The Night is Called Gentle - Chapter 29

Yan Huaiqing didn’t stay overnight but brought Lin Zhixia back to her home.

She seemed drunk, yet not entirely her steps were slightly unsteady, but her mind remained clear.

Just a second before Lin Zhixia could ask if she wanted to stay, Yan Huaiqing spoke first: “Xiaxia, you didn’t drink could you see me home?”

Lin Zhixia felt as though she were already intoxicated just from breathing in the soft, warm scent of wine. She hesitated, not answering immediately.

“Well then, Xiaxia, could you help me call a car?” Yan Huaiqing gave her another option.

Lin Zhixia’s home wasn’t set up for hosting guests. Her territorial instincts were too strong every corner of her space belonged solely to her. She wasn’t aware of it herself, but Yan Huaiqing knew.

That’s why she insisted on going home.

Rather than calling a car, Lin Zhixia preferred to be her chauffeur. She couldn’t rest easy letting Yan Huaiqing go home alone.

Fortunately, the roads were clear at night, and the drive was smooth.

“Xiaxia, help me upstairs,” Yan Huaiqing said as soon as the car stopped.

“Alright, wait a moment.” Lin Zhixia hurried to the passenger side, opened the door, and helped her out.

Xiaxia opened the door, Xiaxia poured water, Xiaxia helped her take off her coat, Xiaxia fetched her pajamas.

The red wine’s delayed effect kicked in, and she grew even more intoxicated. Yan Huaiqing praised her: “Xiaxia is so good.”

Amidst the repeated calls of “Xiaxia,” Lin Zhixia bustled about until late, and naturally ended up staying over again.

By the time Yan Huaiqing had washed up and lain down, it was still Xiaxia who tucked her in and turned off the lights.

Yan Huaiqing had that kind of ability no one ever knew exactly when they had fallen into her trap.

Lin Zhixia only realized it, perhaps, the next morning.

Pushing open the guest room door, she found Yan Huaiqing had already ordered breakfast and was waiting for her, with a few outfits suitable for her laid out on the sofa.

They ate breakfast together, went to work together everything felt so natural that Lin Zhixia mistakenly thought she was part of the household.

She wore Yan Huaiqing’s clothes to the theater again, but this time, no one seemed to notice, not even Xiao Hua.

Lin Zhixia felt as if she were secretly doing something mischievous behind others’ backs, lost in her own little world.

“Ah Lin, aren’t you curious?” Xiao Hua asked when the boss wasn’t around.

“About what?” Lin Zhixia thought she had been found out.

“About yesterday you ran into that person, right?” Xiao Hua’s expression was quite telling; it seemed she had prepared an explanation to defend their boss.

“I did.” Lin Zhixia only answered without asking, showing no trace of curiosity.

Xiao Hua swallowed the words on the tip of her tongue, feeling frustrated. She stared at Lin Zhixia in disbelief. “Aren’t you curious why she scolded the boss?”

Of course she was curious, but her curiosity had already been satisfied by someone else she didn’t need Xiao Hua for that.

“Not really. Sister Xiaohua, we have a meeting at the institute later. Teacher Yan said I should attend too. What are your meetings like? Do I need to speak?”

Lin Zhixia placed a notebook in front of her, a pen resting on top, looking utterly serious.

Xiao Hua was stumped, nearly losing all ability to express herself. Her tone grew heavier. “You’re different from us. It depends on how the boss arranges it.”

“Alright.” Lin Zhixia lowered her head and flipped through the blank notebook.

Without even a chance to exchange glances, Xiao Hua forcibly swallowed all the gossip she had been bursting to share and trudged back to her own workstation, disgruntled.

Lin Zhixia attended her first regular meeting seated at the far end, diagonally opposite Yan Huaiqing, with a considerable distance between them.

Her notebook lay open on the table, hands folded over it while holding a pen. She didn’t glance around or strike up conversations with anyone. While not entirely unruffled, she appeared remarkably composed.

