Chapter 8 Gratitude…

Chapter 8: A Favor Received...

The troupe leader arrived just in time, appearing so accommodating that it could even be described as "fawning."

Not only were Zhu Yinluan and Ming Ya utterly bewildered, but even the receptionist who had sternly refused them earlier was left stunned.

"Troupe leader? Haven’t the performances for the next half-month already been fully booked?" the person whispered in reminder. "Besides, today’s performance is... is reserved for the Marquis’s household."

Zhu Yinluan caught a crucial word—Marquis’s household.

Don’t tell me it’s the Shen family again?

How many marquisates exist in the capital?

She felt a strong premonition—it must be the Shen family. Yet, she didn’t dare ask directly.

But Ming Ya, standing beside her, was quick to blurt out, "Which marquisate? Could it be the noble Shen family?"

Since the troupe leader’s attitude had shifted so abruptly, the receptionist’s tone softened as well. "Yes, it’s the Marquis’s household of Shen."

Then, half-apologetically, half-explaining, he turned to Zhu Yinluan, "It’s precisely because we’ve taken the Shen family’s booking today that we couldn’t arrange a performance for you, my lady. Otherwise, I would have gladly made an exception."

Zhu Yinluan asked, "If the Marquis’s household of Shen was already booked, why did you say there’s availability now?"

"Because the elderly madam of the Marquis’s household fell ill today. Someone came to inform us that the performance was no longer needed, so the time became available."

Though the explanation made sense, Zhu Yinluan still felt something was amiss.

Even if there was an opening, why would the troupe leader personally come to inform her?

Was it because of her status as Madam Wei?

But in a city overflowing with nobility and influence, where did the Wei family rank? The receptionist’s earlier impatience was evidence enough.

So what was the troupe leader’s true intention?

Noticing Zhu Yinluan’s suspicion, exactly as the Marquis’s attendant foresaw, the troupe leader, Zhou Quan, explained thoroughly, "Earlier, when you expressed interest in watching a performance, our receptionist had someone relay the message inside."

"We were about to cancel today’s booking when the Marquis’s attendant heard it was the Wei family who wished to watch. They immediately offered to relinquish today’s performance to the Wei family."

So the troupe leader assumed there was some connection between the Wei family and the Marquis’s household of Shen, hence his eagerness to accommodate them?

It was plausible, yet Zhu Yinluan couldn’t shake her misgivings.

She couldn’t pinpoint what exactly felt wrong, but it was far too coincidental.

Why did she keep encountering the Shen family whenever she stepped out?

And why did she always find herself indebted to them?

She still hadn’t returned the ambergris from last time, and now she was using their reserved time?

Deeming it improper, Zhu Yinluan shook her head. "I’ve had a change of heart about watching a performance today. Please offer it to someone else."

"Ming Ya, let’s go."

"Madam, please wait," the troupe leader implored. "If you have any concerns, do grant us the opportunity to address them."

"I simply don’t feel like watching a performance anymore," Zhu Yinluan insisted. But the troupe leader pressed on, saying the actors were already prepared and waiting to perform. If she left now, how would they recoup their costs?

Zhu Yinluan could easily afford the cost, but she hesitated—she didn’t want to incur another debt to the Shen family.

If it was the attendant who made the offer, it must have been Heir Shen’s attendant.

She couldn’t think of anyone else.

"Madam, it’s difficult for the troupe to fill a canceled slot on such short notice. Could you perhaps...?" the troupe leader beseeched humbly.

Having managed household affairs for years, Zhu Yinluan had become more resolute, but she still disliked causing trouble for others. With reluctance, she agreed.

The troupe leader personally escorted the two inside.

The theater was set in a pear orchard, where leafless pear branches, not yet in bloom, were adorned with numerous lanterns and red silk auspicious ornaments, creating a charming and unique sight.

The inner walls of the courtyard were painted with vivid opera murals, some recognizable to Zhu Yinluan, others unfamiliar.

She had once loved opera, but financial constraints had limited her opportunities to watch. Most of her knowledge came from librettos. After her marriage, her stepmother, mindful of appearances, had granted her a few shops, alleviating her financial strain slightly. Yet thrift was still essential.

When she first married into the Wei family, they were in decline, facing restrictions and shortages everywhere. She had used her modest dowry to fill many gaps. After Pang Shi entrusted her with household management duties, the responsibility of providing for the whole household fell on her shoulders. To secure her place in the Wei family, she had relentlessly devised methods to improve the shops’ profitability and keep the household afloat.

Zhu Yinluan believed she had done her best and achieved decent results—but did anyone in the Wei family remember her efforts?

The memories brought back her headache.

The troupe leader led them through the inner and outer courtyards before asking whether she preferred to watch the performance outdoors or indoors.

"The open air is refreshing. Let’s stay outside."

"Very well." The troupe leader inquired about her preferences and had tea and pastries served. "The outer courtyard has wind wheels set up, so you needn’t worry about the heat."

"Thank you." The theater’s arrangements were flawless—beyond reproach.

Not only that, but the chosen plays perfectly matched her tastes.

Originally planning to watch just one show before leaving, she found herself engrossed in three.

