Chapter 131: Enchanting Night (Part II)

Dong Yanyan gazed at the crystal bracelet on her wrist. It looked familiar—wasn’t this the one he had bought for her a while ago? It truly was beautiful. She leaned against his shoulder, fiddling with the bracelet, unable to tear her eyes away.

"So, where are you planning to go for winter break?" she asked, just to keep the conversation flowing.

"Nowhere," Ren Jiaxuan replied languidly. "I have to record a program at the television station every week. I have absolutely no freedom."

Hearing him say this, Dong Yanyan remembered. While at school, he had hosted an entertainment show at the station; she had seen him on TV a few times during previous breaks.

"That’s great! Doesn't that mean I can see you every week?" she said happily.

Ren Jiaxuan turned her head toward him, gazing at her with deep affection. "But I won’t be able to see you, and I’ll miss you." His eyes shimmered in the dim light, looking impossibly handsome, leaving Dong Yanyan feeling slightly dizzy.

She closed her eyes, resting against his shoulder, and whispered, "I’ll miss you too. If you sneeze one day, that’ll be me thinking of you; if you sneeze twice, it means I’m missing you terribly; and if you keep sneezing, you must have caught a cold, so remember to take your medicine!"

Ren Jiaxuan held her, unable to hold back a smile. Then, bowing his head with a playful, roguish look, he said, "Yanyan, we’re about to be apart. I think we should do something to commemorate today."

"You’re so clever! Close your eyes; I have something for you! I made it myself." Covering his eyes with one hand, she fished a Chinese knot out of her pocket with the other and placed it in his palm.

"Let me see!" Ren Jiaxuan moved her hand away and held up the knot. It consisted of two intertwined hearts, with a capital "R" stitched into the center of one and a capital "D" into the other—the initials of their surnames.

"You made this yourself? I’ll have to keep this safe; it’s so meaningful!" He said, attaching it to his car keys.

"I’ll give you my home address, too, so you can write to me when you have time. My parents never check my mail anyway. If it’s inconvenient for you, I won’t write or call." Dong Yanyan said, being very considerate.

"That won’t do; you have to call me! Tell you what, let’s come up with a code so my mom won’t suspect anything if she eavesdrops," Ren Jiaxuan laughed. "By the way, when is your birthday? I need to prepare a gift in advance."

"Me? It’s the ninth day of the twelfth lunar month! Not many days left!" Dong Yanyan laughed.

"You should have told me earlier! Why don't you stay until after your birthday? I’ll find a place for you to stay," Ren Jiaxuan said, wrapping his arm around her shoulders.

Dong Yanyan shook her head. "I can’t. My train ticket for tomorrow is already booked, and I’m leaving right after the New Year’s gala. Besides, my parents miss me."

"You’re leaving tomorrow? Can’t you stay one more day?" Ren Jiaxuan asked with some dissatisfaction.

"If I stay an extra day, who’s going to carry my bags? Without those fellow students, I wouldn’t even be able to squeeze onto the train," Dong Yanyan said, holding his hand with a smile.

Ren Jiaxuan took her hand and placed it in his palm. "Yanyan, your hands are so small. I can cover them with just one of mine. Look..."

His voice was impossibly gentle. Dong Yanyan could feel his agitation and fervor. Sensing her unease, Ren Jiaxuan thoughtfully rolled down the window, letting in a breath of crisp, cold air mixed with scattered snowflakes. Dong Yanyan looked back at him, puzzled. Ren Jiaxuan wrapped his arms around her waist, crossing his hands in front of her, and interlaced his fingers with hers.

"Open the window and look at the stars. They’re bright tonight, aren't they?" he said with a soft smile.

"Yes! The happiest thing in the world is watching the stars together." Dong Yanyan tilted her head, gazing at the twinkling stars outside the window. Youth was so beautiful, love was so beautiful—everything felt surreal, like a dream. Since being with him, her life had transformed from the uneven sine waves of the past into a vivid musical score, with every day becoming a dancing, colorful note.

"When the night is still, as the stars and moon drift across the sky, emotions surge like the tide; if your heart hasn't frozen, please hum this lingering saxophone melody with me, and tonight, softly drift into my dreams..."

***

The next day, the New Year’s gala officially began at 1:30 PM. By 1:00 PM, students from every class were in their seats in the sixth-floor auditorium, and the teachers were seated in the front rows, creating a lively atmosphere.

There were four hosts for the evening: Lin Mei, a senior from the '96 production class; Qu Dongliang, a senior from the '96 broadcasting class; and Ren Jiaxuan and Du Jingxuan from the '97 broadcasting class.

Taking advantage of the lull before the gala, Lin Mei and Qu Dongliang chatted with the beauty Yang, while Ren Jiaxuan helped Du Jingxuan find some bricks—to stand on. Lin Mei was simply too tall; to keep the height difference from being too obvious, Du Jingxuan had to resort to some tricks behind the podium.

Song Mingcheng was in the wings with Wang Yunpeng and Yu Bin, adjusting the sound equipment.

To make it easier to get on stage, Dong Yanyan and the other students performing sat in the first two rows. She had specially rented a magician’s costume for the day—a black and white outfit with large ruffles at the collar and cuffs. Yang Lili and the others had changed into their performance costumes early, wearing down jackets over them.

"Yanyan, this outfit looks so sharp on you!" Yang Ruining said, hugging her shoulders. Because she was performing an Indian dance, her costume was a provocative golden bodice and low-waisted skirt that exposed her chest, waist, and navel. With her fiery figure, Dong Yanyan felt like she might get a nosebleed just sitting next to her.

"Your outfit is so sexy," Dong Yanyan said, helping her zip up her down jacket. "Don't catch a cold." More importantly, the two "lechers"—one old, one young—sitting in the front row kept glancing back in their direction. The big lecher was, of course, Old Tang, and the little lecher was his prize student, Teacher Liu Qing!

The thick curtains over the windows were drawn, the stage lights came up, and the four hosts strode onto the stage, radiant. "The wind and rain send off the spring, the flying snow welcomes the spring; respected teachers, dear classmates, Happy New Year!"

"On this day as we bid farewell to the old and welcome the new, let us offer our best and most sincere blessings. Next, we invite the students of the '96 broadcasting class to perform their group dance, '365 Blessings'!" After Lin Mei finished the introduction, the hosts retreated to the side. The music for '365 Blessings' began, and the beauties of the '96 broadcasting class took the stage. The greatest educational value of this song was that, back then, even primary school children learned that a clock rotates 1,440 times a day; the lyricist must have been excellent at math.