Volume One, Chapter Eight: The True and False Genius Designers

Next to her, Ye Qianyao’s parents’ faces visibly darkened upon hearing her words.

Ye’s father glared at Ye Zhaoying and spoke harshly, “You don’t even have the ability yourself yet you’re daydreaming. How could I have such a prodigal daughter like you? Shut down your studio immediately and marry Fu Mingchi as soon as possible. Marrying him is the best path you have in life!”

Ye Zhaoying’s eyes reddened as she looked at her parents in disbelief.

She thought she had grown accustomed over the years to their favoritism and coldness, but at this moment, it was as if a chilling wind pierced through her, leaving her shivering all over.

Turning her gaze to the smug Ye Qianyao, she sneered, “A genius designer? Ye Qianyao, you know very well how you got the outstanding graduate title and the opportunity to study abroad in Y country. Don’t put on airs here!”

Ye Qianyao’s face stiffened, tears welling up instantly. She looked at her parents with a wronged expression.

Wang Huaiying, seeing Ye Qianyao wronged, immediately lashed out at Ye Zhaoying, “Ye Zhaoying, you have no ability yourself and yet you dare criticize your sister! You bully her just because she has a kind heart. Do you even have the decency to be an elder sister?!”

Ye Zhaoying looked at the trio united in hostility, as if she were the unforgivable sinner, her heart filled with deep disappointment. She sneered coldly.

“I won’t marry so early, I won’t close my studio, and I will definitely participate in the project competition!”

She strode away quickly, curses echoing behind her. Her chest ached painfully, as if pricked by needles.

She didn’t understand—she was clearly their biological daughter, so why was she treated so differently from the adopted Ye Qianyao?

When Ye Zhaoying was a child, she had been kidnapped by human traffickers and suffered greatly in a remote mountain village. Only at fourteen did the Ye family take her back.

But at that time, the family had already adopted another daughter, Ye Qianyao, who was just two months younger.

After Ye Zhaoying returned, they didn’t send Ye Qianyao away because they had raised her for so many years and had grown attached.

Her parents and brother all feared that Ye Qianyao would feel estranged or wronged by Ye Zhaoying’s return.

So, they habitually sided with the foster daughter who had already become part of the family.

Ye Zhaoying never knew how to act coy, didn’t like to confide in others when wronged, and was far less endearing than Ye Qianyao.

In the Ye household, Ye Zhaoying lived like an outsider.

Looking back, from the moment she returned to this home until now, she had always been unwelcome.

No matter how hard she studied or tried to fit in, she never received half the care or love that Ye Qianyao did.

The one time Ye Zhaoying gained their approval and happiness was when she started dating a wealthy boyfriend like Fu Mingchi.

Unfortunately, that boyfriend ultimately betrayed her.

So, many relationships and affections can’t be held onto just because one wants to.

She had to work hard to build her own career—only the career and wealth firmly in her hands would never betray her.

The next day, Ye Zhaoying held a meeting with all her employees.

“...So, our task for the next two months is to prepare well for the project competition. The challenges are great, and the opponents are strong, but as long as our proposal is outstanding, we will succeed!”

This was a design team competition for a new brand under DL Clothing Company. DL excelled in fabric research but their clothing designs never appealed to consumers.

This time, they invested heavily in a new fabric and aimed to create a fresh brand, so they decided to spend big money to invite external design teams to participate in the product’s appearance design.

The competition at DL was highly anticipated. The winning design team would gain great fame. Many big companies sent their design departments, including the design team from Yuanhui Clothing Company where Ye Qianyao worked.

The difficulty was immense, but the rewards were equally so. Ye Zhaoying had to try.

In the following days, the staff were full of spirit and enthusiasm, and Ye Zhaoying threw herself into drawing the designs.

The competition required submission of ten sets of designs in various styles, and the timeline was tight.

But Ye Zhaoying was an observant and meticulous person, always capturing inspiration from daily life. She already had five draft designs ready, which only needed some refinement.

Half a month before the competition, there was an unexpected visitor at Morning Light Studio.

“Boss, there’s someone outside who says she’s your sister.”

Ye Zhaoying paused with her brush in hand. Ye Qianyao’s arrival wasn’t surprising. It would have been strange if she hadn’t come right before the competition.

Ye Zhaoying put down her brush, glanced at the pile of discarded drafts beside her, and smiled faintly. “Let her in.”

“Yes.”

She locked away all her completed design drawings in the safe, leaving the discarded drafts scattered on the desk.

Soon, Ye Qianyao entered with a sweet and obedient smile.

She really looked exactly the same as in college…

Ye Zhaoying asked directly, “What do you want from me?”

Ye Qianyao smiled and held up a bag of fruit.

“Sis, you haven’t been home these days. Mom knows you’ve been working hard. She was upset last time, so she asked me to bring some fruit to see you.”

Ye Zhaoying’s gaze fell on the five apples in the plastic bag, which had been sitting there for who knows how many days and were already somewhat shriveled. A sarcastic smile curved her lips.

“Put it down first and sit. I’m going to the restroom.”

She got up and added, “Don’t touch anything in my office!”

Ye Zhaoying left, leaving Ye Qianyao alone in the office.

But instead of going to the restroom, Ye Zhaoying went to check the surveillance footage.

Sure enough, after Ye Zhaoyao left, Ye Qianyao quickly moved to the desk and started rummaging through something.

Seeing the pile of discarded drafts, she was overjoyed and hurriedly took photos with her phone, then neatly rearranged the drafts.

Xiao Zhang, the staff member in the monitoring room, watched in disbelief. “Boss, this…”

Ye Zhaoying was not surprised at all. After all, that outstanding graduate title had been snatched the same way.

“Xiao Zhang, cut this footage and send it to me.”

Xiao Zhang nodded repeatedly. “Got it, boss.”

Xiao Zhang didn’t understand why the boss didn’t expose Ye Qianyao directly, but she sensed that the boss had her reasons.

At the same time, she felt shocked and disdainful. She knew Ye Qianyao, who was quite famous online. She was called a genius designer, a graduate of A University, an outstanding graduate, directly admitted to a prestigious Y country university for further study, and now working in a big company’s design department, enjoying great success.

Although Ye Zhaoying was her sister and her boss, she paled in comparison.

And today, Ye Qianyao actually came to steal the boss’s designs?!

It was utterly incomprehensible. Could all those honors have been fake?