The Night is Called Gentle - Chapter 31

Lin Zhixia was ill for a whole day, while online chaos erupted.

After Yan Huaiqing sent her home, he promised to visit once he finished work and make her sweet soup, but he broke his word.

The reason: an unexpected incident occurred during He Zhe’s performance, and her fans collectively demanded an explanation.

On the morning of the competition, He Zhe’s diagnosis was rather ambiguous.

After reviewing her scans and test results, the specialists exchanged uncertain glances, hesitant to speak outright. They repeatedly asked about her daily diet, hydration, whereabouts, training intensity, sleep habits, and whether she had been exposed to corrosive substances.

He Zhe, too weary to even move her eyes, replied that she ate at the canteen, drank plain water, maintained a regular training and rest schedule, and hadn’t gone anywhere unusual.

Su Wangyue grew anxious and bluntly asked the doctors if He Zhe had been poisoned.

The doctors, responsible only for diagnosis and treatment rather than investigation, concluded that her vocal cords had been damaged by prolonged exposure to irritants, not merely due to common throat inflammation.

As to how or where she had been exposed, they couldn’t determine.

However, Chief Chen noted that the exposure level was minimal so slight that an average person might not exhibit symptoms. Only under conditions of extreme vocal fatigue from intensive use, combined with repeated exposure, could such cumulative damage occur.

The implication was clear: if intentional, the dosage was too small to be conclusive; if accidental, the pattern of long-term, repeated exposure seemed unlikely.

Fortunately, based on experience, Chief Chen believed her condition could gradually improve with treatment.

The immediate priority was to identify the source of exposure and eliminate it.

Su Wangyue’s mind raced with fragmented thoughts, too tangled to sort out quickly. She could only patiently follow the doctors’ advice.

Yet, He Zhe became unexpectedly insistent on participating in the evening competition.

Su Wangyue tried to dissuade her but failed.

Yan Huaiqing also outlined the risks, but his reasoning only made her more stubborn.

Under the circumstances, the doctors could only advise against it, not forbid it outright.

After all, the damage didn’t occur overnight, nor could it be healed quickly. As long as she avoided straining her voice or prolonged use, further harm might be prevented.

Still, no medical intervention could restore her voice to its original state in the short term.

He Zhe grew even more determined, insisting on performing regardless of the outcome.

With medicated drops, soothing injections, hormone nebulization, and half a day of vocal rest, her voice showed noticeable improvement an hour before the performance.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

But then, disaster struck on stage.

Mid-performance, He Zhe suddenly lost her voice. After heaving violently, she coughed twice, flecks of blood appearing at her lips.

The competition was urgently halted, and she was rushed to the hospital.

Simultaneously, high-definition photos of her coughing up blood, taken by fans, spread like wildfire online. Four related topics trended:

#HeZheCoughsBlood
#YanHuaiqingNegligence
#JiangProvinceYueTheaterMistreatsActors
#JiangProvinceYueTheaterExplain

He Zhe’s Weibo account had over six million followers several times more than Yan Huaiqing’s.

She was not only a Yue opera performer but also a highly renowned cosplayer and voice actress. Her influence in the anime and gaming communities far surpassed her presence on the Yue opera stage.

She was the first to break through the barriers of traditional opera. While she had no opera fans, her fanbase was larger than the combined followings of all the performers in the entire theater.

During He Zhe’s emergency treatment, public sentiment continued to escalate.

Her fans knew that her vocal cords had been repeatedly troubled before, and since this incident wasn’t the organizer’s fault, they directly pointed their fingers at the theater management and Yan Huaiqing.

At the entrance of the emergency room, Su Wangyue leaned against the wall. When Yan Huaiqing rushed over after finishing her judging duties, Su was staring at the floor, her head lowered, still visibly shaken.

“How is she?” Yan Huaiqing asked as she approached.

Su Wangyue shook her head.

“Did the doctor say anything?” Yan Huaiqing frowned, her tone urgent. “What caused it?”

“Vocal strain, plus an irritant-induced cough. They’re giving her emergency treatment inside.” Su Wangyue’s face was scrunched up like a bun’s wrinkled folds.

