Can following the rules be called rebirth?

Chapter 269, Section 267: Unique Luck

The spotlight was so realistic it looked almost tangible.

It not only illuminated Zhong Yujun, but also enveloped her heart like a warm current.

She could clearly hear a drum-like sound pounding inside her chest, as if she were about to break free from her restraints.

Blood rushed to my head, my eardrums were buzzing, and the tsunami-like roar from the audience seemed both very far away and very close.

Her gaze drifted down to the audience, and then to her seat, row 2, seat 17 in section B.

empty.

His gaze shifted again, and it met Zhou Mingyuan's eyes.

He stood at the very front of the stage, holding a stick microphone in his left hand, which made his tall and straight figure even more clearly visible.

As their eyes met, the man even winked at her almost imperceptibly.

It's him.

It must be him.

Shady!

The thought suddenly popped into my head.

She didn't even submit a lottery ticket!

Her ticket stub, a small pink piece of paper printed with seat number 17 in row 2 of section B, should still be lying quietly on the side of the podium.

It should be placed under her script.

How could it possibly appear in the center of the stage, in a transparent lottery box, mixed among hundreds of ticket stubs, and then be drawn by Zhou Mingyuan by chance?

impossible.

The only explanation is that Zhou Mingyuan had arranged all of this long ago.

The seemingly fair and impartial transparent box, the pile of ticket stubs representing countless possibilities, and his slow, deliberate groping movements just now.
It was all a grand performance staged for everyone in the audience.

A meticulously planned Christmas Eve extravaganza!
However, the only female lead in this grand drama is herself.

"Wow~~~"

The jeers from the audience grew even louder, one wave after another.

"Junjun! Hurry up and go!"

"You won! It really is you!"

Mi Youyou, who was also sitting in the staff section, was extremely excited.

As Zhong Yujun's closest friend in the student council, she was jumping up and down, cupping her hands around her mouth and shouting loudly, her voice miraculously piercing through the noisy waves.

The sound was clearly transmitted to the stage and entered Zhong Yujun's buzzing ears.

"."

With the male host's quick-witted remarks, Zhong Yujun finally managed to regain her composure.

Receiving the award.

With so many people watching, I should receive my award first.

The girl took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down, and her professionalism as a presenter kicked in, as she put on her signature smile.

She slightly lifted her skirt, stepped into her silver high heels, and walked step by step to the center of the stage, toward the award presenter.

"Let's welcome the luckiest girl of the night with a round of applause!"

The male host stirred up another wave of discussion.

One step, two steps, three steps.
Her every step seemed to tread on clouds, soft and unreal.

The slight vibration of the teak floor beneath my feet could be felt through the thin soles of my high heels.

Countless gazes, almost tangible, focused on Zhong Yujun, filled with scrutiny, envy, blessings, jeering, and even jealousy.
It makes your ears burn, yet strangely it also catalyzes a certain sweetness in your heart.

Finally, she stood in front of Zhou Mingyuan.

The man was about ten centimeters taller than her, and she had to tilt her head slightly to see his exceptionally deep-set eyes and brows.

"Looks like our Lady of Luck is a little shy~"

Zhou Mingyuan smiled, extended his hand to her, palm up, and gestured for her to face the audience with him.

"Congratulations, Zhong Yujun."

His large palms and distinct knuckles appeared clean and slender under the stage lights, hovering in mid-air, awaiting the winner's response.

What are you doing!
Why insist on this kind of formalism!
Zhong Yujun's heart skipped a beat.

She bit her lip, her gaze quickly sweeping over his smiling eyes, and then, as if drawn by some invisible force, she raised her right hand and gently placed it in his palm.

interlocking fingers.

"Wow"

"They're holding hands!"

This scene was so visually impactful that the audience's reaction was so intense it felt like the sound waves were about to burst through the ceiling and reach the dome.

Whistles, applause, and excited screams blended together.

"It's a conspiracy. It's definitely a conspiracy! But it's so sweet!"

"Oh my god, someone is throwing candy at the carnival party! I'm definitely going to post this on my WeChat Moments when I get back!"

A girl covered her face and screamed.

"What the hell is this guy doing? Is he trying to pick up the TV host?"

"Disgusting, so disgusting."

This is a male student's reflection.

"Take a picture, hurry up and take a picture!"

More people then realized what was happening and frantically searched for their phones to take pictures.

"Holy shit!"

"Isn't that invincible?"

Yu Feiyang slapped Xiong Yao's thigh hard from below the stage, and the latter grimaced in pain but didn't have time to pay attention to it.

"Old Zhou's move was too slick! In front of thousands of people in the whole school, this is like a public execution, or a public display of affection!"

"That's really awesome."

"No wonder he said he would come to the event for the first time ever, and even sponsored it. I thought he was just wasting his money."

