But these past two days, he hasn't been able to fully concentrate on reading or watching TV as he usually does. He's constantly worried about Meiting's injury. Although it's not too serious, he can't stop missing her.
On the third day after his brief separation from Meiting, Daqi got up early. He used the pocket money his mother had given him to buy several kilograms of apples, bananas, and other fruits before heading straight to Meiting's house.
He arrived at Meiting's house, but the door was tightly shut. Daqi gently knocked on the door and called out a few times, "Is Meiting home?"
"Who is it? Is that Daqi?" Meiting responded several times, but the voice sounded like it was coming from upstairs in her building. "Mom, open the door quickly, my classmate Daqi is here." It was still Meiting's voice.
With a creak, the door opened; it was Meiting's mother who opened it. Daqi quickly greeted her, and she smiled and responded, leading him into her house.
Daqi, his face flushed, said to Meiting's mother, "Auntie, Meiting is injured, so I came to see her!" Her mother replied with a smile, "You're too kind, it's too much trouble... She's in her room upstairs, please come up. She has difficulty walking and is reading in her room."
"Thank you, Auntie!" Daqi went alone to Meiting's small room. Daqi saw that Meiting was wearing a plaid nightgown, which was made of a thick material. He asked Meiting if she was feeling better, and Meiting giggled and said, "I'm not going to die, I'm not going to die. I knew you would come today." Daqi said he wanted to see her foot injury, but Meiting said it wasn't necessary and it was nothing serious. However, Daqi insisted on seeing it, so Meiting had no choice but to sit on the edge of the bed and lift her left ankle. Daqi still used his left hand to support her little ankle and carefully examined her wound. After examining it, he was certain that the injury was much better than it had been three days ago. However, while his left hand continued to support Meiting's little ankle, his right hand naturally and gently stroked the wound for a while.
This gentle caress was perfectly natural for Daqi, but Meiting, being a young woman, was perhaps experiencing her little feet caressed by a man for the first time, and she unconsciously blushed deeply. When Daqi looked up and met her gaze, she smiled and gently scolded, "Is that enough?" Only then did Daqi realize that he had been unconsciously caressing her little ankle for quite some time.
"That's not enough, I want to keep stroking it until it gets better!" Daqi joked.
"You little pervert! Making excuses to take advantage of her, these are a young lady's feet!" Meiting scolded with a laugh, her face relaxed, as she pulled her foot back.
Daqi felt as if he had lost a precious treasure the moment Meiting withdrew her foot, a slight sense of loss welling up inside him. But this loss was instantly swept away by Meiting's sweet kiss. This time, Meiting took the initiative to kiss Daqi and hugged him tightly. Daqi felt Meiting's soft breasts pressed tightly against his abdomen. Even through several layers of clothing, he could still feel the softness and warmth of her breasts. The sacred, proud breasts of the beautiful girl, which he could only admire from afar and could not touch, were now pressed against his body. How Daqi wished he could stay pressed against her like this forever, never to be separated from Meiting.
Although Daqi was a virgin, he knew a little about matters between men and women. Under the intense influence of Meiting's warm aura, besides responding enthusiastically to her lips and tongue, certain parts of his body gradually reacted, and his hands unconsciously climbed up to Meiting's high and firm breasts. Although it was only a light caress through her nightgown, the sensations from his fingertips clearly told Daqi what "gentle embrace" meant. As Daqi gently caressed her chest, the girl responded with soft sighs, but her lips were captured by Daqi's kiss, and she could only make "hmm...hmm..." sounds. Just as they were lost in their passionate kiss, footsteps suddenly sounded on the stairs. Meiting quickly broke free from Daqi's embrace; it turned out to be her mother bringing Daqi a cup of tea. Her mother invited Daqi to drink the tea, and Daqi repeatedly said, "Thank you, Auntie." But Daqi was still secretly delighted, because he knew that the beautiful, sexy, and gentle Meiting truly loved him, Tong Daqi. In his heart, Tong Daqi loudly proclaimed to the whole world, including that mayor's son: Ting belongs to me, Tong Daqi, not to you!
After serving tea to Daqi, Meiting's mother went to work. Daqi smiled at Meiting, and Meiting smiled back. At that moment, Meiting could truly captivate any man: a smile that even an angel couldn't match, bright eyes, willow-leaf eyebrows, rosy lips, and an oval face. She truly lived up to the ancient saying, "Such a beauty should only exist in heaven."
