Thunderous applause erupted.

Zhou Yang stood frozen in place, the microphone still held in mid-air.

That usually eloquent mouth opened and closed several times, but ultimately said nothing.

He had imagined countless possible endings.

Lin Que might angrily retort, or he might fall into a panicked silence.

He might even lead you into a logical trap, making you admit that you prefer thrilling horror novels.

But what he didn't expect was...

This teenage high school student was able to escape the "either/or" dilemma.

From a higher perspective,

They forcibly united two opposing camps.

Doctors and nurses.

Scalpel and sutures.

This metaphor is so brilliant and so flawless.

"Reporter Zhou."

Wang De'an walked over with a radiant face.

He patted Zhou Yang's shoulder in a seemingly affectionate manner, but the force was surprisingly strong.

"It seems that everyone is very satisfied with the answer given by our student representative."

Do you have any other questions? For example... could you ask him about his opinion on the hospital?

A burst of laughter erupted from the surrounding area.

At this moment, the way his colleagues looked at Zhou Yang...

Undoubtedly, it was all schadenfreude.

That's how the news industry is.

You successfully set the trap and got the viral news story; that's your skill.

If you set a trap but ended up getting bitten by your prey instead, that's a joke.

Zhou Yang's face turned ashen, and he glared fiercely at Lin Que.

He slunk out of the crowd, forgetting even to take his expensive camera.

"Alright, alright, everyone from the media."

Shen Qingqiu stepped in front of Lin Que at the right moment, reverting to her image as a strict yet polite teacher.

That concludes today's interview.

She turned around and looked at the boy behind her.

Lin Que, who had been standing tall and confident, and had just been speaking eloquently,

His shoulders slumped, and he reverted to his sleepy, languid look.

He even secretly loosened the tie that was constricting him when no one was looking.

"Teacher, did I do alright?"

He muttered to himself.

"So you won't lose points in my Chinese class now, right?"

Shen Qingqiu loosened her grip on the lesson plan.

Looking at the unserious young man in front of her, she suddenly realized that all her previous worries had become unnecessary jokes.

This "poisonous" tree has become a scenic spot in itself.

"No deductions, full marks."

Shen Qingqiu said softly.

Lin Que paused for a moment, then grinned:

"Could you then pay for it in cash and exempt me from next week's morning self-study session?"

"What are you thinking? I'm already being lenient by not making you write today's journal entry!"

Shen Qingqiu glared at him.

But the smile in his eyes was impossible to hide.

Lin Que let out a mournful cry.

Shen Qingqiu herded them backstage like ducks.

...

Backstage lounge.

As soon as Lin Que entered the door,

He was then surrounded by two balls of passionate flame.

"Son! You've made your dad so proud!"

Lin Jianguo was so excited that his face turned red.

The camera in my hand is still replaying the scene from just now.

"Although Dad didn't quite understand what that rotten meat thing was, seeing the reporter's embarrassed look made Dad feel good!"

What do you call this? This is what you call "reason prevails everywhere!"

Wang Xiulian's eyes were red, and she held onto Lin Que's hand tightly.

"I always said my son is the best! And so are those reporters."

What a strange question! Luckily, my son is smart!

Lin Que helplessly let his parents do as they pleased, but his heart was filled with warmth.

Just then, there was a gentle knock on the door of the lounge.

A young woman wearing a beige trench coat and with short, shoulder-length hair stood in the doorway.

He was holding an unopened copy of "The Miracles of the Namiya General Store".

It's Xu Lan.

She looked at Lin Que with a complex light in her eyes.

"Hello, Lin Que."

Xu Lan walked in and extended her hand.

"I'm Xu Lan, an editor at 'New Tide' magazine. I'm sending you this text message."

Lin Que politely shook hands:

"Hello Editor Xu, I apologize for the embarrassing situation."

"No, you've taught us a lesson."

Xu Lan shook her head, her tone serious.

"That analogy just now, if I hadn't heard it with my own ears..."

I find it hard to believe that these words came from a high school student.

Your understanding of pain and healing is deeper than that of many adult writers.

She paused, her gaze fixed intently on Lin Que's eyes:

"Especially the line, 'Without the former, one cannot see the pain; without the latter, one cannot live through the pain.'"

May I ask, you who wrote such despairing words as "Fireflies,"

Do you prefer being a doctor or a nurse?

This is still a test.

As the editor of "The Miracles of the Namiya General Store",

Although she was grateful to Lin Que for helping her out today, as a literary professional, she sensed that...

It seems that a completely different soul truly resides within this boy's body.