Lantern Sister is still very capable.

Chapter 3 Ceremony

Despite not having slept much, Chu Deng still went to school on time. Although Luo Xia saw that she looked pale and wanted her to ask for leave, she had made an appointment with Jin Xiaoyue yesterday and couldn't stand her up.

And coincidentally, today is the day the school holds its coming-of-age ceremony.

After finishing their morning reading session at school, Jin Xiaoyue dragged her to the playground. They found a secluded corner with a wide view. Chu Deng hurriedly grabbed their electronic screens and carefully protected the snacks and drinks in Jin Xiaoyue's arms. Finally, they arrived at their destination without incident.

There were quite a few people who shared the same thoughts as the two of them, so there were quite a few people in the stands on the playground.

Jin Xiaoyue opened a package of chocolates, cut off half and stuffed it into Chu Deng's mouth. It was a little bitter, but Chu Deng swallowed it without changing his expression. People in the apocalypse never dare to waste food.

Jin Xiaoyue stuck out her tongue, feeling a little uncomfortable, so she simply gave everything to Chu Deng, who didn't mind and ate it all.

"Dengdeng, the sports committee member is glaring at you!" Jin Xiaoyue glared back fiercely, and then complained.

The sports committee member, Tang Zhen, who was sitting in the stands below them, looked even more annoyed, while Jin Xiaoyue smiled smugly.

"Mmm," Chu Deng mumbled through her mouthful of chocolate. She had already noticed, but she didn't care and there was no murderous intent in her voice.

"Hehe, I think he's just jealous of you! Back in your second year of high school, he made you fill in to make you look bad, but you beat the first place in the 3000 meters and slapped him in the face, and even broke the school record! This time he didn't dare to sign up, but little did he know you didn't sign up either, haha!" Jin Xiaoyue said softly, her mouth almost splitting into a grin.

Chu Deng calmly took a packet of gummy candies from Jin Xiaoyue's arms and ate them, looking down at the news on the electronic screen, not daring to utter a sound.

In her second year of high school, she was unaware that her name had been reported. It was indeed the sports committee member, Tang Zhen, who had caused the trouble. The two became enemies simply because Tang Zhen wanted to borrow her notes. She said she didn't take notes, and Tang Zhen thought that was just an excuse for not wanting to lend them, so she started to hate her.

She wasn't lying. Superhumans have improved both their physical and mental abilities. She has a great memory, and the knowledge she absorbs in class stays in her head. She's too lazy to take notes, which others see as showing off.

Chu Deng considered himself a good person, so he deliberately got first place in the long-distance race, really showing off.

She accidentally went too far and broke the school record, attracting too much attention and making her very embarrassed. She had to keep a low profile for a while before it was over. From then on, she learned the importance of playing dumb to outsmart others.

Sometimes she felt like she was cheating. She ranked first in her studies by relying on her memory and past life experience. She heard that the second-place student cried several times in secret. Later, she made a name for herself on the sports field and became the teacher's darling. Her peers didn't dare to play with her. Only Jin Xiaoyue was willing to play with her.

Mainly, they are very generous.

Chu Deng pulled out a bag of potato chips from Jin Xiaoyue's arms and ate them with gusto, replying in between, "A meteorite landed in Antarctica."

"Huh?" Jin Xiaoyue became interested. While opening a bottle of soda to feed Chu Deng, she peeked at the electronic screen in Chu Deng's hand.

The news reported that a meteorite fell in Antarctica yesterday, triggering a tsunami that damaged the surrounding areas. Researchers from the United States, Russia, China, and other countries who were conducting research in Antarctica are all missing. The authorities are currently sending people to provide assistance.

Photos and videos were also attached.

“That meteorite looks a bit strange!” Jin Xiaoyue looked at the photo carefully. The meteorite was white and oval-shaped, irregular, with several holes, and looked very well hidden in the white world of Antarctica.

"Hmm..." Chu Deng's voice was somewhat downcast. Last night's dream and today's news made her afraid to think too deeply.

"Ah, the sports meet has started! It's a pity you didn't sign up for any events this year. If you had participated, I would have definitely taken over the electronic screen on the podium for you. The broadcasting team is full of my capable assistants, and they will only read the cheers for our Class 5!" said Jin Xiaoyue, the former chairman of the broadcasting team.

"I thank you on behalf of my hypothetical self," Chu Deng joked, making Jin Xiaoyue laugh.

The coming-of-age ceremony included a sports meet in the morning, various speeches by representatives in the afternoon, and the classic "Leaping Over the Dragon Gate" performance. Unlike Chu Deng's previous life, this time it wasn't just about erecting a paper gate with a dragon painted on it.

Instead, it uses high-tech projection technology to create a magnificent gate, behind which a golden dragon swims in the air, and the green land underfoot turns into clear water. Standing in it, you feel as if you have really become a little fish with dreams but adrift in the sea.

The principal's hoarse, broken speech filled the air, and before her stood the magnificent Dragon Gate. Chu Deng stood at the back of the long queue, with Jin Xiaoyue in front of her.

"Dengdeng, let's go together!" Jin Xiaoyue smiled, her face flushed with excitement.

Chu Deng took her hand and breathed a sigh of relief. "Okay."

Pulled along by her friend, Chu Deng took off running. A gentle breeze caressed her hair. Looking at the mythical golden dragon, her eyes shone, and she felt an unprecedented sense of ease, as if she were stepping not through the Dragon Gate symbolizing academic success and adulthood, but into a new world.

Unaware that she was lost in her own world, Chu Deng had already become the most dazzling presence in the crowd.

The moment the girl leaped over the dragon gate, the golden dragon soared into the sky and let out a roar, inspiring a sense of pride in the onlookers. The girl's radiant smile and clear eyes became cherished memories for many.

Who was that girl just now?

"You don't even recognize her?! Chu Deng! The Genie! The top student in the grade!"

"That girl who made Pei Hanxing cry three times? She's so beautiful!"

"Which class is that girl in?"

"From Class 5."

"Hey, did you see that?! When she leaped over the Dragon Gate, the golden dragon roared for her!"

"I want that kind of prestige too..."

"Um, this seems to be random, right?"

Similar conversations continued to flow like an undercurrent, but Chu Deng couldn't hear them; she had already been dragged away by Jin Xiaoyue to take pictures.

"Hurry up, let's take a picture together! Are you wearing the birthday present I gave you?!" Jin Xiaoyue said excitedly. She had searched for a long time before finding the accessory.

"I'm wearing it, can you put it on for me?" Chu Deng took out the hair ornament Jin Xiaoyue had given her, a crescent moon, her knees slightly bent, and she lowered her head.

Jin Xiaoyue carefully clipped back the stray hairs and placed the moon-shaped hair ornament on her head. Then she took out a Kongming lantern-shaped hair ornament, "Quickly put this on me, lantern!"

"Mmm." Chu Deng stroked the warm yellow lantern-shaped hair accessory for a moment, then clipped it into her hair.

"Alright, perfect!"

After the photos came out, Jin Xiaoyue spent money to get several copies. "I will definitely keep them as a family heirloom from now on. My best friend, Dengdeng!"

Chu Deng was so disgusted by her sentimentality that she couldn't stand it, but she still put it in the inner pocket of her clothes, specifically to keep an electronic copy for easy printing.

"I'll treat you to milk tea after school, and then we'll go explore the shop we found in the game yesterday," Jin Xiaoyue whispered.

Chu Deng glanced behind her and saw someone staring intently at her, but when she turned around, the person was gone. So she didn't take it to heart and replied, "Okay."