It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say it was like watching an idol make her entrance.

The quiet auditorium, where everyone had just been listening to the dean speak, was now filled not only with thunderous applause. Quite a few bold boys had already jumped to their feet, shouting something at the top of their lungs. All they needed were a pair of glow sticks.

And it wasn’t just the boys. Plenty of girls were worked up, too.

That showed just how ridiculously popular this “student representative” was at school.

In the end, it took the teachers from each class, seated along the sides, stepping in to restore order among their students.

Even the “Mediterranean” grade director had never seen anything like this!

He wiped the cold sweat from his brow, hurried off the stage, and took a seat, leaving it to the student representative.

Everyone knew who the student representative was.

Bai Yuyang knew better than anyone: the student representative was, of course, the Student Council president, Tang Qihuang.

As she walked out from backstage and onto the stage, even the students who’d been whispering fell silent on their own.

Tang Qihuang didn’t need to say a single word. Just walking those few steps was enough to leave most of the students in the audience awestruck.

Her golden hair flowed down to her waist like a river of stars. Each step seemed to stir the air, and her graceful stride radiated an unmistakable sense of sanctity.

While everyone else was stunned, Yuyang stood in a corner of the auditorium, carefully recalling a few details.

It seemed Huang'er had made her entrance at exactly the same place and time as in his previous life.

If that was the case... then the timeline really hadn’t changed. Would everything that happened still be the same...?

No, that wasn’t quite right. In his previous life, he hadn’t first met her outside the auditorium. There was still a difference.

“Testing, testing... Hello, everyone. I’m your student representative, Tang Qihuang, president of the Student Council at Qifeng No. 1 High School and a senior.”

Tang Qihuang briefly tested the microphone, then followed the usual procedure and introduced herself.

Though she could’ve gone straight to the point. There wasn’t anyone at school who didn’t know her.

After a brief pause, her voice rang through the auditorium again over the speakers.

“All right. Since it’s the first day of school, I’ll keep this brief. I have just three things to say. First, please observe proper order during school events. Don’t make a scene like you did just now. I’ll let it go this time, but if it happens again, I’ll handle it according to school rules on behalf of the Student Council.”

The students below listened with rapt attention.

If the grade director had said that, everyone would’ve just carried on doing whatever they were doing. Who’d listen to him?

But that’s just how things are these days: simps and pretty-face worshippers are everywhere!

When a peerless beauty like Tang Qihuang said it, of course everyone listened closely.

It might sound a little too real, but that’s the power of looks and image for you!

Down below, Yuxi pretended she didn’t know Tang Qihuang and whispered to Yuyang, “Whoa... The Student Council president seems amazing. High school really is different.”

“Mm. This is only the beginning, Xiao Xi. You’ll learn plenty more before long.”

Before Lin Qingyu could get in a couple of teasing remarks, Tang Qihuang continued speaking onstage.

“The second thing I want to address wasn’t on today’s agenda. But I’m angry, so I’ll take up a little of your time.”

After she finished speaking, she leaned slightly away from the microphone and turned her gaze toward backstage.

“You five. Come up here.”

This really was a rare sight... An interruption like this in the middle of a speech had the students curious. They started whispering to one another again, their eyes turning toward backstage.

During that time, several boys came out from backstage one after another. They walked onto the stage sheepishly, heads bowed. Even from a distance, it was clear they all looked miserable.

All five boys wore Student Council armbands, marking them as members.

Tang Qihuang had them line up onstage, then returned to the standing microphone and swept her gaze over the audience.

Huh?

Yuyang couldn’t shake the feeling that her gaze had lingered on his side of the auditorium for quite a while.

But they were so far apart...

In truth, it wasn’t long before Tang Qihuang spoke again.

“The students standing onstage are members of the Qifeng No. 1 High School Student Council. They were also responsible for checking people in at the entrance today.”

“But after looking into it, I found that they didn’t just abandon their posts. They brazenly gathered at the entrance to the auditorium and played games together. What kind of conduct is that?”

“Student Council members are chosen from among the top students in every grade. They’re meant to set an example and lead their fellow students. But today, they’ve become a disgraceful example instead. As Student Council president, I feel I’ve failed in my duties.”

The audience never stopped murmuring while she explained what had happened.

You think they were all criticizing those boys?

No! Most of them were actually praising Tang Qihuang.

She was just stating the facts!

If she hadn’t brought it up, no one else would’ve known. The whole thing could’ve been swept under the rug.

But by speaking up, she proved that her sense of responsibility was the real deal.

The students’ admiration for her only grew stronger.

Tang Qihuang sighed. “The school has entrusted the Student Council with so much authority. When something goes wrong, we have to deal with it.”

“Now I’ll explain how I intend to handle this. Based on my initial investigation, four of these five students were simply talked into playing along. But the one standing in the middle, Zhang Ming, kept egging the others on and getting them to break the rules with him.”

Zhang Ming kept his head down, too nervous to look up, as Tang Qihuang calmly announced her final decision.

“Zhang Ming will be removed from the Student Council. The others must each write a three-thousand-word self-criticism and submit it to the Student Council. I failed to supervise them properly, so I share the responsibility. I’ll write one myself and submit it to the school. Zhang Ming, do you have any objections?”

It was a pretty severe punishment.

Getting into the Student Council at Qifeng No. 1 High School was about as difficult as placing in the top ten at this prestigious school—and there were multiple rounds of interviews, too.

Being removed outright was rare. It also meant that Zhang Ming would no longer have access to one of the Student Council’s few college entrance exam bonus-point slots.

Standing at the edge of the auditorium, Bai Yuyang felt a wave of nostalgia.

That’s right. Huang'er had handled things exactly the same way back then.

A few years later, Miss Tang would throw herself into Yuyang’s arms and complain that she hadn’t wanted to be so harsh, but the school rules had left her no choice. Just thinking about it left Yuyang torn between laughter and exasperation.

Back onstage.

Fine beads of cold sweat had appeared on Zhang Ming’s forehead. Once the president announced the result, his nerves slowly began to ease.

Using the microphone and speakers onstage, he spoke one word at a time.

“I... I accept the punishment.”

“Good.” Tang Qihuang nodded, her expression blank.

She was as calm and composed as a big shot. In two words: she was slaying.

As if Zhang Ming could refuse the punishment.

For one thing, he’d brought shame on the Student Council and was willing to accept the consequences.

For another, the president was the daughter of a school board member. When she spoke, it was as good as the board member speaking in person.

Being forced to leave the Student Council was getting off easy. If he refused, would they expel him from school next?

“That leaves just one last thing.”

At last, a faint, almost imperceptible smile appeared on Tang Qihuang’s usually stern, beautiful face.

“The final item on today’s opening ceremony agenda is a reminder: in the new semester, don’t focus only on your studies. Make sure you have fun, too. I hope everyone finds a new encounter during this golden autumn.”

“That’s all. Thank you, everyone.”

Amid thunderous applause,

Bai Yuyang froze.

When Huang'er said her final sentence, it seemed like she put extra emphasis on the word “encounter.”

Was it just his imagination...?