Chapter 37 037 Who says only princes can save Cinderella...?
Of course, Song Yang couldn't believe Shen Yi's nonsensical words. In a fit of anger, he didn't even bother to think about where his memories from before the age of ten were. He grabbed Shen Yi's collar again, but this time he threw her onto his bed.
Shen Yi immediately said, "Don't be angry! I was just suggesting a possibility! If you disagree, you can also share your thoughts!"
"I think there's something wrong with your head."
If he could, Song Yang would love to open up Shen Yi's brain and see what was inside. He said, "Alright, let's not talk about this anymore. Don't you even look at the time? Are you planning to stay up all night? Can't you think about it when you wake up tomorrow?"
Shen Yi pursed her lips.
She also felt that Song Yang's words made sense.
It's the middle of the night, so it's normal for her mind to be blank or racing. Maybe she's just being neurotic because she's not fully awake.
So Shenyi got up and said, "Then I'll sleep on the sofa outside."
Since he's visiting so late at night, it would be appropriate to return Song Yang's bed to him.
"Need not."
Song Yang walked straight out, leaving only the words, "You sleep here, I'm leaving!"
The door was closed from the outside.
Song Yang was so generous, and Shen Yi didn't try to be modest with him because she was really too tired.
After finding the "answer," drowsiness suddenly overwhelmed her, especially as she lay down on such a soft bed. Her eyelids were drooping, and she simply couldn't overcome the sleepiness demon with her willpower.
never mind……
Shenyi stopped thinking about it.
What a strange thing...
Let's talk about it tomorrow!
＊
Next door, the guest room.
Ever since Shen Yi was taken away from the Song family by Wen Que, this guest room, which is closest to Song Yang's room, has been specially prepared and cleaned regularly.
Song Yang should have let Shen Yi rest in this room, but for some inexplicable reason, he kept her in his own room.
now.
Song Yang lay on the bed with his hands behind his head, staring blankly at the ceiling.
He has always had a bad memory and a big heart.
Although what Shen Yi said was indeed a bit strange... well, very strange, at this moment he wasn't thinking about why he didn't have any memories from before he was ten years old, but rather about the serious and focused expression on Shen Yi's face when he cupped his hands in his hands.
She was looking at him.
He was the only one in her eyes.
She... even touched his face.
Her eyes are beautiful, her nose is beautiful, and her mouth is beautiful.
Thinking about this, Song Yang felt his face burning and his heart pounding wildly.
Song Yang had never seen anyone as fair-skinned as Shen Yi. She looked like a porcelain doll, and her lips were so pink and delicate that they would always involuntarily attract his attention, even without any makeup.
But often, what came out of those beautiful lips were words of accusation against him, and of course... today was no exception.
What?!
Thinking of Shen Yi's inexplicable words, Song Yang felt speechless.
Unable to sleep, Song Yang sat up, picked up his phone, and randomly posted a question online.
The girl I like...
No, how come Shen Yi is the girl he likes?
Seeing that his hand had inexplicably typed out those five words, Song Yang panicked and deleted them, then edited them again: "Girl in the same class".
That's right.
This is his relationship with Shen Yi!
Although they were childhood sweethearts and good friends, the most fundamental reason for all of this was—
They were classmates.
After some thought, Song Yang chose a title that seemed to have absolutely nothing to do with ambiguity and continued editing the post.
[A girl in my class suddenly called me a puppy. What does that mean?]
Even though it was late at night, this seemingly "stupid" post quickly received multiple replies.
1 L: What? Does the poster really not know or are they just showing off?
2L: This is a post showing off your relationship. Move it to the next one.
3L: If you want to show off, just be direct. It's disgusting for a grown man to say something like that!
4L: Is the original poster trying to portray themselves as a naive and innocent young man? That's so direct, haha!
As Song Yang scrolled through these replies, a big question mark appeared above his head.
What is all this nonsense? How come he still doesn't understand?
Just as Song Yang was about to log off after failing to find the answer online, he saw a new memory.
5L: If I describe a boy as a puppy, it means I'm in love.
6L: +1 to the sister in front, the biggest compliment I can give a guy is that he thinks he's like a puppy.
7L: When people are facing someone they like, they can't help but imitate that person like animals, especially cats and dogs, which is the most common.
...
Song Yang stood there stunned. His phone slipped from his hand and fell to the floor along the side of the bed, but he had no intention of picking it up.
Rather than Shen Yi saying he was like a puppy, what Song Yang was thinking about now was the essay he wrote during that Chinese exam.
He always slacked off on exams and never wrote essays, but that time was different. When he finished reading the essay topic and was about to go to sleep, he suddenly saw Shen Yi next to him looking at the reading comprehension questions with a look of despair, which was very different from his usual smug look.
wrong……
Or perhaps, after that incident, although Shenyi still seemed to be as cheerful and playful as before, she had actually become much more sensible and quiet.
unconsciously.
Song Yang thought of Shen Yi many times, whether she was laughing or crying, she was like a little kitten... very cute.
