Fine, Peach was thoroughly embarra.s.sed.

On the day of the New Year's Day Cultural Performance, the school invited parents and leaders from the Ministry of Education to watch the performance.

The stage for the performance was set up in the school's basketball hall, complete with sound, lighting and misting system, as well as other equipment. After all, it was the school's 60th anniversary and it shouldn't be too shabby.

Besides the leaders from the Ministry of Education and parents of students who were performing also sat in the front row. The other parents and their children sat in allocated seats in the hall that were sorted according to level and cla.s.s.

Shen Mochen was not performing. According to the allocated seating, the sixth graders and their parents were sitting at the back, while students from the lower grades and their parents sat further up front.

Professor Shen and his wife attended the performance with Peach's parents. After entering the venue, they realised that they were not seated together. Sitting all the way at the back of the hall, Shen Mochen waved at his parents. Professor Shen glanced at him before smiling as he urged Peach's parents, "Go ahead and sit in the front row. When the performance is over, let's go out for a celebratory dinner together."

Peach's mother nodded as she glanced at where Shen Mochen's parents were to be seated. Feeling that it was a pity that their seats were so far away from her, she mumbled, "I thought everyone would be seated together, and could take a group photo before Peach's performance."

Holding up a camera in her hand, He Yue smiled and a.s.sured her, "It's okay, we can take a photo together when the performance is over."

"Alright then, let's get together after the performance is over!" Peach's father gave Professor Shen a brief nod, and looked on as Shen Mochen's parents walked towards the seats at the back of the hall. After which, Peach's father held Peach's mother's hand and led her to the front row to take their seats.

Before the New Year's Day Cultural Performance began, Mr. Chen, the teacher in charge of the event, was seen hurriedly rus.h.i.+ng towards the audience seats where the third cla.s.s of the sixth grade were.

Casting a quick glance across a bunch of young faces, his eyes finally landed on Shen Mochen's face.

"Shen Mochen from the third cla.s.s in sixth grade!" Mr. Chen called out to him.

Lifting his head up,Shen Mochen glanced at Mr. Chen. He then stood up without any hesitation, and answered, "Present."

"That's great! Shen Mochen, come with me for a while," Mr. Chen instructed as he stood along the aisle of the hall and quickly gestured for him to come over.

Turning around to look at his parents, Shen Mochen said calmly, "I'll go over for a while."

"Go on." Professor Shen and He Yue nodded at him in acknowledgement.

"Mr. Chen, why are you looking for me?" Shen Mochen asked after weaving through the crowd to get to Mr. Chen.

"w.a.n.g Yuanwen, the student who was supposed to be the emcee for today, is down with acute gastroenteritis. His parents are currently accompanying him to the hospital to be put on a drip. Shen Mochen, I will have to leave the arduous task of emceeing to you. Mr. Chen grabbed Shen Mochen's hand and pulled him towards the stage.

"Me? I have never emceed before." Shen Mochen responded calmly as he allowed Mr. Chen to pull him towards the stage.

"It'll be okay. You'll have a script with you, so you can just read from the script. I chose you because of how calm and collected you are, unlike the other students whose legs would turn to jelly as soon as they stand on stage," Mr. Chen explained.