"Next, let's give a warm round of applause to Li Haochen, an outstanding young talent from the Marine Biology department, to give his speech."
However, after the host called for a few seconds, no one appeared, and the atmosphere became rather subdued. Just then, the stadium doors were pushed open urgently. The host on stage, being very experienced, immediately signaled the lighting technician nearby. Suddenly, a strong beam of incandescent light shone upon Li Haochen, as if he were an international superstar making an appearance at the Cannes Film Festival.
Li Haochen's lips twitched. This made him blush a little. Why make such a big show? Facing the gaze of thousands, he was not at all nervous, walking onto the stage with casual confidence.
The crowd below was incredibly lively. This was their school's pride and their role model. The freshmen who didn't understand the situation curiously inquired about Li Haochen's identity. Among them was the sweet-looking girl from yesterday.
"So his name is Li Haochen. Why are those senior students so excited?"
The girl turned to a senior behind her and asked, "Hello, senior. Could you tell me who the senior on stage is?"
The girl flashed her sweet, killer smile. The boy she asked suddenly sat up straight. Such a pure and cute junior sister was rare. This was a great opportunity to perform well. In a moment... while the boy was lost in his fantasies, Li Haochen on stage had already reached the podium. A light cough silenced the entire venue.
"Sorry, I was held up by someone to do my makeup and almost ended up late."
Li Haochen smiled and looked towards a certain spot in the venue. As if understanding his intent, the lighting technician immediately shone a light on Murong Yanran. The two exchanged glances, showing affection in front of everyone, completely ignoring the audience. This was incredible. The entire venue erupted with cheers, "Kiss, kiss!"
"Ahem, of course, we'll kiss, but it will be reserved for a romantic evening. You guys won't get to see it, wouldn't that be a loss?"
"Hahaha..."
The way young people converse always manages to liven up the atmosphere. Li Haochen's words made the scene even more enjoyable for the audience than before.
"Let's put other things aside for now and get to the point. I'm very grateful to the school leadership for giving me this opportunity. I've been restless for the past few days, constantly thinking about what to say to everyone.
After much thought, I still don't know what to say, so I'll just say a few words."
Li Haochen paused and smiled faintly. "I once read a small poem from the United States. Translated, it reads: 'New York time is three hours ahead of California time, but California time doesn't slow down;
Some people graduate at 22, but wait five years to find a good job; some become CEOs at 25, but die at 50; while others become CEOs at 50 and live to be over 90.
Some are still single, while others are married. Obama retired at 50, while Trump became president at 70.
Everyone in the world has their own time zone. Around you, some people seem to be ahead of you, and some seem to be behind you, but in reality, everyone is walking their own path in their own time zone. Don't be jealous or mock them; they are all in their own time zones.
You are too. Life is about waiting for the right moment, so relax. You are not behind, nor are you ahead. In the time zone that destiny has set for you, everything is on time.'
My family was very poor. When I was young, I repeatedly asked myself what was lacking, why the gap was so large. As I grew up, I understood that everyone has their own path.
Flowers don't bloom at the same time; we all have our own lives.
As Mr. Yang Jiang once said, 'No matter what level of the staircase you reach in life, if someone below is looking up to you, someone above will look down on you. If you look up with inferiority or down with complacency, only by looking straight ahead can you see your true self.'
We worked hard to come into this world not to rush and chase after anyone, but to walk our own paths. Please believe that every flower has a different blooming period, but it will eventually bloom!"
"Good, well said. A great line, 'Different blooming periods, but it will eventually bloom.' Please give our final round of warm applause to student Li Haochen for his wonderful speech..."
"Clap... clap clap clap..."
Thunderous applause erupted and continued for a long time. Even the esteemed faculty members on stage clapped generously. Furthermore, everyone stood up to show Li Haochen their highest respect.
Li Haochen had not expected this and immediately bowed to everyone in thanks.
Ten minutes later, under the host's announcement, the entire opening ceremony concluded successfully. Li Haochen seized the opportunity to slip away from the back. If he didn't hurry, he'd be surrounded and unable to escape.
As soon as they got into the car, Murong Yanran, in the passenger seat, chuckled, "So, all those little fans, you're not staying? Maybe a beautiful encounter awaits, hee hee!"
"You say one thing and mean another. I'm not that foolish, or I wouldn't have a good time at home tonight, would I? Hahaha..."
"Show off. But... that was really well said. I'll give you extra chicken legs when we get home tonight."
After that day, Li Haochen was very cautious every time he returned to school, fearing being recognized. But it seemed he underestimated the patience of these junior sisters. Whenever he appeared in the large lecture halls, they would be packed to the brim. Apart from the teachers' opinions, the male students wished he would come every day so that their junior sisters could see him daily. As the saying goes, proximity breeds opportunity, right?
Life continued this way, peaceful yet full of joy. Li Haochen and Murong Yanran were like a pair of celestial companions, becoming a symbol of Bin Da University, envied by many.
One day, Li Haochen returned home after finishing his spatial labor, only to find another beautiful Oriental woman there. Upon asking, he learned she was from Jiangnan, which explained her plump and gentle demeanor.
However, Murong Yanran's next words caused Li Haochen to have a dark expression.
"Yanrong, you can start working tomorrow. Stay here for a while until the hotel rooms are renovated, then you can move out."
"Then I'll be troubling you, boss, hee hee!"
What? Bringing another person to live here? Li Haochen was speechless. After dinner, he pulled Murong Yanran into their room. "I say, what incredible skill does Huang Yanrong have this time? You brought her back?"
"You don't know, she's an excellent cook, so I kept her," Murong Yanran said, unable to suppress her laughter at the thought of Huang Yanrong's master-level culinary skills. Seeing Li Haochen's slight displeasure, she quickly comforted him, "Alright, the hotel will have two rooms renovated soon, and then they'll move out. Be good, okay?"