I wasn't very sleepy that day, and I had nothing else to do anyway.
Song Yang then took a pen and wrote down a kitten for himself on the composition paper. Based on his memory of Shen Yi's appearance, he wrote down her reactions to many things and got that high score composition.
Song Yang picked up his phone and looked at the screen again.
When people are around someone they like, they can't help but imitate them like animals, especially cats and dogs, which is very common.
A hint of confusion appeared on his face, which was quickly replaced by a blush.
final.
The boy lay back down on the bed, tossed his phone aside, and raised one hand to cover his eyes with the back of his hand.
Don't think about it anymore.
...It's so embarrassing!
＊
Shen Yi hadn't slept this comfortably in a long time.
Song Yang's bed was really soft, but it didn't make you feel weak and powerless like a typical soft bed, it was just right.
Shen Yi slept soundly until dawn, when Song Yang knocked on the door to urge her to go out for breakfast.
Shen Yi quickly put on her coat and tidied herself up, then cautiously peeked out and asked, "Are Uncle and Aunt home?"
"Of course, everyone's waiting for you."
As Song Yang said this, a strange awkwardness appeared on his face. He didn't look at Shen Yi, but hurriedly turned around and walked downstairs: "There are new toothbrushes in the cabinet. Come down quickly after you've finished washing up."
"good."
Thinking that she would make her elders wait for her, Shen Yi quickly finished washing up and rushed downstairs.
As gentle and beautiful as Shen Yi remembered, Song's mother invited her to sit down beside her: "It's been so long since I've seen Yi Yi. You've really grown up and become even more beautiful."
Uncle Song was furious but dared not say anything when he saw that his seat had been taken by Shen Yi. He could only tell her to eat quickly.
As always, Shen Yi coquettishly said to Aunt Song, "Auntie always praises me like this, I feel embarrassed."
"What's there to be embarrassed about? It's the truth."
Song's mother smiled and poured Shen Yi a glass of juice, saying, "This is for Yi Yi. It's good for girls to drink more fresh fruit and vegetable juices."
Shen Yi picked up the glass and took a big gulp, her smile bright: "Thank you, Auntie, I'll drink it all!"
Song's mother was very pleased with Shen Yi's behavior, but when she looked at Song Yang across from her, her expression changed instantly: "What are you doing? You're going to smash the bread with your fork!"
Song Yang then realized what he was fiddling with in the plate. Seeing that Shen Yi was also looking over, he became flustered and couldn't reach the sausage with his fork for a long time. He simply wrapped it in dough and stuffed it into his mouth, finishing it in two bites.
Song's mother wore an expression of unbearable disapproval, shaking her head and muttering, "How could I have given birth to such a son... What a tragedy."
This wasn't the first time Song's mother had said something like this, so Song Yang's mouth moved faster than his brain, and he replied as usual, "Go ahead and check, maybe they've switched babies."
Of course, as soon as he said that, the crisp sound of knives and forks hitting the plate was heard.
Chen Yi isn't really that sensitive.
This was purely accidental.
But when she realized that the entire Song family was looking at her with pity at the dinner table, Shen Yi quickly said, "I'm fine, this is really delicious."
Of course, if Shen Yi said such things at this moment, it would only make the Song family couple feel sorry for her being so sensible.
"Eat more if you like it. Come to our house with Song Yang more often. Your aunt misses you very much, and your mother also told us to take good care of you."
While talking gently to Shen Yi, Song's mother secretly gave Song Yang a sharp glare, warning him not to talk nonsense again.
Mr. Song also looked at Shen Yi with a pained expression, but he was not good at saying anything comforting, so in the end he could only glare at his son along with his wife.
Knowing he was in the wrong, Song Yang dared not resist. He frantically stuffed food into his mouth, hoping to finish eating as soon as possible and escape this awkward atmosphere.
The words that Song Yang had said before were now being brought up again by Song's mother: "If you siblings are having a hard time over there, then come and stay at my house. With you all keeping this child company, I can feel more at ease."
Song Yang often ate at restaurants in the alley, so his mother knew pretty much about the Shen family's situation.
"We're doing pretty well now."
Shen Yi took another big gulp of the fruit and vegetable juice and said with a smile, "Auntie, don't worry. We know you care about us and have a good relationship with Mom. If we ever need help, we will ask you without hesitation."
"Yes, your mother."
At this point, a look of relief appeared on Song's mother's face, and she touched Shenyi's cheek: "Good child, thank you. In the past, I often advised her, why did she willingly stand behind that man when she clearly had so much talent? She would always brush the topic off lightly. But now it's different. For your sake, she has started to work hard. Seeing her put on that suit and return to the company, handling matters with the same composure I remember, always makes me feel nostalgic."
Song's mother and Shen's mother were college classmates and close friends for many years, which is why the two families have been in frequent contact over the years. She also truly felt sorry for the innocent fate of Shen Yi and Jiang Yue, who were implicated in the incident.
Shen Yi couldn't help but ask, "Is Mom... alright?"
Song's mother smiled warmly at her: "Very good."
