After successfully talking Xu Jing into a daze, Jiang Fuyue retreated unscathed.
Meng Zhijian: “Hey! Old Xu! Snap out of it—”
“Huh? I… spaced out. Where’s Jiang Fuyue?”
“She left ages ago.”
“Wait… did I tell her she could go?”
Meng Zhijian nodded, “Yep, you did.”
“I don’t remember a thing. What did she even say just now?”
“I heard it… but,” he spread his hands and shrugged, “didn’t understand a word.”
Xu Jing cleared his throat awkwardly.
“Don’t pretend. You didn’t understand either.”
Xu Jing’s mouth twitched.
His dignity as a teacher—gone with the wind!
D*mn it!
Before they knew it, the long-anticipated centennial celebration had arrived.
All teachers and students were gathered in the auditorium, seated by grade and class.
Amid warm applause, the old principal walked up to the stage and began his speech.
He choked up several times, eyes turning red.
When he finished, he bowed ninety degrees toward the audience and returned to his seat in the VIP section. The performances officially began.
First up—Grade 7.
Compared to the slick veterans in Grade 12, these kids were still brimming with innocence, their smiles pure and bright.
Jiang Fuyue instantly spotted her little brother standing in the center position.
The teacher had put makeup on him, but it was rough. His cheeks were smeared with red blush like two monkey butts.
Thanks to his popularity online, Little Brother Jiang was now a rising star in the middle school division.
Han Yunru had even found pink love letters in his backpack more than once.
But Jiang Chenxing was like a little monk—completely unfazed. He returned them all, untouched, the next day.
One time, the girl even cried from heartbreak.
“Sister, don’t they have to study? Where do they find time to think about this kind of nonsense?”
Jiang Fuyue: “……”
A classic case of emotionally oblivious straight boy. Confirmed.
After the performance, the middle school section erupted in wild applause, with some fangirl-like screams mixed in—
“Jiang Chenxing is so handsome!”
“We love you!”
Wan Xiutong gasped in amazement: “They’re shouting someone’s name—wow, it’s that kid in the center! Your little brother is so handsome! Oh my god—he’s blushing! Not only handsome but adorable! How can there be such a god-tier junior in Grade 7?! Jiang Jiang, look!”
Uh…
Jiang Fuyue glanced over—handsome?
He’s alright.
The little guy had finally hit a growth spurt this semester. He was shooting up like a weed, outgrowing clothes and shoes every few months.
Before anyone realized it, the tiny bean had turned into a lanky pre-teen, and he was indeed starting to show some charm and maturity.
“Jiang Jiang, you look so calm?”
“Do I?” Jiang Fuyue smacked her lips. Maybe because she saw him every day, she was used to it.
No matter how handsome—he was still her little brother.
Class 7 had a better view than Class 3. Jiang Chenxing had barely stepped onstage when Jiang Han and Ge Meng, seated in the front row, recognized him.
“Holy cr*p—that is Sister Yue’s biological little brother, right?”
“No doubt! Remember like half a year ago, we stood up for him outside Hongxing Elementary and beat up that chubby kid from Hu Ben’s family?”
“My god, he’s changed so much! He used to be this scrawny, fragile little thing, looked like you could blow him over. Who would’ve thought he’d grow into this!?” Jiang Han’s eyes were shining as she began to drool.
“Cool it—that’s Sister Yue’s actual little bro. Don’t get greedy,” Ge Meng warned.
“Right, right—not drooling. Not one bit.” Jiang Han slurped and wiped her mouth.
But… he really was that handsome.
So cute you just wanna squish his cheeks~
After the Grade 7 performance, it was time for Grades 8 and 9. Since there weren’t many classes, the transition was quick, and soon it was the high schoolers’ turn.
Most of the acts were singing and dancing. One class tried a recitation, but the stage effect was poor. The lead speaker was so nervous their voice was shaking.
In contrast, the Grade 10 and 11 performances were much more polished—dramas, rap, jazz, traditional styles—one after another, pushing the atmosphere to its peak.
Then came Grade 12.
Everyone knew it’d be hard to stand out after such stunning performances.
But the Grade 12 classes weren’t aiming for awards anyway—it was more about participation. Most of them were just completing the school’s assignment, barely rehearsing. Naturally, their stage effects were mediocre at best.
Liu Bowen: “Just aim to not mess up too badly.”
Lin Qiao: “Class 1 looked like they didn’t even try. We should be a bit better, right? At least we have Zhang Xinxin leading the dance.”
“Ah no! She twisted her ankle backstage just now! Her foot’s all swollen—she can’t even walk, let alone dance!”
“No way… we were counting on her! The rest of the team is just filler—they don’t even remember the basic moves. They all rely on Zhang Xinxin to lead. If she can’t perform, we’re doomed! Go tell Teacher Xu!”
“Already did—he’s rushing backstage to see if there’s any way to salvage it.”
“Can it even be salvaged at this point?”
Everyone exchanged nervous looks.
“Should we just cancel our class’s performance?”
“Too late—our slot is next. If we pull out now, the following group won’t have time to prepare. The stage will go dead. With all those education bureau leaders in the front row, it would be a total embarrassment for our whole school. A major screw-up. Teacher Xu will definitely get in trouble!”
