Chapter 54 Do you want to get engaged to me?
On the other side.
The main hall of Anta School.
The main hall of Anta School is located on the top floor of the library. The library is the second tallest building after the clock tower, directly facing the main entrance. Unlike the main halls of other schools, Anta School's main hall is quite magnificent, occupying the entire top floor of the library. It can be said that its maximum capacity is comparable to that of the Anta National Auditorium.
The auditorium's stage equipment is also top-of-the-line, featuring advanced automatic sound recording, noise reduction, and amplification system, as well as a super-large screen projecting a panoramic view of the stage, ensuring that everyone can clearly see everything happening on stage.
It is now the sixth day of the campus festival.
The past few days have mainly consisted of the opening ceremony and various campus achievement exhibitions, including but not limited to cultural exhibitions, scientific achievement exhibitions, and literary and artistic exhibitions. Each department of Anta College has been carrying out these activities in an orderly manner under the coordination of the overall person in charge.
Over the course of six days, with the help of Pei Ci and Jing Lin, the celebration proceeded without major problems. Ye Qingyu, as the overall coordinator, also further enhanced her reputation during the celebration.
At this point, almost no one would question Ye Qingyu's reputation.
However, the most important thing about the campus celebration is tomorrow.
This refers to the awards ceremony and subsequent closing ceremony of the campus celebration.
On this day, in addition to the principal and relevant leadership of Anta School, government members from Anta will also be present. These government members will observe the proceedings, present awards to outstanding individuals at Anta School, and then deliver a concluding speech.
It was supposed to be a concluding speech, but it was mainly for campaigning.
As a top-tier institution, Antalya School serves as a benchmark for guiding, directing, and nurturing talent. The school's anniversary awards ceremony attracts viewers from across the country.
Because this day was so important, even though they had done countless rehearsals before the celebration began, Pei Ci and Ye Qingyu decided to conduct one more check today.
After all, tomorrow is a crucial moment.
"Is there a problem with the equipment?" Pei Ci asked softly from her seat in the front row of the auditorium.
She wore the formal attire of Anta Academy, a more ornate and elaborate style than her usual black and white uniform. However, it wasn't cluttered; the uniform incorporated red and blue accents, making it elegant and noble while maintaining a lively and festive feel. Wearing this outfit, Pei Ci's aloof demeanor softened considerably.
At this moment, the dozens of boys in charge of the inspection froze. Strictly speaking, Pei Ci did not hold any position in charge of the celebration, but unknowingly, she had become a key figure among them.
"Okay...okay." The person in charge straightened up and said in a dry voice, "The color display, sound reception and amplification, and all the equipment are working properly."
Perhaps realizing that he was being too certain, since it would be embarrassing if something went wrong, the boy immediately added, "There's a high probability there won't be any problems."
"I don't have many problems here either."
"Me too." The boy's voice also became dry, as if he had something in his mouth. "Miss, I won't let you down."
Hearing their assurances, Pei Ci nodded. "Thank you all so much. I'll treat you all to a meal after the celebration."
Normally, the person in charge would fund it, but Pei Ci had already taken it upon herself to do so.
She said that her kindness to Ye Qingyu was no exaggeration.
"Okay, okay!!"
After everyone left, Pei Ci took out her phone. She had sent Lu Ran an invitation before the inspection earlier that day, and Lu Ran had already replied.
"good."
This time, Lu Ran didn't send dozens of messages like before; he simply sent a single word.
Their last conversation was a month ago.
Now, they seem to have returned to the beginning, indifferent, unfamiliar, as if they have no connection.
Pei Ci lingered on this screen for a while, thinking: Tomorrow is the day Ye Qingyu takes revenge on Lu Ran. If the plan proceeds as scheduled, the Lu family will suffer a severe blow. But this is only a severe blow. The Lu family can be said to be an important pillar of the country of Anta. Ye Qingyu's actions are very useful now, but in the long run, it is just a mayfly trying to shake a tree.
However, this time Ye Qingyu will definitely let go of her hatred for Lu Ran.
Now, the main focus is on ensuring Lu Ran's performance tomorrow.
To be honest, Pei Ci had a lot of confidence in Lu Ran's performance. Besides the time Lu Ran asked Ye Qingyu to hit her, she also knew about Lu Ran's hospitalization.
Jinglin told her about this.
