Chapter 29: The Gala

Lu You and Li Yu held their meal kits and stood in line on the road outside the canteen. As for why they weren't waiting inside, it was simply because the queue extended all the way out the front door.

Li Yu craned his neck to peek at the line ahead, which had barely moved, and said in shock, "Good grief, this line looks like people queuing to collect money. Nobody came to the canteen these past few days, and now suddenly it's this long."

Lu You glanced over as well and replied, "The instructor said this is our last dinner, and there are chicken wings. I guess everyone came for that."

"Damn it! Have these people never eaten chicken wings before? Everyone's lining up," Li Yu grumbled, full of resentment.

"Instead of complaining, you'd better adjust your mindset. You're going on stage to sing tonight."

"Don't even remind me!" Li Yu’s frustration spilled over. "There were so many songs we could have chosen for a duet, and you picked 'Plum Fragrance as Before'—it's so hard to sing."

Lu You ignored his grievances and said calmly, "Didn't I lower the key for you? And I’m not asking you to sing Zhou Shen's parts; it’s already quite simple."

"Is this song just about the key?"

"We've been practicing for days, and the results have been pretty good, right?" Lu You patted his shoulder, comforting him. "Your voice is deeper, and mine is more neutral; it suits this song perfectly. Let's call us a quarter of a medical team."

"Why a quarter?"

"I count as half of Zhou Shen, and you count as a low-end, broken-down version of Mao Buyi. One plus one minus equals a quarter. Hahaha!" Lu You couldn't help but laugh at his own joke.

Li Yu shot him a look of disdain. "Get lost! You’re hardly Zhou Shen. His voice and technique are far superior to yours. You’re really shameless."

Lu You didn't mind. Singing was just a hobby for him anyway; there was no way he could compare to the professionals. He smiled and said, "It’s normal that I can't compare. I’m not pursuing their path; I’ll just focus on studying."

Fortunately, the canteen staff opened a few more windows, and Lu You and Li Yu managed to get their food within twenty minutes.

Looking at the fried chicken wings in his bowl, Li Yu remarked, "The presentation looks okay, wonder how it tastes."

"Definitely better than the pork here," Lu You said, immediately taking a bite.

Thinking of the canteen's pork, Li Yu fell silent. "Even your dog, Xiaobao, eats better than this pork."

Lu You gave him a look as if he were an idiot. "How much does Xiaobao’s food cost? How much does this cost? There’s no comparison."

"Sigh," Li Yu shoveled a mouthful of rice and sighed. "I’d rather the food be expensive than eat this stuff."

Lu You shook his head. "It’s not that simple. For us, a meal might be a hundred yuan or so, but for some people, that’s their food budget for nearly a week."

"Would anyone who can afford to study at Chunhua be in that situation?" Li Yu asked, confused.

"This place isn't just for Chunhua’s military training. Other schools come here too. You can't expect them to make special arrangements just because Chunhua is here once, right?"

Li Yu realized the point and nodded. "That does make sense."

"Stop talking, just eat. We have to shower later, then practice the song one last time before getting ready for the stage."

The two then dove into their food.

...

Night fell as scheduled.

Instructor Liu led the squad to the canopy training ground. Lu You and Li Yu were still sitting at the front of their class rows. However, Tang Wan and Xu Nian had moved to the front of the girls' row, right behind Li Yu.

Their battalion was performing by unit. The schedule was to have the classes performing military song medleys go first, followed by other programs. Even though their platoon was early in the lineup, because many others had chosen military songs, their performance was pushed to the middle-to-late slot.

At this moment, before the program began, Li Yu was sitting bolt upright on his stool, saying nothing.

Xu Nian poked his back twice. Li Yu turned around, his expression solemn and serious. "Is there something you need?"

Xu Nian looked him up and down, curious. "What’s wrong? It hasn't even started yet, and you're already sitting so straight?"

Li Yu didn't answer, only saying, "I want to be quiet. Don't ask me who 'Quiet' is." With that, he turned back and resumed his rigid posture.

Tang Wan looked at Lu You. He remained as he always was: calm and steady, with no visible change. Taking advantage of the fact that no one was looking, she quickly reached out and lightly tugged at the corner of his shirt, then immediately pulled her hand back, acting as if nothing had happened.

The moment his shirt was tugged, Lu You’s heart skipped a beat. An image of Tang Wan tugging his shirt flashed through his mind.

"What’s wrong? Something up?" Lu You turned to the side and asked.

Tang Wan stretched her neck and whispered, "What’s wrong with him? He looks so stiff."

"Nervous, I guess. It’s his first time singing on stage in front of so many people. He’s just adjusting his emotions."

"What about you? Aren't you nervous?"

"Me?" The corners of Lu You’s mouth turned up, his eyes filled with confidence. "Not nervous. It’s just a song. We’ve practiced it many times; I know exactly what level we’re at."

Hearing this, Tang Wan’s brows lowered, her eyes narrowed slightly, and her mouth curved downward into an unhappy expression.

"I remember someone saying they wanted me to help them listen to how they sang. I don't think I’ve heard it yet, have I?"

Lu You went as stiff as Li Yu, desperately searching his mind for an excuse. "Well, this..."

"Forget it, just sing well when you get on stage." Seeing him struggle, Tang Wan didn't press the issue, and Lu You let out a breath of relief.

"Come to think of it, do you have a lot of experience on stage? I get so flustered in front of this many people. In middle school, every time there was a grade meeting, I had to go up and speak, and the whole time I only dared to stare at the script I’d written beforehand."

Lu You recalled his past life, presenting his thesis at conferences and debating passionately with others, and said to her, "I suppose so. Actually, these singing performances are fine; nobody is grading you, so naturally, no one is going to give you a hard time."

"What if people make comments after you get off stage?"

