Redemption from the Abyss: The School Beauty Insists on Pulling Me Out of the Mire

At this point, there was still nearly an hour before the 100-day countdown rally officially began.

The classroom of Class 1, Grade 12, had been transformed into a large makeup backstage area, with many girls who arrived early occupying well-lit spots by the window and helping each other with their makeup and hair.

Su Qinghe never wears makeup at school, but today, to match her expensive starry blue dress, she unusually put on a relatively heavy full face of makeup.

Xie Wang leaned against the edge of the desk next to him, his gaze never leaving Su Qinghe's face after it fell on him.

The girl's already delicate and refined features were amplified with makeup, highlighting all her best features.

The very light silver pearlescent eyeshadow at the outer corner of the eye shimmered subtly in the morning sunlight.

This was the first time Xie Wang had seen Su Qinghe with such a bright and glamorous makeup look, and he secretly thought to himself that it was absolutely stunning.

Xu You and Lin Lu squeezed over from the front seats at this time.

Both girls had dressed up carefully today, and they stood around Su Qinghe, admiring each other.

Looking at Su Qinghe's face, Lin Lu couldn't help but let out a sigh of admiration.

"My goodness Qinghe, your makeup today is absolutely stunning! You look exactly like a high-IQ heiress."

Xu You also quietly echoed her from the side.

"Yes, Su Su, you're already very beautiful even without makeup. If you go out like this today, you're sure to charm a lot of people."

Su Qinghe was a little embarrassed by the praise from her two good friends, and a thin blush appeared on her fair earlobes.

She turned around, took out a black eyebrow pencil from her silver makeup bag, and walked up to Xie Wang.

"Don't just stand there and stare. You're going to give a speech today. Come here and let me fix your eyebrows."

Xie Wang readily complied by bending down slightly.

"Don't move around, or if you draw it crooked, you'll be going on stage with two caterpillars on your head to give a speech to the whole school."

Xie Wang immediately became obedient upon hearing this, though his eyes still held a nonchalant smile.

After Xie Wang finished his makeup and hair, everyone suddenly turned their heads and focused their gazes on Lu Yi, who was sitting in the corner fiddling with a camera.

Lin Lu was the first to rush over with a loose powder box.

"Lu Yi, your skin is so fair, it's such a waste not to wear makeup! Come here and let us help you with your makeover."

When Lu Yi saw the group of fierce girls surrounding him, he was so frightened that he immediately hugged the camera in his arms and backed away.

"Don't come any closer. I will never accept this kind of industrial powder embellishment."

Although he was reciting lines of protest, he ultimately could not withstand the combined suppression of Lin Lu and Xu You.

Lu Yi, forced to sit in a chair, was compelled to undergo a full set of foundation and contouring services.

He closed his eyes, utterly despondent, while muttering Baudelaire's pessimistic verses.

At 9:00 a.m. sharp, the coming-of-age ceremony and 100-day countdown rally for the senior students of Jiangcheng No.1 High School officially kicked off.

As is customary at the school, the first part was naturally Principal Zhang delivering a lengthy speech on the podium.

Principal Zhang spoke for more than twenty minutes.

The students below the stage were drowsy in the early spring sunshine, and many of them were whispering to each other.

Finally, the principal's speech ended, and next up was Mr. Li, the outstanding head teacher representative, to give a speech.

Old Li was also dressed in a very formal suit today. He stood in front of the microphone and looked at the group of teenagers who had been with him for nearly three years.

"Students, in one hundred days you will be heading to the battlefield of the college entrance examination, which will be the most important rebirth in your lives."

Old Li's words were very practical and passionate, finally waking up the group of drowsy students in the audience.

Amidst enthusiastic applause, Old Li concluded his message.

The host of the conference held the microphone and loudly announced the next agenda item.

"Next, please welcome our student representative, Xie Wang from Class 1 of Senior Three, to the stage to speak."

As soon as the name was announced, the entire playground erupted in thunderous applause and cheers.

Xie Wang calmly walked onto the podium.

He stood in front of the microphone, holding the microphone stand with one hand.

Good morning, teachers, students, and parents.

His voice, clear and bright with a touch of casual tension, resonated throughout the campus broadcasting system.

Xie Wang gave a speech and recounted the days he spent cramming on science exam papers late into the night.

Just as the speech was about to end, Xie Wang paused for two seconds.

"Finally, on this special day, I would like to express my special thanks to my most important study partner, Su Qinghe."

"Without her countless days and nights of supervision and guidance, Xie Wang would not be standing here today."

As soon as these words were spoken, a cacophony of shouts and whistles erupted, as if the roof were about to be torn off.

At this solemn and dignified 100-day countdown rally, Xie Wang actually called out the female classmate's name in such a high-profile and brazen manner.

When Old Li, who was standing at the front of the formation, heard this, his eyes almost popped out of their sockets.

Su Qinghe stood in the crowd, feeling the burning gazes coming from all directions, and his cheeks instantly turned bright red.

She looked down at the hem of her skirt, her heart pounding in her chest, overwhelmed by the satisfaction of being firmly chosen.

Amidst the deafening cheers of the entire school, Xie Wang calmly and composedly stepped down from the stage and returned to his class.

The next part is the most ceremonial aspect of the entire coming-of-age ceremony.

All senior high school students need to hold their parents' hands, step through the adult gate that symbolizes responsibility and growth, and walk down the long red carpet.