She was planning to go to Lu Ran to discuss the school anniversary celebration behind Ye Qingyu's back, but Jing Lin stopped her.
“Really, Miss, you don’t need to worry about Brother Lu.” Jing Lin smiled and took her hand. “Brother Lu is not the same Brother Lu as before. You cut ties with him, and he hated Ye Qingyu to death, but you still shut him down with just one sentence.”
"Oh, right, he's in the hospital. You know, Brother Lu doesn't always control his temper, so he went for treatment to avoid hurting Xiaoyu. I even took him to the hospital. The treatment is quite strict, so you'd better not disturb him rashly."
"But……"
"Shhh."
Pei Ci's lips were sealed by an index finger. Jing Lin lowered his head, his smiling face slowly approaching, his amber eyes sparkling, and his playful tone softening.
"Miss, don't give her too much of a reward."
Pei Ci pursed her lips, a gesture that indicated she hadn't been persuaded. Jing Lin had guessed the young lady's intentions from the first time Pei Ci chose Lu Ran to save Ye Qingyu; this time, it was simply a more extreme approach, just like the first time.
He sighed, opened his phone, and handed Lu Ran's medical record to Pei Ci.
Pei Ci knew this doctor. He came from the Zhou family, was a principled man, and even more radical. He would never lie.
The medical record clearly outlines Lu Ran's symptoms, primarily aimed at alleviating and eradicating his hatred for Ye Qingyu. The prescribed treatment looks daunting, but it requires the patient's approval.
In other words, Lu Ran realized his murderous intent towards Ye Qingyu, but he chose to actively treat her.
From this perspective, Lu Ran is indeed taking initiative.
Was it because she said at the time that her life was closely related to Ye Qingyu's?
Is this statement really that powerful?
Does Lu Ran care about her illness?
Pei Ci suddenly thought of this sentence.
She didn't quite understand Lu Ran's behavior, but it certainly made things easier for her. Perhaps she really didn't need to go see him; after all, the risk of Ye Qingyu finding out if she contacted or went to find Lu Ran was very high.
“Brother Lu knows what he’s doing.” Jing Lin gently touched Pei Ci’s forehead. “Miss, you don’t need to do anything, just watch.”
In the end, Pei Ci neither visited Lu Ran nor sent him any messages. Jing Lin, on the other hand, kept reporting on Lu Ran's treatment progress.
Jinglin and Lu Ran have one significant difference: he is smarter, better at understanding her emotions, acts with restraint, and is better at taking care of people.
With Jinglin watching over her, Pei Ci didn't need to worry at all.
Today, with the celebration and awards ceremony approaching, Pei Ci felt it necessary to inform Lu Ran.
This time, we must ensure that nothing goes wrong.
Therefore, Pei Ci took the initiative to send Lu Ran an invitation to the campus celebration.
Lu Ran has replied to the message, but looking at that single word, Pei Ci has a strange, ominous feeling.
Perhaps she should do something more...
Just then, a voice rang out from behind.
"what's on your mind?"
The voice came from behind her. Pei Ci turned around and saw Ye Qingyu walking in from outside the door.
From a distance, he looks like a boy.
Pei Ci was a little unaccustomed to Ye Qingyu's short hair.
Pei Ci didn't know why Ye Qingyu suddenly wanted to cut her hair. Maybe she was too busy, or maybe she didn't want to take care of it. In any case, she took the initiative to suggest cutting her hair.
After politely declining the hairstylist arranged for her, Ye Qingyu took Pei Ci to a small hair salon after finishing up with the celebration.
That hair salon seemed to prioritize speed and cost-effectiveness, offering only washes, cuts, and blow-dries. The owner was a plump middle-aged man who paused when he saw Ye Qingyu, and took a step back when he saw Pei Ci.
"This..." The boss's eyes widened like saucers. "I dare not cut your hair!"
"I dare not cut it, I really dare not cut it!!"
Pei Cizhen didn't know what was wrong with cutting hair, and besides, it wasn't her cutting her own hair. She pushed Ye Qingyu forward and said, "Help her cut it."
"..."
"Oh, oh." The boss belatedly smiled awkwardly. He hurriedly took Ye Qingyu to wash her hair, praising her beautiful hair quality.
This hair salon has been around for a while, with an old-fashioned style that looks like a faded old record. On the walls, in addition to various celebrity posters, there are also silhouettes of many customers who came for haircuts before. Most of them are single people, but there are also a few groups of a dozen or so people standing together, of different sizes.
