Shen Yujing stood on the stage and began his performance.
For the classmates—
His awful singing had already diminished everyone's expectations, and they also felt that there was one less competitor.
For Yang Yuan, not interrupting him and allowing him to finish his performance was already the greatest respect she could show.
The slightly overweight male teacher also knew how highly regarded Yang Yuan was in the performing arts department, and the outcome was already set, so there wasn't much to watch.
Only the bespectacled male teacher continued to watch Shen Yujing's performance, though he didn't hold out much hope.
What a boy who could be described as beautiful! If he were to play a heartbroken role and cry beautifully enough, he might still have a chance to stay. Unfortunately, he chose to play a gorilla.
You see, animal roles are the foundation of performing arts training.
They seem simple, but they are actually the most difficult.
Without dialogue, it's often hard to showcase much, relying mainly on the actor's movements and plot design to add points. Only veteran actors can truly excel in such roles.
These young kids, probably at the age where they are most vain and concerned about their image, wouldn't be willing to play such roles.
And even if he wanted to perform well, he probably didn't have the skills, not even knowing how a gorilla walks...
Hmm??
The male teacher pushed his glasses up and widened his eyes to look at Shen Yujing. This kid has something!
The teacher knocked on Yang Yuan's desk, "Director Yang, take a look!"
Yang Yuan, who was already impatient, lifted her head, but her gaze froze the moment it landed on the boy performing on stage.
Outside the exam hall.
Shen Yujing walked out of the building and glanced back at the exam hall before dusting off his clothes, his expression complicated.
During his performance, for some reason, all he could think about was Jerry.
As a result, all his actions were based on his memories of watching Jerry with his mother.
Shen Yujing still remembered the moment his performance ended. The nine students sitting beside him looked at him in stunned silence, and the three teachers below the stage had equally complex expressions.
Embarrassing.
Young Master Shen had never been so embarrassed in his life.
He didn't even need to think to know how pathetic his performance had been, not even resembling a human!
He also remembered the types of roles his previous acting teacher had said he performed best in, roles that had absolutely nothing to do with a gorilla.
It's over. He's done for.
Shen Yujing felt his steps becoming unsteady, his mind blank, and his heart directionless as he walked forward until—
"Excuse me, classmate. We are from the Imperial Capital Entertainment News. Can we interview you?"
A reporter, directing a cameraman, rushed up and blocked Shen Yujing's path.
Shen Yujing looked up at the people in front of him. If it had been any other day, he would have been annoyed and left.
But today, he felt like a shell of himself, so he numbly asked, "What do you want to ask?"
The reporter asked, "Are you a performing arts student this year?"
"Yes."
"How would you evaluate your performance today?"
Shen Yujing blurted out, "A complete mess."
The reporter's smile froze on her face.
The young man in front of her, in terms of looks and demeanor, was among the top in the entire group of performing arts students. She had expected such a student to be confident and sure of victory, which was why she approached him for an interview. She hadn't expected such an answer.
But the reporter wasn't ready to give up and continued to ask Shen Yujing several more questions.
However, Shen Yujing remained lifeless, as if the next question might make him keel over on the spot.
The reporter knew the conversation wasn't going anywhere, but since it was live, she had to awkwardly say a few words of encouragement before moving on to interview the next student.
At that moment, outside Imperial Capital University.
Song Yi, Quan Le, and Murong Huan stood there waiting. They had thought it was too silly, so Jiang Yiheng and Hang Feng had both declined the invitation to join them.
The three had just been watching the live broadcast together and naturally saw Shen Yujing's interview.
Murong Huan was a bit uneasy and said, "Why does Shen Yujing look like a walking corpse? Did he not perform well?"
Quan Le immediately stopped her, "Don't say that!"
Song Yi also frowned, "Stop talking."
Shen Yujing was usually someone who couldn't hide his emotions. If he had performed well, he would be over the moon. His current expression suggested something had gone wrong.
"What should we do?" Quan Le looked down at the banner in his hand that read "Congratulations on Shen Yujing's Great Success" and quickly hid it, afraid it might backfire.
Song Yi said, "Let's see how he reacts when he comes out. We'll improvise and have a meal together first."
