When Spring Burns - Chapter 6

The next morning, Sheng Tingmian slowly woke up and was startled to find herself staring at an unfamiliar ceiling and lying in an unfamiliar bed. She immediately checked her clothes, thankfully, everything was still in place.

She tried to recall what had happened the previous day. It seemed she had been with Miss He, who had treated her to desserts. After that, her memory went blank. Sheng Tingmian had no idea what had transpired, but it appeared she was still at the He residence.

Getting up, she opened the door and stepped out, only to bump into the assistant. She quickly inquired about the situation, and upon learning the full story, she was filled with regret. How could she have made such a fool of herself?

Just as she was wallowing in remorse, the assistant wheeled He Jianxue to the dining table for breakfast. Sheng Tingmian stood frozen, unsure of what to say.

“Miss… Miss He, I…”

“Come and have some breakfast.”

Sensing that Miss He was offering her an olive branch, Sheng Tingmian mustered the courage to sit down. A servant brought her a fragrant breakfast and a glass of milk. Across from her sat Miss He, her expression calm and detached.

Sheng Tingmian bit her lip. “Good morning, Miss He. I hope I didn’t disturb your sleep last night?”

“You sang quite well.”

Those four simple words sent Sheng Tingmian springing to her feet. “I’m sorry, Miss He! I didn’t mean to. I have no idea why I started singing opera in the middle of the night.”

He Jianxue looked at the young girl with amusement. “You were drunk and didn’t realize it?”

Sheng Tingmian shook her head. “I’ve never had alcohol before.”

He Jianxue studied her for a few seconds. “Sit down. There’s no need to be nervous. I’m not blaming you.”

Only then did Sheng Tingmian relax. She picked up her glass of milk and took a sip. “I’ll leave right after breakfast. I won’t disturb you any further.”

He Jianxue ate her breakfast gracefully. “The opera troupe will be arriving soon. Are you sure you want to go back?”

Sheng Tingmian had forgotten about that. It seemed Miss He was in the mood to listen to opera today. Tentatively, she asked, “Then… should I stay and perform before leaving?”

He Jianxue didn’t respond, but Sheng Tingmian could guess her meaning, she was expected to sing before leaving. The thought brought a slight curve to her lips. Despite disturbing her host all night, she still had the chance to perform again the next day.

“Miss He, you’re truly a kind person,” Sheng Tingmian praised without hesitation.

Soon after, the Tianxing Opera Troupe arrived. Guan Leyou expressed some disapproval over her drunken stay at the He residence but didn’t dwell on it, simply reminding her to be more careful in the future. Fortunately, it had happened at the He family’s home; had it been elsewhere, he wouldn’t have known how to explain it to her aunt.

Sheng Tingmian listened obediently and promised it wouldn’t happen again. As the performance time approached, she changed into a costume provided by the Tianxing Opera Troupe and performed Huo Xiaoyu alongside a young male actor. The audience, as before, consisted of only one person.

Sheng Tingmian performed diligently from start to finish. After the show, both she and the young actor received rewards. However, when the assistant came up to hand out the red envelopes, Sheng Tingmian noticed that hers was clearly different from the actor’s, more luxurious and substantial.

Holding it in her small hand, she secretly glanced toward the audience, only to meet Miss He’s gaze directly. He Jianxue had certainly noticed her surprised yet secretly pleased expression.

A faint smile touched her red lips. This child’s personality was both delicate and well-behaved.

After the performance, He Jianxue had her assistant wheel her back to her room to rest. In her moments of idleness, she couldn’t help but think of the industries she had once been involved in. The international trade industry in Nanzhang District had been her primary focus in recent years.

The world was developing rapidly, and the profits from massive trade surpluses and exchange rate differentials were substantial enough to create a global billionaire.

Anyone looking to make money wouldn’t miss this opportunity.

The He family’s factory in Nanzhang District covered an area even larger than some cities. They had streamlined nearly every process, production, customs, transportation, insurance, and foreign exchange settlement, making exports almost worry-free.

Yet, at such a perfect moment of timing, location, and human advantage, she was paralyzed.

Tormented by illness and unable to work, during the month she underwent treatment, the group’s authority naturally fell into the hands of her father, Duan Yunzhi. She had assumed he would manage it well, but instead, he gradually stripped her of her power.

Six months ago, to secure further cooperation on a certain project, Duan Yunzhi resolutely arranged a marriage alliance between He Xiu and the son of their business partner.

When she first heard the news, she found it unbelievable. No matter how profitable the collaboration might be, one shouldn’t use family as a bargaining chip.