Daqi, of course, couldn't remain unmoved. He immediately kissed Meiting again, his hands boldly continuing the actions that had been interrupted. At this moment, Meiting's face was flushed, her eyes tightly closed, her breath sweet as orchids. She kept tugging at Daqi's clothes, seemingly wanting him to stop, yet also encouraging him to continue. Daqi finally mustered the courage to disregard the girl's shyness and stripped off her nightgown. It turned out the girl was "vacuum-packed" underneath. He saw a woman's breasts for the first time—beautiful, round, and firm, the areolas glowing with a vibrant color, a color enough to intoxicate! Ignoring Meiting's slight protests, Daqi opened his mouth and kissed these dream treasures, beginning to savor their sweetness. Meiting, an innocent girl, was unknowingly led by Daqi into an inescapable state of lust. The girl clearly felt the man she loved strip her naked in no time. Although extremely shy, she didn't care at all about being undressed. Giving herself to the man she deeply loves is every woman's wish, and she was no exception. So she simply closed her eyes shyly, waiting for the man before her to "explore" her. Soon, Meiting was a naked "lamb," only symbolically trying to stop the man's hand as the thin fabric, the closest thing to her body, was forced off. But this attempt was immediately blocked by the man's firm and strong hands.
Daqi, gazing at the snow-white beauty on the bed, could no longer restrain himself. He quickly discarded his own possessions and pressed himself onto the body he had longed for...
Daqi successfully "developed" his dream girl—his former high school beauty, Chen Meiting. The entire "development" process was accompanied by soft moans from the woman, which undoubtedly fueled Daqi's motivation. After the "development," Daqi and Meiting embraced naked for a while. Soon, Meiting urged Daqi to get dressed and go home. Daqi quickly put on his clothes, and upon finishing, he noticed several bright red bloodstains on Meiting's bed—quite conspicuous! Looking at the bloodstains, Daqi felt a strange pang of guilt. Meiting pinched Daqi's thigh and laughed, scolding, "What are you looking at? It's all because of you, you big pervert!" Daqi smiled, a very happy smile.
Just before going downstairs, Daqi suddenly had a whim and insisted that Meiting call him "husband" affectionately. Meiting gently scolded him for being ungrateful, saying she couldn't bring herself to say it. Under Daqi's persistent pleading, she reluctantly brought her lips close to his ear and whispered, "Good husband, hurry home, I need to wash the sheets. Come see me again in a couple of days." Her voice was delicate and melodious, truly a beautiful melody. Daqi patted Meiting's shapely bottom and whispered, "Wife, I'm leaving!" Suddenly, Daqi remembered something and whispered to Meiting, "Oh no, are you pregnant?" Upon hearing this, Meiting burst into laughter and said, "Good, if I'm pregnant, you'll have to take responsibility." Daqi became a little nervous, not because he was afraid of taking responsibility, but because he was worried about disrupting Meiting's future life. Soon, Meiting leaned close to Daqi's ear again and whispered, "Silly boy, it's okay. I have my sister's birth control pills..." Daqi was relieved and left. Before leaving, Meiting kissed Daqi again and saw him out.
Tong Daqi walked home excitedly, feeling quite smug, probably because he had obtained the most important and precious thing from the beautiful girl Ting. He vowed that he would treat Ting well and make her his wife!
again
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Section 5
Two days later, as New Year's Eve approached, Daqi used a public phone to make a long-distance call to Qiwen. He had promised to call her when he saw her off at the station. He admitted he liked Qiwen, but he was even more afraid of breaking his promise; his greatest virtue was keeping his word. At this moment, his feelings for Qiwen were merely liking, just like his feelings for Muping—not love. Of course, he was also afraid that Qiwen, this "Empress," would "make things difficult" for him because he hadn't called her on his promise. She was a "dream demon" for any man she ever threw a tantrum at. "Heh, she really is quite adorable," Daqi thought to himself.
The call went through, but unfortunately, Qiwen wasn't home; her mother answered. Daqi briefly spoke to Qiwen's mother, introduced himself as Qiwen's classmate, and hung up. He then dialed Ting's number, and Ting answered. Daqi invited her to a movie that evening, and Ting readily agreed. They arranged to meet at the movie theater entrance at 6 PM sharp.
