Chapter 151: Yuan Weiye's Spring (Part Two)

A very interesting scene unfolded at the entrance of the Class One classroom. A tall, broad-shouldered young man stood with his head bowed and his face glowing crimson, daring not to make a single movement, resembling a bashful young bride. Opposite him stood a pretty, charming girl who could barely suppress her amusement. These two individuals were none other than Yuan Weiye and Lin Anni.

Lin Anni rolled her beautiful eyes, looking the young man up and down. Noticing that Yuan Weiye's neck had turned beet red, she finally could no longer hold back her laughter. "Giggle! Do I really look that terrifying? You don't even dare cast a single glance at me."

"N... no... You don't look terrifying... You're... very pretty," Yuan Weiye stammered hurriedly, lifting his head.

However, his words only made Lin Anni laugh even more uncontrollably. Countless people had praised her beauty in the past, but none of those compliments had ever brought her such genuine delight.

"Giggle, oh dear! My stomach hurts from laughing so much. Well, thank you for saving me the other day," Lin Anni said, clutching her stomach and taking a deep breath before composing her expression slightly and looking straight at Yuan Weiye.

Yet, upon hearing this, Yuan Weiye reacted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, jumping straight up.

"It wasn't me who saved you! It was Xiao Lin—the guy who just brought you here."

"What is going on with you two? He told me you were the one who saved me, and now you're telling me it was him. Is saving my life some sort of shameful thing?" Lin Anni pouted in displeasure.

"No... Ah... It really was him who saved you!" Fearing that Lin Anni was angry, Yuan Weiye broke out in a nervous sweat.

Seeing his anxious expression, Lin Anni burst into another fit of laughter. She found this honest and earnest young man immensely endearing.

"Alright, alright. Then tell me what happened back then. I woke up in the hospital, so I had no idea who rescued me." Lin Anni blinked her wide, pretty eyes with an expectant look.

"Well, the situation was like this: didn't you jump into the river? And then I..." Yuan Weiye meticulously recounted every detail of the event, even describing the exact sensations he felt when he plunged into the water.

"Oh, so you're saying that we both survived entirely thanks to Xiao Lin," Lin Anni said thoughtfully after listening to Yuan Weiye's account.

"Still, I have one more question. Why did you jump in to save me even though you knew your swimming skills were poor? Weren't you afraid you'd lose your own life too?"

"Hehe, my mind just went blank, and I jumped in without thinking," Yuan Weiye chuckled sheepishly.

"Very well. Since you were the first to jump in and save me—even though your heroic effort fell just short at the end—you are still my savior. From now on, should you ever need anything, this maiden will gladly brave death itself to assist you." Acting like a character from an ancient drama, Lin Anni cupped her hands in a traditional bow toward Yuan Weiye. For reasons unknown to her, she found herself deeply intrigued by him.

"Ah... No need... Really, no need," Yuan Weiye reached out as if to steady Lin Anni, but halfway through, he abruptly pulled his hand back.

Just as awkwardness threatened to overwhelm him, a cell phone ringtone broke the silence. Lin Anni pulled out her phone and pressed the answer button.

"Anni, get back here immediately! The show is about to start!" a hurried voice blared from the receiver.

"What? I thought it wasn't starting until tonight?"

"We just received notice—it's been moved up. Hurry back!"

"Got it. Hold down the fort for me, I'm on my way," Lin Anni said hastily.

After hanging up, Lin Anni turned to Yuan Weiye and declared, "I have an emergency and must return to school. Give me your number; I'll treat you all to dinner at the Tianxin Hotel this weekend."

"Huh?" Yuan Weiye stood frozen, failing to process her words in time.

"Huh? Hurry up!" Lin Anni handed her phone to him, prompting him to input his number. Like a programmed robot, Yuan Weiye obediently punched his digits into her device.

"Great. Tell the others about the dinner at Tianxin Hotel. Bye-bye!" Leaving behind a lingering trace of subtle fragrance, Lin Anni hurried downstairs.

Yuan Weiye stood rooted to the spot in a daze for a few moments. Seeing that Lin Anni had already gone far away, he finally muttered softly, "Understood." He then walked back into the classroom, only to find everyone staring at him with strange, knowing looks. He touched his face, finding nothing out of the ordinary.

"Is there a flower growing on my face?" Yuan Weiye asked in bewilderment, sparking a fresh wave of laughter throughout the classroom.

Meanwhile, Lin Anni rushed out of Innovation High School, hopped into her car, and pressed down on the accelerator. The engine of her Mini let out a muffled roar, and the vehicle shot forward like an arrow toward the Film Academy. She had returned to classes yesterday after being discharged from the hospital. Because she frequently hosted various campus programs, she had been assigned to emcee an upcoming school event originally scheduled for tonight. She had planned to visit her savior during the afternoon, but the unexpected schedule change forced her to cut her chat with Yuan Weiye short and race back to campus.

However, even with her haste, Lin Anni ran headfirst into a massive traffic jam—navigating gridlock in the capital was a truly nightmarish ordeal. Consequently, when she finally arrived at the school's assembly hall, two hours had already passed, and the show was well underway. She froze in disbelief upon seeing a young girl on stage wearing what was meant to be her own host's outfit and holding her microphone while directing the program.

