The cobalt blue haute couture fit Caryn Zachmann perfectly, accentuating her elegant necklines and slim waist, with the hem of the skirt flowing like a river of stars.
Today, Caryn was stunningly radiant, exuding a kind of swan-like, proud beauty.
"Senior."
Chloe Bailey pushed open the door and imdiately noticed Caryn’s couture dress, her eyes gleaming with envy. After entering, she casually shut the door behind her, walked up to Caryn, smiled, and said, "Senior, the draw results are out. As you suggested, I had the student council tweak the order a bit. They were assigned number six, performing right after us on stage..."
Chloe couldn’t help but raise the corners of her mouth, stifling a laugh as she spoke.
It wasn’t bad enough that the Chinese dicine departnt overlapped with their performance piece, but performing back-to-back? Wasn’t that practically suicide?
It had to be said—Senior truly knew how to ss with people.
She herself would’ve never co up with such a clever way to trip soone up!
"I bet they’re already scrambling like headless ants, panicking like crazy!" Chloe let out a secret giggle, her eyes full of disdain.
Caryn also smiled faintly, but it was restrained, just a slight curve of her lips, as if she didn’t care much, treating it akin to crushing a tiny ant.
At that mont, her phone screen lit up on the table.
She picked up the phone and lowered her gaze.
It was a ssage from Adelle Wafford—[Caryn, I heard the Chinese dicine departnt got assigned right after you in the draw. They’re ’lucky,’ huh?]
Caryn chuckled, silently thinking to herself: "Aren’t they a little too lucky? What a coincidence they go right after us."
"The opening performances have already started. Senior’s brother is already on stage. I’m so envious of you, Senior. Having a top-star brother like that."
Chloe leaned in and spoke admiringly near her ear.
Caryn, however, seed indifferent, hardly paying attention, as she absently toyed with her phone. After replying to a ssage from her tutor, another one ca in from a friend.
[Sherrina Yacoub: My goodness. Why didn’t you tell you’re the real Light Chaser? You even kept in the dark. Your secrecy skills are top-notch!]
Caryn pressed her glossy red lips together, the proud curve of her eyebrows carrying a hint of humor. She wasn’t sure why, but she replied:
[Well, you know now, don’t you?]
After sending the ssage, Caryn’s heartbeat inexplicably quickened. She frowned slightly, knowing the ssage had already been sent and there was no way to retract it.
She figured she was just overthinking it.
After all, Light Chaser usually enjoyed playing the mystery card. Admitting it to Sherrina in passing shouldn’t cause any major fallout.
Thinking this way, she felt less uneasy.
Still, she exited WhatsApp quickly, unwilling to look at the ssages again. Placing her phone back on the table, she asked Chloe, "Is it almost our turn?"
Chloe glanced toward the stage, confirming the ongoing program, and then turned back to respond, "We’re already at the third program. Just one more to go, and then it’s our turn."
Caryn lazily stood up, her aura of arrogant elegance still intact, and said to Chloe, "Let’s go. We’ll squeeze in one last rehearsal!"
...
The third program belonged to the Computer Science departnt.
The fourth program was from the Biological Engineering departnt.
The Biological Engineering group, all science majors, had picked a predictably conservative act: a harmonized choral performance of "Ode to My Motherland."
For an occasion like the school anniversary, choral performances were typically the most soporific of all the acts.
Aside from Audrick Zachmann’s explosive opening act, the first four performances had all been underwhelming.
The audience in the Great Hall seed equally disinterested.
Stephanie Tanzil patiently looked toward the stage and asked the person seated next to her, "Who’s up next?"
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