No one understands rebirth better than me

Chapter 228 I want to hug you again

Night was falling.

The nights of early summer are always filled with a touch of mysterious excitement amidst the tranquility.

In layman's terms, it's perfect for causing a ruckus.

Beer, barbecue, music festivals, truth or dare...

And today's closing ceremony of the sports meet at Jiangzhou No. 2 Middle School.

"...Okay, thank you to the students of Class 3 and Class 4 of Grade 11 for their wonderful performance..."

The host was very responsible.

But to be honest, it wasn't very exciting.

A few junior students from the first year of high school had a great idea and performed a magic trick on the spot.

In reality, due to the distance and the lack of a large screen, their magic tricks were not visible at all.

At this moment, on the vast playground of No. 2 Middle School, only a few streetlights were scattered along the edge of the track, while the dazzling rostrum provided illumination.

Even the students sitting in the first row had to squint.

Not to mention what came after.

But this did not dampen the enthusiasm of the applause at all.

As soon as the host finished speaking enthusiastically, regardless of what exactly was said, everyone would just clap and that was it. They could then eat, drink, and chat as they pleased, having a great time.

Anyway, it was already dark, and the teacher couldn't possibly care.

Some people were even playing rock-paper-scissors.

"Five champions! Six six sixes! Seven clever ones! Eight horses!"

"Haha! Brother Ren, drink up!"

"Hi ha——!"

Guan Ren picked up a can of Wusu beer and drank it down.

The beer was ice-cold beer that Xu Hui had just bought at the school gate after sneaking out; it was incredibly refreshing.

Guan Ren thought it wasn't right to have spicy strips as a snack with alcohol.

So I sent a message to Little Lemon on QQ.

[Guan Guan Jujiu: An Ning, did you bring any food?]

[Ping An: Some classmates bought cookies to share, and I got some too. I'll bring them to you now.]

[Guan Guan Jujiu: No, no, no, no need]

Guan Ren couldn't help but laugh.

To be honest, Little Lemon's words, "I'll get them for you right now," made him laugh. I could practically picture Little Lemon actually picking up the cookies, standing up, and walking around in the dark looking for him.

[Guan Guan Jujiu: Actually, I wanted to ask if you have chicken feet or something?]

[Ping An: Huh?]

[Ping An: I didn't bring any of those things you mentioned.]

[Guan Guan Jujiu: Hmm, it's nothing, just asking since I'm bored]

It's perfectly normal that you didn't bring it.

After all, few students in the school would have expected that the closing ceremony after nightfall would be so free and fun, like a picnic. The snacks were mostly bought on the spot, and it was impossible for anyone to bring braised food from home.

Guan Ren put away his phone.

Then I thought about it and dug it out again.

[Guan Guan Jujiu: Actually, I just wanted to talk to you, hehe]

……

Since Class 7's assembly point was at the very edge of the playground, Class 6 was not next to Class 7.

At this moment, far away in Class 6, Little Lemon, holding the small screen of her feature phone, couldn't help but purse her lips and smile.

She originally typed "Me too".

As a result, her face flushed, and she deleted it again.

Just as Xiao Ningmeng was thinking about saying something more to Guan Ren, a small incident seemed to have occurred on the stage, causing her classmates around her to discuss it and making her suddenly turn around and look in front.

……

"...Next, please welcome the students from Class 3 and Class 4 of Grade 11, who will be presenting...uh...sorry, just a moment..."

On the stage, the host was announcing the program when a student crouched down and ran up to him, handing him a note.

The host read it again and said:
"...Next up are songs performed by students from Class 3 and Class 4 of Grade 11, as well as Class 7! Please give them a round of applause!"

slam-la-

It was another round of applause that resonated deeply with the audience's emotions.

Only Class 7 of Grade 11 had a sparse number of people.

Many people were looking at each other in bewilderment, feeling both surprised and confused.

"What? Someone from our class? They went on stage?"

"What show was it? Who went?"

"Brother Chi, is that you?"

"Are you fucking an idiot? Is that a ghost in front of you?"

Not only Class 7, but also Class 8 students from the side started coming over to inquire.

Surprisingly, no one knew about it.

Because Du Zihan kept winking and exchanging glances with several girls who knew the truth, deliberately keeping them in suspense and not revealing anything.

For a time, this mysterious "student from Class 7 of Grade 11" aroused the interest of many people in both classes.

In contrast, other classes continued to eat, drink, and laugh, seemingly unconcerned.

……

To be honest, although there were many performances at the closing ceremony, so far, apart from a group dance by a group of first-year high school girls, there weren't any noteworthy or outstanding performances.

Upon hearing that it would be another performance by several classes combined, many people lost hope.

This implicitly acknowledges that it's another makeshift operation.

Of course, it's normal to have this kind of thought.

Don't be fooled by the fact that they brought out a drum set and played some music during the opening ceremony.

Even so, it was still a group of people pieced together from three different grades.

In 2012, schools in small county towns were nothing like those in anime, where students had clubs and were all-around high schoolers.

If you can find ten students who can play drums and twenty who can play the piano throughout the entire first to third year of high school, that would be considered quite good.

Trying to put together a complete band is highly unlikely.

Therefore, the performances tonight, if they use downloaded backing tracks, will be relatively better to watch.

Whenever several classes get together and want to do live accompaniment, they usually just fiddle with the electronic keyboard for a symbolic amount of time, and the effect is very mediocre. It's better to just play the accompaniment directly.

