Huo Ruifeng swiftly moved forward to steady the box, while Xia Anran broke out in a cold sweat. The box was extremely heavy, and if it had fallen from such a height and hit her, she would have been left with a bloody head—no doubt about it.  

Recognizing that it was Huo Ruifeng who had helped her, she was taken aback. Given that her engagement to Huo Ruiyang had been called off, why would he still assist her?  

Li Yanqiu’s face had turned pale from fright, and she hurried over to check on Xia Anran:  

“Anran, are you okay?”  

Xia Anran waved her off, knowing Li Yanqiu hadn’t meant for this to happen.  

The box was far too heavy for just two people to lift into the truck. Both she and Li Yanqiu had exerted all their strength, but since their strength wasn’t evenly matched, the mistake had occurred.  

Yet, when she saw Huo Ruifeng effortlessly lift the box into the truck by himself, Xia Anran couldn’t help but marvel—men truly had a natural advantage when it came to strength.  

Since Huo Ruifeng had helped her, Xia Anran felt she ought to express her gratitude. She thanked him:  

“Thank you for your help.”  

Huo Ruifeng asked:  

“Aren’t you the lead singer? Why are you moving props?”  

Xia Anran smiled but didn’t answer. She didn’t want to complain like a helpless victim—that was the behavior of the weak.  

The strong forged their own path through adversity!  

Li Yanqiu, however, huffed angrily:  

“Hmph! Of course, the lead singer shouldn’t be moving props. This is just Regiment Commander Zhou giving Anran a hard time because he found out about her broken engagement with your brother!”  

Huo Ruifeng glanced at Xia Anran, considering whether he should help this former sister-in-law.  

When Regiment Commander Zhou saw Huo Ruifeng helping Xia Anran with the box, a flicker of confusion passed through his eyes.  

He had heard that Huo Ruiyang despised his fiancée and was well aware of Xia Anran’s reputation in the military compound.  

Logically, Huo Ruifeng should have been just as annoyed by Xia Anran, given that she was his brother’s ex-fiancée—so why was he helping her?  

Seeing Huo Ruifeng walking toward him, Regiment Commander Zhou’s eyelid twitched. He couldn’t guess what the man wanted, and it made him uneasy.  

Huo Ruifeng stopped in front of him, took out a cigarette from his pocket, placed it between his lips, and lit it with a lighter before speaking leisurely:  

“Regiment Commander Zhou, thank you for your *consideration* toward Xia Anran. Although her engagement to my brother has been called off, the bond between my father and Uncle Xia remains. If anyone bullies her, you must let me know. Our Huo family won’t stand by and watch her suffer.”  

Hearing Huo Ruifeng’s pointed words—and noting that he hadn’t even offered him a cigarette—Regiment Commander Zhou broke out in a cold sweat. He forced an awkward smile and nodded:  

“Don’t worry, Squadron leader Huo. As long as I’m here, no one will bully her.”  

Huo Ruifeng exhaled a puff of smoke, his lips curving into a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. He stared at Regiment Commander Zhou and said:  

“Good. Then I’ll thank you in advance for your care. My father has been worried about Xia Anran being mistreated in the cultural troupe. With your assurance, he can rest easy.”  

Watching from a distance, Xia Anran noticed Huo Ruifeng speaking to Regiment Commander Zhou—and from the latter’s expression, it seemed like a warning.  

Had this former brother-in-law just stood up for her?  

Seeing that his warning had taken effect, Huo Ruifeng didn’t linger. He flicked away the remaining half of his cigarette and said cheerfully:  

“Regiment Commander Zhou, have a smooth journey.”  

His light, dismissive tone irritated Regiment Commander Zhou, making it clear he wasn’t being taken seriously.  

But what could he do about it?  

The man had the right to be arrogant.  

After issuing his warning, Huo Ruifeng went to find Wen Fangfang. They had only met a few hours ago, and now they had to part again—he wanted to make the most of their remaining time.  

Soon, the trucks were loaded, and the troupe had to leave the flight squadron before sunset to return to the cultural troupe before dark.  

Wen Fangfang clung to Huo Ruifeng reluctantly:  

“Brother Ruifeng, you *have* to read the letters I send you.”  

Huo Ruifeng’s eyes also held reluctance as he nodded:  

“Alright, I’ll read them.”  

“Hurry up and board! We’re leaving soon!” the team leader called out.  

Wen Fangfang quickly added:  

“Brother Ruifeng, tell Uncle Huo about how Regiment Commander Zhou is giving Anran a hard time. As long as he knows your family still cares about her, Zhou won’t dare target her.”  

