252 - I Don’t Want to Be Turned Into the Female Protagonist by the System

### Chapter 252: The Speech Su Qi followed her wife, Wang Zijin, backstage. Many of the busy university students couldn't help but cast their gaze toward Su Qi, who seemed to radiate an ethereal aura. Among them were numerous girls who had followed the series "The Happy Couple." Taking advantage of Wang Zijin going on stage to host the program, they fearlessly gathered around. Admittedly, Su Qi was adorable, but she wasn't exactly the type this group of female students was interested in. They were more focused on Su Qi's brother, Su Siyang, since he had publicly acknowledged Su Qi as his sister online. After chatting with this group of girls for a short while, Su Qi made an astonishing discovery. Even though her emotional intelligence wasn't particularly high, she could still discern from their conversations that a few of the girls seemed interested in becoming her sister-in-law. One girl even boldly declared that she wouldn't require a dowry, which left Su Qi somewhat envious of her brother's popularity among women. Eventually, several of the girls asked Su Qi for her brother's WeChat ID. However, Su Qi had temporarily uninstalled WeChat due to a recent influx of confessions from male students, leaving the girls a bit disappointed as they departed. Why didn't they ask Su Qi for her brother's phone number? That was because Wang Zijin had returned with a sharp gaze that made the girls scatter like startled birds. Once everyone had dispersed, Su Qi began to survey her surroundings. It was Su Qi's first time backstage at a performance venue. After all, she had always been somewhat of a wallflower and had never participated in any stage performances. After taking in the backstage scenery, Su Qi's gaze pierced through the curtain to the dark sea of spectators. The thought of speaking in front of so many people, despite having practiced countless times, made her feel anxious at this moment. She involuntarily clenched her fists. Wang Zijin noticed Su Qi's small gesture but didn't intervene this time. Appropriate nervousness before going on stage can lead to a better performance. After two male students in lab coats finished their comedy skit and left the stage, Su Qi swallowed nervously. She knew her turn would come soon. At that moment, one of the male students in a lab coat approached her. Startled for a moment by Su Qi's ethereal hanfu, he then said, "I left the microphone for the next act on stage." It was customary for performers to inform others of the microphone's whereabouts after each performance. As he spoke, he pointed to the microphone stand left on stage. Su Qi looked over at the spot where the two comedians had been and nodded stiffly to indicate she understood. The male student actually knew about Su Qi from the forums and had even bought her game. Originally wanting to chat with her, he refrained upon seeing her nervous demeanor and upon noticing the president's watchful gaze. It was at this moment that Su Qi heard Han Yixing on stage announce, "Next, let's invite our principal to bestow the honor that Su Qi deserves." Following this was a burst of stirring music. Swallowing hard, Su Qi knew it was now her time to take the stage. "Good luck!" She felt a gentle pat on her back and heard her wife's soft encouragement. Not wanting to lose face, Su Qi nodded and mustered her courage as she stepped out. However, just as she stepped out from behind the curtain, the entire auditorium's lights went out. Suddenly, a circular spotlight illuminated her. Bathed in light, Su Qi truly panicked, as this wasn't in the script at all! She dearly wished to turn back and seek comfort from Wang Zijin, her wife, but under the spotlight, she couldn't bring herself to do so. Feeling the countless eyes from the audience below, Su Qi, who had just slightly stepped out from her social anxiety, blanked out. However, before succumbing entirely to her nerves, she had commanded herself to head to the center of the stage. Her steps were rigid as she walked, her body wound tight like a clockwork doll. The distance from backstage to center stage was only about 15 steps. The audience, through the big screens, noted that by her 8th step, she was already walking akimbo with nerves. Nevertheless, Su Qi's beauty and her ethereal hanfu outfit made even her nervous walk appear not out of place, adding an air of adorable clumsiness. Principal Lin Xiangdong, already at the center stage, looked at Su Qi wobbling like a little duck as she approached. For the first time in a while, a smile crept onto his usually stern face. In fact, this lighting change was decided by Principal Lin Xiangdong at the last minute. Having heard feedback from teachers about Su Qi's courage-building efforts, he knew that courage grows the more it is tested. So, he devised this last-minute twist to further aid Su Qi's development. Watching the young girl finally make it to his side, Lin Xiangdong adjusted the microphone stand and said, "Student Su Qi, for your outstanding contributions—." To express appreciation for Su Qi’s positive contributions and considering her excellent academic performance, the school awarded her a scholarship of fifty thousand yuan." Hearing this, many students gasped at their school's generosity—a reward as large as 50,000 yuan! When Principal Lin Xiangdong handed the oversized check to Su Qi, envy washed over the audience. After all, that check was worth 50,000 yuan. Having handed Su Qi her check, Lin Xiangdong continued, "Now, let's invite our exemplary student, Su Qi, to share her journey of helping others!" With those words, Principal Lin Xiangdong applauded, prompting a wave of enthusiastic applause from the audience before he exited the stage. After the principal left, Su Qi found herself alone on stage, wide-eyed and slightly bewildered, an expression of nervousness coupled with helplessness painted across her face. At this point, the audience directed their attention away from the enormous check back to Su Qi, who stood gripping the check uncertainly. Seeing her tense demeanor and taut little face, the audience collectively held their breath for her. Holding that giant check with both hands, Su Qi took three steps forward, finally reaching the microphone. Facing the dim sea of people below, her nervousness made her teeth chatter audibly. Yet another unexpected situation arose. Because Principal Lin Xiangdong had adjusted the microphone height for his speech, it was now set far too high for Su Qi's 163 cm height. Wanting to give her speech, Su Qi had to adjust the microphone lower. However, lacking much stage experience, she struggled with the microphone stand for over ten seconds without successfully lowering it. Su Qi thought about putting the check down but felt it wouldn't be appropriate. Frustration rose as her hair clung to her neck, signaling her growing anxiety. The more anxious she became, the more mistakes she made; her fingers fumbled clumsily. Her large eyes began to mist slightly, eliciting a protective instinct from the viewers. This scene was broadcast on the big screens, causing viewers to wish they could step in to assist, fearing that Su Qi might burst into tears. Backstage, Wang Zijin had long wanted to step in and help, but Principal Lin Xiangdong held her back. The microphone had been intentionally raised by Lin Xiangdong, hoping this minor mishap could further cultivate Su Qi's bravery. Finally, after about thirty seconds, Su Qi managed to adjust the microphone to the correct height. Relief swept through Su Qi and was mirrored by the audience watching her. Performances at Su University always emphasized formality: before and after a speech, one should bow for 1-2 seconds. Just as everyone expected Su Qi to begin her speech following her bow, another mishap occurred. Due to her extreme nervousness, Su Qi's abrupt bow caused her head to collide with the microphone, which tumbled to the ground with a piercing screech. At that moment, the director switched the camera to show both the fallen microphone and Su Qi, clutching her head with an incredulous look. In that second, the entire auditorium fell silent, the tension palpable. 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