Xia Anran followed the deputy team leader to the band. Li Yanqiu, spotting her, rushed over excitedly:  

“Anran, I just saw your name on the competition list!”  

Xia Anran smiled and said,  

“I’m just here for fun, to gain some stage experience.”  

Li Yanqiu, worried she might be nervous, reassured her:  

“As long as you’re not scared, you’ll be fine. Just sing with confidence—even if you don’t do well, it’s okay. You’re a newcomer; no one will judge you.”  

But after Xia Anran finished rehearsing with the band, Li Yanqiu ran over, grabbed her hands, and exclaimed excitedly:  

“Anran, you’ve been hiding your skills! That was amazing—so professional!”  

Xia Anran smiled modestly. “I still need more practice.”  

Li Yanqiu gave her arm a firm slap.  

“Come on, stop being so humble! I’ve never seen a newcomer sing that well. If you keep this up, you’ll be the next lead singer!”  

After leaving the band, Xia Anran’s first move was to check her water cup. Before leaving, she had placed the handle facing left—and now, it was still in the exact same position, not even slightly shifted.  

*Did no one touch it?*  

But poisoning it wouldn’t require lifting the cup—just sprinkling something inside would be enough.  

Xia Anran scanned the rehearsal hall but saw neither Zhou Yuxin nor Liu Mei.  

Teacher Yuan walked over, asked the deputy team leader about Xia Anran’s performance, and after he left, said to her:  

“I kept an eye on your cup. No one put anything in it.”  

Teacher Yuan didn’t mention seeing Zhou Yuxin because, without catching her red-handed, there was no proof—Zhou Yuxin hadn’t touched the cup, just walked by and left.  

Though puzzled, Xia Anran showed no sign of it and thanked Teacher Yuan:  

“Thank you, Teacher.”  

Having heard about Xia Anran’s performance from the deputy team leader, Teacher Yuan looked at her with admiration and patted her arm.  

“Xiao Xia, rest early tonight. Be well-prepared for tomorrow’s competition.”  

Xia Anran smiled and nodded. “Thank you for your concern, Teacher Yuan.”  

After Teacher Yuan left, Xia Anran continued practicing while observing the rehearsal hall. Soon, Liu Mei returned, head lowered and visibly distracted.  

Less than two minutes later, Zhou Yuxin also came back, looking triumphant and in high spirits. When she saw Xia Anran, she even walked over to offer a few words of encouragement.  

Xia Anran felt something was off but kept her composure, exchanging a few lighthearted remarks with Zhou Yuxin. As for the water, she didn’t drink it—pouring it out after practice ended.  

It wasn’t that she distrusted Teacher Yuan, but she had a strict habit: never consuming anything that had left her sight.  

That evening, Xia Anran wanted to walk back to the dorm with Liu Mei, but as soon as practice ended, Liu Mei hurried out with her head down. Guessing that Liu Mei was afraid Zhou Yuxin would see them together, Xia Anran didn’t call out to her.  

Zhou Yuxin, beaming, waved at Xia Anran:  

“See you tomorrow, Xiao Xia!”  

Xia Anran met her eyes and nodded. “See you tomorrow.”  

At dinner in the cafeteria, Wen Fangfang and Li Yanqiu brought Liu Mei over to join Xia Anran.  

The moment she saw Xia Anran, Wen Fangfang couldn’t hold back her praise:  

“Xia Anran! Yanqiu said you sang incredibly well—just like Teacher Yuan in her prime!”  

Xia Anran humbly replied, “It’s not as impressive as Yanqiu made it sound. I just didn’t go off-key.”  

The mention of “going off-key” made Zhou Yuxin, standing behind them, darken her expression, glaring at Xia Anran as if she’d just been insulted.  

After dinner, Wen Fangfang and Li Yanqiu also stayed in the dorm instead of going home.  

Li Yanqiu stayed partly to welcome Xia Anran and partly because the competition the next day required an early start—she didn’t want to waste time commuting.  

