Trending Again – Chapter 39

As the agreed-upon day approached, Si Meng also became increasingly busy. During the day, she was busy attending Lin Hanyue’s performance classes, and in the evenings, she was busy “making up classes” with Lin Hanyue. There was never a moment of rest.

Si Meng rubbed her eyes and refused to get out of bed, lazily asking, “What time is it?”

“7:30.”

“No class?”

“Full schedule!”

Si Meng threw off the covers and jumped out of bed in annoyance. She ruffled her messy short hair and exclaimed, “Ah, why didn’t you wake me up? Hmph, I’m going to be late.”

Lin Hanyue stood at the entrance, putting on her shoes and tying a perfect bow on her sneakers. She turned around and met Si Meng’s panicked gaze, smiling as she said, “I did call you. I’ve been waiting.” She then watched Si Meng quickly brush her teeth, wash her face, and eat breakfast. This scene seemed to repeat every day.

“Don’t worry.”

“What?” Si Meng didn’t hear clearly, so Lin Hanyue leaned close to her ear and said, while playfully kissing her earlobe.

“In a moment, you’ll go in first, and I can come after. That way, you won’t be late.” Si Meng angrily punched Lin Hanyue’s arm with her small fists.

Lin Hanyue affectionately tousled her messy hair and smiled, “Alright, but my performance bonus for this month is almost depleted.”

“Hmph, I don’t care. It serves you right for not waking me up early.”

Lin Hanyue’s gaze followed Si Meng’s figure closely as Si Meng entered the classroom after the bell rang. Only then did Lin Hanyue calmly enter the classroom.

Standing at the podium, Lin Hanyue didn’t hold a single book in her hands, yet she could recite the contents of the entire book just by opening her mouth. With a single look and a single gesture, she could deeply touch people’s hearts with her performance.

Pointing at the PPT on the courseware, Lin Hanyue’s slender fingertips snapped a piece of chalk, accurately hitting a dozing student in class. Instantly, a red mark appeared on the student’s forehead.

The text above the PPT described a small scene, and Lin Hanyue pointed to the blackboard and said, “Next, I’ll choose someone to act with me. If you don’t perform well, you’ll have to copy from the textbook?”

With a raised eyebrow, Lin Hanyue immediately commanded everyone’s attention. They hurriedly flipped through their textbooks, looking for instructions on movements and cues for changes in expression. However, it was all just theory on paper. These were newcomers without any acting experience. Even if they imitated the scene perfectly, they still couldn’t hold their own during the performance.

“Si Meng, come up.” Lin Hanyue looked at Si Meng, and Si Meng looked back at Lin Hanyue. At that moment, they had already connected with the script.

*

Si Meng’s face was filled with resistance, but with closed eyes, only a sense of reluctance and pity remained in her clear and bright eyes. Her voice, usually soft, now turned firm and ruthless as she said, “We’re not suitable for each other. Can’t you understand? Why do you keep pestering me over and over again!”

Lin Hanyue looked at her steadily, her expression unwavering. She bit her lip, tolerating the other person’s unreasonable tantrums and accusations. She clenched her fists, remaining stubbornly silent, which was heartbreaking to witness.

“You get lost! Don’t come looking for me again!” Si Meng stepped forward and pushed Lin Hanyue back, pushing twice but failing to move her. Instead, her wrist was tightly grasped by Lin Hanyue.

Lin Hanyue raised her gaze, and two glistening teardrops trembled along her long, feathery lashes. She opened her mouth but remained voiceless, gripping Si Meng’s hand in confusion. She murmured repeatedly, “But he doesn’t like you. How can I bear to let someone bully you?”

The people present held their breath, completely captivated by the actress-level performance. They were on the verge of exclaiming, “Just be together already, stop tormenting yourselves.”

Si Meng was momentarily stunned. Was this Lin Hanyue’s acting? It seemed that the person in front of her was no longer Lin Hanyue but the poor boy abandoned by the female lead in the script. His determination, his infatuation, and his vulnerability were all vividly portrayed.

“Heh, so what? He doesn’t love me, but he has money. Do you?” Si Meng ended with a cold sneer, resembling a materialistic woman who despised the poor and loved the rich.

“I…” Lin Hanyue held Si Meng’s hand, only to be forcefully shaken off.

“Enough. You and I are just playing around.” Turning around to leave, Lin Hanyue was suddenly embraced from behind by Si Meng. She apologized repeatedly as their tears mingled, tracing down Si Meng’s temples and falling to the ends of their hair.

*

The two of them bowed to the audience together, and everyone finally snapped back to reality, applauding enthusiastically like the applause of quantum mechanics^{idk what this means} .

Si Meng quietly reached out and pinched Lin Hanyue, prompting her to reluctantly release the hand around Si Meng’s waist. Seriously, this person even takes the opportunity to flirt during class. It’s simply outrageous.

After class, the students from Class A approached with great momentum, not forgetting their previous agreement to compete against Class C.

Si Meng nudged Ning Keke with her elbow, only to find her tensed up and unable to move.

“Why are you so nervous? Are you not confident that we’ll win against Class A?”

“Uh…uh, I’m not very confident,” Ning Keke covered her face.

Si Meng whistled and said playfully, “By the way, Jiang Luli is coming to watch your performance. Won’t you show your best?”

“Ah, she’s coming to watch me. I…I…” Ning Keke immediately became energized, wishing she could battle all the students from Class A off the stage.

