Soon, all the students' programs were submitted, and the class held a voting election during their free time.
Sun Ling and Jiang Yuwei were confident that their performances would impress everyone, but unexpectedly, Chen Lishu and Zhang Xue's rendition of "Kiss Goodbye" stunned the audience.
Sun Ling glared at the trio on stage with what could only be described as venom. They were a persistent nuisance, especially the one named Chen, who clearly seemed intent on opposing them.
In the end, three outstanding works were selected by the class to be submitted to the department. Among them, the chorus performance by Chen Lishu, Zhang Xue, and Yang Lili, as well as the performances by Jiang Yuwei and Sun Ling, received unanimous approval.
Preparing for the performances only occupied a small portion of their time. As students, their main focus remained on their studies. With the final exams approaching, everyone entered a state of intense revision.
Chen Lishu and Zhang Xue spent almost all their free time in the library. Occasionally, Li Zhiwei and Feng Pangzi would join them for some fun.
Yang Lili was determined to win the scholarship and silently prayed that she wouldn't have the misfortune of encountering Sun Ling again during the final exams.
...
"Sun Ling, do you need my help?"
With the New Year's Eve party scheduled to begin the next day, Sun Ling was backstage, meticulously checking the arrangements. She was startled by Zhu Zhi's voice and turned around, giving him an annoyed look. "You walk without making a sound. Don't you know scaring people can be fatal?"
Zhu Zhi scratched his head, feeling wronged. "I called out to you twice when I came in, but you were too focused. I'm sorry I scared you. Were you looking for something? I can help you search."
Sun Ling waved her hand, feeling a bit guilty. "I just came to check if there were any issues. I'm leaving now that I've confirmed everything is fine."
Seeing her about to leave, Zhu Zhi hurried after her. "Sun Ling, I... can I invite you to the cafeteria for a meal?"
Sun Ling stopped and scrutinized him from head to toe. He was about her height but had a long, narrow face. If it weren't for the fact that he was quite useful when she gave him instructions, she would have spat in his face long ago.
"Someone is taking me out to eat at a restaurant outside the campus later."
Zhu Zhi's hopeful gaze dimmed, followed by an awkward laugh. "Oh, I see. Well, you go ahead."
Seeing his timid demeanor, Sun Ling curled her lip in disdain and turned away.
In the dormitory, Yang Lili was trying on Zhang Xue's clothes. The three of them were scheduled to perform a chorus the next day. While they wouldn't be as elaborately dressed as Li He and her group for their dance, they still needed to wear matching outfits as much as possible.
"Let me tell you, our machinery factory provides two sets of clothes a year without fail, along with laundry powder and soap. It's not like that in college; you have to buy everything yourself." Zhang Xue said with a sigh, sitting cross-legged on Chen Lishu's bed. Their factory had good profits, and they received many benefits during holidays.
Chen Lishu looked at Yang Lili's attire and smiled. "The size seems about right. I also have a set of work clothes. As long as our outfits have similar colors, it will look neat."
Since the final exams were scheduled for early January, the New Year's Eve party was set for the end of December, which happened to be a Saturday. Classes would proceed as normal during the day, and all students would gather in the department's auditorium in the evening.
In the afternoon, all those participating in the performances had already gone backstage. Many were attending such a grand event for the first time, making them both excited and nervous.
Although it wasn't very warm backstage, Li He and Liu Ying, among others, had already put on their performance costumes and applied their makeup. The green military uniforms they wore were purchased with class funds. Coupled with their exquisite makeup and military caps, they looked exceptionally sharp and spirited.
Soon, Sun Ling and Jiang Yuwei also entered from the doorway, carrying the performance outfits they would change into.
"Wow, Sun Ling, Yuwei, your clothes are so beautiful!" Li He exclaimed, leaning closer to take the clothes from their hands, her eyes practically glued to them. "These look like velvet, right? They feel so nice to the touch. They must have cost quite a bit of money?"
Sun Ling said with a hint of pride, "Each one costs twenty yuan. But as I mentioned before, my cousin works at the Yimin Store. Since there's a performance, he helped us borrow these for Yuwei and me to use. We have to return them tomorrow after the show."
Before they could chat for long, the host at the front of the stage began announcing the performances, and everyone, out of curiosity, gathered to watch.
Seeing everyone crowding at the front to watch the spectacle, leaving only a few people in the room, including Chen Lishu, Sun Ling's eyes darted. She said loudly with a laugh, "Chen Lishu, Yuwei and I need to go to the restroom. Could you keep an eye on our clothes for us?"
Chen Lishu looked up and said with a half-smile, "There are tables and chairs nearby. Your clothes shouldn't grow legs and run away."
Seeing Chen Lishu's refusal, Sun Ling didn't get angry. She turned, placed the clothes on the table opposite Chen Lishu, and then left the room with Jiang Yuwei.
"Something unusual is bound to be a trap. Lishu, do you think someone like Sun Ling might have something wrong with the clothes? She wants you to hold them so she can frame you?" Yang Lili chimed in.
"Li He and the others already looked at them, so there shouldn't be any problems," Yang Lili added.
Zhang Xue pouted. "Anyway, I think someone like Sun Ling would never be honest. Who knows what tricks they have up their sleeves? We should be cautious."
Gradually, performers started taking the stage. Chen Lishu, Zhang Xue, and Yang Lili could no longer hold back their excitement. The three of them got up from their seats and joined the others to watch the performances. The '78 and '79 cohorts performed first, and about half an hour later, it was time for Chen Lishu's '77 cohort.
Not long after, the host began calling out the names of Chen Lishu, Zhang Xue, and Yang Lili.
"Next, we invite Class of '77 students Chen Lishu, Zhang Xue, and Yang Lili to present an English song, 'Take Me to Your Heart'!"
As soon as the host finished speaking, enthusiastic applause erupted from the audience. When the song was first selected, the classmates were still captivated by "Kiss Goodbye" and had been bragging about it privately to others, so everyone's expectations were very high.
"No, Lishu, I'm nervous," Zhang Xue said, gripping Chen Lishu's hand. She had never sung in front of so many people before.
"I... I suddenly need to use the restroom," Yang Lili confessed, not looking any better.
"Relax. If you're too nervous on stage later, just close your eyes and sing," Chen Lishu said, patting their shoulders to comfort them.
Since there was no accompanying music, the three of them sang a cappella. After their performance, a moment of silence fell over the audience, followed by thunderous applause that lasted for a full minute before gradually subsiding.
"This song is so beautiful. I've never heard anything like it before. Did they write the lyrics and compose the music themselves?"