Tonight’s performance from Squad One was a complete disaster.
When Jiang Lanfang kicked her leg on stage, her left foot caught her right, and she fell hard.
She stood in the most important position. That fall threw the entire formation into chaos, making it impossible to keep dancing.
The performance had to be stopped. Several female soldiers helped her backstage to treat her injury.
It was Jiang Lanfang’s first time losing face so badly during a performance. With so many people watching, including several high-ranking officers, she felt so ashamed she could die. She blamed herself endlessly for getting distracted.
Teacher Wu came over to check the situation and couldn’t help asking.
“Lanfang, how could you make such a low-level mistake?” For the first time, Teacher Wu looked at Jiang Lanfang with disappointment.
The biggest problem was that the most important leader in the audience was the deputy commander of the military region. He rarely watched performances, and when he finally made time to come, the show fell apart right at the beginning.
Jiang Lanfang hated herself to the core. She had warned everyone over and over again to be careful, terrified something would go wrong. She never expected the person who’d mess up would be herself.
Her head dropped in shame, her lips almost bitten through.
Then she heard Teacher Wu ask from the side, “By the way, where is Shi Man? Why wasn’t she on stage?”
Many people, including the officers, had been asking the same thing.
Jiang Lanfang stiffened, then said quietly, “I thought she just arrived and doesn’t have much performance experience, so I didn’t let her go on stage today.”
“Nonsense.” Teacher Wu’s face instantly hardened. He scolded her even more harshly. “Lanfang, since when did you lose your sense of collective responsibility?”
Teacher Wu had been at rehearsal today. He clearly saw that Shi Man had already caught up with the choreography. Besides, the side positions in group dances didn’t require much technique or experience.
Everyone had a first time on stage. But Jiang Lanfang refused to give Shi Man even that chance.
Teacher Wu spoke earnestly. “Lanfang, collective honor matters, but first of all, you are a collective.”
Jiang Lanfang lowered her head, her face flushing red and pale in turns at his words.
Finally, Teacher Wu told someone to call Shi Man over and prepare her for the performance.
Shi Man arrived quickly, with Wang Dongyun in tow.
She had already heard what happened. Because she refused Ling Zhen’s bold gesture earlier, many soldiers were curious about what she looked like, so they came to watch the performance. But they didn’t see her on stage, and many reported to the troupe that First Squad was missing a performer.
Even a few officers joined the questioning, including Ling Zhen’s direct superior, his close friends, and the deputy commander who wanted Ling Zhen to become his son-in-law.
Teacher Wu and the troupe leaders were overwhelmed. Every dance squad was supposed to be a complete, unified group. How could someone be missing?
During the time Jiang Lanfang was having her injury treated, they hurriedly brought Shi Man over to prepare. They instructed the announcer to add Shi Man’s name to the program.
Shi Man leaned in and added, “Dongyun too, she’s performing.”
Teacher Wu froze. “Dongyun? She’s been sick, she doesn’t need to force herself.” That was something Jiang Lanfang always emphasized, and over time, everyone accepted it as fact.
Shi Man corrected him with a serious little face. “Teacher Wu, Dongyun is only clumsy at tumbling. Today’s dance doesn’t require tumbling.”
Teacher Wu hesitated, so Shi Man pointed toward Jiang Lanfang. “And besides, Captain Jiang’s knee is already injured. No one can dance her position. The formation is messy anyway. Let Dongyun and me both go. The dance looks better with more people.”
In the end, Teacher Wu nodded. Wang Dongyun’s eyes lit up like little sparks. When she went backstage to change into her performance uniform, she hugged Shi Man excitedly. “I can go on stage! I can finally go on stage!”
Shi Man gently knocked her forehead. “You’re too easy to push around. Jiang Lanfang hasn’t let you perform for so long, and you just accepted it?”
“She was thinking for my sake.” Wang Dongyun still refused to treat Jiang Lanfang as the bad guy and tried to justify her behavior.
Shi Man huffed but didn’t argue. She put on the official brown-green stage uniform for the first time, straightened her cap, adjusted Wang Dongyun’s collar, tightened her own trousers, and only then walked out with her.
