Chapter 117 - 101: Advancement in Acting, Changing Class Again

Chapter 117: Chapter 101: Advancement in Acting, Changing Class Again

The performance ended, and the clamor faded.

Instead of attending the victory celebration Deng Ming had thrown for him, Chen Ye returned alone to the empty Practice Room of the Qingchun Troupe.

He stood before the enormous mirror, still in his costume, quietly gazing at his reflection.

’Art knows no bounds.’

Although in the eyes of others he was already the undisputed number one Cyan Robe of the Sea Guardian Guard, he knew it was far from enough.

What he pursued was a higher Realm of his craft.

Just as he was focused on contemplating a particular movement, a soft set of footsteps sounded from the courtyard.

"Boss... Boss Chen?"

A voice, tinged with shyness and anticipation, called out.

Chen Ye turned to see Lu Jinghong standing charmingly at the door, holding a food box.

Under the dim yellow light, her cheeks were flushed with a lovely blush, and her gaze darted away, not daring to meet his.

"Miss Lu, it’s so late. What brings you here?" Chen Ye’s tone was polite, yet held a hint of distance.

"I... I saw you didn’t go to the celebration, and I was worried you might be hungry, so I had my family’s kitchen prepare a late-night snack for you."

Lu Jinghong mustered her courage and offered the food box, her head bowed. "It’s all light and soothing for the throat. You... you sang all night. It must have been taxing."

But Chen Ye didn’t take it. He just looked at Lu Jinghong and said, "I appreciate the thought, Miss Lu, but I have no need for this. It’s getting late. Please head back."

This blatant coldness made the blush on Lu Jinghong’s face instantly fade, replaced by a look of hurt and disappointment.

She bit her lip, her eyes welling up slightly, but she still forced a smile.

"Al... alright. I won’t disturb you then."

With that, she turned and left, looking somewhat flustered.

Chen Ye had no desire to get too involved with this Lu Jinghong. As he had always maintained, he came to this world to hone his skills as an Actor and ultimately achieve the Extraordinary.

’As for women... they would only slow my path to fame.’

For the next few days, the performances remained incredibly popular. Then one day, just as Chen Ye returned backstage after a curtain call, Deng Ming came rushing over.

"Boss Chen, that Master Li is backstage! He’s specifically asking to see you!"

As he spoke, a clatter of footsteps was heard, and Master Li himself arrived backstage, a pipe dangling from his mouth, surrounded by an entourage of attendants.

"Boss Chen." A slight smile appeared on Li Kang’s face. "Tonight’s performance of *Peony Pavilion* was truly magnificent. The music will linger in my ears for days."

His words were full of praise, but his eyes appraised Chen Ye like a rare treasure.

"You flatter me, Master Li," Chen Ye replied, his tone neither servile nor arrogant.

Li Kang chuckled and said no more, instead giving a pointed look to an attendant behind him.

The attendant immediately stepped forward and respectfully presented an exquisite brocade box made of red sandalwood.

When the box was opened, the entire room seemed to light up.

Inside lay a shimmering, multicolored set of pearl and kingfisher-feather hair ornaments. The blue of the feathers, the luster of the pearls, and the sparkle of the gemstones complemented each other, creating an object of exquisite beauty.

"Just a small gift, a mere token of my appreciation," Li Kang said casually, as if he were offering a box of ordinary pastries and not a fortune. "I’ve arranged for a simple dinner at the Wangjiang Building tonight. I was hoping Boss Chen would grace me with his presence. Would that be possible?"

Watching from the side, Deng Ming’s heart pounded with fear, and a cold sweat soaked his back.

He had never witnessed a scene of such magnitude.

However, to everyone’s surprise, Chen Ye merely glanced calmly at the set of ornaments, his expression completely unmoved.

"I appreciate your kindness, Master Li, but this gift is far too valuable. I cannot accept a reward I have not earned. As for the dinner, I am completely devoted to my art and do not care for social gatherings. I hope you will forgive me."

As soon as the words left his mouth, the air seemed to freeze.

The smile on Li Kang’s face stiffened, and the corner of his mouth holding the pipe twitched.

"Good. ’Completely devoted to my art,’ indeed." Li Kang gave Chen Ye a long, meaningful look. "Boss Chen truly is one of a kind. I hope I will have the chance to witness your magnificent presence on stage again in the future."

Without another word, he turned and left with his men.

Only after the group’s figures had completely disappeared did Deng Ming’s legs give out, nearly causing him to collapse to the floor.

Just then, Guan Sihai, who had been silent until now, walked over and clapped Chen Ye on the shoulder, his eyes full of support.

"Well done, Xiaoye. We are opera performers, not playthings for the rich and powerful!"

Guan Sihai had struggled in the opera business for half his life; how could he not see through Li Kang’s intentions? If it were anyone else, it might not matter, but this was Chen Ye.

You see, Guan Sihai no longer saw Chen Ye as a mere apprentice, but as his own son. Naturally, he didn’t want to see him fall into such a trap.

Chen Ye smiled at his words, feeling Guan Sihai’s concern.

In truth, however, he didn’t think it was a big deal.

After all, he had been tempered through two worlds and had faced the treacherous and unpredictable battles of human nature in the Main World every day. This little incident was nothing by comparison.

’Master Li, Master whoever... if they really push me, I don’t care what their background is. I’ll just kill them.’

...

The next day, the performance at the Guangle Building went on as usual.

But subtle changes were quietly taking place.

The ticket scalpers who used to sell marked-up tickets outside the theater before every show were nowhere to be seen today.

The Sea Guardian Guard’s biggest newspapers, which had previously dedicated their best pages to covering the spectacle of Chen Ye’s performances, had all, as if by agreement, pulled every report about him.

At the same time, rumors began to circulate within the Peach Garden Lineage, claiming Chen Ye was arrogant and looked down on everyone. They even fabricated some sordid, scandalous tales about him.

Chen Ye, of course, noticed all this, but he said nothing.

He knew this had to be the handiwork of the so-called Master Li.

But Chen Ye didn’t back down. On the contrary, he performed with even greater diligence.

Over the next few days, however, Li Kang’s suppression became more and more blatant.

Idle thugs and local hooligans started appearing on the streets around the Guangle Building.

They didn’t assault anyone or cause any open trouble. They simply gathered in groups of three or five at intersections, eyeing every passerby with malicious gazes.

Although they would scatter whenever the constables arrived, after this happened repeatedly, many of the wealthy ladies and respectable folk who had intended to see the opera were deterred. For the first time, the attendance rate at the Guangle Building showed a noticeable decline.

The Qingchun Troupe was also affected.

Private bookings and small-scale performances that had been scheduled long in advance were canceled one after another, with the clients giving all sorts of bizarre excuses.

Though the other members of the troupe said nothing, they sighed all day, their faces etched with worry. A repressive atmosphere settled over the entire Opera Troupe.

Deng Ming was frantic with anxiety, so stressed that several blisters broke out on his lips.

He used all of his connections to make inquiries and try to smooth things over, but his efforts vanished without a trace, like a stone dropped into the ocean.

His opponent’s background was even deeper than he had imagined. His meager network of contacts was simply insignificant in comparison.

Only Chen Ye remained as he always was.

Practicing his skills, training his voice, taking the stage, taking a bow.

It was as if all the storms raging in the outside world had nothing to do with him.

He poured all his energy into studying his art, and each time he took the stage, his performance was more perfect and more stunning than the last.

Under this immense pressure, on this particular day, after Chen Ye finished his performance, a line of text suddenly appeared before his eyes.

[Profession: Soul-Stealing Diva (lv5) has reached Max Level. Change Profession?]