Chapter 46 New Year’s Eve Party Beautiful as a Fairy…

Chapter 46 New Year's Eve Gala: As Beautiful as a Fairy...

"That was ages ago," Xu Ye's expression shifted slightly. "I didn’t actually delete her documents, and I even apologized to her in the end. Is it really necessary to hold such a grudge?"

"And you think you did nothing wrong?" Sun Zhaoyang forced a bitter smile. "Playing pranks on a girl behind her back—you're proud of that, are you?"

Xu Ye: "..."

"Alright, alright," Sun Zhaoyang turned to Xie Xingzhi. "You know what Xu Ye is like. He's all talk but actually the biggest coward of all. Just let it go."

Xie Xingzhi averted his gaze. "I know my own situation with her. There’s no need for you to worry."

Xu Ye snorted coldly. "At this rate, how many years will it take for you to make any progress?"

"Hey, shut up!" Sun Zhaoyang glared at him. "Can't even barbecue shut you up?"

"..."

Time passed day by day, and winter arrived right on schedule.

Yu Kui, wearing a down jacket, walked across the campus as snowflakes swirled overhead. Yet, she felt exceptionally calm.

She reached out and caught a snowflake, watching it melt in her palm, as if she'd completely forgotten the despair and heartbreak of that winter day.

Now, her grades were among the best, her hobbies were flourishing, she had roommates she got along with happily, and talented teachers. The future was full of possibilities.

The emotions that had once shackled her had completely vanished.

The department was preparing for the New Year’s Eve gala and needed to select two hosts.

Yu Kui hadn’t expected her name to receive so many votes.

"I heard Yu Kui joined the dance club at our school too. She’s a great dancer. I think she’s perfect for the job."

"I think so too. I hope Yu Kui hosts the gala."

"..."

After a brief discussion, Yu Kui accepted the task.

Over the weekend, her roommates accompanied her to rent a formal gown. "I think this silver mermaid gown suits you well. It highlights your figure."

"I think this pleated princess dress is really pretty. With the lights shining down, you’d look like an angel."

"How about this below-the-knee dress? It’s elegant and refined, very suitable for Yu Kui."

The three of them offered different opinions, one after another.

"I’ll try them all on," Yu Kui said. "You can help me choose."

"Sure."

Yu Kui tried on all the dresses they had picked out. In the end, all three agreed that the French-style A-line dress made her glow.

"If you add some nice makeup, you could become a star."

Yu Kui: "..."

After choosing the gown, they returned to school to prepare for the New Year’s Eve gala.

That night, Yu Kui did her makeup beautifully and walked onto the stage with her partner, hosting with poise and confidence.

Her voice was clear, and she stood tall and graceful under the dazzling lights, as beautiful as a manga character come to life.

"Wow!" The audience gasped. "Our department has such a beautiful girl? She’s too pretty!"

"This is my dream girl. Does anyone have her contact info?"

"Even as a girl, I’m struck by her beauty. Is there any girl more adorable than her in the world?"

"This is what you call the 'white moonlight' ideal type of girl, right?"

"..."

Some students recorded videos with their phones and posted them on social media and various video platforms. Many people noticed Yu Kui.

Upon learning that she excelled academically, was exceptionally good-looking, and skilled in several hobbies, everyone was full of admiration.

"Is this the most outstanding masterpiece of Nuwa?"

"In her, I see the beautiful side of a girl—not just because of her appearance, but because of her graceful and poised demeanor. I love it!"

"I heard she was the top scorer in the college entrance exam from her province. What flaw could she possibly have?"

"The image of a fairy in my mind finally has a concrete form."

"..."

After hosting the event, many people came to ask Yu Kui for her contact information, but she politely declined.

She didn’t know her video had gone viral, nor did she realize how stunning she had been that night. After changing clothes, she went back to her dorm.

In the evening, Xie Xingzhi called her. "Why didn’t you tell me you were hosting the gala tonight?"

"No big deal," Yu Kui said with a laugh. "Didn’t your school have a gala too?"

"Not as good as yours," Xie Xingzhi said. "Wish I could've been there."

"It was my first time hosting. I didn’t quite get the timing right," Yu Kui instinctively looked for her shortcomings during the event. "It wasn’t as good as you think."

"I saw the video."

"What video?"

Xie Xingzhi shared the video with her. Yu Kui clicked on it and was surprised at how she looked on camera—smiling, gentle, and self-assured.

"Am I really that good-looking?" Even with makeup, Yu Kui never thought she was as outstanding as she appeared in the video. After all, she had seen even more beautiful girls long ago, and in front of that person, she always felt she didn't measure up.

"Why wouldn’t you be good-looking?" Xie Xingzhi said. "You look amazing."

Yu Kui chuckled softly. "Really?"

"Really," Xie Xingzhi also laughed. "Who gave you the idea you're not good-looking enough? You’re clearly a fairy."

Yu Kui’s eyes curved into a smile. "Thanks for the compliment."

"Then, can I treat the fairy to a meal tomorrow? I’d like to see you."

"Sure," Yu Kui said, "Where are we going to eat?"