Murong Huan and Quan Le both nodded in agreement.
Ten minutes later.
Quan Le asked curiously, "He just finished the interview, right? Why hasn't he come out yet?"
Meanwhile, by the playground of Imperial Capital University.
A girl stopped Shen Yujing as he was about to leave. With her friends cheering her on, she handed him her phone, her face flushed as she said, "Can we exchange WeChat? I'm from the photography department at Imperial Capital University. You can call me senior in advance. If you get into our school, you can ask me anything."
Shen Yujing's gaze fell on the girl's face.
She had a sweet appearance, a typical baby face with big eyes and extremely fair skin. She had a pretty butterfly hairpin in her hair.
So Shen Yujing asked, "Where did you buy your hairpin?"
"Huh?" The girl was taken aback and touched her hair, "What did you say?"
Shen Yujing said, "I think it's very nice. I want to buy one for the girl I like."
The girl understood Shen Yujing's rejection; he already had someone he liked.
She quickly retracted her phone, though slightly embarrassed, and pointed to the other side of the playground, saying, "That's our school's commercial street. Go straight in and take the first left. The first shop on the left sells accessories."
After saying that, the girl, feeling embarrassed and upset, ran off.
"Thank you..."
Shen Yujing was about to thank her when he suddenly realized she was gone.
Wait, what did this senior come to talk to him about again?
Shen Yujing scratched his hair and suddenly couldn't remember.
Forget it, it's not important.
Commercial street, go straight, first left, got it.
*
Accessories shop.
Other girls were secretly watching Shen Yujing and whispering among themselves.
The shop wasn't too big or too small, but there were quite a few customers—mostly girls, with the occasional guy there to accompany his girlfriend. It was rare to see someone like Shen Yujing, a single guy coming in on his own.
Shen Yujing, however, didn't notice any of this. He felt overwhelmed the moment he entered the shop, with so many items that his eyes were spinning.
All kinds of accessories were dazzling, and there were even things he had no idea what they were for.
How was he supposed to choose?
Shen Yujing didn't know where to start.
The shop owner was a well-made-up woman. She walked over and asked, "Are you picking a gift for your girlfriend?"
Shen Yujing looked at the shop owner and replied, "Ah... no."
Not yet his girlfriend.
The woman smiled and said, "No? Then are you buying it for yourself?"
Some girls around them giggled.
Shen Yujing felt a bit embarrassed but still explained, "No, it's for the girl I like."
"Not together yet?" The shop owner immediately understood Shen Yujing's situation and said, "In that case, you should pick something the girl likes. That way, you can win her heart. Do you need me to recommend something?"
Shen Yujing immediately nodded but said, "Hairpins, I want hairpins."
"Alright." The shop owner nodded and led Shen Yujing to a wall, saying, "These are our shop's most popular styles. Pick one you think suits her."
Shen Yujing took out his phone from his pocket, found a photo of them together, zoomed in on Song Yi's part, and then compared each hairpin to the photo to see which one looked better.
The shop owner: "..."
She had been running this shop for five years and had never seen such a method before.
Well, never mind.
Fifteen minutes later.
The shop owner stared in shock at the blond boy in front of her holding a basket. "What are you...?"
Looking back now, the wall she had taken him to earlier was almost completely empty.
Shen Yujing said, "I'll take them all."
Because he had tried each one and thought every hairclip looked beautiful on Song Yi.
Little kids make choices; adults take it all.
Thinking about how Song Yi would look wearing these hairclips, Shen Yujing's lips unconsciously curled into a smile, and even the frustration from his poor exam performance seemed to lessen.
Shop owner: "......"
She had failed to recognize a true patron.
*
In front of Imperial Capital University.
Shen Yujing walked out carrying a bag stuffed to the brim.
Quan Le's sharp eyes spotted him first and waved vigorously. "Shen Yujing!"
At the sight of Song Yi also being there, Shen Yujing instinctively hid the bag behind his back.
He wanted to give her a gift, but not in front of Quan Le and Murong Huan.
The next second, as Quan Le approached, Shen Yujing turned and bolted, sprinting a hundred meters to his family's car parked not far away.
Just as he started to move, Quan Le: "???"
