# 1547
Chapter 1547: Solo Performance
"Hello! I'm looking for Teacher Jiang Zhihua!"
Inside the Academic Affairs Complex, Li Yifei rushed to the central information desk and asked breathlessly.
"Teacher Jiang Zhihua?" The female staff member at the desk hesitated, searching on the computer. "Oh, you mean the administrator of the Fifth Teaching Building? She called in sick this morning and went home..."
Li Yifei froze in place.
"Sick and went home?"
"Yes... Student, is there something you need from her?"
"No... nothing."
Li Yifei walked out of the complex in a daze, sitting on the steps at the main entrance, his expression dejected.
If Jiang Zhihua wasn't at the school, there was no way to get her to release those residual souls. Even if he could get her phone number or address, by the time she rushed over, it would already be too late.
Li Yifei had also considered asking Lin Qiye to open that formation with just a glance... but Lin Qiye and the others had spent two or three days好不容易 gathering the wandering souls back to the classroom. Now he was supposed to ask them to open it again and release those spirits?
Setting aside whether mischievous spirits might cause trouble at the evening gala or refuse to return to the classroom, why should he make Qiye and the others pay for his own guilt?
Li Yifei valued emotions too deeply. He wanted to help those spirits, but he also didn't want to make things difficult for Lin Qiye and the others. Now that Jiang Zhihua wasn't at the school, and he himself had no ability to open that formation, he could only sit on the steps in front of the complex, scratching his head anxiously.
In the distant evening gala venue, the audience's cheers rose and fell like waves, echoing across the silent campus. A spotlight swept across the complex building behind Li Yifei, and his fists slowly clenched...
Li Yifei glanced at the time.
He had ten minutes left before his performance was supposed to start.
He had to head to the welcome party's venue now.
Li Yifei silently shouldered his guitar and ran quickly toward the venue. If he missed his performance time, there would be a gap in the program. If the host rearranged the schedule, his performance would be canceled.
But just as he ran a few steps, his pace gradually slowed, his expression full of conflict.
He had promised Zhang Yang to perform at the welcome party, but he had also promised the spirits in Classroom 609 to return to them... Right now, those white shadows might be waiting by the window, looking forward to him bringing them to the venue to watch this grand gala.
But... even if he went back, what good would it do?
He hadn't found Jiang Zhihua, so he couldn't take them out of that classroom. Even if he went back, he could only bring them disappointing news.
Li Yifei stood in the middle of the dim road, to his left was the dazzling evening venue with its interweaving lights and shadows, to his right was the sparsely populated teaching building. The breeze rustled the withered leaves on the branches above, gently brushing against his shoulders.
As maple leaves flashed before his eyes, in a trance, he seemed to see once again those white shadow spirits crying and wailing in anguish the day he sang here.
Li Yifei's heart trembled violently.
"Damn it... I'll do whatever it takes!" Li Yifei clenched his teeth, shouldered his guitar, and dashed toward the evening venue!
He rushed to the edge of the venue, where the staff who had been waiting in the corner saw him and their eyes lit up. They hurried over and said, "Li Yifei, why are you so late? Your performance is coming up soon!"
"Sorry, senior!" Li Yifei clasped his hands together sincerely. "I really have something urgent. I won't be able to do my number today. I thought it would be too impolite to just disappear without a word, so I came to let you know... Please rearrange the program order! I'm really sorry!!"
As he spoke, Li Yifei forcefully tore a string of balloons and streamers from the venue's edge, then turned and sprinted toward the teaching building!
"Hey! Hey!! You..."
Watching Li Yifei run off, the staff member stood frozen in shock. It took a moment before they snapped back to reality and quickly opened their walkie-talkie to rearrange the program order.
In this vast venue, over a thousand people had gathered. One Li Yifei coming and going wouldn't attract much attention from most, but there were exceptions.
"Why did Li Yifei run off in such a hurry again?" An Qingyu looked at the program list in her hands, puzzled. "His performance should be coming up soon?"
"I don't know... Could he have gotten stage fright?"
"He doesn't seem like the type to get stage fright." An Qingyu gazed thoughtfully at the direction he had disappeared. "It seems we might not get to hear his official performance after all..."
...
Bang——!
The door of Classroom 609 was flung open. Li Yifei stood outside, panting, his guitar on his back, a handful of balloons and streamers clutched in his hand.
Seeing that it was Li Yifei who had come, the white shadows hiding in the classroom all emerged. The girl with twin tails stepped forward curiously, her lips opening and closing, as if asking about the result.
"Sorry, everyone... I still can't get you out." Li Yifei caught his breath, then said苦涩ly.
Hearing these words, the white shadows lowered their heads in disappointment. The girl hesitated, then wrote something in her notebook and placed it before Li Yifei:
—It's okay. We can still hear some sounds from here. Thank you for trying for us.
Li Yifei's gaze fell on the white shadow. Though he couldn't see her face clearly, he could sense she was smiling at him.
"Brothers! Even though I can't get you out, this time, you can still watch the welcome party!" Li Yifei grinned.
In the confused eyes of the many white shadows, Li Yifei decorated the classroom with the streamers and balloons he had grabbed, turning the originally gloomy room into something with a bit more color.
Li Yifei forcefully pushed open all the windows on the north side of the classroom. The music from the distant venue immediately became clear. He put down his guitar, picked up a piece of chalk, and vigorously wrote several crooked, large characters on the blackboard!
—Welcome Party!
Li Yifei threw the chalk into the trash can, stood proudly at the podium, and scanned the many white shadows below with a smile in his eyes.
"From this moment on, whatever they sing at the welcome party over there, I'll sing along with the speakers for you. If they dance, I'll dance for you too! Even though my dancing is really hard on the eyes, it should be enough to liven things up!"
"Everyone, what you're about to see is Li Yifei's personal Welcome Party Special Performance!!"
"Applause!!!"
In Li Yifei's passionate voice, all the spirits froze in the classroom. It took them a long moment before someone came back to their senses and slowly started clapping for Li Yifei... Gradually, more and more spirits snapped out of it. They looked at the figure on the podium with emotion, applauding wildly and vigorously!
But they had no physical form. Even if they clapped, no sound would be made. The classroom remained utterly silent.
Li Yifei didn't care at all. He sat on the edge of the podium, guitar strapped in front of him, listened to the sounds outside for a moment, then smiled:
"Okay, now let me bring you tonight's first song, 'Blue Lotus'!"
Dang——!
"Nothing can阻挡 your longing for freedom~~"
Dazzling lights twinkled in the distance.
In the dead silent night,
That figure sat in the dim, empty classroom,
Singing passionately.