"Then you talk back: 'If you think you can do better, go up there yourself.' I’m not getting paid to perform; the fact that I’m even performing for them is a favor, let alone them complaining."

"But some people just say mean things, and they say them very cruelly." The memory of being maliciously slandered in middle school still bothered Tang Wan.

"People have mouths, and we can’t change how others think. If someone else’s rumors cause you physical or mental harm, I suggest seeking justice—take them to court."

"What do you mean by 'seeking justice'?" Tang Wan didn't quite understand.

Lu You patiently explained, "At school, seeking justice means telling the teacher directly. If the teacher ignores it, you report it to higher authorities. Outside of school, it means using the law to sanction them. Suffering in silence is useless; it only makes those people more arrogant and unbridled."

Tang Wan nodded and said earnestly, "I’ll remember that. I will."

"Oh, and one more thing," Lu You added. "If you get paid to go on stage and your performance is terrible, then that’s a case of 'I can't do it, so I won't go,' and 'You can't do it either, so don't go.'"

Tang Wan tilted her head. "For example?"

"Just look at any TV drama with those 'little fresh meat' idols, and you’ll know."

Shortly after their conversation, the military training gala officially began. It started with a classic opening speech, followed by: "Now, let’s invite Platoon 5 to bring us their group chorus of 'Country'. Let’s welcome them with applause."

Applause erupted from the audience as the students of Platoon 5 moved in an orderly fashion up the tiered steps prepared on the stage.

Once the formation was set, the prelude to the song began.

"One jade mouth makes China, one tile roofs a home..."

While singing, they also performed sign language. Soon, the song ended, and the students of Platoon 5 walked off the stage.

Lu You’s assessment was that it was okay. After all, when high school students sing in groups, it’s mostly just for show; it’s unrealistic to expect it to be truly melodious. However, he thought the sign language was quite well done.

An hour passed.

Lu You watched several classes perform their choruses. Most of them incorporated some kind of gimmick; it wasn't just dry singing. They held up signs, made gestures, and so on. Whenever he saw something awkward, he would turn back and chat with Tang Wan about it.

At this moment, a girl in a blue military uniform walked up to Lu You and whispered, "Classmate Lu You, it’s almost your turn to go on stage. Come with me to get ready."

"Alright, just a moment." Lu You nodded in response, then patted Li Yu on the shoulder, signaling him to go. Finally, he said to Tang Wan, "I’m heading out."

Tang Wan waved, showing a warm smile. "Good luck on stage."

...

The two arrived beside the elevated stage to wait for their turn, with other students waiting behind them.

A boy of about Li Yu’s height, looking decent enough, came up to Lu You. He looked him over for a few seconds, then spoke with a smile of mysterious confidence: "May I ask if you are Lu You?"

"I am. Is there something you need?" Lu You replied calmly.

"Hello, my name is Shao Ling. I don't know if you’ve heard of me."

*What’s up? Do you know my deskmate, Meng Yi? Are you two a pair?*

Lu You was shocked, but his face remained expressionless. He replied, "It seems... I’ve heard of you."

"I heard you’re going up to sing, and so am I. I hope you don't sing too poorly; otherwise, I’ll feel like there’s no sense of achievement in defeating you."

Lu You’s toes were curled so hard they could have scraped through his own villa. "Is that so... I’ll do my best... to give you some sense of achievement."

"Very well." Having said that, Shao Ling nodded with satisfaction, then turned and left.

"What was that about?" Li Yu asked, looking confused.

"Who knows? I don't know where this strange competitive spirit came from; I don't even know who he is."

"Didn't you say you'd heard of him?"

"I said 'seems,' which means I haven't."

The host’s voice came from the stage, "Now, please welcome the students from the Performance Battalion to bring us the chorus of 'Plum Fragrance as Before' and the solo 'As You Wish'. Let’s welcome them with applause."

Applause rang out. Lu You took the microphone with its new cover and stepped onto the stage first, his expression composed. Li Yu took a deep breath, mentally cheering himself on, and followed behind him.

Standing on stage, Lu You could feel the girls' gazes burning. Li Yu noticed that most of the attention was on Lu You, which made him feel much more relaxed.

The deep, lingering prelude began.

Li Yu picked up the microphone, clearing his mind of distractions.

Li Yu: "Falling flowers intoxicated the plum garden, as if life were still at its beginning. Dark hair stained with frost and smoke, holding hands to face the myriad of the mortal world."

Lu You: "Heartfelt wishes faded like flushed cheeks, the lovesickness before me is already in disarray. Tears hide the vows, a promise for a lifetime, when has it ever changed?"

Lu You really liked the lyrics of "Plum Fragrance as Before." At first, it didn't leave much of an impression, but the more he listened, the more hooked he became. Paired with edits from *Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace*, he never tired of it.

The song reached its climax.

Li Yu: "In the long, long night, I can't distinguish where the return date lies; I hate that I don't know what lies deep in your heart."

Lu You: "Moonlight like water washes away the vanity of the past, I only wish to leave behind a trace of dependence~"

Hearing Lu You’s vibrato and the various transitions between his chest and head voice, Tang Wan felt goosebumps rise on her skin. She had watched *Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace*, so she had naturally heard this ending theme. The sorrow in the song reminded her of the proud Ruyi and the scumbag Hongli in the drama.

Lu You: "Time parts us year after year, I have never forgotten your old face. A wisp of plum fragrance, light and subtle, as if meeting a dear friend in a dream~"

Once the song finished, applause erupted from the audience. Although most of the boys hadn't heard the song before, that didn't stop them from thinking that Lu You and Li Yu had sung it well.

Li Yu bowed to the audience and left the stage. Lu You picked up the microphone and said, "Next up is 'As You Wish'. Please wait a moment."