The young woman on stage, Xiao Qu, paused for a moment, glancing uneasily at Fang Tian before softly acknowledging.
But Quan Jiu pressed on, "How much money did she give you in total? How many times did you transact? How much did your parents' medical expenses cost? What were your parents hospitalized for? What kind of surgery did they undergo?"
Xiao Qu looked flustered, her face flushing crimson as she nervously looked towards Fang Tian.
Quan Jiu feigned confusion, "What's wrong? Is this question difficult to answer? Or have you forgotten?"
"I... I forgot. I didn't pay attention to those details," Xiao Qu mumbled, lowering her head.
The show hall erupted in a clamor, the audience clearly dissatisfied with such an answer.
Quan Jiu nodded slightly, a faint smile playing on her lips, "It seems money isn't that important to you, if you haven't even calculated how much she gave you. Perhaps you're too ambitious."
Fang Tian immediately retorted, "What's so strange about that? Over so many years, do you know how much money you've earned in total? Who keeps such precise track?"
Quan Jiu nodded noncommittally, "So, besides knowing you transacted with the Yun Lan Ge Pavilion Master, you know absolutely nothing else, right?"
Xiao Qu subconsciously nodded, "Yes, other than that... I didn't pay attention, I forgot."
"You even forgot what illness your parents had, what surgery they underwent, and how much it cost. With such a poor memory, you should consider seeing a neurologist. It might be an illness."
Xiao Qu nervously stared at her toes.
"When your parents were ill, how much money did Fang Tian Embroidery House give you? Bank transfer? Can you provide bank statements?"
"Huh?" Xiao Qu was even more bewildered. After a long pause, she managed to utter two words: "Cash."
The audience in the show hall grew increasingly agitated. It was obvious to everyone that Xiao Qu was problematic, and shouts of condemnation filled the air.
"Nonsense."
"Liar."
Fang Tian inwardly cursed the incompetent girl and stopped Xiao Qu from speaking further. She reprimanded, "Someone like you, ungrateful, should compensate me for my losses. But you are also a pitiable person, used by others. Since you're willing to come forward and tell the truth, I won't pursue your responsibility. Pack your things and leave my embroidery house when you get back."
Xiao Qu looked relieved and quickly left the stage.
Fang Tian continued, "Everyone, as you've heard, Xiao Qu is the mole. Her conscience is still intact, which is why she's willing to step forward and expose..."
"But in the end, we still don't know how she contacted the Yun Lan Ge Pavilion Master, who the Yun Lan Ge Pavilion Master is, or how they met, do we?" Quan Jiu interrupted Fang Tian.
Immediately, someone chimed in, "Exactly. Her words are full of loopholes, and she can't answer a single question. This is the liar you found, isn't it?"
Fang Tian added, "It's normal for someone who's done something wrong to be ashamed to admit it. If you don't believe me, I have a witness."
As she spoke, her gaze fell on the entrance of the show hall, where Yun Shu was walking towards the runway with an air of arrogance.
Some recognized Yun Shu, while others asked who she was.
Upon seeing Yun Shu, Quan Jiu couldn't help but laugh.
Yuan Zijun asked curiously, "What is she doing here?"
"Coming to put on a show," Quan Jiu replied with a slight smile.
Over there, Yun Shu stepped onto the runway and introduced herself with an air of pride, "I am Yun Shu, daughter of Yun Kun. My mother is Yong Cuirong."
"I can vouch for Fang Tian's words. Because at the Chu family's birthday banquet, I was wearing clothes designed by her. However, I was deceived by the Yun Lan Ge Pavilion Master at the time. She incited me to accuse Fang Tian of plagiarism. I was used and misunderstood Fang Tian. Later, I realized that the true plagiarist was the Yun Lan Ge Pavilion Master."
Some found her words vague and dismissed them as nonsense, retorting, "You just say a few words and we're supposed to believe you? You claim you were used and framed, and that's it?"