But Duan Yunzhi’s remark, “He Xiu is just an adopted daughter. Our He family raised her all these years, it’s time for her to repay us,” made her realize what her biological father truly thought.

He had never acknowledged He Xiu.

Back when her mother was alive, this man had seemed like a decent person.

He Jianxue recalled how He Xiu had invited her out for a meal not long ago. Perhaps He Xiu had sensed Duan Yunzhi’s disregard and turned to her, her adopted sister, to confide her troubles.

Thinking of He Xiu, He Jianxue could only picture her delicate, fragile face.

Too much had happened that month. Paralyzed and undergoing treatment, she had no idea how Duan Yunzhi and her aunt had persuaded He Xiu to accept the marriage.

By the time she heard about He Xiu again, she was being wheeled in to attend her wedding.

He Jianxue asked He Xiu three times.

The first time was at the wedding: “Are you truly willing to marry?”

The second time was on her birthday: “How are things on your end?”

The third time was at a dinner in Yuxian: “If you’re unhappy, then get a divorce.”

Each time, the response was nothing but evasion from He Xiu.

Her assistant noticed she had opened her eyes and brought over a terminal. “Miss He, here are the latest quarterly reports for the Qingguan Lake properties. Please take a look.”

He Jianxue took it and spent the entire afternoon handling the matters.

The Qingguan Lake properties had one advantage: they existed independently of the group, entirely unrelated to it. They were a gift from her mother before she passed away.

Even if Duan Yunzhi demanded a division of assets now, he wouldn’t get a single property from Qingguan Lake.

Over the past few years, under her management, the Qingguan Lake properties had developed a mature operational system.

Thus, even in her absence, they continued to run smoothly.

Unfortunately, the group her mother had entrusted to her before her passing was burdened with deep-rooted issues. Every decision faced resistance from multiple sides.

That’s why, as soon as she became paralyzed, many began urging her to resign due to illness and retire for good.

Quite a few people refused to accept a paralyzed woman in charge.

A few days later, He Jianxue received a message from her assistant: her cousin, Ziheng, had just taken over the industrial projects in Nanzhang District and made a critical misstep, offending an overseas partner and prematurely ending their collaboration.

Goods worth hundreds of millions were now stockpiled in warehouses, resulting in massive losses.

Although she had anticipated trouble, hearing about such a significant loss, especially with a partner she had once closely worked with, infuriated her. She immediately summoned someone to confront the issue.

Duan Ziheng was like a quail, hiding behind his aunt, too afraid to face her.

In contrast, his aunt and Duan Yunzhi didn’t think much of Ziheng’s mistake, believing it was just a loss of a billion and a business partner.

They even spoke to her in a condescending tone, advising her not to get too worked up, as it wouldn’t help her legs recover. They urged her to give Ziheng more confidence, saying he was still young and inexperienced, and deserved another chance.

He Jianxue felt a tightness in her chest from their words. They always brought up her legs, if only she weren’t disabled, such a major partnership wouldn’t have fallen apart, and the business partner she had once secured wouldn’t have walked away.

Suppressing her emotions, she didn’t lash out, but for several days, she was so upset that she couldn’t eat or sleep well.

Just then, someone came to see her.

He Jianxue, who was slowly trying to calm her anger, set down her coffee. “Who is it?”

The butler replied, “A young actress from the Tianxing Troupe, a girl named Sheng Tingmian.”

Though puzzled, He Jianxue relented. “Let her in.”

The butler turned and went to the entrance to bring the visitor in, leading her all the way to He Jianxue.

He Jianxue looked at the girl before her, fresh-faced, with an indescribable innocence. She hadn’t been in the mood to watch operas lately and hadn’t seen her for a while.

“Miss He, may I ask you for a favor?”

Sheng Tingmian had come to plead with her out of desperation. Just yesterday, she had heard from her aunt that the director of Changyuan Theater was preparing to shut it down. Most of the troupes in the theater had already disbanded, and after paying this month’s wages, everyone would go their separate ways.

If she didn’t do something soon, she would have to watch helplessly as her aunt’s Liqing Troupe dissolved.

But she also knew that her relationship with Miss He wasn’t exactly good, and the timing was far from ideal. Still, she had no other options.

She had no choice but to swallow her pride and beg.

After all, Miss He was the only reliable wealthy person she knew.

“What is it?”

Miss He’s tone gave nothing away, and Sheng Tingmian couldn’t gauge her mood.

