You're dumping me, huh? Fine, then I'll just pick up the school beauty and make her my wif

At 7:00 PM sharp, all the lights in the venue went out.

Spotlights on both sides of the stage lit up simultaneously, two beams of white light sweeping across the audience in a crisscross pattern before converging in the center of the stage.

The electronic screen went from dark to bright, displaying the words "Peking University 2026 Freshman Welcome Party".

Two hosts, a male and a female, walked out from the side of the stage. The male host was wearing a black suit, and the female host was wearing a red dress. The two announced the official start of the evening with a standard opening speech.

The first few episodes proceeded smoothly.

The first boy to go on stage sang a folk song with a guitar. He had a good voice, but the interaction was a bit awkward, and the applause from the audience was polite but lukewarm.

The second street dance club's performance really heated up the atmosphere, with several difficult floor moves eliciting screams from the front row.

The third performance was a skit by the drama club. The script was fairly well-written, with jokes evenly distributed, and the audience laughed throughout.

Meanwhile, at the back of the stage.

Su Qinghe sat in front of the mirror as the makeup artist applied setting powder to her face.

As the girl listened to the occasional laughter coming from outside, she slowly turned her gaze to herself in the mirror.

She was wearing a moon-white long dress today, the hem of which reached the ground, and the waistline was perfectly cinched.

The top is made of silk with three-quarter sleeves and a delicate pearl trim around the neckline, which shimmers softly under the light.

Her hair was styled into a loose low bun by the hairstylist, with only a few wisps of hair left at each temple, which made her face shape and facial features look exceptionally beautiful.

After applying the last bit of loose powder, the makeup artist looked at her work with satisfaction: "Junior, your natural features are amazing. I barely did anything, just touched up your eyebrows and lips a little."

Su Qinghe looked at herself in the mirror. The girl in the mirror had put on light makeup and was wearing a dress. Her temperament gradually overlapped with the self she remembered.

But the difference was that back then, with the help of her teachers and the school, she dressed up beautifully and sat on the stage to perform.

But deep down, he was filled with insecurity, fearing that if he didn't perform well in any way, he would be met with disdain and scorn.

At that time, she felt that she was not worthy of standing in the spotlight at all.

Because the person standing in the light shouldn't look like her.

And now, she sits in front of the vanity mirror once again, wearing a gorgeous and beautiful gown, with the ring her beloved placed on her finger at the top of the Ferris wheel.

And what I'm thinking about is no longer "Am I worthy to stand on this stage?"

Instead, she said, "After I finish playing, I must ask A-Che to reward me and take me out for something delicious."

The inferiority complex has quietly disappeared.

Soon to enter the public eye is a brand new Su Qinghe.

The girl smiled at herself in the mirror.

The shadow that had been following behind her, mimicking her timid and hesitant gait, was finally left far behind.

"The seventh program is a violin solo, Canon."

The announcements came from the speakers in the dressing room.

This means she should go to the waiting area next to the stage to prepare.

After taking a deep breath, Su Qinghe stood up from the chair, lifted her skirt, and walked towards the backstage waiting area.

She stood behind the side curtain, her gaze passing through the silhouette of the violinist playing on stage, and accurately found the middle seat in the first row of the audience.

Jiang Che sat there.

At that moment, his gaze was also directed toward the side of the screen.

Through the dim lights and the flowing light and shadow on the stage, their eyes suddenly met in the air.

Jiang Che didn't make any exaggerated expressions, he just nodded slightly to her, and then raised his hand and gently tapped the position of his right ring finger with his index finger.

That's where the ring is.

Su Qinghe looked down at her right hand, the diamond ring on her ring finger reflecting a shimmering light under the dim light of the side curtain.

She smiled slightly, and her heart suddenly stopped beating so fast.

At that moment, the violinist finished his performance, bowed, and left the stage.

The applause gradually subsided.

The female host then walked to the center of the stage and began announcing the program into the microphone.

"The next program is a piano solo entitled 'That Summer'."

"Performer: Su Qinghe, Class of 2026, School of Economics and Management."

As soon as he finished speaking, the School of Economics and Management area in the audience erupted in applause and cheers.

Xu Wenbin raised two glow sticks above his head and waved them vigorously, shouting, "Go, Qinghe!"

The applause was louder than for the previous performances, not only because Su Qinghe was the newly crowned campus beauty, but also because everyone at Peking University knew who her girlfriend was.

Jiang Che, who had subdued the instructor with one hand, was sitting right in the middle of the first row.

The choice of this position itself is an attitude.

Students from other colleges also erupted in thunderous applause.

The lights went out.

The entire room fell silent.

A spotlight shone down from directly above the stage, illuminating a black grand piano.

The surface of the instrument reflected the spotlight, shining as if it had been coated with glaze.

Su Qinghe walked out from the side curtain.

The moment the spotlight fell on her, everyone in the audience paused for a beat.

The moon-white dress shimmered like pearls under the lamplight, and the floor-length hem swayed gently with her steps, as if she were walking on moonlight.

Her low bun was loosely styled to the perfect degree, revealing her slender neck and delicate earlobes, with pearl earrings swaying slightly with her movements.

Her features were enhanced by light makeup, making them appear even more defined and clear, with a touch of sacred serenity between her brows.

When she emerged from the spotlight, she looked like a ray of moonlight drifting down from the moon palace.

The student in charge of filming backstage quickly zoomed in on Su Qinghe's face with a close-up shot.

A close-up of her face appeared on the big screen.

The screams from below immediately erupted.

"Holy crap, this is so beautiful!"

"Which celebrity is 'frying fish' at Peking University this time?!"

"Okay, I'm completely convinced. No wonder she was chosen as the school beauty. She's really amazing."

"No wonder Jiang Che could crush the instructor's hand bones with one hand. If I had such a beautiful girlfriend and she was bullied, I would definitely crush her too!"

The female host, standing behind the side curtain, looked at the scene before her and couldn't help but sigh.

She whispered to the male host next to her, "She's already stunning even without makeup, but with makeup, she's practically unbeatable."

The male host, who was busy stealing glances at Su Qinghe, simply replied with two perfunctory words: "Indeed."

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Su Qinghe walked gracefully to the piano, clasped her hands in front of her and bowed to the audience before sitting down on the piano bench.

The entire hall fell silent.

The girl gently raised her hands and placed them on the piano keys, then slowly closed her eyes.

The words Teacher Xie had said years ago unconsciously came to mind—

"Qinghe, remember, don't rush to play after you get on stage."

"Sit for three seconds, let your heart beat steady, let the whole venue quiet down, and let the audience know—you're about to begin."