Chapter 92: The Result of Striving
Chapter Ninety-two: The Result of Striving Hard
An Lingfeng and Ji Xiangyu on stage both looked at Xia Yang, who had rushed over, and then at his dirt-covered appearance, with various doubts written on their faces!
Qing Tian ran to Xia Yang’s side, examined him from head to toe, and then asked with concern, “Xia Yang, what happened?”
Xia Yang looked at the stage and asked, “It seems like it’s already over!”
Qing Tian shook her head, “Not yet, you’ve arrived at the perfect time!”
As soon as Qing Tian finished speaking, someone interjected, “What perfect time? The time passed a second ago. Rules are rules, how can they be changed again and again because of someone’s lateness? If it’s like this, what’s the point of this competition?”
There was no need to guess who said this; it was definitely that annoying Ji Weiwei. Song Shishi stepped forward to push her, but Qing Tian stopped her.
Song Shishi grumbled unhappily, “Sister Qing, let me teach this ignorant brat a lesson!”
Qing Tian shook her head. At this moment, An Lingfeng on stage, after observing the situation, officially announced, “Although Xia Yang arrived, he still didn’t make it within the designated time, so it’s considered an automatic withdrawal. It’s a pity, but rules are rules. Without rules, there’s no order, right!”
A murmur arose from the audience. Some argued that for fairness, Young Master Ji should be declared the winner, while others said that for the competition to be more meaningful, Xia Yang should have a chance to go on stage.
In short, various opinions were expressed from the audience!
Situ Jingyi smiled and walked to Ji Xiangyu’s side. She asked softly, “Yu, what do you think?”
Ji Xiangyu looked at Qing Tian. Qing Tian was so nervous for Xia Yang that she didn’t notice his gaze. Ji Xiangyu said slowly, “I think it’s better not to win too easily; it would be too meaningless.” Qing Tian probably thought the same way. Giving Xia Yang a chance to have an open competition with him, he wasn’t afraid of the outcome changing; he was very confident in himself!
An Lingfeng continued, “Then, on behalf of all students of First High School, I announce the new student union chairman is, is…” An Lingfeng seemed to want to give Xia Yang a chance, pausing at the end, waiting for someone to intervene!
As expected, someone did intervene, “I think it’s necessary to state that I don’t mind Xia Yang coming on stage to officially compete with me. This is not unfair to me, but a respect for my character!”
When Ji Xiangyu said this, he was incredibly cool. His sharp expression, combined with his already piercing eyes, truly captivated a crowd of female fans. Especially his gentlemanly demeanor and his respect for his opponents were truly endearing!
With Ji Xiangyu’s concession, everyone in the audience breathed a sigh of relief.
Xia Yang’s lips curved upwards, and the smile on his face grew wider, “I knew it would be like this!”
Qing Tian was stunned and asked, “What do you mean?”
Xia Yang smiled gently at Qing Tian and said, “I knew you would definitely stall for time for me. Thank you, classmate Qing Tian. It’s great to have you!”
Qing Tian blushed a little from Xia Yang’s sudden enthusiasm, feeling quite embarrassed!
Xia Yang went backstage and began to change into the formal attire Qin Hailan had prepared. It was a set of black, slim-fit, handmade suits, paired with a sky-blue shirt. His hair was also neatly styled. If he had worn sunglasses, he would have been incredibly handsome!
Song Shishi exclaimed from the side, “Xia Yang looks so much more handsome when he’s dressed up properly. He’s several times more handsome than his previous ruffian appearance!”
Qin Hailan retorted, “What are you talking about? He’s cool all the time, okay!”
Song Shishi glanced at Qin Hailan and said earnestly, “Classmate Qin Hailan, I advise you to shift your attention away from Xia Yang. Xia Yang and you are not a good match from any angle! Give up on this idea early!”
Qin Hailan shot Song Shishi a look, “Can you stop being a buzzkill! Honestly… it’s so annoying!”
Song Shishi smiled, watching Qin Hailan’s displeased expression, finding it very amusing to tease Qin Hailan.
Qing Tian walked up to Xia Yang and gently adjusted his bow tie, saying softly as she did so, “Go for it, you can do it!”