Her thoughts raced, and finally, she gritted her teeth and spoke.

“My aunt has a troupe, but the theater it’s in is about to close down. Her troupe will disband soon. Miss He, could I beg you to help…”

Beg for her help…

He Jianxue sneered inwardly. She was nothing but a cripple now, incapable of doing anything, forced to watch as others messed things up.

And yet, someone was coming to her for help. How laughable.

“You’ve come to the wrong person,” He Jianxue said coldly.

Hearing her unfeeling tone, Sheng Tingmian’s eyes instantly reddened. “But besides you, I don’t know anyone else important.”

“That’s your problem,” He Jianxue replied, picking up her coffee and gazing out at the garden as she took a sip.

“Can’t you really lend a hand? I’ll perform for you for free from now on, even if it’s not on stage.”

“How long can you perform? Ten years? Twenty?”

Seeing her offer terms for an exchange, He Jianxue found it both ridiculous and naive. She mocked coldly, “Your value in my eyes is about the same as a smartphone.”

Both could play music, and the phone had more functions.

Sheng Tingmian heard the sarcasm in her tone. Biting her lip, she suddenly stepped forward, positioning herself directly in front of Miss He, blocking her line of sight entirely. She wanted Miss He to see her sincerity, to understand that she wasn’t just a child playing around.

“I’m not joking. If songs on a phone could compare to the singer in person, why would so many people still want to attend concerts? Live singing will always be superior to the sound quality from electronic devices. The same goes for opera.”

“Fewer and fewer people watch traditional opera these days. In a few years, there might not even be anyone left to learn it, it could vanish from this era. Miss He, don’t you think that’s a pity? Our traditional culture is facing such a crisis. Please help us. Consider it a contribution to preserving our traditional opera culture. Everyone will be grateful to you.”

The air grew quiet. The assistant stood by, listening silently, suddenly feeling as though she were in a moral education class.

At the same time, she couldn’t help but admire this young girl. Even after being rejected by Miss He, she still had the courage to speak up so boldly.

Someone of Miss He’s status, most ordinary people wouldn’t dare act recklessly in front of her, not even some of the high-ranking, old-fashioned elites.

Back when the He family head fell ill and the situation was chaotic, Miss He had single-handedly debated seasoned opponents, acted swiftly, and brought the shareholders to heel with her sharp tactics.

It was only after she became paralyzed that she truly saw who was loyal to her and who was two-faced.

“What use do I have for their gratitude?” He Jianxue retorted. “Besides, what makes you think I can help you? Can’t you see I can’t even walk without assistance? What difference is there between me and a useless person?”

“Protecting traditional culture…” He Jianxue silently repeated the words to herself. She refrained from laughing outright, if only to spare the girl some dignity. “You’ve come to the wrong person.”

“Miss He…” Sheng Tingmian boldly and openly looked at her disabled legs, then raised her gaze fearlessly, staring straight into the woman’s deep, penetrating eyes.

“You’re not a useless person. In my eyes, you’re an incredible individual.”

He Jianxue’s red lips curled into a cold, dismissive smile. She found the girl naive.

“What if I could sing opera for you for the rest of my life?”

As soon as the words left her mouth, the assistant looked at her in astonishment.

He Jianxue was taken aback for a moment, then her brow furrowed slightly. “For the rest of your life? Do you even know what you’re saying?”

“I do.”

He Jianxue was momentarily speechless, a headache beginning to form. If this were an adult, a few sharp words would have made them back down. But this young girl, driven by sheer audacity, was making a lifelong promise right in front of her.

“How old are you? How much schooling have you had? Does your aunt know you’re this naive?”

Sheng Tingmian grew both anxious and frustrated upon realizing that He Jianxue still saw her as a child. “I’m already eighteen. I’m capable of making my own decisions. Don’t bring my aunt into this, this is between you and me.”

He Jianxue: “…”

The assistant stifled a laugh.

Sheng Tingmian gazed resolutely at the woman standing so close to her, her voice soft yet clear.

“If you help me save my aunt’s opera troupe this time, I’ll become your dedicated huadan role from now on. If you want me to sing Kunqu opera, I’ll sing Kunqu. If you want to hear Peking opera, I’ll sing Peking opera for you. Even if there are other opera styles I don’t know, I’ll learn them, just to sing them for you.”

The girl spoke with heartfelt sincerity, yet the woman before her remained unmoved, her expression unchanged. The girl’s eyes could barely hold back the surging tears, and her nose tingled with emotion.

“Miss He, won’t you please help me?”