In a moment of impulse, I forcibly kissed my brother's best friend.

The Cui family of Qinghe adhered to the principle of "not speaking while eating or sleeping," and the dining room was so quiet that even the sound of chewing could not be heard.

But this meal allowed an old widower, an elderly man who had lived alone in Qinghe for many years, to experience the warmth of a family reunion for the first time.

After leaving the house, Wang secretly teared up.

After Cui Zhinuan returned home, the study lights stayed on until late at night. For the sake of his two children's well-being, he felt that he could work hard for a few more years.

The moonlight spilled over the rooftops, and the red candles in Liantang Residence flickered on and off.

"My lord, how about we invite Grandmother and Father to stay at Chaoyi Villa for a while? They'll definitely love it."

"Yes. I'll do whatever you say, my wife."

The two, who adhered to the Cui family's ancestral precept of "not speaking in bed," were whispering to each other.

"Baby, can you do something that your husband will like first?"

"But I haven't recovered from yesterday yet." Xie Yige tied their hair together and cuddled him softly. It seemed she wanted him to let her go, but then she wrapped her legs around him.

"Then let's not delay any longer, how about we delay it tomorrow?" His voice was a little hoarse, "I'm in a bit of a hurry right now."

Outside the window, the lotus leaves rippled in the breeze, and an annoying wind swept by.

A cat meowed. It was short and melodious, like its tail had been stepped on.

Then the candles were blown out.

"Husband, the candle has gone out, I'm a little scared." Xie Yige's voice was trembling with tears.

"Don't be afraid." His voice was deep and powerful. "We'll—steal light by chiseling a hole in the wall."

A fair and tender little leg kicked into the air.

The silver bells on her ankles swayed and bounced in the curtains until late at night.

Spring nights are short, and the sun hangs high in the sky.

Xie Yige weakly stretched her feet out of the curtain.

She touched the spot beside her and, finding no one there, pouted, becoming even more reluctant to get out of bed.

"My lady, it's Seventeenth Sister's invitation. She's inviting you to see a play." Seeing that she was signaling to get up, Bichun helped her lift the curtain.

Xie Yige lay on the bed and lazily opened the invitation.

"Going to see a play at the Shufangzhai Grand Theatre? When did it open? How come I didn't know?"

"My lady, why don't you get up and wash up quickly, then we'll go and see for ourselves?" Bichun winked at her.

With renewed motivation, Xie Yige immediately got out of bed. She happily let Bichun dress her up, and even chose a dark blue-green dress adorned with tiny pearls.

"Where has my husband gone? I'm going back to Chaoyi Villa with him today."

"The eldest son was asked to leave by Steward Cui early this morning."

Xie Yige tilted her head and thought for a moment: "Then Father must have something to ask him."

She slammed her little hand on the table: "Let's abandon him today and go play by ourselves."

So he took his three maids, Bichun, Zhixia, and Jingqiu, and boarded the carriage to go to the Shufangzhai Grand Theater.

The Grand Theatre and Shufangzhai Bookstore are just across the street from each other, and the theater was converted from a closed-down restaurant.

It has been completely renovated. The exterior is magnificent and elegant, retaining the original restaurant's eighteen rows of large lanterns, like a line of red-clad maids welcoming guests.

A gilded ebony plaque hangs high above the main entrance, bearing six imposing characters: Shufangzhai Grand Theatre.

The inscription is by Zhou Kaizhi, and it is an authentic work by the great calligrapher and painter who was popular during the Tang Dynasty.

"Daddy's handwriting is so beautiful." Xie Yige admired it carefully, her little expression quite proud.

Upon entering, the hall was spacious and bright, its layout both novel and dazzlingly magnificent.

A large, well-organized stage was built in the center, with rows of soft seats below. The arched ceiling was inlaid with many luminous beads and gemstones, which refracted colorful points of light under the sunlight, like an inverted galaxy.

The second and third floors of the pavilion are arranged in a circular pattern around the stage, with numerous exquisite and luxurious private rooms. In the center of the second floor, there is also a super-large and prestigious VIP main pavilion, offering a panoramic view of the entire scene.

Xie Yige was led directly to the VIP main hall in the center of the second floor. When she looked down, she saw that the room was already packed with people.

"Young mistress, you've finally arrived. We've been waiting for you to start the show." Seventeen Niang gave her a flirtatious wink and curtsied slightly.

"Seventeenth Sister, when did this grand theater open? I had no idea." Xie Yige looked around curiously.

"You were busy with your wedding recently, so I didn't tell you. I'm giving you a surprise instead." Seventeen Niang tossed her long hair and lowered her voice mysteriously.

"This was designed by our mistress herself. And today's play even had a script she wrote herself."

"A script written by Mother? She can do this?" Xie Yige's eyes widened. "What's the name of the play?"

"It's called 'Princess Pearl'." Seventeen Niang sat down next to Xie Yige, picked up her teacup and took a sip.

What does "Gege" mean?

"The master said it was the princess's idea, and using 'gege' was to avoid violating palace taboos." Her expression suddenly became excited.

"We already had one performance yesterday, and it became an instant hit. Today the theater is packed, and just now a few ladies even got into a fight over a private room."

She subtly pointed to a private room: "Shangguan Wanning, ranked number one on the list of noble ladies in the capital, sit there."

Xie Yige followed Seventeen Niang's gaze and indeed saw a woman in white with a cold and aloof appearance and an temperament like frost and snow plum blossoms sitting there.

She seemed to sense something, glanced back at Xie Yige, and nodded slightly to her.

Xie Yige quickly returned a sweet smile.

She had just turned her gaze away and sat down when the lights dimmed slightly, leaving only the central stage shining brightly, like a pearl submerged in water. She watched with anticipation as the grand performance began.

But after watching for a while, I realized something was wrong.

In the center of the stage are two strangely dressed women with square fans on their heads.

"Ziwei, so your father is the Jade Emperor?"

"Yes. My father descended to the mortal realm to undergo tribulation, and fell in love with my mother at first sight by Daming Lake, which is how I came to be."

"But you are only mortal, how can you ascend to heaven?"

"Isn't that you? You're a little swallow, you can fly."

"That makes sense. Are you buying a one-way ticket or a round-trip ticket?"

"Little Swallow, I'm really short of money. Could you give me a ride for free? After I see the Jade Emperor, my father will give you half, okay?"

Little Swallow gritted her teeth and said, "Let's go."

But unexpectedly, after they went to heaven, they encountered Sun Wukong "making havoc in the Heavenly Palace".

A man wearing a phoenix-winged purple-gold crown, clad in golden chainmail, and wielding a staff inscribed with "Ruyi Jingu Bang" (the magic staff), shouted loudly, "The Jade Emperor's throne rotates, and this year it's my turn!"

"You old Jade Emperor! Take this from my old Sun Wukong's staff!"

Then another chaotic fight ensued. The Ruyi Jingu Bang (Monkey King's Staff) spun back and forth in fancy moves, gleaming with golden light and whistling through the air.

One by one, the "heavenly soldiers and generals" on the stage were swept away and tumbled off the stage.

The entire audience cheered and applauded.

Xie Yige was dumbfounded. Are people in the capital under so much pressure now?

Bichun, standing to the side, was also dazzled, her eyes following the golden cudgel back and forth. She glanced at Zhixia, whose usually expressionless face now showed a hint of excitement.

Xie Yige silently picked up her teacup and took a sip. How did her mother come up with all these strange things?