Chapter 168: Under the Stage
The Golden Autumn Art Festival was in full swing with grand performances. There were dazzling dance performances, humorous plays, spectacular magic shows, and touching songs.
Everyone got to see their familiar classmates in a new light, showcasing talents they didn’t know they had. This was the first time for many freshmen at Jiangcheng No. 1 High School to appreciate the beauty of their school.
Many students never imagined that this top-ranked key high school in the province would be home to such multi-talented individuals. Mei Fang was one of the “acknowledged geniuses” who stood out, chatting warmly with Lin You Xi and Xia Yuan after the show. They attracted numerous glances from other students as they left the stage.
Beautiful and talented girls were naturally popular, but boys were usually more reserved. Especially the high-spirited boys at Jiangcheng No. 1 High School would not stare at Xia Yuan or Lin You Xi without looking away, to avoid being looked down upon by others.
But the treatment of boys was different. Handsome boys often caught the attention of girls, and those who were both handsome and talented were even rarer.
Girls around fifteen or sixteen were bold and unafraid to express their feelings. They stared directly at Mei Fang, making Xia Yuan and Lin You Xi feel a great deal of pressure.
“Come on, let’s go! We need to find a place for a group photo!”
Xia Yuan never missed such an unforgettable opportunity. The three of them found Bing Bing and wandered around the grand hall, finally deciding to take a photo in the main hall.
“Is this okay? I’m going to take your picture.”
“Arfang, hold up the guitar!”
“Don’t you want to hold the guitar?”
Xia Yuan shook her head with a smile, “It’s too crowded if two people hold the guitar; it’s better to just have one.”
Xia Yuan squeezed next to Mei Fang on one side. This time, Lin You Xi did not stand beside Mei Fang but instead wrapped her arm around Xia Yuan’s and leaned against her.
No… Should she stand next to Arfang?
Just as Xia Yuan was puzzled by Lin You Xi’s intention, Bing Bing suddenly burst out laughing.
“Haha… You guys look like a family of three, You Xi and Arfang are the parents, and Yuan Yuan is the daughter.”
“Are you mocking me for my height?”
Xia Yuan pouted because she was indeed the shortest among the three.
I used to be taller than Arfang…
Lin You Xi wrapped her arm around Xia Yuan, and Xia Yuan naturally held onto Mei Fang’s arm. Mei Fang placed both hands on the guitar, ready to play.
“Looks like everyone is ready… Before I take the picture, I have one question. Are the peaches from Shennongjia sweet?”
“Yes!”
Xia Yuan and Mei Fang spoke in unison, while Lin You Xi kept a graceful smile. Bing Bing pressed the shutter, capturing this moment worth remembering forever.
“Let’s see how the photo turned out.”
Xia Yuan hurriedly leaned over to look.
“Woah, amazing! Let’s print this photo and put it at home, what do you think?”
“Sounds good.”
Lin You Xi nodded, “But I think one copy is enough. Having three copies in one house feels weird.”
“Hehe… That makes sense.”
Bing Bing didn’t pay much attention to their conversation and simply handed the camera back to Mei Fang. “That means my work with Chaoxiong today is done. To get good footage of your performance, he scolded me quite a bit.”
“Haha… Thank you, Bing Bing. When we’re done, we’ll treat you to dinner!”
“You better make sure I eat my fill! It’s been a long time since I’ve eaten well.”
“Sure thing, we’ll let you eat until you’re satisfied!”
Xia Yuan knew that Mei Fang had money but wouldn’t spend it frivolously. She planned to invite Bing Bing to a buffet next time, to broaden her horizons.
The girls held hands and went to the restroom together. Mei Fang had no urge to urinate and prepared to return to class with the camera.
He walked to the entrance of the grand hall and saw Liu Xiaoyu leaning against the door with her arms crossed, holding her chest as if taking deep breaths.
