Chapter 369 - Questioned By Reporters

The International Painting and Calligraphy Competition was a huge event.

There were no reporters or fans at the museum yesterday, when the participants arrived to register, and that was because secrecy measures had been put in place.

Today, when Zi Yi and Dou Xiangling's car drove into the street to enter the museum, they discovered that the area had been blocked off. Due to the guards blocking the way, there were many who were standing on the streets.

Outside the art museum was a large group of local and international reporters, all of whom had interviewed the contestants who entered the competition venue.

Dou Xiangling looked at those reporters and gave Zi Yi a pre-emptive warning. "Yiyi, the reports here today are mostly gossip reporters. They will most likely try their best to dig out your private information to publicize it. Just follow behind me later, I'll do the talking."

Zi Yi responded with a hum and saw that the moment a car reached the entrance, there were bodyguards who went over to protect the contestants as they made their way inside.

Soon, their car arrived outside the entrance.

The group of reporters stared at the car and acted as if they were ready to pounce over towards them.

The first one to alight was Dou Xiangling.

She wore a water-blue cheongsam today and with the aura of a young lady who originated from an educated family, it made others find it even harder to shift their gaze away.

Dou Xiangling had a rather well-known reputation, and when the reporters saw her alighting, they all became excited.

"Miss Dou, did you already anticipate that you would be able to enter the finals this time?"

"Miss Dou, do you think you will be able to win first place in the competition?"

"Miss Dou, it is rumored that your university classmate has also entered the finals. Before your competition, will you two communicate in private?"

"Miss Dou…"

Dou Xiangling smiled and politely answered with a few social niceties, and cleverly avoided everyone's questions.

The reporters were unsatisfied with her response.

Just then, Zi Yi alighted from the car.

Her outfit was casual as per normal, a white T-shirt coupled with jeans. However, it made everyone so surprised, to the extent that they could not shift their gazes away.

After they were momentarily stunned, all of them got excited.

The cameramen then directed their camera lenses in her direction.

"Excuse me, are you Miss Zi Yi who managed to enter the finals?"

"Miss Zi is really beautiful. I wonder how long you have been studying painting and who is your teacher? Why haven't we heard of you before?"

"Miss Zi seems so young and since you could enter the finals, it means that your skills must be very strong. I wonder if you have the confidence to defeat all the contestants today and win first place?"

…

No matter how everyone asked, Zi Yi did not answer a single question.

Just then, a sharp voice sounded. "Miss Zi, why aren't you answering our questions? Could it be that you look down on us reporters?"

Soon, another sharp voice sounded. "Miss Zi, it's said that you are related to Miss Dou and you entered the finals together this time around. Were you really the one who completed the paintings for the previous two rounds?"

The moment that particular reporter asked this question, everyone turned silent and they looked at Zi Yi with an excited gaze.

"This reporter here, there are some words that…"

"Cousin." Zi Yi motioned to Dou Xiangling that there was no need to bother talking with them.

She looked at the reporter and coldly answered, "You'll be able to see if it's indeed my painting in the finals. If you think it isn't, then you'd better keep your eyes wide open."

Having said that, she was about to pull Dou Xiangling towards the art museum… However, just then a voice sounded from behind the reporter.

"Miss Dou, I'm your fan. Can I hug you?"

The one speaking was a young lady that appeared to be around her twenties. She had a tall and robust physique and after she said that, she rudely pushed the reporters aside and rushed towards Dou Xiangling.

When she was dashing towards Dou Xiangling, due to how rough she had just been, she knocked one of the cameras from a cameraman's hands.

"Ah! My camera!"

The cameraman subconsciously fell to the front, and bumped against a few other people. Moreover, the woman who was dashing over did not have the intention to stop.

For a moment, there were many reporters and cameramen who were pushed, and they were about to fall in the direction of Zi Yi and Dou Xiangling.

At this moment, the few bodyguards who were supposed to be protecting them had quietly taken a step back.

Dou Xiangling froze when she saw the situation.

Zi Yi immediately got the gist of the situation and pulled Dou Xiangling's hand as they retreated until they reached the staircase.

Those who were pushed and shoved over in their direction, seemed to have been kicked by someone or something in their knees and they all knelt down at the same time, at around a meter's distance away.

From the side, it seemed like they were kneeling and worshipping the two women.

"Ahhh… my hand…"

"My microphone!"

"My knee…"

The scene fell into chaos in an instant and those who were crushed below either had their hands broken or their legs dislocated. Based on the screams that they released, it could be seen how bad the situation was.

Dou Xiangling was frightened by the scene before her. The next second, she seemed to have thought of something and her face paled. She was just about to turn to look at Zi Yi.

A large group of security guards came out from the art museum and they all quickly went over to lift up the reporters and separate them from each other in front of Zi Yi and Dou Xiangling.

At the same time, the Chairman of Country X and the International Painting and Calligraphy Association both strode out at the same time.

"What happened?"

"Miss Dou, Miss Zi, are you alright?"

The both of them came over and asked concurrently.

Zi Yi knew that someone would definitely purposely upload the previous incident online and say some ambiguous words to discredit her and her cousin. She took out her phone and quickly swiped on it and did not answer their questions.

Dou Xiangling suppressed her internal rage and pointed at the young lady who claimed to be her fan as she said to the both of them, "That girl rushed over and knocked everyone down, she claimed that she was a fan of mine."

The two Chairman looked at the tall and robust woman with a weird expression.

Everyone knew that Dou Xiangling's fans, like herself, were very amiable people. How could there be such an impetuous fan?

However, it was not a good time for them to question that woman too, as she had also been badly injured.

Country X's Association Chairman said to the security, "First and foremost, send the injured to the hospital."

The International Association's Chairman then motioned for them to enter first. "Miss Dou, Miss Zi, you two can go in first and we'll take care of the situation here."

Dou Xiangling wanted to say something else, but Zi Yi called out to her. "Cousin, the competition is about to start."

Dou Xiangling ended up not talking and nodded towards the chairman, before she headed inside with Zi Yi.

There were other people along the way. Dou Xiangling initially wanted to ask Zi Yi about what had happened earlier, but she thought better of it and decided to forget it.

Zi Yi then said to her, "Don't worry, what happened earlier won't be posted online."

Dou Xiangling breathed a sigh of relief.

Other than the reporters outside, there was photography equipment set up all around the competition venue in the art museum.

The judges invited here today were all internationally renowned master-level painters and members of the International Painting and Calligraphy Association. There were also many sponsors of large corporations.

The competition venue was a very large space and there were twenty easels set up. The easels were spaced far apart and there was an omnidirectional camera set up on every easel.

The moment they walked in together, everyone turned to look in their direction.