"How did you investigate?" Ye Shuang chuckled upon hearing the question, "Well... let's just say I used some minor tricks. It's confidential."
Chen Qin snorted at Ye Shuang's mysterious tone but didn’t press further. "Besides Yang Wei, who else do you know about?"
"Hmm, let me calculate." Ye Shuang wiggled his fingers, stroking an imaginary goatee with his other hand, putting on the airs of a fortune-telling charlatan.
"Fortune-telling?" Chen Qin rolled her eyes. "Are you messing with me?"
Ye Shuang simply smiled. "If you suspect something’s wrong with the company, look into those who love bragging about their flashy PowerPoints. The ones who actually get things done usually stay quiet."
"You know how many managers our group has." Though Chen Qin said this, Ye Shuang’s words gave her a new angle to consider.
"I told you—bring me to the next meeting. Maybe I’ll sniff out a few more."
Chen Qin knew Ye Shuang was teasing her, but since he offered, bringing him along didn’t seem like a bad idea.
Later, Ye Shuang sat in the audience watching the performances. However, the anime club’s act coincidentally overlapped with another group—both playing "Senbonzakura," though the anime club’s guzheng rendition was surprisingly well-received.
"Kinda feel bad about this," Ye Shuang muttered, imagining the girl on screen playing the guzheng glaring at him resentfully.
The head of Yinshan Academy’s anime club was a petite beauty. After finishing "Senbonzakura," she magically changed costumes and launched into "Idol" (Oshi no Ko), while her club members waved glow sticks and danced in support, hyping up the crowd even more.
"Talk about enthusiasm. True otaku spirit," Ye Shuang mused, wondering if the anime club counted as a music group since all their acts were song-based.
Time flew, and halfway through the performances, Ye Shuang was about to head to the restroom when the host announced:
"Thank you to the Macho Club for their ‘Chest-Shattering Boulder’ performance! Next up, we have An Shiyu from Class 3-B, performing a piano piece!"
Ye Shuang froze mid-rise, turning to the screen in surprise as a familiar girl stepped onto the stage.
Dressed in a white off-shoulder gown, An Shiyu looked serene—nothing like her usual self.
Soon, the notes flowed.
She played "Summer" from Kikujiro flawlessly, the lively melody evoking the bright, carefree essence of summer.
"She plays piano too?" Ye Shuang was stunned. Not only did she have a solo, but she hadn’t even practiced during the light music club’s sessions.
"Ye Shuang..."
Hearing Bai Yuyou call his name, he turned. "Hmm? What’s up?"
"I want to play too..." Bai Yuyou said softly.
"I’ll teach you when we get back," Ye Shuang smiled.
An Shiyu finished her piece and left the stage just as swiftly as she arrived, like a refreshing sip of lemon soda on a scorching day.
"Thank you, An Shiyu, for that beautiful performance! Next, our special guest—Phoenix Mountain Legends!"
The crowd erupted. Rumors of their appearance had been circulating, and many attendees came specifically for them.
"Wumeng Mountain stretches beyond the hills, moonlight spills over Xiangshui Bay..." Their hit Madame Fragrance instantly had the audience bobbing their heads.
As special guests, they only performed two songs, closing with Ocean Floor before exiting.
Though the crowd was disappointed, the host smoothly introduced the next act:
"Thanks to Phoenix Mountain Legends! Now, please welcome our next guest—international artist, Mei Yiliya!"
The curtains parted, and Gokuraku Jodo (Extreme Paradise) electrified the venue, sending the crowd into a frenzy.
"Being a student here must be amazing," Ye Shuang remarked, watching the sea of glow sticks around him.
"Right? We never had anything like this back in school," Chen Qin laughed. Their "cultural performances" were just students putting on skits—nothing this grand.
As they reminisced, more celebrities took the stage.
This could’ve passed for a New Year’s Eve gala.
But even the brightest fireworks fade. Around 11 PM, the spectacular academy show finally concluded.
Security and disciplinary staff reminded visitors to clean up and check for belongings as students and guests reluctantly filed out.
Ye Shuang led Bai Yuyou and Tang Keke backstage, where winners would be announced separately to avoid crowding.
Prizes were awarded for both category-first and overall top-five placements (excluding guest performers).
Backstage, a crowd had already gathered around a screen displaying the results:
[Rankings (unordered):
An Shiyu (Summer),
Magic Club (Human Transmutation),
New Opera Club (Heavenly Match or Mismatch),
Anime Club (Senbonzakura/Idol),
2nd-Year Teachers’ Skit (Ximen Qing vs. Pan Jinlian)]
Ye Shuang: "..."