When she opened her eyes, she met Mei Fang’s gaze. Mei Fang waved and smiled at her, but Liu Xiaoyu suddenly made a strange gesture—
She didn’t wave back as usual, but instead turned around to show off her backless cheongsam to Mei Fang.
“Wait… Wait for me…”
Liu Xiaoyu suppressed her chest and then greeted Mei Fang with some difficulty.
“Congrats… Your performance was amazing.”
“Haha… It wasn’t much, all thanks to Yuan Yuan and You Xi supporting me.”
This scene replayed in Mei Fang’s mind, creating a strange sense of guilt.
In his previous life, he had wanted to congratulate Liu Xiaoyu after she finished her performance, but she was surrounded by other classmates.
Back then, she didn’t pay much attention to Mei Fang, and he only gave her a simple congratulation the next day.
Now, their roles seemed to be reversed.
Now, Mei Fang was the one shining on stage, while Liu Xiaoyu could only greet guests outside and watch others perform.
It felt as if he had taken away her youth and luck.
“You… Your cheongsam today is very beautiful.”
“Thank… Thank you.”
Mei Fang scratched his head, wondering if he shouldn’t have said that. Suddenly, he realized he was still holding the camera.
“Do you want me to take a few photos for you as a keepsake?”
“Mm… Okay… Sure.”
Liu Xiaoyu didn’t refuse but placed her hands on her abdomen, assuming a proper posture. However, she felt embarrassed being stared at by Mei Fang.
“Does this look weird?”
“No, I think it looks good.”
Mei Fang took a few photos of Liu Xiaoyu and stopped.
“Did you finish? I want to see them.”
Mei Fang stepped back several steps and waved at Liu Xiaoyu with a smile. “I don’t think they turned out well. Let a professional take them later.”
“Professional?”
At this moment, Bing Bing came running over, smiling and hugging Xia Yuan and Lin You Xi’s shoulders. They were like children in front of Bing Bing.
“Oh, it’s Mei Fang, what are you doing here…”
“Ah, it’s Xiaoyu!”
Xia Yuan ran up excitedly to greet Liu Xiaoyu. “Today was so busy, I didn’t have a chance to talk to you. Your cheongsam is so beautiful.”
“Hehe… Your performance today was also excellent,” Liu Xiaoyu said, looking at Lin You Xi. “Especially You Xi,班长. You always seem so serious, but you have such a soft side.”
“That was just for singing, Yuan Yuan taught me the method.”
Huh?
When did I teach You Xi this?
Xia Yuan didn’t dwell on it and nodded in agreement. “Yeah, You Xi is really good, she learned it quickly.”
They were already used to mutual flattery. Afterward, Xia Yuan hugged Liu Xiaoyu again.
“You were a big help with the accompaniment and arrangement. Without you, I couldn’t have done it alone. Let’s have dinner sometime! Actually, this weekend!”
“Don’t mention it… I just did what I should do…”
Liu Xiaoyu held Xia Yuan’s hand. “Can we take a photo together?”
“Sure! Let’s take one together. You Xi, come join us.”
The three of them asked Bing Bing to take a group photo.
“You’re so nice! I want to take a photo too. Your name is Liu Xiaoyu, right? You’re so cute.”
“You… You’re cute too.”
This was Liu Xiaoyu’s first encounter with Bing Bing, who didn’t expect such cuteness.
“Mei Fang, Mei Fang, can you take a few photos for us?”
“I must warn you, my photography skills are terrible. Don’t blame me if they turn out bad.”
“Quick, quick! I’ve been standing with Xiaoyu for a while, my hand is numb.”
Xia Yuan urged Mei Fang to take the photos quickly. Mei Fang squatted down and took several angles of the four of them.
“Pick a few from these, there must be some good ones…”
Mei Fang showed the photos to the girls, who flipped through them.
“These are pretty good…”
Xia Yuan was selecting photos when she stumbled upon the two photos Mei Fang took of Liu Xiaoyu.
“Wow! These are amazing! Were they taken by Arfang?”
Xia Yuan pouted angrily at Mei Fang. “You never take my photos so seriously.”