Xia Yang replied coolly, “Of course, I’m Xia Yang. Nothing can stump me!”
Qing Tian had become immune to Xia Yang’s thick skin, but she still wanted to chide him, “Can’t you be a little humble?”
Xia Yang replied righteously, “You have to have confidence, don’t you?”
Qing Tian patted the dust off Xia Yang and said speechlessly, “That’s not confidence, that’s narcissism!”
Xia Yang put his arm around Qing Tian’s shoulder and said with a grin, “It’s the same thing, the meaning is similar!”
Qing Tian didn’t argue with Xia Yang about it. After all, having a chance to re-compete was a good thing.
However, Qing Tian didn’t know that Ji Xiangyu was watching the scene of her and Xia Yang interacting so casually. The moment she turned away, Ji Xiangyu also turned his body elsewhere. He saw the difference!
When Xia Yang went on stage, the reaction from the audience was intense. Many fans were screaming with excitement, shouting slogans like “Xia Yang is so handsome” and “Xia Yang is so cool.”
Xia Yang stood on stage, looking down at everyone. At this moment, he understood what Ji Xiangyu felt every time he enjoyed the spotlight. This feeling was truly magical. Standing here, it was as if you owned the whole world, with every corner of the world within your sight.
Xia Yang couldn’t remember the speech he had written yesterday, but he didn’t back down. Instead, he looked at the audience, at Ji Xiangyu, at Qing Tian, and at his own world with full confidence.
“First, I want to ask for everyone’s forgiveness for my lateness. I believe everyone at First High School knows my character. If it weren’t for something unavoidable, I wouldn’t have been late. But I don’t want to explain the reason for this lateness. I hope you can understand me!”
After speaking, he bowed deeply to the students in the audience and remained in that position for a long time.
Qing Tian looked at Xia Yang with complex emotions. What could have caused Xia Yang to miss such an important competition?
Xia Yang continued speaking, but as soon as he started, a student retorted, “Don’t think you can get our forgiveness with this act. If you don’t state the reason, we won’t vote for you today!”
Many people in the audience joined in the heckling, “That’s right, if you don’t explain clearly, don’t expect our support…”
More and more people stood up and protested.
Xia Yang frowned, his gaze turning cold as he looked at the protesters. Those people seemed to be intimidated by Xia Yang’s powerful aura. The voices of protest grew quieter, and some even stammered, “You’re scolding me, I, I also…”
Xia Yang sighed and directly explained to the audience, “It’s okay. Facts speak louder than words. I have a clear conscience about what I’ve done. You want an explanation, right? Can you please not dwell on this issue? What’s the key point now? The election…”
Then, someone from the audience shouted, “Stop beating around the bush and admit it. You were late because you were fighting with someone. Look at your appearance just now, you clearly had a fight!”
Xia Yang tried his best to suppress his urge to explode, closing his eyes and waiting for these people to finish speaking. He thought they would continue to chatter endlessly, but unexpectedly, the entrance door opened. Everyone’s attention snapped towards the entrance, where the spotlight once again focused on a small figure standing there.
Everyone started discussing, “Who is this little brat?”
Qing Tian was also full of questions. Xia Yang, on the other hand, looked surprised and said, “Why is a little brat at school?”
Amidst everyone’s confusion, the little brat walked step by step towards the stage, extended his hand, and presented several pages of paper to Xia Yang. Xia Yang looked at the little brat with confusion.
The little brat said to everyone, “This great person was late because he saved me. It’s all my fault!”
The audience collectively let out a long “Oh.”
The little brat shouted loudly, “This great person was late because of me. This morning on my way to school, I was extorted by some uncles. This big brother saved me, defeating dozens of uncles by himself. This big brother is a good person, he’s a good person.”
The little brat spoke so much at once, and Xia Yang actually smiled. He had initially been worried that the child might have been traumatized and unable to speak. He had left after taking him to the hospital. He didn’t expect the little brat to come to school. It seemed he was quite loyal!
The audience once again let out a synchronized “Oh,” still drawing out the sound.
The little boy’s expression was firm as he pleaded with everyone, “Please forgive this big brother. He was late because of me. I beg you.”
