Chapter 16 Watching Her Dance偏偏来她在的教… (Note: This line appears incomplete in the original)

Chapter 16: Watching Her Dance. Of course, he came to her classroom...

"Your document was deleted," Xie Xingzhi realized, a smirk playing on his lips as he looked at her. "Did you think I was the one who deleted it?"

"It wasn't you?" Yu Kui frowned. "Then who was it?"

Xie Xingzhi didn't reply, instead glancing at the boys behind him. Sun Zhaoyang looked utterly bewildered. "What document?"

He hadn't gone to the office to recite that day and had no idea what had transpired.

After scanning the group, Xie Xingzhi fixed his gaze on a boy who was avoiding eye contact and said unhurriedly, "Xu Ye, do I need to drag you out myself?"

The boy whose name was called stiffened, feigning ignorance. "Xie Xingzhi, what are you talking about?"

"Still trying to fool me?" Xie Xingzhi shrugged. "Someone's already pinned the blame on me. That's not cool of you."

"I..." Xu Ye's face fell, but he didn't deny Xie Xingzhi's accusation. He looked at Yu Kui and said, "Hey, my bad. I apologize, I'm sorry."

His eyes were restless, clearly not sincere in his apology.

Yu Kui had never expected it to be him. Disgust flashed in her eyes. "Forget it."

She disliked Xu Ye's actions and despised him even more as a person—he exuded a dark, degenerate aura.

"Well, you can't blame my bro Xie anymore," Xu Ye said, not caring what Yu Kui thought. He had deleted the document to teach her a lesson, to show her that being a good student didn't give her the right to look down on people like them. He never expected to be confronted about it one day.

So embarrassing.

"I misunderstood you," Yu Kui said, turning to the nonchalant guy and speaking earnestly. "I apologize to you."

"No big deal," Xie Xingzhi waved it off, a smile returning to his face. "What's your name? Let's get acquainted."

Yu Kui didn't want to get to know him, but she politely told him her name anyway.

"Yu Kui?" Xie Xingzhi said with a grin. "As in sunflower?"

"Yes."

"Pretty name," Xie Xingzhi said, then introduced himself before leaning against a desk. "What dance are you practicing? Can I check it out?"

"You people have no shame," Sun Shuya rolled her eyes. "Your friend deleted Yu Kui's document, and now you're trying to act all innocent? Just leave. We don't like interacting with your kind."

"What are you saying?" Sun Zhaoyang stepped forward. "It was just a misunderstanding. Didn't we already apologize?"

"So an apology fixes everything?" Sun Shuya sneered. "How about I kill you and then apologize? How would that feel?"

Sun Zhaoyang fell silent.

None of them had ever encountered a girl as assertive as Sun Shuya—they were no match for her.

Xu Ye's expression grew even uglier. Sun Shuya's words were like trampling his pride into the ground.

"Fair enough," Xie Xingzhi sighed deeply, as if just realizing how unwelcome they were. He gave Yu Kui a slightly melancholic look. "In the end, we did cause you trouble."

Yu Kui didn't respond directly, simply saying, "I found the document in the recycle bin later."

"Is that so?" Xie Xingzhi's lips curled into a smile. "Good thing you found it."

He gestured for Xu Ye to come over to Yu Kui. "If you're still upset, slap him a couple of times. Otherwise, I don't know how long I'll have to bear this blame. I've been framed for no reason."

Yu Kui, of course, had no intention of hitting anyone and quickly stepped back. "I'm not angry anymore. Please leave."

Her obvious resistance instantly killed the mood.

"Alright," Xie Xingzhi stood up, hinting meaningfully, "Then don't get me wrong again in the future. I'm not the kind of person who does shady things behind people's backs."

Yu Kui: "..."

The boys came quickly and left just as fast. The classroom returned to silence.

Sun Shuya scoffed. "Are those guys crazy?"

Yu Kui tugged at her sleeve. "It's getting late. Let's go home."

"Alright," Sun Shuya said. "What do you think about the dance?"

"Sure," Yu Kui wasn't shy. Once she realized dancing wasn't as hard as she thought, she agreed. "You can sign me up."

"Okay." Sun Shuya nodded. "Then after school tomorrow, I'll practice with you."

"Mm."

Over the next few days, Yu Kui practiced the dance until she was proficient, with Sun Shuya by her side. On New Year's Day, she made sure to bring the Hanfu her mother had bought for her, wearing it under her down jacket to school.

Classes ended in the morning, and the party started in the afternoon.

All the desks in the classroom were moved to the sides to make space for the performers.

After the homeroom teacher gave a usual speech, the class monitor distributed snacks and fruit to each desk.

As the host, Sun Shuya announced the start of the party with the program lineup.

While the class rep was singing, Yu Kui went out to change. She let her hair down and styled it simply, following a video tutorial, then returned to the classroom.

Qin You had heard from Tao Jiang that she was performing a skit and left the classroom early to watch her.

At the staircase, he ran into Yu Kui, her sleeves fluttering gracefully. Her steps were light, and the jingling of her ornaments made her seem like a girl who had stepped out of an ancient painting. Her back was lively, and the beautiful hairpins seemed to dance with her steps.

