Starting as pearl divers, they have endless jobs.

Chapter 91 The Lu Family Gathering, The Fierce Senior Sister

In the blink of an eye, the New Year holiday is over.

The apprentices of Qingchun Troupe returned to their monotonous daily routine of practicing their singing and body movements.

But shortly after the start of the year, the opera troupe received a big order.

The wealthy Lu family in the city wanted to hold a performance and specifically requested that the Qingchun Troupe perform for three consecutive days.

This was a big customer, so Guan Sihai readily agreed.

The news caused an uproar throughout the entire opera troupe.

Being able to perform at a prestigious event like the Lu family's is not only an honor, but also guarantees a generous reward.

Guan Sihai specially called all the formal actors in the class who could perform on stage to his side. These were Chen Ye's senior brothers and sisters, whom he rarely saw on ordinary days.

"This is your junior brother Chen Ye," Guan Sihai introduced to everyone, pointing to Chen Ye standing to the side. "When we go to the Lu family this time, let him go with us to the back to help out and broaden his horizons. Please take good care of him."

The senior students had long heard that a junior student with exceptional talent had joined the class, and now that they saw him, they were indeed impressed by his appearance and demeanor. So they all nodded in approval.

"Don't worry, Master, we will definitely take good care of our junior brother." A pretty woman who specializes in singing female roles said with a smile, her eyes shining brightly as she looked at Chen Ye.

This junior brother... he's really handsome.

Chen Ye felt a little embarrassed by the stare, but he also remembered this senior sister, mainly because her chest was quite impressive. In an era where people generally have flat chests and even consider large breasts a disgrace, it was truly impressive.

When they heard that Chen Ye was going to the performance, Tie Dan and the others were so envious that their eyes turned red.

"Chen Ye, the Lu family is the richest family in Zhenhaiwei. I heard they have meat in every meal!" Tie Dan leaned close to Chen Ye, his mouth practically watering. "You'd better eat a lot then, and you'd better secretly bring some back for me."

Chen Ye was both amused and exasperated, and could only promise to bring them delicious food when he returned.

The next morning, the Qingchun troupe and their group set off in a grand procession to the Lu family's residence.

The Lu Mansion is located in the affluent area of ​​the north of the city. It is a sprawling manor combining Chinese and Western styles. The high walls and imposing wrought iron gates all demonstrate the owner's wealth and status.

Once inside, it's like entering a completely different world.

Passing through the well-manicured lawns and gardens, an exquisite two-story opera house comes into view.

This made Guan Sihai secretly gasp in amazement. Ordinary wealthy families would at most set up a temporary stage in the courtyard for a performance. There were very few families in the entire Zhenhaiwei that built a theater like the Lu family.

Because there were many tedious preparations before the performance, everyone began to get ready.

Just then, the Lu family's steward came over and made a request.

“Master Guan, my master means to wait until it gets dark and the lanterns are lit before starting the gong.”

Since it was a private performance, everything naturally had to be done according to the host's requirements, so Guan Sihai readily agreed.

"Of course, of course, we'll follow Mr. Lu's arrangements."

Meanwhile, Chen Ye was busy backstage with his senior brothers and sisters, moving costumes and arranging props. Although they were all odd jobs, he did them meticulously.

Just then, the fierce-looking senior sister came up and handed Chen Ye a bowl of water with a smile.

"I just brewed some flower tea, I'll have a couple of sips to quench my thirst."

Chen Ye felt embarrassed to refuse, so he accepted it, saying, "Thank you, Senior Sister."

"What senior sister? Am I that old? Just call me Xiaoyu." The senior sister said with some dissatisfaction.

"Uh..." Chen Ye was a little unsure how to respond.

Just then, a young martial arts performer peeked out from the side and said, "Xiaoyu, I'd like to have some tea too."

"Get lost! How dare you call me 'Xiaoyu'?" Senior Sister glared at her, causing both of her breasts to tremble.

"Why is it that junior brother can call out?"

"How can that be the same? My junior brother looks like a girl. I'm just feeling sorry for him."

"I can act like a girl too, please be kind to me as well," the young martial arts performer said with a smile.

"Alright, your senior sister will pamper you now." With that, Xiaoyu rolled up her sleeves and pretended to hit him. The martial arts student laughed and ran away, then shouted loudly.

"Junior brother, you'd better be careful. Our senior sister loves to eat young grass. Don't get eaten without even knowing it."

Everyone backstage burst into laughter, and Chen Ye shook his head with a smile before getting back to work.

This body's appearance is now considered outstanding among the three worlds Chen Ye has visited.

Especially after studying the play for more than half a year, Chen Ye's posture became more upright, and his overall temperament also improved significantly.

This can be seen from the small groups of maids gathered nearby, pretending to work while secretly peeking in this direction.

