Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
“Sorry, I’m late. I had to pick up a call.”
Xiao Luo walked over and apologized to the crowd that had gathered. He was very apologetic because the entire class had been waiting for him for more than ten minutes.
“It’s okay, Hero Luo. We don’t have anything to do, anyway. Once in a while, it’s good to breathe the fresh air here at the back of the mountain. Besides, idle chit-chat isn’t a bad way to spend some time, either.”
“Exactly. Just ignore what the stupid pig said. He will make trouble with you even if there isn’t any, just like those celebrities on the internet with ulterior motives.”
“No matter how late Hero Luo shows up, we’re all always willing to wait for him. Hehe…”
The girls from the English Department had spoken. It was clear they did not care whether or not Xiao Luo wasted their time.
Compared to the rest of the girls, An Huanhuan, who had just learned about Xiao Luo’s imminent departure, had fallen quiet. She was not as lively as usual.
As for Chu Yue, who had only recently returned to class, her attitude toward Xiao Luo had also shifted drastically. Ever since she’d last seen Xiao Luo a few days ago and received that shock, when she saw him now, her uneasy heart felt settled. Xiao Luo provided her with an infinite sense of security.
“The black outfit on Pretentious D*ck makes him look so handsome!” whispered Chu Yue under her breath as she took out the lollipop from her mouth.
She was dressed in a white pleated dress. Her short, jet-black hair rested neatly on her shoulders. Her delicate face was eggshell white, and her eyes bloomed like flowers. With her sharp nose and slightly red-tinted lips, her charm could cause a person’s heart to shudder.
“Ah?”
When Bai Ling, who was next to Chu Yue, heard this, her pretty face suddenly revealed a stunned expression. It was hard for her to accept that she’d just heard Chu Yue sing Xiao Luo’s praises. She asked, “Young Mistress Chu, did you just say that Xiao Luo is handsome?”
“When did I ever say that Xiao Luo is handsome? You must be hallucinating.”
Chu Yue did not dare look directly in Bai Ling’s eyes because she had a guilty conscience. To cover up her uneasiness, she deliberately put the lollipop back into her mouth.
Hallucinations? Could it be?
Bai Ling began to doubt her own ears. After all, to hear something like ‘Xiao Luo is very handsome’ come out of Chu Yue’s mouth would be entirely out of the ordinary.
“Quiet down, everyone. Let’s listen to Xiao Luo!” Huang Ruoran commanded suddenly, quieting the girls down.
Xiao Luo coughed and took one step forward, saying, “Actually, I don’t have much to teach you. If everyone just performs as per usual tomorrow, it will be enough.”
“Hero Luo, Qiu Liang from the Measurement and Control Department will surely have to run around naked! We definitely sing better than their class now,” said one girl confidently.
“Confidence is a good thing. Keep it up!” Xiao Luo said, chuckling lightly.
After that, the choir practiced as usual. They sang the song ‘Yellow River’ five or six times. Once they’d done an excellent job every time, Xiao Luo dismissed them. What they’d accomplished was sufficient, and there was no longer a need for practice. All they had to do was wait for tomorrow’s competition to start.
“Pretentious D*ck!” Chu Yue called out, stopping Xiao Luo just as he was about to leave.
“Do you need anything?” Xiao Luo said, stopping and turning to look at her.
“This is for you!”
Chu Yue stuffed a box of imported lollipops into Xiao Luo’s arms. Then, like a frightened bunny, she panicked and shyly pulled Bai Ling away, blushing. She turned back to glance in Xiao Luo’s direction while leaving, and she noticed tension and anxiety that she could not express.
“Whoa! What’s up with that situation?”
Zhu Xiaofei was stunned and came over, glancing at the lollipops in Xiao Luo’s hands. “Sweet Caroline Vampire Loving Lollipop from America! Each box costs 999. The fact that Princess Yue gave you something like that means that she likes you. Brother Luo, my dear Brother Luo, you have somehow quietly managed to capture the heart of Huaye’s campus belle. If news of this spreads, do you know how many boys at Huaye will be heartbroken?”
Ding Kai was also shocked and unable to put his reaction into words. “There is such a big gap in our popularity now that I don’t think I can even see Brother Luo’s back from where I stand!”
He’d initially thought that pairing up with the junior he had admired for a long time was awesome. However, now Xiao Luo was even more impressive. He had decided straightaway on the most unattainable activity at Huaye, and that was the pursuit of Chu Yue, who had rejected no less than fifty boys. Ding Kai had been completely eclipsed.
Xiao Luo was unable to respond. He was also left speechless by Chu Yue’s actions. If she had wanted to thank him, she could have simply given him some money. Instead, she had given him a box of lollipops. Was a big guy like him expected to eat lollipops like a little kid when he had nothing better to do?
At the same time, Bai Ling was shocked and dumbfounded. She couldn’t believe that Chu Yue had given that box of lollipops to Xiao Luo.
“Young Mistress Chu, what’s wrong with you?” she asked, suspecting that Chu Yue had come down with some sort of sickness.
“Nothing. What could possibly have happened to me?” Chu Yue replied.
“You gave Xiao Luo the lollipops that even you can’t bear to eat!”
“What’s the matter? It’s just a box of lollipops, and they aren’t worth that much. I can just buy them again. It’s hard for Pretentious D*ck to conduct and direct our class choir, and I just wanted to give him a little reward,” Chu Yue replied. Her mouth curled up slightly, and it was hard for her to act like she didn’t care.
A form of reward?
Oh my god! What was wrong? What was happening?
Bai Ling couldn’t figure out what was behind this change in Chu Yue. It was too sudden and completely unexpected.
**
On Saturday evening at 7 o’clock, the choir competition officially kicked off.
The competition venue was Huaye’s grand auditorium. Brilliant spotlights shone on the exquisite stage, making it seem like it was daytime. Beyond the stage, the seats were filled with students. In the first row sat a judging panel comprised of teachers, and the entire auditorium was packed. At least a thousand people had gathered.
One professional after another walked onto the stage and stood in line for their turn in the choral performance. Loud, orderly singing echoing in the magnificent grand hall.
Meanwhile, the English Department choir was in a hurry. Everyone was there except for the most important person—Xiao Luo.
“Zhu Xiaofei, where is Xiao Luo? Where did he go?” Huang Ruoran asked anxiously.
Zhu Xiaofei shook his head and answered, “I don’t know. I just saw him here. Did he go to the bathroom? Should I go look for him in the bathroom?”
“There’s no time left. We are up next,” Huang Ruoran said.
Zhu Xiaofei said, “What should we do?”
Huang Ruoran’s eyebrows were almost entirely knitted together. After thinking for a while, she gritted her teeth and made up her mind. “We have to forget about him!”
“But what will we do without Pretentious D*ck?” Chu Yue said.
“We have to make it work even if it doesn’t,” Huang Ruoran replied stalwartly. It was too late for them to mess around or panic. Otherwise, they would definitely sing abnormally on stage. Huang Ruoran told everyone, “It doesn’t matter if Xiao Luo is here or not. Just sing well, like we’ve been practicing all this time.”
The girls nodded. This competition was not just about class honor, but also about the bet between Xiao Luo and Qiu Liang. They had to sing well.
“English Department! Where is the English Department?” Just then, a teacher approached from backstage and shouted loudly for the English majors.
“We are here,” Huang Ruoran said, raising her hand high.
The teacher beckoned, saying, “It’s your turn. Come in and prepare.”
“Alright.”
Huang Ruoran took a deep breath and calmed herself down. She said, “Everyone, let’s work hard and sing well together. Let’s go!”