In the following days, Song's mother told Shen Yi about the events that had occurred in the past few days.
Although Shen's mother had not personally participated in company affairs for many years, she had always accompanied her husband to various social occasions and had not missed out on the essentials. With the help of the Song family, she had won the hearts of many people and gained the authority to take charge of some projects in just half a month after returning to the company.
Mr. Shen initially thought his wife would come home crying and saying she couldn't continue after a few days, but when he saw that she had actually completed a project independently and successfully, he was impressed with her and did not stop her from continuing. In fact, he even helped her, wanting to see what achievements his wife could make.
At this point, Song's mother paused, her voice softening: "Your mother said that once she has a foothold in the world and is truly independent, she will get a divorce, take her share of the property, and then bring you home. But this idea of hers... will take some time, and I hope you can trust her."
Over the years, Shen's father had never been wary of his wife, because he never thought that the docile dodder vine would one day really leave him.
This was an unexpected surprise.
Shen Yu and the others only hoped that their mother would make up her mind to separate from their father for their sake, and that the inheritance was up to her. However, they did not expect that their mother's ambition was greater than theirs. She was not satisfied with just getting what she wanted, but also wanted to learn how to manage everything well and provide her children with more shelter from the storm.
She had been docile and timid for half her life, yet she still wanted to be a brave mother in her children's eyes.
And her children are willing to believe in and support her unconditionally.
Upon hearing this good news, a joyful smile finally appeared on Shenyi's face: "Thank you, Auntie, I understand. Thank you so much."
＊
On my way to school.
Shen Yi glanced at Song Yang, then at Uncle Cheng in the driver's seat.
Song Yang understood immediately and gave the order: "Raise the platform."
Uncle Cheng's eyes widened, and he immediately replied, "Yes, young master!"
The young master has always been carefree and doesn't care much, this is the first time he has been asked to do something like this.
What does this represent?
Young Master and Miss Shen have a little secret they can't let him hear!
Also, Miss Shen stayed overnight at the Song family's house last night.
That's amazing! No wonder he's their young master!!!
Uncle Cheng was very quick. After seeing that the middle lifting platform was completely covered, he began to imagine that his young master might be performing a domineering CEO wall slam at this moment, and he showed a smile of blessing to them.
In fact.
Shen Yi and Song Yang remained staring at each other in bewilderment.
Song Yang didn't want to bring up yesterday's events, and whispered, "Don't say those strange things again!"
It will remind him of all sorts of random things!
Seeing that Song Yang still had his memories, Shen Yi was certain that neither the dream nor the bug had anything to do with the system. He asked in confusion, "Why don't you want to? Don't you want to figure out why you're missing a piece of your memory?"
"oh."
Song Yang instantly realized that Shen Yi was referring to this matter. A look of disappointment flashed across his face, but he replied nonchalantly, "To be honest, I don't really care."
Shenyi, of course, could not understand.
There were fewer people...
No, this is a memory spanning ten years. How could someone like Song Yang act so nonchalantly?
Song Yang shrugged and answered matter-of-factly, "Whatever the reason, what's lost is lost, especially memories from such a young age... Whether you can remember them or not isn't really important."
Song Yang was naturally puzzled by this inexplicable situation, but after thinking it over, he figured it was probably something that happened when he was a child. If his parents didn't tell him, then either there was no need for them to, or it wasn't a good thing.
Song Yang was a simple-minded and lazy person.
He thought about it carefully and realized that if Shen Yi hadn't suddenly asked him, he wouldn't have remembered it at all.
In conclusion: if those memories don't affect his life, why bother to investigate them?
Shen Yi looked at Song Yang, feeling a little envious of his carefree attitude.
Many times, Shen Yi wished she could be like Song Yang.
The system couldn't bear to see Shen Yi looking so preoccupied, so it chimed in to offer some comfort.
[Host, you don't really need to take this too seriously. After all, you're supporting characters, so it's normal for there to be some plot holes. The world won't be fixed just for you.]
In short: a supporting character is a supporting character. Don't take yourself too seriously. The world doesn't revolve around supporting characters.
Shen Yi bit her lower lip, having nothing to say in rebuttal.
But soon, she didn't have time to investigate these things further.
The president gathered them together and told everyone some bad news.
Because of the limited time for the celebration, their play could not be performed as originally planned and had to be shortened to less than eighteen minutes.
A chorus of wails erupted from the audience.
If we had told them this earlier, reducing the text by seven minutes, everyone would have been under much less pressure, which would have been a good thing.
Unfortunately, there are still only a few days left before the official performance. Last-minute revisions mean that not only do they have to revise the script and rehearse again, but they also have to make sure that they don't confuse the two versions of the script, otherwise there will be a stage accident on the day of the performance.
Amidst this, Shen Yi stared at the script and fell into deep despair.
Good news.
Not a single scene from her script was cut.
Bad news.
The script wasn't cut, but the lyrics were.
In other words, her entrance will be the same, but her lines will be reduced from the original plan, which is a big problem.
If she were to follow the original script, she might take up too much of the time, causing the entire program to run overtime.
