Chapter 46

Chapter Forty-Six

Xi Qin was the host of this opera showcase. Although he had never attended any rehearsals, based on past experience, it was bound to be decent.

Under the expectant gazes of thousands of students, he gracefully stepped onto the stage, stood before the microphone, and spoke in a firm yet gentle voice: "Welcome, distinguished guests, to our school. Welcome, Principal Li, teachers, and fellow students, to the Deyin Grand Hall. This year's annual opera performance will be led by Yevgeny, the head of the Opera Club, with eighteen other members participating..."

After a lengthy yet necessary speech, Xi Qin finally reached his closing remarks: "Now, please enjoy the original opera by the Opera Club—'Stars and the Sea.'"

The audience broke into well-timed applause. Xi Qin gave a slight bow and exited the stage.

By the railing of the second-floor balcony, an administrator remarked with a smile, "This student is quite eloquent."

Director Hu, with his singed, bird’s-nest-like hair, his face shiny with grease, and his goatee rebelliously standing out, added, "That’s the student council vice president, Xi Qin."

"The one from the Xi family, the financial magnates?"

"Yes."

The administrator glanced at Director Hu, his disdain unmistakable. "What happened to you?"

Mistaking it for concern, Director Hu replied emotionally, "Oh, I just got hit by lightning. No big deal."

The administrator thought for a moment and said, "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger."

Da-da-dum!—The orchestra swelled, signaling the start of the opera.

The red velvet curtains parted to reveal an ocean projection backdrop. In front of it, a prop boat swayed as three or five fishermen strained at their oars.

The lead bearded fisherman burst into song: "The sun's a-shinin' bright, oh~ Fishermen ride the waves, oh~ Hey! Ha!"

The other fishermen joined in: "I wanna go home and soak up some sun, oh~ Dry some fish and have some gruel, oh~ Hey! Ha!"

The audience: "... Well, that was... folksy."

Previous opera performances had been renowned foreign productions, characterized by their elegant and refined style. Even if they only managed to capture 30 to 40 percent of the original, it was still enough to keep the audience engaged.

But this? What was this?

So strange. Let’s take another look.

Principal Li said with a smile, "This is an original script. I’ve read it—the content is quite good."

Yu Jingmo: "Hmm."

Everyone persevered.

Act Two. The scene changed to a seaside village, with small wooden houses dotting the backdrop. The stage floor was strewn with nets, and dried fish hung from bamboo poles.

Hale, played by Yevgeny, was a young man dressed in a short-sleeved shirt and gray linen pants. He hurriedly carried two large fish wrapped in a net and called out before a small wooden house: "Stella Dew, Stella Dew~"

Wait—was the female lead supposed to be a rabbit?

From inside the house came a soft voice, "Oh, Hale, what brings you here?"

"..." Is that you, Hale Brothers? *[Note: A reference to a popular Chinese cartoon character]*

Hale said, "Stella, it's me. I brought you some fish."

Stella Dew replied, "Oh, thank you."

"Hale, I’m heading out to sea soon. You... wait for me."

Stella Dew said nothing, but a sunflower (a symbol of hope) was tossed out from the wooden house’s window.

Hale picked up the sunflower, raised it, and sang passionately, "Your heart is like the sea, mine like the stars. Your heart holds me, mine holds you~"

*Dun-dun-dun*—Hale made his exit.

The spotlight focused on the small wooden house. Through the window frame, a slender girl’s silhouette sang sorrowfully, "Your heart holds me, mine holds you. If you don’t return, what shall I do~"

The students' eyes sparkled—who was the female lead? Her figure was so beautiful, though her voice sounded weird, like she was forcing it.

Stella Dew stepped out of the wooden house, carrying the fish, and appeared under the spotlight—

Everyone: "..."

This was the female lead? With all that makeup?

While others' stage makeup looked just right under the lights—natural and beautiful—Tian Ruan’s face presented a strange blend of pretty and grotesque.

His features were pretty, but the bright red lips extending beyond their natural line, the thick layers of blush (at least ten coats), and the glittery purple eyeshadow—did someone just slap this on randomly?

It made it impossible to distinguish his actual features, leaving only the exaggerated makeup visible.

Yu Jingmo’s brow lifted slightly, a faint glimmer of amusement in his eyes.

Principal Li: "Well... that’s certainly something."

Meanwhile, Madam Du kept searching the crowd of fishermen. "Which one is Tian Ruan?"

Du Henbie searched for a while, then cast a doubtful glance at Stella Dew. The more he stared, the more she looked like...

The leaders and business tycoons broke into laughter. Many operas were dull and tedious, but it was rare for someone to become the "comic relief" the moment they appeared—Tian Ruan had achieved just that.

As for the opera’s female lead, Stella Dew, when she saw the packed crowd below and the balcony packed with big shots—especially spotting Yu Jingmo—her legs almost gave out. *What’s going on? Why are they all here??*

Tian Ruan instantly forgot what he was supposed to do. The fish flopped around in the net.

The students gaped at him.

"..."

Tian Ruan suddenly remembered—he was supposed to sigh and exit. Trying hard not to meet Yu Jingmo’s eyes, he told himself, *No way he recognizes me*, took a deep breath, and sighed, "Ah..."

His blank stare almost looked like grief.

He hurried offstage.

Yevgeny (as Hale) reappeared, wandering aimlessly—stopping to chat with an old man here, a kid there, an old lady elsewhere—before finally gathering his courage and knocking on Stella Dew’s door again.

Hale blurted out, "My bride-to-be! Wait for me—I’m *marrying* you when I get back!"

Tian Ruan: "..."

*Ugh, why do they always change lines last minute? I thought we were childhood friends? Now suddenly we’re engaged?*

However, the experienced Tian Ruan didn’t panic—compared to the scripts of this world, the stage script was child's play. He looked at Hale without speaking.

"Stella Dew!" Hale, lost in the performance, continued, "You must wait for me to return!"

Stella Dew: "Oh, Hale, if you don’t return, I will weep at your grave and mourn you."

(The grave-visiting bit was his own improvisation.)

Hale sang a love song, marking the start of his quest.

He and the fishermen set sail, belting out songs before setting off; they sang when encountering waves at sea; and when the sea finally calmed, they kept singing.

Meanwhile, Tian Ruan was responsible for being Hale’s moral support during moments of danger—

"Hale, you must be brave!"

"Hale, you can do it!"

"Hale, I’m waiting for you!"

Each line came out flatter than the last, gradually losing all emotion.

The audience: "..."

Stella Dew committed to her role as the waiting lover, her gaze shifting from sea to orchestra pit to balcony.

Tian Ruan accidentally locked eyes with Yu Jingmo, who quirked a smile at him.

When the cue music rose, Tian Ruan was supposed to exit—because next, Hale would arrive at a small island, begin a magical adventure, first meeting an old man and obtaining treasure; then encountering a flower spirit, winning her over; and finally returning triumphantly to marry Stella Dew.

But in his haste, Tian Ruan turned too quickly, stepped on his overly long skirt, and went down hard—

His purple wig went flying.

A gasp ran through the crowd. Such short hair—was that a man??

Tian Ruan hurriedly picked up the wig and put it back on, ad-libbing: "Oh, Hale, if you don’t return soon, I’ll fall ill and die."

The grandmother helped Stella Dew up, awkwardly playing along: "Poor Stella Dew, that no-good Hale!"

Hale: "..."

The show must go on.

Hale rowed back to the fishing village, crying out lovingly, "Stella Dew, I’ve returned!"

The curtains slowly parted—where there should've been celebration now showed Stella Dew laid out in the blossoms, eyes closed.

Hale howled in anguish: "...Stella Dew!!"

The jaunty score turned funereal as Hale knelt slowly beside Stella Dew, choking out, "Why didn’t you wait for me? Why?"

The grandmother quavered, "Hale, she kept waiting ten long years."

"Ten... ten years have passed?"

"Yes, Stella Dew, she..." (The line hung unfinished.)

Hale shouted at the top of his lungs: "Stella Dew!!"

The fishermen approached, just as devastated by what happened: "Hale, Stella Dew would've wanted you to be happy. Let's sing a song for her."

Hale stood up in sorrow and sang: "I wanna go home to bask in the sun~ Dry some fish and slurp down some congee~ But now that you're gone, what shall I do~"

Hale picked up a harpoon and stabbed himself in the abdomen, collapsing beside Stella Dew.

Under the soft lighting, both wore peaceful smiles.

The crowd: "..." Who does tragic endings anymore these days?

If this could still be considered normal plot progression, what followed was just plain weird.

With the leads dead, the supporting cast didn't know how to end the show. Under immense pressure, they too grabbed harpoons and offed themselves, bodies strewn across the stage—all wearing peaceful smiles.

"......"

Principal Li remained expressionless.

Yu Jingmo remained expressionless.

The others remained expressionless.

Someone clapped once, but the silence was so absolute that the clap just died out.

The curtain slowly closed as the fallen opera troupe members scrambled up, shoving and blaming each other. "It's all your fault... Troupe leader... goddamn it..."

The curtain slowly reopened.

Their brawl was now fully visible on stage.

Yevgeny, gritting his teeth, grabbed Tian Ruan's wig, only to be thrown with an over-the-shoulder throw—

Time froze until the curtain closed again.

When it reopened, the stage was empty, all props removed. Xi Qin reluctantly stepped forward, forcing a smile: "Thank you to the Opera Club for presenting this beautiful tragic story. Show's over, folks."

Amid the bustling crowd, this world's protagonist Zhu Jueshou, Lu Qiuyan, thought to himself with a sigh: This world is just one giant half-assed operation.