Free Web NovelChapter 163: Chapter 163: Welcome Party (Part 2): Petty Tricks?
The resonant chimes of ancient bells, heavy with the weight of history, echoed through the venue. The curtain rose slowly, revealing a vast, blurry landscape of rivers and mountains on the large screen behind it.
The light from the screen illuminated a dozen or so women in ornate headdresses and wide, flowing robes. Like figures from a painting, they were lying, squatting, or posing in various ways that showcased their feminine charm.
Modern instruments occasionally joined the chime of the bells, creating a layered sound.
A figure, arms outstretched and dressed differently from the others, rose from the stage lift, their back to the audience.
To the classical music, the figure glided forward, trailing a long, long train.
The figure came to a stop under the central spotlight. She raised her left arm, the wide sleeve covering most of her body. Slowly, she turned, revealing Wen Meng’s bewitching smile, a cinnabar mark on her brow lending her an air of solemn dignity. ’Ugh, the original makeup was really not good!’
One look, one smile, and a hundred charms were born.
The audience was stunned. Screams and applause erupted. Many people began asking about the senior in the center position.
But this didn’t affect the rhythm on stage.
As the sound of the pipa joined the melodious flute, the backup dancers, dressed as court ladies, began to move with slow, mincing steps.
Wen Meng spun in place with small steps, wrapping the long train of her skirt beneath her. Like a statue fixed to the spot from the waist down, she moved with alternating softness and strength, her movements perfectly synchronized with the dancers gathering around her.
Together, they presented a tableau of Tang Dynasty court ladies dancing gracefully. Their movements were fluid and synchronized, and paired with the grand, classical music, they conjured the golden age of the great Tang for the audience.
Occasional difficult moves, like deep backbends, drew cheers from the crowd.
The music shifted. The court ladies swayed, letting their outer robes slowly fall with their movements.
The audience’s cheers and whistles never stopped, reaching a crescendo when Wen Meng herself shed her outer robe.
"That senior is absolutely gorgeous! Best figure I’ve ever seen! If only she were my girlfriend!" a guy with a mole by his mouth said dreamily.
The guy next to him sneered. "Tch! You? You’d be drained dry in minutes! You’d need someone like me!" He flexed his biceps as he spoke.
Because of the heavy makeup, some of the new students who had only seen photos of Wen Meng didn’t recognize her at first.
This was the first time Wu Yun had seen this side of Wen Meng. The senior who was usually so compliant and obedient to him now seemed like Yang Guifei herself, stepping right out of history—noble and alluring.
Her curvaceous figure was tantalizingly visible in the dim light.
Wu Yun was a little displeased. ’From now on, I’m not allowing Wen Meng to wear this kind of gauzy clothing.’
’Still,’ he thought, ’I have to admit, the ancient emperors really had it good. It’s no wonder some of them started skipping morning court.’
As the final note faded, Wen Meng, standing in the middle of the descending curtain, cast a charming glance back at the audience before the fabric lowered completely, and she vanished from the stage.
The applause was unceasing. Even the school deans in the front row were clapping with broad smiles. The Dean of the Dance Academy, in particular, couldn’t wipe the proud grin off his face.
Wang Liang walked onto the stage, his face beaming as he praised the dance. "I’m truly blown away by the performance from our juniors! It made me feel the grandeur of the Tang Dynasty and the grace of the Imperial Consort. It was unforgettable and leaves you longing for more."
Wang Liang’s words didn’t quiet the venue; many people were still lost in the preceding dance.
Wu Yun finally understood Li Yuantao’s overt plot. By placing his act after a performance like that, anything less than spectacular would result in public condemnation.
Moreover, the noisy venue was a slight disadvantage for his performance.
Wang Liang continued speaking over the noise.
"But history, in the end, is the past. We must look to the future! Now, please listen to the finale of our show, a Japanese song, *Until the End of the World*, brought to you by Wu Yun from Class One of Business Management!"
Fortunately, Wu Yun’s cheering section was incredibly supportive. Screams and applause erupted from the School of Economics and Management section, overpowering all other sounds in the venue.
Most of the audience’s attention turned to the stage, and the venue quieted down for a moment.
Wu Yun stood in the center of the stage. Seeing thousands of eyes on him, he smiled and waved. He walked to the edge of the stage, grabbed a microphone stand, and planted it right at the center edge. He clipped the mic on and waited quietly for the music to start.
An upbeat electronic melody began, soon joined by a rock rhythm.
Wu Yun tapped his foot to the beat.
As Wu Yun’s flawless Japanese filled the air, it wasn’t the girls who screamed and cheered.
Instead, more than half the boys in the field stood up, waving their glow sticks. Some even began to sing along softly.
His handsome face was projected onto the large screen behind him, making the hearts of many love-struck girls flutter.
Seeing this, Wu Yun pointed to the boys in the back rows as he sang. Then, he held both hands out, palms up, motioning for all the men to sing along.
The chorus hit, and every boy who had ever seen *Slam Dunk* began to sing loudly along.
Wu Yun’s voice, amplified by the speakers, mingled with the voices of the many male students, echoing across the entire campus.
The girls watched this handsome freshman in amazement. He had turned a solo performance into what felt like his own personal concert.
The song continued, undeterred by the chatter from the audience.
The fervent atmosphere swept up the girls in the audience, and they couldn’t help but wave their glow sticks to the rhythm. Though they couldn’t understand the meaning of the lyrics, they could feel the passionate energy that made them want to run.
After one more massive sing-along for the chorus, the song finally ended as the melody slowly faded out.
Wu Yun bowed his thanks and was about to leave.
A girl in the audience shouted, "Encore!"
Her words were like the key that opened Pandora’s box. A unified chant rose from the field.
"Encore!"
"Encore!"
Perhaps they had been notified in advance that Wu Yun had another song prepared.
The host was nowhere to be seen.
Wu Yun looked at the swaying glow sticks below. He smiled, gesturing for quiet with his hands. "Since you all want to hear another one, then I’ll do my best not to disappoint! Next, I’ll sing a classic Russian song for you all, *Moscow Nights*."
The screams from the girls in the School of Economics and Management were particularly loud. They knew that Wu Yun, from the school’s own welcome party to tonight’s university-wide event, had already sung in the languages of two different countries, and now he was about to add a third.
Talented people are always sought after. When that talented person is also rich and handsome, it was enough to make many of the girls from the School of Economics and Management feel weak in the knees.
Wu Yun waved a hand toward the backstage area, but after waiting for more than ten seconds, no music played.
He turned to look and saw the operator at the control console, sweating profusely and waving his hands at him.
It only took Wu Yun a few glances to understand. ’Without the system, I’d probably still be in the dark!’
"Folks! We’re having a little problem with the audio track! How about this? I’ll play and sing myself! I hope you all enjoy it!"
"Yongheng! Bring me the qin!"