“Irritant was it deliberate?”

“How would I know?” Su Wangyue had replayed the scene in her mind countless times but still couldn’t make sense of it.

She waved her hands abruptly, suppressing her agitation, and muttered in a deeply puzzled tone, “Hey, think about it the cup was hers, I poured the water myself. From the hospital to the venue, I never left her side, close enough to notice every breath she took. So how could she have been exposed to an irritant?”

“Should we call the police?” Yan Huaiqing interrupted.

“She absolutely refuses, says it’s embarrassing and that she’d rather die than involve the police.”

Yan Huaiqing had never been so exasperated in her life.

Su Wangyue’s expression shifted rapidly, as if changing hundreds of times in a minute. Lowering her voice, she retorted, “Don’t you think it’s strange? She only coughed a few times on stage, and on the way to the hospital, she seemed perfectly fine talking and laughing. How could it have happened to strike right during those few minutes on stage?”

She was laughing? Yan Huaiqing frowned skeptically, not buying it.

“Hey, with that half-dead look on her face, she told me right before going in that she thought she knew what had happened.”

“What happened?” Yan Huaiqing prompted, urging her to get to the point.

“She didn’t say.”

Su Wangyue lifted her hands to rub her face and let out a bitter laugh. “What could she possibly know? These kids nowadays are going to be the death of me. What sin did I commit in a past life? I don’t want this student anymore you take her.”

“Fine, then you leave.” Yan Huaiqing offered no comfort and didn’t indulge her.

Su Wangyue froze, then shot her a glare through her fingers. “Are you even human?”

“Complaining won’t help. Let’s wait until she comes out, ask the doctor about the extent of the damage, and hear what she has to say. If it really was deliberate, we’ll have to report it. We can’t keep indulging her.”

With a soft sigh, Yan Huaiqing replied to a message while instructing, “Go sit down for a while. I’ll keep watch.”

She had arrived in a hurry, still wearing the elegant and dignified outfit from the judges’ panel. Under the corridor lights, her hair seemed to glow, as if she were a guardian deity shielding this fractured troupe.

Su Wangyue sat in a chair, looking up at her. Calmer now, she showed a rare moment of vulnerability, turning her face away and murmuring, “You really are more suited to be the troupe leader.”

“Finally realizing it?” Yan Huaiqing glanced at her, walked over, and sat in a chair one seat away. “Weren’t you determined to compete with me before? You didn’t speak to me for half a year, didn’t even hold hands during the curtain call.”

“When I was young and naive, I thought I could carry the heavens, the earth, and even hold up the grand banner. But now, sigh, my neck hurts from time to time, and I can’t carry anything anymore.” Su Wangyue suddenly turned around and asked, “Hey, do you think I’m getting old?”

“Well, raising kids will age anyone,” Yan Huaiqing replied, following her lead.

“You’ve raised four more than I have, so why aren’t you old?” Su Wangyue retorted, unconvinced.

Yan Huaiqing’s phone was on silent and vibration-free, but the screen kept flashing incessantly. She lowered her head to reply, her tone indifferent. “I’m younger, and the kids are all sensible too.”

“Where’s your shame? You’re only a year younger than me.”

“A year younger is still younger,” Yan Huaiqing didn’t look up or even pause to think.

She had this ability no matter how big the issue, once she mentioned it, the panic just faded away.

Su Wangyue’s emotions had calmed down considerably, and she joked, “Don’t you think our conversation sounds like we’re at a senior citizens’ matchmaking corner?”

Yan Huaiqing finished replying to her messages, turned off her phone, and looked at her. “Your child is still lying in the hospital bed, and you have the leisure to think about matchmaking?”

“Well, the mood just led us there,” Su Wangyue grumbled as she stood up and paced outside the emergency room to listen for any updates.

After about half an hour, the diagnosis finally came out.

The doctor explained that the coughing up of blood was due to a minor tear in the laryngeal mucosa caused by severe irritation from coughing. It wasn’t a vocal cord injury, so the issue wasn’t serious, but it needed to be taken seriously. Her vocal cords were very fragile and couldn’t withstand any further irritation.