This time, Daqi arrived at the meeting place first, while Ting was a little late. When Ting arrived, she naturally extended her hand, and Daqi naturally took her hand as they bought tickets and went into the cinema. The tickets were for a couple's box seat, costing 30 yuan each. The movie was titled "Unstoppable Charm," starring Simon Yam and Yvonne Yung.
Daqi never expected the film to be a Hong Kong Category III movie. The male and female leads had numerous steamy and explicit sex scenes. This was so inappropriate, especially since this was the largest and most reputable cinema in the county! If he had known it was this kind of movie, Daqi wouldn't have brought Ting to see it. But since they were already there, he couldn't just leave the cinema holding Ting's hand. He had no choice but to grit his teeth and watch. However, both Daqi and Meiting were at the peak of their sexual desire, and Daqi, in particular, was already aroused by the explicit scenes. Plus, Meiting was clinging tightly to Daqi's waist; how could he possibly resist? He hugged Meiting tightly, and she rested her head on Daqi's shoulder. Daqi could feel that Ting's breathing was a little uneven; he imagined her face was flushed red, but the cinema lights were too dim to see it. The moment he saw Ting at the cinema entrance, Daqi had felt a surge of desire. Because Ting looked so beautiful today! She wore a tight-fitting blue suit paired with delicate blue high heels. Her fair skin made her look graceful and elegant, with an extraordinary air about her. In particular, her high breasts and pert buttocks made Daqi's blood boil.
Because of the dim lighting and the fact that they were in a private room, no one would notice anything happening between them. Daqi whispered to Ting, who was nestled gently in his arms, "Ting, you look so beautiful today!" Ting only responded with a soft sound, saying nothing more. Faced with such a beauty, Daqi couldn't help but become restless. What man could remain still in the face of such temptation? Daqi held Ting tightly with one arm, while the other gently kneaded her breasts. In his eyes, these were his treasures, treasures that belonged only to him. At the same time, this was his familiar "gentle haven." Ting simply panted softly, her breath sweet as orchids, letting Daqi do as he pleased. Daqi, in a moment of impulse, even slipped his hand inside the woman's skirt and began to knead. Ting let out a soft "hmm" and cursed, "You big pervert!" But her lips were immediately sealed shut by Daqi's large mouth. The woman obediently allowed Daqi to take liberties with her. Daqi was very grateful to Ting. In his memory, this woman had never refused him. No matter when or what, she always agreed to and complied with him, including his "unreasonable behavior" at this moment. Daqi kissed the woman passionately for a long time before releasing her, who was panting heavily. But his hands never stopped enjoying those "rare treasures." The woman trembled all over and even gently stroked Daqi's unruly member through his crotch with her tender hands.
As the couple was lost in the moment, enjoying each other's company, a gunshot rang out, startling them awake. It turned out the male protagonist in the film had been shot by the female protagonist—a very loud shot. This shot even interrupted the "good thing" that the couple was doing off-screen… Since it was a public place, Daqi stopped enjoying Meiting.
After the movie ended, the two walked out of the theater hand in hand. Daqi walked Ting home. Just like last time, when they were almost at her door, Ting wouldn't let Daqi walk her any further; she gave him a sweet kiss. Daqi didn't say anything, smiling as he watched her go home. Looking at her beautiful back, Daqi felt a strange sadness welling up inside him. Subconsciously, he had a vague feeling about him and Ting. He didn't know exactly what that feeling was. And why did he have this feeling? Didn't Ting love him very much? Daqi had no idea…
Daqi walked alone on the bustling commercial avenue, wondering again if Ting would always belong to him. He seemed to sense something...
The following days were a busy time for people throughout the county and even the whole country to prepare for the Spring Festival. Daqi's mother finally had a few days of rest, but the old lady couldn't stay idle. She dragged her son along to help prepare for the New Year, because tomorrow was New Year's Eve!
Spring Festival is China's biggest traditional festival, and it should be the happiest time of year for family reunions. But Daqi has never felt anything about Spring Festival since he was old enough to understand. Sometimes he even thinks it might be better without it, at least his mother would have less to do. Every year during Spring Festival, he sees his mother busy inside and out!
Starting from the second day of the Lunar New Year, Daqi followed the same routine almost every day: visiting relatives and friends, exchanging New Year's greetings, and drinking. He made a special trip to visit his old friend, Kuang Dazhong.
