stonecrandall Page 164
Page 164
"Are all those lakes at the foot of the mountain private property?" asked Shen Feifei, the freckled girl, curiously.
"Yes." The Secret Service bought a large tract of land around the Kassel College.
Shen Feifei then asked, "Is there a big difference between the scenery of the Great Lakes and Yangcheng Lake?"
They had visited Yangcheng Lake during a team-building activity before.
Gu Ran said, "The vegetation along the lake shore is different, but the fish in the water are probably all similar, except there aren't as many hairy crabs."
He recounted how the Americans introduced domestic fish such as grass carp and common carp to control algae in their lakes.
The three chatted for a while longer, and the performance was about to begin.
The stands were packed; those who couldn't find seats stood in empty spaces, seemingly to catch a glimpse of someone.
Just then, a boy carrying a large bouquet of flowers jogged to the front row.
"Dong Jiayi, flowers!" He handed the flowers to Dong Jiayi, panting.
Seeing this, the surrounding boys assumed he was trying to pursue Dong Jiayi, and started cheering, "Wuhu!!!"
Dong Jiayi blushed a little at the teasing. She was beautiful with delicate features, wheat-colored skin, and black, shiny hair.
She said to the people around her, "What are you yelling about? The flowers aren't for me!"
She took the flowers and handed them to Gu Ran.
The boy was a little stunned.
Gu Ran stood up with a smile, took the roses, and explained, "These flowers are for bringing on stage later."
"Oh—" The boy was finally relieved.
Gu Ran patted the boy on the shoulder: "Bro, thanks. How much was it? I'll pay you back."
The boy hesitated slightly, glancing at Dong Jiayi beside him: "No...no need, it's not much money."
Gu Ran glanced at him and noticed that the clothes he was wearing were not designer brands, or even brand names. His shoes were also unfamiliar brands, not even the national brands that had been featured on TV.
He could tell from the boy's eyes that he liked Dong Jiayi and wanted to put on a show of face in front of the girl.
So he laughed and said, "That won't do. The flowers are for my girlfriend. If she knows that I'm spending someone else's money, she'll think I'm not thoughtful."
Dong Jiayi also said, "Just tell me how much it is already!"
"Not really... not much, just one hundred and sixty-eight," the boy said somewhat embarrassedly.
Gu Ran said seriously, "I think 168 is already a lot. We are all students and we all spend our parents' money. We should think about how long our parents have to work to earn 168."
As he spoke, he took out 170 yuan from his wallet and handed it to the boy.
The boy was taken aback by Gu Ran's words, then nodded as if he had been taught a lesson.
"I'll give you your change." The boy took out two yuan from his pocket and gave it to Gu Ran.
Gu Ran accepted it without hesitation.
The two girls, Dong Jiayi and Shen Feifei, didn't think Gu Ran was petty; they just thought he was honest and sensible.
Dong Jiayi said to the boy, "Okay, that's all for you. You can go now."
"Oh..." The boy seemed a little disappointed.
Seeing this, Gu Ran smiled and said, "I see there are still seats here. If you're not busy, why don't you stay and be part of the cheering squad?"
"Okay, okay, I'm fine, I have time later..." the boy quickly said.
"Oh, then you can sit down," Dong Jiayi said nonchalantly.
Gu Ran sat near the aisle, which would be more convenient when she went out to deliver flowers later.
After the seats were changed, the boy sat next to Dong Jiayi.
The boy gave Gu Ran a grateful look, and then began to introduce himself.
"My name is Deng Guobin."
"I am Gu Ran."
"Gu Ran...you're Gu Ran, Su Xiaoqiang's boyfriend?" Deng Guobin looked at Gu Ran for a while longer. "No wonder you looked familiar."
Gu Ran asked, "Have you seen my photo?"
“Su Xiaoqiang posted your photos on the forum before, and we’ve all seen them.” Deng Guobin and Su Xiaoqiang are also classmates.
At the time, Su Xiaoqiang's online feud was quite sensational. When people saw Gu Ran's photos, the boys would secretly compare her to others to see how amazing this beautiful girl's boyfriend was.
The more you compare, the more unfair the world seems.
Looking at Gu Ran's handsome appearance, Deng Guobin thought that he and Su Xiaoqiang, a beautiful woman and a handsome man, were actually quite a good match.
