Chapter 38

Chapter 38

Hu Na tapped her little leather shoes and pulled her scarf tighter around her neck. For this Lantern Festival, the cultural troupe was scheduled to perform at various locations. She hadn't wanted to come, but her mother had forcibly added her name to the roster, claiming it was a golden chance to get in good with the bigwigs.

The last time she returned from the Field Army base, she got chewed out by the higher-ups and even received a public criticism within the cultural troupe, which made her lose a ton of face. If her parents hadn't intervened, she might have lost her position in the troupe entirely. Only then did Hu Na learn to be afraid and dared not defy her parents' orders, obediently coming to the Field Army Corps for the Lantern Festival performance.

She came with He Qin and a few other girls from the troupe, girls she barely knew. They were all feeling a bit at a loss right now. In the past, when they went to other bases, people were very welcoming, with someone greeting them at the gate. But now, in the freezing cold, they couldn't even see a single person, and the women were starting to look pretty annoyed.

Director Wang from logistics came trotting over. Seeing the female comrades from the cultural troupe, his smile was warm and his voice hearty: "Hello, ladies, I'm Wang Xusheng from logistics. Sorry to keep you waiting. The military district has been quite busy lately. Let's go, follow me."

Although Wang Xusheng was enthusiastic, he didn't say much. He led the way, with the women following behind. Apart from Hu Na and He Qin, the others were newcomers, curiously observing every inch of the base. They soon forgot their earlier irritation.

Soldiers were coming and going along the road, all carrying guns with serious expressions, walking briskly and looking busy. And indeed, they were. There was the Cherry Blossom Country base to deal with, and the Cherry Blossom Country prisoners needed to be tried. Almost everyone at the Field Army base, from the Division Commander down to the ordinary soldiers, was busy. This busyness left a different impression on the cultural troupe members.

No matter where they went before, they were always treated like VIPs. In a unit with far more men than women, these troupe girls were especially popular—until they came to the Field Army base and experienced something different.

Ever since entering the base, Hu Na had felt nothing but resistance. She detested everyone here, disliked every blade of grass and every tree, and most of all, she couldn't stand that little brat. Maliciously, she wondered if that rude little wild girl had been kicked out of the base. If she had been, that would be just perfect.

Not only had Feng Xia not been kicked out, she was being well-fed and well-cared for, with snacks and meat constantly provided. First came the soup brought by Granny Wu, then the fish personally requested by Lin Feihu from the master chef. She ate like a queen and healed like a champ.

"Brother Feihu, it's Lantern Festival today. Can I go out and watch the performance? You're so kind-hearted—surely you won't leave me alone here, right?" Her eyes sparkled like stars as she looked at Lin Feihu expectantly.

Lin Feihu remained unmoved. He opened another can of fruit and handed it to Feng Xia, speaking casually: "Your injuries haven't healed yet, so there's no way you're going to the performance. I'm not going either; I'll stay here with you."

Feng Xia's spirits instantly deflated. Even the canned fruit in her mouth didn't taste as sweet. She had been lying in bed for five days already! In her past life, when zombies ripped open her belly and her intestines spilled out, she hadn't lain down this long! Over these days, Feng Xia had been eating and drinking well, and her power was extremely abundant. When the power was plentiful, it constantly repaired her wounds. By now, a thick, black scab had formed on her back. If the doctors were bold enough to peel it off, they would discover that the flesh beneath had long healed, leaving only a thin layer of skin so tender that the blood vessels underneath were clearly visible. This recovery speed could only be described as monstrous.

Feng Xia decided not to beg Lin Feihu anymore. This guy was a real mother hen—he refused to do anything that might hinder her recovery! The girl stared blankly at the ceiling, mechanically eating the canned fruit. The little black snake slyly poked out its tongue and sipped the syrup through the glass wall of the can. Lin Feihu glanced at it, unbothered. In fact, this little snake had rendered great service in the recent operation.

Lin Feihu simply opened another can for it and placed it on the table beside him, letting it drink slowly. The kindly Deputy Captain Lin received an affectionate nuzzle from the little snake.

