Lin Shu’s body stiffened; even her motions of wiping away tears came to a halt.
"Since he refuses to marry you, you've resorted to framing me and the troupe leader in hopes of returning to the Cultural and Art Troupe?"
Zhao Yu sneered. "Let me tell you clearly: after pulling a stunt like this, there is no way you are returning to the Cultural and Art Troupe. If I were you, I would hold onto Lu Jing for dear life—he's your only lifeline now."
Zhao Yu crouched down and leaned close to Lin Shu’s ear.
"Let me offer you an idea, or perhaps a piece of advice: Lu Jing may be arrogant, but he is a man of great responsibility."
After all, it was precisely because of that sense of responsibility in her past life that Zhao Yu had spent decades acting as a maidservant to Lin Shu and her mother.
Lin Shu stared blankly at Zhao Yu, seemingly unable to grasp why she was saying these things to her.
"Don't look at me with such suspicion." Zhao Yu stood up again. "I don't have the energy to scheme against you. And besides... the two of you together is exactly what I want to see most."
Lin Shu hesitated, then stood up, cast a cryptic glance at Zhao Yu, and hurried away.
"Oh, look at that, scaring someone off with just a few words. Quite the technique you have. No wonder you managed to hook the troupe leader’s son, and even got Ning Songyun to specifically change rooms to stay with you—so it was just a sister-in-law currying favor with her future sister-in-law in advance."
Liu Xue’s sharp voice drifted over from the room next to Zhao Yu’s. "I suspect that's the only reason you got that lead dancer position, too."
Zhao Yu knew that in her past life, Liu Xue had always been jealous of her position as lead dancer. Once she had given the spot to Lin Shu, Liu Xue had constantly tripped Lin Shu up, several times nearly causing her to have a miscarriage.
"Now that Lin Shu has made such a scene, your dirty laundry is known to almost the entire military district. Let’s see if you can keep that position!"
"What 'dirty laundry' are you referring to?"
Zhao Yu was not afraid of her at all. "I can apply for an investigation by the superior leadership to prove my innocence at any time."
As she spoke, Zhao Yu stepped closer to Liu Xue. "But if they find nothing, that makes your claims slander and defamation. Even if you aren't expelled, a disciplinary record is inevitable. Are you coming with me to report this?"
Liu Xue gritted her teeth viciously. In truth, she knew deep down that Lin Shu’s words lacked credibility. But she was so consumed with jealousy toward Zhao Yu that she had spoken without thinking, hoping to gain some verbal upper hand. She never expected Zhao Yu to confront her so head-on!
Liu Xue stayed silent for a long time before finally letting out a "we'll see," and stormed into her room, slamming the door.
Seeing the situation, the others quickly dispersed and returned to their own rooms.
After Zhao Yu and Ning Songyun returned to their room, Ning Songyun sat on the bed, exhausted. "Yuyu, what are you going to do now?"
"Whatever needs to be done, I suppose." Zhao Yu’s tone was indifferent. "I already said I welcome an investigation by the leaders at any time. My conscience is clear; I have nothing to fear."
"I know, but it’s still a hassle. And even if they clear you of any back-door dealings regarding my mother, those rumors about your relationships will still hurt your reputation."
As she spoke, Ning Songyun suddenly grew excited. She stood up and sat down beside Zhao Yu. "How about you really let my brother court you!"
"What?"
"Oh, come on! You aren't afraid of an investigation, so you don't need to worry about the accusations of using connections. If you start dating my brother, those rumors will just vanish!"
The more Ning Songyun talked, the more plausible it seemed. "Based on how my brother acted when he wasn't getting your letters, he definitely has feelings for you! Yuyu, why don't you just become my sister-in-law? Then you can turn my brother into a henpecked husband who wouldn't dare say 'west' if you said 'east.' And since I’m your best friend, with you in charge, he wouldn't dare give me the cold shoulder ever again!"
Hearing Ning Songyun’s logic veering further off course, Zhao Yu hurriedly stopped her.
"Wake up! Why are you dreaming in broad daylight? Your brother and I are just childhood playmates; there’s nothing like what you’re describing."
"Is that so?" Ning Songyun didn't think her brother’s behavior looked like that at all. However, seeing how adamant Zhao Yu was, she realized that Zhao Yu certainly didn't harbor those kinds of feelings for Ning Songyi—at least not yet. It seemed that once she could return home, she would have to investigate her brother's true feelings for Yuyu. If it really was what she suspected, she would have to put some pressure on her brother.
"Have you figured out how to handle the rumors?"
"I already said they were just rumors."
Zhao Yu calculated the days. "In half a month, we’re heading to Liaosheng for a performance. We won’t be back for a month or two; by the time we return, the rumors will have long since faded. If we’re lucky, we might even make it back in time to eat the wedding sweets for those two."
"Wait, really? Will the troupe leader agree to it?" Ning Songyun’s mouth fell open. "And what about Lu Jing? Can Lin Shu really turn him from someone who looked down on her into someone willing to marry her in just a month or two?"
"She can." Zhao Yu wiggled her finger, looking mysterious. "As long as Lin Shu is willing to go all out, if she moves fast enough, we might see the results before we even leave for Heisheng."
"Then I’ll have to keep a close watch during this time."
Ning Songyun was always one to love a spectacle. Now that He Fang was gone and Zhao Yu sounded so confident, her interest was piqued even more.
In the days that followed, with He Fang gone, they practiced independently under the leadership of various squad leaders. One day, just as Zhao Yu entered the rehearsal room, Ning Songyun pulled her into a corner.
"Yuyu! You were right! Uncle Li was shouting at the top of his lungs in the room next door all night long!"
"Because of Lu Jing?" Zhao Yu hadn't expected Lin Shu to act so quickly.
"Exactly." Ning Songyun stood up and made an incredibly ugly expression with her face. "This morning, Lu Jing came to see Uncle Ji with this exact look on his face, and Lin Shu was trailing behind him, crying her eyes out. There’s no doubt he’s the one who stirred up trouble!"
"Anything else?" Zhao Yu was looking forward to how things would develop.
"Then Uncle Ji let them into his office. I heard things clattering around, like things being thrown, but they were speaking too softly to hear clearly." Ning Songyun sounded deflated and lost her energy. "I wanted to sneak up to the door to listen, but as soon as I walked out, my brother caught me and, with a dark face, threw me back here first thing in the morning."
"Getting thrown back was for the best. You actually dared to eavesdrop? Did you forget what you promised me the other day?" Zhao Yu really hadn't expected Ning Songyun to be so obsessed with gossip and drama.
"It’s not like my mom is here, and it clearly wasn't anything classified." Ning Songyun hung her head with her hands behind her back, kicking at the ground.
"That doesn't make it right!"
Just as Zhao Yu finished speaking, Ning Songyun suddenly looked up. "Don't tell me you aren't curious, Yuyu?"