“That’s not true…”
“Yeah, it is,” Lin You Xi added seriously.
“It’s because Liu Xiaoyu is naturally beautiful, it has nothing to do with me.”
Mei Fang’s attempt to compliment Liu Xiaoyu made her blush instantly. Of course, this move by the water carrier Mei Fang only intensified the jealousy of Lin You Xi and Xia Yuan.
“So you’re saying Xia Yuan and You Xi aren’t good-looking?”
“I didn’t say that, don’t misinterpret me!”
“Oh, why argue about this? I think everyone looks good.”
Bing Bing stepped forward and wrapped her arm around Mei Fang’s shoulder. “Mei Fang will definitely become a star. I should take a commemorative photo with him now, so I can brag about it later!”
Bing Bing’s action felt like an older sister holding her younger brother. Under Bing Bing’s sturdy arm, Mei Fang dared not move, fearing he might be snapped.
“Yuan Yuan, can you help me and Mei Fang take a photo?”
“Um… Yeah…”
Xia Yuan hesitated for a while before extending her finger. “Only one photo.”
“Take a few, I want to pick the best ones.”
“I can take a good one with just one!”
Xia Yuan took a serious photo of Bing Bing and Mei Fang.
Oh, this strange feeling…
Xia Yuan showed the photo to Bing Bing and snatched Mei Fang back from Bing Bing’s embrace.
“This one… It’s okay, but it’s not as good as the one of me and Mei Fang. It’s a bit blurry, can we take another one?”
Xia Yuan tightly held Mei Fang, preventing Bing Bing from taking another photo. “I said one photo, we don’t lend Mei Fang to other girls for photos.”
“But you lent Mei Fang to Peng Xue before, because she wanted to experience taking a photo with her boyfriend.”
Lin You Xi’s comment made Xia Yuan blush. “That was… different! Fine, fine… Let’s take another one, but only one.”
“Xiaoyu, do you want to join? Maybe it’ll look better together. This is my first time seeing a real cheongsam, let’s take a photo together.”
Liu Xiaoyu hesitated, unsure if Xia Yuan would be upset. She glanced at Xia Yuan.
“It’s okay, Xiaoyu… If you want to take a photo, go ahead. I’m fine with it, but this is really the last one.”
Xia Yuan felt helpless, and Liu Xiaoyu shook her head. “I’m fine, no need to take one.”
“You should take one, it’s fine! Mei Fang took such good photos of you, he probably wants to take a photo with you…”
Xia Yuan reluctantly pushed Liu Xiaoyu towards Bing Bing and Mei Fang. Mei Fang looked at Lin You Xi helplessly, clearly blaming her for causing trouble.
Lin You Xi wore a curious expression, observing Mei Fang’s reaction.
This time, Bing Bing bent down, placing one hand on Mei Fang and the other on Liu Xiaoyu. They stood slightly apart, making Mei Fang feel less uncomfortable.
“Get into position, Arfang, don’t look so gloomy.”
Xia Yuan, wanting to take a good photo, called out to the three of them to pose.
Then, Bing Bing placed her hands on their shoulders and made a peace sign. Mei Fang and Liu Xiaoyu followed suit.
“Done! This one is pretty good, what do you think?”
Liu Xiaoyu and Bing Bing leaned in to look at the photo.
“Yeah, it’s good.”
“It looks symmetrical… I feel a kind of inexplicable symmetry! Alright, this works!”
They took a few more photos in pairs, with Mei Fang avoiding solo photos with Liu Xiaoyu and Bing Bing.
Taking photos with Bing Bing didn’t matter, but he tried to avoid being alone with Liu Xiaoyu.
Mei Fang wasn’t so narcissistic as to think that a song could make Liu Xiaoyu fall in love with him. After all, his past life proved that Liu Xiaoyu didn’t have any feelings beyond friendship for him.
So, this was also a way to declare his sovereignty to Xia Yuan and Lin You Xi.
