Just as the whole class held their breath, waiting for Henry to announce the next student's name, he paused.
He seemed puzzled by the name he saw. After thinking for nearly five seconds, he finally read it out slowly.
Those long five seconds felt like an entire century to his classmates.
Some even turned red from holding their breath through Henry's pause, nearly dying on the spot.
"Richie?"
After reading the name, Henry seemed to be trying to remember what music Richie had played. Why couldn't he recall it?
He thought for a while but apparently came up with nothing, so he gave up.
No one seemed to care whether Richie had been selected, and the announcement barely caused a ripple in the classroom.
Only Si Ang sat upright beside Richie, watching him sleep with a gentle smile.
His eyes held an unprecedented tenderness, a faint smile lingered on his lips, and his hand hovered in the air as he hesitated over whether to stroke Richie's little head.
Si Ang's smile deepened. He pretended to stroke Richie's soft hair from a distance, then withdrew his hand, satisfied.
Once Anya learned that Richie had made it into the preliminary round, she silently cheered him on: Richie, Father's mission is counting on you! Anya will help you!
Richie slept soundly with his head on his desk, completely unaware of what was happening around him.
After reading Richie's name, Henry moved on to the next one, and his classmates' eyes filled with anticipation again.
Henry looked toward Si Ang. "The next student selected is Si Ang."
No one was surprised. Si Ang's music had left an indelible impression on everyone. It was so distinctive and so full of emotion that it was truly impossible to forget.
The whole class focused on Si Ang,