CH 98.1

“The man wearing a white robe in the middle is the master of this troupe. He used to be a little famous in a small capital before he came here and established Meiyuan House, becoming the backstage owner.”

“People call him Bai Xian, while others call him Bai Ban.”

“Occasionally, he will come on stage to sing a song or two. It is a rare occasion and every time he sings, the place gets packed.”

“The three people beside him are the main characters of tonight’s show.”

“The one who plays the scholar is called Mei Sheng, the one who plays the lady is called Haitang, and the one who plays the fairy in the painting is called Bai Lian.”

“Mei Sheng and Haitang are both men, while Bai Lian is a girl. These three people are not only Bai Ban’s favorite students, but also the three pillars of the Meiyuan House.”

Under Bai Lixin’s strong request, Dijia stayed until the end.

There was a small gap between the curtain, and through the gap, Dijia patiently introduced the people waiting for the curtain call to Bai Lixin.

The reason Bai Lixin insisted on staying was that he heard a familiar name in the opening singer’s lines.

—“Xian Gu.”

The show was an adaptation of a strange story.

The scholar went to the capital to take an exam but became very ill. He was then rescued by a kind-hearted lady.

The lady saw that he was handsome and had an interest in him, so she began to pay more attention to him.

It would be a big mistake to see this as an ordinary story of a poor scholar and a pretty lady.

Because there was another character, a portrait of a beautiful woman.

From the moment the scholar lived there and saw the portrait of the lady hanging in the study, he immediately felt attracted to it. He accepted the lady’s hospitality because he could stay in the study and see the fairy in the painting day after day.

Later, he even started dreaming of the lady in the painting, for which the scholar gave her a unique name – “Xian Gu”.

In this way, the scholar entered a relationship with the lady in reality, but dreamed of Xian Gu at night.

He was slowly entangled with the dreams and over time, was unable to distinguish between the dream world and reality. He got so lost in the dream that he forgot about the exams he came to take.

There was a scene in the play where the scholar and the lady had a rendezvous in the study. He embraced the lady, but his eyes kept looking at the girl in the painting. Suddenly, a white mist rose and like a dream, Xian Gu came out of the painting. She hid behind the lady, and the three skillfully entangled with each other.

The white mist coupled with the surrounding gorgeous scenery and melodious music brought the audience into the immersive scene.

After that, the scholar indulged in extravagance, and his body got worse with each passing day.

He forgot his ambitions, forgot to go for the exam, and forgot about morality.

In the end, a fire suddenly started, and the lady, as well as the scroll, disappeared in thin air.

The scholar once had everything, but in the blink of an eye, lost everything, leaving only endless loneliness and depression.

In this play, “Romance of the West Wing”, the fairy in the painting was called Xian Gu, and Lord Li happened to say this name as well, it couldn’t be a coincidence, right?

Bai Lixin looked at Bai Ban standing in the middle. He looked only twenty-seven or twenty-eight, handsome and elegant, and his gestures showed a natural kind of grace.

Bai Lixin supported his cheek with one hand and lazily leaned on the soft couch, “When did this ‘ Romance of the West Wing’ start to be performed? It can’t be three years ago, right?”

Dijia gently stroked Bai Lixin’s black hair, the silk cheongsam was smooth, but not as delicate and smooth as Bai Lixin’s long hair: “You guessed right. It was first performed three years ago and it had a high attendance. But for some reason, it was stopped, and was once again performed three years later.”

“Three years ago, the Madam had a bizarre death, three years later, Lord Li died tragically, and it was also in these intervals that this play was performed.” Bai Lixin chuckled, “That is too much of a coincidence.”

He raised his eyebrows, and he glanced at Dijia from the corner of his eyes, “Don’t you think so, my good boy?”

Want to be a child? I’ll let you be a child.

The hair sniffing action came to an abrupt halt, and the corners of Dijia’s mouth pulled out a stiff smile, “It really is, Little mother is so smart.”

Bai Lixin, “How about we talk to this Bai Ban for a few minutes?”

Bai Ban thanked the audience and took the performers backstage, leaving only a few behind the scenes personnel to guide the crowd to disperse.

The audience was unfulfilled. They were still immersed in that low-pitched singing and one by one, they left the stage regretfully.

“Speaking of which, wasn’t Yun Lang an opera performer before?” The group next door had not yet left, and after crying enough, Hu Meier had calmed down a lot. “Yun Lang seems to still like the play of Bai Ban. Between you, and the scholar on stage, whom do you think is more skillful?”