Seeing Shen Yi's worried expression, Jiang Yue, though also very nervous herself, quickly comforted her, "It's okay, Yi Yi, I'm here."
Shen Yi's scenes are almost all with Jiang Yue. Even if Shen Yi says some lines that have already been deleted, as long as Jiang Yue reacts quickly enough, the pace can be sped up.
"no."
Shen Yi shook his head, even more worried about Jiang Yue: "You are the female lead with the most important task, so you will definitely have more changes to make than me. You don't need to worry about me. I will try my best not to hold you back."
Meng Zihan then reassured them, "It's okay, you two can rest assured. I'm the narrator and I'll also be in charge of managing the situation. It's okay if there are any mistakes, as long as you don't stop performing, leave everything else to me."
Hearing Meng Zihan say this, both of them showed a relieved expression. Although they couldn't be completely at ease, having someone to help them clean up the mess made the pressure less.
The club president then suggested that since time is tight, everyone should dedicate their weekend rest time to club rehearsals so that they can present the most perfect stage performance next Wednesday.
In response to this.
No one raised any objections, and before the grueling rehearsals began, the club president kindly allowed them to rest for one night.
but--
Dinner time, in the cafeteria.
Meng Zihan and Jiang Yue sat on either side of Shen Yi, while Xu Qingzhe, Chen Yu, and Song Yang sat opposite them.
Shenyi didn't understand.
Why are they able to go home early today? They're going to have dinner in the cafeteria.
Before Shen Yi could even voice her question, Jiang Yue put down her chopsticks first: "Confess and you'll be treated leniently; resist and you'll be punished severely."
Shen Yi, biting on the straw, looked at her with a puzzled expression.
"I was busy with club matters during the day and forgot to ask you."
Jiang Yue's expression was as serious as ever as she stared into Chen Yi's eyes: "Tell me! Where did you go last night! Why didn't you come home?"
"...Huh?"
Is that the problem?
Shen Yi was pondering how to organize her thoughts to explain those complicated matters, and then she started to wonder if it was really necessary to talk about things for which there were no answers... but she was interrupted by Song Yang's cough.
Under everyone's confused gaze, Song Yang raised a hand and said, "Ahem! She...she's at my house. We came to school together this morning."
Jiang Yue: "..."
He remained silent and kept staring.
Song Yang felt inexplicably guilty, but for some reason, he didn't want others to know the "secret" between him and Shen Yi, so he answered confidently, "Isn't this normal? My mother likes her so much that she often comes to my house to stay overnight."
Xu Qingzhe frowned slightly, somewhat annoyed, and shifted his gaze from Song Yang back to Shen Yi, seemingly wanting to hear what she had to say.
Shen Yi suddenly remembered something more important.
She immediately grabbed Jiang Yue's hand and looked at Shen Yu: "Let's not talk about that now! I have some good news to tell you!"
Next.
Shen Yi then told everyone everything that Song's mother had told her about her mother.
Meng Zihan nodded slightly, indicating that she had heard about it as well: "My parents mentioned it a couple of days ago, but I don't know much about it, so I didn't tell you. Anyway, it's good news."
Jiang Yue was deeply moved, her eyes even slightly red: "Mom must have worked so hard for us..."
Shen Yu was also very happy, but at this time his mother was working hard for their family, so as the older brother, he naturally had to take care of his younger sisters. He comforted them, saying, "We must trust Mom and take good care of ourselves. We can't let Mom work so hard and worry about us."
Jiang Yue nodded vigorously: "Yes!"
Song Yang had already heard this message three times. While yawning, he said, "My mom said you can all come and stay at my house. Oh, and Xu Qingzhe too, you can come too. We won't miss your room."
Everyone shouted in unison: "No!"
Song Yang: "...?"
Why is everyone reacting this way?
His house is so big, so beautiful, so comfortable, and he has so many servants to take care of him. It's definitely better than them living in that dilapidated old house!
Shen Yu's expression was complicated: "It's strange to stay at your house. If word gets out, people will think we're all Young Master Song... What was that thing called when a young master in ancient times went to school and was followed by someone?"
Jiang Yue replied, "A pageboy."
Shen Yu nodded, indicating that this was exactly what he wanted to express.
Song Yang scoffed and said, "Is being my page so beneath you? Your worthless pride... ah!"
Before Song Yang could finish speaking, he felt a pain in his calf.
He lowered his head.
Shen Yi squatted under the table, picked up the spoon that had fallen to the ground with one hand, and pinched his leg hard with the other. He smiled at him and said, "Why should we be your page, a slacker?"
Song Yang: "..."
He's shut up, he's behaved.
＊
weekend.
Two days of inhumane, grueling training. As long as they had the strength to stand up, everyone went on stage to rehearse again and again, until everyone had some lines almost engraved in their DNA, and could even respond with a few words when they heard words that didn't belong to them.
"Very good."
Shen Yi also discovered a new method: she started memorizing Jiang Yue's lines from her scenes with him in reverse order.
