The sixth act was a six-person skit, and they even used the flowers Yan Heng had sent on stage. Although the performance felt quite staged, the actors' expressions were wonderfully exaggerated and rich, which had the audience in stitches.
The skit soon ended, and the performers exited the stage one by one. Zhu Yaya and Wu Jie then took the stage to read the introductory lines for the seventh act, which was Xu Chun's performance. Following Murong Beichen's instructions, they changed the solo dance to a duet performance.
"...Next, please enjoy the duet performance by Xu Chun and Murong Beichen from Class 27, Grade 12. Let's give them a warm welcome."
Upon hearing the name of Murong Beichen, the son of the richest man, thunderous applause erupted from the audience, punctuated by occasional screams from several girls.
Amid the enthusiastic applause, Murong Beichen, holding the arm of the "elaborately dressed" Xu Chun, walked onto the stage with his head held high and chest out.
Zhu Yaya wanted to watch their performance, so she hid behind one side of the stage, using the heavy curtain to partially conceal herself, and peeked out with her little head.
Yan Heng, seated in the audience, suddenly smiled. Li Hao asked, "What's up, Brother Yan?"
"Nothing." Yan Heng's gaze rested on the little head peeking out from behind the curtain, and he chuckled lightly.
When Xu Chun, arm-in-arm with Murong Beichen, reached the center of the stage and faced the audience, the previously incredibly lively atmosphere instantly fell silent.
Zhu Yaya: What's going on? Could it be that they, like her, find Xu Chun's outfit terrifying?
Thinking this, she pricked up her ears, quietly leaned her head out a bit more, trying to catch the audience's reaction.
Then, the scene instantly became lively again, even more fervent than before.
Zhu Yaya clearly heard them all talking about how beautiful Xu Chun was.
"Oh my god! Is that Xu Chun from Class 27, Grade 12? Why is she so stunning today!"
"I finally understand why the worldly Young Master Chen would fall for her! Young Master Chen truly lives up to his reputation, his taste is sharp."
"Ahhh! Xu Chun's looks are killing me!"
...
Zhu Yaya fell into confusion. She turned around to find Duan Zong, who she considered the most normal person at Scott High School besides Yan Heng and herself.
Duan Zong said gently, "Xu Chun's attire today is quite lovely."
Zhu Yaya: ...Are you sure?
She returned to her spot, shaking her head with self-pity. She felt so sorry for herself; in this bizarre place, only she and Yan Heng were normal people.
The background music soon started—a very passionate Spanish-style piece.
From behind the stage curtain, Zhu Yaya watched as Murong Beichen and Xu Chun suddenly faced each other, about a meter apart. After a deep, intense gaze, they both bent their upper bodies downward, stretching their arms straight up toward the sky, looking exactly like little chicks flapping their wings trying to take off. Then, they began doing calisthenics facing each other.
Zhu Yaya: !!! Are you freaking kidding me?!
In that instant, Zhu Yaya remembered the set of calisthenics she had to do every day in elementary school in her own world: "The Second Set of National Elementary School Student Calisthenics, 'Eaglet Takes Flight.'"
She also heard the excited shouts from the audience below the stage.
"Wow, it's the dance Young Master Chen created when he was ten! This is amazing!"
"Heavens! I declare this the best performance I've seen at the New Year's Gala."
"Xu Chun dances so well too, she coordinates perfectly with Young Master Murong Beichen!"
...
Zhu Yaya shook her head helplessly: This world has gone mad, completely mad.
The "duet dance" performed by Murong Beichen and Xu Chun won a full house of cheers, just like the plot in "The Overbearing Him, The Pure Love."
To this, Zhu Yaya, who watched with utter exhaustion, could only say: Heh, heh heh.
The act following Xu Chun and Murong Beichen's performance was Shen Wandandan's.
Shen Wandandan, waiting in the wings on one side of the stage, had countless flames of fury shooting from her eyes, her face distorted with jealousy.
Finally, Murong Beichen and Xu Chun's performance ended. Zhu Yaya lifted her skirt and walked onto the stage to recite the cringe-worthy introductory lines: "Thank you to Xu Chun and Murong Beichen from Class 27, Grade 12 for their wonderful performance. The piano, with its heavenly sound, tinkling and flowing into people's hearts, is hailed as the 'King of Instruments.' Next, let's give a warm welcome to Shen Wounded Dream Enchanting Hathaway Rose Tear Yuling Xie'er Phantomhive Wandandan from Class 1, Grade 12, who will passionately perform the piano solo 'Sakura Love.'"
After saying this, she calmly left the stage.
Shen Wandandan, with one bodyguard scattering flower petals on her left, another blowing bubbles on her right, and two more following behind holding trays, lifted her noble head high and walked step by step toward the center of the stage.
Excited shouts from male students came from the audience.
"Ahhh! It's my Goddess Dandan!"
Zhu Yaya thought she could even hear Li Hao's voice mixed in with the cacophony.
A white piano was placed in the center of the stage, which the stage crew had hurriedly moved there while Zhu Yaya was reciting the introductions.
Maintaining her aloof and icy demeanor, Shen Wandandan sat on the piano bench and, quite affectedly, extended her right hand toward the audience, gesturing for quiet.
The boys' screams and shouts instantly ceased.
Then, a bodyguard behind her knelt on one knee, holding a tray. Shen Wandandan slowly removed the rings from her fingers one by one and placed them on the silk-lined tray.
Zhu Yaya: Not bad! Shen Wandandan actually knows to take off her rings to play the piano.
Having learned her lesson from the experiences with Murong Beichen and Xu Chun, Zhu Yaya held no hope for Shen Wandandan's piano solo. "Sakura Love" by a Sakura Mary Sue enthusiast? It sounded utterly unreliable no matter how she thought about it.
Sure enough, as Shen Wandandan placed her fingers on the keys and began to play, she was actually playing "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star"!
Is this the supposed standard of a musical genius who has practiced piano since childhood? And, isn't this "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star"? The very same "Twinkle, twinkle, little star" tune. How did it become "Sakura Love"?
Zhu Yaya stared with dead-fish eyes.
Wu Jie, not far from her, was flushed with excitement: "Goddess Dandan plays so beautifully! It's just a shame the stage effects can't compare to Xu Chun and Murong Beichen's duet."
Duan Zong nodded: "Shen Wandandan's music has improved again."
Zhu Yaya was already too exhausted to complain. What more could she say? She could only cover her ears tightly and slip away.
Apart from the acts brought by these three, the remaining performances were all quite normal, such as the school choir, which included Xu Baoying, performing the school song. Although the lyrics were a bit overly flattering, the melody was quite pleasant. But the audience simply didn't like it. In the end, Xu Chun and Murong Beichen's duet broke through the competition and claimed first place.
Zhu Yaya: Heh, heh heh.
Finally, the New Year's Gala successfully came to a close.
The crew busy backstage began taking photos to commemorate the event. The performers also gathered for a group photo.
As one of the hosts, Zhu Yaya was pulled by Teacher Wang to join the photo session.
