“Mr. Qi Zhong.” The person in charge hurriedly interrupted him and said with an awkward expression, “Don’t talk anymore.”

However, Qi Zhong did not listen to the other party’s reminder and continued to pursue the matter. “I’ve already gone easy on her. Since she still dares to come over now, then don’t blame me—”

Before he could finish speaking, the person in charge hurriedly interrupted, “Don’t blame me for not reminding you. If you continue to say nasty words, Mr. Cui can forget about becoming an apprentice.”

“What did you say? Could it be that Qiao Xi knows the painter of this painting? How laughable!”

As soon as he finished speaking, the person in charge said with disdain, “This lady is the painter of this painting. Mr. Qi Zhong, can you shut up now?”

There was silence. The air seemed to have frozen.

Qi Zhong felt as if he had been struck by lightning. His mind was blank, and his ears were buzzing. His legs went weak as he looked at the person in charge in disbelief.

How was this possible? He actually said that Qiao Xi was the painter of this painting?

Tang Ruge’s face was livid. She subconsciously looked at Qiao Xi, only to meet her indifferent and mocking eyes.

No! Impossible!

Qiao Xi was only 20 years old, so how could she have drawn such a perfect piece? This was definitely fake!

At this moment, Qi Zhong was trembling and close to going crazy. “No! I don’t believe it!”

The next second, Qiao Xi slowly walked over with a faint smile. “Mr. Qi, I heard that you wanted to apologize to me? I’m already here, so it’s your turn to express your gratitude.”

The entire place was silent.

After a moment, Qi Zhong gradually came back to his senses. The corners of his mouth twitched slightly, and his face gradually became ferocious. “Mr. Charlie, you must be mistaken. She… How could she…”

The person in charge said impatiently, “Mr. Qi, are you doubting the integrity of the International Oil Painting Exhibition? I can tell you clearly that this painting was made by Miss Qiao. I saw her paint it with my own eyes. If you don’t believe me, there are surveillance cameras in the studio. I can show you the footage immediately.”

When he said this, everyone believed that Qiao Xi was the creator of this painting.

At this moment, Qi Zhong’s body was trembling, and his mind was a mess. She was just a person who could not even produce a complete work. How could she paint such a perfect piece?

Tang Ruge was also shocked. She gritted her teeth so hard that her fingers dug into her palms. Only such sharp pain could keep her calm. Otherwise, she would have lost her composure in front of everyone.

Li Xing’er looked at the two of them and finally vented her anger. She snorted and said, “Mr. Qi Zhong, even your master wants to acknowledge Xi Xi as his master. With your standard, what right do you have to accept Xi Xi as your apprentice?”

Cold sweat broke out on Qi Zhong’s forehead. He lowered his head and could not say anything. At this moment, he wished for nothing more than to find a hole to hide in. He had never been so embarrassed in his life.

“Mr. Qi Zhong, didn’t you say you wanted to admit your mistake?” Li Xing’er asked.

Seeing this, Tang Ruge’s voice trembled. “Miss Li, no matter what, Master Qi is an elder. How can he—”

“What kind of elder is he?” Li Xing’er interrupted coldly. “If Xi Xi agrees to be the master of these two seniors, in terms of seniority, Xi Xi will be Qi Zhong’s master. In that case, Xi Xi is the elder. Qi Zhong, the junior, has offended an elder. Shouldn’t he apologize? Moreover, he was the one who said he wanted to apologize to Xi Xi!”

Tang Ruge choked until her face turned red. She was the eldest daughter of the Tang family, but she had to be taught a lesson by an ignorant and incompetent piece of trash in front of everyone.

The person who was even more embarrassed was Qi Zhong. He had clearly mocked Qiao Xi just now, but in the blink of an eye, she had become Mr. Cui’s teacher.

Everyone mocked, “If I were Qi Zhong, I wouldn’t even have the face to stay here. He even mocked Miss Qiao just now. In the end, it turns out that she’s a genius. There’s no need for her to acknowledge him as her master.”

“Even the two seniors are full of praise for Miss Qiao’s painting. Does Qi Zhong have the cheek to be her master? What can he teach her with his standard?”

“That’s right! No wonder Miss Qiao wasn’t willing to acknowledge him as her master. He’s not qualified!”

“Apologize! What are you waiting for?! Are you going to go back on your word?”

Qi Zhong’s face alternated between red and white. His body swayed slightly as if he was going to faint the next second.

Cui Xian stood on the spot and listened for so long and understood everything. He walked in front of Qiao Xi and said, “Uh… Master, do you have a grudge against my apprentice?”

He thought that Qiao Xi was in a fit of anger and would ignore Cui Xian, but he did not expect her to chuckle. “That’s right. He has offended me time and time again. My patience with him has already reached its limit.”