The Zhong family treated Daqi very well and kindly. This was perhaps the only memory Daqi still cherished from his junior high school years, and arguably the only person besides his mother who truly moved him. He clearly remembered that the first parent-teacher conference after his parents' divorce in junior high was attended by Zhong's father in his place, because his mother simply didn't have time to attend any meetings. Therefore, he was forever grateful to the Zhong family, and sometimes, when he was bored, he would even imagine that if one day he really had to exchange his own life for Daqi's, he would give it to him without hesitation.
Under the warm welcome of Da Zhong's family, Da Qi felt deeply gratified: Da Zhong's academic performance remained the best among all students at Changqing No. 1 High School, a provincial key high school. He firmly believed that Da Zhong would definitely be admitted to a university that everyone would envy in the college entrance examination three years later. If that were the case, he would be very happy! Because in the old days at No. 1 High School, he and Da Zhong were known as the "two great talents." Since he couldn't take the college entrance examination himself, perhaps it would make him feel better if Da Zhong could get into a good university and realize Da Zhong's dream of serving the country. He sincerely wished his friend that his dream could come true! As for his own childhood dream of serving the country, it seemed to be getting further and further away...
After watching Da Zhong's family return home, Da Qi began preparing to go back to school. His mother took an old envelope from a cloth bag under the bed; inside was 2000 yuan. She personally handed the money to Da Qi, telling him to be careful on the road and not to lose it. The old woman especially instructed him, "Child, you can lose anything on the road, but you can't lose this money!"
Daqi took the heavy envelope without saying a word. He had only one thought at that moment: Mother, please rest assured! Your son will one day make sure you live a more dignified life than most people!
The day before returning to school, Daqi went to see Ting again. Ting met with Daqi alone in her room. She looked very worried. Daqi asked her what was wrong, but she hesitated and wouldn't say. Only after pressing her did she slowly reveal the truth. It turned out that she was worried about her tuition fees. Her parents couldn't come up with enough money for the fees right away, and they had been in a bad mood for the past few days and had a little argument.
Upon hearing this, Daqi immediately took out the envelope his mother had given him from the inside pocket of his coat, pulled out five hundred-yuan bills, and handed them to Ting, saying, "I can help you a little!" Ting looked at Daqi in surprise, then immediately frowned and told Daqi to take them back. She said somewhat angrily, "You don't have enough for yourself! I won't take them. Don't come to see me again if you don't accept them!"
Daqi was a stubborn person and insisted on giving it to her, saying, "Ting, I have enough. I can manage on my own if I spend less!"
“I’m not stupid. I know the cost of living in Rongzhou is very high. Your family doesn’t have much money either. Give it to me when you’re rich, and I’ll definitely accept it!” After saying that, Ting stuffed the five banknotes into Daqi’s pocket and gave him a deep kiss, saying, “I know you’re good to me, but I’m fine, don’t worry!” Daqi stared into Ting’s eyes and didn’t say anything more. This was the first time she had rejected him since he met her.
Daqi told Ting that he was going back to school the next day and told her to take care of herself. They also exchanged school phone numbers and mailing addresses.
Before leaving, Daqi kissed Ting in her room for more than ten minutes, while also enjoying her firm "treasures" with both hands for more than ten minutes before letting go and leaving, because she had guests at her house.
Chapter Six: Speech Style
The twelve-hour journey once again took Daqi from Changqing to Rongzhou. When Daqi returned to school, more than half of the students had already returned. Everyone was busy preparing for the new semester.
Daqi was cleaning the dormitory because the student council would be inspecting it on the first day of school. Everyone was busy preparing for the inspection. Just then, the school gate's loudspeaker announced: "Tong Daqi, Tong Daxuan! Tong Daxuan from the 95th grade Civil Engineering (1) class! Someone is looking for you, someone is looking for you!" Upon hearing this, Daqi immediately dropped what he was doing and ran to the gate to see who was looking for him. He had just arrived when he was stopped by a shout of "Tong Daqi". Oh my god! It turned out to be "Empress" Zhou Qiwen looking for him through the gate's loudspeaker. As soon as Qiwen saw Daqi, she shouted: "Tong Daxuan! You blockhead! Why didn't you call me during the winter break? Come here and find me!" Oh no, the "Empress" was here to interrogate him. Daqi thought to himself that he was in trouble.
“I called, and my aunt answered…” Daqi said.