Jiang Lanfang was still sitting there, her brows scrunched in pain. She watched Shi Man and Wang Dongyun walking over in neat uniforms with a complicated expression.
Shi Man disliked people whose emotions were openly written on their faces. She didn’t even look at Jiang Lanfang directly, let alone pretend politeness.
Wang Dongyun wanted to greet Jiang Lanfang but was pulled away by Shi Man toward the backstage curtains.
The female soldiers present all felt awkward. Teacher Wu and the troupe leaders too.
Shi Man’s attitude made it seem as though Jiang Lanfang had badly wronged her. It certainly didn’t look like the simple excuse Jiang Lanfang gave, that she only worried Shi Man lacked experience.
Jiang Lanfang suddenly became the target of several suspicious, critical looks, including one from the deputy leader. She almost spat out blood. She felt like the good image she worked so hard to maintain was about to collapse.
Heaven knows, she was only a little jealous that Wang Dongyun’s family kept sending things and that Shi Man got to go on a blind date with Deputy Leader Ling. So she just found an excuse to keep them off stage.
It was just a small performance. Was it really such a big deal?
Why was Shi Man acting all pitiful?
…
Tonight’s updated program removed Jiang Lanfang and added Shi Man and Wang Dongyun.
After the announcer updated the lineup, the performance continued.
With the music rising, the military drums and brass sounded together. The female soldiers were graceful and light, the male soldiers powerful and strong. Together they created a visual feast.
But almost all eyes focused on the outermost dancer in the formation.
“So that’s Shi Man? No wonder Deputy Leader Ling likes her!”
“Right? We didn’t know what she looked like, but the female soldiers said that when the show starts, just look for the prettiest one. That’s Shi Man.”
“My word, why is she so fair-skinned?”
“Not just fair. Look at how slim her waist is, how long her legs are. A beauty like this really matches Deputy Leader Ling perfectly.”
“But she rejected him, remember?”
“Of course I remember. Say, since she turned him down, doesn’t that mean we might have a chance?”
Suddenly, the soldiers who originally came to see what kind of goddess dared to reject Ling Zhen all changed sides. They now harbored dangerous ambitions of their own.
In the first row, Ling Zhen sat upright with perfect posture. His head straight, shoulders level, palms on his slightly spread knees. Even while watching a performance, he maintained the most standard military sitting posture, his back perfectly straight.
By contrast, on his sides were Commander Li, legs crossed however he pleased, and Deputy Commander Qin leaning back with his hands spread. Both were Ling Zhen’s close friends, watching him with amusement.
Li Chengpings quinted. “Azhen, that girl who rejected you… now that she’s finally appeared, she’s truly stunning beyond compare.”
Ling Zhen shot him a look, and Li Chengping instantly shut up.
Qin Junbao added, “Such a delicate girl rejecting a tough, stone-faced man like you isn’t surprising. Don’t be discouraged, you still have us brothers.”
Ling Zhen didn’t respond to their teasing. As the performance neared its end, he brushed smooth the wrinkles Qin had made in his uniform and stood up coldly to head backstage to find Shi Man.
Giving up wasn’t in Ling Zhen’s dictionary. If he wanted to find Shi Man, it was the same as the goals he set for training and missions.
He had to achieve them. No discouragement, no retreat, unwavering persistence.
So he appeared again and again within the sight of Squad One’s performers. No one needed to ask what he wanted. They just pointed him the way.
Shi Man was at the very back.
Ling Zhen walked toward that area. Before he reached it, he heard Shi Man’s cheerful voice through the thin wall.
“You mean Ling Zhen?” She was chatting with someone, using that familiar tone to mention his name.
He could easily imagine her expression.
Ling Zhen paused, wanting to hear more.
But her next sentence was free and unrestrained.
“Ling Zhen? I’m not marrying him.”
Ling Zhen’s jaw tensed instantly. He couldn’t hold back anymore. He walked straight over.
Shi Man never expected Ling Zhen to appear in front of her looking so furious. Before she could react, he grabbed her and pulled her toward the small, empty lakeside nearby.