All the department leaders were present, taking turns speaking and assigning tasks related to the implementation of the Several Layers of Mountains project. The discussions covered everything from casting and actors to props and promotion all high-level guidance without concrete details, and the talks seemed endless.

Lin Zhixia sat quietly, showing neither curiosity, nervousness, nor boredom. She didn’t even fidget with the pen in her hand.

Observing her from afar, Yan Huaiqing couldn’t discern her attitude or even whether she was paying attention she hadn’t taken a single note.

When it was Yan Huaiqing’s turn to speak, she deliberately glanced at Lin a few times, faintly noticing her lips twitch and her fingers curl slightly, but nothing more.

Impressed by her composure, Yan Huaiqing viewed her in a new light.

After the meeting adjourned, everyone gradually dispersed. Su Wangyue shot a few glances, exchanged a few words, and hurried off first.

Yan Huaiqing remained seated, waiting for Lin Zhixia. She watched as Lin unhurriedly tidied her notebook, slipped the pen into its side pocket, and then stood up to approach her.

Still, Lin said nothing.

“Let’s go,” Yan Huaiqing rose.

“Okay,” Lin Zhixia followed behind her.

“Aren’t you going to ask where we’re going?” Yan Huaiqing turned to face her.

“I’m fine with anywhere,” Lin Zhixia met her gaze, her eyes revealing nothing.

“After such a long meeting, don’t you have anything to say?” Yan Huaiqing slowed her pace slightly.

“Isn’t the point of a meeting to listen to the leaders?” Lin Zhixia lowered her head, switching her notebook to the other hand.

“So, any thoughts?” Yan Huaiqing glanced at her again.

Lin Zhixia suddenly pursed her lips into a smile, as if a hibernating insect had finally awakened, becoming lively. “Teacher Yan, your speaking voice is very pleasant different from usual, and different from the others too.”

Yan Huaiqing smiled along with her. “How is it different?”

“Hard to describe, but it’s just different.” Quite captivating, Lin Zhixia squinted at her with a grin.

“He Zhe, one of Teacher Su’s students, is having voice issues. Let’s go check on her first.” Yan Huaiqing led the way toward the department’s small rehearsal hall.

“He? Zhe? Is she that cool, composed girl who’s also participating in the competition?” Lin Zhixia asked, recalling.

“Yes, do you know her?”

Lin Zhixia rolled her notebook into a cylinder, chuckling foolishly. “It just occurred to me that day in the rehearsal hall, Teacher Su kept calling a girl sometimes ‘Chi Chi,’ sometimes ‘Ji Ji,’ very affectionately.”

“Mm, that’s her. Teacher Su’s prized student.” Yan Huaiqing naturally reached out, took the notebook from her, and placed it in her own bag.

“Thank you, Teacher Yan. But,” Lin Zhixia adopted a slightly indignant tone, “I heard from Sister Xiaohua that He Zhe used to be your student until she was poached.”

“Teacher Su admired her delicate looks and unique personality. During her voice change period, she secretly lured her away to train as a young male role.” Yan Huaiqing’s smile was sincere, seemingly unbothered.

“Teacher Yan, are you so accepting because you also poached four of Teacher Su’s students?” Lin Zhixia raised an eyebrow in retort.

“You even know about that? Xiaohua must have told you quite a few bad things about me.”

“They’re all good words,” Lin Zhixia’s small voice was full of praise. “Well snatched.”

“Actually, it can’t really be called snatching. When girls are around thirteen or fourteen, their bodies develop, and so do their vocal cords. Once all conditions stabilize, it’s good to choose a path that suits them better.”

Lin Zhixia’s tone suddenly turned gossipy as she lowered her voice and asked, “I heard from Sister Xiaohua that Sister Hezhe is quite extraordinary. After Teacher Su took her in, she never accepted any other students. Is that true?”

“True or not, you can see for yourself.”

