Chapter 245 School Starts, Registration
Two days after moving, before Lu Yanhe had even had a chance to get comfortable in his new bed, he was already heading to Zhenhua with his suitcase.
On the morning of the day he was to report for duty, Lu Yanhe was still eating breakfast when Chen Ziyan arrived.
"Sister Ziyan, what brings you here?" Lu Yanhe looked at Chen Ziyan in surprise.
Chen Ziyan said, "Aren't you going to register today? I'll go with you. I've been inside Zhenhua University, the top university, before when I accompanied artists to events. It's been a long time since I've visited it."
Lu Yanhe said, "Today is registration day, so there will probably be a lot of people. It won't be very easy to shop around."
“Well, you should at least check on your dorm and your teachers. You should greet them and get to know them beforehand. You're not going to work during your four years of university. It's true that your studies should be your priority, but there are some official events that clash with your schedule. You still have to ask for leave if necessary.” Chen Ziyan then changed the subject, “As for you living off-campus, don't you know that the school requires students to live on campus? How are you going to manage if you don't inform the college beforehand?”
Lu Yanhe really hadn't thought of these things.
Seeing that Lu Yanhe was silent, Chen Ziyan raised her chin and said, "Alright, stop dawdling and hurry up and eat. I'll take you there when you're done."
Lu Yanhe responded with an "oh".
Just as they were eating, a commotion suddenly came from upstairs; it was the sound of Li Zhibai rushing out.
"Old Lu, are you gone? Are you still there?" he shouted.
"I'm here." Lu Yanhe looked puzzled, turned to Li Zhibai who was hurrying downstairs, and asked, "What's wrong?"
"Aren't you reporting for duty today? You've got all these bags and packages. I'm not going to take you there. Are you going to take a taxi?" Li Zhibai said as he went downstairs. He had just finished speaking when he saw Chen Ziyan.
"Oh, when did Sister Ziyan arrive?"
"Just arrived." Chen Ziyan glanced at the boy whose hair was a mess, like a bird's nest, with a smile on her lips. "Are you taking Lu Yanhe to register? Where's Yan Liang?"
“Yes, Yan Liang’s parents came, and he’s staying at a hotel with them,” Li Zhibai said. “Jingyi is starting school today, and his parents are going with him.”
Lu Yanhe said to Li Zhibai, "Sister Ziyan, it's really kind of you to take me there. You got up so early this morning and were still thinking about taking me to register."
Li Zhibai stood with his hands on his hips, looking arrogant and self-righteous.
"That's right, we're brothers."
Chen Ziyan said, "So you guys had already planned this all along. Looks like I came all this way for nothing."
Li Zhibai: "How could that be? If you come, I'll just be your companion. On a day like this, we need a patriarch to keep things in order."
These two are really...
Lu Yanhe knew that the two of them were worried that he would go to register alone, which would be inconvenient with all his luggage and would make him stand out from the students who were accompanied by their parents.
There's no need to say thank you; it would feel cheesy to say it anyway.
Yesterday I was envious of Li Pengfei for having such a caring father, but today several of them told me that he is both alone and not alone.
-
"Professor Chen, when is our college's star freshman coming to register?"
When Chen Shiqiu came to the college to pick up his materials, he was asked this question right away.
There was only one star student in their class, Lu Yanhe.
Chen Shiqiu smiled, not answering directly, but jokingly asking, "What, are you his fan?"
"Of course, who wouldn't like a handsome young man?" The person speaking to Chen Shiqiu was a third-year student who spoke very frankly and without any sense of reserve.
"You're a senior now, be more reserved."
"What's there to be reserved about? Everyone has a love for beauty. A graceful lady is sought after by a gentleman, and a handsome man is sought after by a beautiful woman."
Chen Shiqiu smiled and nodded with his finger, "Study hard, and you'll definitely know when your junior arrives."
Chen Shiqiu knew that Lu Yanhe would be reporting for duty today, but he didn't know exactly when he would arrive.
Lu Yanhe is the most special one among the freshmen he is about to take over, and it goes without saying why.