Pei Ci glanced at it a few times before looking away. By then, Ye Qingyu had finished washing her hair and came out. Her hair was still wet, and there was hair all over the floor from the hairdresser's scissors. As her hair got shorter and shorter, Ye Qingyu's neck and ears were exposed, and her heroic spirit was further enhanced.
If it weren't for the fact that she was wearing a women's school uniform, Pei Ci would have mistaken Ye Qingyu for a boy just by looking at his face.
"alright."
The boss pulled off the robe covering her hair and looked at Ye Qingyu's face with amazement. "Being good-looking really makes a difference. She can even pull off such short hair. I thought she was going to have a disaster, hahaha."
"No way!" After looking at it for a while, the boss suddenly took out a camera from the cabinet at the front desk. "Hey, young lady, let me take your picture. Such a handsome... cough cough, such a dashing young lady, if you put her on the advertising wall, she might find a boyfriend soon!!"
While he was taking pictures with Ye Qingyu, his mind inevitably drifted to Pei Ci. He smiled broadly and said, "Little classmate, why don't you take one too?"
“I didn’t cut my hair,” Pei Ci said.
"You don't need to cut your hair either."
Isn't this fraud?
Pei Ci wasn't very interested in taking pictures and was about to pretend she hadn't heard. She was very skilled at this; usually, as long as she pretended not to hear, these people would wisely stay away.
This time, however, Ye Qingyu took the initiative to walk up to Pei Ci. Her hair was cut shorter than most girls', almost reaching above her ears, and it was rather stiff, giving it a neat and tidy look. Her features were strikingly handsome and wild.
“Come with me,” Ye Qingyu said.
Since Ye Qingyu had already spoken, Pei Ci felt there was no need to refuse. So she nodded and took Ye Qingyu's arm.
Meanwhile, the boss had already set up the camera for the photo, pointing it at the two of them. "Yes, that's right, just like that, smile."
Pei Ci tugged at the corner of her lips.
"Wow, perfect. This young couple... ugh!" The shop owner exclaimed in amazement at the stunning photos he had taken, while also feeling sorry for his customers. Standing together, who would guess they were two girls?
They've all assumed they're a pair.
He had just finished exporting the photos with the Polaroid camera when Ye Qingyu offered to post them.
Then, take his photo, find a thumbtack, and, to the boss's astonishment, pin the photo next to a group photo.
This photo was clearly taken more than ten years ago; the paper is yellowed, and the children in it are mostly a few years old, so their faces are barely visible. Ye Qingyu and Pei Ci stand out in this photo.
"Right here." Ye Qingyu paused for a moment. "Is that alright?"
The voice clearly carried a command, and even with the question added, the coldness and hardness in the words could not be concealed, revealing a certain persistence.
The boss suddenly thought of someone, paused for a moment, remained silent for a few seconds, and then nodded.
"I'm very happy," Ye Qingyu said with a smile as she walked down the street.
“I can tell,” Pei Ci chimed in from the side.
Ye Qingyu smiled. She thought of that photo, which only showed half of her body. She almost looked like her ideal self, and next to her was her ideal other half. She didn't want the original copy of such a meaningful photo, because there was no need.
The leaves will fall, the light will disappear at some point, and soon she will break free from the cycle and fall into eternal slumber.
She can finally be free forever.
Thinking of this, Ye Qingyu's smile deepened.
*
Let's go back to the present.
"I wasn't thinking about anything," Pei Ci explained. She then asked, "How's it going over there?"
Pei Ci was referring to an accident that happened to an art student during a performance. The incident escalated, but fortunately, the security team quickly stabilized the situation and immediately reported it to Ye Qingyu. Upon receiving the news, Ye Qingyu went to investigate.
The matter was urgent, so Pei Ci didn't go. She learned from logistics that an accident had occurred during the special admissions students' performance, causing the show to be a complete disaster.
Ye Qingyu knew more. The so-called accident was not an accident at all. There were several nails in the shoes that the art student was going to use for the performance. Since the program could not be delayed, the nails went straight into the girl's flesh and stained the white dance shoes red. When the student was doing the final spin and jump, she could not bear the excruciating pain and fell off the stage.
Where do the thumbtacks in the shoes come from?