The last one, *The Garden of Eternal Spring*, was particularly rare—a play she had once read in an incomplete manuscript years ago. Only the first half had survived, and though she had tried to imagine the missing second half, nothing had ever satisfied her.

Now, after all these years, she finally witnessed the complete story.

The long-standing regret was resolved, lifting her spirits. As the performance concluded, she and Ming Ya clapped gently.

Absorbed in the show, neither noticed the handsome man standing by the half-open window in the theater’s upper pavilion, gazing down at her calm demeanor.

While she watched the stage, he watched her—her soft, tranquil profile.

Seeing her expression ease, the man’s thin lips curved faintly. "..."

By the end of the third performance, evening approached. Zhu Yinluan considered leaving after a brief stroll.

But then, the actors began another show. Before she could ask, Ming Ya exclaimed, "Miss, it’s *Celebrating the Birthday*!"

This play was not only lively but also vivid and amusing, starkly different from the previous three.

Zhu Yinluan was captivated, only emerging from her reverie when it ended.

The opera troupe leader had someone bring out a bowl of longevity noodles, smiling as he said, "We heard today is the lady's birthday. Wishing the lady eternal bloom and peace and joy for years to come."

"This..." Zhu Yinluan was completely taken aback.

"These noodles are humble, just an auspicious gesture. Please don't take offense, madam." The troupe leader handed over silver chopsticks.

Ming Ya accepted them on Zhu Yinluan's behalf and thanked him for her.

"Miss, this troupe is quite good. The noodles are well made—would you like to try them?"

Zhu Yinluan looked at the bowl of auspicious longevity noodles and felt an odd sense of familiarity.

She had never eaten longevity noodles before, so why did they seem... eerily familiar?

Under Ming Ya's urging, Zhu Yinluan finally picked up her chopsticks and tasted them. The taste was delightful—the broth savory and fragrant, the noodles chewy. Yet beyond being delicious, she couldn't shake the feeling she had eaten them before.

But if she had, how could she not remember?

"Miss, what's wrong?" Ming Ya pressed when she noticed Zhu Yinluan spacing out.

"N-nothing." Zhu Yinluan dismissed the thought. It must just be her imagination.

No one had ever made longevity noodles for her before—where would this sense of familiarity come from?

It must be that her illness hadn't fully recovered, causing lingering fever dreams.

Before she knew it, she had finished the entire bowl. Zhu Yinluan felt rejuvenated head to toe, her head no longer heavy, her mood lifting considerably.

"Miss, your color returned to your cheeks." Seeing Zhu Yinluan actually ate heartily and didn't just take a few bites before stopping, Ming Ya was delighted.

"We have the troupe leader to thank for his hospitality." Zhu Yinluan motioned for Ming Ya to fetch some silver.

But the troupe leader waved it off. "Consider today's performance our gift to the lady. No payment needed. We also have a modest gift—please accept it, and forgive any earlier performers’ mishaps. Don't take your displeasure out on our troupe. In the future, if the lady wishes to see another show, just send a servant to reserve."

How improper—to eat their food and take gifts?

Zhu Yinluan insisted it wasn't proper and refused, but the troupe leader was adamant, adding that when the Wei family’s influence grows, he hoped they would remember the troupe.

Unable to decline such earnestness, Zhu Yinluan found herself holding a gift.

"..."

On the way back, she opened it—it was an opera troupe’s priority pass. Holding this token would grant her priority as a VIP patron. Any future performances could be booked in advance.

Though not extravagantly valuable, it was rare. To obtain such a token required considerable wealth and status surpassing most.

"I thought this troupe was indifferent, sucking up to the mighty, snubbing the meek. Who knew they could be so polished and thoughtful?"

Zhu Yinluan ran her fingers over the ridges under her fingertips, yet something felt off.

But she couldn't pinpoint what.

After pondering the entire way back, the only possibility she could think of was the Shen family.

Perhaps the Shen family's influence had made the troupe leader wary of offending the Weis.

Once again, it seemed she was indebted to the kindness of that never-before-seen Heir Shen...

If not for him, today would have had no opera, no noodles, and certainly no opera troupe’s priority pass.

Upon returning home, she found her elder sister had arrived. Not only that, but Wei Ruzuo had also returned early, and Pang Shi was present as well.

The group was chatting cheerfully over dinner in the main hall, laughing among themselves, like a true family—while she, the lawful wife of the heir, felt more like an unwelcome outsider.

Pang Shi, who had never liked her, was beaming at her elder sister. Even her own husband... was attentively placing food in her sister’s bowl.

Though her sister had asked for his help, shouldn't they observe proper boundaries? Weren't there maids nearby? Why not have them do it?

Zhu Yinluan stood silently watching from a distance.

No one at the table noticed her until Nanny Yun called out, "Madam Wei."

Only then did the three finally turn—but the moment they did, their smiles vanished, as if her presence was unwelcome.

Facing those three expressions, Zhu Yinluan couldn't bring herself to take another step forward. The air turned thick and stifling, slowly enveloping her...

Especially seeing Pang Shi, seeing her sister, seeing the husband she’d pledged herself to.

Somewhere along the way, resentment festered—even the urge to run away.