Chapter 57: So What If You're the Male Lead?

The long weekend came to an end, and as the new week began, the students participating in the gala entered an intense rehearsal phase.

The gala, originally scheduled for Monday, had been abruptly pushed back by a week. The school explained that this adjustment was made to accommodate the school board's schedule.

Other students were indifferent; any time was fine for the gala as long as it meant skipping classes.

Only Gu Qing was extremely unhappy!

"Jiang Changyuan, how do you think we should design the entrance here?"

During a break between classes, Su Yingying walked over to Jiang Changyuan's desk to ask, her face flushed red like a ripe little apple.

Jiang Changyuan, who had been intently feeling the male lead's lingering resentment, glanced up and replied casually, "This part is Romeo climbing the balcony. The school will let us practice on the actual stage in the next few days."

"What—what—what about the kissing part?"

"Kissing?!"

Jiang Changyuan finally snapped back to reality, his abrupt voice earning him strange looks from the entire class.

As expected, the school bully had used the excuse of performing an opera all along just to take advantage of Su Yingying!

Two fiery dragons suddenly shot out from Gu Qing's calm gaze, looking ready to burn Jiang Changyuan to ashes.

"What kissing?"

Closing the script with a swift movement, Jiang Changyuan slammed it onto the desk with a serious expression.

"Su Yingying, I must criticize you for this."

"As students, our primary task is studying. How can you think about things outside of academics?"

"I... but..."

Startled by Jiang Changyuan's sudden sternness, Su Yingying was left speechless. But Jiang Changyuan had completely misunderstood her!

"Why aren't you back to studying yet?"

"Oh."

Clutching her script, Su Yingying returned to her seat looking deeply wronged. Clearly, she had wanted to ask if they could skip the kissing part.

Seeing this, Gu Qing's tensed body relaxed. If Jiang Changyuan had dared to bully Su Yingying just then, he definitely would have rushed over to beat him to a pulp.

Jiang Changyuan, who had successfully shooed her away, was also secretly terrified. Damn it, if he had actually kissed the female lead, wouldn't the male lead have fought him to the death?

It was all Gao Jie's fault for insisting on choosing some ridiculous opera!

Thinking of this, Jiang Changyuan shot a fierce glare at the culprit.

Gao Jie caught his gaze. After a second of astonishment, she lowered her head slightly, completing a shy yet adoring smile within a split second.

Young Master Jiang had looked at her! That proved all her efforts were worth it!

Indeed, sincerity between people was just another strategy.

However, the reality was that winking in the dark is like winking at a blind man; Jiang Changyuan had already withdrawn his gaze.

Living in days where he was forced to play along with the female lead while enduring the male lead's hostile yet powerless glares, a miserable Jiang Changyuan finally ushered in the opening of the gala.

"Students, let us give a warm welcome to the school board members gracing our gala with their presence."

Amidst thunderous applause, Zhou Caiyi straightened her back as she sat in the front row, just behind the school's top three executives and right alongside Jiang's parents.

In the past, she sat far in the back, barely able to catch a glimpse of the back of the school board members' heads. How could she ever have hoped to sit in the front row?

And all of this was because Jiang Changyuan was different now!

This time, Principal Pei surprisingly didn't waste any breath. He trotted happily back to his seat and enthusiastically greeted Jiang's parents.

The campus construction investment for the second half of the year depended entirely on this gala—or rather, entirely on Jiang Changyuan's finale performance.

"Jiang Changyuan, I'm nervous."

Backstage, Su Yingying was at a loss, having never participated in such a performance before.

Jiang Changyuan secretly rolled his eyes. Earlier, it had seemed like she was the most enthusiastic person watching others rehearse.

"I've already mentally prepared myself for you dragging me down."

"Why are you so mean? Can't you just wish for me to do well?"

"What if you don't perform well? Anyone who dares say we did a bad job will answer to my fists!"

"Jiang Changyuan, you can't be like this..."

Just on the other side of the curtain, Gu Qing, who had been assigned to maintain order, had a face as dark as iron.