Since you might mix up two words because you're too familiar with them, you can minimize the chance of that happening by memorizing all of Jiang Yue's words as well!
In response, Song Yang gave a thumbs up and said, "Genius! Can you also memorize my lines? I forgot, remind me."
Shen Yi quietly gave Song Yang the middle finger: "Get lost!"
"Speaking of which..."
Song Yang glanced around, and after confirming, asked, "Why isn't Xu Qingzhe here? Where did he go? Oh! He's slacking off!"
Shen Yi, unable to bear it any longer, said, "Are you out of your mind? Let him go wherever he wants."
What is the connection between this play and Xu Qingzhe?
That has absolutely nothing to do with it.
Xu Qingzhe is usually willing to wait an hour or two for them to help with some logistical work. People should know how to be content and grateful, and not take it for granted to order others around!
"oh."
Disappointment showed on Song Yang's face, and he whispered, "I was hoping he would buy me a bottle of soda, I'm so thirsty!"
Shen Yi grabbed a bottle of mineral water from the corner and tossed it over: "Just make do with this!"
Song Yang clutched his chest, which had been pounded by the mineral water, and feigned a painful groan: "Murder the prince? Guards! Drag her away and behead her!"
Shen Yu and another classmate who played a guard in another club worked together to hold down Shen Yi's hand.
Shen Yi: "???"
Meng Zihan cooperated, improvising a narration in her gentle voice: "Cinderella's wicked stepsister, having offended the noble prince, was unwillingly taken away from the palace. In the end, she shouted loudly—"
It was supposed to be an impromptu performance segment?
Shen Yi was a little speechless, but still couldn't resist playing along and shouted, "You wretched prince! I will definitely come back!"
Meng Zihan then looked at Jiang Yue and said, "At this moment, the kind-hearted Cinderella couldn't stand it anymore and stood up to beg the prince for forgiveness on behalf of her sister."
Jiang Yue, who was unwrapping candy nearby, immediately slid to her knees and pounced when she heard herself being called upon: "Your Highness! Don't take my sister away! Take me instead!"
Shen Yi also cooperated by shouting, "Sister! Save me, sister—! Ah! Ah!!!"
After a few shouts, Shen Yi pretended to be knocked to the ground, closed his eyes, and lay down.
The senior students from the surrounding theater troupe burst into laughter upon seeing this.
Meng Zihan continued in a serious tone: "Even though Cinderella was kind and wanted to plead for her sister, her sister still received the punishment she deserved. After that, Cinderella and the prince lived happily ever after."
After saying that.
She then led the applause.
Shen Yi got up from the ground, looked up at Meng Zihan and gave her a knowing smile: "Thank you, Mengmeng. I feel like I'm not so nervous anymore."
Jiang Yue was a beat slow to realize Meng Zihan's intention in cooperating with Song Yang in this charade, and immediately laughed along: "So even if we don't follow the script completely, as long as the audience doesn't notice our mistakes, it's okay."
They are all working hard.
Therefore, no one has to bear the pressure alone. Even if something unexpected happens, as long as we are all on this stage, there will always be a way.
Do your own thing, trust each other, and that's enough.
＊
Before we knew it, the day of the school's anniversary arrived.
The school has been decorating for the past two days, creating a festive atmosphere.
Looking at the red ribbons in the corridor, Shen Yi said, "I know the school leaders are very happy, but could they please not be so happy yet?"
What kind of setup is this?!
How strange, how rustic.
Jiang Yue, equally unable to bear the sight, nodded in agreement: "...I thought I had traveled into the wedding scene of some ancient costume drama."
The forum was full of complaints about the school leaders' aesthetic choices this time. The whole school looked too red and festive, which was not good for the eyes.
Jiang Yue seemed to have thought of something else and asked Shen Yi, "By the way, why haven't I seen Xu Qingzhe these past few days? He hasn't been coming over at night either. Did he take leave too?"
Shen Yi wasn't quite sure either. Xu Qingzhe had just told her that he had some personal matters to attend to and was a bit busy lately, so they wouldn't be able to come together for the time being, but he would still come to see their performance on the school anniversary.
Shen Yi seemed a bit strange, but Xu Qingzhe looked very tired and didn't seem to want to say anything more about it.
Moreover, he specifically emphasized that it was a "private matter." Although Shen Yi was very curious, he didn't have the bad habit of interrogating others about everything.
Shen Yi thought about it and realized that it seemed to be mentioned in the original plot that Xu Qingzhe would take leave from time to time. Wasn't Xu Qingyi the same when he first transferred here? It made her wonder if they were even the same person.
Thinking of this, and considering how tiring the rehearsals were, Shen Yi didn't have the energy to ask any further questions, so she just said, "If there are any problems that can't be solved, I need to talk to everyone about them."
So Shen Yi shook his head: "I don't know the specifics, but it should be nothing serious."
Something's come up.
Something's definitely wrong.
Shen Yi was initially cheerful, but even after the celebration had begun and there was less than an hour left before their performance, Xu Qingzhe was still nowhere to be seen.