"Downtown, I heard there will be fireworks at night."

"Okay."

After she hung up, Yu Kui realized what she had just agreed to.

It was all because Xie Xingzhi’s voice was too charming—she'd been completely taken in.

Ever since Sun Shuya mentioned that Xie Xingzhi might have feelings for her, Yu Kui had been seeing less of him, trying to keep their conversations limited to WeChat chats. She hadn’t expected to be talked into it so easily today.

At this point, Yu Kui still hadn’t realized just how popular she was. After taking a shower, she headed to bed.

Shu Jia and the others came back from outside, excitedly pulling Yu Kui out of bed. "Yu Kui, let’s go to the singles mixer tomorrow! We can meet some handsome guys. So many people want to get to know you now."

Yu Kui rubbed her eyes. "No, I already have plans tomorrow."

"With who?" Shu Jia said, "Don’t tell me it’s that high school classmate of yours again?"

"Yeah." Yu Kui burrowed back under the covers.

"Why not hang out with us?" Xu Siyue said, "He’s not your boyfriend. Wouldn’t it be better to come with us and meet more hot guys?"

Yu Kui: "...It’s more like you guys want to meet more handsome guys, right?"

"Well..." Shu Jia touched the tip of her nose, "It depends on whether you want to go. If you don’t, there’s no point in us going—the guys there won't be worth it."

Yu Kui: "..." Was she really that popular now?

"Right now, the line of people asking for your WeChat could stretch all the way from our school to France. How have you not realized it yet?"

Yu Kui: "...Then I really shouldn’t go."

Although she didn’t mind making new friends, the thought of being around so many people made her uncomfortable. She’d rather go out with Xie Xingzhi.

"Really not going? You could bring your classmate along. Maybe he’ll meet someone he likes too?"

Yu Kui: "..."

She instinctively wanted to text Xie Xingzhi about it, but remembering how many times he’d said he didn’t need to meet other girls, she held back.

"Let’s just forget it," she said, making a face. "He'd never go for that."

"Then he must have ulterior motives," Zhang Jing concluded decisively. "If he’s not looking for a girlfriend but chats with you all the time, what else could it mean besides having a crush on you?"

Yu Kui: "..."

"He’s never shown any signs of liking me," Yu Kui said. "One of the biggest misconceptions in the world is ‘I think he likes me.’ Don’t you think that assumption is a bit cringey?"

"Not at all," Shu Jia said. "If he didn’t like you, why would he act so clingy?"

Yu Kui: "Because I helped him out before?"

"Just that?" Xu Siyue shook her head. "Don't assume guys are that simple—they’ve got plenty of tricky motives."

"Quick, text him about the mixer and see what he says."

Knowing they wouldn’t drop it unless she sent a message, Yu Kui told Xie Xingzhi about it.

"Weren’t you going out to eat with me? Why are you suddenly talking about a mixer?"

Yu Kui cringed, her toes curling. "I just felt like going."

"No," Xie Xingzhi replied. "You’re not going either. You don't even really want to find a boyfriend."

Yu Kui: "...What if I happen to meet someone I like?"

"If it were that easy, you’d have found someone long ago."

Yu Kui fell silent and looked at the three pairs of eyes fixed on her. "He’s not going, and I don’t want to go either."

"Fine, fine," Shu Jia said, deflated. "Xu Siyue and I will go. You two can go on your date instead."

"It’s not a date."

"But he won’t even let you go to the mixer."

Yu Kui stood frozen. She felt that her relationship with Xie Xingzhi wasn’t much different from how it had been in high school, but because of their words, she couldn’t help doubting their friendship.

Often, she felt like she was reading too much into things, and it made her feel trapped.

She had even thought about how she would reject Xie Xingzhi if he ever confessed, wanting to avoid coming off as too cold.

But when she calmed down, she wished she could vanish into the ground. Xie Xingzhi was destined to end up alone in the book—how could he possibly like her?

After settling on the time to meet Xie Xingzhi the next day, Yu Kui put her phone down and went to sleep.

Unbeknownst to her, the viral video of her had made it to the trending list on a popular app, and just about everyone who knew her had come across it.

"Is this Yu Kui? How come I never noticed how pretty she was before?"

In a dorm room at another university, someone exclaimed while holding up their phone, "Have you guys seen this video?"

"Qin You, weren’t you pretty close with Yu Kui before? Can you share her contact info with me?"

The guy looked toward the upper bunk. "She’s totally my type."

The guy on the upper bunk frowned impatiently and glanced at the phone. But when he saw the girl standing gracefully under the lights, his gaze suddenly fixed on her.

"Where did this video come from?"

"Saw it on the trending page," the other guy explained, startled by his intensity. "She was the host of Yanning University’s New Year’s Eve party. Isn’t she stunning?"

Qin You didn’t respond. He took the phone and carefully rewatched the video, his eyes fixed on the bright-eyed, radiant girl. He could hardly connect this person with the Yu Kui he used to know.

She had grown up, and she had become beautiful.

No longer the chattering girl who used to follow him around.