An arts student, admitted through a special admissions program, defeated a group of aristocrats to become the lead dancer at the school's celebration. The source of the conflict is easy to identify, but both the student and the person involved remain silent in the face of this situation.
When Ye Qingyu arrived at the infirmary, the girl was staring blankly at her feet, her face pale.
Ye Qingyu sat down next to her and dismissed the others. Looking at the girl's thin back, Ye Qingyu seemed to see her former self. After a moment of silence, Ye Qingyu said softly, "You can't dance anymore."
“I…” the girl shook her head, “No, I’m not badly hurt.”
"They won't let you dance properly."
The girl fell silent. Ye Qingyu calmly added, "If you can't dance, you'll be expelled."
The girl's eyes widened. "I..."
She wanted to refute Ye Qingyu, but couldn't. Lost in her confusion, she suddenly erupted in astonishing anger, "What are you doing acting so high and mighty now? Weren't you the one who got bullied before? You were just lucky!"
She gripped the bedsheet tightly. "You're just lucky to be favored by those young masters and ladies. Without them, you'd be in the same situation as me!!!"
"Ye Qingyu, you have no right to show me pity."
The girl's voice grew louder and louder, her eyes filled with extreme anger. However, the more she spoke, the rising anger slowly turned into scalding tears, which flowed continuously from the corners of her eyes.
Ye Qingyu simply looked at her quietly, making no attempt to offer her a tissue.
After the girl had finished crying, she asked calmly, "Zhang Yayue, I know that dance is your life, but your lifeline has been broken, and your life is bleak."
What do you want to do now?
"Or rather, what can you do now to calm your anger?"
"Zhang Yayue, what can you do?" This time, Ye Qingyu's voice was no longer as clear as before, but was lower and more mysterious, full of temptation.
She is a grim reaper.
She was devouring her.
*
"He has been sent for treatment. His injuries are not serious, and he can attend tomorrow's closing ceremony," Ye Qingyu said.
"That's good." Pei Ci was only concerned about whether it would affect the celebration; she wasn't familiar with that girl.
At this moment, Ye Qingyu noticed Pei Ci's screen lit up. She paused for a moment and asked, "Did you send an invitation to Lu Ran?"
"Yes." Pei Ci waved the screen in front of Ye Qingyu. She was actually a little scared. Luckily, she hadn't said anything else besides sending out invitations. After all, she had a feeling something terrible was going to happen. And since she hadn't done those things, everything was fine.
“Tomorrow, Lu Ran will be the main character,” Pei Ci said.
"Are you really sure you want to do this?" Ye Qingyu asked again.
“Of course.” Pei Ci’s eyes lit up with a smile. “I just want to make you happy.”
Pei Ci had no intention of dwelling on this matter. She brought up another issue, "I've already had the equipment here checked, and there are no problems. We'll import the prepared video later and then show it to all the viewers during tomorrow's live stream."
"Hmm." Ye Qingyu seemed somewhat disinterested.
Pei Ci then said, "Tomorrow is the last minute, shall we rehearse one more time?"
Ye Qingyu naturally didn't refuse the request. So Pei Ci walked to the piano in the corner of the auditorium. This piano had been moved here a few days ago and would be moved to the center of the stage for tomorrow's performance. At this moment, Pei Ci opened the piano lid, sat in the corner, her posture upright, and was doing the final tuning.
Ye Qingyu stood in the center of the stage, pretending to hold a microphone. Of course, they wouldn't reveal their secret plot at this moment; they had specially prepared a speech for the special admissions students.
The first half of the article discusses the hardships faced by specially admitted students, the second half describes the changes that Anta Academy brought to these students, and finally attributes all of this to the system and the country.
The speech was passionate and inspiring, and when the program was submitted for review, it was unanimously favored by the leadership. Ye Qingyu was praised lavishly, and several leaders even extended olive branches to Pei Ci, indicating that she could work in his department or one of his companies after graduation.
Ye Qingyu's future looks very bright.
Ye Qingyu was supposed to be reading this script during the rehearsal, but when the music started, she suddenly looked out the window at the white doves taking flight.
Outside, the trees are lush and green, and the sunlight is plentiful.
It seems today is going to be a pretty sunny day.
As Ye Qingyu gazed at the poem, she suddenly drifted off into thought. When she came to her senses, a poem, utterly incongruous with the bright and cheerful weather, flowed from her lips.