After the little boy finished, he bowed 90 degrees. The moment was silent for two to three seconds, and then, led by someone, thunderous applause erupted from the audience.
The little boy smiled, Xia Yang smiled, Qing Tian also smiled, and everyone present smiled. It felt wonderful!
Xia Yang looked towards the backstage and smiled at Qing Tian. Ji Xiangyu, standing nearby, watched the two interacting intimately with a blank expression, feeling a pang in his heart.
The appearance of the little boy saved Xia Yang’s image in the eyes of his classmates. Everyone cast their votes in favor. Consequently, during the talent show, the atmosphere reached its peak. Coupled with the high-energy song performed by Xia Yang and Hu Zi, the event felt like Xia Yang’s exclusive concert.
Regardless of the outcome, the process was truly memorable!
Next was the voting time for everyone, which was the most tense moment. Each person held a marble, and whoever they supported, they would place the marble into the transparent basket in front of them. This segment was conducted fairly, justly, and openly, with no room for deception.
As time passed, the vote count reached the final stage. The tellers reported the numbers:
“Xia Yang’s support votes: 5000”
“Ji Xiangyu’s support votes: 5000”
As soon as the results were announced, everyone questioned, “Didn’t they say the votes would be an odd number? How could it be a tie?”
An Lingfeng exclaimed exaggeratedly into the microphone, “The situation is very grim. The two are tied! Who didn’t vote? Who, who is it?”
Everyone in the audience was in a state of confusion. Finally, Ji Weiwei pointed at Qing Tian and said, “She didn’t vote! But the result is obvious, she clearly has a personal agenda!”
Qing Tian tightly gripped the marble in her hand and walked towards the stage under everyone’s gaze. She reached the voting area, looked at Ji Xiangyu, then at Xia Yang, and her heart already had an answer. She cried out in her heart: Forgive me for being selfish this once, I just want to do what I believe is right!
Chapter Ninety-three: An Expected Result
Everyone watched as Qing Tian placed the final marble, which would decide the winner, into Ji Xiangyu’s basket. Many people covered their mouths in surprise, and even Ji Weiwei couldn’t believe her eyes.
Ji Xiangyu looked at Qing Tian gently. He hadn’t expected Qing Tian to cast the crucial vote for him. His heart leaped with joy.
Xia Yang frowned, looking at Qing Tian, completely unable to understand. Why? She had been supporting him all along. Why would she vote for Ji Xiangyu at such a critical moment? Did it mean her kindness towards him was only superficial?
Xia Yang shook his head. It was absolutely impossible. Qing Tian would never do such a thing, never.
While everyone was shocked, An Lingfeng raised Ji Xiangyu’s hand and said excitedly, “As expected, Young Master Ji is the ultimate king! Congratulations to Ji Xiangyu for taking the lead!”
He then turned to Xia Yang and also raised his hand, “However, First High School has another rule: the other candidate will serve as vice president. You two work hard!”
Xia Yang pulled his hand away, refusing, “I disagree!”
An Lingfeng said with a grin, “This is not something you can decide. If you participate in the election, you must serve. The term is one year!”
Xia Yang’s jaw dropped in surprise. What kind of ridiculous rule was this? He clearly didn’t want to join the student union. He only participated in this election because Ji Xiangyu provoked him. Wait… could it be that Ji Xiangyu had known about this all along and deliberately set a trap for him?
At this moment, Ji Xiangyu happened to walk towards him, extended his hand, and said friendly, “Well then, classmate Xia Yang, please take care of me in the future!”
Xia Yang slapped Ji Xiangyu’s hand away and asked, “You planned this whole scheme? I won’t participate!”
Ji Xiangyu withdrew his hand and said playfully, “Xia Yang, honestly, I’m looking forward to working with you. Please guide me, Vice President!”
Xia Yang groaned. How could there be such an overbearing clause? He was considered a big shot at First High School, but seeing the expectant faces of so many fans in the audience, he finally endured it.
The two glared at each other amidst a strong electric current!
