After some deliberation, Leon Chen chose Luo Dayou's song "Childhood." Its slightly shy and gentle melody was perfect for Lily Lin's style. Celia agreed that it was an excellent choice, almost as if it had been tailor-made for the two of them.
However, during rehearsals, Lily Lin couldn't let go of her voice. Even though Leon was only half a meter away, he sometimes couldn't hear her singing. Fortunately, they still had almost two weeks to practice, and having taken the first step, things could only get better.
There was a small incident in the middle of their practice sessions. Cynthia, upon learning that Leon and his roommate Daniel Zhang were part of the US-China hacker battle (even if it was just shouting), suggested a joint dormitory gathering. Remembering his promise to introduce some girls to his roommates, Leon agreed.
On Monday, at the student council:
Emma Shen, as usual, arranged the various tasks of the student council before heading to the president's office. Seeing the empty office, she felt a bit wistful.
Grace Wang wasn't here today.
"Hey, Secretary Emma."
Emma turned around to see a tall, handsome young man with a broad smile. He had rosy lips and white teeth and was quite charming. Emma remembered his name: Jason He, someone with a significant family background.
Standing beside him was another young man who also looked quite impressive.
"What can I do for you, Jason?" Emma asked with a serene smile.
Jason He said, "I heard the welcome party is missing a host? I'd like to introduce someone." He pointed to the young man beside him. "This is William Jiang, my junior. His father is the Minister of the Organization Department in Province A."
"Hello," Emma nodded politely, indifferent to his family background.
William Jiang, however, was somewhat at odds with his name, staring at Emma with unrestrained lust, as if he wished to ravish the gentle classical oriental beauty in front of him.
Jason frowned at his behavior but maintained his smile. "Speaking of which, William and you are from the same hometown. How about we have a meal together and chat?"
"Jason, just tell me what you need," Emma smiled, already showing signs of refusal.
Jason came straight to the point, "It's like this, the welcome party is indeed short of a host, and I want to recommend William."
"My father is the Minister of the Organization Department. I've hosted events from elementary to high school," William said arrogantly, with a sense of entitlement.
"Emma, in Province A, William is quite a talented person. If he hosts the welcome party, it will undoubtedly be spectacular."
Emma immediately saw through their intentions. Although hosting seemed like a minor matter, it could still bring considerable fame, especially for the son of a government minister looking to make a big splash at H University.
Usually, as long as both parties benefited, the student council would turn a blind eye. But this time...
"I'm afraid that's not possible," Emma said regretfully.
The two were stunned. This response was unexpected.
"The host for the welcome party has already been arranged. It will be Leon Chen, recommended personally by the principal," Emma explained.
"Leon Chen?" Jason was even more surprised. "That beastly senior?"
Emma chuckled to herself, thinking that the reputation of the "beastly senior" had indeed spread far and wide.
"It can't be. How could the student council choose him? Even if the principal recommended him, the final decision rests with the student council, right? He was even punished by the student council!" Jason was perplexed.
"Yes, but just a couple of days ago, President Grace Wang also approved it," Emma said gently. "Jason, you should know that President Grace rarely manages student council affairs. If she made this decision, it cannot be changed."
Jason nodded, though he found it hard to comprehend. It was too absurd that Grace Wang would let a beastly senior host the party.
Lost in thought, Jason didn't even know how he bid farewell to Emma. His mind was a mess until William called him back to reality.
"Brother, how could you fail at something as small as securing a host? Who is this Leon Chen?" William complained.
"You don't read the school newspaper?" Jason retorted.
"School newspaper? Who reads that anymore?" William scoffed.
"You'd know more if you spent less time with girls. The school newspaper is full of useful information. As your brother, I'm telling you, we can't mess up. The higher-ups are watching," Jason warned.
William grinned, his carefree attitude making Jason shake his head. Freshmen like him didn't understand the depths of H University. A minister's son was nothing special here. Jason didn't bother explaining further, figuring William would learn soon enough.
"That Emma Shen is a real beauty. Does she have a boyfriend? Introduce us?"
"I can introduce you, but whether it works out is up to you. Just remember, don't break the rules. My advice: stay away from Grace's people."
"Come on, bro. Back in Jiangsu-Zhejiang, we were known as the Four Rogues. What woman haven't we played with? What thing haven't we done? Now we're at H University, and you're acting all scared. Just now, with Emma Shen, you were too respectful for my taste," William sneered.
"Forget the past. Here at H University, you should focus on the future. Anyway, next year I'll be graduating, and I want to leave without trouble."
William laughed. "What's so special about this Grace Wang? You're acting scared of her."
"To be honest, I don't know either. But in our circles, there's a rumor about her."
"What rumor?" William asked, intrigued.
"They say she almost caused a third world war between our central government and the White House… figure that one out yourself."
William was shocked. Too sci-fi to believe—a third world war?
That's something reserved for top leaders.
"What about this Leon Chen?" William swallowed.
Jason frowned. "A nobody I've never heard of. But he's been making quite a stir these past two weeks at H University."
William cursed. "I'm not going to lose to some nobody. That would be embarrassing."
Jason patted his shoulder. "Forget about it. I'll investigate Leon for you. But since Grace Wang chose him, take my advice—don't cause trouble and give up!"
William reluctantly agreed, "Hopefully, this guy has some real background..."
...
The highly-anticipated Leon Chen, who was currently facing the bombardment of his classmates, lamented that a small figure like him shouldn't get involved with a stunning girlfriend. It just wasn't fair...