As soon as Bai Xue was mentioned, everyone stopped talking, so they quickly changed the subject to the ranks and titles of the generals in the audience.
As performers in the military, this was of great importance to them.
Bai Xue asked her good friend Chen Chen in the art troupe: "Did I perform well just now? Did I make any mistakes? Also, was my previous makeup not ugly?"
Chen Chen laughed and said, "You performed very well, made no mistakes, and no matter what the makeup, you’re still the most beautiful flower!"
"So, you’re saying that my makeup earlier wasn’t done well?" Bai Xue became anxious.
"Who said that? Your makeup was especially beautiful. On stage you were the most eye-catching. I guarantee that anyone in the audience would have noticed you first," Chen Chen quickly replied. Then she admired Bai Xue’s flawless skin, "No wonder your name is Bai Xue, your skin is as white as snow, smooth and tender like a peeled egg! Truly unfair, you got a brilliant mind, profound artistic skills, being adept at both singing and dancing, and then this stunning beauty."
"So, are you saying I performed perfectly earlier?"
Seeing Chen Chen nod, Bai Xue was relieved and couldn’t help but flash a smile.
The blossoming of this smile instantly made those around her hold their breath, for fear that their exhalation might blow her away.
Chen Chen felt puzzled, "Bai Xue, why do you keep asking this kind of question?"
Bai Xue was touching up her makeup in the mirror, preparing for the next performance, and replied: "Didn’t you notice the people sitting in the audience? Those are all important figures in the military area!"
"So what? We’ve regularly performed in the Capital military region, what kind of scene or people haven’t we seen?" Chen Chen was nonchalant, "No matter how high the rank is here, could they be higher than the generals from the southwest military region? Or from the Capital military region? Come on, spill it, there’s definitely a reason you were asking me earlier!"
Bai Xue’s cheeks flushed scarlet, even more vibrant than with rouge.
Upon seeing this, Chen Chen suddenly realized, "I see, our Miss Bai Xue is lovesick! Quick, who is it? Who has such charm to make our Miss Bai Xue’s heart flutter?"
Maintaining a straight face, Bai Xue said, "What nonsense are you talking about? I just want to present my best side to the border soldiers."
"I don’t believe it." Chen Chen responded, "In the Capital military region, you were either vibrant as a peach blossom or cold as ice. Who would believe you now if you’re saying this? Not even I believe you, and neither do you, right?"
With that, she turned to several of the other beautifying female performers sitting with them.
Just like anywhere else, in the arts brigade there were factions and a hierarchy.
Backup dancers were lower-ranked and had little chance to advance. Being able to sit in the same space as Bai Xue, the lead vocalist, meant you were either a lead singer or a lead dancer. They were the more outstanding female soldiers in the arts brigade, and competition between them was intense, both overtly and covertly.
However, Bai Xue received more attention from the higher-ups and was pursued by the children of high officials, so everyone looked up to her.
Whether they were sincerely looking up to her or just pretending, only they themselves would know.
"I did notice, there was an extremely handsome officer in the audience." Mi Xiaoli, who often was the lead dancer, chimed in, holding her face, "Compared to the rough men around him, he’s really good-looking, very noticeable, with starry, sword-like eyebrows. When he smiles, he even has dimples on his face, carrying a masculine air about him. Just not sure if he’s married or not."
Chen Chen suddenly remembered, "You mean the one who looks around thirty, right? I noticed him yesterday when I was passing the training field."