Huo Ruifeng smiled and agreed:  

“Got it.”  

On the way back, Regiment Commander Zhou remained sullen, lost in thought. He had originally planned to hold a meeting to remove Xia Anran as the lead singer upon their return.  

But now he wasn’t sure—did Huo Ruifeng’s intervention mean that General Huo’s stance was still in her favor?  

If General Huo’s attitude toward Xia Anran wasn’t about discarding an unwanted burden but genuinely looking out for her, then removing her from the lead singer position would undoubtedly displease him.  

But if General Huo learned that the troupe members themselves objected, he probably wouldn’t interfere!  

Regiment Commander Zhou rubbed his temples, his head aching from overthinking. It wasn’t until they neared the cultural troupe that he finally made his decision—he would proceed with the original plan.  

Even if General Huo questioned him later, he had his justification ready.  

Xia Anran was a temporary worker, and letting her serve as lead singer violated regulations. If the troupe members protested, he couldn’t afford to show favoritism.  

By the time the convoy returned to the cultural troupe, night had already fallen. During unloading, Regiment Commander Zhou didn’t give Xia Anran any further trouble, assigning the male members to handle the task instead.  

Exhausted after a long day, Xia Anran returned to the dormitory to fetch her toiletries before heading to the bathhouse with Wen Fangfang and the others.  

Somehow, Zhou Yuxin had gotten wind of the news. No longer feigning illness in the dormitory, she was now buzzing with vindictive energy. Upon hearing Xia Anran was at the bathhouse, she rushed over, determined to humiliate her.  

The moment Zhou Yuxin reached the bathhouse entrance, she saw Xia Anran stepping out. She immediately blocked her path and sneered loudly:  

“Oh, Xia Anran! So you’re the pathetic reject dumped by Regimental Commander Huo? And here you were, pretending to be General Huo’s niece—how shameless!”

Zhou Yuxin’s lackeys chimed in:  

“Some people really love inflating their status by claiming connections to superiors!”

“A temporary worker stealing the lead singer role—who does she think she is?”

Xia Anran swept a cold gaze over them. The sheer intensity in her eyes silenced them mid-sentence.  

She turned to Zhou Yuxin and retorted mockingly:  

“I never said I was related to Commander Huo—you came over to suck up to me on your own. I earned the lead role with my own ability. If you don’t like it, too bad—deal with it.” 

“You cheated!” Zhou Yuxin spat, infuriated by Xia Anran’s dismissive attitude.  

This was her greatest humiliation. If not for Xia Anran’s psychological intimidation before the competition, would she have lost so disastrously?  

Xia Anran smirked. “If you’d done nothing wrong, why be afraid?”

Zhou Yuxin froze. Her lackeys, seeing her at a loss, rallied:  

“Temporary workers aren’t eligible for lead roles! Let’s lodge a complaint with the regiment commander!” 

“Right! She’s been bluffing with fake connections. We can’t let her win—we’ll escalate this! Her ‘victory’ shouldn’t count!”  

“I heard she forced herself on Regimental Commander Huo, and he avoids her like the plague.”

“Disgusting.”  

Their insults were vicious, but Xia Anran remained unshaken, her composure unbroken.  

Zhou Yuxin glared, teeth gritted. *How could she stay so calm?* Anyone else would’ve crumbled to tears by now.  

Li Yanqiu stepped in front of Xia Anran and barked:  

“Back off! Xia Anran’s my sister. Anyone who messes with her is going against me.”

Zhou Yuxin’s lackeys recoiled—everyone feared Li Yanqiu’s fiery temper and fists-first policy.  

Wen Fangfang also shielded Xia Anran, jabbing a finger at Zhou Yuxin’s group:  

“What’s your problem? Zhou Yuxin, if you’re inciting bullying, I’ll report you to Director Yan immediately. And all of you—harassment in the bathhouse means disciplinary demerits!”

The threat of Director Yan sent the lackeys scattering.  

Zhou Yuxin wasn’t afraid of demerits, but she knew better than to provoke these two. Still, retreating felt like defeat. She jabbed a finger at Xia Anran:  

“This isn’t over, Xia Anran!”

Xia Anran met her gaze icily. “No, it isn’t.” 

There was no turning back now. Begging for mercy wouldn’t bring peace—only standing firm would.  

Xia Anran’s steeliness unsettled Zhou Yuxin. *Everyone knows she’s not General Huo’s niece anymore—so where does this confidence come from?*  

*I need to tell Second Uncle about the drugging incident. Threatening Liu Mei alone isn’t enough—I must get him involved as insurance!*