Song Yi and Murong Huan exchanged a glance: "......"
Shen Yujing opened the back door and tossed the bag inside. "Take the things I bought back home. You can go now."
The driver replied, "Yes, Young Master."
"Wait!" Shen Yujing's body leaned back in and he opened the bag, grabbing a handful of hairclips and putting them in his pocket. "Alright, you can go now."
Watching his family's car drive away, Shen Yujing finally breathed a sigh of relief and turned to walk towards Song Yi.
Quan Le complained, "Shen Yujing, what are you doing? I came to see you out of the goodness of my heart, and you run off like you've seen a ghost? Do you even have a conscience?"
Murong Huan tugged on Quan Le's sleeve and whispered harshly, "Stop it!"
Does he even have a brain? Shen Yujing was so depressed during that interview earlier. Can't he just be quiet today?
Song Yi simply said, "The exam's over, so it's done. Want to go eat together?"
*
At the Japanese restaurant.
Throughout the meal, Quan Le kept trying to bring up the exam, only for Murong Huan to kick him hard each time to stop him.
Shen Yujing seemed relatively calm the entire time, at least not as half-dead as he had been during the interview.
But Song Yi still noticed that Shen Yujing hadn't smiled once today.
Clearly, he was still holding back his emotions.
So when Murong Huan suggested they go out to play after the meal, Song Yi interrupted her directly. "You have to go back to the dorm and study. The mock exam is next week. I'm going home to grab a few things and then I'll head back to the dorm to supervise you."
Murong Huan: "?"
Murong Huan was about to say something to argue but didn't dare when she saw Song Yi's serious expression.
Then suddenly, Quan Le accidentally dropped a banner on the ground that read, "Congratulations to Shen Yujing on a Great Victory." The words seemed somewhat ironic in this context.
Murong Huan quickly picked up the banner and dragged Quan Le out, shouting, "We're leaving! We're leaving right now!"
Only Shen Yujing and Song Yi were left.
Shen Yujing spoke up first, as if he hadn't seen the banner. "Do you need to go back and get something? Then I'll take you."
Although it seemed unnecessary to escort her during the day, Song Yi had something she wanted to ask Shen Yujing, so she nodded in agreement.
Throughout the journey, Shen Yujing talked to Song Yi about recent events, mostly related to the art exam. At times, he even gesticulated excitedly.
Finally, as they approached the alley where Song Yi's house was, she stopped.
Song Yi looked at Shen Yujing and asked, "So, what exactly happened during the exam today?"
Shen Yujing swallowed hard and then avoided Song Yi's gaze, forcing a smile. "Nothing really happened. It was just average. We'll know the results when they come out."
Song Yi directly pointed out, "Nothing happened? Then why did you look like that during the interview?"
"What?" Shen Yujing widened his eyes in surprise, clearly not expecting Song Yi to say such a thing.
Song Yi asked with some doubt, "You didn't know that interview was live, did you?"
Shen Yujing: "......"
Indeed, he hadn't known.
Song Yi sat down on a bench by the roadside and looked up at Shen Yujing. "So, tell me, what's going on?"
"It's just that I didn't do well. I got a topic I'm not good at in my strongest subject," Shen Yujing lowered his eyes, no longer hiding the dejection on his face. "I thought this exam would secure my qualification, but..."
He didn't elaborate, but it was clear he was disappointed. "Is this God's way of telling me I'm not cut out for this path?"
He had always been fickle, never sticking with anything. If even the heavens thought his sudden dream was laughable, then maybe he wasn't meant for this.
Even the reason he chose this path wasn't truly out of love.
"Shen Yujing, what are you being so melodramatic about?" Song Yi wasn't used to seeing this side of Shen Yujing. She patted the bench next to her and ordered, "Sit down."
Shen Yujing obediently sat beside her, but his head was still drooping, clearly disheartened.
Song Yi asked him, "What happens if you don't pass the art exam?"
"I won't get into Imperial Capital University."
Shen Yujing was very clear that with his grades, he could barely touch the edges of a double-first-class university. Top schools like Imperial Capital University and A University were out of his reach.
Song Yi looked at him and continued, "So what? What happens if you don't go to Imperial Capital University?"
