The performance order was announced, and as Xia Anran had expected, Regimental Commander Zhou had placed the four other team members in the first four slots, Zhou Yuxin fifth, and herself last.  

Originally, Regimental Commander Zhou had wanted to position Xia Anran fifth, reserving the final spot for Zhou Yuxin.  

But Teacher Yuan had disagreed, arguing that as a newcomer, Xia Anran might struggle with nerves and should perform last to gain more observation time.  

Backstage, as the scores for the first four contestants were announced, Zhou Yuxin’s visible delight made it seem as though she had already won first place.  

When the fourth contestant’s predictably low score was revealed, Xia Anran glanced at Zhou Yuxin and smiled.  

Noticing this, Zhou Yuxin adopted a victor’s tone to console her:  

“Xiao Xia, just treat this as a learning experience. There’ll be other opportunities.”  

To her shock, Xia Anran suddenly replied in a clear, unstrained voice:  

“I never drank that soda. What you did won’t go unpunished. After this competition, I’m taking you to military court.”  

Zhou Yuxin froze.  

Xia Anran’s voice wasn’t hoarse at all. And now she was mentioning the spiked soda? Threatening legal action?  

The barrage of accusations caught Zhou Yuxin off guard.  

*‘Did Liu Mei betray me?’*  

Her first thought was that Liu Mei had exposed her. Terror emptied her mind, leaving her numb and speechless.  

One moment, she’d been basking in her impending victory; the next, Xia Anran had struck like lightning.  

The panic of exposure paralyzed her. She could only stare at Xia Anran, eyes wide with dread, unable to utter a word.  

Then came her cue.  

The emcee’s voice rang out:  

“Next contestant: Zhou Yuxin, performing ‘Spring Breezes Carry the Red Flag.’ Let’s welcome her with applause!”  

Xia Anran’s voice was icy. “You’re up.”  

Zhou Yuxin jolted back to reality, desperate to deny everything. “Xia Anran, don’t listen to Liu Mei’s lies! None of that happened—you’ve got it all wrong!”  

“Liu Mei?”  

Xia Anran let out a cold laugh.  

“I never mentioned Liu Mei. How did you know it was her? That’s a confession right there.”  

Zhou Yuxin’s mouth snapped shut. She stood dumbstruck, a single thought screaming in her head: *If General Huo finds out, I’m finished.*  

The stage manager, seeing Zhou Yuxin rooted in place, hurried over.  

“Zhou Yuxin! It’s your turn—get on stage!”  

Pushed forward, Zhou Yuxin stumbled onto the platform, her mind fogged by overwhelming pressure.  

She glanced back. Xia Anran stared at her with a gaze as sharp as a blade. It sent chills down her spine.  

Regimental Commander Zhou frowned at his niece’s disoriented state. *What’s wrong with her?*  

He’d paved the way—the first four scores were pitifully low. All she had to do was perform normally to clinch first place. Why was she crumbling now?  

Leaning into the mic, he barked:  

“Zhou Yuxin! Are you ready?”  

The shout startled her. Seeing her uncle’s glare, she finally remembered where she was.  

“Y-yes! Ready!”  

She tried to steady herself, but the fear wouldn’t subside. Even her breaths came in tremors.  

Teacher Yuan seethed as Zhou Yuxin remained frozen onstage.  

This is a competition. Everyone’s waiting, and she’s just standing there?

Teacher Yuan refused to wait any longer. She barked at the band:  

“Music!”  

Regimental Commander Zhou wanted to intervene, to let Zhou Yuxin compose herself first, but with Teacher Yuan’s command already given, he couldn’t stop it.  

He could only watch his niece with concern, wondering what had gone wrong.  

The musical prelude ended, but Zhou Yuxin remained frozen, unresponsive. The conductor turned to Teacher Yuan for direction.  

Teacher Yuan’s temper flared. She ordered the band to stop and unleashed her fury on Zhou Yuxin:  

“Band, halt! Zhou Yuxin, are you sleepwalking? Either sing now or get off the stage!”  

Fearing Teacher Yuan might disqualify his niece outright, Regimental Commander Zhou quickly stood up:  

“Zhou Yuxin, do you need a moment to collect yourself?”  

The shouting only worsened Zhou Yuxin’s panic.  

*The competition—right, the competition!*  

She forced herself to focus and spoke into the microphone:  

“I’m ready to begin.”  

The music started again. Zhou Yuxin struggled to steady herself, but when the vocals were supposed to begin, her voice wavered. The high notes cracked, and the performance fell apart.  

Teacher Fang and Liu exchanged glances. *How could they possibly justify giving this a high score?*  

Regimental Commander Zhou’s brow furrowed so deeply it seemed locked in place. He glared at his niece in frustration. *What is she doing?*  

This was a public competition—the entire troupe was watching. If he gave top marks for this disastrous performance, wouldn’t it blatantly expose his favoritism?  

Zhou Yuxin barely managed to finish the song, drenched in sweat. Even she knew she’d performed terribly.  

But the lead role no longer mattered. Her mind was consumed by the terror of exposure.  

Regimental Commander Zhou shot her a look of bitter disappointment. Well, I’m still the head of this troupe. Anyone with objections can keep them to themselves.

So he boldly held up a “10” scorecard.  

Teacher Fang and Liu were mortified. Zhou Yuxin’s performance wasn’t even worth a “5,” but they couldn’t openly defy Regimental Commander Zhou. Reluctantly, they settled on “8” each—a compromise between integrity and politics.  

Teacher Yuan, however, had reached her limit.  

Earlier, Regimental Commander Zhou had unfairly scored the four decent performances with “2”s, while Fang and Liu gave only “5”s and “6”s. That had already angered her.  

Now, for *this* train wreck, they were giving high scores?  

Her temper ignited. She stood, raised a “0” scorecard, and roared into the microphone:  

“What was that? No power, no presence—and four off-key notes! And you’re giving *high* scores? Fine! If we’re playing favorites, then I’m giving *zero*!”  

Regimental Commander Zhou’s face darkened as if plunged into an abyss. This was a public humiliation.  

Teacher Fang and Liu hung their heads in silent admiration for Yuan’s principles.  

The auditorium fell deathly quiet. Every troupe member watched, not daring to speak.  

Onstage, Zhou Yuxin felt as exposed as if stripped naked. Humiliation, anger, and fear overwhelmed her. She couldn’t take it anymore—she fled the stage in tears.  

Chen Yu, seeing the tension, stepped in to diffuse the situation. Taking the microphone, he announced calmly:  

“Let’s continue the competition. Next up: Xia Anran, performing ‘Beat the Drum and Strike the Gong.’ Please welcome her with applause.”