His gaze swept across the audience seats, but found nothing.
Song Yang stood beside her, looking around in confusion: "Why hasn't Xu Qingzhe arrived yet?"
As he spoke, Song Yang took out his phone and called Xu Qingzhe to urge him to come over quickly, but no one answered.
I felt inexplicably uneasy.
Shen Yi pursed her lips and offered a guess: "Could something have happened to Xu Qingzhe?"
"What could possibly go wrong?"
Song Yang didn't take it seriously. He spotted Xu Qingyi passing by in the crowd and grabbed him, asking, "Hey, do you know where Xu Qingzhe went?"
Xu Qingyi's lips twitched noticeably: "Ask me about him again? What, in your eyes, are we some perfect family with loving and respectful brothers?"
"……Too."
Song Yang gave up on finding answers with Xu Qingyi and turned back to look for Shen Yu: "Why don't you urge Xu Qingzhe? I don't know where he is."
Shen Yu, carrying several bags of clothes and shoes, looked at them with a forced smile: "I am an ordinary person with only two hands."
The implication is—
Please don't bother him with everything, okay? He's busy!!!
Right now.
Shen Yi received a message from Xu Qingzhe on her phone.
[Sorry, something came up and I'm a little late. I'll try my best to get there.]
Seeing Xu Qingzhe's reply, Shen Yi felt relieved and quickly told everyone the news.
Just before they were about to go on stage to perform, Xu Qingzhe finally appeared in the A class area.
Song Yang was receiving a final check and touch-up from his club members when he couldn't help but complain, "Why are you only arriving now? Xu Qingzhe is such a diva! Who's the male lead anyway?! He has to be punished tonight by cooking extra dishes for our celebration banquet!"
Jiang Yue was finally relieved and said with a smile, "It's good that everyone is here."
Before being pulled back to the temporary dressing room to touch up her makeup, Shen Yi kept glancing at the seating area of Class A.
She felt that something was wrong.
What happened to Xu Qingzhe?
He appeared as aloof and cold as ever when facing outsiders, yet he seemed to harbor a hint of barely suppressed irritability.
Although Shen Yi had some doubts, she didn't delve into it. After all, Xu Qingzhe had been busy these past few days... He must have encountered some troublesome matter. She decided to ask him after the performance.
soon.
Then it was their turn to perform on stage.
The drama club members did indeed have some money on them.
Their costumes were gorgeous, and with several pretty faces that were sure to catch the eye, many people in the audience raised their phones to take pictures. Even though it was a script that everyone knew, the students' reaction was much better than expected.
In a typical three-act play, Shen Yi's scenes are mainly concentrated in the first and third acts, while she has little to do in the second act.
So after successfully performing the first act, she even had time to read the script a few more times to familiarize herself with the lines and make sure there wouldn't be any mistakes when she went on stage for the third act.
Shen Yi should have done that.
But after glancing at the script, she couldn't help but look down at Xu Qingzhe in the audience.
Why exactly...?
She will feel uneasy.
I felt that Xu Qingzhe was different today than usual.
In the past.
When Xu Qingzhe watched their performance, his gaze would always be on the person delivering the lines, unlike today... where he kept staring at her as if she were the main character.
Unconsciously, his fingers bent and pressed against his palm; the pain brought him back to his senses, helping him to remain calm.
never mind.
Forget about that for now, the performance is more important...
That's just wrong!!!
The "Xu Qingzhe" in the audience made eye contact with her. Although it was only for a moment that she revealed a flaw, it was enough for Shen Yi to seize on it and finally understand the problem.
If she's not mistaken.
The person in the audience isn't Xu Qingzhe at all! It's Xu Qingyi, disguised as Xu Qingzhe!!!
Shen Yi immediately looked towards Class B, and sure enough, he didn't see Xu Qingyi there. The answer was obvious.
Shen Yi lifted her heavy dress and ran down the path beside the stage. Amidst the confused gazes of all the students in Class A, she grabbed "Xu Qingzhe's" hand and said, "Come with me."
Xu Qingzhe obediently got up and followed Shen Yi out of the crowd.
Until they were all alone with each other.
Shen Yi cut to the chase: "Where is Xu Qingzhe? What exactly happened?"
Unexpectedly, Song Yang's actions were actually correct, and this matter really is related to Xu Qingyi!
A hint of surprise flashed across Xu Qingyi's face, as if he hadn't expected his disguise to be discovered, but he didn't deny it, instead asking, "How did you figure it out?"
"intuition."
Shen Yi answered directly, adding, "Xu Qingzhe wouldn't look at me with such a strange smile!"
Of course, that's not the main point; she still needs to force Xu Qingzhe to reveal his whereabouts as quickly as possible.
Xu Qingyi raised his wrist to check the time, and without trying to hide anything, said in a light voice, "I've offended quite a few people. Since that guy looks just like me, I'll ask him to take a few beatings for me. It's no problem to tell you. He's at No. 9 Middle School in the capital now. What, are you going to abandon all these people on stage for him? Or you can call the police... But I'm not sure if my brother will go easy on me."
