Chapter 463 - 216: Shen Yuan’s Lowly Family Status (4)

Chapter 463: Chapter 216: Shen Yuan’s Lowly Family Status (4)

The moment Li Zhi cried out "Brother," goosebumps erupted all over He Zhiyu and Zhuo Peipei.

They’d never realized Li Zhi could produce such a cloyingly sweet sound before.

She was a real pro.

"If Zhizhi used this move regularly, Shen Yuan would have thrown down his arms and surrendered ages ago!"

He Zhiyu looked at Zhuo Peipei. "I feel like my creative juices are flowing right now."

When they returned to the classroom, snacks in hand, there was still some time before they had to gather for the gala.

The winter sky was now completely dark. The lights in the classroom were on, their warm white glow dispelling the chill of the hallway.

Shen Yuan and Li Zhi had just sat down when they saw Ah Jie and two others rush in, panting and carrying two large bags of milk tea.

"Comrades! The ammo supply has arrived! Top-quality food for the soul!"

Ah Jie heroically slammed the milk tea down on a desk, and his sharp eyes immediately spotted the ice cream on Li Zhi’s desk.

The girl was holding a small wooden spoon, carefully scooping up a bite of the creamy white ice cream and bringing it to her lips. As the cool sweetness melted on her tongue, her eyes narrowed slightly in satisfaction.

The air fell strangely quiet for a few seconds.

Ah Jie took a step closer, his gaze flicking between Shen Yuan and Li Zhi’s ice cream. Then, he nudged Shen Yuan’s stiff arm with his elbow.

"Nice. You’ve really nailed your position in the pecking order."

Shen Yuan rolled his eyes at Ah Jie. "Shut up. Is that any way to talk to your father?"

"Sorry, sorry, I was wrong."

Ah Jie was quick to back down.

Li Zhi looked as if she hadn’t heard the conversation beside her at all, eating her ice cream with concentration.

But a small smile played on the girl’s lips.

’As I thought, eating ice cream always lifts your mood. And when you’re in a good mood, the ice cream tastes even more delicious!’

...

The appeal of the New Year’s Gala was immense. It wasn’t even 6:30, yet everyone in the class had already arrived.

As the sweet scent of ice cream and the warmth of milk tea filled the classroom, a relaxed and boisterous atmosphere began to build.

Ah Jie was animatedly looking forward to the upcoming gala, while Shen Yuan cast a helpless glance at Li Zhi, who was contentedly eating her ice cream beside him.

’I have to admit, ice cream really does melt slower in the winter.’

Amidst the slightly noisy chatter and the rustling sounds of eating—

"BANG! BANG! BANG!"

A series of short, forceful knocks on the door suddenly rang out, instantly drowning out all other sounds in the classroom.

Old Zhou appeared at the classroom door. He and the students stared at each other.

"What are you looking at me for! Let’s go!"

Old Zhou’s words were like a drop of water in a pan of hot oil, instantly setting off the entire classroom.

"WOOOOAH—!!!"

"Woohoo! Let’s go!!"

"We’ve been waiting for this—!!"

"The New Year’s Gala!!"

After a moment of dead silence, the erupting cheers nearly blew the roof off.

Everyone in the class shot up from their seats at once, their faces beaming with pure joy.

This wave of sound was like a lit fuse.

Almost at the same instant Class 15 erupted, the entire hallway and the stairwells above and below were drowned in a massive wave of sound.

"YAY—!!!"

"Let’s go, let’s go!!!"

"Hurry up, guys!"

"Class XX, assemble!! Quick!"

Cheers rose and fell like a bursting dam, surging out from the doors and windows of classrooms all around.

They crashed violently against the school building’s walls before merging into a deafening torrent, creating a thunderous echo in the corridors and central atrium.

Excited students poured out from every classroom doorway, similar looks of joy on their faces.

The brightly lit school building instantly transformed into a restless beast, the cheers its excited roars.

Even the cold winter night seemed to warm up a few degrees from this explosive youthful passion.

Without a word, Shen Yuan deftly lifted his own chair with one hand, his other hand reaching out for Li Zhi’s chair as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"Let’s go."

Carrying his own chair in one hand and steadily lifting Li Zhi’s in the other, Shen Yuan gestured for her to follow.

Li Zhi gave a soft "mhm," quickly grabbed Shen Yuan’s milk tea, and followed behind him.

The two of them flowed out of the classroom with the boisterous crowd.

Behind them, the classroom was empty, leaving only the faint, lingering scent of post-exam exhaustion.

Meanwhile, in the hallway ahead, the din of the crowd, the scraping of chair legs, and the faint drumbeat of the soundcheck from the gym’s warm-up were all growing closer and clearer.

In that moment, the winter night’s chill was completely dispelled by the surging crowd and their soon-to-be-ignited passion.

The entire school, students and teachers alike, were orderly merging into this torrent.

Each class maintained a rough formation, moving along the planned route, guided by the slightly hoarse shouts of their homeroom teachers trying to keep order.

The cool lights illuminated the white puffs of breath rising along the school path, while over a thousand chairs scraping against the concrete created a steady and immense background noise.

Teachers stood at key points along the way, ensuring the path remained clear.

Most students carried snacks and drinks, their faces brimming with anticipation for the New Year’s Gala as they chattered about the upcoming performances.

Beneath the dome of the gymnasium, the lights were as bright as day, illuminating the already buzzing air.

From the stage, the thumping bass of the soundcheck boomed, like an invisible fuse lighting the passion of the arriving audience.

The lines filed in, in an orderly fashion.

The normal arrangement was supposed to be girls in the front rows and boys in the back.

But when it came time to actually sit down, that all went out the window.

How could the young couples possibly sit apart at a time like this?

Shen Yuan led Li Zhi to a spot that wasn’t too far back. Zhuo Peipei and He Zhiyu were in front of them, with Ah Jie and his friends behind.