With that, Tang Si suddenly understood, "Did Little Chili come today, which is why you're here, Second Brother? I remember you're usually not interested in these jewelry exhibitions."
He hit the nail on the head, but was met with a warning look from Qing Muyue.
Tang Si shrank his neck, recalling the scene of being thrown into the elevator by Song Jun that afternoon, and immediately fell silent.
He was just curious, since Little Chili was here, where was she?
The models from Ivan Company successively took the stage. Under the music and stage lighting, everything went quite smoothly, but the last model to appear was the finale... Meng Jingwei.
"Holy cow, Second Brother, look who that is!"
Having scanned the area without finding Meng Jingwei, Tang Si looked up and saw the person walking out. With her short black hair, he knew it was Meng Jingwei at a glance.
After all, Li Yun'er had chestnut hair that reached her waist, so the two were easily distinguishable.
As Tang Si saw Meng Jingwei, Qing Muyue's gaze also shifted.
Under the stage lights, Meng Jingwei walked in ten-centimeter stilettos, with light makeup. She wore a gray-black cinched-waist, front-short-back-long halter dress, with a few gray-white feathers pinned above her left chest and a large bow on the side of her waist. Her body was adorned with sparkling accents, making her look as beautiful as a dazzling galaxy under the lights.
She was already tall, and with her fame in Lancheng, her appearance caused surprise and excitement among the audience.
"Oh my god, isn't that Li Yun'er?"
"Nonsense, that's Meng Jingwei, can't you tell?"
"She's really beautiful, much taller than Li Yun'er."
"Her figure is much better than Li Yun'er's, especially those full curves."
...
The crowd buzzed with discussion, their interest piqued by Meng Jingwei.
However, among them, Shu Yao was the most nervous. After all, she knew Meng Jingwei couldn't walk the runway and was only stepping in as a model temporarily for the fifty thousand yuan reward.
But the next moment, as the lights fell on Meng Jingwei, and she proudly walked the runway, Shu Yao was stunned.
Because the exhibition hall was large, to ensure the models and jewelry were clearly visible, each model's appearance was projected onto the big screen.
The moment Meng Jingwei appeared, her standard runway walk, chest out, head held high, with a deep gaze fixed forward and a serious expression.
Her hips were slightly tucked, her center of gravity shifted slightly forward as she walked. Her knees were turned inward when she stepped, her feet had a slight overlap, and she walked in a straight line, landing heel first, then the sole of her foot, naturally.
Her runway presence was incredibly stable, and she was exceptionally photogenic. Her serious expression on the big screen was highly recognizable, and she had great camera presence.
This... this was a professional model, how could she not know how to walk the runway?
She had hidden her skills too well!
"This woman, she lied to me again!"
Shu Yao was so shocked by Meng Jingwei that her jaw dropped, almost wide enough to fit an egg.
Not only her, but Qing Muyue, Qing Sihui, Tang Si, and Han Yu, who were seated opposite, were also surprised by Meng Jingwei's appearance.
"Holy cow, Second Brother, Little Chili is a model?" Tang Si's eyes widened, finding it incredible.
"Yes. When I investigated Meng Jingwei, I remembered she could indeed walk the runway, and she even walked in shows at school. In college, she worked as a part-time model to earn money for tuition."
Han Yu suddenly recalled that while investigating Meng Jingwei's boyfriend, he had also looked into her school affairs.
He had only thought Meng Jingwei's modeling skills were probably at an amateur level, perhaps from the eighteenth tier, but who knew she was so professional!
As he finished speaking, Qing Muyue shot a sharp gaze at Han Yu, as if to say: Why didn't you tell me?
Then, his gaze shifted to the stage, captivated by the "shining" woman.
What other surprises did this damned woman have that he didn't know about?
Qing Sihui, on the other hand, curved his lips slightly, as if he had found a prey that interested him.
"Her runway walk is so professional."
"So Meng Jingwei is actually a model, she's really photogenic."
"Great camera presence, professional, absolutely professional."
"Damn, she's too beautiful, it feels like the jewelry she's wearing is just an accessory."
...
As Meng Jingwei had been in the spotlight recently, and many of those attending today were from Lancheng's upper class, they were naturally familiar with her.
Even more people were greatly astonished by Meng Jingwei's highly professional model demeanor.
However, just as everyone was marveling at the surprise Meng Jingwei brought, Meng Jingwei, who was walking the runway, suddenly stumbled and fell to her knees with a loud thud as her knees hit the floor.
At that moment, gasps erupted from the audience. It looked painful just watching.
The fall was so sudden. Meng Jingwei looked down at the runway floor, which had cracked from the impact.
With ten-centimeter heels, the heel suddenly broke. Such an occurrence was unexpected, and the heavy fall was understandable.
The music continued. The models behind her skirted around her and continued forward.
Backstage, Ivan's heart was in his throat.
One moment he was amazed by Meng Jingwei's incredible runway presence, thinking she was a real model, but the next moment she fell, making him so nervous he couldn't breathe.
On the contrary, Chu Xue, standing beside Ivan, curved her lips slightly, a hint of smugness appearing in her eyes: Meng Jingwei, what can you do to compete with me?
In the audience, Qing Muyue's brow furrowed. Seeing Meng Jingwei fall so hard, he almost rushed onto the runway, but in the end, he restrained himself.
As a model, the runway was a sacred place. He shouldn't appear at such a time.
However, just as everyone thought Meng Jingwei couldn't get up, they saw her take off the broken-heeled stiletto from her right foot, hold it in her hand, and stand up, enduring the pain in her knee.
It hurt.
Meng Jingwei felt weak and faint from the pain, but...
That fifty thousand yuan that was within her grasp absolutely could not be let go!
She pursed her lips, and in just one second, she composed her facial expression, returning to her usual composure as if she felt no pain.
But as she stood up, her knee was already purple and swollen, a testament to how hard she had fallen.
Meng Jingwei endured the pain, one hand on her hip, the other holding the stiletto. She continued forward, wearing only one shoe, her right foot on tiptoe.
Even with one foot bare, she maintained a steady runway presence, like a veteran model who had been strutting the runway for years, earning admiration.
The stiletto she held in her hand, with its strap hanging from the back of her hand and her fingers gripping the heel, not only did not ruin her runway look but made it seem as if she were carrying a handbag, looking both chic and beautiful!
Walking to the front of the runway, she stopped, struck a pose, and tossed the stiletto behind her shoulder. With a slight lift of her shoulder, she turned back and smiled.
In that moment, she seemed to be bathed in a halo, making her the focal point of the stage, drawing all eyes.
Especially the回头一笑 (hui tou yi xiao - a smile over the shoulder) after tossing the shoe, full of charm and allure, exceptionally captivating.
Then, Meng Jingwei turned and walked towards the center of the runway. As she passed Shu Yao, she casually tossed the stiletto to her.
That seemingly unintentional gesture, both潇洒 (xiaosao - dashing) and handsome, further captivated the crowd.
Reaching the center of the runway, Ivan also walked over, standing with Meng Jingwei in front of the host.