The Anniversary Celebration Officially Begins (Combined Part Two and Three)

The hands of time moved swiftly, and soon it was 9:18 in the morning.

Only twelve minutes remained until the school anniversary ceremony officially began.

The performance hall was already nearly full, packed to the brim with students and visitors who had come to tour Guangya Academy.

The entire event's order was maintained by members of the student council and the public service department.

Even the opening remarks were to be delivered by the student council president.

Yes, the entire anniversary proceedings were managed by the students—a unique tradition at Guangya Academy.

Unlike other schools, events here rarely featured long, tedious speeches from administrators. Even if there was one, it would only be a brief summary from the principal.

One could say that nearly all affairs at this school were run by the students themselves.

The student council wielded significant authority. Not only did they participate in the school's daily management, but they also had a voice in discussions about the academy's future development and other key issues.

This was Guangya Academy's founding principle—student-centered education.

Here, students' ideas and abilities were fully respected and given room to flourish.

On the second floor of the performance hall, a specially designed indoor viewing platform had been constructed.

Through the expansive one-way floor-to-ceiling windows, the entire spectacle of the hall could be taken in at a glance.

At this moment, inside the viewing area...

Seated on a sofa, Principal Liu poured tea with a warm smile, chatting amiably with several distinguished guests.

"Mayor Chen, Director Zhou, do you remember...?"

"Ah, it's been so many years," Mayor Chen sighed softly, dressed in a crisp administrative jacket.

Nearly sixty years old, he still stood tall and robust, his bearing vigorous despite the streaks of gray at his temples.

Time had left its traces on his face, but it had also refined him with a mature and steady presence.

"Mayor Chen, even your hair has turned white—all for the sake of Caizhou's development. You've truly worked hard," Principal Liu remarked, placing the first cup of freshly brewed tea before Mayor Chen.

"Serving the people is my duty. Hard work is nothing to mention," Mayor Chen replied with a humble wave of his hand.

By the floor-to-ceiling windows, Luo Liang, Xu Shasha, and other Guangya alumni stood in small groups, chatting casually.

The atmosphere was relaxed and congenial.

Nearly everyone in this room was an old acquaintance—many had even been classmates during their university days—so formalities were unnecessary.

"My goddess CEO Luo, I’ve missed you so much!" Xu Shasha exclaimed, linking arms with Luo Liang like an affectionate young girl, her face beaming.

"Didn’t we just meet two weeks ago?" Luo Liang replied impassively, her gaze still fixed outside the window.

Yet she didn’t resist the intimate gesture.

"Well, I still missed you... Oh! After this is over, let’s grab a meal together. I want to meet your husband and see how your kids have grown."

Luo Liang said nothing, tacitly agreeing.

"Oh, oh! And guess what? My precious daughter has a crush on a boy—he’s ridiculously handsome!" Xu Shasha gushed excitedly.

"Seriously, I just saw him. So good-looking it’s unfair!"

"And Xiao Yue has started overcoming her fears to lose weight. Once she does, she’ll definitely win him over!" She grew more animated, as if already envisioning her daughter’s happy future.

"That’s good to hear," Luo Liang nodded succinctly, showing no interest in the gossip.

But inwardly, she was happy for Xu Shasha’s daughter.

Xu Shasha, well aware of her friend’s reserved nature, paid no mind and continued chattering away, sharing every little detail of her life.

"Luo Liang, we’ll get to hear Shuning sing soon, right?" A middle-aged woman nearby chimed in with a smile.

"I’m so looking forward to it! I’ve always loved her songs. It’s such a shame they were taken down—I never got to download them."

At this, nearly everyone in the room turned their attention to Luo Liang.

Most knew at least a little about the circumstances behind Luo Shuning’s withdrawal from the entertainment industry, and the mention inevitably stirred memories.

"Honestly, leaving the industry might’ve been for the best. That world is too murky—someone as pure as Shuning could’ve easily been targeted by unscrupulous people," another industry heavyweight commented.

"My kid told me Shuning is now the deputy head of the music department. After today’s anniversary, she’ll officially be promoted, haha!"

"So she’ll be just like Luo Liang back in the day? Wasn’t Luo Liang also the music department head?"

"You still remember that?"

"Of course! I was a junior when Luo Liang was a sophomore—I had a crush on her for a whole year!"

"Haha, too bad you never stood a chance!"

The group burst into laughter, the mood growing even more lighthearted.

"Alright, alright. We’ll get to see Shuning’s performance soon. As a fan, I’m definitely recording it!" The middle-aged woman eagerly pulled out her phone, adjusting the camera angle.

The conversation continued among Luo Liang’s former classmates, everyone reminiscing about the past.

Luo Liang stayed silent, still gazing out the window.

But a faint trace of tension and anticipation flickered in her eyes.

After all, it was her daughter’s performance—how could she not be concerned?

......

"Don’t be nervous! I know you’ll all do great!"

Backstage, in the preparation room, Feng Duo went from person to person, offering encouragement to the performers about to take the stage.