Throughout the week, Jiang Changyuan and Su Yingying had been inseparable, moving together like conjoined twins from tutoring sessions to rehearsals.

This left Gu Qing feeling deeply depressed. What kind of magic did Jiang Changyuan possess that made Su Yingying, who used to cling to him, choose to rely on him instead?

Soon, it was time for the finale. After the host finished reading the script, it was time for Jiang Changyuan and Su Yingying to take the stage.

"Jiang Changyuan, I—I'm still nervous."

She was about to go on stage, yet she was still nervous as hell!

Jiang Changyuan was utterly speechless. His dad was a school board member; even if they just went up there barking like dogs, the principal would still lead the applause.

"Come on, follow me. Deep breath, exhale, deep breath..."

"Pfft, Jiang Changyuan, you're so funny."

The breathing exercise didn't calm Su Yingying's nerves, but Jiang Changyuan's expressionless yet comical appearance amused her instead.

Just then, the host finished speaking. As Su Yingying started getting nervous again, Jiang Changyuan didn't give her a chance to speak and pushed her toward the stage.

Seeing his son appear, Zhong Qing's eyes instantly lit up as she pulled out her phone and started snapping pictures wildly.

Principal Pei immediately sidled up to Jiang Zheng国 and showered Jiang Changyuan with extravagant praises. His varied compliments caused the vice-principal, Director Lu, and Zhou Caiyi to glance over repeatedly.

Principal Pei, we never took you for this kind of person!

Shortly after, they joined the praise squad as well.

On stage, under Jiang Changyuan's steady guidance, Su Yingying gradually settled into her performance—right up until the balcony-climbing scene...

In front of the iron-frame prop, Jiang Changyuan used a bit too much force and jumped too high!

"Ah!"

Su Yingying's suppressed, muffled gasp was still transmitted clearly to everyone through the microphone.

Gu Qing's eyes had been fixed on the stage the entire time, and he clearly saw Jiang Changyuan's lips landing in the wrong place!

"They kissed! Oh, the two of them kissed!"

Someone howled at the top of their lungs, and the principal's lips twitched as he made the wisest choice in the shortest amount of time.

He didn't see anything!

The school's lack of intervention only fueled the youngsters' restless excitement, and wolf-whistles instantly swept through the entire auditorium.

"Young Master Jiang is awesome!"

"Young Master Jiang is truly epic!"

The chubby boy stomped his feet with a flushed face, catching sight of Chen Xiang, who remained as calm as a statue amidst the excitement.

"Academic goddess Chen, why aren't you reacting?"

"Is it because you've never had a girl kiss you in this lifetime, so seeing others kiss makes you feel some kind of empathetic pain?"

Chen Xiang raised her eyelids, her sharp tongue dripping with venom.

The chubby boy scooted his seat a little farther away from Chen Xiang. Then a little farther still.

For a girl like Chen Xiang, joyous occasions simply didn't suit her; funeral vibes were clearly her top preference.

The noisy commotion startled Jiang Changyuan, his expression twisting for a second.

His first kiss!

The murderous gaze from the side was impossible to ignore, but Jiang Changyuan bit the bullet and continued acting.

"Oh, my Juliet..."

Su Yingying's face flushed a deep red, a mix of shyness, annoyance, and an indescribable, complex emotion.

After the mishap, the two of them made no more mistakes. Next came the school board member's speech, followed by the principal's enthusiastic hype.

Backstage, Jiang Changyuan calmly changed his clothes while silently wailing inside.

Damn it! Why had his precisely calculated height calculation turned out to be so precise that it landed right on the female lead's lips?

Nearby, Su Yingying bit her lower lip, the rosy blush on her face yet to fade.

"Um..."

Suddenly, the curtain was rudely yanked open. Gu Qing marched straight in with clenched fists, a gathering storm written all over his face.

Without a word, he rushed up to Jiang Changyuan and threw a hefty punch. Jiang Changyuan, who had just turned his head, inevitably took the hit.

Already feeling irritable, Jiang Changyuan instantly flared up and threw a punch right back.

So what if he was the male lead?