Shen Yi's hands hung limply at his sides as he desperately resisted the urge to punch Xu Qingyi in the face.
How can a person be so shameless?
Furthermore, why did Xu Qingzhe agree to do such a thing for Xu Qingyi?
These questions were like mysteries, troubling Shen Yi's mind, but she couldn't find the answers.
And at this moment.
Shen Yi thought of the blunder that had happened at No. 9 Middle School last time.
If that was a mistake, then it was a misunderstanding.
What about this time? In the original story... will the scar on Xu Qingzhe's face appear today?
Before she knew it, Shen Yi realized that her body was trembling slightly.
Is it really too late?
On stage, the play continued, but the last scene was the longest.
The system, at this moment, seemed to enjoy the spectacle even more.
[Friendly reminder: There are only 23 minutes left until the simple moment the host is most worried about! If we don't set off soon, it will really be too late!]
Just then, a hand landed on Shen Yi's shoulder, and a gentle, reassuring voice came from behind: "It's alright, I've already called, and a ten-person bodyguard team is on their way to Ninth Middle School."
Shen Yi's eyes widened suddenly as she looked at Wen Que, who had appeared beside her at some point.
She was so busy looking for Xu Qingzhe that she didn't even notice whether Wen Que was in the seating area of Class A.
Upon seeing Wen Que arrive, Xu Qingyi chuckled lightly, withdrew his gaze, and left as if nothing had happened.
Wen Que added, "If you also want to go and help, my car is still parked at the door, you know it, so you can come anytime..."
"Hear the news!"
Shen Yi suddenly interrupted Wen Que, grabbing his wrist: "Go find my brother first. I'll find a way to get Song Yang off the stage later. He's good at fighting. Then you take the two of them straight to No. 9 Middle School. The management at No. 9 Middle School... if your people look fierce, it'll be hard for them to get in even if they register. You'll still need to find Xu Qingzhe. I'm counting on you!"
Besides Xu Qingzhe, Song Yang is the most capable fighter among them. If Song Yang could arrive in time to help, the situation would definitely be different.
Wen Que's gaze fell on the hand Shen Yi was holding on his wrist. He looked up and smiled at her, "I understand. It's your order. I will do it."
＊
The stage lights have been turned off.
The third scene is about to begin.
Shen Yi didn't bother explaining further to Song Yang and said directly, "Xu Qingzhe is in danger!"
Song Yang's eyes widened: "What?"
Shen Yi only had time to explain one sentence: "I'll find a way to get you off the field later, and then you should go find Wen Que and go with him immediately!"
Song Yang: "?"
What is all this about?
Song Yang didn't understand, but time was of the essence, and he didn't have time to think about it. He was about to take the shoe that Cinderella had lost and go back on stage.
The plot has been slightly altered, but not by much.
Because of time constraints and no time to change clothes, the scene shifts directly to after the ball, with the prince chasing after Cinderella with the glass slipper and finding her before midnight.
The students' initial enthusiasm had been almost completely worn down. After all, with such a similar plot, even if there were several very pretty faces on stage, it wouldn't be enough to keep them focused on watching.
"Song Yang's truly princely face is my biggest motivation to keep watching..."
"Jiang Yue's acting was really excellent; she seems to have a talent for acting."
"I actually like Shen Yi. She's kind of cute when she plays the wicked stepsister who's arrogant and domineering!"
"So why choose this kind of script? It's so common."
"Yes, as long as it's something new, I can watch it."
"There's a reason why the drama club has been declining in recent years... They really don't know how to choose scripts."
...
The audience members were whispering among themselves, and half of them had already started playing on their phones.
Right now.
Shen Yi couldn't hold back any longer. The thought of Song Yang wandering around on stage like a headless fly, delivering another long monologue expressing his deep affection for Cinderella, made her extremely anxious.
then--
Take a deep breath!
There was only one option left. Shen Yi silently said "I'm sorry" to the club president in her heart, rushed onto the stage, and kicked Song Yang, who was facing away from her, to the ground.
Song Yang: "?!"
Everyone: "???"
This sudden turn of events finally drew the attention of almost all the audience members, who all cast puzzled glances at it.
nonsense.
Who heard "Cinderella" as a child? There's no plot like the wicked stepsister beating up the prince! That's so weird!
Of course, the most surprised person was Song Yang.
He was pinned to the floor, and looked up at Shen Yi with wide eyes.
Although Song Yang was mentally prepared, he never imagined that he would end up in such an undignified way!
Please! He's a prince! A prince!!!
certainly.
Song Yang's protest was ineffective at this moment.
Shen Yi reached out and pressed Song Yang's head back to the floor, then stood up with a cold laugh: "Is this all the so-called prince is capable of?!"
Meanwhile, the senior student who was playing the prince's guard was so frightened by the sudden turn of events that he ran off the stage.
Ahhhhh—!
Don't look at him! He doesn't know anything! Nobody told him about this kind of plot! He can't act anymore!
At that moment, the stage lights went out.
Shen Yi immediately pulled Song Yang up and pushed him off the stage.
