When Beisitian and the other three arrived, the art troupe’s performers were still in training. The biggest show of the year is the pre-Spring Festival base event, and the art troupe is the main performer, so how could they not intensify their training? As the four of them passed by the training room door, they saw the female performers stretching their legs, and the fitted workout pants looked great on them. Some male performers were doing warm-up exercises in another area, and they even saw a few male and female performers practicing dance together. The four noticed that those practicing dance always had various kinds of physical contact. On stage, it didn’t feel like much, but now, with everyone in workout clothes, it felt a bit embarrassing. "We should go," Luo Jiali withdrew her gaze, a flush on her face, and walked forward with her head down. Ding Sisi cleared her throat and followed closely behind, while Tian Lei chuckled and signaled Beisitian to catch up. The art troupe had two pianos, one was used regularly, and the other was tuned for backup. Right now, they were using the backup piano. The practice room was empty except for the four of them, so they could fully utilize it. Tian Lei tested the piano and found it had been tuned, then signaled for Luo Jiali and Ding Sisi to get ready. This time, the three of them were putting on a program, which was a piano accompaniment piece. The melodious piano notes began to play slowly, and Luo Jiali and Ding Sisi started singing to the beat. As soon as their voices emerged, Beisitian was taken aback. Who would have thought they’d sing so well? Even Zhou Chunlai, who was one of the best among the military spouses, couldn’t compare to the two of them. Perhaps only someone from the art troupe could match them! No wonder Ding Sisi was particularly eager to perform; she has real talent. Compared to them, Beisitian completely despaired over her own singing. Despair meant giving up, so she’d better just move her mouth but not make a sound! Having made up her mind, Beisitian felt relieved. Too much pressure was bad for mental and physical health. One should live more lightly! Beisitian began to let herself go. As she was lost in thought, a figure appeared in her peripheral vision. She turned her head to find it was Chai Xiaohu. Chai Xiaohu watched the two girls singing on stage silently, her expression complex, filled with nostalgia, sadness, and reluctance. Showing such a complex expression, she must be feeling very upset these days. Beisitian heard that after Chai Xiaohu took a two-week leave and returned to the art troupe, everyone seemed to start revolving around Li Ying. Even the coveted solo spot in the finale was no longer hers. The special honors that once belonged to her were now gone, and her position in the art troupe had quickly declined. Truth be told, Li Ying’s voice and skills were not as good as Chai Xiaohu’s, but she had a pretty face and was versatile and articulate. Of the three male performers in the art troupe, it seemed all had a special liking for her, even one who had always liked Chai Xiaohu now turned his affections toward Li Ying. Nᴇw novel chapters are publɪshed on 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝⁂𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖⁂𝕟𝕖𝕥 In the art troupe, Chai Xiaohu now felt very oppressed, restrained by the current situation, and by the need to retreat. Because of this oppression, her face no longer showed the smile it used to have, replaced by a look of indifference. This, in turn, made her even less likable. Yuan Guiling sighed at the sight, aware of some matters, but survival of the fittest is the way of the world. Chai Xiaohu also noticed Beisitian, nodded to her as she met her gaze, and turned to leave. The three were so focused that they hardly noticed Chai Xiaohu in the shadows, and it was evident from the tension between Luo Jiali and Ding Sisi that they were competing against each other too. But one must admit, despite Tian Lei’s feigned aloofness sometimes, he looked really dashing while playing the piano. The three practiced for over an hour, and Beisitian observed from the side. The harmonious voices kept it from being dull. Midway, Tian Lei and Luo Jiali invited her to come up and sing, but no matter what, Beisitian refused. Finally, having no choice, when she started to sing, the three were stunned. What was she doing? Chanting scriptures? When Beisitian saw their faces, she couldn’t help but scowl despite having expected their reaction. Hearing Beisitian’s singing, Ding Sisi finally stopped giving her hostile looks, and the other two abandoned their intention to make her sing. With less than a month to prepare for the gala, even if a year were given, with Beisitian’s zero foundation, she probably wouldn’t be able to participate. Seeing the three abandon their original plan, Beisitian felt instantly relieved. After practice, the four were about to head back to their dormitory when they encountered Li Ying, surrounded by others, with several female performers around her and three male performers trailing behind, practically the center of attention. Seeing Beisitian, Li Ying no longer acted endearing like before, her face held a faint smile, though her eyes flashed with disdain and contempt. There was nothing to say, so they just passed by each other. Back at the dorm, Luo Xudong was sitting on a chair reading a newspaper. "Back already? Have you eaten?" "We have. We ate at the cafeteria," Beisitian replied. Luo Xudong looked at her and said, "In a couple of days, we’ll have field drills as well, so be careful by yourself." Since arriving here, Luo Xudong had always returned to spend the night, never staying in the collective dormitory, nor hanging out outside, so this would be the first overnight separation with Beisitian. Fortunately, this is the family building, and being on base, nothing should happen, but still, the doors to both the inner and outer rooms should be locked. The next day, when Beisitian went to the medical team, she was abruptly informed that the art troupe’s practice room could no longer be borrowed because Li Ying needed it to practice singing. Beisitian raised an eyebrow, realizing Li Ying was doing this on purpose. This time, she wasn’t even bothering to hide it and made sure they knew it was her doing. No need to guess, the person who had most displeased Li Ying was Beisitian, followed by Luo Jiali. Li Ying also wanted them to know that the main reason for not lending the room was Beisitian. Ding Sisi worriedly said, "We already lag behind the art troupe, and now without a place to practice, we’ll be even worse off." As she finished speaking, she glanced at Beisitian. "Beisitian offended Li Ying; she should go apologize! We can’t be without a place to practice!" Ding Sisi huffed. As soon as Ding Sisi spoke, she was met with a dismissive eye-roll from Tian Lei, followed by Luo Jiali’s sneering smile. "It’s just for a place to practice, and you want Beisitian to go apologize to Li Ying? Have you lost your mind?" Tian Lei said. At Tian Lei’s support, Ding Sisi was infuriated. "Then what do you propose we do? We don’t have a place to practice, so how do we practice?" Ding Sisi’s words served as a reminder to the other two.