Even before he arrived, the school and college leaders had already spoken to him several times, their message being quite simple: he's an artist, a public figure, and under intense scrutiny, so everything concerning him needs to be handled with care.
-
There were an unusually large number of people at Zhenhua today. Almost every new student who came to register was accompanied by their parents, or even more parents, including grandparents.
For an ordinary family, it is no exaggeration to say that their child's admission to Zhenhua High School is a source of great pride and honor. Therefore, it is not uncommon for the whole family to come out and send their child to school on the registration day.
All external vehicles are prohibited from entering the school, which has led to severe traffic congestion at the school gate.
Chen Ziyan asked Li Zhibai to accompany Lu Yanhe to register with his luggage first.
As a result, they underestimated the significance of Lu Yanhe's arrival at Zhenhua in the eyes of the media. Not long after Lu Yanhe and Li Zhibai got out of the car, they were surrounded by a group of media who had been waiting there.
"Yan He, today is your reporting day. Can you share your feelings with us?"
"Is Li Zhibai here with you to register today? Didn't your parents come with you?"
"Will you retire from the entertainment industry in the next four years to focus on your studies?"
...
All sorts of problems came flooding in.
None of them expected to be surrounded by reporters at the school gate.
Lu Yanhe and Li Zhibai were dumbfounded.
They were all wearing sunglasses and hats, yet they were still recognized so quickly.
Lu Yanhe never expected that the media would ask him questions like, "Why didn't your parents come with you?"
Li Zhibai, who was usually so arrogant, rarely smiled and said, "Brothers, Lu is reporting for duty today. There are so many people here, let's not block the entrance. Otherwise, they'll blame us for obstructing traffic, right?"
The media reporters had only heard about Li Zhibai's temper; not all of them had actually witnessed it.
His statement made the media reporters feel guilty, as they were indeed obstructing others by blocking the way.
"We've waited so long, in this sweltering heat. Yan He, please say a few words so we can report back," the reporter said.
Lu Yanhe had no choice but to reply with a few words.
"I'm very excited to register for university. I'm finally going to university and I've been looking forward to university life."
"I won't leave the entertainment industry. I still need to earn tuition fees. There's no other way. Children from poor families can only rely on themselves."
"I also have other projects to share with you all, including my book 'Jump Up,' which is now finished and expected to be released next month. Please give it your support."
"There are a lot of people today, and I'm in a hurry to register. Let's talk about it next time."
The media wasn't about to let him off the hook.
But at that moment, two security guards suddenly came over.
"Who are you people? What are you doing blocking this place? Move aside, move aside!"
"Are you here to register?" Another security guard looked at Lu Yanhe, who was surrounded, and realized what was going on. "You're the star who got into Zhenhua this year, right? Hurry up and go in, there are a lot of people behind you."
Lu Yanhe was grateful to the two of them for coming to his rescue, and immediately went into the school with Li Zhibai.
The school gatekeepers were very strict with their checks. Freshmen like them, who weren't registered in the school's security system, had to bring their admission notices to the campus.
Lu Yanhe couldn't help but ask, "Then how will Sister Ziyan come in later?"
"Go register first, we'll talk later," Li Zhibai said. "It'll be tough to find a parking spot around here today. You might finish registering before she even arrives."
Upon hearing this, Lu Yanhe realized that it made the same sense.
Although both of them were wearing hats and sunglasses, the commotion they had just made had already attracted the attention of some people. In addition, their disguises did not affect their actual appearance, and they still attracted a lot of attention. Upon closer inspection, many people recognized them.
People around them gradually took out their phones to take pictures of Lu Yanhe and Li Zhibai.
But since they were at school, everyone already knew that Lu Yanhe would become their alumnus, so no one came up to ask them for autographs or photos.
They followed the signs for about fifteen minutes before finally finding the registration point.
Each college has a booth.
Each stall had a sign hanging in front of it with the college's name on it.
Lu Yanhe and Li Zhibai were followed by eyes all the way here, and when they arrived, the news spread like wildfire.
When Lu Yanhe found the registration point of the School of Literature, almost everyone around him was staring at him and Li Zhibai with curiosity.