"It would mean..."
The boy fell silent for a few seconds, then looked up into Song Yi's eyes. "It would mean getting further and further away from you."
Sometimes, Shen Yujing felt like he and Song Yi were from two different worlds.
Beautiful, outstanding, flawless—Song Yi was perfect in his eyes. She was the brightest star in any crowd, and all he could see was her.
But he was different from her.
Wild, unruly, poor at studying, with nothing remarkable to his name. All he had done over the years was skip classes and fight.
The only things going for him were his looks and his family's wealth, but even those weren't really his. If you had to be strict about it, he really had nothing.
If they weren't in the same school, more and more outstanding people would appear by her side, and eventually, her eyes would no longer see him.
So he really, really wanted to stay by her side forever.
Was it inferiority complex?
In his eighteen years of life, Shen Yujing had never felt this strange emotion before.
At this moment, Song Yi was momentarily stunned, her instincts making her avoid Shen Yujing's gaze.
Her heart seemed to be beating abnormally. It must be...
Yes, it must be because she was angry with him.
Song Yi poked Shen Yujing's forehead with her index finger and said, "Is getting into university for my sake?"
"Yes."
The boy grabbed her wrist, answering with utter certainty.
Those usually playful peach blossom eyes were now unusually serious, revealing his true feelings.
Studying performance art to get into Imperial Capital University was for Song Yi. Along the way, he had also grown to like performance art, at least more than studying.
But the most important reason was still her.
Song Yi opened her mouth, but this answer left her momentarily at a loss for words.
The next second, Shen Yujing let go of her hand and smiled to cover his awkwardness. "Of course, it's for all of you. You, Hang Feng, Jiang Yiheng—all of you are top students. Even Quan Le isn't bad, and Xu Che is doing well too. The only one who could keep up with me in being at the bottom was Murong Huan, and even she's turned over a new leaf and is studying hard now. I can't be the only one lagging behind, can I? I wouldn't even have the face to hang out with you guys in the future."
Song Yi: "......"
Her hand reached out again, grabbing Shen Yujing's ear and shouting at him, "You think studying is just for having fun together in the future? Getting into college is for your own life! Of course, getting the certificate is great, but if you don't, there's no need to feel down. There are still two months left! Get back here and study!"
Shen Yujing's ear was pulled so hard it hurt. He immediately raised his hands in surrender, yelling, "I was joking! Joking! I'll study! I'll study! Don't be mad!"
Song Yi finally let go of his ear, took a deep breath, and turned her face away, refusing to look at him.
Soon, Song Yi felt a hand tugging at her hair and poking her shoulder. A tentative voice came from behind her, "Song Yi? Song Yi? Are you really mad?"
Song Yi ignored him, until—
Shen Yujing's hand suddenly pressed down on her head.
Song Yi: "???"
Did he want to die?
Song Yi turned around, furious, and reached up to touch her head, only to pause in surprise.
When she pulled her hand back, she found a hairclip, shaped like a little mushroom, quite cute.
Shen Yujing rubbed his nose and said, "I'll be back at school on Monday for the mock exam, and then I'll continue attending classes. Whether I get this certificate or not, I'll do my best to score as high as possible in the cultural courses. So I'll work hard, you can trust me."
"That's more like it," Song Yi said, barely satisfied with Shen Yujing's response. She looked down at the clip in her hand, her tone softening as she added, "It's pretty cute."
"Do you like it?" Shen Yujing quickly pulled out two more clips from his pocket, "I've got more here, all for you. Let me put them on you."
Song Yi nodded in agreement.
Shen Yujing carefully fastened the hairclips onto Song Yi's hair. Just as he had imagined when he bought them, they looked great on her!
One, two, three—
Song Yi couldn't take it anymore and looked up, saying clearly, "Shen Yujing, are you out of your mind?"
Shen Yujing was startled and asked, "What? Didn't you say you liked them?"
Song Yi took a deep breath and said clearly, "Even if I like them, you can't put a dozen on me at once!"
"I just wanted to see which one looked best..."
Before Shen Yujing could finish, Song Yi took a clip from her own hair and fastened it onto his head.
