The auditorium of St. Sakura Academy was decorated like a forest under the starlight.
Leaves made of silver foil are wrapped around the pillars, adorned with tiny LED lights, like branches covered with stars.
On the rising platform in the center of the stage, Yuan Xu was carefully adjusting the release device for the fluorescent butterflies. The phosphorus powder on her white coat shimmered pale blue under the warm light, like stardust covering her body.
"Ah Yuan, do you think this angle is okay?" He looked up, his eyes shining with excitement. "I had the tech department add a soft-focus filter. When the butterfly takes flight, the fluorescence of its wing veins will look like a flowing galaxy!"
Yu Jiuyuan stood on the side of the stage, wearing a moon-white dress with star trail patterns embroidered in silver thread on the hem, exactly the same as the pattern on the fountain pen Xie Zhecheng had given her.
She helped Yuan Xu by the shoulder and jumped off the platform, her fingertips lightly tapping the device's latch: "Loosen it by half a turn, so it won't get stuck on the wing veins during takeoff."
[Yuan Xu: Favorability +1, Emotional fluctuations - Negative 0/Neutral 12/Positive 98 (Positive +2)]
The system panel's notification sounds echoed softly in my mind, like the gentle fluttering of butterfly wings.
Yuan Xu lowered her head and adjusted the buckle with seriousness, her ear tips as red as cherries baked by warm light: "After the party, shall I give you the 'Snow Kite' specimen? Seal it with resin, and it can be preserved for a lifetime."
Yu Jiuyuan smiled, her fingertips tracing his cheek, which was covered in phosphorus powder: "I want him alive."
She leaned close to his ear, her voice as soft as a sigh, "Specimens are too lonely. I like watching them fly in my palm."
Yuan Xu's breath hitched, and she almost dropped the screwdriver in her hand.
As he watched her turn and walk towards the side of the screen, he suddenly felt that all the carefully cultivated butterflies had become mere embellishments.
The way she stood under the spotlight was the most dazzling presence tonight.
In the backstage dressing room, Rong Shenghan was helping Tang Nianzhi adjust the hem of her evening gown.
The burgundy satin brushed against his black trousers like a flowing flame, while his gaze passed over the mirror and landed on the pale figure in the doorway.
Yu Jiuyuan was talking to Xie Zhecheng when she tilted her head back slightly, revealing a faint red mark on her neck, proof of her loss of control on Xueye.
"Brother Shenghan, do you think this necklace is pretty?" Tang Nianzhi held up the sapphire pendant around her neck, which was a coming-of-age gift from Rong's mother. "It matches Jiu Yuan's dress very well."
Rong Shenghan withdrew his gaze, followed her finger, and smiled gently as always: "Very beautiful. However..." He picked up the pearl brooch from the dressing table and pinned it to the neckline of her dress, "The pearl complements your hair color better."
Rong Shenghan: Favorability +2, Emotional fluctuation - Negative 1/Neutral 8/Positive 92 (Positive +5)
Tang Nianzhi looked at the brooch in the mirror, a hint of disappointment flashing in her eyes, but she still maintained a proper smile: "Brother Shenghan still has such good taste."
As she turned around, she happened to see Yu Jiuyuan standing at the door, holding a star-track fountain pen in her hand, listening to Xie Zhecheng speak with her head down. "Jiuyuan, your fountain pen is so unique. Did President Xie give it to you?"
When Yu Jiuyuan looked up, the way she twirled the pen in her fingers was composed: "Yes, President Xie said this is the most convenient pen for writing speeches for parties."
Her gaze fell on the sapphire around Tang Nianzhi's neck, and she suddenly smiled, "But compared to gemstones, I still prefer pearls. Vice President Rong said that the warmth and luster of pearls are more suitable for winter nights."
Rong Shenghan paused as he leaned against the dressing table, his smile deepening.
Looking at Xie Zhecheng's suddenly tense jawline, he suddenly felt that this undercurrent of power struggle was more interesting than any part of the party.
At the entrance of the auditorium, Lin Yanran, dressed in a sharp black suit, awkwardly handed out invitations to the guests.
His white gloves were crumpled from being gripped so tightly, and his bow tie was slightly askew, but he exuded a more vibrant and human charm than usual.
"Officer Lin looks very energetic today," Yu Jiuyuan's voice came from behind, holding a silver tie clip with a small leopard head engraved on it. "Your bow tie is crooked, shall I help you?"
Lin Yanran's body froze instantly, as if she had been frozen in place.
He could smell the scent of white tea in her hair, mixed with the fragrance of irises from her dress, weaving a gentle net in the cold air, making him want to escape yet reluctant to leave.
“No need… I can do it myself.” His voice was stiff, but he still obediently lowered his head, letting her fingertips trace his collar.
Her movements were very light; her fingernails occasionally brushed against his Adam's apple, bringing a sharp, ticklish sensation, like a butterfly had landed there.
[Lin Yanran: Favorability +6, Emotional fluctuations - Negative 24/Neutral 10/Positive 0 (Negative -8, Positive +8)]
Yu Jiuyuan clipped the tie clip to his bow tie, her fingertips deliberately lingering on Leopard Head's ear for half a second longer: "Your father said that you got full marks in this month's student council assessment."
She took a half step back, sizing him up, her eyes filled with indulgent amusement. "It seems that 'Young Master Lin' can also do a good job."
Lin Yanran's ears were so red they were almost bleeding. He looked away and gazed into the auditorium, his voice muffled: "Don't think that praising me a couple of times is enough. The pen at the registration desk is out of ink again. You'll have to figure that out yourself."
Even so, his steps toward the logistics department were filled with excitement.
Yu Jiuyuan watched his clumsy back and suddenly took out a pen from her handbag.
That was the pen Lin Yanran left at the registration desk that morning; it still had a leopard head pendant hanging from the cap, exactly the same as the one on his keychain.
As the clock struck eight in the evening, spotlights suddenly shone on the rising platform in the center of the stage.
Yu Jiuyuan stood in the sea of light, her moon-white dress shimmering with a pale silver hue under the star trails, like moonlight treading on the Milky Way.
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