Several young people who looked to be about the same age as them sat under the tent wearing T-shirts with the college's name printed on them, all showing kind smiles.
"Lu Yanhe, right?"
"We've finally been waiting for you to report for duty!"
...
Lu Yanhe took off his sunglasses and greeted them.
Hello, seniors.
Under the guidance of these senior students, Lu Yanhe signed in, completed the relevant procedures, and was then led to a nearby building to swipe his card and pay the fees. He was then assigned to his dormitory, received some registration supplies, and a notice to gather the next evening.
"Are you going to the dormitory now?" Suddenly, a familiar voice rang out behind Lu Yanhe.
Lu Yanhe turned around in surprise.
"Senior!"
The visitor was none other than Helan.
She is a junior this year and did not participate in the freshman reception volunteer work this year, but the other party is a junior from the School of Humanities, a direct student.
Helan smiled brightly and said, "Let's go, I'll take you to the dormitory."
Lu Yanhe: "Thank you, senior."
"Senior, you're so mean! You've stolen our chance to get closer to the freshmen!" one of the senior students in charge of registration complained jokingly.
"Just kidding, I'm the head of Lu Yanhe's fan club." He Lan waved his hand with a smug look on his face. "Don't worry, you'll have plenty of opportunities to get closer to your junior. As the host who has known him for a long time, I have to express my enthusiasm first today."
Since Helan had already said so, the others couldn't say anything more.
Lu Yanhe bowed slightly to the senior students at the registration point to express his gratitude, "Well then, senior students, I'll head to my dorm now, bye-bye."
"Bye-Bye."
Li Zhibai carried Lu Yanhe's two suitcases the entire time, like a bodyguard, without saying a word.
After they left, someone suddenly realized: "Wasn't that Li Zhibai next to Lu Yanhe just now?"
"Huh? I didn't notice. I was completely focused on Lu Yanhe. He's so handsome in person."
“It’s Li Zhibai. Even though he’s wearing sunglasses, I recognized him! He actually came to report for duty with Lu Yanhe.”
"However, a big star like him just shows up casually? I thought he would have at least seven or eight bodyguards carrying seven or eight suitcases to escort him."
Are you filming a movie?
"Does this even need to be filmed? Don't we have a few people like this at our school every year?"
"Too."
"I forgot to add the junior student as a friend."
"Oh, right."
"It's okay, there are still more than ten days of military training ahead, and we are his peer mentors."
"He looks very young and inexperienced, but he is very polite and has no airs at all."
"Online, people say he's a very approachable artist with no airs or temper."
"This is probably the first time ever, an idol artist has been admitted to Zhenhua High School."
"Who can argue with that? There are plenty of senior students from Zhenhua who went on to become artists, but he's the only one who got into Zhenhua as an artist."
"I heard that this year's freshman representative gave a speech, and I was hoping to find him."
"Have you looked for him?"
"No, it seems that his score was not high enough and some leaders felt that he could not represent the freshmen."
"That's true, none of them made it into Yu Ming's top ten."
"It seems like he hasn't won any major awards."
"That's right. I heard that there's an author among this year's freshmen who has already published two books."
"You mean Miao Yue? Well, her mother is a writer, so it's not a big deal for her to publish a book."
"Too."
...
With Lu Yanhe's appearance, the news began to circulate in various places.
Although Zhenhua is Zhenhua, it doesn't mean they don't eat human food.
When a celebrity comes to their school, they'll look at them with curiosity.
The level of attention online is quite different from the reserved and hesitant curiosity of students in schools.
The few words Lu Yanhe said in front of the media cameras have been published by major media outlets, and have been sensationalized, hyped up, and used to generate traffic by leveraging the topic of "Lu Yanhe enrolled in Zhenhua today".
The topic, which had finally died down, has been brought back into the spotlight.
-
Jiang Yuqian only found out that Lu Yanhe started school today after seeing the news on her homepage.
When Lu Yanhe casually said, "I won't leave the entertainment industry. I still need to earn tuition fees. There's no other way. Children from poor families can only rely on themselves," Jiang Yuqian was stunned for a moment.