Dong Jiayi and Shen Feifei felt the same way.
Although Su Xiaoqiang is from a wealthy family, she has a cheerful and easy-going personality and doesn't have any airs of a rich girl. Therefore, she gets along well with the people in the dormitory and has prestige in the class.
When they were in the dormitory, they often heard Su Xiaoqiang talk about her boyfriend, saying how handsome and powerful he was, and that he seemed to know martial arts and was a martial arts master.
He's practically the perfect boyfriend.
Both of them were very envious.
At this moment, a male and a female host came out on the stage of the performance center and began to host tonight's gala.
They first emphasized stage discipline and audience discipline, and then introduced the contestants and the judges responsible for scoring.
Tonight's match also served as a New Year's Eve performance, so we combined them into one event.
After the opening remarks, the first contestant took the stage.
The first contestant was a girl, wearing a very ordinary red sports sweatshirt, and her outfit looked very comfortable.
The girl introduced herself quietly, seemingly a little shy, and then announced her competition piece: "The Road to Heaven".
Anyone who dares to choose this song must be a professional player!
Sure enough, the girl's opening remarks amazed everyone present, and the audience began to applaud.
When she sings, she completely lets loose.
The very first line captivated the audience, revealing the immense effort she had put into her singing.
They have some kind of martial arts training from childhood.
Professional players are banned from participating!
Chapter 198 Summer Breeze
"I don't know if this schedule was intentional, deliberately putting Xiaoqiang after the professional players."
Dong Jiayi walked past Deng Guobin and whispered a complaint to Gu Ran.
They were all worried that the stark contrast would overshadow Su Xiaoqiang.
The two girls were also very close to Su Xiaoqiang.
Gu Ran wasn't worried about this. Although Su Xiaoqiang hadn't formally studied singing, she was still quite good at it.
Moreover, she has a clear understanding of herself and doesn't make pointless comparisons with others.
The song "The Road to Heaven" was quickly finished, and thunderous applause erupted from the audience.
This is respect for the strong!
The judges on the panel were all school teachers, some of whom were music majors. They all gave the girl high praise and a high score.
Then the girl kept whispering "thank you" through the microphone.
After she left the stage, the host began announcing the entry of the next contestant.
"Please welcome the next contestant, Su Xiaoqiang, with piano accompaniment by Liu Miaomiao!"
"Wu hu!" A powerful cheer erupted from the audience, especially from Liu Miaomiao's fan club, who shouted the loudest.
A moment later, all the lights went out, and Su Xiaoqiang, dressed in a black evening gown, slowly walked onto the stage.
Once she was in position, a spotlight shone on her, and everyone who saw her outfit was amazed by her stunning presence.
So beautiful.
The dress was a low-cut, backless dress with a neckband, revealing her snow-white shoulders, alluring collarbones, and smooth back. The dress just passed her knees, exposing her slender, fair legs.
Her figure exudes youthful energy, while her eyes and brows reveal the alluring charm of a mature woman.
Many boys stared wide-eyed.
As for Liu Miaomiao sitting behind her at the piano, she seemed to be there specifically to complement Su Xiaoqiang tonight. Instead of wearing a dress, she wore a white women's suit with her hair in a single ponytail, giving her a somewhat CEO-like aura.
But she has a youthful face, and looks like a secretary learning how to run a company from her mother.
Su Xiaoqiang found her boyfriend in the audience and smiled sweetly at him.
Gu Ran nodded to her, giving her thumbs up with both hands to cheer her on.
"Hello everyone, hello judges, I am Su Xiaoqiang, and behind me is my partner Liu Miaomiao. Today I will be singing 'Summer Wind'."
This is a song sung by singer Landy Wen, and composed by Jay Chou.
The song is about summer romance memories.
At this moment, Gu Ran finally understood why she had dressed up like this today.
The last time she dressed like this was in the summer.
"The July wind is lazy, even the clouds feel warm..."
Accompanied by Liu Miaomiao's piano playing, Su Xiaoqiang began to sing lightly.
Her voice is light and cheerful. Although she has never formally studied singing, her pitch is very good and her pronunciation is clear.
The scene shows two people taking a walk together.
My face gently pressed against your chest.
Hearing a heartbeat...
I care about my temperature, just like the weather.