“When you got married, Zhi Xin was still a little girl. Now that she’s grown up, it’s normal for her to have changed.”
Xu Xun gently patted Kang Zhimiao on the shoulder. “Zhi Xin has grown up; you can’t keep treating her like a child anymore.”
“Maybe you’ll be unhappy hearing me say this again, thinking I’m preventing you from guiding her, but you really are too overbearing.”
“You should focus more of your attention on Xiao Rui and me. Zhi Xin’s matters should be handled by herself.”
“Especially regarding her marriage. If she ends up happy, at most she’ll feel grateful towards you. But if she ends up unhappy, then it will truly be your fault.”
If Xu Xun had said this to her before, she really would have been upset.
But after Zhi Xin’s defiance yesterday, and after learning about her other side from Lu Shuangshuang today, Kang Zhimiao realized that Kang Zhi Xin was indeed capable of acting that way.
It also suddenly made her understand Kang Zhi Xin’s problem: no matter what happens, it’s never her fault, it’s always someone else’s.
The simplest example is her blaming Lu Shuangshuang for her own fall, and also those harsh words she said about Ye Zhiqiu.
How could a normal girl utter such unpleasant things so readily?
Initially, she thought Zhi Xin had changed, but thinking back carefully, it seems she has been like this since she was little.
It’s also their fault; they all considered her the youngest and spoiled her too much.
September 28th, Monday, Ye Zhiqiu returned to the Art Troupe.
Two girls had encountered accidents, affecting the National Day arts performance, so Wu Qingyun called Ye Zhiqiu back.
“Troupe Leader, Ye Zhiqiu reporting for duty.” Ye Zhiqiu stood at attention and saluted Wu Qingyun.
Wu Qingyun smiled and waved her over. “Come here.”
“Mm, not bad. You look even more energetic than before.”
Wu Qingyun walked around her desk to carefully observe Ye Zhiqiu, then patted her shoulder. “Just in time, I received a notice. The date for your advanced studies is set for October 12th.”
“You have nearly half a month to prepare. Also, this way you can spend the Mid-Autumn Festival with your family.”
Ye Zhiqiu was very happy. If Yue Mingyuan couldn’t come back for Mid-Autumn, she would take Yaya to see him at the base, even if it was just a distant glance past the sentry post.
Wu Qingyun personally escorted Ye Zhiqiu to the rehearsal hall.
Because they were suddenly missing two people, the morale of the others was affected, and Wu Qingyun was very worried.
This National Day arts performance was very important, receiving special attention from higher-ups; they absolutely could not afford any mistakes.
“Zhiqiu, this time we’re performing the classic piece ‘Shining Gold Mountain’. Do you still remember the moves?”
Wu Qingyun looked at Ye Zhiqiu, then tilted her chin towards the resting girls. “If you remember, show them a segment.”
Previously, those older than Ye Zhiqiu, like Kang Zhimiao and others, had mostly been transferred to other departments after marriage. Those who remained in the troupe no longer focused on performing.
Among those around Ye Zhiqiu’s age, only she could truly carry the leading role; Lu Shuangshuang was just passable.
If Lu Shuangshuang hadn’t been so lacking back then, Kang Zhi Xin wouldn’t have been made the secondary lead.
As for the primary lead position, Wu Qingyun hadn’t found anyone more suitable than Ye Zhiqiu since her pregnancy.
The performances of several secondary leads always fell slightly short.
It wasn’t that those secondary leads were bad, but people inevitably draw comparisons.
Compared to others, those secondary leads were excellent students. But compared to Ye Zhiqiu, they suddenly seemed lacking.
Wu Qingyun and the other troupe leaders were also quite troubled by this, but they understood.
In any art form, talent is paramount.
Some people are simply born with a gift.
Back then, Ye Zhiqiu hadn’t even formally studied dance; she just watched while Shen Liya learned.
She casually danced on the sidelines, and Wu Qingyun spotted her instantly.
Having selected so many children, Wu Qingyun had developed a keen eye. Ye Zhiqiu’s performance back then had truly impressed her.
She could see that her body’s flexibility and her dance rhythm and sense were top-notch.
Of course, the most valuable thing was that she continued to work especially hard even after joining the troupe.
Wu Qingyun also knew that the other girls were unconvinced, thinking she favored Ye Zhiqiu. But faced with such a promising talent, she simply couldn’t bring herself not to favor her.
Apart from Lu Shuangshuang, the other girls were quite resentful.
Some had witnessed Ye Zhiqiu’s talent before, but of course, there were also new girls who only knew that Ye Zhiqiu had a bad reputation, had married a general’s son, and hadn’t danced for over a year.
Just based on her not dancing for over a year, the new girls looked down on Ye Zhiqiu.
Because they all knew that even skipping one day of practice changes your physical condition.
But who would have thought that as soon as Ye Zhiqiu started moving to the music, she stunned them all.
After Ya Ya turned four months old, Ye Zhiqiu began gradually resuming her training.
After a month of stretching exercises, she practiced at home every day.
Although she couldn’t perform the movements during pregnancy, she would mentally go over them daily.
She also watched from the edge of the stage when others performed. If she noticed someone doing a move incorrectly, she would make a mental note to avoid making the same mistake herself.
At the Fuan Hutong courtyard, Yue Mingyuan had even built her a dedicated rehearsal room.
At the family compound, he had a large mirror custom-made and hung in their bedroom.
She could clearly see in it where her movements were imperfect.
After finishing the piece, Ye Zhiqiu’s face wasn’t flushed, nor was she out of breath.
Wu Qingyun led the applause and looked at the girls. “I know you’re not convinced, but in the face of true ability, you have no right to be unconvinced.”
“From now on, Ye Zhiqiu will resume the primary lead position. If any of you want to be the primary lead, you’ll have to dance better than her.”
The others dared not speak. Some gossipy ones secretly glanced towards Lu Shuangshuang.
Because Lu Shuangshuang was the secondary lead, and they knew she and Ye Zhiqiu didn’t get along.
They were all waiting to see Lu Shuangshuang flare up and make things difficult for Ye Zhiqiu. But unexpectedly, Lu Shuangshuang actually seemed happier about it than Ye Zhiqiu herself.
She stepped forward and proactively extended her hand to Ye Zhiqiu. “Zhiqiu, welcome back.”
Ye Zhiqiu took Lu Shuangshuang’s hand. “Let’s work hard together from now on.”
“Save the catching up for later. Start rehearsing now.”
Wu Qingyun announced loudly, “Do I need to reiterate the importance of this performance? Everyone, perk up!”
With Ye Zhiqiu and Lu Shuangshuang leading the way, the others gradually got into the zone.
The performance on the evening of October 1st was a great success. The troupe leaders highly commended Ye Zhiqiu and the others, and even recorded a merit for the entire team.
When Kang Zhi Xin learned the news that Ye Zhiqiu had returned to the troupe and directly resumed her position as primary lead, she was so furious she swept everything off her table onto the floor.
“What gives her the right? Who does she think she is?”
Kang Zhimiao had brought Xu Rui to visit Kang Zhengqing. Kang Zhengqing mentioned that Kang Zhi Xin was in a bad mood and asked Kang Zhimiao to check on her.
Just as she pushed the door open to enter, a water cup shattered at her feet.
