After returning from the cafeteria, Liang Yue debated whether she should visit the medical unit or simply head back to her room. In the end, she decided against it. The red mark on her chest wasn't serious, and Zhao Chen had already given her ointment anyway.
Standing before the bathroom mirror, she carefully applied the cream. The sudden ringing of her phone startled her.
She placed the tube on the sink and walked toward the round table beside her bed. The caller ID displayed Xu Meilin her senior and the head trainer overseeing both the singing and painting categories.
“Hello, Senior Xu?” Liang Yue greeted as she switched the call to speakerphone and fixed her hair in the mirror by the door.
“Hello, Liang Yue. You have practice later, right?”
“Yes, Senior. Why?”
“After practice, don’t forget to distribute the participant numbers. The president already asked about our progress.”
At the mention of the president, Liang Yue froze.
She immediately picked up the phone and turned off the speaker before pressing it to her ear. Walking toward the window, she stared outside quietly.
“Understood. I’ll distribute them later.”
“Good. And don’t be late. The president might stop by to inspect the session.”
“Got it, Senior.”
“Oh, and make sure the numbers are distributed properly. We don’t want any confusion later.”
“Alright, Senior. See you later.”
The call ended.
Still standing by the window, Liang Yue frowned in thought.
How am I even supposed to organize the numbers?
The task sounded simple, but with so many participants and student IDs to arrange, she felt completely lost.
A glance at the clock immediately snapped her out of her thoughts.
12:30 PM.
She hurried toward the door, only to pause when she realized she was still wearing the oversized black shirt Zhao Chen had lent her earlier.
Liang Yue glanced toward her wardrobe, considering changing clothes, but eventually shook her head.
It should be fine. I’m only wearing it for a little while anyway.
“Yueyue!”
Liang Yue stopped just as she parked her bicycle outside the practice venue. Turning around, she saw Mo Yufan jogging toward her.
“Oh, Momo,” she greeted with a small wave.
Mo Yufan better known as Momo was both her classmate and someone from the same hometown.
“You’re late too! I thought I was the only one behind today,” Momo laughed as she caught up beside her.
“We’re not late,” Liang Yue replied calmly. “It’s only 12:57.”
Together, they entered the training hall, which was already crowded with participants from both competition categories.
Across the room, Xu Meilin lifted a hand, signaling Liang Yue over.
“I’ll see you later,” Liang Yue told Momo before hurrying toward her senior.
Xu Meilin looked up from her phone. “You’ll distribute the numbers after this, right? Let me see the sequence you prepared.”
She extended her hand expectantly.
Liang Yue’s stomach dropped.
“I’m sorry, Senior… I haven’t prepared it yet.” Guilt flooded her voice. “This is my first time handling something like this, so—”
“It doesn’t matter whether it’s your first or second time,” Xu Meilin interrupted firmly. “If you’re given responsibility, you should complete it as soon as possible.”
Liang Yue lowered her head silently.
She truly hadn’t known where to begin. Sorting dozens of participant numbers according to student IDs felt overwhelming for someone inexperienced like her, even if it seemed simple to everyone else.
Xu Meilin sighed.
“It’s alright. I’ll help you later. But if the president comes today, you’ll need to explain it yourself. He was supposed to record the data.”
Liang Yue swallowed nervously. “Understood, Senior. I’m really sorry.”
Xu Meilin’s expression softened slightly as she patted her shoulder.
“Alright, everyone, let’s begin practice!”
Liang Yue returned to her station. Seeing her troubled expression, Momo gently rubbed her back in comfort.
Unfortunately, the anxiety clouding Liang Yue’s mind ruined the entire session.
She lost track of how many times she forgot the lyrics during singing practice, earning repeated corrections from the instructors. Her painting practice went no better; she was scolded several times for her weak color contrast.
Her thoughts were too tangled to focus properly.
To make matters worse, paint splattered across the oversized shirt she was wearing which is Zhao Chen’s shirt.
Liang Yue stared at the stains in horror.
Hopefully, it’ll wash out…
If they didn’t, she would have no choice but to buy him a replacement.
Near the end of practice, the president finally arrived.
The moment Zhao Chen entered the hall to discuss the participant numbers with Xu Meilin, Xu Meilin immediately called Liang Yue over.
Liang Yue approached looking utterly miserable. Her hair was messy, her glasses crooked, and paint smudged both her cheeks and Zhao Chen’s shirt beneath her apron sleeves.
As she stopped in front of them, Zhao Chen’s gaze briefly landed on the oversized shirt she wore.
A faint smile almost appeared on his lips.
She looked strangely comfortable drowning in his clothes.
The realization made Liang Yue even more embarrassed. She instantly regretted not changing earlier.
“Liang Yue,” Xu Meilin said, “explain the situation to the president.”
Zhao Chen’s expression immediately turned professional.
“What happened?” he asked coolly.
Liang Yue’s heartbeat quickened.
“I’m sorry, Senior. I haven’t finished the number distribution because I—”
“I think that’s a fairly simple task,” Zhao Chen cut in sharply. “Why hasn’t it been completed yet?”
His cold tone instantly stiffened the atmosphere around them.
“All the other categories already finished theirs. Yours is the only one falling behind.”
Liang Yue felt humiliation crawl up her spine.
“But it’s my first time, so I didn’t know how to—”
“Being inexperienced isn’t an excuse,” Zhao Chen interrupted again. “You’re not the only first-timer here. If you didn’t know what to do, you should’ve asked Senior Xu. That’s exactly why she’s supervising the category.”
Frustration burned behind Liang Yue’s eyes.
Can’t he at least let me finish talking?
Zhao Chen exhaled heavily. He hated inefficiency more than anything, especially when schedules were involved.
Liang Yue lowered her head.
“I’m sorry, Senior. I’ll finish it today.”
This time, she forced herself to meet his eyes despite the pressure crushing her chest.
“I don’t want it tomorrow,” Zhao Chen said firmly. “I want it done today. And fix your attitude. Don’t be lazy or careless. If you don’t know something, ask.”
With that, he turned and walked out of the hall.
Silence swallowed the room.
Everyone had heard the reprimand.
Several participants looked at Liang Yue sympathetically, which only made the shame burn hotter across her face. She wanted to disappear.
Even though Zhao Chen hadn’t raised his voice, every word had cut sharply through the quiet hall.
“Hang in there, okay?” Xu Meilin said softly, rubbing Liang Yue’s shoulder. “I’ll help you later.”
Then she addressed the room.
“Practice is over for today. We’ll continue Wednesday night, but that session will focus only on singing.”
Liang Yue nodded numbly before returning to gather her belongings.
“Yueyue, are you okay?” Song Bohan asked worriedly.
“I’m fine,” she replied weakly. “I’ll head out first.”
She slung her bag over her shoulder, hugged her art supplies against her chest, and left the hall.
In only a few hours, Liang Yue had witnessed two completely different sides of Zhao Chen.
Earlier that day, she had felt lighthearted and happy.
Now, all that warmth had shattered into humiliation and sadness.
She didn’t understand why the reprimand hurt this much.
Was it because of the public humiliation..
or because the person who scolded her was the person she loved?
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