Shen Yue asked the student in front if they had seen who sent it.
"I don't recognize them."
Shen Yue thought about it and felt Bai Bo was more likely. After all, although Bai Bo seemed carefree, he was quite thoughtful.
After thanking Bai Bo on her phone, Shen Yue poured a cup of hot water and prepared a packet.
Bai Bo, who was playing a game, immediately quit upon seeing Shen Yue's message.
Guan Shan yelled nearby.
"Damn it, you idiot, why are you AFK again?! Holy crap, someone save me! Brother Wei, Brother Wei, save me!"
Bai Bo ignored him, eagerly clicked into his messages, and was stunned by the content.
"Holy crap, I haven't even sent my cold medicine yet, and someone beat me to it!"
Wei Jingzhou's hand trembled, and Guan Shan let out a pig-like scream.
"Brother! Brother! You're attacking the wrong person, Brother Wei! I'm your teammate!"
Wei Jingzhou ignored him and asked Bai Bo, "What do you mean?"
Bai Bo, still angry, didn't notice why Wei Jingzhou, who usually minded his own business, suddenly asked this question. He was muttering curses.
"Shen Yue just messaged me to thank me for the cold medicine. The point is, I haven't even sent my cold medicine yet, so it wasn't me. I wonder which son of a bitch sent it!"
"Damn it, damn it!"
Bai Bo felt miserable. Only those around Shen Yue could have noticed she had a cold. This meant the person who sent the cold medicine must be someone close to Shen Yue, and also extremely thoughtful.
Yet, after observing for so long, he hadn't noticed any other male friends around Shen Yue.
Could there be someone he didn't know about?
The more Bai Bo thought about it, the more uneasy he became. "What should I do? I have a bad feeling."
Guan Shan, however, felt it was nothing. "Look at how pretty Shen Yue is. It's normal for her to be pursued by many people."
Bai Bo calmed down and agreed. He secretly resolved to speed things up, fearing someone else might intervene.
—
The sun had just risen above the mountains, veiled by a scarlet dawn. Sunlight streamed through gaps in the clouds like countless waterfalls.
The warm sunlight made it not so cold.
Shen Yue waited by the bun shop for the owner to pack her breakfast.
The two sugar buns were still warm, and a stray puppy was circling her feet.
Shen Yue ordered two more meat buns.
Bending down, Shen Yue placed the warm meat buns in front of the puppy. The puppy sniffed them cautiously before eating. The two meat buns were gone in no time.
After finishing, it continued to circle her feet, refusing to leave.
The system asked, "[Do you like this dog?]"
"[No, I just think this dog looks a bit like the main villain.]"
The system: "[...]"
Shen Yue sighed, "[If only the main villain could be bought with two meat buns.]"
Shen Yue crouched down, stroked the puppy's head, and said softly, "I'm going to school now. Be good and don't follow me."
The puppy seemed to understand, letting out a low whimper.
Shen Yue smiled, her fair face creased with shallow dimples, her beautiful eyes curved into crescent moons.
Radiant as spring blossoms, bright as autumn moonlight.
A man not far away stopped unconsciously upon seeing this scene. The girl's smile was genuine.
It struck the man's heart directly.
He touched his earlobes, which had turned red at some point, his heart feeling as if it would leap out of his chest.
The puppy happily circled the man's feet, rubbing against his leg.
The man, with a look of disdain, waved it away with his foot, his brow furrowed slightly, his thin lips pursed into a somber arc.
"Didn't I tell you not to loiter around this bun shop anymore?"
The puppy seemed to sense its owner's displeasure, whimpering pitifully, and dared not approach further.
—
After drinking cold medicine for a few days, Shen Yue's nose was finally unblocked, but she still had a runny nose.
The school was holding an event these days.
The Cultural Arts Festival.
As a fan of the spotlight, the white lotus couldn't possibly not sign up for an event. So, Shen Yue signed up for a solo piano performance.
This was also something she was quite confident about.
The Cultural Arts Festival was scheduled for the following week. She hadn't practiced in a long time, and her fingers were a bit rusty. After a few days of practice, she found her rhythm.
Soon, the Cultural Arts Festival commenced as scheduled.
Shen Yue was alone in the lounge, quietly listening to the performances outside. Her act was the finale, so she wasn't in a hurry.
For a better effect, Shen Yue wore only a thin dress underneath, with a long cotton coat draped over her. Fortunately, the lounge had heating, so it wasn't too cold.
She wasn't nervous while preparing backstage, but she felt a bit nervous when it was time to go on stage.
The system cheered her on, "[Don't be nervous, believe in yourself.]"
Shen Yue took a deep breath, took off her cotton coat, and walked onto the stage.
The seats below the stage were tiered, each row higher than the last. The better the performance, the further back the seats. All the seats were filled, and many students were standing in the aisles or at the back.
As Shen Yue walked onto the stage, a spotlight shone on her, moving with her steps. Another spotlight was cast on the piano.
The girl on stage was tall and slender, with a graceful demeanor and elegant bearing.
The stark white lights shone upon her, making her skin appear even fairer and more flawless than the purest white jade, like a lotus blooming from rotten mud, so clean it was unstained, as if it could cleanse all the impurities from the depths of one's heart.
The audience below the stage erupted in thunderous applause.
She sat down in front of the piano, adjusted the seat, straightened her posture, took a deep breath, and slowly exhaled.
Her slender white fingers swept across the keys, and the air instantly filled with the sound of flowing spring water, tinkling melodiously.
After a brief pause, her fingers moved, like jade beads lightly striking, smooth and rhythmic. Her piano playing was pure yet rich, warm and comfortable.
Gradually, it entered its climax. The originally soft and lyrical melody suddenly became lively and passionate as she struck the keys with greater force. She slightly closed her eyes, as if she had merged with the music.
Even after the piano piece ended, the stage remained silent, as if everyone was still lost in the music.
Then, applause thundered, long and sustained.
The Cultural Arts Festival concluded perfectly.
As Shen Yue bowed to the audience, she saw an unexpected person.
It didn't matter, except that the man was too dazzling, too tall, too handsome. Their gazes met in the air, and Shen Yue was the first to avert her eyes.
Bai Bo was still clapping enthusiastically, his handsome face flushed with excitement, his eyes fixed admiringly on the person on stage.