Although Qiao Xi's knife had pierced into the back of An Long's hand, it had avoided his vital points. Hence, An Long's injury wasn't serious. After getting it bandaged, he recovered in a few days.
These few days, Qiao Xi had been preparing for the perfume competition. She leaned against the chair and stretched. She casually asked Gu Zheng, "Have you seen the news online? The Kang family has already put Kang Qingzhi's perfumes into production. They've even invested billions more."
"I have," Gu Zheng replied.
"Kang Jichuan is meticulous and not an impulsive person. Why are they so sure that Kang Qingzhi will win the championship this time? What exactly happened to increase their confidence?"
Gu Zheng pursed his lips and did not answer.
"It's because of Twilight, right?" Qiao Xi paused for a moment and continued, "If it weren't for Twilight, the Kang family wouldn't have invested so much. It's not that they believe in Kang Qingzhi but in Twilight's strength. Looks like I have to thank Mr. Twilight properly this time."
"How are you going to thank him?" Gu Zheng paused and smirked.
Qiao Xi supported her chin and thought for a moment before smiling slyly. "If he's willing to do me the honor, I can treat him to a meal. He's been wearing a mask all this time. I'm very curious about what his face looks like under the mask. Aren't you curious, Ah Zheng?"
Gu Zheng: "…"
He could smell danger! This woman was up to no good!
Gu Zheng was silent for a few seconds, then he smiled brightly. "Xi Xi, you're right. He did you a great favor. We should treat him to a meal to express our gratitude."
Qiao Xi observed his expression with a burning gaze and said word by word, "I heard from Song Shiyu that Twilight wears a mask because he's disfigured. He has always liked to imitate you, and Song Shiyu even said that he's a hypocrite. Aren't you worried about me eating with such a person?"
Gu Zheng's expression was indifferent without changing at all.
Qiao Xi stared at him playfully and continued, "Song Shiyu also said that Twilight is good at pretending and that he's a petty person. He's ugly, has a bad character, and looks down on others. He's as arrogant as a peacock. Song Shiyu told me not to interact with such people lest they have ulterior motives. Ah Zheng, do you think Twilight's such a person?"
At this moment, Song Shiyu had the feeling that his death was approaching.
Gu Zheng's gaze was doting, and his cold eyebrows instantly softened as if he was not the one being scolded. He pretended to think for a moment, then chuckled. "He's indeed good at pretending. He has ulterior motives for getting close to you."
Song Shiyu was right. He was wearing a mask and pretending to be Twilight. He deliberately approached Qiao Xi and helped her behind her back, afraid that she would suffer.
Qiao Xi instantly choked and was speechless.
…
Five days later, the news of Twilight making a comeback and becoming the top judge of the perfume competition spread like wildfire. All the perfumers in the world had heard about this.
Unfortunately, Twilight was not participating in the earlier rounds. He would only appear in the semi-finals. Hence, the participants were all very hardworking. Not only were they doing this for their own honor, but they also wanted to see the genius perfumer, Twilight.
"Young Madam, should I send you there?" Song Shijing asked respectfully.
"There's no need. I'll go myself," Qiao Xi replied.
Song Shijing frowned. "The Brook family is here again. They've already gone to Gu Corporation."
Qiao Xi sneered. "They haven't made a move for so long. I almost forgot about them. Why are they here this time?"
Song Shijing was silent for a moment before saying slowly, "The Brook family… has their eyes on the perfume industry."
"Perfume industry?" Qiao Xi's eyes narrowed.
Huo Yuzhou was also eyeing this cake? He wanted to collaborate with Gu Zheng?
Qiao Xi shook her head and stopped thinking about Huo Yuzhou. She drove out and quickly arrived at the competition area. She found her own lounge.
There were a total of 40 contestants who advanced this time. The competition's organizers had arranged a separate lounge for all the contestants so that it would be easier for the teams to discuss the perfume recipe.
Qiao Xi threw down her bag and leaned against the chair in the lounge to rest.
On the other hand, in Gu Corporation.
Gu Zheng sat on the master seat in the meeting room while the Brook family's representative sat on the other side. They said respectfully, "President Gu, my master sent me here to discuss a collaboration with you."
"Tell me," Gu Zheng replied indifferently.
The person smiled gently. "President Gu, do you know this perfumer?"
Song Shijing thought that the other party was going to ask about Twilight because the name Twilight had been appearing on the internet frequently recently. The internet was filled with news of his comeback.
However, the next second, the person said, "Her name is Mu Jin."
Gu Zheng's eyes suddenly turned cold, and his entire body was filled with sharp killing intent.