Si Meng sat on a nearby bench, and Lin Hanyue leaned against her. Si Meng naturally sat in her embrace.

The battle on stage was fierce. The dance moves of Class A were indeed splendid and intricate. Ning Keke was sweating profusely and panting, but she relentlessly challenged them, refusing to accept defeat.

“Jiang Luli isn’t coming?”

“Huh? Why would she come?” Lin Hanyue felt a bit jealous, wondering why that old woman was always brought up.

“Hey, you really don’t understand.”

Si Meng caught sight of Jiang Luli standing out from the crowd. She was using sign language. Si Meng couldn’t fully comprehend it, but Lin Hanyue and Ning Keke understood. Jiang Luli was directing their movements.

In a stalemate, they reluctantly settled for a draw.

Next up was the second performance. Fu Wenwen held the microphone, a rare calmness in her demeanor. Hua Qianxin stood behind her, carrying a guitar, showing a hint of a rare smile on her nonchalant face.

Fu Wenwen was the lead singer, with others providing backup vocals, while Hua Qianxin played the accompaniment. It was a bold creation, blending folk and rock into one, combining elements of pop and classical music.

They completely overwhelmed the band from Class A, both in terms of sound and appearance. This was a true band, from composition to performance.

In the third performance, Jiang Chixia stood leaning against the doorframe, ready to take on the challenge. She directed the group with her eyes, from expressions to movements, footsteps to shoulder distance. Everything had to be precise and uniform, without the slightest deviation. From hand gestures to steps, there was no room for error, giving a visual sensation akin to that of the Thousand-Armed Guanyin. However, Class A was not to be outdone, especially with several members who came from the gymnastics team, unleashing their powerful moves. A single 360-degree spin turned the tide of the battle. In the end, Class A won by a narrow margin.

After four rounds of competition, with one win, one loss, and two draws, it all came down to the fifth round.

Class A’s class monitor, Luo Tianyi, provocatively glanced at Si Meng, and Si Meng didn’t back down, raising her middle finger in response.

Both teams had five members, each with a different script, but they had to integrate into one scene, testing everyone’s ability to react and control their emotions.

Class C drew the crying scene. The first student strained their voice but couldn’t cry for a long time. Immediately, a student from Class A stepped forward to make up for it. They had drawn an angry scene and let out a loud roar, scaring the first student into tears.

One member from Class C was eliminated, so the second member had no choice but to go on stage. They drew the role of a fool, acting silly and foolish. Class A was immediately led astray, and one member couldn’t hold back their laughter.

After a few more rounds, in the end, only Luo Tianyi, the class monitor of Class A, and Si Meng were left standing.

Then, they both received the same script. Si Meng’s hand trembled as she drew the script, and she caught a glimpse of Lin Hanyue’s penetrating gaze from afar.

Unfolding the paper – a kissing scene?

A crack appeared on Luo Tianyi’s calm face, while Si Meng blinked at Lin Hanyue, as if asking, “What’s wrong?” But Lin Hanyue was angry and ignored her.

“Don’t bring your mouth closer to me. I find it disgusting,” Si Meng said, and then got into character.

Luo Tianyi became furious, her face turning red. This person truly had a sharp tongue.

*

“Hey, we meet again. What’s your name?” Si Meng playfully patted Luo Tianyi’s shoulder, emerging from her side like a cat hiding and pouncing.

“Oh, it’s you. What a coincidence,” Luo Tianyi’s face blossomed into a smile, with a hint of bashfulness befitting a young girl.

Si Meng placed her hand behind her head and secretly stole a glance at Luo Tianyi’s profile. Sensing something, Luo Tianyi blinked playfully, and Si Meng held her breath, pointing to the distance, saying, “Look, what’s that?”

“Huh? Where?” As Luo Tianyi turned around, she was startled by Si Meng’s suddenly magnified handsome face. Her skin was delicate and fair, her features clear and transparent. Her arched eyebrows and straight nose created a charming visage, and when she smiled, shallow dimples appeared on her cheeks. Luo Tianyi’s mind buzzed, leaving only Si Meng’s starry peach blossom eyes in her thoughts.

“You, you’re still so easily fooled,” Si Meng lifted her hand to gently tuck a strand of Luo Tianyi’s hair behind her ear, giving a small rub to the top of her head. Taking advantage of their close proximity, she gradually approached, finally leaving a shallow kiss on Luo Tianyi’s left cheek.

Class A’s monitor’s heart was in chaos, staring blankly at Si Meng. The sides of her cheeks turned quickly crimson. She looked so beautiful, and she had the urge to kiss her.

After Si Meng finished performing the script, she returned to her usual expression and provocatively looked at Luo Tianyi. However, she saw Luo Tianyi in a daze, seemingly wanting to pounce on her? Could it be that she got too immersed in the role? Si Meng hadn’t even used all her acting skills yet.

Luo Tianyi wanted to step forward, but she instinctively sensed a dangerous gaze. Lin Hanyue’s eyes, sharp as knives, suddenly snapped her out of it. The threatening and warning look in her eyes was clear, like a fierce beast staring at its prey, as if with just one move, she would have her neck bitten off.

In the end, Class C emerged as the winner. All the members of Class A apologized publicly, but the look in the eyes of the Class A monitor towards Si Meng carried a different meaning.

Si Meng and her group also earned the opportunity for the second round, the spotlight. Videos of their performances circulated on the internet, and they gained a large number of fans based on their talent. They could be considered at their peak even before officially debuting.