The girls in the prime of their youth swayed gracefully, exuding the charm of adolescence.
Adorned in exquisite dresses, their figures were both elegant and captivating.
Beautiful faces and good figures—dance performances always stirred passionate excitement in the audience.
Although Su Yao no longer felt that rush, she still couldn’t help but watch.
No matter one’s biological gender, people naturally enjoy watching beautiful things.
Of course, there was another reason behind her gaze: Mu Nanqiu was also part of the dance club.
Theoretically, Mu Nanqiu should be dancing too.
However, as a young lady of noble birth, she hardly ever needed to take the stage in revealing costumes.
Most of the time, Mu Nanqiu was reserved and modest, rarely flaunting herself.
Knowing this, Su Yao still couldn’t stop herself from fantasizing about a private stage where she was the only audience, watching Mu Nanqiu dance alone…
Ugh, how embarrassing~
Even though the dancer in her mind was Mu Nanqiu, Su Yao herself felt bashful.
After a brief pause, she redirected her attention back to the stage.
Her eyes drifted to the corner opposite her, where a grand piano sat and a beautiful figure was elegantly poised.
The distance was too great to see clearly, so Su Yao picked up her camera, zooming in and in until she finally spotted Mu Nanqiu.
Mu Nanqiu wore a finely crafted, luxurious black gown.
Draped over her shoulders was a dark-toned shawl, blending subtly.
Her long hair wasn’t tied up but flowed over her shoulders.
Her delicate hands moved steadily across the piano keys, producing enchanting music.
The image Su Yao saw through the camera was still blurry due to the distance and the slightest hand tremor.
It was just like when she’d tried to film with her phone earlier—lacking any refined atmosphere.
Sometimes, the dancers’ bodies and legs blocked her view, forcing her to wait for them to shift before refocusing.
Two minutes had already passed—how long was this dance supposed to last? Just a few minutes, yet she’d already spent two minutes struggling to capture the shot!
Frustration began to simmer in Su Yao’s heart.
What to do? she asked herself.
The answer was obvious: she just needed a little courage.
Taking a deep breath, Su Yao glanced back at the audience.
Most people were quietly focused on the stage.
This showed how dance—especially when performed by pretty girls with great figures—captivated attention.
She looked back at the stage, fully aware that time was running out.
Her restless thoughts made her uneasy.
She and Mu Nanqiu had agreed she would take some good photos, so she had come here not to disappoint her.
With determination, she jumped down from the Couch onto the floor.
The girl with the camera nearby saw Su Yao jump down and curiously asked, “Done shooting?”
Su Yao glanced at her and then, carrying the Couch, dashed along the edge of the stage, leaving behind a confused look.
She ran forward and forward.
As she approached the front, more and more people came into view.
There were dozens of photographers and videographers busily at work—some operating large equipment, others carrying small cameras, and a few with walkie-talkies issuing orders.
When Su Yao arrived, several eyes briefly glanced her way, but they quickly returned to their tasks.
Serious and tense—that was the atmosphere of this front line.
Just stepping into it gave Su Yao a strong sense of urgency, but she had no time to think much.
She kept her head down and pushed forward.
Passing through this crowd, carrying a bright red plastic Couch made her stand out like a beacon.
Almost everyone’s gaze followed her, but Su Yao had already blocked out such awareness, focusing solely on reaching her designated spot before it was too late…
On the stage, Mu Nanqiu felt a surge of irritation.
If she didn’t see Su Yao by the end, she vowed to find her that night and give her a good talking-to—teach her a lesson.
The dance wasn’t long—less than five minutes—and soon it was coming to an end.
As Mu Nanqiu’s delicate, beautiful hands gradually stilled to the gentle and tranquil melody, she scanned the audience from one end to the other.
Her mood sank with each empty glance, not finding the person she wished to see, until…
Closer to the front, a small head appeared, holding a camera pointed her way.
When Su Yao saw Mu Nanqiu looking at her through the lens, she waved her hand.
She noticed a slight ripple pass over Mu Nanqiu’s face—an emotion barely visible, not recognized but felt.
Click.
She captured the moment forever.
Standing in the shadows, Su Yao’s eyes shone as she quietly watched Mu Nanqiu’s silhouette.
The black gown clung to her figure, outlining her enchanting curves.
That graceful waist stirred Su Yao’s heart, even sparking an instinctive thought of wrapping her arms around her.
She tried to flush the thought away, but then considered—maybe someday, it really could happen?
Suddenly, she couldn’t stop herself from smiling foolishly.
Listening to Mu Nanqiu’s performance just now had been truly wonderful.
Su Yao hadn’t focused much on the dancing but found it great too.
Glancing at the girls on stage who were already shivering a bit—thin skirts, form-fitting—the cold must be unbearable.
But all for beauty’s sake, it was understandable.
She thought to herself, in this weather, wearing thick clothes would be better.
Then she looked again at Mu Nanqiu, who was already standing to leave the stage, and silently said, “Senior, you’re wearing so little? Don’t catch a cold!”
After the thanks, Mu Nanqiu left the stage amid her entourages.
Su Yao quietly watched their backs and suddenly had a strange idea:
Let her dance, with Mu Nanqiu accompanying on piano…
No, no, no, better not!
Embarrassed by her own unrealistic thought, Su Yao quickly jumped down from the Couch and grabbed it, running back the way she came.
Her speed this time was even faster, drawing surprised exclamations from nearby upperclassmen.
“Huh, that young one?!”
When a strong expectation takes root in her heart, she no longer cares about anything else, only thinking about sneaking out with Mu Nanqiu tonight!
She put the Couch back in its original place and headed straight backstage.
“Teacher Zhang, Su Yao’s missing.
We asked around, and no one saw a boy with a camera, but there was a girl…”
“Uh… okay, got it.”
Zhang Li rubbed her temples, feeling a headache coming on.
Su Yao had been here just a moment ago and then vanished.
She’d already sent students out to search several times with no luck.
Her gaze inevitably shifted to Luo Yu, who had just returned from outside.
“Luo Yu, you really don’t know where Su Yao is?”
Luo Yu remained calm and shook her head.
That determined look said it all—she probably knew but wasn’t telling.
Zhang Li tried all sorts of coaxing but to no avail, sighing helplessly inside.
This bunch never made things easy.
A colleague had told her before that being close to students was good for a Class Advisor, but not too close—otherwise, you’d lose authority and managing them would be troublesome.
This seemed exactly like their situation.
“Well, I won’t make things difficult for you.”
Zhang Li’s words meant she was letting Luo Yu off the hook.
Only after Luo Yu was out of earshot did she relax.
She hadn’t expected the Class Advisor to care so much about Su Yao’s whereabouts.
Many other students had secretly slipped away too, but Zhang Li only asked about Su Yao on the chat platform, indifferent to whether she got a reply or not.
Seeing another boy run up to report to the teacher, Luo Yu pouted.
The place was huge—it was impossible to find someone like that.
She figured Su Yao must be safe.
Not coming back just meant she’d gone to find Senior Mu and was having a good time—there was no problem.
Thinking that Su Yao was out taking photos made Luo Yu eager to see what shots she’d captured.
Honestly, if she could, she’d rather be out there in the Waiting Area, watching the older girls’ long legs and slim waists.
In the cold winter, that was the best way to warm up.
So, why did she have to join this kind of event anyway!
While she was grumbling, a figure blocked her way.
Luo Yu froze when she saw who it was.
“Hello there~”
Zhang Li was chatting with several teachers who could perform onstage.
By now, it was no competition—they were colleagues, casually discussing the students who didn’t make things easy, passing time during this unbearable wait.
Originally, there had been seven or eight teachers, but several had already left.
Only three remained, all female.
The conversation drifted to their personal lives when suddenly a boy rushed over shouting to Zhang Li.
“Teacher, something’s wrong! You have to come quick!”
Hearing the voice, Zhang Li looked over.
Seeing it was one of her students, her previously relaxed expression turned tense.
First a missing student, and now what?
She asked urgently, “What’s going on?”
“They’re fighting.”
The boy, breathless, managed only four words.
Zhang Li frowned and quickly headed toward her class’s area.
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