"Creak—" The hospital door was pushed open. Old gentlemen Wan Fulin and Wu Xingzhou walked in cheerfully, carrying a bag of peanuts and candy. Seeing Feng Xia recovering so well, they felt completely relieved. Since it was Lantern Festival, the two old gentlemen were in a good mood and had come to visit Feng Xia.

"Teacher, can I go watch the performance?" Feng Xia's voice was sweet, and her eyes were all misty. The two old men almost caved and said yes.

Lin Feihu: "Ahem, ahem."

Wan Fulin adjusted his glasses: "Your injuries aren't fully healed yet. It's better to rest. The performance isn't that great anyway—they put on the same shows every year. You can watch it again next year."

Wu Xingzhou chimed in: "That's right, I remember you don't like watching these things."

Feng Xia looked up, her expression somewhat distressed. She didn't really like watching such performances, but after lying down for so long, being able to get some fresh air was something she wouldn't be picky about any longer.

"Teacher, if I can't see this performance, some of my—for instance, my excellent qualities, my intelligent mind, even my soul—will be destroyed. Would you be willing to let that happen, teachers?"

The two old men looked at their grumpy disciple, exchanged a glance, gritted their teeth, and said: "We'll go ask the doctor. Whatever the doctor says goes. We're not in charge here."

The two fled in disorder. Lin Feihu sighed inwardly. These two old gentlemen were far too indulgent with the girl. No, from now on, he would have to keep a careful eye on her and not let her do whatever she pleased.

At six o'clock in the evening, the stage for the Lantern Festival performance was already set up, all in red, looking very festive. The troupe girls had changed into their costumes and put on army greatcoats over them. Though it was a bit cold, just thinking about the audience eagerly waiting for the show made their hearts warm.

The seating below was also arranged. Division Commander He and the regimental commanders and Political Commissars sat in the front, while military dependents were arranged in the southeast corner. After the leaders took their seats, Division Commander He suddenly waved to the side. Lin Feihu quickly pushed Feng Xia over. Feng Xia came with her own wheelchair, so no extra seat was needed.

Division Commander He smiled kindly, picked up some candy from the table, and handed it to Feng Xia, speaking in a particularly gentle tone: "Young lady Feng Xia, you're not fully healed yet, and you've come to watch the show?"

Feng Xia beamed happily, her dimples looking adorable. She wore a fluffy hat and was wrapped in an army greatcoat, looking very warm.

"Yes, Leader, I've been lying down for days until my back ached. I begged my teachers to let me come out and watch the performance." Feng Xia showed no stage fright, peeled a candy, and stuffed it into her mouth, puffing out her cheeks like a little hamster.

Division Commander He laughed along: "Nonsense, kids don't get backaches—that's an old saying. You need to recover well. We can't lose our little hero!"

The old man and the child chatted happily. The other officers shot Qian Jun a look, but Qian Jun looked downcast, drinking hot water, unwilling to engage with them.

On stage, the female cultural troupe members in green army uniforms began their performance. They were all gorgeous, well-built girls with sweet voices. Everyone watched and applauded. Hu Na stood in the left-back corner, a smile unconsciously forming on her lips as she heard the applause. Her gaze swept across the audience and suddenly landed on the heavily wrapped figure sitting beside the top leader. When their eyes met, Hu Na instantly knew it was that nasty girl.

So, nothing like a rival to know you best.

Seeing the top leader treat that girl so amiably, Hu Na forgot her performance entirely. Her face turned pale, and she spaced out. After the performance, backstage, when someone asked Hu Na why she had missed the beat, she didn't answer. Her folks were pretty well-connected in the government, but compared to the top leader, they were like dirt. If that girl said something... Hu Na dared not think further, and her hands and feet turned cold.

They still had the grand finale to perform. Hu Na did her part carefully, finishing her act, only to find that the girl hadn't even glanced at her. Somehow, she felt a sense of emptiness.

After this experience, the stuck-up city girl finally got humbled, never to be as flamboyant as before.

Feng Xia had spotted her too, but nobody cares about a little bug forever. Did Feng Xia care?

She just ignored her, okay?!