Chapter 389 A rival sets a trap to humiliate him; he secretly practices Kunqu Opera as a form of retaliation.
On the other side.
Shen Qing sat in the rehearsal room of the cultural troupe, clutching the transfer order in her hand; the paper was crumpled and wrinkled.
"Demoted from chief director to ordinary director," she stared at those words, her voice trembling.
The regimental commander stood at the door, looking somewhat embarrassed: "Xiao Shen, this is what the higher-ups want. Your father's situation is still having some impact..."
"Influence!" Shen Qing suddenly stood up. "What does my father's matter have to do with me?"
The troupe leader sighed: "That's true, but the higher-ups require all levels of cadres in the cultural troupe to undergo political vetting. Given your current situation..."
"Okay, I understand." Shen Qing interrupted him, her voice chillingly cold.
After the troupe leader left, she was left alone in the rehearsal room.
In the mirror on the wall, her face was frighteningly pale, and her eyes were red-rimmed.
“It’s all that woman…” she stared at herself in the mirror and said, word by word, “It’s all Su Wantang.”
She walked to the window and looked at the soldiers training in the courtyard.
She and Jingyan met on a playground like this back then.
He walked past her in his military uniform, sunlight illuminating his profile, and she remembered his face instantly.
Later, she tried every means to transfer to the performing arts troupe, just to be closer to him.
But what about now?
That woman didn't have to do anything to steal Jingyan away.
Shen Qing clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms.
pain.
But this pain is nothing compared to the hatred in my heart.
"Xiao Shen, you're still here?" The deputy head of the troupe pushed open the door and came in. "Perfect timing, the program list for next month's performance is out, take a look."
Shen Qing took the program and her eyes fell on the first program – “Red Rose in the Flames of War”, performed by Shen Qing.
"This program..."
“Oh, this was approved by the previous director,” the deputy director said. “Although you are no longer the general director, you will still perform this solo dance. After all, you choreographed it yourself, and it’s too late to replace you.”
Shen Qing stared at those words, and a thought suddenly popped into her mind.
A thought that would embarrass Su Wantang in public.
"Deputy Commander, will the Lu family be attending this performance?"
"Of course, Commander Lu is our old commander." The deputy regimental commander smiled. "What, you want to show off?"
Shen Qing lowered her head, a strange smile curving her lips.
"Yes, I want to do my best."
For the next few days, Shen Qing locked herself in the rehearsal room.
She revised "Red Rose in the Flames of War" from beginning to end.
The story remains the same—a female military doctor falls in love with a general on the battlefield and ultimately takes a fatal bullet for him.
But the details have changed.
The white coat worn by the female military doctor was exactly the same as the one she wore in the Northwest back then.
The bloodstains on the general's body were in the exact same spot as the place where Jingyan was injured years ago.
Even the final hug was arranged according to how she remembered it.
“Chen Qing, what are you doing…” In the rehearsal room, a female soldier watched her movements, hesitant to speak.
"What's wrong?" Shen Qing stopped, sweat sliding down her cheeks.
“It’s nothing, it’s just that…this dance seems to be telling your own story.”
Shen Qing wiped her sweat and didn't say anything.
Yes, she wants everyone to see it.
Seeing that she and Jingyan were the ones who had truly experienced life and death together.
Seeing that Su Wantang, she was nothing more than a mistress who suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
"Oh, by the way," the female soldier added, "I heard that Brigade Commander Lu's wife will also be attending this performance."
Shen Qing paused for a second.
"Yeah"
"Yes, the commander said he's going to give her a seat in the very center of the first row, right in front of the stage." The female soldier lowered her voice. "I heard it's the higher-ups' idea, to give Mrs. Lu some face."
Shen Qing slowly straightened up, her eyes brightening.
The first row faces the stage directly.
"Yeah, what's wrong?"
Shen Qing turned around and smiled at herself in the mirror.
"It's nothing, I just think... this location is really good."
That night, Shen Qing returned home and locked herself in her room.
She opened the drawer and took out a photograph.
In the photo, she is wearing a military uniform and standing next to Jingyan; both of them are smiling.
That photo was taken three years ago when she went to the Northwest with the cultural troupe to perform for the troops.
"Jingyan, you will regret this." She touched the person in the photo and murmured to herself, "You will see who truly loves you."
A few days later, Li Xiue came and knocked on the door of No. 1 Courtyard.
Su Wantang was sunbathing in the yard when she saw her anxious face and smiled as she asked her to sit down.
"Sister-in-law, what's wrong?"
"Sister, have you heard?" Li Xiu'e lowered her voice, "That crazy woman Shen Qing has arranged a performance for the show, and it's all aimed at you."
Su Wantang poured her a glass of water: "What program?"
"What 'Red Roses in the Flames of War'?!" Li Xiu'e slapped her thigh in anger. "It's about a female military doctor who falls in love with a general and dies saving him. Isn't that a blatant allusion to her relationship with Brigade Commander Lu?"
Su Wantang picked up her teacup and slowly took a sip.
"Anything else?"
"And another thing," Li Xiu'e paused for a moment, "young lady, aren't you angry?"
“What’s the use of getting angry?” Su Wantang put down her cup. “If she wants to act, let her act.”
“But…” Li Xiu’e said anxiously, “I heard that she arranged for you to be seated in the first row, right in the middle, just to embarrass you in front of everyone.”
Su Wantang smiled: "That's good, the first row has a clear view."
Li Xiue looked at her, unsure of what to say.
At this moment, Division Commander Zhang's wife also arrived.
As soon as she entered, she said, "Wantang, you've heard about the performance, haven't you?"
"I've heard about it."
"Then why are you so calm?" Commander Zhang's wife sat down next to her. "Let me tell you, that Shen Qing has gone mad. Her father was dismissed, and she herself was demoted. Now she's just hanging on by a thread."
"So she wants to get back at the performance?" Su Wantang asked.
“That’s right,” sighed Mrs. Zhang, “I advise you not to go, lest you be disgusted by her.”
Su Wantang looked at the crabapple blossoms in the courtyard and said after a while, "She's going to put on a show, how can I not go and support her?"
Li Xiu'e and Commander Zhang's wife exchanged a glance, both seeing worry in each other's eyes.
"Young lady, you..."
"Don't worry, sisters-in-law," Su Wantang stood up and dusted herself off, "Some dramas, you have to watch until the very end to find out who the main character is."
After the two left, Su Wantang returned to the house.
Lu Jingyan came out of the study and saw her rummaging through drawers and cabinets.
What are you looking for?
"Looking for my cheongsam," Su Wantang said without looking up.
Lu Jingyan walked over and took out a box from the very back of the wardrobe.
"This one"
The box contained a begonia-colored cheongsam, which Meng Wan had given her last time.
"Yes, this is it." Su Wantang took the box and held it up against her body.
Lu Jingyan leaned against the cabinet and looked at her: "I've heard about the performance."
"Um."
“I can have that show canceled.”
Su Wantang turned around and looked at him: "Why did you cancel?"
“Chen Qing’s show was clearly aimed at you.” Lu Jingyan’s expression was rather unpleasant.
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