At this moment, Qing Tian walked up to Xia Yang and apologized, “I’m sorry…”
Xia Yang put his arm around Qing Tian’s shoulder and smiled slightly at her, “It’s okay, I understand!”
Qing Tian still looked at Xia Yang uneasily, nodding uncertainly. She didn’t know if Xia Yang truly understood her actions. She genuinely only wanted to fulfill her grandfather’s dream and have Xia Yang attend the birthday party.
Their interaction was a blinding sight to Ji Xiangyu. He had received Qing Tian’s precious vote, but Xia Yang had received Qing Tian’s true heart. Why? Where had things gone wrong?
Next was the handover ceremony. The former president and former vice president would hand over their respective power rings to the next in line.
The president’s ring was a purple gemstone wrapped with a dragon totem, symbolizing the meaning of a sovereign.
An Lingfeng took off the ring and said with a wicked smile, “Ji Xiangyu, congratulations!”
Ji Xiangyu looked at An Lingfeng with a cool demeanor, confidently watching as An Lingfeng personally placed the ring symbolizing supreme power on him.
The moment the ring was put on, it emitted a golden light. Everything was settled!
Since there was no vice president in the previous term, the vice president’s ring was also in An Lingfeng’s hand. He took off the ring with a green gemstone wrapped with a fierce tiger totem and looked at Xia Yang playfully, saying, “This is not just a ring, but also a responsibility. Assist the president in promoting our First High School!”
Xia Yang looked at the ring shining with green light, couldn’t help but smile, his lips curving into the most perfect arc, and then nodded, “I’ll do my best!”
With Xia Yang’s words, the green gemstone ring was placed on Xia Yang’s hand. The ring sparkled brilliantly under the lights.
Qing Tian watched them, wishing that Xia Yang and Ji Xiangyu could get along harmoniously. This was probably what Grandfather Ji also wished for. When would Ji Xiangyu and Xia Yang truly be able to live together like brothers?
While she was lost in thought, Situ Jingyi walked up to her and said gently, “I didn’t expect you to vote for Yu in the end. Aren’t you afraid Xia Yang will misunderstand? You are dating, after all!”
Qing Tian looked at Situ Jingyi in surprise, wanting to deny this conclusion, but Situ Jingyi’s next sentence made the words stick in her throat, and she swallowed them back.
Situ Jingyi said proudly, “Don’t have any illusions about Yu. Stay by Xia Yang’s side. Yu and I will get married sooner or later. It’s not just me who thinks so; the entire Ji family knows about this engagement. If you want to live out your Cinderella dream of finding a prince, find someone else. At least from my perspective, I won’t let you snatch Yu away. You should know what’s more important, right, classmate Qing Tian!”
Qing Tian looked at Situ Jingyi with amusement. She was smiling as she said this, but why did her words sound so venomous?
Qing Tian endured it, feeling that everything was too sudden. She knew how well-matched Situ Jingyi and Ji Xiangyu were, and she knew they had a good relationship. But why had Ji Xiangyu made promises to her?
Situ Jingyi continued, “Stop guessing. As for why Yu treated you so specially, it’s because I was abroad. But I believe Yu is still devoted to me. Do you think your one or two months of interaction can win his heart? Don’t be naive. If you’re sensible, hold onto Xia Yang tightly. Yu and you will never be together, never.”
Situ Jingyi walked closer to Qing Tian and whispered in her ear, “Can the daughter of a fraudster be worthy of the Ji Family’s heir? If you insist on pestering him, then I’ll have to make this public. What will Grandpa think? Think carefully. I’ll give you three days. I want an answer in three days!” With that, she looked at Qing Tian with her signature smile.
Qing Tian’s legs felt weak, and she took a step back. Situ Jingyi’s words, “daughter of a fraudster,” echoed in her mind.
Qing Tian didn’t know where Situ Jingyi had learned about her father’s affairs. No one had mentioned it for so many years, but today it had become a devastating blow!
She hadn’t asked for anything, hadn’t fought for anything, and now she was being threatened by Situ Jingyi. Why?
Qing Tian clutched her chest, unable to believe what Situ Jingyi had just said. What should she do?
Song Shishi saw Qing Tian’s expression change and ran over, asking, “Sister Qing, what did Situ Jingyi say to you? Why do you look like that!”