Qiwen then giggled: "Kid, you're still honest enough. My mom told me. Honestly, if you can't find one, you just hit a few more! Like a dumb chicken, you only move when you're pulled?"
Daqi apologized profusely, but Qiwen wouldn't have it: "As punishment, quickly help me take my luggage back to the dorm!" Daqi said "Okay!" several times and carried two large suitcases towards her dorm. The "Empress" stood behind Daqi, empty-handed, "supervising" his progress with a smug look on her face. Daqi always felt that every beautiful woman's luggage was always so much and so heavy, designed to exhaust men, because they themselves never carried heavy luggage. Of course, they'd have to give you the chance to exhaust yourself; you know how many men are queuing up just to get that chance!
On the way from the school gate to the girls' dormitory, countless people turned to stare at Tong Daqi and Qiwen. Some admired the beautiful Qiwen, but many more were astonished that such a beauty would be walking with someone as plain-looking as Daqi. They thought it should be a tall, strong guy helping Qiwen with her luggage, not this kid, Tong Daqi. Daqi blushed and felt incredibly embarrassed the whole way. He knew that many people, especially the boys, were secretly hoping something good would happen to them.
The new semester began, and school resumed its normal teaching life. As usual, Daqi studied with the two beautiful girls in the evenings. Actually, they didn't need to study with Daqi, since this semester's political science professor wasn't that scumbag Lin Yulin. Perhaps it was out of habit, but the three of them often studied together, and even ate together.
Daqi would often write to Ting when he had free time, and Ting would reply promptly. The two corresponded frequently and occasionally made long-distance phone calls, usually from Daqi to Ting. In her letters, Ting would also talk about her studies and life, always saying that she was doing well and reassuring Daqi.
As usual, Daqi was studying with the two beautiful girls in the evening self-study room. Daqi was quietly reading "The Romance of the Eastern Zhou Kingdoms," which he had borrowed from the library. Suddenly, Qiwen interrupted him, saying, "Tong, you're so talented! The school is holding its annual speech contest next week. I've signed you up, and I've also registered you. You need to hurry up and prepare; don't embarrass our class!"
"What?!" Tong Daqi looked at Qiwen in surprise. Why had he signed up too? He wasn't particularly interested in public speaking, but looking at Qiwen's devilish smile beneath her angelic face, he couldn't bear to refuse and agreed to participate. Ping happily exclaimed, "Great! Great! I'll cheer you on!"
That very night, Daqi decided on the title of his speech: "Youth, Let Dreams Take Flight." He spent nearly two hours writing a 5,000-word speech. Qiwen practically snatched the draft Daqi had just finished and read it with Ping. After reading it, both girls praised Daqi's speech highly, saying it was truly passionate and powerful. Muping, in particular, looked at Daqi with almost worshipful eyes, making him feel quite embarrassed.
Mu Ping: "Daqi, your writing is so good, I really envy you! Unlike me, I haven't read many books and I can't write articles."
Qiwen: "Who told her to be our teacher? How could I get by without some skills?" Qiwen said with a laugh, her eyes darting around as she made a funny face, looking absolutely adorable. No wonder she's the school beauty; even her funny faces are so cute.
Daqi is a man of principle but not one to be arrogant. He is usually quite humble and said, "Please excuse me."
That evening, the three of them studied until 9 o'clock and then went back to their dormitories to rest.
A week had passed, and the "1996 Binhai Provincial Construction Engineering School Speech Contest" had begun. Daqi had prepared thoroughly, even borrowing a suit from a classmate in his dormitory to wear on stage. He simply didn't have a decent outfit of his own for the occasion. A decent suit would easily cost several hundred or even a thousand RMB, enough for several months' living expenses!
The speech contest brought together top orators from across the school, each displaying their unique talents and eloquence. The competition was held in the school auditorium, and all school leaders were in attendance.
Tong Daqi was the fifth to speak. His speech, delivered in a solemn tone and with a powerful presence, earned rounds of applause from the audience. He noticed Qi Wen and Mu Ping clapping enthusiastically. He smiled at them, bowed to the judges, and nodded to the audience in thanks. The judges gave Daqi a score far higher than the previous four contestants; his final score was 9.5.
