CH 34.1

Chapter 34.1 – Out of the City

After the peak period of infection was announced, a commotion broke out in the city.

The Alliance garrison had already deployed control and quickly suppressed the chaos—panic was inevitable, but the more critical the situation, the more important order was.

Fortunately, the end of the world has lasted for more than 70 years. Except for young people, everyone has experienced the peak period of infection. They calmed down at an alarming speed and returned indoors one after another, waiting for further arrangements.

Chai Yongning announced that these two days is a buffer period and the martial law bill will be gradually implemented, and the full martial law will begin in five days.

The arrival of the peak period is a gradual process. Just because it’s announced, doesn’t mean there’s danger tomorrow – maybe in the next few weeks or even months, life will not change, but the situation will eventually get worse and worse.

During the buffer period, normal activities and performances can still be performed, this is the troupe’s last chance. Fortunately, under the persuasion of Wolfgang and Cheng Youwen, the part-time actors who played the dragon suit were willing to cooperate with the last performance.

Shi Yuan thought Xia Fang would be unhappy. To his surprise, Xia Fang didn’t say anything, and even helped to persuade other actors.

On May 16, 141, at 8:30 am, the Garcia Grand Theater opened its doors, and the No. 1 performance hall was brightly lit.

61 tickets were sold and 3 spectators came.

A couple, an elderly connoisseur.

Shi Yuan performed “The Martyr” dutifully. They have performed many times, but this time was their most perfect performance: they performed so well that people forgot the cold reality. Each character came alive, bringing stories from different worlds to the audience.

The audience saw the life of the protagonist Leo.

At first, he was a hooligan who took a human life, then he was a hypocrite who killed monsters, and finally, he was a martyr who saved the world.

The story had a beginning and an end, and it ended successfully.

The actors of the troupe stood in front of the stage, hand in hand, and bowed to the audience together. The three audience members stood up and clapped, screamed, and cheered with all their might.

In a gloomy world, in this small corner, there was one last carnival.

Shi Yuan stood in the tide of light and thought, this is like applause and cheer from all over the world.

Then the lights dimmed, and the velvet curtain slowly closed, as if closing a door to the other world, and the dream came to an end.

Backstage, Cheng Youwen said: “The performance was good, but it’s a pity that Ms. Isabella didn’t see it.” He smiled. “If you guys could have performed like today before, we would have been famous all over the world. It’s a pity.”

Then, there was a suffocating silence. Xia Fang leaned on the railing and looked out the window, without speaking, Qin Luoluo turned a ring on the table, distracted. After a long time, Wolfgang said, “The day after tomorrow, let’s have a meal together if you have time.”

When the full martial law begins, it will not be so easy to meet.

They all knew by heart that this was actually a farewell dinner.

“Then let’s do it!” Unexpectedly, it was Xia Fang who spoke first. He patted his thigh. “I just ordered two bottles of wine from an old man, thinking that I would drink them secretly. I will contribute them tomorrow, let’s drink them together! A bottle of red wine and a bottle of beer, it’s expensive and worthy of this farewell meal!”

The atmosphere relaxed a little, Qin Luoluo said with a smile: “I didn’t expect that you, a penny-pincher, would actually share a good wine.”

“Who said I’m a penny-pincher?” Xia Fang pointed to Shi Yuan. “Shi Yuan, did I invite you to eat rice pudding?”

Shi Yuan nodded.

“See?” Xia Fang raised his eyebrows.

In short, the time for the farewell meal was set at four o’clock in the afternoon the day after tomorrow.

In the afternoon, everyone began to organize their personal belongings and prepare to take them away.

Shi Yuan had few things, just a backpack, a few stationaries, and three books. He quickly finished packing and returned home early.

When it was late, he had a phone call with Lu heard Han.

This time, the roles were reversed, and the person who talked a lot became Lu Tinghan.

Lu Tinghan said that he should read the “City Code” a few more times and close the doors and windows at home and don’t go to places where there are too many people; he said that the army has already begun to distribute supplies, you have seen the wheat fields, there will be no problem with food supply; and he said that he will be back soon.

Shi Yuan agreed one by one, and said, “The performance is going to be suspended. I will continue to clean up the theater tomorrow, and I will have a farewell dinner the day after tomorrow.”

Lu Tinghan: “Hmm.”

“You must be careful, I will wait for you to come back, no one touches my head anymore.”

Lu Tinghan said, “I will try my best to come back.”

The next day, Shi Yuan continued to go backstage to help clean up the piled-up items.

Everyone was in a much better mood and were able to joke with each other – it’s useless to be sad, people always have to look ahead, and besides, from the first day they joined the troupe, they were ready to disband, now it’s just about to happen.

“Old Cheeeng,” Qin Luoluo called out with a drawn-out voice. “Where did you put that gray cosmetic bag for me?”

“It’s under the dresser! In the drawer!” Cheng Youwen made a sound on the second floor, and there was a clanging noise.