……

"Huh? A flute?"

But soon, someone noticed something unusual about the event.

I don't know if it was some talented girl from Class 3, Class 4, or Class 7, but she actually brought a flute up.

Many people on the playground perked up and their attention began to refocus on the podium.

Once all the members were in place, another unexpected addition was made.

"Wow, playing rock music? And they even have electric guitars?"

"Mao, that's... a bass, right?"

"Wow, that's high-end..." Following the flute, the bass player has also arrived.

The drum kit also made a comeback.

With the addition of an electronic keyboard by a veteran actor, the group on stage actually looked quite convincing.

Half of the students on the playground were now vaguely curious.

So what are they going to sing?

Where's the lead singer?
And who is the lead singer?
"Hey, hey, hey! Look, Gu Youli is here too!"

Someone from Class 7 finally found the mysterious student from Class 7 of the second year of high school who was announcing the program.

While patrolling the stage and maintaining discipline, Gu Wancheng was also surprised by her sister's appearance, her astonished almond-shaped eyes locking onto her sister.

"Tsk tsk tsk, I didn't know our class monitor had this skill."

"Yuri can sing? And she even went on stage? Really?"

"Hey, wasn't Gu Youli the class beauty of your Class 8? She can sing too?"

"This... I really don't know."

……

At this moment, not only were students in Class 7 and Class 8 discussing it.

Students from other classes who were at the top of their class also started chatting.

"Is this girl the lead singer? I think she's really pretty."

"Yes, that's true."

"His movements look a bit stiff, and his expression... seems rather indifferent?"

Actually, this was because Gu Youli on stage was very nervous at that moment.

This is not her first time performing on stage.

But the last time was during a primary school class singing competition.

Gu Youli participated in the competition because she wanted to get an award certificate and fill her wall with certificates as much as her older sister did when she was little.

It's impossible for her not to be nervous in front of so many students.

However, there are ways to alleviate the situation.

Her gaze had been searching ever since she stepped onto the stage.

Then finally, she found the only boy she cared about among the dark mass of people below.

"..."

"?"

Strangely enough, Guan Ren, who was still in shock in the audience, was quite a distance away from Sister Gu on stage.

But in an instant, he could clearly feel that Gu Youli's gaze was looking at him... or even searching for him.

What is she looking for?
Encouragement or comfort?
Regardless of what it was, Guan Ren looked at her on the stage, then stood up and started waving his hands violently.

"..."

She saw it.

Seeing her deskmate's response, the girl on stage smiled, revealing her beautiful dimples.

And that's exactly why my tense heart calmed down.

"Are you done yet? Is everything ready?"

"okok!"

"Wait, let me clear my throat, cough cough..."

"Are you stupid? You're not singing, so what are you doing 'qingqing'?! Just play your bass! Gu Youli, what about you?"

"call…"

Gu Youli took a deep breath, adjusted the microphone height, gently raised her beautifully defined chin, nodded, and her eyes, apart from the reflection of a person, no longer wavered.

Under the spotlight, she resembled a proud and pure little pear blossom.

……

"One...two...start..."

Even in the absence of other musical instruments, the electronic keyboard still plays an important role.

At the keyboardist's command, a soothing melody emanated from the speakers.

"This is…?"

Because it was just the intro, many students looked puzzled.

However, a small number of people, as well as some teachers, already showed expressions of surprise or anticipation.

Finally, half a minute later.

The girl on stage spoke.

"...Just because I glanced at you in the crowd..."

"...I can never forget your face...~"

When her beautiful voice flowed from her lips, almost all the teachers and students were stunned at first.

"legend"?
The female voice—is that Faye Wong's "Legend"?
This…

A female high school student is going to sing this?

"I dream of one day seeing you again by chance...~ And from then on, I began to miss you in solitude..."

However many people find it hard to believe.

The fact is, Gu Youli proved with just two lines that her slightly ancient-style soft voice could almost perfectly handle this song!
"...I'd rather spend my whole life waiting for you to discover me..."

"...I've always been by your side, never far away—~..."

Soon, the chorus began.

"Bass! Go!"

As Gu Youli's melodious, fading notes ended, the bassist gently plucked the strings, followed by Gu Youli's leisurely singing of the chorus:

"...Just because I glanced at you in the crowd...I could never forget your face..."

The girl who had been waiting for a long time raised her flute.

The melodious flute melody adds a final, important touch to the entire chorus.

Gu Youli's singing, accompanied by live music, completely captivated everyone present.

"...When I miss you, you're at the ends of the earth...When I miss you, you're right before my eyes..."

"...When I think of you, you're in my mind...When I think of you, you're in my heart..."

"...I'd rather believe we had a promise in our past lives...that our love story in this life will never change..."

"...I'd rather spend my whole life waiting for you to discover...that I've always been by your side...never far away~..."

……

Finally, the word "far" was played, and all the accompaniment suddenly stopped.

The entire playground involuntarily fell into complete silence.

The girl on stage, however, kept her clear eyes focused on the boy she wanted to hug again.

Then, after a brief pause, her thin lips parted, and she sang the last line of the song a cappella:
"...Just because I glanced at you in the crowd...~"

……

The song is over.

The audience below the stage held their breath.

It wasn't until three seconds later that a burst of applause and even screams resounded through the night sky.

(End of this chapter)