The Days I Was Secretly Loved by the All-Girls School Beauties - Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Tomorrow is the Shangyuan Festival, also known as the Lantern Festival. Historically, it was a folk celebration marked by decorating with lanterns, solving riddles, and eating yuanxiao (sweet glutinous rice balls). Over time, it developed the characteristics of a “Valentine’s Day”—allowing lovers to venture out to view the lanterns and providing an opportunity for people to meet their intended.

Yun Zhan didn’t expect this world to have a Shangyuan Festival as well, though the timing was slightly different. To her, the most significant part of the festival was the two-day holiday it provided.

“So tired. It’s almost vacation, yet I’m still stuck cleaning the archive room.”

Yun Zhan set her broom aside and sat down on a random stool. Her background at Minton Academy was anything but prestigious. In this strictly hierarchical school that prioritized birthright, Yun Zhan often had to take on invisible labor.

The seniors who had assigned her the task were quite snobbish. Knowing that Pei Yanxi paid significant attention to Yun Zhan, they didn’t dare order her around under Pei Yanxi’s watchful eye. However, the moment Pei Yanxi left for off-campus business, they immediately changed their tune and commanded Yun Zhan to clean the archives.

“Give Pei Yanxi a call; she’ll help you,” 21 urged from the side.

“She has no obligation to help me,” Yun Zhan shook her head and refused. Pei Yanxi held a high position; there was no need for her to intervene personally over something like this, and helping her might actually spark malicious gossip.

Yun Zhan had her own hidden agenda anyway: she wanted to use the archive room to find some useful information.

“21, what is the name of the final heroine?”

During this period, she hadn’t encountered any particularly special girls at school. Both Pei Yanxi and Wen Sixue were girls who stood out from the crowd, possessing innate grace and top-tier beauty. Yun Zhan had been trying her best to stay observant, but she still hadn’t found the third heroine.

“The final heroine is named Shi Mingyue. Sss… sorry Yun Zhan, I forgot to tell you—Shi Mingyue isn’t a typical student. You probably won’t run into her at school.”

21 suddenly remembered that they hadn’t found one of the heroines yet. It had been so focused on following Yun Zhan to classes that it almost forgot the mission.

“I won’t run into her?” Yun Zhan frowned, then asked, “How is she special? Does she not have to attend classes?”

“She is a true ‘Dajia Gui Xiu’ (daughter of a great family), the eldest legitimate daughter of the Shi family. Her family background is so prestigious that for Minton Academy to have her is considered the school’s social climbing. The Shi family has been flourishing since ancient times; their ancestors were Prime Ministers who protected the nation. The family has stood tall in this world for over a thousand years, never fading regardless of how dynasties changed.”

21 read through the files for a moment before summarizing: “Moreover, the Shi family is a very typical traditional Chinese clan with deep cultural roots and heavy family etiquette… Growing up in such an environment, Shi Mingyue is incredibly talented and stands out remarkably among her peers.”

Tsk, tsk. She was essentially the model of an ancient high-ranking official’s eldest daughter.

“Since I can’t meet her at school, I might as well look for her records here.” No sooner said than done—Yun Zhan got up from her stool, stretched, and began rummaging through the archive room.

Time ticked by. Yun Zhan flipped through record after record of various students, opening them with hope only to come up empty-handed. As the curfew approached, Yun Zhan wiped the sweat from her brow, feeling a bit dejected. If she didn’t find anything within the next half hour, she would have to head back.

Suddenly, her elbow brushed against a nearby bookshelf, causing a scroll to fall to the floor with a dull thud. Yun Zhan paused, knelt, and picked up the scroll with a final glimmer of hope.

The scroll was made of high-quality Xuan paper. As she gripped the edges and pulled it open, her pupils dilated in the dim light.

“How can there be such a beauty in this world…?” Yun Zhan marveled.

The portrait had no signature, only two characters written in Small Seal script at the bottom right: “Qiong Tai” (Jade Terrace).

The girl in the painting stood beneath begonia flowers, looking to be about seventeen or eighteen. Even with minimal makeup, her cheeks glowed like a soft sunrise; her skin looked as delicate as if it would break at a touch. Her nose was like carved jade, and her lips like a crushed cherry. Her eyebrows were like the distant blue of mountains, and her eyelashes, like raven feathers, lightly veiled eyes that seemed to contain the clear waves of the four seas.

“21, I swear, this is the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen.” Yun Zhan was too stunned for words. Pointing at the girl in the scroll, she said, “If she isn’t the heroine, I’ll jump out of this archive room window.”

“She is indeed the heroine, but this is the first time I’ve seen you react so strongly.” 21 clicked its tongue. It seemed Yun Zhan didn’t dislike looking at beauties; she just hadn’t seen one she truly liked yet.

“You don’t understand. She has the ‘Aura of an Empress,’ do you know what I mean? Like the legendary beauties from ancient times who could topple nations. My words are failing me, I can’t describe it… I hope you get it.”

Yun Zhan was suddenly at a loss for words. She truly felt Shi Mingyue looked incredibly regal. The styles of Pei Yanxi, Wen Sixue, and Shi Mingyue were vastly different.

