Chapter 68: Chapter 68: I Believe Every Word He Says

Lu Xiao’s words brought the chaotic scene to a sudden standstill.

The girls’ sobs quieted, and even Xiao Zhou’s arm, holding the wooden prop sword, trembled slightly.

’Documents? Rectification? Not immediate disbandment?’

But the Instructor’s anger clearly hadn’t subsided. He pointed at Xiao Zhou, obviously furious.

“Lu Xiao! Chang Jia! Look at this! Just look at this behavior! Openly making threats with a weapon! This is a problem with her ideology! An attitude problem! This must be dealt with severely! The troupe’s atmosphere has become so rotten—disbandment is inevitable!”

“Instructor.”

Lu Xiao’s voice was calm, devoid of anger.

Yet it carried a reassuring quality.

His tall frame stood like a wall between the enraged Instructor and the trembling Xiao Zhou.

“Please, calm down first. Comrade Xiao Zhou is young and hot-headed. She acted on impulse. What she’s holding is just a rehearsal prop; it can’t hurt anyone. The urgent task now is to solve the problem, not escalate the conflict.”

Chang Jia also quickly stepped forward, standing by Lu Xiao’s side to back him up.

“That’s right, Instructor! The girls are just frantic! They’ve dedicated their youth to the cultural troupe. Who could bear suddenly hearing it’s going to be disbanded? Xiao Zhou is usually the most well-behaved one. Today, she was just beside herself with anxiety!”

He shot Xiao Zhou a meaningful look as he spoke.

Xiao Zhou looked at Lu Xiao’s steady face, then at Chang Jia’s anxious eyes.

Finally, she looked at the Instructor’s face, purple with rage. The grievance and anger that filled her chest deflated in an instant, like a punctured balloon.

The wooden sword in her hand clattered to the floor. She could no longer hold back and burst into tears, her body slumping.

Su Tang and Lin Qian reacted instantly, rushing forward to support her from either side.

Su Tang touched Xiao Zhou’s forehead. It was burning hot!

“She has a fever. It might be a febrile seizure.”

Su Tang cried out, “Qian, quick, help me!”

Lin Qian forgot her own sorrow and quickly helped Su Tang half-carry, half-support the nearly collapsed Xiao Zhou out of the room.

Xiao Zhou’s body was scorching hot. She was sobbing uncontrollably, gasping for breath, and mumbling incoherently.

“We… we’re not decadent music… We sing and dance for the soldiers… to boost morale…”

Lu Xiao glanced at Xiao Zhou being helped out, his brow furrowing deeper. He turned to the Instructor, his tone grave.

“Instructor, blowing this up won’t do anyone any good. The orders from above were for ’rectification,’ not ’disbandment.’ Comrade Xiao Zhou lost control of her emotions. I suggest we send her to the infirmary first. As for how to handle this afterwards, we can wait until everyone has calmed down and follow official procedures.”

“As for the fate of the cultural troupe, that’s not a decision you can make on your own. Right now, the most important thing is to calm everyone down and prevent the situation from spiraling out of control and causing even worse consequences.”

The Instructor listened, his chest heaving. He looked at Lu Xiao’s resolute face and his firm stance.

Then he looked at the group of weeping, helpless girls outside.

Even his immense anger seemed to get stuck in his throat.

He snorted heavily but said nothing more, tacitly accepting Lu Xiao’s proposed course of action.

Lu Xiao turned away from him and faced the members of the cultural troupe crowded at the doorway.

His gaze swept over their panicked, despairing, tear-streaked faces.

“Listen up!”

Lu Xiao’s voice boomed with military authority. “Causing a scene won’t solve anything! It will only make things worse! Now, all of you, return to your dormitories immediately! Tidy your quarters! You are not to gather and make a commotion again without orders!”

“The organization will make its own arrangements for the cultural troupe! Anyone else who acts impulsively will be punished for violating discipline!”

