Chapter 59: Is Jiang Xiaoyuan’s Work Beautiful?
Jiang Xiaoyuan wasn’t sure if she was imagining it, but as soon as her model stepped out, the previously cool and aloof media outside suddenly became notably enthusiastic. Through the curtain, she could hear waves of exclamations like “Beautiful” and “Stunning” from the audience below.
Jiang Xiaoyuan greatly envied Boss Qi’s ability to be well-liked no matter where he went. She had once sincerely asked him for advice, and Qi Lian had responded: “There’s nothing special about it. Just be a little righteous, and luckily, I have the means to be righteous. That way, it’s hard to not get along with people.”
That answer was complete nonsense—had she not had the means before? Had she not been righteous toward Feng Ruixue and the others? Yet she still ended up alienated from everyone. Unfortunately, sharing such embarrassing past experiences would be too humiliating, so Jiang Xiaoyuan couldn’t refute Qi Lian’s nonsense with her own story.
She couldn’t help but sneak another glance outside. As if expecting her to peek out, Qi Lian, standing afar, gave her a thumbs-up.
Just seeing him lifted her spirits, and even the annoying Ms. Fan didn’t seem as aggravating anymore.
The runway show lasted only about twenty minutes, and soon, the contestants were called up one by one to receive critiques and scores from the guest judges. Jiang Xiaoyuan, number twelve, was toward the back.
When she and her model walked up together, there was thunderous applause from the audience. The glowing model alongside the tall and beautiful young stylist was a feast for the eyes. In this world, luck plays a part, but effort plays a bigger one. Yet in the end, 90% of success comes down to appearances. By that calculation, Jiang Xiaoyuan could be considered to have an advantage. If she were just a bit more beautiful, enough to transition from “pretty girl” to “gorgeous beauty,” she could escape the ordinary life entirely and step into the realm of those who live on the “map for beauties.”
But alas, true beauties are rare, and she still fell short. She had to keep fighting tooth and nail for a place in this mundane world.
At that moment, Fan Xiaoxiao, who had barely participated in the critiques thus far, took the microphone from another judge.
The old witch was about to unleash her big move, and Jiang Xiaoyuan’s heart sank.
Host: “It seems number twelve has quite the following. Even the usually reserved Ms. Fan is about to give her critique.”
The microphone gave a soft click, and the venue fell silent.
Fan Xiaoxiao, with a smile that didn’t quite match her age or demeanor, said sweetly: “Well, it’s clear that the treatment for a pretty young lady is different. It seems number twelve is quite popular with the media friends around me.”
Jiang Xiaoyuan had already sensed that Fan was about to be disrespectful and steeled herself for it.
Fan Xiaoxiao: “Number twelve’s work is very beautiful and fits the ‘Edelweiss’ theme well. Your model knows how to present herself, which certainly added points for you. However, in my opinion, there is still room for improvement in your design—”
Her tone was calm and deliberate, almost making her critique sound reasonable.
As a master manipulator, she knew exactly how to get under people’s skin.
Fan Xiaoxiao: “First, there’s a lack of distinctiveness. For example, the contestant before you, although their makeup and overall look were a bit uncoordinated, the eye makeup was quite unique and memorable. In contrast, your model is more conventional. She looks beautiful, but there’s nothing particularly striking about her.”
To the untrained ear, this critique might seem very logical, and even the host was nodding in agreement. Jiang Xiaoyuan, however, almost laughed out of sheer frustration. Maintaining a unified, seamless style was a basic requirement from Teacher Jiang, yet to Fan Xiaoxiao, it had somehow turned into “conventional and lacking in highlights.”
With Fan’s extraordinary ability to twist the truth, she might as well abandon her current career and start a pyramid scheme; she’d surely build an empire of downlines.
Fan Xiaoxiao continued: “At first glance, everyone thinks, wow, the model is stunning, the dress is beautiful, the makeup is perfect, and the whole package is gorgeous. But from a professional standpoint, this work isn’t entirely successful. Number twelve is very skilled and clever in her techniques, but your work has a fatal flaw—it feels hollow. Let me be blunt; don’t take offense. The design seems overly crafted, leaving it without soul, without that natural, innocent liveliness.”
Some audience members in the public jury began to show thoughtful expressions.
Was Jiang Xiaoyuan’s work beautiful?
Very much so. Therefore, Fan’s first half wasn’t wrong. As for the second half? Well, who really knows what makes a work “have soul”? It’s such a catch-all critique that you could say the same about da Vinci’s Mona Lisa. Sure, her eyes seem lively at first glance, but after hanging in the Louvre for so many years, has anyone ever seen her come out of the frame to chat with visitors?
When people considered this line of thinking and looked again, they could indeed see that the design was meticulously crafted, maybe too much. It made the model look too polished—unlike the previous contestant, who, with her two pounds of false eyelashes, at least appeared “natural and unpretentious.”
Fan Xiaoxiao glanced at Jiang Xiaoyuan, whose expression remained stoic, and smiled smugly. Seizing the moment, she slowly delivered her final blow.
In no hurry, she said, “I must say, number twelve’s style takes advantage of first impressions. Most people only judge based on what they see initially. But think carefully—why do we find certain songs pleasant or certain foods delicious?”
Fan paused briefly before continuing, “Familiarity—familiarity that hasn’t yet become tiresome. Isn’t that how it works in life? You might have heard a song once or twice before, then later, when you hear it again and can hum along, it feels pleasing. It’s the same here. Number twelve lacks avant-garde or creative elements, nothing really ‘pops.’ Everything looks harmonious and familiar, which is why people find her work beautiful. But if artists always seek to please the masses, then I fear this industry will lose any innovative spirit.”
After Fan’s long speech, she sighed deeply, as if genuinely regretful: “Number twelve, I really appreciate your cleverness and refined techniques, but for the reasons I’ve mentioned, I’m afraid I cannot give you a high score.”
In a few words, she not only dismissed Jiang Xiaoyuan’s work as soulless but also hinted at the recent online controversy before the written test. She painted Jiang as a cunning, hollow craftsman who had manipulated her way into the finals.
The host was momentarily at a loss for words, unsure how to proceed.
Another judge beside her actually nodded in agreement, took the microphone, and flattered Ms. Fan’s nonsense with both hands: “Ms. Fan has rarely attended competitions like this in recent years, but her expectations for the younger generation of fashion stylists are truly sincere.”
Fan Xiaoxiao followed up with some sentimental remarks: “Our pursuit of peace and beauty is innate. From that perspective, your work is almost noble. I sincerely hope you will have a brighter future, using your talents to create a more beautiful world.”
Applause rang out at the end of her words, and the host finally breathed a sigh of relief—the awkward moment had passed.
The host raised the microphone and held it in front of Jiang Xiaoyuan: “Number twelve, do you have anything you’d like to say?”
Jiang Xiaoyuan’s hands trembled slightly. Fan Xiaoxiao had taken the critique so far that any response would seem like a defensive excuse. If she were smart and diplomatic, she’d bow ninety degrees, thank the old witch, and say something like, “Thank you, teachers, for your guidance.”
However, her gaze unintentionally swept toward the audience and landed on the last row, where she saw Jiang Bo.
The Empress Dowager Jiang sat calmly, arms crossed, with no expression on his face. He neither smiled nor showed any reaction, but when her eyes met his, he gave her a slight nod.
The cold, sticky sadness in Jiang Xiaoyuan’s chest suddenly dissolved. She thought to herself, “If even Teacher Jiang approves, what right does an old hag like you, painting an old cucumber[mfn]The phrase “paints an old cucumber” is a derogatory term used to describe someone who is considered unattractive and pretending to be young, especially in terms of their appearance.[/mfn], while driving around in your little pink car all day, have to criticize?”
“Yes, I do.” Unceremoniously, Jiang Xiaoyuan took the microphone from the host.
The host: “…”
Normally, contestants would only say a few perfunctory words of “Thank you, teacher, I will improve in the future” so there was no need to take the microphone. What kind of drama was Jiang Xiaoyuan planning?
“Thank you for your feedback, Teacher Fan.” Jiang Xiaoyuan said, meeting Fan Xiaoxiao’s gaze without backing down. “Your words are quite moving, and I’ve learned a lot from them…”
Learned a lot about how to mislead the public, that is.
Jiang Xiaoyuan continued, “But I do have a slightly different perspective on art than you—art’s enduring appeal lies in the fact that everyone interprets it differently. Among us, there are professionals and non-professionals, each with different levels of understanding and life experiences. Why are we all here together? As Ms. Fan said, it’s because of our relentless pursuit of beauty.”
“Art, whether it’s about creativity or fashion styling, ultimately revolves around ‘beauty.’ It is neither innovation nor progress,” Jiang Xiaoyuan paused for a moment, “People may think that without the pursuit of heliocentrism, we would still see ourselves as the center of the world. If there had been no progress with the steam engine, we would still be living in an agrarian and textile-based world—but the logic of art does not work that way, because the world evolves, while beauty remains eternal.”
After saying this, Jiang Xiaoyuan smiled at the camera. Her youth was at its peak, and her radiant smile seemed to add an unbiased footnote to “beauty is eternal.”
Jiang Xiaoyuan was aware that she had no chance with the guest judges’ scores. She could only try to regain the points lost to Fan Xiaoxiao in the public voting. As long as the final results were not out, she would never give up.
“Aesthetic appreciation is a very personal process,” Jiang Xiaoyuan stated. “No matter how others evaluate it or what opinions they hold, the one that you find most pleasing to the eye and most comfortable in your heart is the most beautiful. As for what Teacher Fan said about ‘familiarity creating beauty,’ I must disagree. Everyone is familiar with flies, but are they beautiful?”
Laughter erupted from the crowd. Jiang Xiaoyuan’s initial comments had been quite proper, but at this point, she completely disregarded whether she might offend the judges, expressing her thoughts candidly and sharply.
“The creative theme is ‘Edelweiss,’ aimed at creating lively and pure styles that evoke images of the edelweiss flower. Teacher Fan seems to oppose this association—so may I ask what direction I should innovate in? ‘Supersonic nuclear-powered ice flowers’?”
Jiang Bo supported his forehead with one hand and silently laughed.
Every time Jiang Xiaoyuan jumped up and down, he wished he could shove her mouth shut, but occasionally seeing her use this talent to take down others was truly exhilarating.
The media group gathered by Qi Lian perfectly played their role as instigators, and hearing this, applause erupted once again.
The host was at a loss for words that he didn’t know what to do.
Jiang Xiaoyuan decided it was time to shift gears, sensing she had attacked enough, and so she turned to the audience, bowing at a ninety-degree angle: “I’m sorry, teachers, I spoke out of turn. I know your guidance is earnest and sincere, but I always feel that on this path, everyone should have their own persistence and style. Otherwise, what everyone presents will merely be a monotonous imitation of what the teachers have taught, which isn’t appealing at all.”
After speaking, she sincerely bowed once more: “I never dreamed I would one day stand at such a high-level competition and exchange ideas with everyone. Thank you again, teachers, for this opportunity.”
With that, she perfectly concluded her speech, returning the microphone to the host, transitioning from a bold demeanor to a compliant one, and quietly stepping back to make room for the next contestant.
The next contestant appeared to be completely intimidated by this unconventional verbal duel, managing only to stammer “Thank you, judges” and “Thank you, teachers,” without uttering another word.
In the first round of scoring, Fan Xiaoxiao predictably gave Jiang Xiaoyuan a hefty low score—typically, such competitions score quite high, with the lowest being seven points; even the worst works would score like that. Fan Xiaoxiao, perhaps flustered by Jiang Xiaoyuan’s remarks, shamelessly gave her just two points.
Ms. Fan has a characteristic: when she holds all the advantages, she is the most eloquent and skilled speaker, capable of covering all bases and getting people to willingly follow her ideas. However, once she loses that advantage, she becomes infuriated, regardless of the audience, behaving in a way that leaves people astounded.
She excels in offense and control; when she loses control, she throws tantrums, as if she is naturally devoid of any other behavioral patterns.
When the scores were revealed, even the guest who had just flattered her couldn’t help but glance sideways.
Thanks to Ms. Fan, the special guest’s thirty points resulted in Jiang Xiaoyuan only receiving twenty points—though one guest who had remained silent surprisingly awarded her full marks.
In the public voting, Jiang Xiaoyuan received twenty-six out of thirty points, which was neither high nor low. She still felt the impact of her confrontational stance against Fan Xiaoxiao; after all, not everyone appreciated a bold personality.
What surprised her was that the four-member judging panel, whom she believed had no real hope for her, actually gave her a decent score—thirty-eight point five.
Perhaps they were trying to avoid suspicion, fearing being accused of bias.
This led to Jiang Xiaoyuan ranking eighth out of fifteen contestants, barely edging out ninth place by just half a point. She had managed to pass the first round by a narrow margin!
When the host announced the results, Jiang Xiaoyuan saw Fan Xiaoxiao’s nose crinkle, perhaps regretting not being harsher and giving her a score of one or even zero.
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