The competition proceeded normally and in an orderly manner, with contestants taking the stage one by one and judges giving their scores. Daqi wondered why Qiwen hadn't come up yet. It wasn't until the host announced the name of the last contestant that he realized Qiwen was the last to appear. Before she even stepped onto the stage, she had already caused a stir among the audience, some even screaming. The boys, in particular, shouted, "Beauty, come on stage! Come on stage, beauty!" The shouts grew louder and louder, and some boys even whistled to cheer her on. The host was interrupted several times before she could finish her very brief announcement—"The last person to give a speech is Zhou Qiwen from the 95th grade Civil Engineering (1) class. Her topic is 'The Call of the Times'." The host was a pretty young woman, and faced with this sudden "riot," she smiled helplessly and left the stage.
Finally, thanks to the efforts of the student council officers in maintaining order, the situation stabilized. The moment Qiwen stood before the microphone, the entire audience seemed to hold their breath. The scene was utterly silent; even a cough from an ordinary audience member felt superfluous, seemingly out of place in the otherwise tranquil atmosphere. Everyone wanted to see what this woman, representing all the boys, was like.
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Section 6
How did the most beautiful girl in the school, considered by all the teachers to be the most beautiful girl in the school's 30-year history, give her speech? It was less of a speech contest and more of a beauty contest, with only one protagonist: Zhou Qiwen, practically every boy's dream girl! Every other contestant was secondary, including Tong Daqi. Because every contestant except Qiwen received only sparse applause when they appeared on stage, applause that seemed almost negligible. But Qiwen didn't even need to appear; the moment the host uttered the name "Zhou Qiwen," the entire auditorium nearly went into overdrive. Conversely, the moment she actually appeared on stage, the entire audience fell silent almost simultaneously. No, not just silent, but utterly silent!
Qiwen confidently picked up the microphone and began her speech. Tonight, she wore a blue dress with white polka dots and white high heels. She exuded elegance and an extremely noble air. With her flowing hair, she looked like Chang'e reincarnated from the moon, a celestial maiden descended to earth! The small red flower pinned to her chest further reflected her delicate touch and ethereal beauty. Daqi couldn't help but marvel: she was absolutely a "fairy" unmatched by any woman in the world; no amount of literary language could describe her true beauty. It seemed that in his heart, he could only call her a "fairy"!
What's even more astonishing is that Qiwen's outstanding appearance is matched only by her exceptional eloquence. She speaks fluently and eloquently, eliciting thunderous applause with every gesture and glance! Yet, she remains remarkably composed, as if the applause doesn't even exist. This applause isn't for her beauty, but for the sheer brilliance of her speech!
When Qiwen finished her speech and bowed to the judges, the entire audience erupted in thunderous applause. Countless older boys shouted, "Qiwen, one more! One more!" Then, everyone in the audience, except for school leaders, judges, and teachers, including all the contestants, shouted in unison, "Qiwen, the best! The best, Qiwen!" The whole scene could only be described as electrifying.
For some reason, the judges suddenly all stood up and went backstage, which only intensified the audience's chants: "Qiwen, the best! The best, Qiwen!" It seemed the audience was determined to keep chanting indefinitely until the judges revealed their scores. After about five minutes, the judges returned to their seats. The head of the judging panel, Teacher Qiu, the director of the academic affairs office, whispered a few words in the principal's ear, and the principal nodded and smiled.
Suddenly, the principal stood up, walked to the stage, and gestured for silence to the entire audience. The room immediately fell silent! Everyone tensed up, including Daqi. They waited quietly to see what the principal had to say.
The principal, holding the microphone, coughed twice, then solemnly announced, word by word: "After careful discussion by our judging panel, we have decided that I will announce Zhou Qiwen's final score for this speech. All the judges unanimously awarded Zhou Qiwen the same score. Her final score is—10 points!"
10 points, a perfect score! All the judges unanimously gave it a perfect score! The applause, screams, shouts, and whistles from the audience all rang out at the same time, and all the sounds combined were enough to make the roof and ceiling of the auditorium fly off!
The principal hadn't finished speaking yet. He continued, "Furthermore, Zhou Qiwen has won the 'Best Style Award' in this competition, unanimously selected by the judges! Thank you everyone, that concludes my speech." After making the announcement, the principal stepped down from the podium and returned to his seat. The lively atmosphere lasted for a long time before gradually quieting down…
The speech contest concluded, with Qiwen winning first place plus the "Best Style Award," while Daqi received second prize. [Mobile eBook www.3uww.cc]
After the event, at Qiwen's suggestion, Daqi, Qiwen, and Muping went to a Taiwanese restaurant near the school to celebrate. Daqi didn't want to go because the food at Taiwanese restaurants was too expensive, and his monthly allowance was only a pitiful hundred yuan. But seeing how happy Qiwen was, he reluctantly went.
