On a December afternoon, sunlight pierced through the thin snow, bathing the auditorium of St. Sakura Academy in a warm golden glow.
Yu Jiuyuan stood at the entrance of the banquet hall, straightening the hem of her white dress.
The skirt was embroidered with delicate silver threads that shimmered in the light. The dye was specially prepared by Yuan Xu from a biological dyeing expert, and it was said to change its luster depending on the light.
"President, about 30% of the guests have arrived." A student council member jogged over, holding a walkie-talkie. "Member Lin is throwing a tantrum at the registration desk, saying that his pen leaked ink and stained his gloves."
Yu Jiuyuan took the champagne from the waiter and lightly traced a circle on the glass with her fingertip: "Tell him that he either has to keep signing in with his dirty gloves on, or he has to go to the kitchen and help the auntie wash the dishes."
She took a sip of champagne, the bubbles bursting with a refreshing sweetness on her tongue. "His father's car had just parked at the door; he must be quite pleased to see his son 'experiencing life' in the kitchen."
The officer was taken aback for a moment, then quickly relayed the instructions via walkie-talkie.
Yu Jiuyuan watched his retreating figure, then turned her gaze to the center of the banquet hall.
Tang Nianzhi, dressed in a burgundy gown, was surrounded by a group of socialites, her smile as bright as a blooming rose. Rong Shenghan stood beside her, his every gesture exuding just the right amount of gentleness, like an invisible barrier separating the overly enthusiastic crowd.
Rong Shenghan: Favorability 64 (unchanged), Emotional fluctuations - Negative 1/Neutral 8/Positive 92 (Positive +1)
Just as the system panel beeped softly, Rong Shenghan looked up and his gaze met hers through the crowd.
He raised his glass in a gesture of greeting, his smile as gentle as ever, but his eyes held a deep, unfathomable sea, leaving one unable to fathom what was churning within them.
Yu Jiuyuan smiled faintly, turned and walked towards the side hall, where Yuan Xu was squatting in front of the butterfly display case, her palms sweating with nervousness.
The veins of the aurora butterfly's wings shimmered with a fluorescent blue light under the warm glow, and he gripped the sonic controller tightly in his hand, his knuckles turning white.
"Don't be nervous." Yu Jiuyuan squatted down and gently tapped the side of the box with her fingertips. "They are calmer than you think."
She took out a small metal controller from her handbag, the one Yuan Xu had given her. "Look, I've got everything ready."
Yuan Xu's ears turned bright red instantly, and her voice trembled slightly: "A Yuan, what if they don't light up? What if they scare Miss Tang?"
“No, it won’t.” Yu Jiuyuan pressed the button on the controller, and a clear and melodious tune flowed out. The aurora butterflies in the display case suddenly fluttered their wings, and their wing veins lit up with a dazzling fluorescence in the sound waves, like a galaxy being ignited. “Look, they really like this frequency.”
[Yuan Xu: Favorability 85 (unchanged), Emotional fluctuations - Negative 0/Neutral 12/Positive 98 (Positive +3)]
Yuan Xu's eyes lit up, the tension on her face faded, leaving only pure excitement.
Yu Jiuyuan looked at his profile as he leaned closer to the display case and suddenly remembered the night in Changbai Mountain, when he had also been lying by the window of the observatory, pointing to the starry sky and telling her about constellation myths, his eyes shining brighter than the starlight.
In a corner of the banquet hall, Xie Zhecheng stood beside the piano, his fingertips tracing the black and white keys.
The moment the piano lid was lifted, the surrounding noise seemed to be shut out, leaving only the cool luster of the piano keys, reflecting the calm in his eyes.
"President Xie, let me know when you're ready." The waiter respectfully handed over a glass of warm water. "Miss Tang is looking forward to your performance."
Xie Zhecheng did not respond; his fingertips landed on the piano keys, producing a series of clear and melodious notes.
As the musical scales echoed through the air, he caught a glimpse of Yu Jiuyuan walking out of the side hall out of the corner of his eye.
The white dress floated like a moving cloud in the crowd. She stopped next to Rong Shenghan, took the champagne he offered, and the two smiled at each other, a scene like a carefully composed oil painting.
[Xie Zhecheng: Favorability 17 (unchanged), Emotional fluctuations - Negative 0/Neutral 5/Positive 103 (Positive +2)]
The system panel's notification sounds mingled with the noisy chatter, and Xie Zhecheng pressed the piano keys a fraction harder.
As the chords exploded in the air, he suddenly remembered those two uncontrolled kisses. The temperature of her lips, the frequency of her eyelashes brushing against his cheeks, even the slyness in her eyes when she pulled away—all of these were like discordant notes, forcefully intruding into his life, which was as orderly as a musical score.
He withdrew his gaze, his fingertips leaping rapidly across the piano keys, and Chopin's Nocturne flowed from his fingertips.
The melody is as gentle as moonlight, yet at a certain turning point, there is a subtle tension hidden, like a string being quietly pulled taut.
Lin Yanran, standing at the registration desk, was glaring fiercely at the pen in her hand.
Ink stains turned his snow-white gloves black, making them look like an ugly flower. The laughter coming from not far away only irritated him more, and the way those people looked at him was clearly mocking.
"Officer Lin, these are freshly ironed gloves." The student council officer carefully handed over a gift box. "The president said that washing your hands with this brand of ink will remove stains in three minutes."
Lin Yanran snatched the gift box, but was stunned when she opened it. Inside was a brand new pair of white gloves with a small "Lin" embroidered on the lining. The stitches were so fine that not a single mistake could be found.
His fingertips trembled slightly as he held the glove. He suddenly remembered the scene he had seen in the kitchen that morning: Yu Jiuyuan was standing in front of the sink, personally washing his dirty glove, her movements as calm as if she were dealing with some rare treasure.
[Lin Yanran: Favorability 3 (unchanged), Emotional fluctuations - Negative 24 / Neutral 10 / Positive 0 (Negative -1)]
For the first time, negative emotions began to subside.
Lin Yanran gripped his gloves tightly, turned and walked toward the banquet hall. He saw his father talking to several business tycoons, his gaze sweeping over him with approval.
He took a deep breath, straightened his back, and like a proud cat whose claws had been sheathed, walked to the registration area and stood up again.
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