Soothing and heartwarming music began playing on the playground, and students from each class, accompanied by their parents, walked one by one onto the red carpet.

Lin Lu happily linked arms with her father and mother, walking at the front of the group like a joyful little deer.

Shen Haozi and his companion strode quickly through the red archway.

Xu You, dressed in a beige dress, obediently held her mother's hand and walked with gentle steps.

The atmosphere became somewhat awkward when it was the turn of the students who were not accompanied by their parents.

Xie Wang walked naturally to Su Qinghe's side and, in full view of the surrounding classmates and teachers, forcefully took her hand.

Although Su Qinghe felt a little shy, she did not break free, and the two of them walked side by side onto the red carpet.

Their handsome man and beautiful woman walked down the red carpet, instantly attracting the attention of countless cameras.

When Xie Wang was halfway down the red carpet, he turned around and saw Lu Wen behind him with a resentful look on his face.

His ingrained perverse sense of humor resurfaced.

Xie Wang stopped and turned around, shouting at them.

"Cousin, since neither you nor Lu Yi have parents with you, why don't you two pair up and come together? Otherwise, the sense of ceremony will be missing."

Lu Yi was holding a camera, ready to record this touching scene, when he heard Xie Wang's suggestion and was completely stunned.

He glanced at Lu Wen, then at himself, his face full of resistance.

Lu Wen stared at Xie Wang speechlessly. What was the meaning of walking down the red carpet hand in hand with a eccentric poet?

"Xie Wang, don't go too far. Who wants to hold hands with him?"

Despite his complaints, Lu Wen reluctantly walked over to Lu Yi's side due to the pressure from the team behind him.

In order to complete the red carpet ceremony, these two completely unrelated men could only awkwardly hold hands and step onto the red carpet.

Lu Wen tried to maintain his last shred of dignity with a straight face, while Lu Yi had a look of utter despair, muttering under his breath about the absurdity of fate.

Their comical combination immediately drew laughter from the surrounding crowd.

Lin Lu stood at the end of the red carpet, looking at Lu Wen's comical forced performance, and turned her head away to cover her mouth and secretly laugh.

After walking the red carpet, the entire playground entered a one-hour free photo session.

The parents tactfully retreated to the rest area at the edge of the playground, leaving the central space to the children who were about to face the college entrance examination.

At this moment, Lu Yi finally broke free from Lu Wen's control. He took his precious SLR camera and transformed into the exclusive photography master of Class 1, Grade 12.

Shen Hao looked around and saw that his parents were talking to Old Li.

He immediately seized the opportunity, secretly pulling Xu You's hand and then grabbing the back of Lu Yi's clothes.

"Master Lu, hurry up and take some photos of me and Xu You in that empty spare classroom on the third floor before my parents notice."

Lu Yi was forcibly dragged away by Shen Hao, this big bear, and forced to eat a sweet dog food in the empty classroom, taking several photos of the two of them interacting intimately.

When Lu Yi returned to the playground, Xie Wang and Su Qinghe were chatting under the row of huge plane trees.

Lu Yi picked up his camera, found the right angle, and pressed the shutter in the direction of the sunlight.

In the photo, Xie Wang looks down at Su Qinghe with focused and affectionate eyes.

Su Qinghe tilted her head slightly, her starry blue skirt swaying gently in the breeze, and the natural tacit understanding between the two was almost overflowing from the screen.

At this moment, Lu Wen also came over. Relying on his fake cousin identity today, he shamelessly approached Lin Lu's side.

"Lin Lu, since I am Xie Wang's parent, I am practically an elder. It wouldn't be unreasonable for us to take a picture together as a memento."

Lin Lu looked at his serious-looking nonsense and nodded with a smile.

Lu Yi very cooperatively took a picture of the two of them as well.

As their free time was about to end, the seven closest friends gathered together.

Xie Wang looked up at Old Li, who was organizing the roster, and waved him over.

"Teacher Li, today is such an important day, you must take a group photo with us."

Old Li straightened his suit and tie, and walked over to the middle of the group of teenagers with a smile.

Lu Yi asked a passing classmate to help him carry the camera, and then quickly ran into the group.

Xie Wang stood on the left, holding Su Qinghe's hand; Shen Hao and Xu You stood side by side on the right; and Lu Wen cleverly squeezed next to Lin Lu.

Old Li stood in the middle, looking at the group of vibrant and bright students, and then at the little thoughts behind their individual positions.

As someone who's been through it all, he knows exactly what's going on.

Old Li smiled kindly and couldn't help but make a teasing remark.

"This is wonderful, this is the taste of youth, but something feels off about this scene."

Old Li paused deliberately, scanning the queue with his eyes.

"Out of these seven of you, it seems only one of you is a genuine single dog."

As soon as he said that, everyone burst into laughter.

It turns out that Mr. Li, the seemingly strict homeroom teacher, actually knew everything, but he had been protecting them in his own way.

Lu Yi broke down instantly upon hearing Lao Li's teasing.

He jumped up in a fit of rage and pointed at the group of couples, protesting loudly.

"You bunch of guys blinded by worldly emotions, you have no idea what the art of solitude is."

The student who was taking photos shouted the countdown loudly in front.

"Everyone, look at the camera!"

"three!"

"two!"

"one!"

"eggplant!"