During the meal, Qiwen was beaming, her laughter ringing out. Muping smiled faintly. Daqi was also happy; after all, besides his own decent performance, Qiwen's was practically perfect. He chatted with the two women as they ate, mostly about the performances of the other contestants. Muping mostly listened, and Daqi could tell from her eyes that she was envious of him and Qiwen. He and Qiwen had both gained something, while she was just a spectator. Daqi occasionally steered the conversation towards Muping, as Qiwen was practically the only one speaking, and Daqi didn't want to leave Muping out. Each time Daqi steered the conversation towards Muping, she would give him a grateful look.
The meal took about an hour. Daqi took out his wallet to pay, but Qiwen stopped him. Qiwen said, "I got first place, so it's on me! You can treat me another day when you get first place too!" Daqi had no choice but to let Qiwen pay. If Qiwen hadn't used her speech ranking to pressure him, he would never have let a girl pay. In his philosophy, when men and women dine together, the man should always pay! But tonight, the "fairy" Qiwen was indeed much better than him, so he had no choice but to let her have her way.
The three of them left the restaurant and went back to their dormitories to rest.
Chapter Seven: Dreaming of a Multitude of Beauties
Four weeks into the new semester, the school began distributing scholarships based on students' end-of-semester grades. Daqi received a first-class scholarship of 2000 yuan. He was overjoyed. When he received the money from his class teacher, the first person he thought of was his mother, and the second was Ting. He went to the post office and sent 500 yuan each to his mother and Ting. As soon as he left the post office, he made a long-distance call to his mother to tell her about sending the money. He could clearly hear his mother crying with emotion on the other end of the line…
The other call was to Ting. He repeatedly explained and emphasized that it was his scholarship money and that he had enough money to spend, which was why Ting agreed to accept it. Although they were thousands of miles apart, he could sense that Ting was very happy and excited. They held the phone for two or three minutes without saying a word. Daqi could hear Ting crying softly, perhaps too moved? Finally, Ting broke the silence: "Silly boy, phone calls are expensive, let's hang up!" Daqi reluctantly hung up; he really wished he could have held the phone longer and talked to Ting a little longer.
The night after receiving the scholarship, Daqi invited Qiwen and Muping to dinner to celebrate winning the scholarship.
In universities or vocational schools in the coastal province, when someone receives a scholarship, the recipient usually treats their close friends to a meal as a way of sharing their "achievement." Qiwen and Muping readily agreed.
Daqi has a strength, which could also be considered a weakness. He's never stingy when it comes to treating people to meals. However, he doesn't have much money, so it's both a strength and a weakness. He treated two beautiful women to dinner at "Huayue Restaurant" near the school, which, according to classmates, is a pretty good restaurant in the area—decent quality and reasonably priced.
What was supposed to be a simple meal turned into a commotion. The reason was simple: the other customers in the restaurant had noticed Daqi and his two friends the moment they entered. Almost everyone dining there was from the same school; who didn't recognize the two beautiful girls? As they sat down to order and eat, several boys gradually started talking loudly. It was obvious they were there for Daqi.
"This short, stout guy dares to dine with a beautiful woman?" This drew a burst of laughter.
"Two beautiful flowers stuck in cow dung!" Another burst of laughter erupted.
Daqi was helpless; he was too small, so he had to swallow his anger. Qiwen couldn't stand it anymore. She walked up to a boy at the next table who was laughing exaggeratedly, picked up his wine glass, and splashed it on his head.
"Who are you guys?" Qiwen glared angrily at the four boys at the table. "If you're not going to eat, then get out! Don't try that on me!"
Qiwen's furious outburst not only stunned the four men, but also stunned the other customers, including Daqi and Muping. The beauty's move was indeed effective; the restaurant was now completely silent. The four boys hurriedly paid their bill and left.
Qiwen then returned to her seat and generously raised her glass to Daqi, saying, "Daqi, congratulations on winning the scholarship! Cheers!" With that, she tilted her head back and gulped down a glass of beer.