"President... I’m still so nervous..." a female student admitted, her voice trembling slightly.

As the opening act, the pressure was immense.

If anything went wrong, it wouldn’t just be their own reputation at stake—it would reflect on Guangya Academy as a whole.

The audience was filled with visitors who had come specifically for this event, all with high expectations.

What if someone hit a wrong note?

What if someone plucked the wrong string?

Or worse—what if the deputy head sang off-key?

The mere thought was enough to make one’s scalp tingle.

"You’ll be fine. I believe in you!"

Seeing her distress, Feng Duo quickly stepped forward, placing a reassuring hand on the girl’s shoulder.

Watching this, Ren Lei leaned closer to Luo Shuning and whispered, "Babe, are you nervous?"

"Not really," Luo Shuning replied with a calm, confident smile.

Truthfully, aside from a slight concern that Qu Meimei might try something, she felt no anxiety.

As a former national sweetheart, she was no stranger to high-pressure situations.

"Really? Well, I am a little nervous..." Ren Lei sighed. Just as Luo Shuning was about to comfort her, she added,

"But if you introduced me to Gu Luo, I’d instantly feel better."

"......"

Luo Shuning retracted her unspoken words of comfort and gave her best friend a tiny, exasperated eye-roll.

"Hehe, I just want to be your sister-in-law, what’s wrong with that?" Ren Lei playfully stuck out her tongue.

"You..."

Luo Shuning shook her head helplessly, though a smile still lingered on her face. She was long accustomed to her best friend’s teasing.

Of course, it could only ever be a joke.

Meanwhile.

Qu Meimei stood quietly in the corner, holding her violin, her expression calm as she watched Luo Shuning and Ren Lei whispering to each other.

A hint of coldness and disdain flickered in her eyes, as if everything around her was irrelevant.

This was the last moment of calm before the storm.

She sneered inwardly—soon, we’ll all go down together.

Every last one of us!

Time slipped away unnoticed, and before long, it was half past nine.

Sunlight streamed through the tall windows of the performance hall like golden threads, casting bright beams that illuminated the stage and the eager faces in the audience.

Students from the student council and public service department carefully carried the music club’s instruments onto the stage one by one. The metallic parts gleamed faintly under the light, contrasting with the warm texture of the wooden sections.

Luo Shuning then led the music club members onto the stage in a slow, measured procession.

The students and visitors were clearly in a generous mood.

The moment they stepped onto the stage, the gymnasium erupted into thunderous applause, the sound swelling like a tidal wave in the vast space.

Soon, the performance began.

The cellist gently settled her instrument between her legs, closed her eyes slightly, and took a deep breath.

Then, she slowly drew the bow across the strings, releasing a deep, mellow tone that flowed like a warm current, each note brimming with emotion.

This steady, resonant sound served as the foundation of the music, anchoring the entire performance.

Next, Ren Lei’s fingers danced nimbly across the black and white piano keys.

The crisp, melodious notes of the piano intertwined with the rich tones of the cello, effortlessly creating a soothing, serene atmosphere—as if transporting the listeners to a tranquil paradise, filling their hearts with peace.

The gentle musical tone was set, and everything proceeded flawlessly, just as rehearsed.

The audience gradually immersed themselves in the enchanting harmony. Some closed their eyes, savoring every note; others stared intently at the stage, not wanting to miss a single moment.

But then, disaster struck.

Qu Meimei, the violinist, raised her bow.

At the very moment when a lyrical melody should have drawn everyone deeper into the music, she played an abrupt, piercingly high note.

The jarring sound shattered the harmony like a sharp knife tearing through a calm lake.

The flutist and guitarist, who had been preparing to join in, froze in shock, their minds blank as if someone had suddenly hit pause.

They exchanged bewildered glances, confusion and panic flashing in their eyes.

Was this still the meticulously rehearsed piece?

Why had it suddenly changed?

Why hadn’t anyone told them?

Acting on instinct, they mechanically began to play.

The flutist struggled to stay composed, sticking to the original rhythm with soft, subdued notes, trying desperately to salvage some semblance of harmony.

The guitarist, however, was visibly flustered, her fingers scrambling to follow Qu Meimei’s erratic tempo.

She had once joined Qu Meimei in causing trouble before—perhaps that past experience made her instinctively mirror the wrong rhythm.

In an instant, the entire performance descended into chaos.

The instruments clashed and collided, no longer unified, transforming the once-beautiful music into a discordant mess—like an out-of-control farce.

The audience’s expressions shifted from enchantment to shock, the serene atmosphere replaced by utter disarray.

"Wait, what’s going on? I’ve seen the music club rehearse before—it was never like this."

"Is the violinist and guitarist sabotaging this? The rhythm’s completely off. They’re ruining the music club’s reputation!"

"What do you know? This is obviously an avant-garde twist. Listen carefully—doesn’t it have a uniquely chaotic beauty?"

"Uh… buddy, I can’t tell if you’re being serious or just trolling..."

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