This humble Taoist priest wants to take the college entrance exam.

Chapter 269 Special Award for Most Popular Contestant

The cultural performance went very smoothly, and all the programs were finished at 9:10.

Next comes the most exciting part: the awards ceremony.

"Please welcome the contestants who gave us a wonderful performance to the stage tonight!"

As the host's voice faded, the contestants from all groups, who had been eagerly waiting backstage, walked from behind the curtain to the center of the stage and lined up.

Wen Zhixia, Xiao Yan, and the others were both nervous and excited. They chatted and laughed in huddle together. After returning to the stage, they stood obediently in a row.

Lin Mengqiu was also quite nervous and excited. Her cold little hands were behind her back, her fingers clenching where the audience couldn't see. There was applause and cheers everywhere, but she could only hear the sound of her own heartbeat.

Chen Shi'an remained calm and casually found a spot to stand. As his only fellow contestant, the nervous Xu Zihan quickly stood next to him.

"Zhizhi! Are you here?"

Xiao Yan and the other girls cleverly made way for Wen Zhixia to stand next to Chen Shi'an;
"Xu Zihan, why don't you switch seats with the class monitor?" Qiu Yufu whispered to Zihan.

Zihan suddenly realized why she was still only the sports committee member after being a class monitor for so many years, far inferior to the vice class monitor...

"Squad leader, squad leader, you can stand to the left of Dao Ye. I specially saved a seat for you!" Zi Han said quickly.

Lin Mengqiu: "..."

Can you please not shout out in public who you want to stand next to?!

Even so, the class monitor still honestly stood to Chen Shi'an's left.

When facing the audience, the positions were Han, Fu, Lin, Chen, Wen, Yan, Ye, and Tong.

In this way, the eight people who performed the skit together stood together, while Chen Shi'an and the two girls, who each had their own song programs, also stood together separately.

The stands were packed with people, and the flashing lights of cell phones made the contestants on stage dizzy, unable to even see who was in the audience.

Chen Shi'an remained calm and immediately spotted Li Wanyin sitting in the second row of the alumni special invitation seats.

Of course my sister saw him; she was smiling and continuing to record him on her phone.

Chen Shi'an stood with his hands behind his back, his posture upright, and nodded to her with a smile.

……

Everyone who participates in the program tonight will receive at least a third prize, and all performers will receive a special anniversary souvenir and prize.

There are four first prizes, four second prizes, five third prizes, and a special award for the most popular contestant, which is voted on by student representatives from each class.

This anniversary celebration was generously sponsored by alumni, and the school was also very generous, with prizes for the winners increasing in tiers. The first prize was the most prestigious, including a silver pendant with the "Starlight Reflecting the Moon" school emblem specially designed for the 20th anniversary, and a pair of high-end headphones from a leading domestic brand.

As for the prize headphones, those were sponsored by the alumnus's own company, and all participants received one, just with different models and specifications...

"Based on the evaluation of the judges and the voting results of alumni and student representatives, there are four first-prize winners for this year's anniversary arts performance. The winners are—"

The auditorium fell silent instantly, and everyone's eyes were focused on the contestants on the stage, each one holding their breath in nervous anticipation.

"The song 'You Were Once a Teenager' was performed by Chen Shi'an from Class 5 of Grade 11 and Wen Zhixia from Class 21 of Grade 11!"

"what--"

As soon as she finished speaking, Wen Zhixia was so excited that she almost jumped up, and Xiao Yan and the others beside her were also full of excitement.

Chen Shi'an smiled, and Lin Mengqiu raised her eyebrows.

Thunderous applause erupted from the audience!

Li Wanyin held up her phone with one hand to take pictures, while waving excitedly at Chen Shi'an and Wen Zhixia with the other. "Sister cast her vote!"

"The skit 'A Classroom Through Thirty Years,' performed by: Chen Shi'an, Wen Zhixia, Lin Mengqiu, Qiu Yufu, Yao Jingyan, He Yeye, Shen Yatong, and Xu Zihan!"

A louder cheer erupted, with students from Class 5 and Class 11 shouting and yelling. On stage, Xiao Yan and Yu Fu, who were participating in the skit, excitedly high-fived and hugged each other. Chen Shi'an's smile deepened, Xu Zihan scratched her head shyly, and even Lin Mengqiu finally showed a bright smile.

"Dance 'Celebrating a Prosperous Age,' performed by..."

When this was shouted, the dancers standing next to them cheered and jumped for joy.

Lin Mengqiu's face suddenly tensed up!
There are only four first prizes in total, and three have already been awarded!
Could I have lost in the end? After all, besides the judges, there are also votes from alumni and student representatives from each class, so it's hard to say...

"as well as……"

When the last spot was announced, the host paused mischievously.

"The song 'My Deskmate,' performed by Chen Shi'an and Lin Mengqiu from Class 5, Grade 11! Congratulations to the four groups of performers and contestants who won first prize!"

call--! !

Lin Mengqiu's tense body finally relaxed, and an irrepressible smile appeared on her usually aloof face.

She looked up at Chen Shi'an, who was also smiling at her.
She glanced past Chen Shi'an and looked at Wen Zhixia over there.

The two girls exchanged glances, silently thinking, "Tch! Everyone's already won first prize!"

The applause from the audience was thunderous!
Li Wanyin looked at them with a smile, "Your three programs all have my votes!"

"Next, please welcome Principal Lin, representing the school leaders, and Ms. Song, representing outstanding alumni, to the stage to present awards to the winners..."

……

Chen Shi'an, Wen Zhixia, Lin Mengqiu and others stepped forward from the contestants and stood at the very front of the stage.