Qing Tian shook her head blankly and said weakly, “Nothing, it’s nothing!”
Song Shishi was still worried and helped Qing Tian leave the auditorium.
Ji Xiangyu also followed them out. In the empty corridor, Ji Xiangyu called out to Qing Tian.
Qing Tian stopped, not looking back. Ji Xiangyu looked at Qing Tian’s back from behind, then at Song Shishi’s expression. He swallowed the words he was about to say and only said, “Thank you, thank you for casting that vote for me!”
Qing Tian replied coldly, “No need to thank me. I only did it for Grandpa!”
After saying that, she left Ji Xiangyu behind.
Ji Xiangyu had never felt so estranged from Qing Tian as he did today. Qing Tian’s attitude towards him was distant and cold, and even her words were devoid of emotion. What had happened?
On the way back, Qing Tian was lost in thought, feeling dejected. Song Shishi noticed Qing Tian’s unusual mood but didn’t know why. Qing Tian wouldn’t say anything, which made her extremely frustrated.
As they neared the classroom, Qing Tian slung her schoolbag over her shoulder and said to Song Shishi, “Shishi, you go back first. I want to go somewhere. I won’t be home for dinner tonight, I have something at school.”
Song Shishi tugged at Qing Tian uneasily, asking, “Sister Qing, if you have something on your mind, tell me. Holding it in will make you sick!”
Qing Tian, still with a blank expression, said, “It’s nothing, I’m leaving now!”
Song Shishi watched Qing Tian walk away and sighed deeply. What was wrong with Sister Qing?
Qing Tian left the school and directly gave an address to a taxi, which quickly headed towards the destination.
Coincidentally, Xia Yang saw her. He started his motorcycle and followed the taxi Qing Tian was in, wanting to see where Qing Tian was going by skipping class!
After an unknown amount of time, Qing Tian got out of the car. Xia Yang also stopped his car and looked around. He saw the large characters in the distance: Phoenix Mountain Cemetery.
What was Qing Tian doing here?
Qing Tian walked into the cemetery as if she knew the way. The sky darkened, as if it were about to rain. Qing Tian looked up at the gloomy sky, feeling as if even heaven knew her inner gloom.
She walked to a privet tree, squatted down, and cleared the weeds from the tombstone. Finally, she sat on the grass, looking at the tombstone with a sad expression.
After a long time, she murmured, “Mom, are you doing well in heaven? Qing’er misses you so much. I’m so lonely and sad without you. Mom, do you know why Dad did those things? Dad is a good person, right? But others always say Dad is a fraudster…” By the end, Qing Tian was sobbing uncontrollably, hugging the tombstone and crying sadly.
Xia Yang stood not far away, watching the genuine Qing Tian, his heart aching. Qing Tian wasn’t incapable of sadness; she just didn’t want to show her vulnerability to anyone.
He finally understood why Qing Tian was cold on the outside but warm on the inside. She just lacked a safe harbor for comfort, and Xia Yang was willing to be that harbor for Qing Tian.
However, Xia Yang knew who Qing Tian had in her heart. But time would change everything. Xia Yang tightly gripped the tree trunk, his heart filled with a strong desire to protect Qing Tian.
He leaned against the privet tree, listening to Qing Tian pour out her heart to a cold tombstone, and he seemed to feel sad along with her.
Qing Tian said intermittently, “If I could choose in the next life, I hope Mom can take me with her. I don’t want to live in a lonely world all by myself. If time could turn back, I’d rather stay in my childhood, then I could live with Mom forever. Mom, will you take me with you? Qing’er wants to leave this world, okay? Qing Tian doesn’t want to just survive, take me with you…”
At this moment, a torrential rain began to fall. Qing Tian’s tears mixed with the rain and flowed onto the ground, merging into a stream that flowed into the earth!
Xia Yang took off his suit jacket, walked to Qing Tian’s side, and draped the jacket over her head. Without a word, he stood by Qing Tian’s side, silently enduring the rain with her, sharing her sorrow!
Qing Tian smiled faintly and thought to herself: Xia Yang, thank you!
