"Achoo!"
Sitting in the classroom, Jiang Jinran suddenly sneezed.
She rubbed her nose.
Who was bad-mouthing her?!
"Everyone, I have an announcement."
Shi Hui stepped up to the podium with a serene smile. Her gaze swept over the room. "As you all know, we've been preparing for the Hope Cup finals for a long time, but right now, we're a little short-handed..."
Shi Hui was the arts representative, and the full name of the "Hope Cup" was-
The Hope Cup Youth Drama Competition.
It was a prestigious national competition. If students won an award in the Hope Cup-
Not only could they receive generous rewards from the school, it could even help with their future school admissions.
For the sake of that honor, students from almost every class had yearned to take part and eagerly signed up.
Of course, the competition was also ruthless. After several rounds of fierce competition, most participants had already been eliminated, yet Shi Hui had led her classmates into the finals against all odds.
They had been preparing for the final performance for a long time.
"Short-handed? Do you need someone to do odd jobs, or someone to perform onstage?" someone immediately asked.
Shi Hui smiled faintly. "Our stage play still needs one actor."
At those words, almost everyone grew restless.
That meant that if they could snap up this opportunity, they could catch the last train to the Hope Cup, perform on the finals stage, and naturally get a share of any award they won...
This was an incredible windfall!
Jiang Jinran gave a bored yawn.
What Hope Cup? The novel barely mentioned this.
Always making me face unknown plot developments. I transmigrated into a book for nothing.
"Shi Hui, you know I'm pretty expressive. Why don't you let me do it?" Someone had already raised a hand and begun volunteering.
Naturally, the others refused to fall behind, and the whole classroom immediately erupted into a clamor. "Now you've got my attention! I want to perform onstage too. Pick me!"
"Shi Hui, look at me, look at me! I can play anything. I definitely won't hold you back."
Shi Hui pressed her lips together, seeming hesitant to speak. Finally, she said solemnly, "We need a classmate-"
"To play a tree."
"Pfft."
As soon as she finished, someone couldn't help sputtering.
Then came an awkward silence, as though a flock of awkwardly cawing crows had flown over the classroom...
Jiang Jinran twirled the pen in her hand, watching it all with the indifference of a bystander.
It was like watching children's antics.
After all, she was actually the "ripe old age" of twenty-nine.
Competitions, stage plays-perhaps those were things she would have been interested in eight hundred years ago...
"Wait, can't you use a prop? Does a person have to play it?" someone questioned.
"Exactly. Making someone play a tree is way too insulting..."
"Uh, I take back what I just said. I hate trees more than anything. I'm allergic to trees!"
"Me too... Shi Hui, you'd better find someone else."
Once they learned that the stage play's "final puzzle piece" was a tree, everyone's enthusiasm was instantly doused.
They did want to win an award in the Hope Cup, but they were also a group of pampered teenagers with very strong pride-
Playing a tree was simply outrageous.
Shi Hui seemed to have anticipated this scene.
A trace of coldness flashed through her eyes.
If it weren't a tree, would any of you even get a turn?
That was what she thought, but she kept smiling. "Since none of you are willing, we'll choose by drawing lots."
"Wait, is this tree absolutely necessary?"
"Even if it is, does a person have to play it?"
"Damn, I hate drawing lots. It's terrifying!"
Everyone was extremely resistant, but Shi Hui's attitude was equally firm. "I've already reported this to the principal. He takes these finals very seriously. The Hope Cup concerns the school's honor, as well as our class's honor... The principal said that anyone who refuses to go after being drawn can forget about any end-of-term awards or honors."
Jiang Jinran couldn't help shaking her head.
Tsk, tsk.
This Shi Hui was quite skilled for someone so young!
Already resorting to moral blackmail, threats, and inducements...
Shi Hui took a box out from under the desk, shook it, and set it on top. "I'm drawing now."
"Please don't pick me. I can't bear that humiliation."
"Why draw lots? You might as well just pick someone yourself. This is making me so nervous!"
"I refuse to do this lousy job. Even if I get picked, I'm not going!"
Amid the chaotic voices, Shi Hui drew out a white slip of paper.
Everyone immediately held their breath in suspense. Jiang Jinran also turned her gaze toward that thin slip-
Who exactly was the unlucky soul who had been drawn? Everyone was curious.
Shi Hui unfolded the slip and gave it a cursory glance, then turned it around to display the name written on it.
She looked at Jiang Jinran, no obvious emotion discernible in her eyes-
"The person selected is Jiang Jinran."
Jiang Jinran: ...
Well, damn!
The unlucky one turned out to be me.
The clown turned out to be me.
Everyone whose nerves had been taut immediately breathed a sigh of relief, and some had even begun gloating.
It was Jiang Jinran. Thank goodness it was Jiang Jinran!
There couldn't have been a better choice than that sealed gourd of a girl to play a tree.
The classroom atmosphere instantly became light and cheerful.
"Excellent, very fitting. There's no one better suited than Jiang Jinran." Someone began clapping and spoke in a mocking tone.
"A round of applause for our outstanding tree actress!"
"Ahem, looking forward to Jiang Jinran's brilliant performance, haha!"
"A pest like you gets to participate in the Hope Cup, so hurry up and give thanks for this immense favor. Even letting you play a tree is doing you an honor."
Jiang Jinran stared at the little slip in Shi Hui's hand-
Though there was indeed a chance of drawing her, this was far too much of a coincidence.
In truth, she didn't really believe that Shi Hui had just happened to draw her.
Shi Hui was hostile toward her. That was plain to see.
If she wanted to rig the draw, it would be child's play.
Shi Hui looked down at the commotion before her and quietly curled the slip bearing "Jiang Jinran" back into her palm.
That slip with "Jiang Jinran" written on it had been hidden in Shi Hui's palm before the draw even began.
When she put her hand into the box, she had merely been making a show of mystery, taking the opportunity to move the slip from her palm to her fingertips and pretend she had drawn it out.
She had known all along that no one would willingly play this tree.
Although she had invoked the principal, Shi Hui didn't want to offend these classmates of distinguished status.
The only soft persimmon to squeeze was Jiang Jinran.
Of course, Jiang Jinran also happened to be someone she hated...
She wouldn't let this excellent opportunity to embarrass Jiang Jinran slip away.
But assigning the role directly to Jiang Jinran would have been too blatant, making it seem like she was deliberately targeting her. Using a draw as cover made it appear perfectly reasonable.
"Jiang Jinran, from now on, you must attend rehearsals with us."
Shi Hui looked at Jiang Jinran and elegantly curled her lips, the smile on her face somewhat grating.