Lin Xiao was responsible for presenting souvenirs and medals, while alumna Ms. Song was responsible for presenting the prizes.

They were presented one by one from left to right.

Standing in front of his daughter, the principal smiled broadly, took the school badge pendant [Starlight Reflecting the Moon] from a box in the hands of a student in charge of etiquette, and put it around Lin Mengqiu's neck. Then he also put the specially customized 20th anniversary first prize medal on her.

"Mengqiu, you sang very well!"

"Thank you... Principal Lin." Seeing that no one took his outstretched hand, the principal said awkwardly in a low voice, "Let's shake hands..."

Lin Mengqiu: "..."

The girl then came to her senses and shook hands with her father.

"hehe!"

The principal smiled and patted her on the shoulder, then took another step to the right and presented the souvenir and prize to Chen Shi'an, who was standing next to him.

"Shi'an, your performance tonight was excellent!"

"Xie Linxiao."

Chen Shi'an smiled, and when he saw Uncle Lin extend his hand to him, he also extended his hand, and the two shook hands firmly.

The principal smiled and patted him on the shoulder, then went to Wen Zhixia and helped her put on the souvenir prize as well.

"Zhixia, I didn't expect you to have such excellent grades and such great talents! Very good! Keep up the good work!"

"Hehe, thank you, Principal Lin!"

After a simple handshake and a pat on the shoulder, the principal continued busy presenting awards.

Chen Shi'an and the others, who had already finished presenting the awards, were now looking at the prizes and souvenirs.

Especially the school badge pendant with the theme "Starlight Reflecting the Moon" – it's clear the school put a lot of thought into its design. Made of pure silver, it uses a combination of brushed and enamel techniques. The "starlight" symbolizes the shining moments of the contestants on stage, while the main body of the school badge is filled with enamel. The edges are surrounded by the school's anniversary years from 2003 to 2023. The pendant chain is detachable and can be inserted into the included silver brooch to transform it into a brooch, suitable for different occasions such as school uniforms and formal wear.

Wow! What a beautiful school badge pendant!

Everyone who received the souvenir was overjoyed and full of praise.

Soon, the first, second, and third prizes were all awarded, and the host's voice continued:
"Next up is the Special Award for Tonight's Most Popular Contestant, chosen by student representatives from each grade and class!"

"he is--"

"Class 5, Grade 11! Chen Shi'an!"

As the host finished speaking, the applause and cheers in the audience reached their peak!

This award is genuine; it was decided by votes from student representatives of each class. As the contestant who participated in the most episodes tonight, Chen Shi'an is truly a model worker.

The key point is that Dao Ye's performance was truly outstanding!

Not only does she sing well, but she also performs skits with remarkable skill.

Chen Shi'an was a little surprised. He thought everyone would vote for the two beautiful girls, but he didn't expect to win the Most Popular Contestant Award.

Wen Zhixia and Lin Mengqiu clapped in unison, their smiles radiant.

When Chen Shian raised the trophy symbolizing the most popular player, the stage lights went off in a flurry.

Li Wanyin, sitting in the alumni section, was also so excited that she kept taking pictures with her phone.

The stage lights shone brightly, illuminating the young and energetic faces of the people on stage, and also reflecting the youthful brilliance and glory shining in their eyes.

This moment is not only a victory for the show, but also a perfect crowning of their shared, shining years of youth.

The gala concluded successfully amidst the melody of "The Light of Yunqi" and applause from all the teachers, students, and alumni.

After the performance, everyone went to the playground.

Hundreds of drones slowly rose into the air, forming the shape of the school emblem in the night sky. The design then changed into the words "20th Anniversary" and "Go Yunqi!" followed by a dazzling dynamic light show, before finally settling on the four large characters "Passing on the Torch".

The lights and starlight complemented each other, and cheers and applause resounded through the night sky of the campus.

Chen Shi'an turned to look at Wen Zhixia, Lin Mengqiu, and Li Wanyin standing beside him; their eyes reflected the light and shadow of the night sky.

"There are only two hours left before 2023 is over," Chen Shi'an sighed.

"Huh?! It's already ten o'clock! Time flies!" Wen Zhixia said.

“Zhizhi, you should say, ‘It’s already 2024, time flies so fast,’” Li Wanyin said with a smile.

Lin Mengqiu was in a daze, as if she hadn't yet realized how much time had passed.

"Come on, come on, I'm hungry. I'll treat you to a late-night snack, and we'll ring in the New Year together tonight," Chen Shi'an said.

“Okay!” Wen Zhixia and Li Wanyin replied in unison.

Lin Mengqiu didn't say anything, but followed the three of them.

The school anniversary celebration had just ended, and many alumni were preparing to leave. Principal Lin stood at the school gate, seeing them off.

Seeing the four of them come out together, Lin Ming smiled and said, "Shi'an, are you going back?"

"Yes, Uncle Lin isn't leaving yet?"

"Hehe, I'll wait a little longer. Mengqiu, why don't you wait for Dad to go back together later?"

"We're going to celebrate the New Year, Dad, you can go back first."

"Then Dad will drive you there."

"Need not."

Seeing that the annoying cicada had already taken over the driver's seat of the bicycle, Lin Mengqiu lifted her leg and plopped down on the back seat.

Lin Ming: "..."

Why not ride in a Mercedes on a freezing day? Why squeeze onto a bicycle?!

(Thank you so much, Cangcang Jianjiaxian, for the generous donation of 100,000! You're so generous, boss! May you make a fortune! Thank you so much for your continued support!)
(End of this chapter)