This was actually the first time Lu Yanhe had said in public that he was "a child from a poor family".
This label was always attached to Lu Yanhe when he participated in the competition.
But a few years have passed, and many people have forgotten.
Especially since this summer, Lu Yanhe has given people the overall impression of being a busybody. He's been filming movies, recording documentaries, writing books, having scandals, recording a show, and singing at a gala. He's got a wide range of connections.
Almost no one would consider Lu Yanhe to be "a child from a poor family" anymore.
But Jiang Yuqian knew that Lu Yanhe hadn't really made much money in the past few years, and given his family background, when he said he had no money, he wasn't just complaining about being poor.
Jiang Yuqian frowned, just thinking about whether to help Lu Yanhe find some money-making jobs, but then she thought, with Chen Ziyan around, why should she worry? Lu Yanhe doesn't seem to be short of work right now, he just doesn't have a high enough price to offer.
In truth, his foundation is too shallow, and his popularity is superficial, relying entirely on his "academic genius" persona to stand out.
This could certainly make quick money, but judging from the jobs Lu Yanhe has publicly disclosed, Chen Ziyan has no intention of letting Lu Yanhe make quick money.
I should take Lu Yanhe with me when I have the chance, so that we can at least earn some money to support ourselves.
Young people who don't have any money in their wallets can't hold their heads up in front of their classmates and friends.
-
He Lan led Lu Yanhe and Li Zhibai toward the dormitory area.
He Lan said, "These past few days, many people in the college have been talking about you. Everyone is very curious about you."
Lu Yanhe asked, "Did you stay at school throughout the summer vacation, senior?"
“I went back once, but I spent most of my time at school,” He Lan said. “I heard from Mingyue that she has also been in charge of coordinating matters related to ‘Jump Up’ on behalf of Jiang Yin.”
"Yes, Sister Mingyue has helped us a lot."
“I really envy her, being able to do this with you,” Helan said. “Mingyue was also going to come with me to pick you up today, but she had something to do at the publishing house. We were just saying, are you free tonight? If you are, Mingyue and I would like to invite you to dinner to welcome you to Zhenhua.”
Upon hearing this, Lu Yanhe quickly said, "Senior, there's no need to spend money."
"Don't be so polite. As your seniors, we absolutely have to treat you to this meal. If we're busy today, we'll find another time." He Lan said, then turned to Li Zhibai, "This must be your friend, Li Zhibai, right?"
Lu Yanhe nodded.
Li Zhibai looked at Helan and suddenly revealed a bright smile, his row of white and neat teeth even shining brightly in the sunlight.
"Hello, I am Li Zhibai."
"Hello, I am Helan."
"Are the dorm rooms four-person rooms?" Lu Yanhe asked.
“Yes.” Helan nodded. “Usually it’s a four-person room, but today is only the first morning of registration, so you might be the first one in your dorm to arrive.”
As Helan had predicted, there was no one else in the dormitory except him.
His bed was near the door.
Li Zhibai had already packed all his luggage and other belongings for him.
Helan said, "Alright, I'll be going now. If you're free tonight, remember to send me a message. Mingyue and I are waiting for you."
As soon as Helan left, Li Zhibai winked at Lu Yanhe.
"Comrade Lu Yanhe, I didn't realize that you've only just arrived at school and there are already pretty girls waiting for you to eat."
Lu Yanhe gave him the middle finger somewhat awkwardly and said, "Don't look at me like that if you're up to no good."
Li Zhibai immediately scoffed and said, "What are you talking about? Am I not righteous? You have no idea how upright and honest I am. Wait until you've spent a few more years in the entertainment industry and seen the true colors of those people, then you'll understand."
Li Zhibai really has the right to say that.
Although the two debuted at the same time, Lu Yanhe has not really "made it" in the entertainment industry in the past few years. He has just been going around in circles, despising himself in his own little world.
Li Zhibai had been living a whirlwind life for several years, and his knowledge and experience were certainly far beyond what Lu Yanhe could compare to.
Lu Yanhe looked around the bare dormitory and decided to put his suitcase on the shelf first, and throw the quilt and mattress on the bed without unpacking.
