Chapter 279: Chapter 279

The others looked at Rong Zhi with various expressions, gathering together and muttering as if mocking her for overestimating herself.

Ying Jiu actually left a rather poor impression on others, having risen to her position by relying on Ying Yunlin, becoming the only lady of the Ying Family, and enjoying a wealth and honor others could only dream of. It made many intensely envious in private.

Now, speaking with sarcasm was entirely due to sour grapes, wanting to pull someone lofty down to the same level as them, or even lower, so they could look down on her.

As soon as Chen Tian finished speaking, someone beside her started to explain Rong Zhi’s background, and after hearing it, the disdainful smile on her face only grew wider.

She thought Rong Zhi was a master’s disciple, but it turned out she was just an adopted goddaughter of a perfumer family.

Windsor Yao tugged on the boy’s sleeve, whispering, "Ying Jiu, did you really create that perfume?"

Amidst the voices of doubt filling the place, being suddenly questioned with such skepticism, Rong Zhi was somewhat surprised and raised her elegant eyebrows, curling her lips in a faint smile, "Yes."

Windsor Yao nodded, "Alright, then I’ll reluctantly believe you for now."

She stood up to face everyone and raised her voice, "Chen Tian is right, some things shouldn’t be said carelessly. But you all heard Ying Jiu analyze Midnight God just now. The truth will be revealed soon by the teacher. We can wait and see."

Windsor Yao had listened closely when Rong Zhi explained the perfume. If someone wasn’t sufficiently knowledgeable about perfumes, it would be hard to imagine they could accurately identify each ingredient with such confidence.

So, she chose to believe Rong Zhi this time.

Beautiful girls should receive special consideration.

"Okay," Chen Tian shoved one hand into her pocket, lifting her chin slightly to gaze at Windsor Yao, "Since you trust her so much, why don’t we make a bet? Let’s bet on whether Midnight God is a water-based or wood-based fragrance."

Windsor Yao: "What would you like to bet?"

Making a bet on the spot wasn’t uncommon, and Windsor Yao didn’t think there was much on her that Chen Tian would value, so she felt no psychological burden.

But Chen Tian’s next words left her stunned.

"Let’s bet your qualification for the exam. If you lose, you automatically withdraw from the exam." Chen Tian spoke slowly.

Isn’t she quite fond of being in the spotlight?

Then she’d let Windsor Yao have her fill, but once she tripped up and realized it hurt, it’d be too late.

Windsor Yao squeezed the fabric of her sleeves, her face stiffening for a moment, but she still maintained her composure, "I..."

Unexpectedly, during this argument between Chen and Wen, the young man who had been silent suddenly spoke up, accepting the bet on behalf of Windsor Yao.

She softly raised her eyebrows, facing Chen Tian’s slightly arrogant gaze, she spoke calmly, "Okay, but betting just on the exam qualification seems uninteresting."

Chen Tian raised her tone and said, "Oh," with interest, "What else would you like to bet on? Don’t worry, Miss Ying, although I can’t compare with what the Ying Family can offer you, I certainly won’t shortchange you on anything you should have."

That woman was sarcastically mocking her.

Between the lines, she was insinuating that Rong Zhi only rose to her position through the Ying Family.

Rong Zhi nodded, her lips curling, "I want all your perfume formulas."

The entire room was stunned.

"Perfume formulas? Has Ying Jiu gone mad? That’s the very foundation for a perfumer’s livelihood!"

"Has she really lost her mind? Who is Chen Tian, really? An Xiaoxian’s designated successor, does she have nothing better to do than to say such nonsense?"

Perfume formulas are typically a perfumer’s private collection, or they might be shared with the company for manufacturing, but only the company’s internal factories know them, making it the most confidential and precious asset.

With her first words, Rong Zhi demanded all the valuables Chen Tian possessed.

Either she’d been driven mad, or she had absolute confidence.

Most people assumed it was the former.

Chen Tian was even more incredulous, "Where on earth do you get the confidence to think you can beat me?"

Rong Zhi replied slowly, "Myself."

She herself was the source of all her confidence.

If a person doesn’t even believe in themselves, then what else in this world could they trust?

Chen Tian was defeated by her audacious boldness, raising her eyebrows high and curling her lips, "You’re eager to deliver your formulas to me, fine, I’ll satisfy you. Let others witness this; if I lose, I’ll automatically withdraw from the exam and hand over all the perfume formulas."

The gamble was instantly established with her added stakes.

Windsor Yao wanted to stop it but couldn’t, seeing things spiral out of control. She felt she shouldn’t have even posed that question. If Rong Zhi hadn’t spoken about the ingredients of Midnight God, Chen Tian wouldn’t have issued the challenge.

However, Rong Zhi seemed unbothered. Winning or losing was predetermined from the start, she was just seizing some benefits for herself in the process.

With the bet between Rong Zhi and Chen Tian set in advance, everyone was more eagerly anticipating the results of this examination than ever before. Until the results were announced, they continued to discuss it heatedly.

A scrolling LED screen was set up in the hall, completely out of style with the surrounding architecture. It was used to announce the scores of candidates participating in the annual perfumer examination.

Half an hour later, after the review was completed, the LED screen suddenly lit up with red light.

Everyone instantly turned their heads, watching as the screen began to scroll and broadcast the captions.

Starting from the last place, the candidate’s name was followed by the glaring red words ’Fail’, which were particularly striking.

The candidate who failed was initially stunned but soon covered their face and cried.

Windsor Yao glanced at him and said, "That’s Terry, right? I saw him here last year too. He’s been taking the exam for five years without passing, and this year it’s another fail."

She sighed heavily, feeling quite regretful.

Even though he didn’t pass, the fact that he showed up every year demonstrated his extreme passion for being a perfumer.

Rong Zhi nodded leisurely, "So you didn’t pass last year."

Windsor Yao: "??? What are you talking about? I’m telling you about Terry, and you’re talking about what???"

She choked, shaking her head with a sigh, "I get it now; you’re just blunt in your speech. That’s the only redeeming quality besides your looks. Otherwise, who could tolerate your personality?"

Rong Zhi paused, slightly turned her face, and her long lashes lowered. She was half a head taller than Windsor Yao and with a height advantage, she looked right into those violet eyes, her thin lips curled into a lazy, raspy voice, "Is that so?"

The boy’s tone was bold, while his gaze was deep and mysterious, like a whirlpool pulling one into its depths.

She gulped nervously, and her cheeks instantly turned crimson.

"I-I-I, you, y-you-you...." Tʜe source of this ᴄontent ɪs novel·fiɾe·net

Rong Zhi withdrew her gaze, standing composedly.

Windsor Yao patted her warm forehead, muttering, "Oh God, I must be crazy, actually being flirted with by a girl."

Rong Zhi shoved one hand in her pocket, her expression unchanging.

Windsor Yao composed herself, her fingertips trembling, and quietly hooked a finger on Rong Zhi’s coat hem. As the young man turned her head back, she cleared her throat, "I’m scared, holding onto you makes me feel safe."

Windsor Yao: Aahhh!! Oh God, she’s so cool!!

The screen quickly scrolled past seven or eight candidates’ names, and Windsor Yao didn’t see hers or Rong Zhi’s, making her anxious, "Three failed, two barely passed, Ying Jiu, what do you think your results will be?"