Chapter 77: Silent Confrontation

Xia Xingyan didn’t reply. She walked to the farthest single sofa and sat down.

She pretended to play with her phone, but kept her peripheral vision locked on Shen Tinglan.

She saw the other person carving apple pieces with a knife tip. Soon, several “little rabbits” appeared in the bowl.

After that, there was no more conversation between them.

Xia Xingyan opened the streaming platform. The homepage recommended the opening ceremony live stream of “Sing with Tian Lanxing.”

She clicked in. The screen just cut to the studio hall, the lights dimming. Then, a patch of blue starlight lit up above the stage. A figure descended lightly from midair.

The tense string in Xia Xingyan’s heart relaxed at that moment.

On the screen, Tian Lanxing slowly walked toward the contestant seats. All the cameras followed her, finally stopping in front of a girl with a tear-streaked face. She wiped away the girl’s tears, then opened her arms and gave her a warm hug.

Xia Xingyan’s breathing suddenly became heavier. At this moment, a sigh came from across the coffee table.

“Captain has always been so recklessly good to the people she chooses.”

Shen Tinglan looked at the screen, her tone tinged with nostalgia.

“This has never changed.”

These words hit Xia Xingyan’s nerve. She stared directly at Shen Tinglan.

“Vice Captain Shen, how long have you known the captain?”

Shen Tinglan met Xia Xingyan’s gaze without backing down.

“Counting from the day I reported for duty, less than two weeks.”

“Then the ‘never changed’ you mentioned is based on less than two weeks of observation?”

The air in the living room froze for a few seconds.

“There are a lot of behavior analysis records in the GSA magical girl archives. Including Tian Lanxing’s combat logs over the past few years and every psychological evaluation report.” Shen Tinglan smiled, her tone gentle. “My judgment is based on data, not personal feelings.”

The answer had no persuasiveness. Xia Xingyan just felt the other was lying.

Shen Tinglan stood up, poured a glass of warm water, and placed it in front of Xia Xingyan. “Seeing you rushed all the way here, your clothes are soaked with sweat. Have some water and rest first.”

But Xia Xingyan didn’t even look at it. She went to the kitchen, took a bottle of iced mineral water from the fridge, tilted her head back, and drank it all.

The cold liquid barely suppressed the irritation in her heart. Only then did Xia Xingyan walk back and sit on the single sofa.

Shen Tinglan didn’t feel awkward either. She picked up her black tea and took a small sip.

The two fell into silence again. It was a silent confrontation, with only the cheers constantly coming from the live stream.

A few minutes later, the deadlock was broken.

“The captain hasn’t been in good shape these past few days.” Shen Tinglan continued carving the apple. “She stays at the internet cafe until late every night and comes back. Her routine is becoming more and more irregular. My monitoring data from these days shows her Starlight Power is even more unstable. As the person in charge of monitoring, I’m really worried.”

Xia Xingyan replied coldly, “I’ll take care of the captain’s routine. I’ll make her breakfast every morning and make sure she goes to bed on time. No need for Vice Captain Shen to worry.”

Shen Tinglan shook her head. “Xia, it’s not just about routine. The captain’s physical condition is much more complicated than you think.”

Xia Xingyan stopped beating around the bush. “You’ve been in Linhai City for less than two weeks, yet you know the captain’s eating habits and personality preferences better than us old members. Did headquarters send you just for data monitoring, or do you have another purpose?”

“My mission is to assist the captain in restoring her power. This requires a comprehensive understanding of her physical state, including living habits and dietary preferences.” Shen Tinglan spread her hands. “Of course, this information was also obtained from headquarters. The more detailed the information, the easier it is for me to make judgments. If you think I’ve overstepped, Xia, you can report it to Commander Qin at any time, or even submit a complaint to headquarters.”

“Then the fruit you cut today, is that also part of the mission?” Xia Xingyan sneered. “Carving apples into rabbit shapes to please the captain – is that a step required for data monitoring?”

“Just a matter of convenience.” Shen Tinglan smiled. “I used to do this for colleagues before. It’s a habit.”

Xia Xingyan wanted to say something more, but Shen Tinglan suddenly dropped her smile and looked straight into her eyes.

“To put it bluntly, you just hate me, don’t you?”

Xia Xingyan was startled.

She didn’t expect the other to be so direct.

Growing up in the wealthy circle, Xia Xingyan was used to all kinds of hypocrisy and pretense. She had anticipated countless ways Shen Tinglan might defend herself, but she never expected the other to directly flip the table.

After a brief silence, Xia Xingyan decided to tear off all pretense.

“Yes, I just don’t like you. You approach the captain not to collect data, but just under the guise of helping.”

Her voice trembled. “You just want to steal my captain!”

Looking at the little tiger guarding its food in front of her, a complex emotion flashed in Shen Tinglan’s eyes.

“You think I come from an unknown background? Then have you considered that maybe I knew her earlier than you?”

Xia Xingyan was startled. “What do you mean?”

“Nothing, just saying casually.” Shen Tinglan stood up and walked toward the kitchen. “It’s getting late. I’m going to make dinner. The captain has been out all day and will definitely be hungry when she gets back.”

Xia Xingyan clenched her fists.

She was sure that was not just a casual remark. That wicked woman definitely had secrets.

****

Backstage at Starflare Entertainment Training Base.

A flash of blue light passed, and Tian Lanxing’s gorgeous magical costume dissolved into specks of light.

The door of the lounge was pushed open by Wang Kaiming.

“Lady Tian Lanxing, you worked hard.” He approached with a flattering smile. “The opening ceremony effect was explosive. The ratings broke records. We occupied six of the top ten hot searches!”

Hua Mu’ai zipped up her shoulder bag without even giving him a glance.

Wang Kaiming swallowed his saliva and tested cautiously.

“Are you no longer angry about Chu Yuyao? I promise, from now on, no one in the base will dare to touch a hair on her head!”

“You know what’s good for you.” Hua Mu’ai snorted coldly. “If Chu Yuyao suffers even a bit of grievance here, I’ll demolish your base.”

“I wouldn’t dare, absolutely not!” Wang Kaiming shook his head repeatedly.

Hua Mu’ai pushed open the door and left without looking back, completely unaware that two people were waiting for her at home.

Getting into the taxi back to the apartment, she opened the streaming platform.

The tide had completely turned. The barrage of curses calling Chu Yuyao a “connection” had disappeared cleanly. Instead, comments like “Tian Lanxing’s personally chosen treasure girl” and “Looking forward to Sister Chu’s first stage appearance” filled the screen.

On the hot search list, the term “Tian Lanxing’s Hug” was sitting at the third position.

Hua Mu’ai couldn’t help but chuckle softly, then quickly put on a stern face and muttered to her phone screen, “Hmph, I’m not helping her. I just can’t stand those people bullying others. Yeah, that’s right.”

The driver uncle in front secretly glanced at her through the rearview mirror.

‘This young lady is quite pretty, but why is she sitting alone in the back seat muttering to her phone, with expressions changing from smiling to fierce? Are young people these days under so much pressure? It’s kind of scary.’

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