His gaze was as sharp as a knife, carrying an oppressive weight forged on the battlefield.

The girls’ hearts trembled under his stare, and they instinctively shrank back.

The tall Wang Fang started to say something, but the person next to her quietly tugged on the corner of her shirt.

The scene, which moments ago had been full of wailing, quickly cooled down under Lu Xiao’s firm hand.

The girls began to shuffle back toward their dormitories, supporting one another and looking back every few steps.

Watching this, the despair in Lin Qian’s heart was replaced by a faint glimmer of hope.

’It’s “rectification,” not “disbandment.”’

’And he said he would help me just now…’ She subconsciously looked toward Su Tang.

Su Tang was also looking at Lu Xiao, her eyes full of worry and questions.

Lu Xiao met her gaze and gave her an almost imperceptible nod, a reassuring look in his eyes.

Chang Jia watched the girls disperse and sighed in relief, wiping the sweat from his forehead. He leaned closer to Lu Xiao and lowered his voice.

“Lu, is there… really still a chance? It seems like the higher-ups are cracking down hard this time.”

Lu Xiao didn’t answer right away. He glanced at the closed door of the Instructor’s office.

“It’s up to us to make things happen. The orders only said to rectify, not to disband. That’s our opening. First thing tomorrow, I’ll go see the Commander.”

He turned his head, his gaze falling on the retreating backs of Su Tang and Lin Qian as they supported Xiao Zhou.

He added, “And about what you said before—wanting Sister Qiu to join the cultural troupe—I won’t let her end up with nothing either.”

Lin Jianqiu was an expert in the four arts—zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting—and was especially skilled at playing the zither.

Chang Jia had previously told Lu Xiao that he wanted Lin Jianqiu to join the cultural troupe.

He hoped that by interacting with more people, Lin Jianqiu might become more confident and cheerful.

Warmth spread through Chang Jia’s chest. He clapped Lu Xiao firmly on the shoulder. “You’re a true brother!”

Night fell. The chaos in the cultural troupe’s compound had temporarily subsided, but a heavy stone weighed on everyone’s heart.

In the infirmary, Su Tang and Lin Qian were taking care of Xiao Zhou, who was still mumbling in her sleep.

Lin Qian looked at Xiao Zhou’s fever-flushed face, then thought of her own future, and tears slid silently down her cheeks.

Su Tang gently put an arm around her shoulder, offering silent comfort.

’If Lu Xiao said he had a way, then he must have a way. I can at least place that much trust in him.’

…

The cultural troupe’s compound finally quieted down for the time being, leaving only the sound of the autumn wind whistling through bare branches.

Lu Xiao and Chang Jia were the last to leave.

Chang Jia was in a hurry to get back and reassure Lin Jianqiu. Before he left, he slapped Lu Xiao’s arm hard again. “Lu, it’s all on you now!”

Lu Xiao nodded without another word and strode home with purpose.

He felt a weight in his chest, as if a stone were pressing down on him. The matter was tricky, but he had made a promise, and he had to see it through.

It wasn’t just because Lin Qian was Su Tang’s good friend, but also because those girls had truly dedicated their youth to this place.

He pushed open the door to his home. Su Tang was sitting at the table under the light of a kerosene lamp.

Hearing the door, Su Tang immediately looked up, her eyes questioning. “You’re back? How are things? Xiao Zhou’s fever has gone down a bit. Lin Qian is staying with her.”

Lu Xiao took off his coat and hung it up. He walked to the table, poured himself a glass of cool boiled water, and downed it. GULP, GULP.

The cool water running down his throat seemed to quell some of the agitation in his chest.

“Tomorrow is what’s crucial.”

He put down the glass, his words succinct.

Su Tang put down what she was holding and leaned a little closer, her voice soft. “Are you really going to… see the Commander?”

She knew the Commander was stubborn and not easy to talk to.

“If this isn’t resolved and the cultural troupe is disbanded, Lin Qian will probably cry our house down.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep