358 Delaying Time

After hearing Zhao Ya's narration, Zhao Zhitong's brow furrowed.

She walked to the clothes rack and, as expected, saw that the embroidery on the properly hung dress had been cut; the entire skirt was about to fall off. Thankfully, the saboteur hadn't cut the entire outfit to pieces; that would have left no chance for repair. As it is now, there's still hope of salvaging it. With this thought, Zhao Zhitong stood up and looked at Zhao Ya, saying, "Sister Yaya, I trust your abilities. Calm down now and don't panic. You've designed and made all the clothes for our family, and every piece is beautiful."

"Think about how to repair this tear—perhaps by embroidering a new pattern that connects with the old one and covers the damage."

"Or could you perhaps cut off the lower part of the skirt and rework it?"

Upon Zhao Zhitong's suggestion, Zhao Ya's inner anxiety gradually subsided. She then remembered the many innovative and unique clothing designs Zhao Zhitong had shown her at home, and an idea sparked within her. She nodded decisively. "Okay, I'll try! But the competition is about to begin, and I'm afraid I won't make it in time."

Zhao Zhitong patted Zhao Ya's hand reassuringly. "Don't worry about the time. I'll go find Lady Li and ask her to help delay the competition. You just focus on figuring it out; you'll definitely make it."

With that said, after instructing Wei Zijian to protect Zhao Ya well, she hurriedly left.

Lady Li, having heard from Zhao Zhitong that Zhao Ya might be in trouble, had been quite worried. Therefore, after finishing her business, she didn't rush to leave the Fei Clan's residence. Instead, she inquired with a servant, intending to visit Zhao Ya's room to check on her. Consequently, just as Zhao Zhitong came out, she ran into Lady Li.

She briefly explained the situation to Lady Li and pleaded for her help in delaying the competition.

Lady Li immediately agreed. "No problem. Don't worry, I'll think of something."

As she was pondering what to do, she suddenly remembered Zhao Zhitong's status and exclaimed, "I've got it!"

More and more people arrived at the competition venue, and the scheduled start time was fast approaching.

Fei Yi glanced towards where Zhao Ya should have been. Seeing she hadn't appeared yet, a triumphant smile spread across Fei Yi's face.

Meanwhile, Wei Shulan and Zhao Yue, waiting below, were already burning with anxiety.

"What should we do? The competition is almost here, and they still haven't come out. Could something have happened to Tongtong too?!"

Wei Shulan was extremely anxious, looking as if she was about to barge into the Fei Clan's residence.

Luckily, Zhao Yue held her back. "Don't worry. Knowing Zhao Zhitong, she'll be fine. Let's just wait a bit longer."

Wei Shulan frowned. "Wait? Still wait? How can you still wait? No, I can't wait any longer..."

Just as they were arguing, Sir Fei suddenly took the stage and announced that Lady Li had suddenly fallen ill, thus postponing the competition.

Instantly, a clamor arose from the audience below the stage. Many people asked if the competition was canceled for the day.

Sir Fei said, "No, no. Divine Healer Zhao has just examined Lady Li. She just needs to rest for a while, and the competition can proceed as usual. We just need to postpone it for a bit."

After Sir Fei finished speaking, he stepped down from the stage.

After hearing Sir Fei's words, Zhao Yue immediately sensed something and said, "Don't worry. This is likely related to Zhao Zhitong. Let's keep a close watch on Fei Yi and don't let her try any more tricks!"

Wei Shulan naturally realized this as well and calmed down.

Fei Yi, on the stage, was momentarily stunned upon hearing about the postponement. A flicker of astonishment crossed her face. Her eyes darted around, and then she called a maidservant over, whispering a few words in her ear.

The maidservant acknowledged the order and withdrew.

Wei Shulan and the others, who had been keeping a close eye on Fei Yi, naturally noticed this.

After exchanging glances, Zhao Yu quietly followed. He was skilled in martial arts and possessed excellent lightness skills, allowing him to sneak into the Fei Clan's residence unnoticed.

Meanwhile, with Zhao Zhitong, Lady Li was feigning illness to buy time. And on Zhao Ya's side, she was urgently working on the repairs. Wei Zijian stood guard at the door like a steadfast door deity. Qiao Muchen hadn't been idle either. When Zhao Zhitong had gone to stall for time, he had thought of something and gone out to investigate who had sabotaged Zhao Ya's creation. As it happened, he successfully intercepted the maidservant who had been ordered to secretly check on Zhao Ya's situation. Just as he apprehended the maidservant, Zhao Yu also appeared. The two of them worked in concert, one playing good cop, the other bad cop. Through a combination of threats and intimidation, they successfully scared the maidservant so much that she, trembling, confessed everything clearly.

Then, Qiao Muchen and Zhao Yu, along with the maidservant, went to apprehend another witness.

Back with Zhao Zhitong, Lady Li had her eyes closed, groaning and feigning a headache. Zhao Zhitong was massaging acupressure points on Lady Li's head, speaking with an air of profound knowledge, "Lady Li, this is just from exhaustion. Let me massage here for you, and the pain will subside shortly."

Madame Fei, standing nearby, looked extremely anxious and kept asking, "Is she really alright?"

If Lady Li were to suffer any serious mishap after falling ill in their Fei Clan residence, the Fei Clan would bear an unbearable responsibility.

Zhao Zhitong looked at Madame Fei and said calmly, "Madame Fei, what are you implying with your words? Do you not trust me?"

Madame Fei immediately waved her hands. "Of course not, of course not! How could I not trust Divine Healer Zhao? I was just worried."

Zhao Zhitong replied, still calmly, "Madame Fei, there's no need to worry. Just let Lady Li rest quietly for a moment, and her headache will naturally improve."

Madame Fei gave an awkward laugh and nodded repeatedly. "Yes, yes."

She then stayed by their side, not daring to utter another word.

「On the other side.」

Zhao Ya, working against time, finally finished repairing the garment. Looking at the now-perfect creation, she couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

Wei Zijian, at her side, praised her repeatedly, "Yaya, it's truly you! After your repairs, this garment looks even more beautiful and stunning."

Zhao Ya's face turned a little red, and she smiled. "It's nothing special. Let's go. We should hand in our work quickly, so we don't put Little Sister in too difficult a position."

Wei Zijian nodded enthusiastically in agreement.

Thus, without further delay, they covered the garment with a cloth and hurriedly took it to the competition venue to submit it.

Seeing Zhao Ya actually manage to present a finished piece on stage, Fei Yi's eyes widened in disbelief. Then, noticing that the maidservant she had dispatched had not returned, a wave of panic struck her. It seemed the situation had developed beyond her expectations.

Meanwhile, Wei Shulan and the others collectively breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing Zhao Ya go on stage.

Elsewhere, upon receiving the news, Lady Li slowly opened her eyes and praised, "Ah, Divine Healer Zhao is truly amazing. My headache is indeed gone!"

Zhao Zhitong also smiled and lowered her hands.

When Madame Fei heard Lady Li say her headache was gone, she finally breathed a sigh of relief and repeatedly praised Zhao Zhitong's miraculous healing skills.

With Lady Li's condition improved, she naturally accompanied Madame Fei to the judges' panel.

Sir Fei then announced the commencement of the competition.