Si Nian's lips twitched slightly, her secondhand embarrassment acting up again.
She withdrew her gaze and looked toward the audience, her eyes coldly skimming past the Fu family's direction. Fluent English effortlessly flowed from her lips:
"Dear leaders, dear parents, and classmates, good morning! Sincerely thank you for taking time out of your busy schedules to participate in this event..."
As her voice faded, the entire hall fell into dead silence.
Lin Sisi's earlier self-introduction now seemed embarrassingly amateurish in comparison.
But that was secondary. What truly stunned everyone was her flawless English—the accent, the cadence, the composed demeanor—as if the language were second nature to her.
Even those who didn’t understand English could tell just by listening: this young woman was undoubtedly a master of linguistics.
They’d all attended foreign language classes, but few had ever heard someone speak with such effortless fluency.
Her voice was mesmerizing—crisp Mandarin, every word carrying emotion and depth.
This wasn’t a stiff recitation; it was a genuine speech.
The crowd was spellbound.
Mrs. Zheng gaped, disbelief coloring her voice. "Si Nian’s English is this good?"
She knew Si Nian was academically outstanding, but this level of mastery was beyond expectations.
Beside her, Father Fu was equally astonished.
Just moments ago, he’d thought Lin Sisi was impressive. Now, hearing Si Nian, the difference between them was like clouds and mud.
Fu Yang stared blankly at Si Nian, the girl he’d once dismissed as nothing more than a pretty vase.
Even when he’d heard about her academic achievements, he’d brushed it off.
He’d never noticed any brilliance in her beyond her beauty.
Only after she left did he realize—she had been radiant all along.
He’d simply chosen not to see it...
Now, every eye in the room was fixed on Si Nian.
A woman with only beauty was a dead end.
But one with both beauty and talent? That was an unbeatable combination.
Even the Director was stunned.
So... this was Supervisor Chen’s trump card!
The moment Si Nian began speaking, Lin Sisi’s mind went blank.
In her past life, she’d heard Si Nian give speeches—but those were rehearsed, practiced countless times in private.
And even then, they hadn’t been this extraordinary.
Lin Sisi knew there was a gap between them, but she’d always believed that with enough effort, she could catch up.
Yet now, with just a few words, Si Nian had revealed an insurmountable chasm.
Even with ten more years, Lin Sisi couldn’t guarantee she’d ever reach this level.
Her earlier confidence shattered, leaving only a hollow numbness.
By the time it was her turn to speak, she was still frozen, silent.
The audience, recovering from their shock, turned their attention to her.
When she remained wordless, murmurs began spreading.
"What’s going on?"
"Why isn’t she speaking?"
"Did she forget her lines?"
"She doesn’t even seem like she came to give a speech..."
A nudge from the host snapped Lin Sisi back to reality.
She looked up to see the crowd staring at her, whispering.
Panic surged—she’d completely spaced out.
Her eyes darted to the Fu family.
Sure enough, they were frowning at her.
She hurriedly opened her mouth, but in her fluster, the words escaped her:
"I... I..."
The hall plunged into silence again—this time, thick with awkwardness.
The Director’s grin vanished, his face paling.
How could this happen? She’d been fine just moments ago!
Under the principal’s icy glare, he quickly signaled the host, who handed the microphone to Si Nian.
Without missing a beat, Si Nian seamlessly picked up where Lin Sisi had faltered.
Her voice was like piano notes—soft, melodic, lingering in the air.
The entire field seemed to echo with her words.
Meanwhile, at the school cafeteria’s back entrance...
A large truck was parked by the door.
Zhou Yueshen stepped out, clad in a gray tank top, a cigarette dangling from his lips. He pulled open the truck’s rear door with one hand.
Lin Xiao began unloading the meat, and the cafeteria workers rushed to assist.
"Thank goodness you made it. The higher-ups insisted on premium ingredients today—some big-shot leaders are visiting."
Yu Dong perked up. "Leaders inspecting the school?"
"Not exactly. There’s some event going on. Even a city broadcaster was invited to give a speech! It’s packed. I’d have gone to listen if I didn’t have to cook. That broadcaster’s voice—pure gold. And I heard she’s stunning."
Yu Dong’s eyelids twitched. "A broadcaster?"
At Zhou Yueshen’s wedding banquet, Fu Qianqian had mentioned she and "the bride" were both broadcasters.
Could it really be her?
He shot a glance at Zhou Yueshen, who stood smoking indifferently.
Inner monologue: I wanna go I wanna go I wanna go—gibberish gibberish.
As soon as the oblivious Lin Xiao finished unloading and headed for the driver’s seat, Yu Dong intercepted him.
"Bro Lin, you’ve been driving all morning. Let me take over."
Lin Xiao blinked. "You can drive?"
Yu Dong always tagged along but never took the wheel.
"Of course! I just handle business stuff, so no one’s seen me drive."
He scrambled into the driver’s seat before the speech could end.
Lin Xiao glanced at Zhou Yueshen, who gave no objection, then climbed into the back.
Zhou Yueshen took the passenger seat, his cigarette smoke curling out the window.
The veins on his hand stood out, his fingers long and defined.
The moment everyone was in, Yu Dong floored the gas—straight toward the school’s main gate.