“It’s not here – did you lose it?”

“Impossible!” Cheng Youwen was so angry that he left everything and rushed down with his crutches. “How dare you slander people out of nowhere, come here and I will find it for you!”

The two of them rummaged through boxes and cabinets together, Shi Yuan had just packed up the costumes and vacuumed them, when he heard the shrill siren.

This time, it was a Level IV warning, and they only had to take shelter indoors. A few people went to the basement of the theater and huddled with a pile of props that hadn’t been used in years, and the air smelled stale.

Qin Luoluo couldn’t hide her panic, she sat on the box in the corner, and Cheng Youwen accompanied her to comfort her. On the other side, Tracy flicked her cat ears, her pupils narrowed into a line, and entered a state of hyperactivity, jumping up and down, Wolfgang ran after her.

Shi Yuan and Xia Fang were together.

Xia Fang nestled in the corner, muttering something in his mouth. Shi Yuan leaned over to look, and in his hand was a stack of old and yellowed banknotes, which were crumpled, as if they had been kneaded repeatedly by countless people, giving off a greasy light.

This wad of money was not much, but Xia Fang counted it over and over again, almost nervous.

“Xia Fang,” Shi Yuan called out.

Xia Fang didn’t respond.

Shi Yuan: “Xia Fang!”

Xia Fang trembled all over, and looked up at him: “Huh?!”

Shi Yuan asked, “Are you okay?”

“Oh! You scared the hell out of me,” Xia Fang muttered. “This warning came at a bad time. I had an appointment with someone else at night.”

The “someone else” he was talking about must be the men in the bar again.

Shi Yuan sat beside him, tucking his tail in front of him: “Have you ever liked someone?”

“…Why did you ask this suddenly?” Xia Fang was taken aback. “What’s wrong, you are worried about your man, so you come to gossip about my love life to relieve pressure?”

“No,” Shi Yuan said. “I just want to hear your story.”

“Don’t listen, it’s boring.”

“Okay.” Shi Yuan said, continuing to sit beside him, staring at him counting money, and carrying out the daily human observation plan.

Xia Fang was observed for a long time, and finally couldn’t stand it anymore, and stopped counting the money: “Shi Yuan, what’s so interesting about this?”

“I’m just curious,” Shi Yuan replied.

Xia Fang stuffed the money back into his wallet: “F*ck, all right, I’d rather chat with you than be watched by you like this.” He took a deep breath and rubbed his face. The gray marks on his hands suddenly disappeared and fell on the skin, and he didn’t know it. “…how should I start, I was 17 years old when I fell in love with a man.”

Shi Yuan listened attentively.

Xia Fang: “He was in his early thirties, handsome and sophisticated, working in the inspector’s office, coming over for drinks every Friday in fine clothes. I was working in that small bar, and the salary was lower than now, poor as hell. The people I see every day were either gangsters or fat old men, he stood out from the crowd, like a person from another world, I noticed him at once.”

Shi Yuan: “And then?”

“Then, we started dating. How can a child hide his thoughts from adults? He saw right through me at a glance.” Xia Fang squeezed his slightly thin arms. “I am somewhat good-looking, so a few weeks later, we started sleeping together.”

He continued: “We didn’t just go to bed. He didn’t talk to me about work. When he was in a good mood, he’d talk to me about other things. Men, to some extent, like guns and military affairs. He just talked to me about defense lines and proposals, and I was taken aback by my own lack of knowledge. After meeting a few more times, I started to really like him.”

“I can understand,” Shi Yuan said. “I also like listening to Lu Tingting tell stories.”

Xia Fang smiled bitterly: “And then, we dated for three or four years, and then he told me suddenly that we would never see each other again. I chased him and asked why, and he actually told me, because his wife was pregnant! I just found out that this son of a b*tch was married long ago! I have been a male mistress for so long, don’t you think it’s ridiculous?!”

He took a deep breath and patted his wallet: “In addition, my mother was seriously ill that year, and since then, I have strengthened my heart and only love money, not people. This is my life so far, dog bloody and so tragic that I can’t believe it. None of them are perfect, and none of them is my favorite.”

Shi Yuan thought for a long time: “…But, you like this place, right?”

“Huh?” Xia Fang turned to look at him.

“I like this place and I like the troupe,” Shi Yuan said. “Just like Mr. Cheng and the others like it here.”

“Are you kidding?” Xia Fang laughed out loud. “How did you come to that conclusion? Hahahaha! I’m gonna die laughing!”

“I just know,” Shi Yuan said.

Xia Fang was on the verge of tears of laughter and shook his head, “Shi Yuan, you’re really too cute.”

However, Shi Yuan thought that everyone will have something to like.

He likes flowers, wheat fields, stage plays, and a newborn lamb. There is always something to like that puts aside fame and fortune, blazing like the rising sun, just like when he thinks of his human, his heart will be warm, his tail will sway like a ribbon, which cannot be hidden at all.