Only then did Qin You realize she was also performing.

If this had happened before, he would have been the first to know. But now, she walked ahead, and he didn't even have the right to call out to her.

Qin You followed behind her, watching as she, like a sprightly bird, pushed open the back door of the classroom and disappeared from his sight in the blink of an eye.

When Yu Kui returned, Tao Jiang was performing her skit. Her outfit was lively, and she wore delicate makeup.

Since it was a skit, the classroom soon erupted with laughter, amused by the frequent witty lines.

Tao Jiang's acting was excellent. Watching her effortless and perfectly executed performance, Yu Kui felt for a moment that she was even more outstanding than many celebrities in the entertainment industry.

It was as if she was born to perform.

Even the critical Sun Shuya couldn't find fault with her.

She was too perfect, so perfect that she seemed completely immersed in the scene.

Qin You stood at the back of the classroom, his gaze fixed intently on Tao Jiang. As he watched her charming smiles and lively expressions, his heartbeat quickened, and his eyes saw only her.

"Peacock Flies Southeast" is a tragedy through and through, but the skit was adapted as a comedy. The female protagonist, Liu Lanzhi, not only avoids death but also alters her original fate, using clever tactics to escape the persecution of feudal ethics and seeking true happiness.

In the end, the skit naturally concluded with everyone happy.

As everyone held hands and took their bows, deafening applause erupted from below the stage.

"That was amazing!" someone couldn't help but exclaim. "Tao Jiang's acting is even better than some female celebrities. I was watching her the whole time—she could totally make it in the entertainment industry!"

"Tao Jiang, you're really incredible!" The female classmates in the class looked at her with new respect. "How did you get so into character? You never broke character at all."

"By rehearsing with everyone, I just naturally got into it," Tao Jiang replied, smiling sheepishly, though a hint of indifference flickered in her eyes.

What's the big deal? It's just acting.

Her whole life is one big performance—what was so difficult about that?

She lifted her head and met Qin You's gaze. Seeing the infatuation in his eyes, she curved her lips into a smile and started walking toward him. Suddenly, Sun Shuya announced, "Now that the skit is over, let's settle our minds with a classical dance."

Then, she turned to the girl sitting by the wall. "Let's welcome Yu Kui, who will perform the dance 'Goddess of Flowers.'"

Yu Kui?

Everyone was surprised. Yu Kui could dance?

They knew she was an excellent student and had assumed she was a nerd. They never expected her to be a dancer…

As she took off her bulky down jacket, everyone noticed she was wearing elegant, flowing Han Chinese clothing.

"Yu Kui is so beautiful!"

Someone whispered, "She always wore her hair in a ponytail before—I never noticed her features."

"She looks like a fairy who stepped right out of a painting."

"…"

As the music began, Yu Kui recalled the dance from the video and instinctively started moving.

She seemed to transform into a butterfly fluttering among flowers, her steps light, her movements wing-like and lively, like a spirit dancing in the sunlight.

The girl's form was graceful, her skirt trailing beautifully. Her slightly youthful face now carried an enchanting contour…

Qin You watched her quietly, almost forgetting why he had come in the first place.

"Still watching?" Tao Jiang pinched his arm hard, a cold smile curling her lips. "Did you forget who you came here for?"

Qin You lowered his eyes. "How could I?"

He took a step back, intending to leave through the rear door, only to notice several boys standing behind him. One of them looked familiar.

It was Xie Xingzhi from Class 13.

Why was he here?

Tao Jiang's pupils contracted slightly. Were these people here to see Yu Kui?

"Brother Xie, I told you the liberal arts class had a performance, but you didn't believe me," Sun Zhaoyang said, slinging an arm over the boy's shoulder. "See? We immediately encountered a fairy."

He stared dreamily at Yu Kui. "Isn't this way better than our class's performance?"

"Enough," Xie Xingzhi brushed his hand away, his gaze fixed on Yu Kui. He pressed his tongue against the roof of his mouth and smiled. "What a pity it's not in a real garden, or else—"

"Coming through?" Tao Jiang stepped in front of him, looking up into his eyes. "Excuse me."

"Oh, it's you," Sun Zhaoyang and the others finally noticed her, eyeing her hairstyle in surprise. "You performed too? Too bad we missed it."

Tao Jiang's lips twitched. Xie Xingzhi had already shifted sideways to make way.

As Tao Jiang passed by him, she caught a faint, pleasant scent—not perfume, but something natural, perhaps from him or his laundry detergent. Her eyes flickered involuntarily.

Qin You exchanged a glance with Xie Xingzhi. The boy looked casual and relaxed, leaning lazily against the wall as if he hadn't a care in the world, paying no attention to Qin You's scrutiny. Yet, Qin You frowned.

It can't be just a coincidence.

Recalling their encounter in the stairwell that day, Qin You thought to himself, why did he come to the liberal arts class—and specifically to Yu Kui's class?

As the music faded, the butterfly folded its wings and settled on a flower branch, closing its eyes.

The classroom fell silent for a moment before erupting into enthusiastic applause.