Yan Huaiqing lowered his gaze with a smile, then suddenly looked up at her with interest. “Lin Xiaoman, do you really like calling everyone ‘sister’?”

“Huh? Do I? Not really, I don’t,” Lin Zhixia replied, startled.

Yan Huaiqing chuckled and led her forward.

What did she mean by that? Should I call her that or not? Lin Zhixia was puzzled.

Some say that most people choose to have a second child because the first one was well-behaved and easy to raise.

Others say that parenting books are written based on well-behaved children. When faced with a difficult one, even experts are at a loss.

These words fit Su Wangyue and Hezhe perfectly.

Hezhe was that difficult first child. Su’s mother bustled around her, almost giving her life for her, yet still couldn’t raise her well. She had no energy left for anyone else.

“Say ‘ah’.”

“Ah”

“Say ‘oh’.”

“Oh”

When Lin Zhixia followed Yan Huaiqing into the rehearsal room, she was so startled she almost didn’t dare step inside.

Hezhe was sitting on the floor, leaning back, while Su Wangyue knelt beside her, pressing her ear against Hezhe’s chest to listen to her vocal cords.

“Why so muffled all of a sudden? You were fine yesterday,” Su Wangyue asked, still pressed against her chest.

“How should I know? I woke up like this,” Hezhe tilted her head, her eyelashes lowered, her tone defiant.

Yan Huaiqing seemed accustomed to this and didn’t pause as he approached. “Is it serious?”

“Listen, it sounds like she might need an injection,” Su Wangyue raised her hand to signal.

Lin Zhixia, following behind, felt inexplicably nervous and wanted to stop Yan Huaiqing. But then she saw a faint, bitter smile flicker across Hezhe’s lips, as if she had even rolled her eyes at Su Wangyue, before turning away to look for her thermos to drink some water.

Only then did Lin Zhixia relax.

“Did you eat anything irritating?” Yan Huaiqing asked softly.

“Just the cafeteria food,” Hezhe replied, her gaze downcast, her tone distant as if she didn’t know anyone well.

“Can’t you speak properly? Everyone’s just concerned about you,” Su Wangyue said, so frustrated she wanted to hit her.

“Oh. Didn’t eat anything. Used agarwood drops before bed,” came the same tone.

“Does your throat hurt?” Yan Huaiqing asked again.

“She says it hurts when she swallows. I just checked, her throat and tonsils are a bit red, and her vocal cords and chest feel muffled and unclear, like she’s overused her voice,” Su Wangyue, being impatient, answered for her.

“Did you practice a lot yesterday?” Yan Huaiqing asked again.

“I didn’t even let her practice. With the competition coming up, I specifically told her to rest her voice. If I’d known.” Su Wangyue muttered on and on.

Lin Zhixia stood to the side, observing both Su Wangyue and Hezhe.

They were a strange pair, especially Hezhe, who sat to the side like an outsider.

She had a naturally stunning, stubborn face, with strikingly dark eyes mischievous, wild, and untamable. It seemed as though she would never accept her fate, nor would she ever yield to anyone.

Yet, she didn’t seem to mind Su Wangyue’s nagging and discipline at all. Her lowered eyes flickered occasionally, always when Su Wangyue was speaking.

Moreover, she appeared neither anxious about her own voice nor concerned about the competition.

Judging by her posture, she sat with her back turned to everyone, as if guarding against their concern. Yet, she left one shoulder open only to Su Wangyue, just enough to accommodate all her chatter and clamor.

Though barely noticeable, the corners of her lips would occasionally lift slightly, as if in response a response to Su Wangyue’s every moment of panic and self-blame.

It seemed she was an interesting person.

But even interesting people couldn’t escape getting a shot.

After discussing it repeatedly with Yan Huaiqing, Su’s mother finally decided to take the child to the hospital for an injection.

Meanwhile, Yan Huaiqing glanced back at Lin Zhixia, who stood to the side, quietly observing with pursed lips, and couldn’t help but wonder: What was the point of bringing this child along?