Brother Yun, “Oh, I dare not compare with these apprentices of Bai Ban. I have only been in the opera troupe for a year or two so how can I compare? It’s one minute on stage but ten years of hard work off stage. I couldn’t bear the hardship, so I left the troupe.”

“At that time, he was a famous actor in our troupe, and people from all the surrounding villages came for him. Some dignitaries even spent a lot of money on him. I was only seven years old by then, and he was already 20 years old. He was like the sun that I could only just look at.”

Brother Yun then laughed, “I remember him but he certainly wouldn’t remember me. But even so, in front of Bai Ban, I still want to put my best side on display, I don’t want to show those dirty things.”

Hu Meier, “You are already thirty years old, I did not expect Bai Ban to be more than a dozen years older than you! If I’m correct, he should be more than forty years old! Surprisingly, he looks younger than you, I’m curious as to how he maintains his looks.”

Brother Yun, “Yeah, I’m surprised too. When I first saw him three years ago, I thought it was just a look alike, but the temperament does not lie. I didn’t expect it to be him. So many years have passed but he is still the same as ever, even his appearance has not changed much. Worthy of the senior brother we called Bai Xian, he is really an exiled immortal.”

Feng Gu, “So that’s why you changed into the clothes you usually don’t wear. How about this, why don’t we go backstage and meet Bai Ban? You are considered brothers under the same troupe so he should be very happy to see you.”

“Oh, I shouldn’t,” Brother Yun smiled bitterly. “My current identity is shaming, let’s just go.”

The sound of wooden stools being lifted was heard in the next compartment, followed by the sound of footsteps moving about.

Bai Lixin’s gaze fell back to the curtain that had fallen on the stage.

That Bai Ban looked twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, he didn’t expect him to be over forty years.

The footsteps on the wooden boards rang out for several minutes before they gradually extinguished, and finally, there was only the sound of cleaning.

When everyone had left, Dijia looked at Bai Lixin, “Do you still want to go backstage?”

Bai Lixin stood up and naturally picked up Dijia’s cloak and draped it over his body, “I’m already here, of course I’m going.”

Bai Lixin’s action of casually picking up the cloak and draping it over his body pleased Dijia. A smile flashed across his eyes, and he stood up. He pensively walked over to take the belt in Bai Lixin’s hand.

“How can I let Little mother tie the cloak by himself?” Dijia lowered his head, and his long bony fingers nimbly made a knot, his eyes focused and serious, “Let me serve you.”

Bai Lixin lowered his eyes and looked at the fingers looping the black belt, he could vaguely smell the scent of candied fruit that still lingered on them.

The two people just quietly stood there, slowly filling the atmosphere with ambiguous and warm pink bubbles.

It was this pair of hands that he was all too familiar with, they unrestrainedly caressed him, then turned and tenderly fed him candied fruit.

“Okay.”

Just as Bai Lixin’s thoughts were floating about, the man’s low voice came.

A broad hand was placed on his shoulders and when Bai Lixin looked up, he found Dijia looking down and their eyes met.

The two were nose to nose, and they could feel each other’s breaths.

A heat wave passed over Bai Lixin’s face and Dijia’s low voice came over like a dense cloud of fog, “Little mother’s face is so red, did you just have a bad idea?”

The pair of deep black pupils remained fixated on him, as if he was the world.

Bai Lixin’s heart suddenly skipped a beat, followed by a rapid beating like a drum.

He hurriedly turned his head and said, “Let’s go, or we’ll miss Bai Ban.”

No matter how long time goes by, he would always drown in Dijia’s eyes.

The hand hidden in the cloak secretly pressed over his chest, secretly trying to restrain the uncontrolled heartbeat.

Dijia’s voice came from his side, “Don’t panic, I have already arranged for people to watch him. Wait a while and slowly ask what you want. I will definitely let you ask to your heart’s content.”

Bai Lixin turned his head to look at Dijia who was walking beside him, “Lord Governor is so powerful.”

Dijia, “Otherwise, hasn’t this official served you well?”

Bai Lixin: “……”

——-

In the live broadcast room.

[“Come all come”, “do all do”]

[Hahahaha, as expected of his partner. The big boss is talking more and more like God Xin.]

[The big boss is stealing God Xin’s lines with strength, leaving God Xin speechless.]

[God Xin: I’m numb.]

[I want to fast forward to the Governor’s mansion, I have a feeling there is no more plot here.]

[ ? ? Upstairs, is the plot you are mentioning the one I’m thinking of?]

[I think so.]

[Governor’s House, Governor’s House, Governor’s House. You say one thing and I say another. The big boss will eat meat tonight.]

[Brother! You’re my brother! You won’t back down and will counterattack right?!]

[What? Where’s this little kid from? Go play.]