Chapter 261: Raise up your hand

In this era when girls were dressing up in increasingly varied ways, just that slick black plait alone was enchanting to death. Of course, this still mainly relied on her clear, attractive face.

Looking at the thirty plus hands that shot up, Zhang Ninglang appeared dazed as he looked rather helplessly at Xu Tingsheng.

Xu Tingsheng knew what was up with him. This couldn’t really be thought of as low self-esteem. Instead, it was more of him being overly lucid as he hesitated from introspective self-awareness.

Room 602’s Zhang Ninglang had always been the kind of guy to be most easily overlooked. He was completely normal as well as obedient, not skipping lessons, not taking up important roles, not getting into conflicts. He wasn’t tall, even being a bit on the thin side. Despite not being ugly, he also wasn’t handsome. He was quiet most of the time, habitually smiling faintly as opposed to laughing loudly, never ever becoming the focal point in a social setting.

He was that name most easily forgotten in future class gatherings many years down the road.

There had not been a single scandalous rumour about him in his entire first year of university.

In his second year of university, he was fortunate enough to meet a girl. He looked at her through normal lenses initially, feeling that everything just fit together so well as he had not thought more about it. Only now did he suddenly discover how dazzling a presence she was.

As for Zhang Ninglang, he still remained that ever inconspicuous Zhang Ninglang.

“Raise your hand, Lil’ Bro! What’s stopping you?” Everyone from Room 602 was egging him on.

Xu Tingsheng too exclaimed, “Hurry up and raise your hand!”

Zhang Ninglang smiled, saying somewhat unnaturally to everyone, “I’m not fit enough, not tall enough, and also not very strong. I may not be suitable if it’s choosing someone to carry her.”

He found himself an excuse and ultimately abstained from raising his hand.

There were around thirty raised hands now.

The girl with the long plait stood on tiptoe, tilting her head to the side as she gazed over at him.

She continued looking at him just like that.

He pretended not to see it, not looking at her.

The situation persisted just like this as some of those raised hands were beginning to feel numb.

Xu Tingsheng did not intend to say anything, did not intend to concern himself with this or try to do any persuading. The current situation could only be broken by one of the two parties directly involved. Otherwise, things would remain awkward like this whether it was today or in the future.

The expressions of everyone present seemed about to freeze up.

The girl with the long plait suddenly smiled happily, saying in a bell-like tone, “Ha, you’ve finally raised your hand! Thank you, Senior Zhang Ninglang. Also, thank you, everybody else. Sorry!”

Zhang Ninglang had not raised his hand in the first place.

Therefore, the girl with the long plait had decisively backed herself into a corner in such a manner, conveying her feelings to Zhang Ninglang as such.

Without any hesitation whatsoever, Zhang Ninglang raised his hand, stood up and walked over.

He went over to stand beside her.

Due to the game’s rules, the other girls had basically all taken the physiques of the guys into consideration when making their selection. Therefore, Zhang Ninglang was the scrawniest of the five guys to get up on stage thus far.

His expression was also the most bashful as well as awkward of them all.

The final girl, a plain-looking one whose weight really seemed a little exaggerated, hesitated for a moment, but still stepped forward in the end.

“I’m a bit heavy. No, actually, I’m very heavy. I didn’t know that the game would become like this. Otherwise, if I had known, I’d have let myself lose the round a little earlier.’

The girl confessed this rather awkwardly to some laughter from the audience. Then, she looked down and smiled towards the floor, not saying anything further.

Gazing over, Xu Tingsheng discovered that Tan Yao too was looking a little awkward now as he had evidently not noticed this when making that suggestion earlier. Also, this was quite a hurtful thing for a girl.

Then, indeed, awkwardness reigned as not a single guy raised his hand.

“Be more active, everyone! Don’t be shy,” The female MC stepped forward and chimed in.

Perhaps some were dejected from not having been chosen by those first five girls, having completely lost all interest in participating. Perhaps some feared that their girlfriend or crush might see it and be unhappy. Perhaps some feared losing face. Perhaps some knew that they really wouldn’t be able to lift her up. Perhaps…

Whatever the case, not a single person raised their hand.

The girl was still smiling. Yet, many were able to see the loneliness and resignation in her smile, that which could also be called pain to a certain extent. Her eyes were currently irrepressibly turning red on her still smiling face despite her best efforts to maintain an unruffled guise.

She already dared not look at any single person amongst the audience now.

Hesitating slightly, the girl now turned and asked Tan Yao who was standing over by the wall, “Mr MC, with my weight, it may really be too hard on everyone. So, can I withdraw from this?”

Under these circumstances, she was surely entitled to storm off in rage, leaving the premises right there and then. This was just an unofficial event, with no one possessing the authority to stop or blame her.

Still, she was very polite. Even when placed in such a situation and feeling like this, she still remained polite and asked for the MC’s opinion, perhaps for fear of spoiling the atmosphere.

She had been brought up well, possessing the virtue of self-restraint.

Her voice was a little hoarse.

Tan Yao raised his mike, dispelling his awkwardness and and smiling as he said in as normal and relaxed a tone he could muster, “But my hand was clearly raised just now. You didn’t see that, though. Won’t you consider it?” Tan Yao shook his upraised left hand, asking wrongedly.

“And there are also people who have their hands raised over there. Look, won’t you consider them?” Here, Tan Yao pointed at a corner of the lecture theatre.

The girl turned rather bemusedly to look in the direction in which Tan Yao was pointing.

The gazes of everyone else present were directed there as well.

Old Wai’s hand was raised. Li Linlin was sitting right beside him.

Lu Xu’s hand was raised. His other hand still grasped his phone.

Also, Xu Tingsheng’s hand was raised. Just earlier, he had been the first one to raise his hand. It was only because he was seated right in a corner that no one aside from the others from his dorm room had noticed it.

“A reminder,” Tan Yao smiled meaningfully, feigning a casual tone, “The guy by the wall is my roommate. His name is Xu Tingsheng.”

There were many in their second year and a few in their first year who had already long since known that Xu Tingsheng was there. Misled by Li Xingming’s earlier words, the remaining first year students had really believed that this famed second year senior of theirs was not present.

Anyway, it could be confirmed that he had not raised his hand at all before this.

He had not done so for the previous five girls. Even when that girl with the exposed waist had inquired about him on her own accord, he had simply remained silent.

Now, however, he was raising his hand.

Many in their second year had not really interacted much with Xu Tingsheng prior to this. As for those in their first year, it was basically their first time seeing this apparently greatly renowned senior of theirs in person. Actually, it had just been the raising of a hand, not being anything major. Still, he had been the first to do it. After he had done so, his roommates had too…

At this moment, many people gained an additional level of understanding regarding the title ‘Xishan Tower’s Xu Tingsheng’ apart from his achievements, his capabilities and his wealth.

More and more hands were raised into the air...