Things have come to this.
Song Yang couldn't care less about anything else. He could only do as Shen Yi had said and hurry to find Wen Que. Only by finding Wen Que could he understand what had happened!
The lights came on again.
Feeling the curious gazes of almost all the viewers, eager to know how the plot would unfold, Shen Yi swallowed hard, feeling the pressure amplified countless times.
Don't back down...
Absolutely not. She made things this way; she has to take control and make amends.
So Shen Yi tried his best to remain calm and began to improvise.
"Finally, this problem is solved."
Shen Yi clapped his hands and looked directly at the direction of the stage: "Cinderella, stop hiding, I know you saw everything."
At the same time, Shen Yi silently apologized to Jiang Yue in her heart.
Waaaaah, I'm so sorry, Yueyue! This is so sudden! But I can only ask you to cooperate! She believes in Yueyue!
Jiang Yue has entered the stage.
Although the time was short, she had overheard Wen Que's visit to Shen Yu and understood what Shen Yi wanted to do, and wanted to cooperate with her as best she could.
Jiang Yue also looked confused. She jogged over to Chen Yi's side and looked up at her pitifully, "Oh my god, sister, what's going on? Why...why would you do such a thing to the prince?"
Shen Yi was very satisfied with Jiang Yue's "getting the hang of it." After confirming that the other party would fully cooperate with her, she felt relaxed and began to confidently spout nonsense: "My dear Cinderella, you've been fooled. There was no ball to choose a bride. It was all a conspiracy by the king!"
Jiang Yue looked surprised.
She took several steps back, still staring at Shen Yi, wanting to wait for her to continue explaining.
The audience gasped at this line, and many people raised their phones to record, wanting to see how the fairy tale would unfold after the prince died.
Shen Yi could only continue her rant: "What ball to choose a bride? It's just a pretext! He's a noble prince, what kind of princess wouldn't he want? Why would he marry a fallen noblewoman like us!"
In the time that follows.
Shen Yi, relying on his ability to make up nonsense with a straight face, fabricated a fairy tale [dark version].
In fact, in this country, the prince will remain young forever until the day he abdicates.
During this period, they would constantly search for beautiful young girls and use their blood to concoct magical potions that would allow them to rejuvenate.
Therefore, the purpose of this banquet is the same.
Besides Cinderella, several other beautiful young girls of low social status were also chosen by the prince, and they all faced the same tragic fate of becoming part of the potion.
Shen Yi took the opportunity to clear his name.
As Cinderella's stepsister, the reason she tried so hard to stop Cinderella from attending the party in the early stages was because she didn't want her to lose her life! She was actually a good stepsister!
Jiang Yue, who plays Cinderella, is pure, beautiful and flawless. After hearing this "truth", tears almost welled up in her eyes, and she grabbed Shen Yi's hand: "Sister! So that's how it is. I misunderstood you."
Goodness.
Shen Yi was startled by Jiang Yue's acting skills and secretly praised her. She calculated that the time was about right, so she grabbed Jiang Yue's hand and pulled her up from the floor: "Now that the prince is dead, let's go and save the others together!"
As he spoke.
Shen Yi was about to kneel down to help Jiang Yue put on the lost crystal shoe, but fell silent after seeing the five-centimeter high heel, and finally tossed it aside.
Shen Yi took off her flat shoes and helped Jiang Yue put them on.
Jiang Yue lowered her head, gave her a happy smile, and said, "I do!"
A series of gasps erupted from the audience.
Cinderella teamed up with her wicked stepsister? How novel! This scene even managed to get some viewers hooked!
Shen Yi took Jiang Yue's hand, and the two of them ran off the stage. At that moment, the lights gradually dimmed.
Meng Zihan's voiceover began.
"Who says only the prince is the hero who saves Cinderella? Perhaps the real disaster is brought by him."
Love is never everything in life. Every Cinderella will find her own true happiness in life, not only because of romantic love, but also because of friendship or family.
Whether you're Cinderella or a heiress, it doesn't matter.
Because at this moment, we are holding each other's hands, breaking free from the constraints of wanting to be princesses, and together heading towards the freedom that belongs to us.
The audience erupted in applause.
Everything should have ended perfectly here.
But after running barefoot for a few steps, Shen Yi was in excruciating pain from stepping on loose stones.
If she continues running to the school gate like this, having to cross a gravel path, even if she gets to No. 9 Middle School, she will lose all her fighting ability due to foot pain, making her trip pointless.
So Shen Yi immediately ran back onto the stage, picked up the crystal shoes, and gave an awkward smile to the audience.
Ha ha……
She should have taken her shoes with her when she went downstairs!
Oh, I'm so sorry!!!
Because of this little incident involving Shen Yi, the audience erupted in thunderous laughter.
A soft laugh came from the speakers, clearly indicating that Meng Zihan couldn't hold back her laughter after seeing what was happening.
Meng Zihan added gently, "Of course, you can also choose to wear your own glass slippers and run towards love. That's your right, and it's never been a shackle for you."
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