With his golden hair mixed with a large red bow, he looked a bit ridiculous.
Just as Shen Yujing reached up to take it off, Song Yi suddenly burst out laughing, "Pfft!"
Shen Yujing stopped mid-motion and asked awkwardly, "What are you laughing at?"
"It fits, it looks good, and your taste is not bad," Song Yi said, then continued to take several more clips from her hair and fasten them onto Shen Yujing's head, until the number on both of them was about the same. Only then did she let go and release her hand with satisfaction.
Then, with her right hand on Shen Yujing's neck and her left hand holding her phone, she snapped a quick photo of the two of them, completely catching him off guard.
After taking the photo, Song Yi immediately let go and stood up, heading towards home, "Goodbye!"
"Song Yi!!!"
Shen Yujing chased after her, "Give me the phone! Delete it!"
"No way!" Song Yi hid the phone behind her back, "We're friends, right? Can't we take a photo together?"
"We can take photos, but not..."
Song Yi asked him, "Not what?"
Shen Yujing pointed to the clips on his head, "What do you think?"
If this photo got out, would he still have any face left?
As the two of them were at a standoff, a female voice suddenly called out from behind Shen Yujing—
"Golden retriever! Hey, golden retriever! Come here!"
Shen Yujing: "!!!?"
Who was so rude? Calling someone "golden retriever" instead of "handsome guy"?
Shen Yujing initially didn't want to pay attention, but the voice grew closer—
"Golden retriever! Why aren't you listening to me!"
Shen Yujing couldn't take it anymore and turned around, saying directly, "Who are you? Why should I listen to you?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the scene fell into an eerie silence.
A young girl was holding a dog leash, and at the other end of the leash was a large golden retriever gnawing on a bone someone had discarded by the roadside.
The girl seemed startled by Shen Yujing and pointed at the dog in front of her, her voice trembling slightly, "I wasn't calling you, I... I was calling it."
Shen Yujing: "..."
From behind, Song Yi, who had witnessed the whole scene, was laughing so hard she couldn't stand up straight. She also called out, "Golden retriever? Golden retriever, say something!"
Under the fearful gaze of the girl walking the dog, Shen Yujing felt extremely awkward. He turned around, grabbed Song Yi's wrist, and pulled her forward, grumbling, "Alright, stop laughing and get back to your house quickly."
"You're a golden retriever, and it's a golden retriever. Chinese culture is indeed profound," Song Yi continued to laugh, then added, "But do you like dogs? I think golden retrievers are really cute, well-behaved, smart, and sensible. Much better than you, and everyone says they're the ideal boyfriend type."
Shen Yujing was stunned and couldn't help but glance back at the golden retriever still gnawing on the bone on the ground.
Is that it?
*
That evening, Shen's Mother's screams echoed through the Shen household.
"Ah! Shen Yujing! Why do you suddenly want to raise a dog?!!!"
A small golden retriever was lying at Shen Yujing's feet, quiet and well-behaved, its black, shiny eyes timidly surveying the house.
Shen Yujing said confidently, "You can raise a gorilla, so why can't I raise a dog?"
After saying that, Shen Yujing picked up the little golden retriever and carried it upstairs.
Shen's Mother was about to say something more, but Shen's Father quickly stopped her, "Alright, alright, we saw the interview. The kid's had a bad day today. Wanting to raise a little pet is nothing. Let him cheer up a bit."
"But the owl I adopted from abroad is about to arrive! I've already made a name tag for it. It's our third daughter, and now this dog comes first? What's going on?"
"The fourth daughter is fine too. It's all the same. Don't be mad, don't be mad."
*
Upstairs, Shen Yujing closed the door, tossed a toy to the little golden retriever, and let it play on its own.
Shen Yujing sat at his desk, opened a test paper, but his mind was full of Song Yi's words from earlier.
He picked up the test paper, rolled it into a tube, and extended it in front of the little golden retriever, saying, "Hey, tell me, how do I become the ideal boyfriend?"
The little golden retriever looked up at him, and the two of them stared at each other.
After a while, the golden retriever opened its mouth: "Yip?!"
Shen Yujing's test paper hit his forehead.
He was going crazy. Definitely going crazy.