Xiong Yao rubbed his leg, his eyes narrowed into slits.

"I knew it! They made such a huge plate of dumplings just for a dish of vinegar, and they even brought along power banks and iPhones. Turns out, this most precious vinegar was waiting for them! This is some serious business!"

A spotlight projected the two figures standing side by side onto the huge LED backdrop.

With their striking good looks and perfect height difference, Zhou Mingyuan is refined and handsome, while Zhong Yuyun has rosy cheeks; they are a perfect match, like a meticulously crafted idol drama.

Every frame is worth capturing and remembering.

The male host tactfully stepped back half a step, completely relinquishing the absolute center position on the stage to this most eye-catching couple of the night.

"So."

Zhou Mingyuan held her hand, subtly hooking his middle finger across the back of her hand before turning to the audience and speaking.

The sound echoed throughout every corner of the auditorium.

"According to the rules of our grand prize, this prize includes the sum of all previous prizes."

He paused, his gaze sweeping across the audience, eliciting knowing laughter and gasps of amazement.

"In addition to the opportunity to have dinner together, and the option to join Jieyou Media at any time."

He turned his head again, his gaze falling on the girl beside him whose eyelashes trembled slightly and whose cheeks were covered in layers of red blossoms, and he drew out his voice.

"Zhong Yujun, are you willing to accept this unique stroke of luck?"

Are you willing to accept this?

A discerning observer would notice that, compared to the other students who formally went on stage to receive their awards, Zhou Mingyuan's rhetoric was clearly not that of someone presenting an award.

You don't say things like that at award ceremonies!

It was less of a simple awards ceremony and more of a...
This was a public, grand confession, built with gifts worth tens of thousands of yuan and witnessed by countless people.

"."

The audience fell silent for a moment, as if even the air itself was waiting.

Everyone held their breath, their eyes fixed on Zhong Yujun, waiting for her answer.

What's going on?!

Zhong Yujun blinked, feeling her heart pounding.

She gently turned her head and looked into Zhou Mingyuan's eyes, where she saw her own reflection and the deep, unyielding affection within them.

What weird stuff is this guy saying?!
Who wouldn't want to receive an award?

wrong!

It seems like he said...
Unique luck.

But what is unique luck?

In a flash, she suddenly remembered all the little things that had happened since they met.

She remembered when she first entered high school, he sat behind her and clumsily helped her pick up her scattered stationery.

He recalled the two of them when they first came to Jiangcheng to study and felt lost in the big city, and how he gave them timely encouragement.

I remember him always standing silently behind me, supporting my every step of growth.
Countless fragmented images flashed through my mind, each one featuring his smiling figure. Would you like to?
Of course.

She raised the microphone, took a deep breath, and forcefully suppressed the myriad emotions welling up in her throat.

"I do! Thank you Jieyou Media, thank you for this miracle!"

Zhong Yujun ultimately did not address him by his name.

But that slight pause and the increasingly flushed cheeks said it all.

Wow!!!

Watching others gossip is a very enjoyable thing.

The audience's gossip reached its peak in an instant, like a long-accumulated volcano suddenly erupting.

The entire auditorium was filled with applause, the sound so loud it made your feet go numb.

Whether it's shady or not is no longer important; nobody cares about such a trivial matter anymore.

At this moment, the romantic and sweet atmosphere completely overwhelmed everything else.

The lighting technician was also like he was on steroids, manipulating the beam lights to swing wildly in the air, sweeping across excited faces, with colorful light spots flowing rapidly all around.

"congratulations!"

The male host stepped forward, raising his voice and even cracking slightly.

"This is absolutely the most exciting, romantic, and unforgettable lucky draw in the history of Nanhu University, bar none!"

"Let's once again give a warm round of applause and cheers to congratulate Zhong Yujun!"

"Thank you to Jieyou Media for bringing us this ultimate Christmas Eve surprise!"

He used all his strength to bring the atmosphere of the entire venue to its peak.

The hostesses, who had been waiting in the wings, stepped forward with a deep red velvet tray on which three prizes were placed.

Stacks of power bank cases, pristine white earphone cases, and gold iPhones.

Students in the front row who were close to the audience were already gasping in shock.

"Holy crap. I'm starting to realize it now. Do you think he organized this whole lottery just to give Zhong Yujun a Christmas present?"

"How much would all of this cost in total?"

"Zhou Mingyuan definitely planned this all along!"

"Nonsense! Rich kids can't just throw money at girls, do you even understand that?!"

"What if you give a girl a gift directly and she thinks it's too expensive and refuses? The first prize, an iPhone, costs tens of thousands! But if you win it in a raffle, it's perfectly reasonable."

"So romantic! Why don't I have a boyfriend who puts in this much effort?"

