Tonight, Ryan Ren had chosen Chopin’s Nocturne in C minor for his performance. The piece was steeped in melancholy, and Ryan was convinced it would perfectly highlight his own brooding charm. He’d prepared everything down to the last detail.
Just imagining the look of surprise on Lynn Chen’s face made Ryan grin uncontrollably.
The gala kicked off at seven in the evening, and the auditorium gradually filled to capacity.
The hosts for the arts gala were a guy and a girl—he wore a sharp suit, all smiles and sunshine; she was tall, fair-skinned, and strikingly pretty.
As soon as they took the stage, the two hosts rattled off a quick opening and got straight to the point.
"Now, let’s welcome Ryan Ren from Senior Class 7 for a piano solo: Nocturne! Give him a big round of applause!"
As the host finished speaking, the stage curtain rose, revealing Ryan Ren in formal attire behind it.
Ryan’s hair was meticulously styled, and he sat facing the piano. That tux was clearly chosen with care—just stepping onto the stage made a bunch of girls’ eyes light up.
"Hey, you’re Lynn Chen, right?"
Lynn Chen sat in her seat, bored out of her mind and kind of regretting she’d agreed to come to this gala with Ryan. She’d only done it to get back at Evan Lin, but it turned out Evan didn’t seem to care at all.
Hearing someone call her, Lynn turned her head and saw a boy on her right leaning in with a big grin.
"Yeah, that’s me. Do we know each other?" Lynn frowned slightly.
"Here’s the deal: after Ryan’s performance, there’s a flower-giving segment. Like this." The boy finished speaking and, like a magician, pulled out a bouquet from behind his back.
"Flowers? Why don’t you guys just do it yourselves?" Lynn’s eyes showed a bit of caution.
"We’re all guys. If a bunch of boys give him flowers, what’s that supposed to look like? If Ryan doesn’t get any, he’ll lose so much face. Since you came with him, you’re probably his friend, right?" The boy coaxed, and a few others glanced over at Lynn.
"Not really friends." Lynn’s four words made things awkward for a second, but the boy just shoved the bouquet into her arms anyway.
"It’s settled. Just get up there and hand over the flowers, no big deal."
The boy didn’t give Lynn a chance to refuse; once the flowers were in her arms, he slipped away.
Lynn was left sitting there, stunned for a moment.
On stage, Ryan started playing. The piece was a bit dull and his technique was so-so. When he finished, he stayed seated at the piano, like he was waiting for something.
"If you don’t give him the flowers, he’ll be super embarrassed. It’s a Peiying tradition, you know."
Seeing Lynn unmoved, a few students nearby started to get anxious and began coaxing her one after another.
Ryan Ren turned his head, giving Lynn a pleading look.
"It’s just handing over some flowers. No big deal, right?"
Lynn’s heart softened and she stood up from her seat.
The moment Lynn got up, every pair of eyes around instantly turned to her. Among the boys and girls watching, there were all sorts of looks in their eyes.
Evan Lin also turned to look that way, frowning slightly when he saw Lynn.
"Wow, never thought Ryan would land a girl this pretty. No clue what kind of dumb luck he’s got!" Luke Lu stared at Lynn standing up, envy all over his face.
"Right? Isn’t Lynn that new transfer to Capitalview First High? Heard she’s pretty close with Evan Lin, yeah? Looks like Ryan’s about to beat you to the punch. Well, that’s fair—he might not be much, but at least he’s a Peiying student." Luke’s buddy shot Evan a mocking look.
Jason Liu turned his head, looking at Evan Lin with some concern. But Evan stayed totally calm, leaving Jason unsure what to say.
Lynn looked super awkward, but with everyone pushing her, she walked step by step toward the stage, bouquet in hand, becoming the center of attention.
Ryan Ren got up from the piano, gazing at Lynn with infatuation. When she reached the stage, she handed him the flowers and was about to leave—only for Ryan to suddenly grab her hand.
"I wasn’t planning to perform tonight, but a girl gave me courage and confidence. That’s the only reason I came up here!"
Ryan looked at Lynn and suddenly spoke up, voice loud and brimming with courage, like he was heading off to war.
"What are you talking about?"
Lynn’s eyes widened as she struggled to pull her hand free from Ryan’s grip.
But Ryan held on tight, and Lynn couldn’t break free.
Almost at the same time, several rows of boys who’d been sitting jumped up and shouted at the top of their lungs: "Lynn Chen! Ryan Ren likes you!"
Their faces were flushed with excitement as they declared it, voices booming.
Some teachers and school leaders saw what was happening and, instead of getting angry, watched with amused interest.
"Are you out of your mind?" Lynn was already getting angry.
"I’m not mistaken, Lynn. Today, in front of the whole school, I want everyone to know I really like you! I’d do anything for you!" Ryan Ren was practically bursting with excitement.
"You’re nuts!"
As soon as Lynn shouted, she suddenly felt something and turned her head—right then, she saw Evan Lin sitting in the third row, his expression completely flat.
Evan’s gaze seemed totally emotionless, but somehow that made Lynn feel even more stifled inside.
"Say yes! Say yes! Say yes!"
The whole student body shouted in unison. Sitting in the audience, Evan watched the girl on stage. In his past life, he’d imagined a scene like this—but back then, he was just a nobody, looked down on by everyone.
Lynn stared blankly, a bit dazed. Her gaze stayed fixed on Evan in the audience, her feelings a complicated mess. In front of her was Ryan’s eager, excited face.
"Be my girlfriend! I’ll treat you well, I promise!"
Ryan Ren made his vow, eyes shining as he looked at Lynn. Every student in the hall held their breath, waiting for Lynn’s final answer.