands an hour."
"Mr. Ronald’s fee must be even higher than that."
"Hahaha, who would’ve thought Mr. Ronald makes money this way? Well, to each his own, I suppose."
Ronald’s face instantly darkened. He realized—Selina had actually likened him to a male escort hired for entertainment!
Without thinking, Ronald roared in fury, "Miss Clark! Is this the Country M way of treating guests? I am the chief perfumer of Country Y! How dare you insult me?!"
But Selina remained as composed as ever, even lazily lifting her eyelids.
"Mr. Ronald, you’re overreacting. I was only trying to befriend you, and I made a little joke."
"Just moments ago, I heard Mr. Ronald say Miss Paula was only joking with me. You said this is the culture of Country Y. Now I understand—so this is how Country Y people joke with each other."
"Since I wanted to be friends with you, naturally I should follow local customs and adopt Country Y’s way of joking."
Selina tilted her head slightly, as if puzzled. "But why is Mr. Ronald angry all of a sudden?"
...
...
The entire room went dead silent. Ronald nearly choked on his own breath.
His face turned crimson, his fingers trembled as he pointed at Selina, sputtering "You—" for a long while, but not managing to say a single word. He looked utterly furious, nearly beside himself.
"Pfft—hahaha..." Laughter finally broke out among the crowd.
"Why is Mr. Ronald angry? Isn’t this your Country Y custom?"
"Exactly. Or... could it be that Mr. Ronald was lying?"