Pei Yanxi was the flower atop a high snow mountain—cold and aloof like a beam of light filtered through a winter night. Her habit of looking down at others was intensely proud, radiating a dangerous “femme fatale” vibe. Wen Sixue was more like the pure girl next door, with very clean features; when she looked up at Yun Zhan, she was as gentle and cute as a little rabbit. Shi Mingyue was the quintessential noble lady, her dignified and elegant appearance exuding a peerless grace.

“Actually, I think purely in terms of looks, Pei Yanxi and Shi Mingyue are about on the same level of beauty, just with a huge difference in style,” 21 remarked objectively.

Yun Zhan nodded. “Pei Yanxi is indeed very beautiful, but it’s hard to imagine a girl with Shi Mingyue’s temperament existing in modern times.”

As expected of the eldest daughter of a great clan.

The heroine had been found, but now Yun Zhan couldn’t sleep. She tossed and turned in bed, burying her head in her blanket, distressed: she had no way to contact Shi Mingyue, making it impossible to continue the mission. Even after she finally fell asleep, the girl in her dreams was still troubled. In her dream, Yun Zhan was like a headless fly, searching for a long time without finding a trace.

But dreams are often the opposite of reality. To her surprise, the Shangyuan Festival the next day brought an unexpected opportunity.

The next morning, before the sun was even up, 21 was shouting in Yun Zhan’s head about going to the festival.

“You’re an AI; what’s the point of you joining the fun? Isn’t it better to sleep at home?” Yun Zhan had a bit of morning grumpiness. She frowned and pulled up her blanket, crawling back inside in a daze.

“I want to go! I want to go! The sun is already hitting your backside and you’re still not up!” 21 had never experienced a Shangyuan Festival. It wanted to see the lanterns, and since Yun Zhan wasn’t satisfying its wish, it kept throwing a tantrum.

“Fine.” Yun Zhan gritted her teeth, planning to pay it back whenever she got the chance.

The Shangyuan Festival was much livelier than imagined. Even before evening, the entire city of Yuedu was brightly lit. Thousands upon thousands of colorful lanterns hung from the city walls, their shadows casting rippling patterns on the cobblestone roads.

Along the city bridge, various performances were scattered: sword swallowers, tightrope walkers, and puppeteers. Onlookers were packed in layers, and cheers echoed through the air. Yun Zhan felt a bit dazzled. Seeing a couple of high-difficulty acrobatics, she took out her phone to record for a while.

“It’s so lively.” Yun Zhan was surprised that a modern city would preserve such a festive atmosphere. Nearby, “fire trees and silver flowers” (fireworks) bloomed, showering sparks like golden rain, lighting up Yun Zhan’s face in turns of brightness and shadow.

Suddenly, a few children carrying rabbit-shaped lanterns wove through the crowd. The lantern paper, bloated with heat, bumped into Yun Zhan’s leg. Fearing her pants might catch fire, she quickly moved to the other side.

The flowing crowd carried Yun Zhan onto a stone bridge. Suddenly, she saw a small vermilion sedan chair carried by eight men coming slowly from the end of the Imperial Street lantern market. Twelve gilded glass lanterns hung from the eaves of the chair, their surfaces painted with begonia branches, swinging gently with each step and casting fragmented glimmers—like moonlight being stirred and broken.

Yun Zhan happened to pass by the sedan chair, and her gaze was involuntarily drawn to it.

“Whose sedan chair is that?” Yun Zhan asked a vendor nearby selling small lamps.

“It seems to be the young lady of a certain family. I saw it once during last year’s festival… she is truly a wonderful person…” The auntie selling rabbit lanterns narrowed her eyes and whispered a few words to Yun Zhan.

Suddenly, the night wind caught the corner of the curtain. Through a thin crack, half a snowy face was revealed—a girl dressed in blue-green clothing with eyebrows like distant mountains and eyes as clear as shimmering water. With just a touch of red on her lips, she was as beautiful as an immortal in a painting.

In that single instant, the surrounding drums, firecrackers, and voices all receded into the distance, turning into a muffled tide. Yun Zhan stood frozen in place. The rabbit lantern she had just bought from the vendor fell to the ground with a thud, its candle extinguished by the wind.

At the moment the wind lifted the curtain, the two of them collided in a gaze without warning.

Yun Zhan’s eyes had just touched hers; she hadn’t even had time to react or marvel. Shi Mingyue’s eyes had just rippled with light; she hadn’t even had time to look away or hide. On the sedan, Shi Mingyue blinked gently at Yun Zhan, the light in her eyes swaying in layers.

Even revealing just a fraction of her face was like a sword piercing the air, striking straight into the heart, making her unforgettable.

By the time Yun Zhan came to her senses, the sedan had already turned deep into the lantern market, leaving only a slight sway of the curtain corner—like that startling smile from a moment ago, still drifting faintly in the dark.

“Was that… Shi Mingyue…?” Yun Zhan stood still, both certain and uncertain. Truthfully, she hadn’t seen the person clearly; she only knew she was beautiful—so beautiful that Yun Zhan felt it had to be Shi Mingyue.

“Miss, what were you looking at just now?” a servant nearby couldn’t help but ask. When the curtain was lifted earlier… the Miss had been staring out the window the entire time.

“A girl… let’s go look at the river lanterns first…” The girl’s eyelashes were thick and long. The shadows of the lanterns cast two crescent moons upon her; with her slight glance, the moonlight suddenly shattered into a sky full of stars.

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