Moonview Hall is a multi-functional arts venue at Jianghai University, often referred to by students as “Encounter Hall.”
If you were visiting for the first time, one word would definitely spring to mind: “Big!” Or perhaps two: “Really big!”
The Drama and Film Club’s first stage play of the new semester, Platonic Love, was about to begin promptly at 8:00 PM tonight.
The 150 audience members, a mix of men and women from freshmen to seniors, were lining up to enter.
On the boys’ side, a short-haired guy complained incessantly to the guy in glasses standing next to him:
“Damn it… I’m seriously fed up. How can the cola and popcorn in here be even more expensive than at a regular movie theater?”
“The worst part is they only sell sugar-free cola. What kind of decent person drinks cola that isn’t sweet? That’s as nonsensical as iced tea that isn’t cold!”
“To be honest, if I weren’t a fan of the Female Lead’s looks, I definitely wouldn’t have come to see a show like Platonic Love, which looks like a cliché youth romance drama at first glance!”
The guy in glasses pushed up his spectacles, his lip twitching:
“Give it a rest. Didn’t you say the same thing every time you came last semester? And I can never stop you from coming, either.”
Meanwhile, on the girls’ side, a short-haired girl spoke excitedly to the long-haired friend she had dragged along:
“Xiao Ting, let me tell you…”
“I looked into the male lead of this Platonic Love play. Apparently, he’s from the Department of Computer Science in the College of Engineering. I bet my life he’s the undiscovered School Grass of Jianghai University.”
“He has well-defined features, clean lines, a simple hairstyle that isn’t over-the-top, and a generally bright, clean aura… In short, he’s exactly my favorite boy-next-door Senior—no, boy-next-door Junior type, hehehe…”
Xiao Ting’s eyes twitched, and she quietly pulled a tissue from her pocket.
“Uh… you actually don’t need to keep repeating yourself. You’ve been talking about it the whole way here; my ears are growing callouses.”
“Also, please wipe that lecherous drool from the corner of your mouth immediately. Everyone is looking at us. Just a quiet warning: they’re giving us rather contemptuous looks.”
***
On the other side, backstage.
Su Zhihan sat on the sofa, holding a water cup with a straw, taking small, constant sips.
In front of her, Ye Zhou was pacing back and forth, holding his forehead.
‘It’s over, it’s over. How did the performance time come so quickly?’
‘Why did every second of those three years in high school feel like an eternity?’
‘Am I, who has never performed on stage in my life, really going to give my first time to this place at 8:00 PM tonight? And in front of nearly 150 peers, no less.’
At that moment, Jiang Yingxue slowly walked into the backstage area. Her role for the production of this stage play was to be the host.
Jiang Yingxue’s long silver hair was noticeably curled. She wore a white, slim-fit shirt paired with a black high-waisted skirt and silver stilettos. Carrying a black microphone, she looked both professional and elegant.
As for Su Zhihan and Ye Zhou, they had long since changed into their costumes.
Su Zhihan wore a brown coat, a black skirt with black stockings, and black low-heeled leather shoes. A simple black crossbody bag hung at her side, perfectly capturing a campus girl aesthetic.
Her naturally wavy hair had been temporarily straightened by Jiang Yingxue with a flat iron.
Ye Zhou was dressed in a light khaki oversized hoodie, paired with black slim-fit trousers and white sneakers—a simple, casual campus style.
Jiang Yingxue had styled his hair using a blow dryer and setting spray, creating a look where his bangs only partially revealed his forehead.
In a sense, Jiang Yingxue had poured her heart and soul into this, acting as both a mentor and a guardian for the two new members’ very first stage play.
“I’ll be heading out first. Just let nature take its course, and you’ll surely succeed,” Jiang Yingxue said with a wave and a smile.
Ye Zhou and Su Zhihan instinctively looked at each other.
Su Zhihan was the first to pump her fist in encouragement:
“Good luck, Ye Zhou. We can’t let the Drama and Film Club down, and we certainly can’t waste the dedicated guidance Club Leader Jiang gave us.”
“Haha, yeah, good luck…”
Ye Zhou gave a faint smile, but his heart was thumping uncontrollably.
***
Jiang Yingxue stood on stage, tucking a strand of silver hair behind her ear. She smiled at the 150 audience members below.
“Hello, everyone. My name is Jiang Yingxue, and I am the President of the Drama and Film Club. I am delighted that you could all join us tonight for our stage play, Platonic Love…”
The boys in the audience were particularly enthusiastic.
“God! Club Leader Jiang is so sophisticated!”
“By the way, does this Drama and Film Club recruit based on talent or looks? Everyone in the club is stunning.”
“Both, obviously. But why did a male member join this semester? That never happened before. Plus, when I went there a few days ago, the Drama and Film Club clearly stated they weren’t recruiting men.”
“I’m so jealous of that guy, being in a club surrounded by beauties.”
“Does it even need to be said? He got in because of his face. Don’t even bother comparing yourself to him—you aren’t even a tenth as handsome.”
“Damn, not even when I look in the mirror after washing my hair?”
“Forget it. That lame joke doesn’t work on me.”
***
On stage, the spotlights hummed to life, and the red curtains buzzed open to reveal a dark gray textured background wall.
Under the spotlights on the light-beige wooden floor, the silhouettes of Su Zhihan and Ye Zhou were visible as they sat on a campus bench. Their long shadows stretched out, fully immersing the theater in a youthful, artistic atmosphere.
A few people in the audience whispered excitedly:
“Wow, the first act is finally starting. Look, look…”
On stage, Su Zhihan covered her mouth with a smile.
“To thank you for helping me get my phone back after I left it in the Library last time, did you receive the gift I sent you yesterday afternoon?”
Ye Zhou scratched his head sheepishly.
“Um… thank you. This is the first time in my life I’ve received a gift from a girl, and it was so exquisite. Even though it suddenly started raining on my way back yesterday afternoon, I made sure to hide it in my jacket so it wouldn’t get wet.”
“But the gift I sent you was an umbrella.”
“Right… huh?”
“…”
The play opened with a comedic beat. As expected, even though the audience members tried their best to suppress their grins, they couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
And so, the Male and Female Leads went from meeting each other, to their relationship heating up, to breaking up over a misunderstanding. Soon, the play reached the reconciliation phase.
The audience members continued to stubbornly claim it was just a cliché youth romance, but their expressions betrayed them—they cycled through happiness and sadness along with the story.
Ye Zhou lay on a bed, acting out the discomfort of a high fever, while his heart continued to throb rhythmically.
He knew that the near-miss kiss was the final part of the play. Once it was over, he could finally breathe a sigh of relief.
Su Zhihan, resting backstage temporarily, set down her water cup. She gently placed her hands over her rising and falling chest, whispering words of encouragement to herself:
“Good luck, good luck… Su Zhihan, you can do this for your debut performance…”
Just then, Jiang Yingxue’s voice came from beside her:
“Get ready, Su Zhihan.”
“Ten seconds until you’re on stage.”