Chen Ye could only pretend not to see this.

Time quickly passed and it was afternoon. Everyone had finished lunch and was busy when Guan Sihai came backstage and said to Chen Ye.

"Chen Ye, we're missing a few fresh flowers for the props. I just spoke to the head butler, so go pick a few from the small garden in the back."

"Okay." Chen Ye replied and then walked towards the small garden at the back.

This small garden is right next to the main house. It is where Master Lu takes a stroll to digest his food after meals. It is not part of the inner quarters, which is why Chen Ye was allowed to go there.

When Chen Ye arrived in the garden, he indeed saw a yard full of flowers, including many rare varieties, some of which were worth hundreds of dollars each.

Chen Ye secretly marveled at the wealth of this Lu tycoon, then picked a few worthless plants.

Just then, a sharp female voice came from behind, "Hey, the flowers are in full bloom, who told you to pick them?"

Chen Ye turned around and saw a woman walking along the flower-lined path not far away.

The woman was dressed in Western style. Her appearance was not particularly stunning, but the youthful energy she exuded was truly sweet and charming.

Chen Ye glanced at her and quickly looked away. After all, such a wealthy family had strict rules, and it was very taboo for an outsider like himself to stare at the women.

He lowered his head and said, "It was the head steward who ordered it. There's going to be a banquet soon, and we need a few fresh flowers as props."

At the same time, the woman also saw Chen Ye's face clearly, and a look of surprise flashed in her eyes. Then her tone softened.

"A private performance? Are you from an opera troupe?"

"Yes, an apprentice in a theatrical troupe," Chen Ye replied, then prepared to leave.

After all, if the Lu family saw this, he wouldn't be able to explain himself clearly.

But the woman didn't want to let him go, and asked with great interest, "What's your name?"

Chen Ye had no interest in answering that question. Judging from the woman's attire, she was clearly wealthy and noble, and might even be the daughter of that tycoon Lu.

Although plays often depict wealthy young ladies eloping with poor scholars despite all the hardships, plays are plays, and reality is reality.

Chen Ye knew that if the wealthy Lu found out that a mere apprentice from a theatrical troupe dared to chat with his daughter, he would be lucky to be kicked out; he might even get a beating.

So he suddenly called out to the back, "Head butler, you're here!"

The woman turned around at the sound, and taking advantage of the opportunity, Chen Ye turned and ran.

By the time the woman turned around again, Chen Ye had already run far away.

She was taken aback at first, then a smile appeared on her lips. Interesting.

"Cherry." "Miss!" The maidservant behind her quickly came over.

When does the performance begin tonight?

"It seems to be around seven or eight o'clock."

"Okay, I'll go take a look then."

Chen Ye guessed correctly; the woman was indeed the daughter of the wealthy Lu family, named Lu Jinghong.

Despite being the daughter of a wealthy family, she received a Western education at a church school from a young age, which gave her a rather progressive mindset.

She had previously heard that her family was going to hold a performance, but she was not interested in it. She thought that the singing and dancing were noisy and boring, so she did not plan to go.

But now, she has suddenly changed her mind.

As night falls, the lights are on.

The Lu Family Opera House was brightly lit and bustling with activity.

Since it's a private performance, it naturally consists of auspicious and lively plays like "Dragon and Phoenix Bringing Auspiciousness" and "Heavenly Official Bestowing Blessings," all for the sake of good fortune.

On stage, the senior students gave it their all, singing, reciting, acting, and fighting with perfect precision and solid skills, drawing cheers from the audience.

Chen Ye stood behind the stage curtain, helping to hand over props while enjoying the performance on stage.

Unbeknownst to him, in a private room on the second floor with a superb view, a pair of bright eyes had been fixed on him the entire time.

Lu Jinghong rested her chin on her hand, observing the boy standing in the corner with great interest.

He was wearing the most ordinary coarse cloth shirt, yet he stood out from the crowd like a crane among chickens, making him noticeable at a glance.

He stood there quietly, his eyes focused on the stage, as if all the noise around him had nothing to do with him.

That calm and composed demeanor created a peculiar sense of dissonance between the noisy and extravagant setting.

"interesting."

Lu Jinghong picked up the black tea in front of her, took a small sip, but her gaze never left Chen Ye.

When the play ended and the actors took their bows, the audience erupted in applause.

Just then, the head housekeeper of the Lu family hurried upstairs to Lu Jinghong's side and whispered a few words.

Lu Jinghong frowned slightly after hearing this, seemingly somewhat displeased.

"I dont go."

The head nanny, surnamed Li, was Lu Jinghong's wet nurse who watched him grow up, so she spoke with more confidence than others.

She sighed and earnestly advised, "Miss, this was personally decided by the master. The Wang family and our family have been friends for generations. If you don't go down, where will the master put his face?"