Whispers spread like a tide, mixed with endless envy.

Zhou Mingyuan turned to Zhong Yujun, his voice so gentle it could melt anyone's heart, and it traveled through the microphone to everyone's ears.

"I hope you like the grand prize."

His words remained polite and official in style.

But the meaning behind their eyes was clear to everyone, both on and off stage.

This certainly means more than just a few prizes.

"Thank you~~~"

The final segment of the gala was when all the performers and management personnel went on stage to take their bows.

A cheerful chorus rang out, and pre-prepared ribbons and confetti sprayed out from the lighting fixtures on the second floor.

It was just like a colorful rain shower, falling on the world.

The crowd began to stir.

Some people couldn't wait to leave and head to the next Christmas Eve party.

Some people excitedly rushed to the front of the stage, wanting to get a closer look at the lucky winner of the grand prize, or trying to strike up a conversation with the founder of Jieyou Media, who had spent a fortune, and become acquainted with him.

"Let's go?"

"Bros."

Zhou Mingyuan gave his roommates a wink, and Yu Feiyang and Xiong Yao immediately understood and stood up.

The group moved quickly along the aisle towards the backstage entrance on the side of the stage, against the loosening crowd.

Yu Feiyang and Xiong Yao stood on either side of each other, using their bodies to slightly block some overly enthusiastic classmates who wanted to come over and say hello.

"Boss Zhou is awesome!"

"Mr. Zhou, this is my resume."

"May I ask Jieyou Media?"

He received various attempts to strike up a conversation with Zhou Mingyuan, but he simply smiled and nodded in response, without stopping.

The backstage entrance was equally chaotic, crowded with actors who had just come off stage, staff, and some students who wanted to come in to find someone.

When Zhou Mingyuan entered, almost all eyes were on him.

"Hey, junior's here. Looking for Junjun?"

"You'll have to wait a bit, she's in the makeup removal room!"

"Boss Zhou is here to pick them up!"

"We were just discussing how romantic you are! You've single-handedly raised the bar for us girls, hahaha~"

Mi Youyou, with her sharp eyes, spotted Zhou Mingyuan first and immediately started laughing and making a fuss, attracting everyone's attention.

The other girls giggled and pointed Zhou Mingyuan in the right direction.

Soon, he spotted tonight's leading lady near the coat rack by the dressing room door.

Zhong Yujun had just taken off her silver high heels and put on a pair of white furry snow boots.

She was surrounded by several other female students from the student council, chattering excitedly. She was holding three gift boxes in her hands, her face still flushed, and her eyes were incredibly bright.

"Eh?"

"You're here"

The girl sitting opposite her pouted, and Zhong Yujun looked up and immediately saw Zhou Mingyuan.

She smiled shyly, instinctively wanting to hide the gift box behind her back, but then felt that the action would only make it more obvious.

She paused there, her fingers tracing the edge of the box, looking adorably innocent, making you want to pinch her cheeks.

"You really are something!"

"Were these things done on purpose?"

"you guess?"

Zhou Mingyuan spread his hands.

"You are too kind, Madam."

Zhong Yujun glanced around and, noticing the other girls in the dressing room had left, continued speaking.

"and!"

Why make such a big fuss?

The last sentence was almost mumbled out, with a touch of girlish coquettishness.

"What's wrong with a Christmas Eve gift being a little eye-catching?"

Zhou Mingyuan chuckled.

"."

Zhong Yujun pouted and pointed to the dressing room: "Okay, wait for me to get my bag, coat, and makeup remover pads."

She still had stage makeup on, which, although not heavy, still needed to be removed.

"Not in a hurry."

Zhou Mingyuan nodded.

The girl turned and jogged back to the slightly messy dressing room, quickly returning with her makeup bag.

"Brother Zhou, shall we head back now?"

Yu Feiyang peeked over, winking and making faces, his face beaming with barely suppressed laughter.

"Would you please not disturb their dinner? And then I'll honor the grand prize?"

He emphasized those four words, which made Xiong Yao cover his mouth and chuckle in the back, his shoulders shrug.

Zhou Mingyuan laughed and cursed, "Get lost."

"Yes, sir! Merry Christmas Eve to Brother Zhou and his wife!"

Yu Feiyang, displaying high emotional intelligence, walked away with Xiong Yao, arms around each other's shoulders, leaving behind a trail of ambiguous laughter.

"Stop yelling!"

This overly familiar address made Zhong Yuyun's face flush even more. She glared in the direction they left, but it had no effect.

"Now it's just the two of us."

Zhou Mingyuan took the bag from her hand and smiled.

"Let's go on a date."

He naturally put his arm around Zhong Yujun's waist and walked outside.

"Ah."

(End of this chapter)