When She Stops Being Dramatic

Chapter 185: Chapter 82: Top Star of the 60s Cultural Troupe (21)

On the way, He Qingran linked arms with Xia Zhaoyun, chattering in her ear about what had happened backstage.

"Yunyun, you were right to warn me. It’s only the semi-finals, but the infighting is already so fierce! People are scheming against each other just like in novels and movies. I can’t believe it’s happening right around me!"

"There are two incidents I know of. One involves the woman from our Kyoto Flour Factory, the one known as the ’Little Oriole.’ She takes meticulous care of her voice. Recently, she got an herbal tonic from an old traditional Chinese medicine doctor that she’s been drinking like water."

"But then, when she wasn’t looking, someone poured chili water into her drink. She took one sip, and even though she spat it out right away, she started choking, coughing, and sneezing. Can you imagine how much that must have burned? The poor girl’s voice went hoarse on the spot, so she had to drop out of the competition..."

"And another one, a reporter from the newspaper office, slipped on a patch of oil and fell. And Yunyun, what a coincidence—she landed right on her teeth! Her face was covered in blood. It wasn’t a serious injury, but she knocked out a front tooth, so now she has a lisp. That affects the judges’ scores too..."

"It was a good thing you had the foresight to prepare two cassette tapes. A whole box of tapes was burned this morning, and a lot of people were panicking..."

Xia Zhaoyun nodded from time to time.

He Qingran’s work environment was relatively simple. There were only three to five announcers at the factory, the workload was moderate, and everyone got along well.

But in the cultural troupe, scheming and backstabbing were common. Xia Zhaoyun had been using her hand injury as an excuse to willfully take time off, planning to return to work only after the Golden Microphone finals, and she wondered how much "drama" would be waiting for her when she took the stage again.

The thought gave her a headache. ’Can’t everyone just strive for their dreams, pure and simple? Resorting to such underhanded tricks is getting one’s priorities backward. It’s the folly of a frog in a well; there’s always someone better out there. Even if they eliminate the person right in front of them, countless other obstacles will just be waiting for them. Once you cross your own moral line, there’s no going back!’

By the time they arrived at the state-owned restaurant, every table inside was packed. Only a large table by the window was empty, which Liu Mingkun had already claimed by ordering six bottles of soda.

Instead of ordering properly, he just shouted, "Uncle Yuan, while you’re cooking for the other tables, just throw something together for us, too! Four adults and two kids. You decide what’s good, but go easy on the salt and spice!"

As a result, even though they arrived just ten minutes or so after him, most of the food was already on the table.

Sugar-tossed tomatoes, scrambled eggs with luffa, stir-fried shredded pork with cucumber, winter melon and pork rib stew, chicken with instant noodles, a pot of seaweed and meatball soup, and a large bowl of rice.

"Brother Kun, that was impressively fast!" For He Qingran, though they hadn’t known each other long, their friendship was already the kind one would risk their life for, so she felt comfortable speaking freely.

Liu Mingkun raised an eyebrow and said with a low, smiling voice, "You bet. We’re used to scrambling for our meals. Got to be fast, right? Can’t get in the way of important work!"

Although the children were only three, they were already quite good at sitting at the table and eating by themselves.

Ruyuan had an excellent impression of Huo Tianhao, so she sat right between her mother and her new idol.

Xia Zhaoyun placed some food into each of the two children’s bowls, then let them dig in with their own chopsticks, heads bowed over their food.

Huo Tianhao followed her lead. With his eyes lowered, he occasionally added more of the dishes the children liked to their bowls. He was so patient and attentive that he looked just like their father, which made He Qingran and Liu Mingkun keep glancing over.

Xia Zhaoyun, however, was lost in thought and didn’t notice.

After Huo Tianhao left to arrange for a piano and a speaker, He Qingran couldn’t hold back any longer. While Liu Mingkun was busy playing with the kids, she couldn’t help but ask, "Yunyun, how do you know those two? And besides, I think there’s something going on between you and that Brother Hao!"

"What’s going on?" Xia Zhaoyun paused, taken aback, then smiled. "Brother Hao is just the man from the concert who mistook me for his blind date."

"He’s not looking for a relationship, and I’ve already adopted a child. It’s only natural that I’ve decided to dedicate my life to my dance career!"

He Qingran felt it was a real pity. ’They’re such a good-looking and talented pair, both single, both with good, respectable jobs... they’re a perfect match in every way. Besides, I can tell they don’t dislike each other, so why won’t it work?’

Xia Zhaoyun knew her friend couldn’t understand her choice.

’People’s thinking is still weighed down by so many old-fashioned burdens. Anyone who chooses not to marry, or to be childfree, is considered to have something wrong with them.

I’ve suffered too much because of men. I’m not about to casually walk the common path of blind dates, romance, marriage, and kids ever again.’