The three of them stepped out of the building and took a deep breath of relief.
Nian smiled. "Shall we celebrate? We've done the hardest part—now we just have to wait for the results."
Yichen nodded. "Definitely. I think we made an impression on the judges, and that's not easy."
Xuanye jumped with excitement. "Really? I was so nervous! I kept thinking they'd reject us, but after hearing what they said, I feel calm now."
Nian and Yichen chuckled. Yichen added, "Let's grab some dessert to celebrate."
The girls exchanged a mischievous look, then smirked.
"Don't waste time. Let's go!" Xuanye grinned.
At the dessert shop, Yichen insisted it was his treat.
"Really?" Nian and Xuanye said in unison, eyes twinkling. "Then can we buy the whole shop?"
Yichen blinked, stunned for a second, before bursting into laughter. "You two are hilarious. But no—just enough for the three of us."
They all laughed and headed to the counter to place their order. Once the desserts arrived, they sat at a corner table and eagerly dug in.
One bite in, they melted with joy.
"This is heaven," Nian moaned, pointing to the cake. "It's like cotton—it just disappears in your mouth."
Yichen nodded with a pleased smile. Meanwhile, Xuanye pulled out her phone and snapped a photo of her dessert.
"Quick! Pose, both of you," she said, lifting the camera.
After capturing the shot, she posted it to the group chat with the caption: 'Happy interview and a reunion~'
---
Meanwhile, back at the studio, the members were deep in practice. Hoshi stepped aside to get a drink and checked his phone—and nearly choked.
He shouted, "DK! Minghao! Come here!"
The members paused their dancing, startled. DK and Minghao rushed to him.
"What happened?" DK asked.
Hoshi held up his phone. "Your girlfriends are out with a guy!"
Minghao blinked, a flicker of jealousy on his face. DK, however, stayed calm.
"Oh, that's Yichen. He's their classmate," DK explained. "Don't worry—he's a good guy."
Minghao glanced at him, then relaxed. "Really?"
DK nodded. "Yeah, I've met him once. He's trustworthy."
Minghao sighed in relief. The three of them returned to practice, while Hoshi watched them walk away with a blush.
"Aww… they really trust their girlfriends," he murmured, hiding his face with his water bottle.
---
After finishing dessert, the trio stepped outside.
"Come with me," Yichen suggested.
But Nian shook her head. "We've got another stop. You head back to college. Message us once you get there, okay?"
Yichen nodded. "Don't forget about tomorrow."
The girls tilted their heads. "Tomorrow?"
Yichen stared at them, mouth agape. "You… forgot? Tomorrow's our graduation ceremony!"
Their eyes widened in shock.
Xuanye laughed awkwardly. "Oops… we've been so busy, it slipped our minds."
Yichen shook his head, chuckling. "Alright, see you both tomorrow. Don't be late!"
As he walked off, Nian turned to Xuanye. "Can you believe it? We're graduating tomorrow…"
Xuanye nodded. "Yeah. I'm going to miss all the chaos—and Professor Xi."
Nian snorted. "You're the only one bold enough to call him your buddy."
Xuanye just chuckled as they strolled down the street, the sun dipping low behind them—marking the end of one chapter and the quiet beginning of the next.