Evening Party

Ye Chuan held a basin, having nearly scooped up all the goldfish from the stall owner's tank.

"?!" The owner's eyes widened in shock as he stared at the paper net in Ye Chuan's hand, as if looking at some kind of monster.

This… this… Why wasn’t his paper net tearing apart?

Shouldn’t it have fallen apart the moment it got wet, especially with the fish thrashing around?

He had stocked these fish to last for several days of sales.

Though the fish themselves weren’t expensive, he had just opened for the day. Closing the stall early to restock would be a complete waste of time—pure loss.

Seeing the owner’s bitter expression, Ye Chuan didn’t say much. Instead, he simply raised his hand and said, "Boss, pack them up."

"Uh… little brother, can we talk this over?"

"Huh? You’re not trying to back out, are you? If I report this to the school, you won’t be setting up shop around Yinshan for the next few days," Ye Chuan said, raising an eyebrow.

"Wait, no!"

In the end, after Bai Qianshuang picked out one fish and the owner handed over two hundred yuan, Ye Chuan finally set down the basin full of fish.

After Ye Chuan and Bai Qianshuang left the stall, the owner picked up the paper net Ye Chuan had used, utterly baffled. He dipped it into the water to try scooping a fish himself—only for the net to tear apart the moment a goldfish casually flicked its tail!

The owner’s eyes nearly bulged out of his head.

This was downright eerie!

"Ye Chuan, isn’t it a bit unfair to cheat using spiritual power?" Bai Qianshuang asked as they walked away, holding a plastic bag with the goldfish inside. She curiously poked at the bag with her slender fingers before glancing at Ye Chuan.

With her abilities, Bai Qianshuang had naturally noticed what Ye Chuan had done.

"That owner wasn’t being honest. The paper nets had a small flaw that made them tear too easily," Ye Chuan explained.

Besides, the goldfish themselves weren’t worth much. Even if all of them were scooped up, the owner wouldn’t have lost much. But since it was peak visitor hours, an empty tank would mean wasted time—and wasted time meant wasted money.

That was why the owner had been so quick to pay up.

Hearing Ye Chuan’s reasoning, Bai Qianshuang gave a slight nod and didn’t press further.

……

Time flew by, and soon, night fell—

The campus remained lively, and now, bursts of fireworks shot into the sky, blooming brilliantly against the deep blue night.

"Our school’s turning seventy," Lan Xiaoke remarked, watching the fireworks. According to tradition, the school launched as many fireworks as its age—all large and dazzling.

"Yeah," Ye Chuan responded absentmindedly.

Bai Qianshuang also gazed up at the fireworks, their vibrant colors reflecting in her beautiful eyes as if she were lost in thought.

"What’s on your mind?"

The girl shook her head. "They’re beautiful."

In truth, the Jade Void Sect had once had similar spectacles—though those were the result of elders and disciples clashing techniques, their combined brilliance lighting up the night sky.

"You’re beautiful too," Ye Chuan said.

Bai Qianshuang nodded.

"…Huh?" She blinked, realizing a second later that he hadn’t been talking about the fireworks. A faint blush spread across her cheeks.

Ye Chuan reached out and took her hand. She froze for a few seconds but didn’t pull away, instead leaning slightly closer to him, her gaze drifting aimlessly.

"……"

Just as she was about to say something, Bai Qianshuang suddenly noticed Lan Xiaoke peeking at them from the side. She flinched and quickly withdrew her hand.

Lan Xiaoke, oblivious to what had just happened, only tilted her head in confusion. "What’s wrong, Qianshuang? Are you feeling hot?"

"No, it’s nothing," Bai Qianshuang averted her eyes and looked back at the fireworks.

"The fireworks are warm."

Lan Xiaoke blinked. "Warm?"

Could she really feel them from this far away?

Ye Chuan chuckled at the exchange before turning his attention back to the fireworks.

By around eight o’clock, the evening festivities were about to begin.

The open-air stage was massive, with seating for nearly ten thousand people. By the time Ye Chuan, Bai Qianshuang, and Lan Xiaoke found their seats, the place was already nearly full.

As Bai Qianshuang nibbled on snacks, the last of the seats quickly filled up.

"So many people are standing…" she observed.

"Right? That’s why I said we should come early," Ye Chuan grinned.

At exactly eight, the stage lit up, and amid the cheers of the audience, a girl in a sleek black evening gown stepped forward, accompanied by a young man in a white suit.

"It’s Luo Xi!" Lan Xiaoke exclaimed.

"Yeah," Ye Chuan acknowledged, watching Luo Xi on the large screen.

On the screen, Luo Xi looked less like a carefree girl and more like a poised, mature young woman. Her black gown hugged her figure elegantly, and her long hair cascaded loosely down her back—no longer tied up in her usual ponytail. The jewelry she wore sparkled under the stage lights.

Luo Xi stood gracefully in place, then lifted the microphone with a smile.

"Welcome, fellow students and friends, to Yinshan Academy’s 70th Anniversary Gala. I’m your old friend, Luo Xi."

"And I’m Peng Wei," the young man beside her added.

"Good evening—" they said in unison.

"LUO XI!!!!!"

"BEAUTY LUO!!!!"

"STUNNING!!!!"

The audience erupted in cheers—Luo Xi’s popularity in the school was undeniable.

"Wow, Luo Xi’s really that popular?" Lan Xiaoke marveled. Under the lights, Luo Xi seemed to glow.

"As the face of the broadcasting club, Luo Xi’s always been the go-to host for our school’s major events—galas, sports meets, you name it," Ye Chuan explained to Lan Xiaoke.

While her co-hosts might change, Luo Xi herself had remained a constant, practically the school’s official emcee.

After delivering a brief opening speech, Luo Xi continued,

"Now, let’s give a warm welcome to Yinshan Academy’s board chairman, Mr. Anshi, for his address."

Amid thunderous applause, a short, elderly man with graying hair stepped onto the stage.

"Good evening, students."

"WOOOOOOO!!!!"

"My, how time flies. Our school is already seventy," the old man mused. "But since there are so many performances tonight, I’ll keep it short. This week, have fun and enjoy yourselves!"

"YEEEEEEES!!!!!!"

The students roared in excitement.

"The chairman’s gotten so old," Lan Xiaoke murmured. She had seen him before, but back then, he hadn’t looked nearly as aged.

Seeing his gray hair on the screen now gave her a strange sense of time’s weight—how it changed even the most familiar faces.