Douluo Continent: Getting Stronger After Heartbreak

"Don't look at me! Give a speech! Give a speech!"

The girl clearly hadn't heard his low murmur; she was now as anxious as a cat on a hot tin roof: "The principal and dean of students are watching the flag-raising ceremony speech!"

Qin Jian seemed not to hear her, and just stared at her.

The school teachers on the stage whispered among themselves, while the students below murmured amongst themselves, and the noise gradually grew louder.

But Qin Jian only had eyes for the girl in front of him.

Apart from his long black hair and dark eyes being different from what I remembered, everything else, whether it was his appearance or his figure, was exactly the same!

"Na'er!"

He didn't care about the occasion at all; he turned around and pulled the girl into his arms, holding her very tightly.

"Whoosh!"

There was an uproar both on and off the stage.

"You...you...let me go!"

The girl was clearly terrified and struggled violently.

"Na'er...I...miss you so much..."

But Qin Jian's deep, soul-piercing murmur struck a chord in the girl's heart.

Her struggles stopped abruptly, and slowly, a blush spread across her cheeks.

The teachers, who had initially thought she was being forced and were about to pull Qin Jian away, stopped in their tracks, exchanging speechless glances with a hint of gossip in their eyes.

Is this... a deliberate public disclosure of a puppy love relationship?

Have those two high school kids gone mad?

"Qin Jian..."

Unable to withstand the gossipy gazes of everyone, the girl shrank back and buried her head in Qin Jian's chest.

She whispered, "Please...please let me go...what's wrong...we can talk about it later downstairs..."

But in Qin Jian's heart, these were all just his illusions; their opinions were nowhere near as important as Bao Na'er.

Therefore, I am reluctant to let go at all.

"Qin Jian!"

Just then, a cold, stern female voice rang out: "What are you doing with your speech during the flag-raising ceremony! Get out of the way!"

Qin Jian subconsciously released his grip, turning around in surprise: "Xue'er, what are you doing here?"

It turns out that the person dressed in a suit and short skirt, looking every bit the career woman, is actually Qian Renxue!

"What nonsense are you talking about? Apologize to the headmaster right now, hurry up!" The girl next to Qin Jian quickly tugged at his sleeve.

The head of student affairs, who resembled a snow-white figure, darkened his face: "Who are you calling Xue'er?! Don't think you can do whatever you want just because you're a good student! This is a school! You all get out of here! And write a 100,000-word self-criticism!"

"One hundred thousand words?!"

Qin Jian was dumbfounded.

"Alright, alright, Qin Jian and Gu Yuena are both top students in the senior year's experimental class, potential candidates for Tsinghua and Peking Universities, don't waste their time..."

At this moment, another voice that Qin Jian was extremely familiar with rang out.

Bibi Dong!

"As long as you don't fall behind in your studies, just be mindful of everything else," she said calmly.

Qian Renxue frowned and said, "Principal, they did this in front of the whole school, and you just let it go like that? How am I supposed to manage the school's atmosphere in the future?"

"Principal...Dean of Students..."

Qin Jian's mouth trembled violently.

His fantasy setting actually suits their personalities quite well.

Bibi Dong pondered for a moment: "Then go stand below the stage until the flag-raising ceremony is over."

Qian Renxue: "..."

This clearly lays bare the meaning of favoritism in front of all the teachers.

There's no way around it; students destined for Tsinghua and Peking University are treasures no matter which high school they attend.

"Thank you, Principal!"

Before Qin Jian could react, the girl named Gu Yuena grabbed his wrist and rushed off the stage without looking back.

She clearly knew the principal had deliberately let the sea out, so why didn't she hurry up and slip away...

But when she and Qin Jian stood together below the podium facing students from three different grades, she realized that it was even harder than being up there.

The gossipy gazes made her lower her head so much that it almost reached her chest.

Where leaves dance in the air, fire burns ever brighter; the spirit of Bagua spreads like wildfire, burning one to death only to pounce on another.

"Don't bend your head down anymore, you'll hurt your neck."

Qin Jian naturally ignored those illusory gazes, his eyes fixed intently on Gu Yuena's profile.

"Mind your own business!"

Gu Yuena said, embarrassed and annoyed, "Don't look at me anymore! You've ruined everything!"

"What do you mean 'miserable'? It's just a hug, right?" Qin Jian smiled slightly.

Although he didn't know why the Na'er consciousness in his mind was called Gu Yuena, or why she seemed to have no memories, it didn't matter. As long as he found her, he was satisfied.

"What do you mean by 'just a hug'?!"

Gu Yuena nearly exploded: "Do you even know this is a flag-raising ceremony?! We're going to become the laughingstock of the whole school!"

"So...it's not the right time to hug, is it?"

Qin Jian's reading comprehension was perfect: "So, if we change locations, can I hug him however I want?"

"Nonsense..."

A visible blush rose from her cheeks, burning all the way to her earlobes: "We...we're just classmates...how can we hug like that?!"

"Just classmates?" Qin Jian asked softly.

Gu Yuena seemed to sense the disappointment in his tone and quickly added, "And my deskmate... um... and... and... friends... um... good friends..."

"Are we good friends?"

Qin Jian chuckled softly, then quietly reached out and grasped her soft little hand.

Gu Yuena: "!"

"Loosen... loosen!" she cried out.

Wow!

A few low murmurs came from the formation ahead.

At times like this, nobody cares about the flag-raising ceremony; everyone's attention is already focused on them.

The subtle gesture of holding hands was clearly visible to those in the front rows.

However, such onlookers were nothing to Qin Jian; he was too familiar with them to care.

So, he seemed to loosen his grip, letting Gu Yuena breathe a little easier, but the next moment he inserted his fingers and they intertwined.

Gu Yuena: "!!!"

"you!"

I can't shake it off.

If you don't dare to struggle too much, what else can you do?

All she could do was stomp her feet and bear it with a flushed face...

The 15-minute flag-raising ceremony felt like an eternity to Gu Yuena.

Having finally heard the music end, she instantly shook off Qin Jian's hand and fled in panic.

Under the countless envious gazes from behind, Qin Jian smiled and caught up with them, stepping into the classroom together.

His and Gu Yuena's seats were in the third row, which was the best place to study—neither too close nor too far.

Qin Jian naturally paid little attention to these classrooms from his distant memories, or the mountains and seas of test papers on his desk.

He focused all his attention on Gu Yuena.

She slumped onto the desk as soon as she entered the classroom, not even looking up.

"Hey, Na'er..."

Qin Jian poked her arm.

"Don't, don't touch me!"

She shifted her body, then buried her head and retorted angrily, "Who gave you permission to call me Na'er?!"

"Then what should I call you?" Qin Jian asked with a smile, propping his head up with his hand.

"Of course it's Gu Yuena!" she said indignantly.

Qin Jian sighed, "Alright, Na'er."

Gu Yuena: "..."