Amateur talent show? Top mentors are my students.

The first to arrive was the pre-arranged second surgery.

Unlike the first time, which involved a complex surgery that lasted for several hours, this was indeed just a minor adjustment—Dr. Chen said it casually on the phone:

"The tissue transplanted last time fit very well, but there was still a slight deviation in the closure angle of the vocal cords. This time, only local adjustments are needed, and the surgery will take about forty minutes. The recovery period will also be much shorter; you can speak normally in about a week."

After listening to the translation, He Xu paused for a moment, then asked, "...Can I eat spicy food?"

Dr. Chen chuckled on the other end of the line: "That will have to wait a few more months."

The night before being admitted to the hospital, He Xu sat on the living room floor packing his things.

This time he only packed a small backpack—a change of T-shirt, a charger, earphones, and toiletries.

When he zipped up his jacket, his movements were much more efficient than before his last hospitalization.

Jiang Yanbai came down from the second floor, carrying two glasses of water. He sat down on the floor next to him and handed one of the glasses to him: "Nervous?"

"I'm not nervous." He Xu took the water glass and took a sip. "Last time, even something that big was done, this time it'll only take forty minutes, what's there to be nervous about?"

"You make it sound so easy," Jiang Yanbai said, leaning back on the sofa leg and turning her head to look at him. "But you are definitely calmer this time than last time."

He Xu put down his water glass: "Because this time I knew the result would be good."

Jiang Yanbai looked at him, the corners of his mouth curving slightly, but he didn't reply.

The next morning at seven o'clock, Marco drove them to the hospital.

The sunlight was still the same dry, clear, and bright light of Los Angeles, casting warm, dappled patterns on the seats through the car windows.

He Xu sat in the back row, tilting his head to look out the window. Unlike his silence during his first visit to the hospital, this time he even took the initiative to ask, "How long will it take to get to the hospital?"

"Twenty minutes." Marco glanced at him in the rearview mirror. "Mr. He, you look pretty good."

"Just Okay."

Jiang Yanbai sat next to him with a laptop on his lap. The screen was lit, but he hadn't typed a single word in the past ten minutes.

He glanced at He Xu to make sure he wasn't as tense as last time, then looked away and continued staring blankly at the document.

The hospitalization process was faster than last time—Jen had prepared all the documents in advance, and He Xu only needed to sign the attendance sheet and then follow the nurse into the ward he had visited once before.

The window faces south, and sunlight filters through the gaps in the blinds, casting parallel streaks of light on the floor.

He Xu sat on the edge of the bed, put his backpack on the bedside table, and then turned his head to look at Jiang Yanbai, who was standing in the doorway without coming in: "What are you doing standing there?"

"I'm thinking, should I wait for you outside the operating room like last time?"

"Squat or don't, it's up to you."

Jiang Yanbai smiled and walked in, sitting down on the chair by the bed.

The preoperative examination was much simpler than the first time—blood pressure was measured, body temperature was checked, a tube of blood was drawn, and a laryngoscopy was performed to confirm the healing status of the previous surgical area.

After the nurse pushed the cart out, the ward became quiet again.

He Xu leaned against the headboard, holding his phone in his hand. The screen was lit up, displaying a training photo that Jiang Yang had just posted in the NOVA group chat.

Seven people were sprawled on the practice room floor. Some had their eyes closed, while others were making peace signs at the camera. Li Bufan had changed his hair color again, dyeing it a light gray—He Xu was considering whether to tell him that this could easily lead to baldness.

He Xu stared at the photo for a few seconds, a slight smile playing on his lips, then locked the screen and put the phone back on the bedside table.

-

Dr. Chen entered the ward at 10:00 a.m. sharp.

He was wearing a dark blue shirt with a white lab coat draped over his arm, and looked more relaxed than the last time we met.

"Mr. He, are you ready?"

He Xu sat up in bed and stretched his neck: "Ready."

"[English] This surgery is very short and the incision is very small. The postoperative voice rest period is only about a week, and you will be able to speak normally soon, but you still need to pay attention to recovery and avoid prolonged use of your voice and high-intensity vocalization."

"Understood."

Dr. Chen looked at him with a gentle affirmation in his eyes: "The results of the last surgery were much better than expected. After this minor adjustment, your voice should reach a stable and usable state in the long term."

He Xu's eyelashes twitched: "[English]...Long-term availability?"

"Yes. As long as you take care to protect it and don't overuse it, your vocal cords shouldn't degenerate like they did before."

He Xu paused for a moment, then spoke: "[English]...What if I want to sing in the future?"

Dr. Chen looked at him for two seconds, then said, "Theoretically, it's possible. But it should be done gradually, preferably under professional guidance. After two surgeries, your vocal cords are more fragile than normal and require more careful maintenance."

He Xu nodded and didn't ask any more questions.

When the nurse pushed the wheelchair in, He Xu stood up but did not sit down.

"I walk."

The nurse glanced at him but didn't insist.

He turned to look at Jiang Yanbai, who was sitting in a chair, not saying a word, but his gaze remained fixed on him.

"You wait here," He Xu said. "I'll be out soon."

Jiang Yanbai nodded, a very slight smile playing on his lips: "Okay, go ahead."

He Xu turned around and followed the nurse out of the ward.

The corridor lights were still that soft, warm white, and his steps were much lighter than last time.

He didn't even stop when he passed the stainless steel door of the operating area; he went straight in.

The anesthesiologist was already waiting inside, adjusting the ventilator settings. Seeing him enter, the anesthesiologist looked up and nodded at him: "Mr. He? Please lie down on the bed."

He Xu lay down on the operating table, his fingers resting on his sides, much more relaxed than last time.

The anesthesiologist gently placed the mask over his mouth and nose: "[English] We're starting to give you oxygen and anesthesia. Relax and breathe normally."

He Xu closed his eyes.

This time he didn't count.

He just thought that after this surgery, this worry would finally be over.

Then his consciousness began to drift away, like water slowly leaving the shore as the tide recedes, smoothly and gently gliding into a warm white light.