At two o'clock, the competition began.
The grand hall was filled with students who had come to watch the show, and the front row was occupied by six teacher judges.
Lan Jiaojiao, as the opening act, was particularly nervous.
In early November, it was already freezing in Beishi. She was wearing a sky-blue strapless long dress and stood in the center of the stage. Looking at the vast expanse of classmates, she shivered, unsure if it was from the cold or nervousness. As she opened her mouth to speak, her voice trembled uncontrollably.
This caused quite a few students in the audience to laugh.
Lan Jiaojiao had been in Class 1 for two consecutive years, so her English was not a problem. It was just her pronunciation that was rather average. Coupled with a few stumbles due to nervousness, she managed to barely finish her speech.
The judges on the scene, considering it was the opening, gave her an overall score of 80.
Lan Jiaojiao was self-aware enough not to have expected to win the school beauty title. Given the tense situation, getting an overall score of 80 was satisfactory.
She even thought that with this score as a starting point, others might not be able to achieve such a high score so easily.
However, contestant number 2 scored 83, number 3 scored 85, number 4 scored 89, number 5 scored 85...
Lan Jiaojiao, resting in the backstage lounge, watched as one person after another scored higher than her, her expression growing increasingly grim.
Contestant number 17, Lu Chenyu, wore a custom-made black suit, his short hair styled with wax, looking handsome and sunny.
The moment he stepped onto the stage, he was met with screams from the female audience below.
Although his reputation as a top student was somewhat exaggerated, he had worked hard over the years and had traveled abroad frequently, making his pronunciation clear and standard.
Combined with his natural, steady, and emotionally resonant performance, and his direct, in-depth, golden-three-point rule of public speaking, he concluded his speech to thunderous applause.
"Thank you, Lu Chenyu, for your brilliant speech. Lu Chenyu's overall score is 95 points," announced the host.
The students below erupted in another wave of enthusiastic applause, shouting "School Heartthrob! School Heartthrob! School Heartthrob!"
This was currently the highest score.
Gu Ze, in the backstage, heard this score and his confidence grew even stronger. In his opinion, while Lu Chenyu's academic performance was better than his, his English proficiency was not.
The next contestant was Pei Shiyi. Before going on stage, she specifically glanced towards the corridor. Yu He had not arrived yet, so it seemed she wouldn't make it in time.
Pei Shiyi wore a beige feathered long dress that made her skin appear pale under the lights, like a beautiful swan as she gracefully walked towards the waiting area.
She happened to see Lu Chenyu coming off stage. With a slight blush on her cheeks, she greeted him, "Senior Lu, congratulations on achieving the current highest score."
"Hasn't student Yu He arrived yet? There are only two people left..." Lu Chenyu, as soon as he stepped off stage, busied himself with his phone, calling someone as he walked past her.
A fleeting look of embarrassment crossed Pei Shiyi's face. She took a deep breath. If she could also score 95, then the school beauty title would be hers.
The moment she stepped onto the stage, many male students below whistled.
As a student from Class 1 in the second year, Pei Shiyi had good English speaking and pronunciation. She was on par with Lu Chenyu. Her demeanor was elegant, and her speech content was also good.
Finally, with an overall score of 95, she secured the top position for female contestants.
"School Beauty! School Beauty! School Beauty!" many people in the audience shouted.
Pei Shiyi's face lit up with a confident smile. This year's school beauty title was hers!
In the backstage lounge, Lan Jiaojiao realized that she had the lowest score of the entire event! Her face burned with shame.
No, she wasn't the last one. Yu He was!
Regardless of whether Yu He showed up or not, Yu He would be the last place!
Lan Jiaojiao consoled herself this way.
Gu Ze was the last male performer. He had participated in various piano competitions and performances since childhood, so he was very familiar with stage lighting.
He had deliberately changed into a bright red suit, styled his hair into a mature slick-back, and even applied subtle makeup, making his features appear even more three-dimensional under the stage lights.
Below the stage, the screams of his fangirls were incessant.
When he began to speak, his English was in a clear, standard British accent, thanks to his piano teacher who was British, and with whom he had been in contact since childhood.
Therefore, in terms of pronunciation, he was confident he could surpass Lu Chenyu.
However, midway through his speech, a small commotion erupted in the audience.
Professor Smith from the university's linguistics department had also come to watch the competition!
Professor Smith was an authoritative figure at Kaiwei, and it was rumored that he was recently looking for promising students… Was he here specifically to see Gu Ze at this time?
Gu Ze thought so too. He became agitated, and his speech faltered for a moment, but he quickly recovered.
After his speech, there was thunderous applause from the audience.
He was very confident that he would score 99, with the deducted point being for his momentary stumble.
Even Professor Smith had come to watch his performance; the school heartthrob this year would surely be him!
"Thank you, student Gu Ze, for your wonderful speech. Student Gu Ze's overall score is… 94 points," announced the host.
Upon hearing this, the smile on Gu Ze's face froze. 94 points?
Why only 94 points?
"Student Gu Ze's British English accent is very good, but the grammar used was not rigorous. The overall performance style was too exaggerated, and his concentration during the speech needs improvement. Keep up the good work, and try again next year."
The host, seeing his confusion, took the initiative to explain.
Gu Ze wanted to complain about foul play!
It was Professor Smith's appearance that interrupted him!
No, wasn't Professor Smith here specifically to watch his performance?
There was no one after him!
When he went on stage, Yu He had not yet arrived; she couldn't make it in time.
"Student Gu Ze, please proceed to the backstage lounge. Next, we invite our final contestant, number 20, to the stage," said the host.
Gu Ze was very dissatisfied with his score of only 94 points, but he still left the stage.
As he walked off, he didn't see Yu He waiting, and his郁闷 (yùmèn - depressed/gloomy) mood slightly improved.
Even if he couldn't win the school heartthrob title and make Lu Chenyu regret it, he could still make Lu Chenyu realize clearly that Yu He, that "golden fly" (a derogatory term implying someone who is useless or a nuisance), was now hiding somewhere.
The stage remained empty for a minute, with no one appearing.
The six judges in the front row exchanged glances, and the students watching from behind began to whisper.
"Teacher, contestant number 20, Yu He, has forfeited. No need to wait! Just announce the results!"
Someone in the audience shouted, and the previously whispering hall erupted into a clamor.
"She really forfeited!"
"A bumpkin is a bumpkin, someone who has never seen such a grand occasion."
"Isn't this a joke? If she didn't dare to compete, why did she participate in the preliminary selection?"
The venue was filled with shouts of condemnation.
"Zi Zheng, did your sister really forfeit?" You Xiya, holding a large bouquet of flowers, asked Ye Zi Zheng beside her with a bewildered expression, listening to the insults from those around her.
She had specifically accompanied Ye Zi Zheng to watch Yu He's speech.
"I don't know," Ye Zi Zheng said, feeling embarrassed by the question.
At this critical moment, why was Yu He faltering again?!