The girl didn't respond to him but suddenly extended her delicate hand and introduced herself, "Nice to meet you officially, I'm Xu Mingxue, a student majoring in art and design from the class of '04."
Xu Xiuwen politely shook her hand, noting how smooth and pleasant her skin felt. "I'm Xu Xiuwen," he said.
With a smile, Xu Mingxue added, "I already knew your name; we were family five hundred years ago. You don't have to give me the cold shoulder now, right?"
Xu Xiuwen felt a bit embarrassed by her remark, but her smiling face indicated she wasn't bothered.
After a brief laugh, Xu Mingxue continued, "Oh well, enough teasing. You should remember me, right? I hosted the freshmen welcome party at the university."
Upon hearing this, Xu Xiuwen finally remembered who she was. He hadn't paid much attention before, but comparing her now to the glamorous hostess from that night, it was hard to connect the two.
Realizing Xu Mingxue was the hostess, Xu Xiuwen figured out why Jiang Yin had sent her to find him. He felt grateful to Jiang Yin, although he didn't know she hadn't specifically instructed Xu Mingxue to come.
Xu Mingxue and Jiang Yin were close friends, and Jiang Yin had insisted Xu Mingxue couldn't refuse. This sparked Xu Mingxue's curiosity, leading her to find Xu Xiuwen's schedule and locate him in the classroom on her own.
Unaware of Xu Mingxue's curiosity about his relationship with Jiang Yin, Xu Xiuwen said, "Mingxue, please forgive my oversight; I didn't recognize you earlier."
Xu Mingxue lightly chuckled, "It's okay, many people don't recognize me."
Xu Xiuwen continued, "In that case, on behalf of the entire Management and Engineering Department, I welcome you to participate in our department's welcome party. Besides you, I can't think of anyone else suitable for the role of the female host."
Xu Mingxue rolled her eyes at his flattery, clearly not entirely convinced.
Nevertheless, she didn't refuse, nodding and saying, "Last year and this year, I hosted the university's welcome party. Next year, I probably won't be on stage anymore. This should be my last time hosting, hopefully, I won't disappoint you."
Xu Xiuwen laughed, "How could you? I've seen your skills firsthand; I have complete confidence in your abilities."
Xu Mingxue wasn't swayed by his flattery. She soberly said, "Alright, since you agree, let's leave it at that. Let's exchange numbers, and you can let me know the details later. I'll adjust my schedule accordingly."
"Okay, Mingxue. My phone number is 155xxxx4396."
After exchanging numbers, Xu Mingxue left. Xu Xiuwen escorted her out before returning to the classroom.
Back in the classroom, the teacher had already started class.
Sneaking in through the back door, Xu Xiuwen quietly returned to his seat.
The group from 412 immediately leaned in, curious.
Liu Zhihao was the first to ask, "Xiuwen, who was that beautiful girl just now?"
"A friend from the university," Xu Xiuwen replied without revealing Xu Mingxue's identity.
Yang Baishan, noting another beauty visiting Xu Xiuwen, sarcastically remarked, "Xiuwen, you're quite something, getting another beauty."
Xu Xiuwen retorted, "Cut it out! Don't paint me as some playboy. I'm an honest person."
The group from 412 collectively teased him, "You're an honest person? There is no way such a thing is true!"
Their commotion drew the teacher's attention, and they quickly quieted down, pretending nothing happened.
Over the next two days, several female students from the Management and Engineering Department signed up for performances.
When Xu Xiuwen received the program list, he was speechless.
"No, there are too many musical performances. This is a welcome party, not a concert."
Xu Xiuwen ruthlessly cut almost ninety percent of the programs.
Even then, he wasn't entirely satisfied with the remaining six or seven performances. It was a case of making do with what was available.
The only performances he felt confident about were Shen Minyao's singing and Bai Yue'er's dance.
He couldn't help but sigh, "Are there no better options?"
The class monitors all looked helpless.
Xu Xiuwen understood he couldn't blame them or their classmates.
Everyone was enthusiastic and eager to participate, but the lack of talent led to too many repetitive and mediocre performances.
He sighed, "It looks like we'll have to go with our contingency plan and seek outside help."
He looked at the four class monitors and said, "Mobilize the students in your classes, encourage them to bring in friends with exceptional talents."
The class monitors naturally agreed.
After a brief impromptu meeting, Xu Xiuwen felt he couldn't just wait around.
He thought for a moment and remembered he had recently made acquaintances in the neighboring Arts Institute.
During their time on the film set, they had a good relationship, especially with Hang Fei. Since they were closer, he decided to contact Hang Fei first, believing he could persuade them to help.
Hang Fei readily agreed when he understood Xu Xiuwen's request.
Later that afternoon, he received a message from Hang Fei: Everyone is willing to help out, but they need some guidance on what performances to prepare.
So Xu Xiuwen asked Hang Fei to gather everyone.
That afternoon, at a restaurant near the Arts Institute, Xu Xiuwen treated the students to a meal.
The atmosphere was lively, with toasts going around.
The students from the Arts Institute formed a close-knit group, taking turns to toast Xu Xiuwen.
Even though Xu Xiuwen was known for his tolerance of alcohol, he couldn't keep up with so many toasts and soon felt a bit tipsy.
Thankfully, Hang Fei noticed and called a halt in time.
Once they stopped, the students began to toast each other.
Despite the heavy drinking, Xu Xiuwen felt it was a worthwhile trip. They managed to secure seven performances, including guzheng, sketch comedy, ballet, street dance, and even a girl who could sing Huangmei opera.
Being from Anhui province himself, Xu Xiuwen greatly appreciated Huangmei opera, so he immediately decided to include it in the program.
Xu Xiuwen felt it was a fruitful trip to the Arts Institute and a worthwhile dinner. He was pleased with the outcome.
He immediately wanted to tell Cheng Lu and hear her voice.
After sitting by the roadside for a while, allowing the cool breeze to clear his head, he stood up and headed towards the Jiaotong University.
He didn't call Cheng Lu because even if she was in her dorm, she might not come down if he called.
He went straight to the Literary and Art Department's activity room, hoping for a stroke of luck.
Fortunately, luck was on his side.
Cheng Lu was practicing dance alone in the activity room.