She overheard this in her literature class, and she didn't delve into the emotions behind it, but suddenly felt it resonated perfectly with her at that moment.
Then, in a slightly low voice, he slowly recited:
What can I do to keep you here?
I give you desolate streets, hopeless sunsets, and a moon over a barren wasteland.
I give you the sorrow of someone who has been gazing at the lonely moon for a long time.
I give you all the wisdom that my books can contain, and all the masculinity or humor that I have in my life.
I give you the loyalty of someone who has never had faith.
I give you my own core, which I have managed to preserve.
I'm giving you a memory of a yellow rose I saw one evening many years before you were born.
I give you my interpretation of your life, my theory about yourself, your real and amazing existence.
After reading it, Ye Qingyu smiled, her eyes crinkling. She knew perfectly well that she had nothing that could keep her.
Will you remember me?
What kind of profound event would it take for you to remember me forever?
Ye Qingyu said nothing. She walked to Pei Ci's side and extended her hand to her, "Miss Pei, I hope everything goes well tomorrow."
Pei Ci also took her hand.
*
After the rehearsal, Pei Ci and Ye Qingyu returned to the Pei family home. Tomorrow was the most crucial day, and Ye Qingyu had many things to handle, so unusually, she didn't go with Pei Ci.
Pei Ci was happy with this arrangement.
She should have been sound asleep, waiting for tomorrow. But the first failure was too painful, and Pei Ci, who had closed her eyes, opened them again.
She turned on her phone; the light from the small nightlight was dim, making the screen appear especially bright.
Pei Ci clicked into Lu Ran's chat box.
In addition to the word "good", there was another message sent by Lu Ran.
—I'll be a little late tomorrow.
The message was sent recently.
Pei Ci breathed a sigh of relief; thankfully, she hadn't gone to bed too early.
--What's wrong?
She asked the question herself.
The screen displayed "typing..." A few seconds later, Pei Ci received a message from Lu Ran.
—Tomorrow I'll be with my mother.
Mother?
Pei Ci was taken aback, then remembered that Lu Ran's mother would definitely be present at such a big event as the celebration.
Lu Ran's mother is a representative in the Senate. In the past, the Senate had far more power than the House of Representatives, almost like a prime minister. Now, the Senate only has slightly more power than the House of Representatives, and with the upcoming elections, things are even more uncertain.
Lu Ran's mother will definitely be present this time.
In the original storyline, Lu Ran's mother appeared as the antagonist. She caught her son with a special student and, in a fit of rage, tried to break them up, which only made the young couple love each other even more intensely.
It seems that Lu Ran's late arrival this time is partly due to his mother.
However, to prevent any accidents, Pei Ci felt it necessary to emphasize the time: Come early tomorrow.
The other side replied quickly, without asking why, because Lu Ran never thought; he only carried out orders.
In the darkness, the phone screen illuminated Lu Ran's noble yet slightly haggard face. He frowned, troubled about how to complete the task Ah Ci had assigned him.
This is a sign that Ah Ci and he have made up!
He could have done better!
But his mother's arrival was incredibly unfortunate. She was completely absorbed in her work and rarely had time for him. However, this job opportunity perfectly suited his needs. Lu Ran was immediately detained by his mother, who said she wanted to have a serious talk with him about his repeated hospitalizations these past few days.
In order to control him, they even arranged for bodyguards.
Lu Ran bit his lip. Although he already had a way to escape, he wasn't entirely sure. If he couldn't do it, it would only make A-Ci angrier. After thinking it over, he cautiously said:
I will try my best.
Try your best?
How can we do our best?
Pei Ci's pupils widened in the darkness. Lu Ran absolutely could not be late again, or all her previous efforts would be wasted. She had to give Lu Ran some motivation.
A reason that is absolutely more motivating than the first one she gave.
With her hair falling to the side of her face, Pei Ci bit her lip, reminiscing about her moments with Lu Ran.
What should we do?
Yes.
Meanwhile, Lu Ran immediately went from lying down to sitting up, staring blankly at the "typing..." message on his phone. What was A-Ci thinking? Had I said something wrong? Was A-Ci going to get angry again?
His heart sank lower and lower, and just then, the message came in.
This is a question.
Do you want to get engaged to me?
!!
Lu Ran's heart pounded.
My body jerked, and I almost dropped and shattered my phone.
-----------------------
Author's Note: The poem quotes Borges's "What Can I Use to Keep You?"
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