Chapter 190: Chapter 190: Fired Up

The moment the person finished speaking, the student in front of Lu Huan turned around, their eyes filled with anticipation. They didn’t say a word, but their gaze clearly screamed, ’Me too, me too, me too!’ Meanwhile, the people behind Lu Huan had already started tugging on her shoulder, their intentions obviously the same—they wanted one too!

For a moment, Lu Huan felt as if her treasured big sister, a secret she had kept to herself, had just been discovered by everyone.

On stage, Lu Xiao had no idea what Lu Huan was currently going through.

She sat on the stage, looking out at the sea of faces before her. As her opening remarks concluded, the last of her nervousness melted away.

After the applause died down, she continued, “The topic of my speech today is ’How to Become a Better You.’ Do you ever feel lost? That life is dull, or full of hardships? Do you ever wonder, ’Why is everyone else so happy and fortunate, but I’m not?’ Or, ’I seem to have everything, so why do I feel so empty?’ If you’ve had thoughts like these, please raise your hand!”

Instantly, a forest of hands shot up from the audience, row after row.

Lu Xiao smiled. “It seems we all share similar struggles. Now, have any of you thought about the future? Things like what you want to do after graduation, what kind of person you want to become, what kind of life you want to lead, where you want to settle down, or what parts of the world you want to see? If you have, please raise your hand.”

This time, not many hands went up. Even those who did raise them seemed hesitant. Most of them were males; Lu Huan was the only female.

Lu Xiao took this in without any surprise. A poised and approachable smile remained on her face. “Then why not take a moment to think about it now? Life is short, yet it’s also long. If you just go through the motions, it can become incredibly dull. Everyone needs to find something that brings them joy. I know many of you come from privileged backgrounds. Even if you do nothing after you graduate, you’ll never have to worry about your basic needs. Or perhaps, you’ll find a few male partners to support you, and you can live a life free of care. But have you ever stopped to think that a life that seems so rich on the surface can actually be very empty? If you reflect on it, beyond material wealth, are you spiritually fulfilled?”

“So, how about a different way of thinking? What if you added more choices to your life? If you start now, working a little harder each day, won’t you have another, different path to choose from in the future? To become someone who can forge their own path, someone who can carry their own weight without relying on family background—isn’t that cool…”

“Are you in control of your own life now?” Lu Xiao had barely finished her sentence when someone in the audience couldn’t wait any longer and shouted out the question.

Hearing the person’s hoarse shout, Lu Xiao wasn’t angry in the slightest. Instead, her smile brightened. “Of course. My career, my family, the kind of life I want to live, who I associate with, and what people or things I say no to—I control it all. Because my life is mine to command.”

Lu Xiao spoke with immense confidence. “I don’t know if you’re aware of my profession, but I am a therapist at the Fifth Research Institute. You’ve probably all heard of the Fifth Research Institute. Most people think of it as a depressing, unlucky place, but I love my job. It makes me feel like I am a contributing member of the Empire. Of course, I’m not saying this to make you all be like me, to become a certain type of person. My hope is that you find your own goals and work hard for them. In life, if you’ve never fought desperately for something, or for someone, then what is the meaning of your existence? A hundred years from now, won’t you look back on your past and find it dull? Don’t give yourself so many opportunities for regret.”

“We are all young. We must become the best versions of ourselves!”

To Lu Xiao, today’s speech was no different from serving up some chicken soup for the soul.

In the Empire, it seemed that both females and males, to some extent, hadn’t had nearly enough of it.

Sure enough, by this point in her speech, the crowd below was fired up with passion.

Someone raised their hand high. Lu Xiao didn’t disappoint them and called on them immediately.

The Male Beastman who was called upon was thrilled. “Your Excellency Lu Xiao, I’d like to ask, do you really have only one partner? And you’ll never choose another in the future? An outstanding female like you must have many admirers, including plenty of exceptional males, right? Do you really not feel a flicker of attraction to any of them?”

’Lu Xiao knew this question was coming.’

She smiled and nodded, acknowledging the question.

“First, to answer your question, my answer is yes. I have only one partner, and I will not choose another in the future. As for why… besides the fact that I love my partner, it’s also because I like things to be simple. I like a life of ’one lifetime, one love.’ In the home I share with my beloved, there’s no need to balance relationships, no vying for favor, no scheming. Instead, when we come home from work, we cook together, we talk, and we share the goal of building a good life together. Just as my partner gives me a complete sense of security, I do the same for him. We respect each other and love each other. Of course, we argue sometimes, but that doesn’t affect our relationship. We are family, and we are lovers. We have romantic love and familial love. That is my view on relationships.”

“No matter how many people question it, and regardless of what others think, my life is my own to decide. What does it have to do with anyone else?”

“The man lucky enough to be your partner must be so happy!”

“I’m just as lucky to be my beloved’s partner. Happiness is mutual. In a real relationship, there are no winners or losers. Of course, I want to state clearly that I am not here today to preach my own views on relationships. As far as I’m concerned, as long as you don’t play with people’s feelings—whether you choose one partner or several—as long as you are serious and committed to each one, and as long as everyone involved consents, it’s all valid.”

Lu Xiao was no stuffy traditionalist. She understood that for the Empire, some systems had been passed down for hundreds, even thousands of years, and they surely had their reasons for existing.

She wasn’t confident enough to change all of this, but she hoped that through her own influence, she could change some of the unhealthy trends.

To help them build a healthy worldview.

The school’s teachers and administrators, listening from the side, all breathed a sigh of relief when they heard this. They had been worried that Lu Xiao would try to push her personal agenda.

It seemed they had been too cynical.

From the start, Lu Xiao had only wanted to convey a new perspective to these students, a new way of thinking—not to impose her own personal choices on them.

Like a true mentor, she only played a guiding role, rather than dictating how others should live their lives.

This was a truly wise person.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep