The Changing Phases - Chapter 28 - No One Is More Important Than You

Zhao Junyang finally found Liu Yuxin; she was squatting on the rooftop, crying. When he saw her leave, he was very worried. He understood that the document must have been tampered with by someone else.

Zhao Junyang walked over to Liu Yuxin and gently patted her back. He knew she must be feeling terrible. Liu Yuxin looked up at Zhao Junyang, her face streaked with tears, making him feel even more heartbroken. “Zhao Junyang, you said no one would pity me.”

Zhao Junyang smiled and said, “But that doesn’t mean no one cares about you. We don’t need pity, but we can be cared for.”

Liu Yuxin gave him a sidelong glance. “So, should I feel honored?”

Zhao Junyang embraced her, and she sobbed softly, “Zhao Junyang, I’m so stupid; I failed again.”

He gently wiped her tears away, his movements incredibly tender. He said softly, “It’s okay; none of this is important.”

Liu Yuxin cried even harder, “But I think this is very important.”

Zhao Junyang gently patted her back, comforting her, “You are what matters most to me.”

Liu Yuxin broke away from him, still feeling uneasy. Zhao Junyang smiled, “It’s okay if you can’t be a trainer. I think trainers have a tough job, always traveling. Why don’t you come back with me and be my wife? I’ll take care of you.”

Liu Yuxin snorted, “Hmph… are you saying I’m useless?”

Zhao Junyang softly replied, “Haha, I like you just the way you are, even if that means you feel useless.” He reached out to take Liu Yuxin’s hand, “Come with me.”

Liu Yuxin gently withdrew her hand from his. They were still at the company, and there had already been many unpleasant rumors about her lately. If people saw them together, it would become explosive news. Understanding her thoughts, Zhao Junyang didn’t say anything further and led her to his office.

Zhao Junyang turned on the laptop on his desk and said to Liu Yuxin, “This is the current Lanyu PPT template. The competition is not over yet; there are still three more presentations, which means you have about an hour and a half. Do you think you can create a new PPT in that time?”

Zhao Junyang wanted to drive Liu Yuxin home to get her PPT, but if they encountered traffic, there would be no chance at all. Although time was tight, there was still some hope if they did it this way.

Liu Yuxin bit her lower lip and said, “Even if the time isn’t enough, I’ll make it enough. I have to finish it before the competition ends.”

Zhao Junyang tenderly caressed Liu Yuxin’s cheek and gently held her in his arms. “I need to go to the competition site now. You need to give it your all.” He gazed into her eyes intently. Her makeup was smudged from crying, and Zhao Junyang felt a deep pang of sorrow. He kissed her forehead gently, took a USB drive from the drawer, and placed it on the table. “I’ll be waiting for you there. Once you’re done, upload it to this USB drive. You can do it!”

Liu Yuxin wiped the tears from her face and stubbornly nodded. She then sat down on Zhao Junyang’s chair and began organizing the materials.

Liu Yuxin remembered this desk; it was where they had their first kiss. Today, once again, Zhao Junyang stood up to support her from behind. That’s right! Liu Yuxin gritted her teeth-she had to succeed. She wouldn’t admit defeat so easily. She meticulously recalled the contents of the previous PPT. In fact, she had already memorized everything since she had prepared it carefully. She tirelessly pieced everything together in front of the computer, making a final effort.

An hour later, Liu Yuxin had preliminarily finished her PPT. Although it wasn’t as polished as before, the presentation on stage was more critical. The key was to adjust her mindset-she couldn’t be nervous, she had to stand confidently on the platform. At this moment, Liu Yuxin remembered the photo that had appeared on the projector earlier, and she couldn’t help but feel a surge of anger. Who could be so excessive!

Liu Yuxin had an idea-photos! She could use photos of celebrities.

In the training room, the presentations were nearing the end. The last speaker was a friend of Han Mengwei, and her performance was also excellent, making her a strong candidate. Zhao Junyang anxiously watched the door. Where was Liu Yuxin? Could she still not be ready?

At this moment, the host walked up to the stage, smiling at everyone. “Thank you all. You’ve worked very hard. Every employee is outstanding. We’ll take a short break now and then announce the final results of the competition.”

Zhao Junyang was getting restless. He quickly got up and whispered to Josan and Yang Hongyi, “I’ll be right back.” Just as he was about to head to the office, Liu Yuxin quickly ran in, breathless, and said on the stage, “Wait, I… I need to do this again.”

The audience was in an uproar. Liu Yuxin saw Zhao Junyang giving her an encouraging smile, Josan showing her tacit approval, Yang Hongyi’s surprised expression, and Wenhui’s enthusiastic applause. She felt immensely empowered. No matter how much people doubted her or were dissatisfied with her, she was determined to seize this last opportunity today.

Liu Yuxin plugged the USB drive into the computer. She donned a professional smile and confidently began, “Hello, everyone. I’m pleased to have this opportunity to discuss Lanyu’s cosmetics with you. I believe many beauty enthusiasts love the feeling that makeup brings. Seeing a radiant self in the mirror each morning can make even our smiles brighter.”

The audience chuckled, agreeing with Liu Yuxin’s sentiment.

Liu Yuxin continued, “Next, I will show you some photos. After seeing them, I’m sure you will be even more interested in makeup because it enhances not only our appearance but also our quality of life.”

At this point, a bare-faced photo appeared on the projector. Liu Yuxin asked the audience, “Do you know who this is?” Everyone shook their heads, indicating they didn’t recognize the person. Then Liu Yuxin brought up the next photo, which showed a glamorous beauty on the projector. “Now, everyone recognizes her-she’s the national beauty pageant champion.”

The crowd was in shock. The transformation was so significant that it was hard to believe it was the same person.

Liu Yuxin then showed several more comparison photos of celebrities. She concluded, “We are the employees who spread the seeds of beauty. We are the consultants who help our clients showcase their beauty. Our goal is to make them fall in love with the person they see in the mirror. I’m sure you’re all excited, so let’s embark on this journey together.”

Then, the room erupted in thunderous applause. Liu Yuxin smiled and brought up another set of photos. “Now, let’s learn some basics, including how to apply makeup, the usage of various cosmetics, and what types of skin they are suitable for.”

Josan showed a look of approval; it seemed Liu Yuxin was exactly the talent she needed. Yang Hongyi had a satisfied smile on his face-this was Liu Yuxin, someone who wouldn’t give up easily. Wenhui was almost jumping for joy, as he had always known Liu Yuxin was outstanding!

Zhao Junyang, standing in the distance, was spellbound. Liu Yuxin’s presence on stage was truly captivating. He knew his judgment had not been wrong.

After Liu Yuxin finished speaking, there was a moment of silence before the audience burst into applause. She smiled and gestured at the excited Wenhui to clap, too. The crowd held their breath, waiting for the supervisors on stage to announce the final results.

Just then, Josan picked up her constantly vibrating phone from the table and glanced at the newly received text message, her expression turning from bright to stern. She handed the phone to Zhao Junyang and Yang Hongyi, signaling them to read the message. She then softly asked Li, who was standing nearby, a few questions and received affirming answers. After exchanging a final confirmation with Zhao Junyang and Yang Hongyi, Josan slowly approached the stage to address everyone.

“Next, I will announce the final list of names: Jingning, Liu Yuxin, and Man’er.”

Han Mengwei jumped up in shock, exclaiming, “How come I wasn’t selected?” Others also couldn’t understand why Han Mengwei, who was expected to be the top contender, didn’t make the cut.

“To be a trainer, you need more than just extensive experience and presentation skills. The most important thing is to show us your passion for the job and boundless imagination. These three demonstrated that crucial point,” Josan said coldly.

Han Mengwei argued, “It’s not like I’m lacking in creativity!”

Josan glanced at Han Mengwei and then said, “As an elite of the Lanyu training department, you should have the most basic principles of conduct. Someone sent me a message earlier saying that around noon today, while Li was in the restroom, someone tampered with the information on her computer. I believe we’ve all seen what she did very clearly. We also reviewed the surveillance footage and have identified who it was. I want to say, such behavior is extremely foolish.”

In an instant, everyone’s eyes turned to Han Mengwei. Her face flushed with redness as she seemingly realized something and looked back at Man’er. Man’er, however, just gazed at her coldly, that sense of distance making Han Mengwei feel both angry and hopeless.

Han Mengwei remembered discussing over lunch with Man’er yesterday that her selection into the training department was a done deal. Man’er had expressed a strong desire to work with Han Mengwei, and in a moment of excitement, Han Mengwei had promised to secure a spot for Man’er at the expense of Liu Yuxin.

Han Mengwei had made a series of small moves for Man’er’s sake, and Man’er had accepted them with ease. At that time, Han Mengwei thought herself to be Man’er’s best sister.

This was something only the two of them knew about. Even if everyone noticed that Liu Yuxin had been sabotaged, they wouldn’t suspect Han Mengwei, considering her strong capabilities and the favor she enjoyed from Josan. She had no apparent need to resort to underhanded tactics.

There was no doubt in her mind that the message to Josan had been sent by Man’er. After seeing Liu Yuxin’s final successful attempt at self-rescue, Man’er quickly made her decision-realizing that with Liu Yuxin back in the game, she would have to compete against her again. By sending a single text, she could eliminate Han Mengwei from the running; why not do it?

Coming to this realization, Han Mengwei was filled with regret. She, who had always considered herself smart, found that she could be so foolish.