On the third day, Li Ying had noticeably lost weight, as she’d been keeping vigil in the hospital room day and night. This situation over the past three days would take a toll on anyone. Li Ying looked visibly more haggard. Chai Xiaohu still refused to give her more than a glance. The sound of the hospital room door opening made Chai Xiaohu turn her head slightly. It wasn’t the usual time for doctors to make rounds, and Li Ying was beside her; who could it be? The door was pushed open, and the person entering made Chai Xiaohu freeze. "Director Yuan!" Chai Xiaohu’s expression showed surprise, but in her heart, there was a subtle sense of unease. Director Yuan, named Yuan Guiling, held the rank of a major and was responsible for the performance troupe at the station. She was both Chai Xiaohu and Li Ying’s supervisor! "Feeling better?" Yuan Guiling smiled warmly as she sat by the bed and asked. Like a child who’s been wronged, Chai Xiaohu couldn’t control her tears when she saw Yuan Guiling, "Sister Yuan... boohoo..." "Don’t cry, don’t cry. You mustn’t cry now!" Yuan Guiling softly comforted her, "I just got back from the Capital City, and when I heard the news, I was startled. What’s going on?" Yuan Guiling was their direct supervisor and already knew what had happened, but she asked anyway, wanting to see how they would explain themselves. Chai Xiaohu glanced at Li Ying but chose to remain silent. Tears in her eyes, Li Ying described the situation, making it clear that her carelessness had caused the trouble, with all the responsibility falling on her! Yuan Guiling listened with lowered eyes, remaining silent for a long time before speaking again to console Chai Xiaohu. Seeing Yuan Guiling , the unease within Chai Xiaohu didn’t diminish but rather intensified. Sure enough, Yuan Guiling touched her hair and said, "Xiaohu, you’re an excellent soldier. We’re all proud of you. We know you’ve been preparing for this performance for a long, long time, and you don’t want to see it fail midway, right?" Chai Xiaohu looked at her in silence. "Right now, the only plan we have is to try our best to ensure the performance continues, to finish it smoothly. That’s what you’d like to see, and it’s what I’d like to see too," Yuan Guiling said. "Sister Yuan..." Chai Xiaohu’s eyes were filled with tears; she seemed to understand Yuan Guiling’s meaning now. "Although Li Ying doesn’t sing as well as you, we can only let her take the stage now. This performance has cost us so much effort, and Xiaohu hopes for it to end smoothly, doesn’t she?" Yuan Guiling looked at her lovingly. Chai Xiaohu’s eyes widened. Even though she knew this would be the final outcome, hearing it still left her cold inside. Li Ying was taken aback and shook her head repeatedly, "Director Yuan, I won’t go on stage. I refuse! This is Sister Chai’s stage, her opportunity. I can’t do this; the whole situation was originally my fault..." Yuan Guiling’s face darkened slightly as she looked at her for a moment, "Leave us. I want to have a word with Xiaohu alone." Li Ying felt some fear and glanced at her, then at Chai Xiaohu, and finally left the hospital room slowly. If Beisitian didn’t know about the process, she’d just heard that Yuan Guiling talked to Chai Xiaohu, and then, remarkably, Chai Xiaohu took the initiative to let Li Ying perform. Yet, Li Ying adamantly refused until eventually, Chai Xiaohu pleaded with her to agree. Beisitian stood by the hallway, watching Li Ying cry as she told two young nurses how to care for Chai Xiaohu, making the nurses teary-eyed as well. A voice came from behind, and Beisitian turned her head slightly to see Luo Jiali staring at Li Ying as well. "It’s not simple." Beisitian said plainly. Luo Jiali’s lips curved into a meaningful smile, "Indeed. I knew only you would see it." Beisitian glanced at her, her silent praise evident, and turned back into the third consultation room. Since that day, Li Ying hadn’t been back. Word was, her rehearsals were intense. Meanwhile, Chai Xiaohu had been dazed and no longer spoke ill of Li Ying to anyone, leading people to believe she’d come to terms. "You should focus on getting your health back first; your body is the most important asset," Beisitian advised Chai Xiaohu, who was staring blankly at the ceiling. If it were any other day, Chai Xiaohu would just be in a daze, not responding. But now, she suddenly spoke. "Doctor Xiao Bei, do you think if someone is very talented, does it make them twisted inside?" Beisitian stopped but remained silent. "Just because they lack in comparison in one area, they want to knock others down, so scary..." Chai Xiaohu turned, curling her body into a ball. After a moment of silence, Beisitian said, "That only means they aren’t truly exceptional yet. A truly talented person would think about how to surpass others." Chai Xiaohu watched Beisitian leave, twisting her lips. As for whether that woman was truly talented, who could say? In others’ eyes, they only saw her radiance. The welcome party for the recruits was held successfully. Two important figures attended, both women in their forties with the rank of lieutenant colonel. They were responsible for selecting outstanding art soldiers from various stations to participate in important galas, offering a chance to appear on the CCTV gala. Li Ying, with her glamorous appearance and melodious voice, caught the attention of one of them, earning a chance to participate in the pre-selection. If she passed the selection, she would participate in the gala held in Beijing, boasting all kinds of stars and grand ceremonies. If she shines at this gala, it’s said she might even leave the performance troupe at the station to join a higher-level unit. Chai Xiaohu heard this news and her lips curled into a cold smile, realizing her wish had finally come true. Some young nurses outside kept discussing the matter, praising Li Ying for her talents and saying she deserved it. When Chai Xiaohu overheard, she remained expressionless. After Li Ying left, Chai Xiaohu needed to fend for herself. The young nurses had no real need to provide comprehensive patient care, especially as they didn’t like her. Initially, Chai Xiaohu struggled quite a bit, but as she recovered, moving about gradually became less of an issue, though she couldn’t engage in strenuous activities. A rib fracture wasn’t serious, but even a strong cough could cause sharp pain. "You’re losing calcium rapidly. If this continues, you’ll have osteoporosis by the age of thirty," Shen Junping warned when he saw Chai Xiaohu’s current state, offering a reminder. Chai Xiaohu’s constitution wasn’t particularly strong, so she’d often visit the infirmary to buy cold or fever medicine, eventually becoming familiar with Shen Junping. Chai Xiaohu didn’t want Shen Junping to see her looking so defeated, but she couldn’t avoid him, so she accepted it. She tried to adjust her mood as much as possible, but while emotions could be controlled, her feelings couldn’t be managed. Her heart felt as if it had sunk to the lake’s bottom, with a heavy stone weighing it down.