Senior Brother Haoyun was genuinely consulting Bai Qinghua, but Chonghui speaking up to give his opinion at this time doesn't count as overstepping, because his position in the research group is akin to that of a "mini-supervisor."
For mentors, apart from the very first disciple who might truly be taught hands-on from the basics, subsequent students are generally guided by the established first disciple.
Unless there are some mandatory teaching tasks from the school, usually mentors are liberated to focus on their own affairs.
Chonghui serves this "mini-supervisor" role in the research group, and the junior brothers and sisters in the office can be said to have been guided by him from the beginning.
Therefore, his status within the research group is quite exceptional.