After being pressed repeatedly by Su Wangyue, He Zhe hesitantly shared her own speculation about the cause.

She suspected that the cosplay makeup, costumes, and props filling their home might have exceeded formaldehyde standards. She often took photos after rehearsals, wearing thick lip makeup that she inevitably ingested over time, which could have gradually affected her throat.

As for the incident during the competition, she said that before going on stage, to ease her nerves, she had been rubbing her face with her lucky doll. Right before stepping on stage, she felt like there was fuzz in her nose, and she might have inhaled it when she took a breath.

Sometimes, when you’re utterly speechless, you just have to laugh.

After thinking it over and taking so many precautions, they had somehow overlooked this detail.

Su Wangyue sat by the bedside and laughed a few times before suddenly erupting, “You little brat, just wait till I beat you to death.”

He Zhe didn’t dodge, just hunched her shoulders and sat waiting for the blow. Yan Huaiqing didn’t intervene either, pulling her stool aside to make room.

Su Wangyue stood up and paced around the hospital bed several times, cursing as she walked.

“If you want to mess up your life, do it on your own. Don’t drag everyone else down with you.”

“Do you even know that your fans are already online, pointing fingers and cursing at the dean and the institute head?”

“Do those leaders not have any dignity?” Su Wangyue patted her own face for emphasis.

He Zhe looked disdainful, while Yan Huaiqing turned her back.

Su Wangyue lowered her voice and continued, “No matter what, those leaders are in their fifties or sixties. They’re respected figures in the industry. How does it look for them to be tagged by a bunch of kids and dragged into various departments to be insulted?”

“How can they dare to offer you any work opportunities in the future?”And her,” Su Wangyue’s voice suddenly rose again as she pointed at Yan Huaiqing, who was still looking down replying to messages. “The hashtag about her negligence is almost in the top ten trending searches. I bet her private messages are flooded with attacks from your fans.”

“She rushed to the hospital first thing in the morning to see you, pulled strings to get you an appointment with a specialist, and has been running around helping you coordinate with the competition organizers about timing.”

“What is she even in it for?”

“You just want to get roasted by your fans and trend online?”

“I told you not to compete, but you insisted. And now you pull this stunt?”

“You’re doing great your tragic, blood-coughing photo is blowing up online. Even the champion isn’t getting as much attention as you.”

“Are you trying to hype yourself up? I’d like to know.”

“What exactly is going through your mind?”

“Huh?”

“Say something!”

“The doctor said I shouldn’t talk.” He Zhe responded with her head lowered.

Su Wangyue was so furious she felt like smashing her with the IV drip bottle.

“Finished yelling? Now figure out how to fix this.” Yan Huaiqing still didn’t look up.

“What are you standing there for? Get your phone and post on Weibo explain yourself.” Su Wangyue barked at the hospital bed.

He Zhe picked up her phone and started typing.

My fault. Don’t blame others.

Luckily, Su Wangyue glanced over before she hit send and slapped the phone out of her hand.

If that post went live, her fans would go wild with sympathy.

“Are you some kind of scheming green tea bitch? What the hell is going on in your head? Huh?” Su Wangyue grabbed He Zhe’s chin with both hands, shaking her stubborn face violently, feeling homicidal.

He Zhe didn’t even dare pick up her phone, just lowered her lashes, face flushed.

“I’ve drafted the content for the Weibo post. She just needs to rephrase it.” Yan Huaiqing stood up. “I’ve contacted a testing company. We’ll check her place tomorrow. If it really is a formaldehyde issue.”

She left the rest unsaid.

After all, it was the kid’s passion there was no stopping her. All those clothes, props, and wigs weren’t cheap either; they couldn’t just throw them away.

“Move out.”

Su Wangyue growled the two words from the depths of her throat.

“Move where?” Yan Huaiqing asked.

He Zhe also peeked up with her eyes, silently questioning.

“My place.” Su Wangyue shot He Zhe a glare. “Until your throat heals, don’t even think about touching any of that stuff.”

He Zhe only resisted with her eyes for a moment but didn’t refuse.

Yan Huaiqing’s gaze swept around the room. She pressed her lips together and made her exit.

“You two sort it out. I’m heading back.”