First, then, love.

The pressure of touring is too great.

Lin's demands were abnormally harsh.

The handling of a single dynamic range can make the entire vocal part stop and practice twenty times over.

Shu Yao has been suffering from insomnia for three consecutive days.

Lying in bed, the man who used to be like a furnace was no longer beside me.

The bed was so big it made me uneasy.

When I close my eyes at night, my mind is filled with densely packed musical staves.

"Click".

The door to the lounge was pushed open.

The deputy principal, Xiao Chen, walked in, holding a stack of revised sheet music.

"Sister Yao Yao, Instructor Lin said the bowing technique in the third movement needs to be standardized again. Here, and here... here, here..." Xiao Chen handed over the sheet music, pointing to the dense red circles on it.

"..."

Shu Yao took the sheet music and glanced at it.

Everything went black.

His brows furrowed instantly.

"Has he gone mad? If the connecting lines here are broken, the emotional coherence is completely destroyed."

Xiao Chen gave a wry smile. "Director Lin said he wanted a grainy texture. Oh well, I guess I'll just have to listen to him. Yao Yao, you look terrible, didn't you sleep well?"

"It's nothing." Shu Yao pinched her brow and stood up. "Let's go back and continue practicing."

*

Four o'clock in the afternoon.

The air in the rehearsal hall was so stuffy it was suffocating.

Dozens of musicians were mechanically repeating the same actions, and the sound of the strings being pulled even revealed a sense of irritation.

"stop!"

Lin slammed his baton heavily on the music stand.

"Cellos! What are you doing! Sleepwalking! Your pitch is off the charts!"

Lin pointed at Shu Yao without any mercy.

"Shu Yao, you're the principal singer. You're not behaving properly; the whole vocal part is swaying with you. Did you even bring your brain to rehearsal today?!"

The hall was deathly silent.

All eyes were on Shu Yao.

On the back of Shu Yao's hand, which was holding the bow, the veins were faintly visible.

She took a deep breath, suppressing the surging restlessness and exhaustion in her heart.

"Sorry, Director Lin. It was my mistake. Let's do it again."

Just then.

A head wearing a yellow helmet peeked in through the half-open back door of the rehearsal hall.

"Excuse me. May I ask who Ms. Shu Yao is?"

The delivery guy was carrying a silver insulated bag and peering inside cautiously.

"This is a rehearsal area! Who let you in!" Lin shouted angrily.

The delivery guy was startled and shrank back.

"Same-city express delivery. The order says it must be delivered to Shu Yao herself."

Qiaoqiao quickly stood up, ran over, and took the insulated bag.

"Excuse me, Director Lin, I'll take it for her."

Qiaoqiao carried the insulated bag, walked to Shuyao's side, and placed it at her feet.

"What is that? It's so heavy!" Qiao Qiao asked in a low voice.

Shu Yao was also stunned.

She didn't order takeout.

At times like this, she doesn't even have the appetite to drink water.

Lin, the instructor, stood on the stage with a dark expression, glancing at his watch.

"Take a ten-minute break. Shuyao, take a moment to adjust your state."

After saying that, Lin turned and walked out of the rehearsal hall.

The musicians immediately relaxed, gathering in twos and threes to drink water and chat.

Shu Yao bent down and unzipped the insulated bag.

A rich aroma of Chinese medicine mixed with the sweet scent of sour jujubes wafted out instantly.

Inside the bag, seven or eight vacuum-sealed transparent soup packets were neatly stacked.

The broth was dark brown, and you could feel its scalding temperature even through the bag.

A white label is pasted on top of the soup dumplings.

[A century-old brand's Sour Jujube Seed and Lily Bulb Sleep-Aid Soup. Heat for two minutes before bedtime and drink.]

Shu Yao stood there, stunned.

Qiaoqiao leaned over and took a look.

"Sleep-inducing soup? You bought it? This stuff isn't available around here. You have to go to that old Chinese medicine clinic in the south of the city and wait in line to have it brewed. It's ridiculously expensive, and you have to make an appointment in advance."

Shu Yao didn't say anything.

Her gaze fell on a cardboard card at the very bottom of the insulated bag.

Reach out and take it out.

The cards were not printed.

The top line is a line of black marker writing.

The strokes are extremely heavy, penetrating the paper, and the handwriting is wild and cursive, exuding an arrogant vibe.

[Show yourself properly, don't embarrass yourself.]

There was no signature.

No signature is required.

Only that man would speak to her in such a bandit-like tone.

Shu Yao's fingers gripped the card, her fingertips trembling slightly.

My eyes instantly stung.

This guy is so annoying.

She was already wronged, and then he suddenly appeared at this time. Why should she try to comfort him?

He was in closed training at the provincial department, his cell phone was confiscated, and his schedule was completely reversed day and night.

But he knew she was going on tour and that she would have insomnia when she was under pressure.

Shu Yao picked up her phone, looked up the tracking number on the outside of the insulated bag, and dialed the sender's number directly.

The phone rang three times.

connected.

A middle-aged woman's voice came from across the way, with the background noise of cutting medicinal herbs.

"Hello, Tongjitang."

"Hello. I'm Shu Yao, who just received the sleeping pills via Flash Delivery." Shu Yao's voice was a little strained.

"Oh, Miss Shu," the proprietress said with a smile. "Did you receive the soup? Drink it while it's hot; it's best for calming the nerves and helping you sleep."

"Who ordered this soup?"

"Your husband?" the proprietress raised her voice.

"He came to our shop about two weeks ago and left some money. He kept telling us that you must be having trouble sleeping because of work stress. He asked us to prepare the soup for you at 4 pm today. He even wrote that note on the spot, leaning over the counter. His handwriting is really big."

Two weeks ago.

At that time, he had not yet received the transfer order to the provincial department's supervisory team.

He could even calculate clearly when she would become anxious or when she would have insomnia.

Shu Yao hung up the phone.

I looked down at the wildly cursive handwriting.

[Show yourself properly, don't embarrass yourself.]

It was clearly a harsh command.

But it was like a scalding warm current that directly washed away the anxiety and exhaustion that had been weighing on her chest for days.

The emptiness I felt because of the long-distance relationship was completely filled.

Qiaoqiao watched her expression from the side and clicked her tongue twice.

"Captain He played his hand well. It's much more effective than sending 999 roses. Your guy is shrewd despite his rough exterior."

Shu Yao carefully tucked the card into the inner compartment of the cello case.

Take out a packet of sleeping pills and tear off a corner.

Regardless of whether it was hot or not, he tilted his head back and took a big gulp.

"Has everyone rested well?"

Commander Lin pushed open the door and walked back to the command post, his expression still grim.

"Shu Yao, are you still capable?"

Shu Yao put down the soup dumpling.

He pulled out a tissue and wiped his mouth.

He turned around, sat back down on the wooden chair, picked up the bow, and looked directly at the conductor on the stage.

"No problem, Commander Lin."

Her voice was clear and resonant.

"Starting from the third movement, measure 45, the legato bowing section."

The bow rested steadily on the strings.

Lower your wrist and generate force.

We must not lose face.

That bandit in the house is keeping an eye on things.