The Golden Autumn Art Festival finally concluded. After a day of hard work, Xia Yuan almost leaned on Mei Fang’s arm as they headed home.
“I’m almost… exhausted…”
“We’re not even home yet, calm down. If someone reports us to the homeroom teacher, it’s a sure thing.”
“Stop exaggerating. Oh, right!”
Xia Yuan hurriedly stopped Mei Fang and Lin You Xi, then suggested, “We can’t hug or only hug briefly if we go back like this. Let’s replenish our energy at the pavilion downstairs.”
“Together or separately?” Lin You Xi asked.
“How can we do it together!” Xia Yuan argued, blushing. “Separately.”
“Then you go first, Yuan Yuan. I can see you’re exhausted,” Lin You Xi smiled. “I’ll keep watch.”
“We’ll hug for five minutes!”
Xia Yuan led Mei Fang to the pavilion and sat down.
“How was your first time on stage?”
“Quite wonderful,” Mei Fang nodded. “My life is without regret.”
“How can you start regretting your youth now? That’s too early. There are still many things to do, like the New Year’s Eve party after the Golden Autumn Art Festival. Then we can prepare a few new songs and release a ten-song album, filming our own music videos and posting them on C-Station.”
“That’s thinking too far ahead… It’s still uncertain…”
As Mei Fang was complaining, Xia Yuan got up and jumped onto Mei Fang, gently rubbing his cheek.
“It’s really nice…”
“I’ve always wondered if you refused to perform on stage because I once mocked you. If that’s the case, I’d regret it for the rest of my life.”
“That’s not true… But I still want to thank you and You Xi.”
“I’m really moved that you stayed with me instead of going offstage. It was really touching.”
“Haha… Quite impressive, but I can’t take credit. It was You Xi’s idea. She’s more thoughtful than I am.”
Xia Yuan mumbled and then touched Mei Fang’s nose and forehead.
“In your eyes, I must always be a child who never grows up, right?”
“How could that be? Do you want me to show you my weapons again?”
“Arfang, you’re such a pervert!”
“I can’t compare to you.”
“Still saying that!”
Xia Yuan playfully pinched Mei Fang’s cheek. After she had spoken unclearly to Mei Fang about something inappropriate the previous night, she rolled around on the bed dozens of times that night. Since then, she began to avoid such topics to avoid seeming like an odd woman.
“Alright, alright, no more joking.”
Xia Yuan lay contentedly on Mei Fang’s shoulder. “I need to replenish my energy—”
Just as Xia Yuan finished speaking, Lin You Xi tapped her shoulder.
“Time’s up?”
Lin You Xi nodded. “But you can exceed the time limit, and I’ll follow suit.”
“Then… let’s not.”
Xia Yuan quickly made room for Lin You Xi. Mei Fang and Xia Yuan thought Lin You Xi wanted Mei Fang to stand up and hug her from behind, but this time, Lin You Xi sat down directly, sitting in Mei Fang’s lap.
Mei Fang was like her throne now. She leaned against Mei Fang, lying leisurely in his lap.
Then, she held Mei Fang’s arm and covered herself, expressing a sigh.
“It’s quite warm…”
Xia Yuan watched, blushing fiercely.
It was me… I warmed it up.
Xia Yuan was finally seen by the open-eyed Lin You Xi and teased.
“Why don’t you keep watch, Yuan Yuan?”
“Knew… Knew it!”
Xia Yuan went to keep watch, feeling wronged.
There was no time to separate the chapters. I said I was taking a day off but ended up updating. I guess I’m quite the tease.
Also, sharing a work of mine, “My Dream Space” by the old villain Wade. This is my first book with 500 first-day subscriptions. The male lead and Mei Fang all live in Baili County and attend Baili No. 1 High School. It’s set in an alternate world within the same universe. Interested readers can check out the high school chapters. Later chapters became a bit exaggerated, rather immature and awkward, focusing on themes involving three female characters.
(End of Chapter)
