Chapter 15: A Show of Talent

With a confident and proud smile, Gu Yining stepped into the venue, stopping at her designated competition spot. The name tag at her waist boldly displayed "Leon," making her identity unmistakable.

"Ah, so she's Leon. She looks like a seductive vixen," someone whispered.

"Is she trying to attract attention by entering last? How disgusting," another voice chimed in.

Amidst the various snide remarks surrounding her, Gu Yining remained unfazed, brushing off the negativity. Her beautiful, dark eyes briefly scanned Gu Wenxuan before settling on Fu Hanning, who sat on the judging panel. 

She flashed him a radiant smile, as if silently saying, "Honey, don't forget to cheer for me!"

Fu Hanning's sharp gaze met hers, his eyes narrowing with intrigue. 

"Li Feng, who authorized the use of pseudonyms for the competition?" he asked, his tone icy and demanding.

In response to his cold inquiry, Li Feng immediately leaned closer, whispering, "Young Master, this is a formal rule set by the Perfume Association. For perfumers who need to protect their privacy, the use of stage names or codes is permitted."

What a ridiculous regulation! 

Fu Hanning had never intervened in the competition's rules before and was unaware of this detail. He was curious to see what this woman would bring to the table.

As the competition commenced, all contestants had one hour to craft their fragrances in front of a live audience of media and judges. 

Fu Hanning reclined lazily in his chair, half-closed eyes fixated on the calm and poised woman at the front. Gu Yining's technique was undoubtedly professional, and her simple yet elegant attire reflected her clean persona.

A perfumer's greatest enemy was heavy makeup that could distort the aroma of the perfume being created.

Meanwhile, Gu Wenxuan was methodically preparing her fragrance, following the recipe she had memorized. She noticed that Fu Hanning's attention seemed to linger on Leon, prompting her to glance over as well.

The woman's face, devoid of heavy makeup, revealed strikingly refined features with skin so flawless it seemed almost unreal. But why did her appearance feel oddly familiar? It was reminiscent of… Gu Yining. 

No, it couldn't be! Gu Yining was a total eyesore—there was no way she could resemble the elegant Leon.

Quickly dispelling her doubts, Gu Wenxuan focused back on her task. As long as she adhered to the formula her father had provided, victory was all but guaranteed.

An hour may seem long, but it passed in the blink of an eye.

When time was called, the host announced, "All contestants, please stop creating your fragrances and submit your works for brief presentations in order."

Among the talented perfumers, many received impressive scores in the eight to nine range during their presentations.

When Gu Wenxuan's name was called, she strutted confidently to the judges, proudly displaying her creation.

The staff collected her perfume and distributed scent strips to the judges for them to sample her work.

Gu Yining, positioned at the end of the line, could only observe.

With a cold gaze, she scrutinized Gu Wenxuan, a smirk playing on her lips. 

The more arrogant Gu Wenxuan appeared now, the more spectacularly she would fall later.

"Esteemed judges," Gu Wenxuan began, her voice dripping with confidence, "the fragrance I've crafted is called 'First Love.' The top notes feature the delicate scent of gardenia, evoking the sweetness and innocence of young love. The heart reveals a long-lasting rose aroma, embodying the passion of first love, while the base notes are of lemon and citrus, symbolizing the bittersweet experiences of a relationship in its later stages…"

As the judges inhaled the scent from their strips, they nodded in approval. "As expected from the daughter of the Gu family—truly talented," one remarked.

"Very nice," another agreed.

The smiles of affirmation from the judges boosted Gu Wenxuan's confidence, prompting her to sway her flower-like figure toward Fu Hanning, hoping to catch his eye.

However, Fu Hanning, unable to detect any notable aroma, simply set the scent strip aside. 

To him, any fragrance that lacked a distinct scent was worthless!

"Young Master, what score should we give this?" Li Feng leaned in, seeking Fu Hanning's opinion. 

After all, this was the second daughter of the Gu family; surely, he would show some leniency, prompting Li Feng to ask.

"Score it the same as the one next to it," Fu Hanning replied matter-of-factly. 

To cover up his own sensory limitations, he had always approached scoring in this way.