"Just like you said, Sister Ziyan hasn't contacted me yet. I guess she hasn't found a parking space yet."
"I told you already," Li Zhibai said. "So? You pack up, I'm leaving first?"
"I'll call Sister Ziyan and see if she wants to have lunch with us. If she does, you can join us too. Otherwise, we can go to Jingyi to find Yan Liang. Isn't he registering for school right now? The dorms at Jingyi should be better than ours, right?"
"How would I know? But why do you two care about the dorm conditions? How many days a week do you actually stay here?" Li Zhibai said. "You've paid so much rent for this place, why are you just sitting here? Aren't you wasting your money?"
That makes so much sense that he couldn't refute it.
Lu Yanhe called Chen Ziyan.
“I just found a parking spot. I’ve arranged to have lunch with some friends. If you want to go see Yan Liang with Li Zhibai, that’s fine too. I was originally planning to invite you along, since all my friends are from Zhenhua, but there’s no rush,” Chen Ziyan said. “I’m not in a hurry to introduce you to them today.”
Upon hearing this, Lu Yanhe said, "Then shall we go and have some free time?"
"Go ahead." Chen Ziyan had just finished speaking when she suddenly remembered something. "You two wait a minute, come back to that door first. We haven't taken a picture together yet. On your first day of registration, we have to take a picture together to remember this day!"
"Okay, coming."
Lu Yanhe told Li Zhibai.
Li Zhibai raised his chin, looking completely at ease, and said, "Then let's go."
When they arrive, all eyes are on them; when they leave, all eyes are on them.
Lu Yanhe couldn't help but wonder when this situation would end.
It probably won't last long; people will likely only find it novel for two or three days.
Li Zhibai suddenly remembered something, laughed heartily, and said, "You're about to start military training, you're probably going to get as dark as a gorilla."
“What’s the big deal?” Lu Yanhe said. “I was quite happy about it. Later, when I was filming ‘Phoenix Terrace,’ the director said I looked too weak and scholarly and wanted me to look more robust.”
Li Zhibai glanced sideways: "You even managed to get this."
Lu Yanhe: "How could that be? I can't outdo you. I learned it all from you."
The two of them bantered as they arrived at the school gate they had just entered through, where they met up with Chen Ziyan.
After taking several group photos, Chen Ziyan checked them and said with satisfaction, "Alright, you guys go have your fun, I'm leaving."
"Bye-bye, Sister Ziyan."
-
Upon arriving at Beijing Art Academy, his painting style changed abruptly.
A whole bunch of good-looking young men and women.
The appearance of Lu Yanhe and Li Zhibai attracted the attention of the vast majority of people.
However, all of them looked puzzled, as if they didn't understand why they would see the two of them here.
What surprised them even more was that some of the people here were much more proactive and enthusiastic.
Some girls even went up to Li Zhibai and asked him for his contact information.
Lu Yanhe thought Li Zhibai would blush and be shy, after all, besides being a master of empty talk, he didn't actually have much experience. But as expected of someone who had been in the entertainment industry for several years, he had probably seen this kind of scene many times before. He wasn't surprised at all, and remained unmoved, directly refusing the offer.
Li Zhibai remained unmoved.
Yan Liang has already arrived at the dormitory. His parents are helping him make his bed and pack his things.
Like Lu Yanhe, he was the first to arrive at the dormitory; there wasn't a second person there yet.
"Uncle, Auntie."
Like Li Zhibai, Lu Yanhe was very good at pretending to be well-behaved in front of his elders.
It wasn't their first meeting. Li Zhibai booked a place and invited Yan Liang's parents to lunch together.
After lunch, Yan Liang's parents were about to go home.
They came here this time because Yan Liang is going to university and needs to register.
In their more traditional view, this is a very important day, and they want to be there with their children.
Of course, it was also because they hadn't seen Yan Liang in so long and wanted to come and see him.
Yan Liang started working as an artist on his own at the age of fifteen. He studied, lived with Li Zhibai and Lu Yanhe, and rarely saw his parents.
(End of this chapter)
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