In the regimental office, Regimental Commander Zhou frowned deeply upon hearing his niece’s words. He could find ways to deal with others—but not Xia Anran.  

She was *General Huo’s niece*—someone he couldn’t even fawn over enough, let alone suppress!  

Seeing her uncle remain silent, Zhou Yuxin grew anxious. She guessed that his hesitation stemmed from fear of General Huo’s influence, so she lowered her voice and whispered:  

“Uncle, I heard something today—Xia Anran isn’t General Huo’s real niece. He only has nephews, no nieces. She’s probably just the daughter of a comrade-in-arms.”

Regimental Commander Zhou shot her a glance. *Did she really think he hadn’t considered that?*  

General Huo’s surname was Huo, while Xia Anran’s was Xia—clearly, they weren’t blood-related.  

But even if she wasn’t his biological niece, their relationship had to be close.  

Otherwise, General Huo wouldn’t have personally escorted her to the cultural troupe or instructed him to look after her.  

And let’s not forget—the General’s wife had even come to visit. That alone showed how much their family valued Xia Anran.  

So no, she couldn’t be touched.

Seeing her uncle lost in thought, Zhou Yuxin pressed urgently:  

“Uncle, she’s really strong. I’m afraid I won’t win. Can’t we just find an excuse to disqualify her—?”  

Regimental Commander Zhou cut her off with a stern frown:  

“Enough! Go back and practice. If you’re scared of a newcomer, how do you expect to remain lead singer?”

Zhou Yuxin, unwilling to give up, tugged at his sleeve and whined: “Uncle—!”

He pushed her away impatiently.  

“Go, go! Hurry back before Yuan Xiumei catches you slacking off again!” 

Rejected, Zhou Yuxin returned to the singing team, her eyes dark with resentment as she glared at Xia Anran.  

If her uncle wouldn’t help, she’d find a way to eliminate Xia Anran from the competition herself. 

Xia Anran felt the hostility in Zhou Yuxin’s gaze and looked up, catching a flash of undisguised malice before the other girl could hide it.  

She frowned. Was she being targeted again?  

Noticing Xia Anran’s attention, Zhou Yuxin quickly forced a fake smile and feigned concern:  

“Xiao Xia, how’s your preparation going? I heard you sing quite well—you should have confidence in yourself!” 

Xia Anran smiled lightly.  

“Lead Singer Zhou, I could never compare to veterans like you. I’m just here to gain some stage experience. The lead role is rightfully yours—I’m only participating for the fun of it.”

Zhou Yuxin was pleased by her humility. *At least she knows her place.*  

But she still couldn’t let her guard down.  

The promotion quota had been announced, and her uncle assured her that as long as she remained lead singer, the promotion would be hers.  

Which meant Xia Anran—this potential threat—had to be removed.

Liu Mei was also in the singing team, but as part of the chorus, she lacked standout talent and was too timid. Even if offered the lead role, she wouldn’t dare take it—so she hadn’t joined the competition.  

But as a longtime member, she knew Zhou Yuxin’s true nature. Watching her approach Xia Anran, Liu Mei felt a chill of dread for the younger girl.  

When Zhou Yuxin slipped away unnoticed, Liu Mei’s instincts screamed that trouble was brewing.  

After an internal struggle, her conscience won out. She quietly approached Xia Anran and whispered:  

“Xiao Xia… don’t drink anything later. Remember that.”

Then, like a spy completing a covert mission, she hurried away, retreating to a distant corner to minimize her presence.  

Xia Anran understood—Liu Mei, timid as she was, had mustered great courage to warn her.  

She neither responded nor glanced at Liu Mei, avoiding any suspicion. She’d thank her properly later.

After years in the entertainment world, what dirty tricks hadn’t she seen?

One of the most notorious rumors was about a famous male singer who, after becoming too popular and blocking others’ paths, was drugged—his voice ruined, never able to sing again.  

Even without Liu Mei’s warning, Xia Anran wouldn’t have drunk water left unattended. It was a habit ingrained in her from her past life—staying vigilant at all times. *Otherwise, she wouldn’t even know how she died.*  

Moreover, in her past life, she had fallen victim after drinking water given to her by Ye Lingling—losing her life because of it. *She had every reason to be extra cautious now.*  

Liu Mei watched Xia Anran worriedly. *Had she even heard her warning?* There was no reaction at all. *Should she remind her again?*  

Just as Liu Mei resolved to approach Xia Anran once more, she saw Zhou Yuxin returning and immediately shrank back into her corner in fear.  

Zhou Yuxin, back in the rehearsal hall, didn’t practice. Instead, she looked for an opportunity to act—but none presented itself.  

Xia Anran’s water cup was right in front of her. *Without drawing her away, there was no way to tamper with it.*  

Zhou Yuxin’s eyes flickered, then landed on Liu Mei hiding in the corner. A smirk curled her lips as she strode over.  

Seeing Zhou Yuxin approach, Liu Mei panicked and darted into the crowd, hiding behind the deputy team leader of the song and dance team.  

Zhou Yuxin gritted her teeth in frustration as Liu Mei fled. 

Xia Anran had been closely monitoring Zhou Yuxin’s movements. When she saw her heading toward Liu Mei, her concern spiked.  

Fortunately, Liu Mei was quick to blend into the crowd, denying Zhou Yuxin any opening.  

But why had Zhou Yuxin sought out Liu Mei? The answer was obvious—she wanted to use her as a pawn.

“What should I do? How can I protect Liu Mei while exposing Zhou Yuxin?”

“And I can’t be too obvious—if Zhou Yuxin senses anything, she’ll back off.”

Lost in thought as she sang, Xia Anran didn’t notice Teacher Yuan’s arrival.  

After finalizing competition arrangements, Teacher Yuan had returned to check on Xia Anran’s progress. She listened silently from the back, only speaking once the song ended:  

“Xiao Xia, your singing has improved, but you still need to work on coordinating with the band. Later, I’ll take you to the music section to rehearse with them.”

“Understood. Thank you.” 

Xia Anran recalled Liu Mei’s warning. She avoided unnecessary trouble—but only if trouble didn’t come looking for her.

Now that Zhou Yuxin was plotting against her, she couldn’t just wait passively. To expose Zhou Yuxin, she had to give her the chance to act.

Lowering her voice, Xia Anran spoke to Teacher Yuan:  

“Teacher, could you have someone discreetly keep an eye on my water cup?”  

Teacher Yuan stiffened. “Someone’s trying to harm you?”

Xia Anran shook her head.  

“It’s just a suspicion for now. But to catch a thief, you need evidence—only when they act can we be certain.”

Teacher Yuan’s eyes burned with fury. Her former lead singer, Li Shuang, had her voice destroyed by poison—forced to leave the team in despair, with the culprit never identified.  

Now, someone dared target her student again? *Old and new grudges would be settled together.* She made her decision instantly:  

“Then I’ll have someone else take you to the band. I’ll stay and catch this rat myself!” 

With Teacher Yuan personally overseeing this, Xia Anran felt reassured.  

If Zhou Yuxin made a move now, she’d be caught red-handed—no one could shield her then.

“Better to strike first than guard against a thief forever. Only by rooting out the threat can I rest easy.”

Zhou Yuxin watched as Xia Anran left with the deputy team leader. This was her chance.  

After scanning the room—confirming everyone was occupied and no one was watching—she hummed casually and strolled toward Xia Anran’s seat.