Vol. 1 - Ch. 29 - Dawn

"Sigh... I've lost big time."Walking home on the deserted mountain road, Chen Ling stared at the two gaping holes in his cotton coat. Regret gnawed at him. He wasn't paid during the preparatory Enforcer exams, and torn clothes wouldn't be reimbursed. This was another unnecessary expense for a family already struggling to make ends meet.

The frustration was a bitter pill to swallow on top of the danger he'd just faced.

Of course, all was not for naught. He did get some gains today.

[Current Audience Expectation Value: 40%]

Since taking over Wu Youdong's investigation from Qian Fan, the audience's expectation value had been steadily increasing. It rose by 5% during the period of going to the teahouse to find the enforcers, and by 10% when confronting the pub all at once. Originally, Chen Ling thought that encountering the enforcers at the pub would also increase the expectation value, but that wasn't the case. It seemed only his direct involvement truly captured their attention.

Chen Ling felt that he had vaguely figured out the way to quickly increase the expectation value.

He walked along the mountain road for more than two hours and finally returned to Cold Frost Street. Before he even entered the door, he heard a clear and melodious opera song coming from inside the house.

"The young nun is only twenty-eight,

In her prime, she shaved her head as per the master's wishes.

Every day, she burns incense and changes water in the temple,

Seeing several disciples playing below the mountain gate.

She gazes at us,

And we gaze back at her.

Between her and us, we share,

Mutual concerns..."

Hearing this excerpt from the opera, Chen Ling's eyebrows slightly raised. This excerpt from "Thinking of Van" was a classic segment in opera, known to the world in his previous life through the famous movie "Farewell My Concubine." Chen Ling had also heard it many times, but what surprised him was that the opera repertoire in this world was actually the same as in his previous life.

To his surprise, the voice emanating from the house was Chen Yan's, and it was beautiful. His singing was incredibly skilled, rivaling even famous opera singers Chen Ling had seen in his past life. It seemed impossible to achieve such a level without a renowned teacher's guidance.

Intrigued, Chen Ling entered the house to find Chu Muyun still perched in the living room, nose buried in a book as if nothing had happened.

"Still here?" Chen Ling couldn't help but ask, surprised by Chu Muyun's dedication.

Chu Muyun looked up, a hint of amusement in his eyes. "I did move, actually. Took a walk for some fresh air this morning. Did A-Yan's singing bother you?"

"No," Chen Ling replied.

"That's good." Chen Ling sat down at the table and looked towards the bedroom. Chen Yan was practicing his eyebrows in front of the mirror while singing softly. With a complicated expression, Chen Ling spoke up,

"A-Yan has been interested in opera since he was young, but unfortunately, Zone Three is too small, and there's no one to teach him... and our family can't afford a teacher."

"Opera... Nowadays, not many people understand it," Chu Muyun glanced towards the bedroom. "As far as I know, there are hardly any in Aurora City who understand it."

Chen Yan's singing gradually quieted down. It seemed he heard Chen Ling's return and immediately rushed into the living room, excitedly asking,

"Brother, do I look good with makeup?"

Chen Yan blinked his eyes, his eyes shaded with red apricot-like eyeshadow spreading to the sides, soft and elegant, and his eyes lifted under the thick black eyeliner, appearing particularly spirited. Sᴇaʀᴄh the ɴøvᴇl_Firᴇ.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

Chen Ling recognized this as the makeup of "dan" roles, although perhaps because Chen Yan was self-taught, there were still some differences compared to his previous life.

But even so, this was still an absolutely flawless, perfect young face.

"Looks good," Chen Ling replied sincerely, "but some details seem a bit off... If you have time, I'll help you adjust them."

"Brother, do you understand opera makeup too?"

"A little bit."

Chen Yan looked at him with admiration in his eyes.

"Brother, do you think I could perform at the New Year's Eve party after I return to school?"

"Of course you can! In the entire Zone Three, only our A-Yan can sing opera. When you put on your costume, do your makeup, and start singing, your classmates will surely be amazed," Chen Ling chuckled lightly.

"Is he still going to school?" Chu Muyun asked in surprise.

"Yes," Chen Ling nodded. "He just started high school... But he fell ill shortly after enrolling, and now that he's recovered, he should be able to start school with the next batch of freshmen."

"Brother, what should I sing then?" Chen Yan asked eagerly.

"If you're the only one singing, 'Thinking of Van' would be great..."

"Then I'll go practice again!"

Chen Yan's eyes lit up, and he immediately rushed back to his bedroom, wearing that loose red opera robe, to practice again.

After all, Chen Yan was just a fifteen-year-old child, at an age where he yearned for friends and attention. When Chen Ling was in school, he had often fantasized about taking a guitar onstage and performing in front of countless teachers and students.

Unfortunately, he didn't know how to play at all.

But for Chen Yan, combining his interests with performance was a very exciting thing.

"Don't rush," Chen Ling chuckled helplessly. "Tidy up a bit, we'll have dinner soon."

Seeing this, Chen Yan obediently came to help Chen Ling with cooking. At this moment, he caught sight of the two big holes in Chen Ling's cotton coat, and his eyes narrowed slightly.

"Brother, what happened to your clothes?" His tone suddenly became serious.

"It's nothing, just got scratched."

Chu Muyun, who was reading a book, squinted his eyes behind his glasses upon hearing this...

"You got shot?"

Chen Yan suddenly looked up.

"No, I wasn't hit," Chen Ling felt Chen Yan's gaze and immediately explained, "They shot too slowly, so I managed to dodge... I'm not injured."

Chu Muyun glanced at him and nodded slightly. "Indeed, you're not injured."

"Brother, who shot at you?" Chen Yan asked coldly.

"It was..."

Chen Ling was about to say Ice Spring Street, but seeing the bone-chilling gaze in Chen Yan's eyes, he hesitated for a moment and decided to speak, "Just a couple of thugs... They've been apprehended by the enforcers."

He knew Chen Yan was a Fusioner, and he also knew that on that night, Chen Yan had unleashed a massacre on Ice Spring Street... If he mentioned Ice Spring Street again, he was afraid that Chen Yan would go back there tonight and slaughter the entire street.

After hearing this, Chen Yan's expression softened, and he silently picked up the torn cotton coat.

"...I'll mend it for you."

Chen Yan made his own opera robes, so mending a piece of clothing for him was not a difficult task.

"They had guns... How did you manage to win?" Chu Muyun stared into Chen Ling's eyes, as if trying to see through his soul.

"They had guns, but they didn't know how to use them. They couldn't even hit me with a few shots... Why are you asking this?"

Chen Ling naturally couldn't mention that he possessed the " Slaughter Dance," as it involved the existence of the theater and "audience."

"...Nothing."

Chu Muyun withdrew his gaze and stared at the cover of the book, lost in thought.

After dinner, the three of them went back to their rooms. The night enveloped the entire sky, with only the silent fluctuations of the blue aurora.

As Chen Ling drifted into sleep, his consciousness had already entered the theater, into the silent and dim room, where a figure slowly approached.

It was Chu Muyun.

The lenses reflected a pale light under the aurora, and those cold eyes stared at the sleeping Chen Ling, with a hint of killing intent in their depths.

He slowly raised his right hand, holding a dagger like a cold moon…