Xia Anran hadn’t expected Teacher Yuan to let her sing the entire song. Judging by her expression, she seemed very satisfied.  

Teachers generally disliked arrogant students, so after finishing her performance, Xia Anran humbly asked:  

“Teacher Yuan, what do you think? Would I have the honor of becoming your student?”

Yuan Xiumei had been worried Xia Anran might be as prideful as Zhou Yuxin. Seeing her so modest only deepened her fondness. But to prevent complacency, she kept a stern face and nodded.  

“Your singing is passable. I’ll accept you as my student, but mastering this art requires hard work. Humility and diligence are the keys to progress. I expect you to stay grounded and learn step by step.”

Xia Anran feigned excitement: “Thank you, Teacher Yuan! I’ll study earnestly.”

Teacher Fang, standing nearby, congratulated Yuan Xiumei:  

“Xiumei, congratulations on finding such a promising disciple. With proper training, this girl will surely bring you glory.”

Though Yuan Xiumei privately agreed, she maintained a strict demeanor to curb any arrogance in Xia Anran.  

“It’s too early to say. Everything depends on her own efforts.”

…

Regimental Commander Zhou was seething inside. Yuan Xiumei had accepted Xia Anran, but *he* received no credit. Without his “influence,” Xia Anran would feel no gratitude toward him—a wasted opportunity.  

Yet he couldn’t show his resentment. He needed Xia Anran to believe his “connections” had secured her this chance.  

Forcing a smile, he stood and addressed her:  

“Xiao Xia, Teacher Yuan rarely takes students. You must work hard and aim to become the lead singer.”

Xia Anran saw through his empty praise. The lead singer was his niece, Zhou Yuxin—did he truly expect to replace her, no matter how well Xia Anran performed?  

Still, as her superior, he deserved superficial respect. She smiled politely.  

“Thank you for your encouragement, Regimental Commander Zhou. I’ll strive to improve.”

…

Zhou then shot Yuan Xiumei a provoking glance and asked Xia Anran:  

“Since Teacher Yuan has accepted you, do you still wish to learn dance?”

His tone dripped with schadenfreude. Xia Anran recognized the trap—a poorly worded answer could make her seem ungrateful or overambitious, erasing Yuan Xiumei’s goodwill.  

Outside the door, Chen Yu tensed. Hearing Zhou’s loaded question, he nearly intervened, fearing Xia Anran might fall for the ploy. But before he could knock, her voice halted him.  

…

Inside, Xia Anran paused thoughtfully before replying:  

“To excel as a cultural worker, one must be versatile. While young, I’d like to master multiple skills. I love both singing and dance—if the teachers would accept a slow learner like me.”

Yuan Xiumei’s stern expression softened. Xia Anran wasn’t being greedy; she genuinely sought growth.  

Teacher Fang, already impressed by Xia Anran’s grace and poise, had no objections.  

*A girl with such excellent potential would surely excel in dance too. It’s a pity she chose singing instead—what a shame.*  

Unexpectedly, Xia Anran also wanted to learn dance. Everyone loves a humble and eager student, but before accepting her, Teacher Fang needed to consult Teacher Yuan’s opinion. After all, there was an order of precedence.

Teacher Fang looked at Yuan Xiumei and asked, “Xiumei, what do you think?”

Yuan Xiumei’s perspective had shifted after Xia Anran’s words. Seeing that Teacher Fang was also willing to take her in, she considered it a good thing.

Relenting, she agreed:

“The champion of this competition, Shen Xueli, is an all-rounder who excels in both singing and dancing. If we can train another versatile talent to compete with her, we might have a shot at winning next year’s joint competition.”

Teacher Fang was delighted that Yuan Xiumei had no objections and said with enthusiasm:

“Great! Let’s work together to nurture a rising star.”

Regimental Commander Zhou’s expression darkened, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t force a smile.

Their cultural troupe had never had an actor who was part of both the singing and dance teams. He had originally hoped to drive a wedge between Yuan Xiumei and Teacher Fang over Xia Anran, but instead, they united to train her.

And what made him even more furious was yet to come!

Teacher Yuan had a straightforward temper and couldn’t hold back her words—asking her to be tactful was impossible.

On the way here, she had already made up her mind: no matter how unhappy Regimental commander Zhou was or what he said, Zhou Yuxin could no longer remain the lead singer.

Now, seeing how outstanding Xia Anran was, she believed that with some effort in training, the girl could become an excellent lead singer.

This only strengthened Teacher Yuan’s resolve to remove Zhou Yuxin. She said to Regimental commander Zhou: 

“Regimental Commander, Zhou Yuxin made a major mistake in this competition and has lost the right to be the lead singer. I suggest replacing her.” 

Teacher Fang tried to stop her from speaking up but ultimately failed and could only sigh.

Regimental Commander Zhou’s face darkened as he suppressed his anger. If he refused to remove Yuxin now, Yuan Xiumei’s fiery temper would surely lead to an argument.

As the Regimental Commander, quarreling with a subordinate would undermine his authority and invite gossip—people would say he was protecting his niece out of favoritism.

But yielding to Yuan Xiumei’s demand and removing Yuxin was something neither Yuxin nor he himself could stomach.

Being a crafty old fox, Regimental Commander Zhou didn’t outright reject replacing the lead singer. Instead, he brought up the upcoming performance:

“The day after tomorrow, we’re performing for the aviation brigade. Changing the lead singer at the last minute will shake morale. Besides, we don’t have a suitable replacement yet. Why not wait until we find one? Teacher Yuan, surely you can agree to that?”

Teacher Fang discreetly tugged at Yuan Xiumei, signaling her to accept, but Yuan Xiumei shook her off. Regimental Commander Zhou’s mention of the performance only strengthened her resolve to replace Yuxin.  

With a cold expression, Yuan Xiumei said:

“It’s precisely because of the performance for the aviation brigade that we must change the lead singer. The second military district’s troupe—the champions of this competition—will also be performing. We’ve embarrassed ourselves once already; we can’t keep letting people trample on our dignity.

“Regimental Commander Zhou, I know you want to promote your niece, but you can’t sacrifice the troupe’s reputation. If you insist on keeping her, I will report this abuse of power to the higher-ups.”

The atmosphere in the room instantly became tense. Regimental Commander Zhou’s face turned as dark as ink—he wanted nothing more than to kick out Yuan Xiumei, who had left him no face at all.

Since becoming the troupe leader, this was the first time he had been so humiliated. Gnashing his teeth in anger, he asked Yuan Xiumei with a grim expression:

“Then, Teacher Yuan, do you have a suitable candidate to replace Zhou Yuxin? Our troupe can’t afford to be without a lead singer, can we?”