"Anni! Oh goodness, what took you so long? The show's almost over!" A thin, plain-looking girl hurried over with a look of reproach upon spotting her.

"Lily, who is that girl? Why is she hosting the show?" Lin Anni pointed a finger at the girl on stage, her face etched with confusion.

"Her name is Ma Yunrou, a specially recruited student who entered this year. Word has it she comes from a well-connected background, and she's also in our Performance Department. Hmph, she's no simple character; just a few days after arriving, she managed to push aside the monitor of Performance Class Three and take the position herself. You were originally supposed to host this event, but when Professor Gao looked for you earlier, you weren't on campus. Just as the professor was panicking, she stepped up and volunteered. With no other choice, Professor Gao decided to treat a dead horse like a live one and let her go on. To everyone's surprise, she actually has some genuine talent and is doing a fantastic job. Professor Gao was just praising her a moment ago. Anni, you need to watch out—that girl is fiercely ambitious," the thin girl explained.

"Ma Yunrou... I'll remember that name. Lily, where is Professor Gao? Take me to him so I can explain what happened," Lin Anni murmured the name twice.

"Oh, oh, Professor Gao is backstage," the thin girl replied.

***

Back in the Class One classroom, the final bell had rung, signaling the end of the period. Wang Tao brandished a broom handle like a prop and threatened Yuan Weiye playfully. "Spill! You know the Party's policy: leniency for confession, severity for resistance."

Xu Tong and Liu Xudong chimed in from the sidelines with theatrical shouts of intimidation.

"Oh, cut it out, you guys. She's just the girl we saved last time—her name is Lin Anni," Yuan Weiye said helplessly.

"Lin Anni? You mean that wealthy heiress?" Kang Yan asked from the side.

Yuan Weiye nodded in the affirmative, then suddenly recalled Lin Anni's parting words. "Oh, right, she said she's treating us to dinner at the Tianxin Hotel this weekend to thank us."

"What? Dinner at the Tianxin Hotel? Oh yeah, a luxury feast!" Tan Linlin's eyes lit up instantly at the mention of food.

"Linlin, she meant she's treating those of us who actually saved her. Wasn't you ice skating at the rink back then?" Yuan Weiye added weakly.

"Tsk, so what? Dinners allow plus-ones! I'll just tag along with my Xu Tong," Tan Linlin declared triumphantly, throwing her arms around Xu Tong's neck.

"Weiye, what do you think of this Lin Anni?" Liu Xudong suddenly asked with a serious expression.

"She's great—very pretty, has a wonderful figure, and has a great personality too." As he spoke, Yuan Weiye seemed to recall Lin Anni's silhouette, and a look of infatuation filled his eyes, the exact same gaze he wore when he first encountered Meng Ranran.

"Oh... Is that so? By the way, I suddenly remembered I need to go to the bookstore this weekend, and I already made plans with someone else, so I won't be able to make it to the dinner," Liu Xudong announced with a feigned apologetic tone.

"Wang Tao, didn't you say you were visiting your grandmother this weekend?" Liu Xudong shot a meaningful glance at Wang Tao.

"Huh? When did I—" Wang Tao started in surprise, but catching Liu Xudong's cue, realization dawned on him instantly.

"Right, right! I'm going to see my grandma this weekend, so old Yuan, I'm really sorry. I can't go either."

"What? What an incredible coincidence! What about you, Xu Tong? You surely can't skip it too?" Hearing Liu Xudong and Wang Tao's excuses, Yuan Weiye gasped in shock before turning to Xu Tong.

"Of course I have to..." Xu Tong's refusal was abruptly cut short by a heavy cough from Liu Xudong.

"Um, you know what, I suddenly recall I have matters to attend to this weekend as well. Count me out too. You should invite Xiao Lin instead," Xu Tong swiftly changed his tune.

"What matters could you possibly have? I'm going to eat a big feast!" Tan Linlin growled in dissatisfaction upon hearing Xu Tong's about-face.

"Uh... Linlin, my dear, I have a matter of utmost importance to discuss with you. Step outside with me for a second," Xu Tong said with grave solemnity, gesturing toward the classroom door. Seeing his serious demeanor, Tan Linlin hurriedly followed him out.

"You guys aren't really leaving me to go alone, are you?" Yuan Weiye cried out in dismay.

"Can't be helped, things just collided," Liu Xudong shrugged, walking back to his desk. Meanwhile, Wang Tao gave Yuan Weiye's shoulder a sympathetic pat and heaved a dramatic sigh, feigning utter helplessness.

Left with no other options, Yuan Weiye gritted his teeth and approached Xiao Lin to ask if he would attend. Xiao Lin gave a flat, resolute refusal without offering a single reason.

When Yuan Weiye stubbornly prepared to unleash his ultimate weapon—relentless nagging—Xiao Lin simply delivered a crisp, single-word instruction to get lost, accompanied by a complimentary boot to the rear.