After a while, Shen Qinghan gradually calmed down.

She stopped crying, though she still sniffled a little.

Wiping away her tears, she took deep breaths, trying to steady herself.

In front of her, Lin Zichen had already cut the basic shape of the skirt, needing only to finish the waistband and straps to complete it.

However, at that very moment, the host on stage was calling for Contestant No.20 to perform.

Backstage, Li Chuxin was panicking and kept trying to call them.

Lin Zichen was too busy to answer, so without looking up he said, “Hanhan, answer Chuxin’s call.”

Shen Qinghan hesitated, afraid to face Li Chuxin.

But after wiping her tears again and forcing herself to focus, she finally picked up the call.

“Hanhan, it’s our turn! Where did you and Zichen run off to?”

Li Chuxin’s voice trembled with anxiety through the call.

Shen Qinghan’s eyes darted nervously, “We... we’re...”

Before she could finish, Lin Zichen said, “We’re on our way. Go stall for time on stage—half a minute, tops.”

“Okay, hurry up!”

Li Chuxin didn’t question them further. She ended the call and rushed on stage, planning to introduce herself or crack a quick joke to buy thirty seconds.

Just as she stepped onto the stage, Lin Zichen finished the skirt.

He handed it to Shen Qinghan, “It’s done, go change in the restroom. Leave your old skirt and underwear by the door—I’ll clean up after.”

For some reason, Shen Qinghan was much calmer now. No longer trembling, she almost felt refreshed—as if crying and letting go had steadied her.

To save time and avoid delaying Li Chuxin, she hesitated for only a moment before summoning her courage.

“No... no need. Xiao Chen, turn around. I’ll change here.”

‘Here?’

Lin Zichen was caught off guard but didn’t question her. He quickly turned around.

Shen Qinghan blushed, then swiftly removed her wet clothes and put on the makeshift skirt.

She tied the straps as she ran toward the stage.

Watching her go, Lin Zichen realized she wasn’t as timid as he thought.

When it truly mattered, she could find her courage.

“Hope the performance goes well,” he murmured.

Then he picked up her discarded clothes, sealed them in a bag and headed back to watch from backstage.

At first, he worried that nerves might ruin her performance—but after listening for a while, he relaxed.

She was singing beautifully.

He had feared this might crush her spirit, but instead, she shone.

A few minutes later, thunderous applause filled the hall as Shen Qinghan and Li Chuxin’s performance came to an end.

Both were panting slightly, smiling brightly with relief.

As applause continued, they left the stage hand in hand.

On their way backstage, Li Chuxin asked curiously, “Hanhan, why’d you change your skirt? Is that what you ran off for?”

Shen Qinghan averted her eyes, “The old one got dirty.”

“Dirty?”

“Yeah.”

She didn’t elaborate and thankfully Li Chuxin didn’t press further. Instead, she clasped her hand with a grin, “Hanhan, we nailed it! The audience clapped louder for us than for anyone else! We might even take first place!”

“Really?”

Shen Qinghan had performed almost unconsciously, running on pure instinct, unaware of how well she’d done.

Lin Zichen came up smiling, “You sang wonderfully. I’m sure the championship’s yours.”

“If Xiao Chen says so, then it must be true.”

Shen Qinghan’s sweet smile bloomed like a jasmine flower—tender, bright, full of life.

They didn’t linger backstage for long and soon returned to the audience to rejoin their parents.

* * *

About ten minutes later, the results were announced.

As expected, Shen Qinghan and Li Chuxin won first place.

Overjoyed, the two hugged tightly.

Li Chuxin was so moved that she started crying, her eyes glistening with tears.

He Yu came over to congratulate them, handing Li Chuxin a tissue.

She remembered the last time he had given her a used tissue from the bathroom, so she rolled her eyes and refused it.

Shen Qinghan didn’t cry. Her smile was steady but dreamy, as though she couldn’t quite believe it was real.

Soon, people began crowding around to congratulate her—parents, teachers, classmates, even strangers.

All her life, her strengths had been overshadowed by Lin Zichen’s brilliance.

But tonight, for the first time, she felt what it was like to stand in her own light.

For the first time, she realized she wasn’t useless.

Even beside Lin Zichen, she could still shine, even if just a little.

“Who did this?! Who smashed the window and ruined the curtain?! Is this how you people treat school property?!”

A furious shout echoed from the backstage storeroom.

Hearing it, Lin Zichen’s expression turned awkward. Guilt flickered across his face.

Noticing, Shen Qinghan held the hem of her skirt and looked at him affectionately, “Xiao Chen, I really love this skirt. I’ll treasure it forever.”

A cool autumn breeze blew past, making her shiver slightly.

Lin Zichen quickly took off his jacket and tied it around her waist to keep her warm.

After the event, to make up for the damage, the two stayed behind as volunteers to help clean the stage.

When they finished, text suddenly appeared in the air before Lin Zichen.

[Under the condition of group cooperation, you have completed 1,000 collective actions.]

[You have obtained the biological attribute: Social Animal.]

[Social Animal: Within a certain range, the more allies of your kind around you, the greater your combat strength becomes.]