Wen Fangfang, on the other hand, was just there for the fun of it, staying to chat with the girls.  

Her cupboard was stocked with numerous snacks, which she now spread across the entire bed. Smiling cheerfully at Xia Anran, she said:  

“Since we weren’t here yesterday, we’re throwing you a belated welcome party today.”  

Li Yanqiu also brought out the biscuits and White Rabbit candies she had brought from home. Everyone chatted while snacking.  

Wen Fangfang, ever the gossip, leaned in and whispered to Xia Anran:  

“You’re General Huo’s niece—have you met that shrew of a fiancée of Regimental Commander Huo?”  

“I heard she warned every girl in the compound and even stormed into the military base, nearly scratching Tang Na from the Provincial Propaganda Department.”  

Xia Anran, who had just taken a bite of a White Rabbit candy, nearly choked upon hearing the gossip—about *herself*. The original host’s track record was truly legendary. She almost suspected Wen Fangfang knew and was deliberately bringing it up.  

But Wen Fangfang’s eager, gossip-hungry expression didn’t seem feigned.  

Li Yanqiu, cracking her knuckles nearby, chimed in:  

“I’ve heard about it too. Any remotely pretty girl gets inexplicably warned by her. Luckily, she never came for me—otherwise, I’d have taught her why flowers are so red!”  

She raised a fist and grinned.  

Xia Anran blinked at Li Yanqiu’s fist. Thank goodness the original host never picked a fight with her—she’d have been beaten black and blue.

Wen Fangfang handed Xia Anran another White Rabbit candy, scoffing:  

“Pfft, Regimental Commander Huo walks around with that icy face like everyone owes him a fortune. As if we’d ever be interested.”  

“Exactly.” Xia Anran wholeheartedly agreed. Huo Ruiyang’s perpetually stern expression and piercing gaze made her think any girl who liked him must be a masochist.  

Li Yanqiu interjected fairly:  

“That’s called masculine charisma. Plenty of girls still like Regimental Commander Huo. Take Zhou Yuxin—she’s absolutely obsessed with him. Haven’t you seen how her eyes lock onto him like flies on meat?”  

Wen Fangfang nodded vigorously. “Yes! It’s disgusting—she practically drools over him. So pathetic.”  

Xia Anran raised an eyebrow. *So Zhou Yuxin likes Huo Ruiyang?*  

Liu Mei, who had been silent until now, hesitantly approached with a bottle of soda. Neither Wen Fangfang’s nor Li Yanqiu’s gossip had piqued her interest.  

Standing before Xia Anran, she seemed to steel herself before offering the soda, murmuring:  

“Xia Anran, welcome…”  

She couldn’t finish, her grip tightening around the bottle.  

Noticing the cap was already loosened, Xia Anran glanced at Liu Mei before saying:  

“Thank you.”  

Liu Mei’s eyes were tormented. Unable to meet Xia Anran’s gaze, she shook her head. “N-no need…”  

Xia Anran took the soda, feeling Liu Mei’s slight tug before letting go. Understanding dawned. Without a flicker of reaction, she first poured a cup for Liu Mei, then one for herself, raising it in a toast:  

“Liu Mei, I’ll borrow your generosity to thank you for warning me in the rehearsal hall earlier.”  

Liu Mei’s face paled. Staring at the soda bottle, she bit her lip so hard it nearly bled.  

Wen Fangfang and Li Yanqiu, oblivious to the subtext, raised their own cups playfully:  

“Don’t forget us! Toast us too!”  

Xia Anran looked at Liu Mei. “May I share this with them?”  

Beads of sweat formed on Liu Mei’s forehead, her hands trembling violently.  

Li Yanqiu nudged her. “Liu Mei, what’s wrong? Why are you shaking?”  

Wen Fangfang teased, “What, you don’t wanna share?”  

Suddenly, Liu Mei snatched the bottle from Xia Anran and smashed it onto the floor. The remaining soda splattered everywhere.  

Wen Fangfang was so frightened that she jumped up and screamed: “Liu Mei, are you crazy?”