Then you will truly disappear completely.

Along with all traces of your presence, your laughter, your tears, the people you loved, and the things you hated, everything is reduced to nothing.

"Like a drop of water disappearing into the sea, like a speck of dust scattering in the wind."

The auditorium was deathly silent.

No one was talking, and no one was using their phones.

The breathing of more than two thousand people seemed to be synchronized.

The students who were just moments ago mocking the poetry recitation for being boring are now staring blankly at the stage.

That kind of fear wasn't the terror of being chased by ghosts in a horror movie, but a chill that seeped into your bones.

Forgotten.

This is something more terrifying than death.

Lin Que looked at the pairs of eyes that were gleaming in the darkness below the stage.

He knew the time was right.

"So, why are we standing here?"

The music suddenly rose, becoming stirring and grand.

"We're standing here not to get good grades, not to make a lot of money in the future."

"We are fighting against forgetting."

"Every word we write, every song we sing, every group photo we take is a declaration to time: I refuse to accept this!"

"Teacher Yan is gone, but his students are still teaching."

Grandpa Wang is gone, but the sycamore tree he planted in front of the door still stands tall and straight.

The screen suddenly lit up; this time it wasn't an old photo.

It was a photo that Lin Que had just snapped backstage.

In the photo,

It's a dance troupe doing leg stretches.

Li Ze nervously straightened his tie.

It was Zhang Ya memorizing the lyrics.

It was Wu Di who was giving Lin Que a lollipop.

...

That's who they are now.

They are vibrant, passionate, and have not yet been swallowed up by time.

"Don't be afraid of death."

Lin Que's voice pierced through the microphone, carrying a youthful spirit and a gentle understanding of the world.

"As long as we remember each other, as long as we live with all our might, death cannot catch up with us."

Please remember tonight.

Remember the person sitting next to you right now, remember this light, remember my voice.

"Because as long as you remember, we will always be young and never die!"

As Lin Que finished speaking the last word, the background music abruptly stopped.

He did not bow, nor did he say "thank you everyone".

He just stood there quietly, looking at the audience.

One second.

Two seconds.

Three seconds.

There was no applause.

A profound silence enveloped the entire auditorium.

That oppressive, heavy feeling was stuck in everyone's chest, making people even forget to breathe.

Li Ze stood by the side curtain, holding a half-finished bottle of water, seemingly frozen in place.

He looked at the back of the figure in the school uniform on the stage.

The feeling of helplessness that welled up from the bottom of his heart made his fingers cold.

Sudden,

A sob came from a corner of the venue.

Then, it was as if a floodgate had been opened.

Applause erupted from the Class 3 (Grade 11) formation...

Then comes senior year, then freshman year...

The front row of leaders remained quiet.

Just as the applause was about to subside,

Director Hu of the Municipal Education Bureau, who was sitting in the middle, slowly stood up.

He didn't applaud; instead, he turned to face Principal Jiang Changfeng, whose expression was complex.

He said something that will be recorded in the history of Jiangcheng No.1 Middle School:

"Changfeng, this is what education should be like."

Today, the entire school, including us, attended this class together.

After he finished speaking, he led the applause.

In that instant, Jiang Changfeng, Fei Yuncheng, Shen Qingqiu... everyone stood up.

Thunderous applause, mixed with countless suppressed sobs, exploded out, almost lifting the roof off the auditorium.

Lin Que stood in the light, looking at the blurry faces below the stage, and a slight smile appeared on his lips.

He turned and walked back behind the dark curtain.

"Lin Que!"

As soon as he stepped off the stage, a red figure rushed over.

Zhang Ya's eye makeup was ruined from crying; the black eyeliner had smudged across her face.

She looked like a tabby cat, but she didn't care at all.

"You...you..."

She pointed at Lin Que, unable to utter a complete sentence for a long time.

Finally, he stomped his foot hard.

"You're a jerk! Who told you to make someone cry!"

Lin Que shrugged and pulled out a pack of tissues from beside him, handing it to her.

"Your makeup's smudged, go touch it up. Don't scare the audience later."

Zhang Ya took the tissue, wiping her tears while glaring at him:

"You wait, this isn't over yet!"

Lin Que smiled and walked past her toward the lounge.

As he passed by Li Ze, Li Ze kept his head down and didn't dare to look at him.

Lin Que didn't stop, but as he passed by him, he casually tossed out a remark:

"I want to hear the English version of 'Peppa Pig'."

...