NOVEL NEXT Chapter 11: Until the End! Gwen is Overwhelmed!
"That was Li's achievement, not mine."
Peter seemed more cheerful toward his best friend. "Ned, where did you run off to earlier?"
"There's this girl named Cindy Moon. She's really pretty, and her skin tone matches mine perfectly."
Ned shrugged. "But she seemed upset and didn't pay me any attention."
Peter fiddled with his camera. "Li taught me a phrase in Chinese, what was it... 'We're six of one, half a dozen of the other.'"
"Oh, Peter, she's truly an angel!"
Ned said with a goofy smile, "She's already on par with Spider-Woman in my heart!"
"Come on, Ned, you said the same thing about Betty last time."
As the two were talking, the stage curtains suddenly closed.
The lively chatter in the audience quieted down, replaced by puzzled murmurs.
"What's going on?"
"Why are they closing it? We could party all day!"
"Could it be the grand finale?"
"Quiet, quiet."
Harry stepped onto the stage and announced that the next performance would be by Mary Jane's band.
"Betty and the others are performing too? That's awesome!!"
"Let's go, Mary Jane!!"
"Will Stacy be on stage? I haven't seen her around. Could she not have come?"
"Jessica!!"
The crowd grew lively again, shouting out the names of their favorites!!
The members of Mary Jane's band were all quite popular at school.
Especially Jessica, whose cool and stylish persona at school earned her not only many male fans but also quite a few female admirers calling her name.
However, when the curtain reopened, it wasn't the girls of the band on stage, but a very handsome man.
He was holding an electric guitar, with a gentle smile that the teenage girls couldn't look away from.
A short-haired girl in the crowd asked curiously, "Who is he? Where's my Jessica?"
"He's really handsome!"
A mixed-race girl nearby smiled and shouted toward the stage, "You've got this, handsome!!"
The short-haired girl said firmly, "Skye, I admit he's handsome, but I still want Jessica. I won't be turned straight!"
The surrounding crowd began to discuss as well.
"I think I saw him earlier, carrying a big stick and heading to the second floor."
"I remember now, isn't that Teacher Ye Li?"
"He's given a few lectures at school and already has a PhD in art at such a young age!"
"My gosh, it's one thing for freshmen not to know, but what's wrong with your upperclassmen?"
"Hey! He has probably only been here a few times. How would I remember him?"
…
Backstage.
Dressed in a cosplay costume, Gwen had a complicated expression. How did things turn out like this...
Her emotions were as tangled as a spider's web—nervousness, joy, awkwardness, and happiness all mixed together.
So her friends, classmates, and even Li were all so supportive of her?
"Gwen, stop hesitating! Get ready quickly!"
Jessica put the hood on Gwen. "My brother's out there stalling for us. They say artists are tone-deaf, so I'm not sure if he can pull it off."
On stage.
The girls excitedly shouted, "Handsome guy, play another song!"
The boys also clapped enthusiastically. "That was amazing!!"
Ye Li gave an "OK" gesture. "Thanks for the invite! Let me perform another piece, To the End!"
(To the End is the BGM from Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse during the scene where Spider-Gwen kicks Doctor Octopus.)
As the audience eagerly awaited, the curtains closed again!
Before they could react, when the curtains reopened—several girls holding various instruments were now surrounding Ye Li in a cool "boss" formation!
They were none other than Jessica Ye, Mary Jane Watson, Betty Brant, Glory Grant, and the other band members.
"Oh my god, he's so stylish!" Ned exclaimed excitedly.
"Li is still as amazing as ever."
Peter picked up his camera and took a few shots, then asked curiously, "Where's Gwen? I remember she's the band's drummer."
"Good evening, everyone."
As the host, Jessica stepped forward confidently and said, "I know you've all been looking forward to this, but before the performance, I have an announcement to make. It's the most important thing about this party!"
When she said this, someone heckled, "Jessica! Are you announcing you got a boyfriend?"
"Hey, shut up, you idiot! Just watch."
Jessica raised one hand and pointed stylishly, as a large poster unfurled on one side of the stage.
"What I'm announcing is this—I'm starting a Ghost-Spider fan club! Everyone is welcome to join!"
"What? A Ghost-Spider fan club? That's so cool!"
"I didn't expect Jessica to be a Ghost-Spider fan too!"
"This is awesome!"
Most teenagers were already weak to superheroes, let alone one as stylish and graceful as Ghost-Spider.
This news was a bombshell for them, and the audience erupted in excitement!
This was exactly the effect Jessica wanted. "Now then, let the performance begin!"
Ye Li caught on and started playing.
"It starts with one..."
"...It's so unreal..."
"Didn't look out below..."
After a few lyrics, the stage lights suddenly converged, illuminating Ghost-Spider behind the drum set.
At the same time, a drumbeat joined the performance, as if injecting the melody with a soul!
"Oh my god! Ghost-Spider—!!"
The crowd erupted in screams!
It couldn't be helped—Gwen herself in cosplay looked just too perfect.
Under her mask, Gwen smiled. Her heart was filled with emotion, and the small frustration about her father's lack of approval melted away.