Chapter 57: A Monumental Moment of Social Embarrassment

He had planned to go home and take a shower, drenched in sweat from the exam. But now that the wind had cooled him off, he decided to wait until the afternoon. When he returned to the classroom, the homeroom teacher asked, "Cheng Yao, you have a competition tonight, right?"

"Yes," he replied.

"Good luck."

"Thank you, teacher."

After a morning of classes, Cheng Yao had lunch with Liu Han Yue and a few others, then headed straight to the driving school for his third module. Liu Han Yue muttered, "Is he really that busy?"

"He's practicing driving and competing. Didn't he borrow your notes?" someone else chimed in.

...

When he arrived at the driving school, Lu Meng Yao was already waiting at the entrance.

"You didn't go home?" he asked.

"I did. I had the second module in the morning, third module in the afternoon. I'll practice both and take the tests together," she replied.

"Module two is a bit tough, to be honest," Cheng Yao said.

"Didn't you say it was easy?"

"That was because I was lucky. If I hadn't been, I'd be complaining," Cheng Yao laughed and shook his head.

"You have a competition tonight, don't you?"

"Yeah."

"I'll be there to cheer you on."

As she spoke, Lu Meng Yao quietly added, "The coach told me today that you can guarantee passing module three for eight hundred, since half the students fail. If you're unlucky, you might get targeted. Not sure if he was just trying to scare me."

"He told me the same thing—on the phone," Cheng Yao nodded slightly. Although the law forbade buying a passing grade, most driving schools had such unwritten rules; they simply didn't talk about it openly. Eight hundred guaranteed a pass—as long as you didn't mess up the computer-verified steps, the coach wouldn't nitpick.

"What do you think?" Lu Meng Yao considered for a moment. "I think I'll buy it. You've made me lose my confidence."

"Yeah," Cheng Yao agreed. He planned to do the same; failing would be embarrassing and a waste of time. If all went well, he could pass module three next week, since appointments took a week.

That afternoon, he practiced on the main road and found it easier than module two. Lu Meng Yao, however, looked pale with fear. The coach had a good temper, perhaps because she was pretty, and spoke kindly.

It was already three by the time they finished. Lu Meng Yao waved, "I'm heading back to school. I'll find you tonight."

Cheng Yao asked curiously, "Did Chen Qian and Wang Wen Bo have a falling out?"

"I don't know, I haven't been paying attention."

Nodding, Cheng Yao bought an ice pop at the driving school and took a cab back to campus.

First thing back at school: a shower.

By the time he finished, it was past four. Cheng Yao returned to the classroom just as class ended.

"Cheng Yao!"

Zhou Zi Qing ran over holding a box and handed it to him.

Cheng Yao looked puzzled. "What's this?"

"Qiu Wan from the next class lent it to you. Just return it after the finals."

"I see," Cheng Yao replied, surprised, and took the guitar without ceremony.

Zhou Zi Qing clenched her fist, her chest trembling, and smiled. "We'll be there to cheer you on later. You're the last one left from our class."

"The other two were eliminated?"

"Yeah, hehe..."

It sounded suspiciously like schadenfreude, leaving Cheng Yao amused and helpless.

Wang Chu Ruo turned back and said, "Cheng Yao, whether you get to touch Yue Yue's darling depends on you."

"Huh?" Cheng Yao looked baffled. "When did I ever say I wanted to..."

"Don't you want to?" Wang Chu Ruo asked soulfully.

Cheng Yao thought for a moment, then quickly shook his head, realizing he'd been led astray. He whispered, "That's not even the issue. It's sexual harassment, and besides... she doesn't even..."

"If she squeezes, there'll be something!!!"

"..."

Cheng Yao retorted, "If I made such a perverted request, I'd get beaten to death."

"Hehe, it's a rare opportunity. Maybe she'd agree."

Cheng Yao couldn't be bothered with this troublemaker; both of them were. Best friends, always scheming against each other.

Liu Han Yue walked over with a juice, sat down, glanced at Cheng Yao, and rolled her eyes, ignoring him.

Cheng Yao's temper flared. "Liu Han Yue, what kind of request is within your tolerance?"

"You haven't even won yet, hmph."

After the final class, Cheng Yao went straight to the dorm to shower and change.

Wang Wen Bo, Liu Han Yue, and the others rushed toward the gymnasium, eager to grab a spot near the front.

When they arrived, the gym was already packed, a dense crowd stretching as far as the eye could see.

Wang Chu Ruo stared wide-eyed. "Wow, the preliminary round is this popular? Did the whole school show up?"

"We have over twenty thousand at Finance University. This is nothing. And there are outsiders here for the excitement. Forget it, let's see if there are any seats left."

Wang Wen Bo held up her phone. "I've got seats. Follow me."

Everyone followed her in confusion, only to find Lu Meng Yao, Chen Qian, and a few others had already saved spots and were waiting.

In truth, Wang Wen Bo hadn't really wanted to come, but she couldn't resist showing off; she couldn't let Cheng Yao steal all the spotlight.

Lu Meng Yao smiled. "It's about to start. A hundred contestants—probably won't finish until nine or ten tonight."

Meanwhile, backstage.

Cheng Yao tried out the guitar, surrounded by people chatting with each other.

"Hey, freshman, which college are you from?"

"Economic College, senior."

"Economic College, huh? Isn't there a girl called Liu Han Yue in your college? Really pretty, big eyes, just a bit short..."

Cheng Yao thought, news travels fast: "Yeah, she's my classmate."

"Really? That's great. Would you mind giving me her contact info?"

Cheng Yao hesitated; giving out Liu Han Yue's contact info without permission didn't seem right. So he said, "Senior, I think someone like Liu Han Yue might be a bit much for you."

"I can't handle her, but you can? That's no fun, freshman..."

The senior was shameless, but Cheng Yao didn't want to engage.

At that moment, the music teacher arrived backstage. "Number eighteen, Cheng Yao. Please welcome Cheng Yao from the Economic College to perform."

Cheng Yao stood up and followed.

Once onstage, he realized the hall was filled to the brim. The pressure was immense.

"Take a deep breath. Here's your headset."

"Thank you."

"Song content: fifteen points. Tone and timbre: thirty points. Performance technique: thirty-five points. Appearance and manner: twenty points. Total score: one hundred. Good luck."

As the teacher finished speaking, someone in the audience shouted, "Cheng Yao, our Economic College's number one! Go get them!!"

"Charge!!!"

Cheng Yao wanted to die of embarrassment.

For a moment, every eye was on him, and his name was etched into their memory.

Many girls whispered, and his looks became a topic, especially since Cheng Yao was dressed fresh and stylish, with well-groomed hair and a handsome face, naturally attracting attention from both classmates and upperclasswomen.

Below, the music teachers watched. Wang Yu Ting stifled a laugh, her shoulders shaking.

Cheng Yao shot Wang Wen Bo and the others a look, annoyed, and stepped forward.

...