"Of course. I am a young lady of the Yun family. Would I lie? I have no enmity with the Yun Lan Ge Pavilion Master, so why would I frame her? I'm telling the truth," Yun Shu scoffed dismissively.
"You wore a counterfeit dress, felt embarrassed, and now you hold a grudge," Yuan Zijun, one of the witnesses to that event, couldn't help but interject.
Yun Shu's expression darkened, "Hmph, I have no reason to lie. I'm telling the truth. It was the Yun Lan Ge Pavilion Master who used me and caused me to wrongly accuse Fang Tian Embroidery House."
"I'm very curious, how did she use you? Have you met her? Do you have any conflict between you?" Quan Jiu asked, feigning curiosity.
Yun Shu glared, "Why should I tell you? If you don't believe me, even if I give you a hundred reasons, you won't believe it."
Quan Jiu chuckled, "If I were to rate your performance, even one point would be too much. There's no plot, no logic, no conflict. If you continue to perform like this, you could just grab two random people off the street and have them say anything, and it would be evidence. Why bother finding actors for a guest appearance? If they don't perform well, it will even damage your friendship."
Fang Tian laughed angrily, "Unlike you, I don't pretend, deceive, or fabricate. I only know how to speak the truth."
"I think you're just talking nonsense," someone couldn't help but retort.
Fang Tian thought to herself: The Yun Lan Ge Pavilion Master has never shown her face for so many years. She doesn't believe that rat hiding in the dark would dare to come out. Even if I can't definitively prove it, I'll ruin her reputation.
She said triumphantly, "I have the courage to stand up and speak the truth. Why doesn't the Yun Lan Ge Pavilion Master have the guts to come out and confront me? What is there she can't bear to reveal that she has to hide? I think she's afraid of being exposed and losing face, so she's been hiding all along."
Her words indeed began to sway many people. For years, the identity of the Yun Lan Ge Pavilion Master had been a mystery, and some even doubted her existence.
Quan Jiu cast a cold glance at Fang Tian, then took out her phone and made a call to Hua Qing, arranging things as such.
Fang Tian on stage continued to provoke, "Yun Lan Ge Pavilion Master, if you have the guts, come out. This is your show. You stole design drafts from me, and now you can't show your face?"
She was certain that the Yun Lan Ge Pavilion Master would not appear, as she hadn't appeared in years. Therefore, her words became increasingly harsh.
"The Yun Lan Ge Pavilion Master is a coward, a heartless thief who stole my designs. You have the guts to steal my designs, but not to show your face..."
From the audience, Yuan Zijun, seeing Quan Jiu about to leave, quickly asked, "Daughter, where are you going?"
Quan Jiu smiled faintly, "I didn't have time when I was abroad, but now that I'm back, if I keep hiding, some people will really think they're important."
She elegantly walked through the crowd. Her already stunning beauty, combined with the luxurious haute couture gown, especially the necklace around her neck, made her appear like a queen arriving.
The crowd's gaze followed her movements, all speculating what this beautiful lady was about to do.
Fang Tian and Yun Shu also looked at Quan Jiu. The former looked confused, while the latter was filled with jealousy, her eyes seeming to spew fire.
Under everyone's gaze, Quan Jiu walked onto the runway. At this moment, Li Wei and Weng Yin entered the show hall with several people in work uniforms.
"Someone has reported that Yun Lan Ge's clothing is suspected of plagiarism. We are from the Fashion Week Supervisory Group and are now here to investigate Yun Lan Ge's show."
Once the Fashion Week Supervisory Group initiated an investigation into a brand, that brand was essentially doomed.
Could it be that Yun Lan Ge had truly plagiarized Fang Tian Embroidery House? How was that possible?
Everyone in the show hall stared in astonishment at the Supervisory Group staff.
Quan Jiu stood at the center of the runway and smiled faintly, "No need to investigate. I'll give you the answer now."