“That’s his face, not mine,” Lu Jinghong said coldly.

Seeing her like this, Granny Li knew that she had to be ruthless, and her tone became mournful.

“Miss, you were raised by this old servant, how could I not understand your thoughts? But you can’t just do whatever you want. Master is only doing this for your own good. Please, just think of it as showing some concern for this old servant, and go and deal with it. You can’t make things difficult for this old servant, can you?”

These words appealed to both emotion and reason, and Lu Jinghong was most receptive to this approach.

She scratched her hair in frustration, but finally stood up reluctantly: "Fine, fine, I'll go, okay? This is so annoying."

She followed Granny Li to the hall on the first floor, where she saw her father, Master Lu, chatting and laughing with a plump middle-aged man with a beaming smile. Standing next to the man was a young man in his early twenties.

The young man, with his slicked-back hair and well-tailored suit, was looking around listlessly when he saw Lu Jinghong walking down the stairs. His eyes lit up instantly.

"Jinghong, come here quickly and greet your Uncle Wang." The wealthy Lu waved with a smile.

Lu Jinghong walked over absentmindedly, greeted Uncle Wang perfunctorily, and then sat down in the empty seat next to him without saying another word.

"Haha, Jinghong is getting more and more beautiful. I remember the last time I saw her, she was just a little girl." Wang Rui praised with a smile. Wang Dongchen, who was standing next to her, had his eyes glued to Lu Jinghong. Seeing that she was staring at the stage, he thought she was watching the play, so he came closer.

"Jinghong, I didn't expect you to like listening to opera too."

"Hmm." Lu Jinghong responded indifferently, not even bothering to lift his eyelids.

Wang Dongchen was rebuffed and felt a little embarrassed, but he thought he had found a breakthrough and continued speaking.

"Although the Qingchun Troupe is somewhat famous in Zhenhaiwei, it is still a small troupe. I have a good relationship with the head of the Mingfeng Troupe, and I also know their star performer, the Qingyi who sings 'The Peach Blossom Fan.' So, if Jinghong likes it, I'll treat you to a performance and tea together another day."

He had thought his words would win the beauty's favor, but to his surprise, Lu Jinghong finally turned her head, her cold gaze falling on his face, and uttered only two words.

"Don't go."

Wang Dongchen blushed deeply and awkwardly shut his mouth.

The wealthy Mr. Lu blushed slightly and quickly laughed it off, saying, "My daughter is ignorant, please don't take offense, Young Master Wang. Come, come, let's drink!"

After finally getting through the event and seeing off the Wang family father and son, Lu the wealthy man sighed helplessly.

"Jinghong, what's wrong with you today? Even if you don't like it, you can't embarrass people like that in front of outsiders!"

“Father, you know I don’t like these kinds of occasions, so why did you still arrange them?” Lu Jinghong refused to back down.

"What arrangements did I make? Wasn't I doing this for your own good?" The wealthy Lu was so angry that he puffed out his beard and glared at his opponent. "Besides, what's wrong with Young Master Wang? His family background and character are a perfect match for you!"

"Even if you're good enough for me, I'm not interested. Don't bother with this kind of thing in the future."

After saying that, Lu Jinghong turned and left, leaving Lu Dahu standing there helplessly.

I've really spoiled myself!
After the performance ended, the Lu family steward arranged for the Qingchun Troupe to stay in several side rooms behind the theater.

The room was small, but it was kept very clean.

Immediately afterwards, the servants of the Lu family brought over an extremely sumptuous feast, with fish and meat filling the entire table. Everyone was exhausted after a long day and starving, so they didn't bother with formalities and immediately began to feast around the table.

Chen Ye also ate quite a bit; the Lu family chef's skills were indeed excellent.

After a satisfying meal, everyone went back to their rooms to rest.

Chen Ye lay in bed but did not fall asleep immediately, his mind still replaying the plays that had taken place on stage that day.

Just then, he suddenly felt a faint, chilling aura slowly emanating from the direction of the opera house.

The aura was faint, like a wisp of cold wind on a winter night, but the eeriness and resentment mixed in it made Chen Ye's hair stand on end.

He suddenly opened his eyes and sat up.

But when he focused his attention and examined it closely, the chilling aura vanished without a trace, as if it had never existed.

Is it an illusion?
Chen Ye frowned.

Places like opera houses are naturally prone to attracting wandering spirits to listen to plays and watch the excitement, thus absorbing some human energy.

Perhaps it was just a wandering spirit that happened to be passing by.

Chen Ye didn't pay too much attention to it, but he kept it in mind and decided to observe it more carefully tomorrow.

Just then, there was a knock on the door, and then a woman whispered, "Junior brother, are you asleep? Senior sister has brought you some food."

(End of this chapter)