Chapter 143: Welcome Gala Preparations

As time entered December, the cold winter was slow to arrive, and Hangzhou began its "chaotic dressing" mode; the days were sunny, with temperatures reaching around twenty degrees.

Walking on the road, one could see all four seasons: some people wore short sleeves, some wore T-shirts, some wore jacket coats, and others carried down jackets in their hands.

This bizarre phenomenon left a crowd of students from other places dumbfounded.

As the Welcome Gala drew near, the atmosphere on campus became increasingly fervent.

Members of the Art Department busily shuttled between every corner, either meticulously rehearsing programs, decorating the stage area, or preparing costumes and props; everyone was fully devoted, striving to present the best experience to the public.

Energetic music played from the speakers from time to time, boosting everyone's morale; the bulletin boards were covered with colorful posters, catching the eyes of passing teachers and students.

That afternoon, amidst a crisp and melodious bell signaling the end of class, the classroom instantly became noisy; students packed their things one after another, calling out to each other as they walked outside, with bustle and laughter filling the air.

Shen Yan stood up and stretched his muscles and bones; outside the window, sunlight spilled onto the path paved with fallen leaves, reflecting mottled light and shadows; a gentle breeze brushed against the leaves, making a rustling sound, as if it were an overture composed by nature for tonight's grand event.

Uh...

Just as he withdrew his gaze, he discovered that Yu Youwei was looking at him gloomily, and Shen Yan sighed silently in his heart.

He still remembered that on the day of the gala program registration, the moment he filled in the duet dance "Gee" on the form and listed Wu Yue'er as his partner, how spectacular Yu Youwei's expression had been.

It would be more appropriate to describe it as overcast.

Yu Youwei stared fixedly at Shen Yan and asked, "You could have completely chosen a solo dance; Wu Yue'er has no dance foundation, why find someone to hold you back?"

Shen Yan said, "She dances quite well; it can't be called holding me back."

Yu Youwei sneered, "It must be Wu Yue'er's idea again. Haven't you noticed that you are very different toward Wu Yue'er? That kind of intimacy has already far exceeded the boundaries between ordinary men and women."

"Don't tell me you like her?"

Shen Yan frowned slightly and only replied with one sentence: My girlfriend hasn't said anything.

The implication was obvious: my girlfriend hasn't said anything, so there is no need for you to worry about this idle matter.

Yu Youwei was not stupid; her face turned pale immediately, and she explained, "I'm not doubting that you are fickle, but Wu Yue'er has impure motives; she... she very likely likes you."

Out of a woman's sixth sense, even though Wu Yue'er denied it flatly, she just had this feeling.

"I have my own judgment on the specific situation!" Shen Yan waved his hand, too lazy to listen to these groundless speculations.

The process of his getting along with Wu Yue'er was not something others could understand.

Everyone has a scale in their heart, and he knew clearly who was right and who was wrong.

With things said to this point, what else could Yu Youwei do? If she had known it would come to this, she would rather Shen Yan continue to be a "salted fish" than let Wu Yue'er have an opportunity to take advantage of.

That vixen must be very smug!

In fact, Wu Yue'er was indeed quite self-satisfied; ever since signing up for the Welcome Gala, she had been practicing diligently during her spare time.

Without taking small steps, one cannot reach a thousand miles.

And her efforts were ultimately not in vain; the duet dance successfully passed the selection, and tonight, she would be able to stand on the stage with Shen Yan and become the focus of everyone's attention.

Actually, she was not a person who liked to show off, but if it were with Shen Yan, welcoming the thunderous applause under the spotlight, it should be a pretty good experience.

Noticing Yu Youwei's gaze from the front that seemed like it wanted to kill, Wu Yue'er just smiled gracefully, not taking it to heart at all.

She really is a childish little girl!

Why bother treating her as a hypothetical enemy? If you have the ability, go have a showdown with Hao Anqi!

To be honest, Wu Yue'er had always envied Yu Youwei: coming to university for the first time, unfamiliar with the place, yet having a childhood sweetheart to take care of her—going out to eat crayfish at night, and even having someone to bring her a portion; at home, she was even more cherished, simply a little princess who grew up held in everyone's palms!

However, all of this was so unreachable for Wu Yue'er.

Her biological mother passed away early due to illness, and her father happened to be the type who extremely favored boys over girls; after the stepmother entered the house, her mean and harsh nature was exposed, and she made things difficult for Wu Yue'er in every way. Therefore, from childhood, Wu Yue'er had never enjoyed a single good day; if it weren't for her own resilient and tenacious character, she really didn't know how she would have been bullied.

Having gritted her teeth and persisted through high school, she thought that from then on the sky would be high for birds to fly and the sea wide for fish to leap, but she never expected her heartless father to have such corrupt ideas, using the excuse that "a woman without talent is virtuous" to refuse to continue bearing her study expenses, forcing her to go out and work to earn money to support the family.

Helpless, she, a young girl, could only go out to show her face and force a smile, suffering grievances with no one to tell.

But she still gritted her teeth and persisted, just because she firmly believed that fate could be changed.

Perhaps it was precisely because she had never experienced hardships and obstacles since childhood that led Yu Youwei to appear too naive and reserved in many aspects.

Clearly having the relationship of childhood sweethearts, she didn't take the initiative to fight for it, only knowing how to complain and blame others, and she even liked to impose her own thoughts on others.

If it were her, she would definitely bring Shen Yan breakfast every day, show concern, act spoiled, and be cute; even the hardest heart would likely not be able to withstand it.

Where would there be any room for others!

Forget it! Why think so much? First, cherish this opportunity to dance on stage with Shen Yan.

After packing up her textbooks, Wu Yue'er flicked her cold tea-brown hair and smiled lightly at Shen Yan, saying, "While there is still time, how about we go to the dance studio and rehearse a few more times?"

"Sure!"

Saying this, Shen Yan didn't look at Yu Youwei again and just walked out of the classroom laughing and talking with Wu Yue'er.

Yu Youwei bit her red lip lightly, then immediately stepped toward the Grand Auditorium; as the gala host, there was still a pile of work waiting for her to complete.

Riding on the winding paths of the campus, one could see that every corner had become clean and tidy, giving people a brand-new feeling.

On the main road, large red lanterns were hung high, with "Happy Welcome Gala" written on them; the administrative building and office building were draped with long colorful ribbons, printed with slogans such as "Seize the day, water the flower of ideals with sweat," "Ten miles of autumn wind are not as good as you, beautiful Mathematics and Physics welcomes you," and "Gathering from all corners of the land for Digital Media Art, striving for a brilliant youth across thousands of mountains and rivers," which were particularly eye-catching and could be called a beautiful landscape.

In addition, there were all kinds of signs saying "Welcome XXX leaders to visit and provide guidance," hung everywhere.

Of course, these things had nothing to do with the daily lives of university students; everyone still reviewed as they should and fell in love as they should.