An Shiyu topping the list wasn’t surprising.
Seeing the Light Music Club absent from the top five, he scanned the category rankings—only for Zhixia to suddenly hug Linlin like an excited bunny.
"Linlin! We did it!"
Ye Shuang spotted the music category results:
1. Light Music Club, 2. Rock Club, 3. IKUN Music Group...
"First in our category..." Linlin’s eyes welled up with tears.
"W-why are you crying?"
"Happy tears..."
"Ha ha ha!"
Ye Shuang exhaled, watching the girls celebrate. "Not top five, but still a happy ending."
What were the prizes, though?
Amid the chatter, Huang Zhao from IKUN Music Group approached.
"Linlin."
"Huang Zhao, what do you want?" Linlin wiped her tears, visibly unwelcoming.
"You won. IKUN admits defeat." Huang Zhao extended a hand.
"Gotta admit—you nailed that last line."
u Chenyuan transmigrated into a female-oriented novel about a real and fake heiress, becoming the CEO elder brother of both. Unfortunately, the entire Lu family—including himself, the CEO—were mere cannon fodder in the story. Determined to save himself, Lu Chenyuan took action. The spoiled, attention-seeking fake heiress? Thrown into the harsh realities of the working class to learn humility. The love-struck real heiress? Pushed toward academic excellence, so lofty goals would blind her to trivial romances. As for the betrayed, vengeful arranged marriage wife… the plot hadn’t even begun yet. There was still time—if he couldn’t handle her, he could at least avoid her. "CEO Lu, are you avoiding me?" Mo Qingli fixed her gaze on Lu Chenyuan. For the first time, the shrewd and calculating Lu Chenyuan felt a flicker of unease.
reezy rom-com) Good news: Jiang Liu is quite the ladies' man. Bad news: He’s lost his memory. Lying in a hospital bed, Jiang Liu listens to a parade of goddesses spouting "absurd claims," feeling like the world is one giant game of Werewolf. "Jiang Liu, I’m your first love." "Jiang Liu, you’re my boyfriend—she’s your ex." "Jiang Liu, we’re close friends who’ve shared a bed, remember?" "Jiang Liu, I want to have your baby." The now-lucid Jiang Liu is convinced this must be some elaborate scam... until someone drops the bombshell: "The day before you lost your memory, you confessed your feelings—and got into a relationship." Jiang Liu is utterly baffled. So... who the hell is his actual girlfriend?! ... Before recovering his memories, Jiang Liu must navigate this minefield of lies and sincerity, fighting to protect himself from these women’s schemes. But things spiral even further out of control as more people show up at his doorstep—each with increasingly unhinged antics. On the bright side, the memories he lost due to overwhelming trauma seem to be resurfacing. Great news, right? So why are they all panicking now?
d intelligence to keep the plot moving, and sometimes even the protagonists are forced into absurdly dumb decisions. Why does the A-list celebrity heroine in urban romance novels ditch the top-tier movie star and become a lovestruck fool for a pockmarked male lead? Why do the leads in historical tragedy novels keep dancing between love and death, only for the blind healer to end up suffering the most? And Gu Wei never expected that after finally landing a villain role to stir up trouble, she’d pick the wrong gender! No choice now—she’ll just have to crush the protagonists as a girl!
ial death, also known as "shè sǐ" in Chinese, generally refers to... well, never mind, it's not important. My name is Ye Cheng, and I'm about to experience social death firsthand. ... 【Host, your mission is to confess your love to the young lady of the Dongfang family, the current student council president, in a way that will be unforgettable for everyone at the freshman ceremony!】 【Host, assist the girl with a sprained ankle in front of you to reach the infirmary, and fulfill the wicked thoughts in your heart!】 【Host, act on your desires and punish the arrogant young lady before you mercilessly!】 【Host, follow your instincts—abandon shameful surrender, begging, or groveling, and ruthlessly criticize the domineering, ill-mannered young lady in front of you!】 【Host...】 Ye Cheng: "Here, here, you take this host role—I quit!" Wait, why is the girl with a sprained ankle the daughter of a mafia boss? And what kind of punishment method is this for the arrogant young lady? Also, who the heck said anything about wicked thoughts in my heart? Come out here, let’s settle this one-on-one!!! ... The haughty student council president, the scheming mafia princess, the fragile yandere young lady, the airheaded maid-in-waiting, the mixed-blood loli/...
