Chapter 128 - 108: The Capital City’s Star Performer is the Real Deal

Chapter 128: Chapter 108: The Capital City’s Star Performer is the Real Deal

"*Farewell My Concubine*? What kind of opera is that? Why have I never heard of it before?" This was the common sentiment among the general public and new opera fans.

"Has he gone mad? At a time like this, instead of performing his masterpiece, *Peony Pavilion*, Boss Chen is putting on a new opera no one’s ever heard of? Isn’t he digging his own grave?" This was the lament of the short-tempered, who shook their heads and sighed.

"To change the performance right before the show, especially at such a critical moment... it’s too risky!" declared the more seasoned and cautious fans, expressing their pessimism.

But in any case, no one was optimistic about Chen Ye’s decision.

Even his most die-hard fans, who had complete faith in Chen Ye, were now feeling a little nervous.

Meanwhile, those who had always favored Yu Fengxian gloated over his misfortune. They rushed to publish commentary in the newspapers, asserting that Chen Ye had exhausted all his tricks and, knowing he was no match for her, had decided to just give up and act recklessly.

The turmoil outside did not affect the Qingchun Troupe.

In the courtyard, everyone in the Qingchun Troupe had been gathered together.

All eyes were fixed on Chen Ye, awaiting his instructions.

Chen Ye’s gaze swept over the crowd, finally landing on Tie Dan.

"Since this new opera is called *Farewell My Concubine*, it naturally has two main characters."

Chen Ye’s voice wasn’t loud, but it reached everyone’s ears clearly. "I will play the part of Lady Yu in the opera. And as for the Overlord..."

He paused, then said, word by word, "It will be played by Tie Dan."

The moment he spoke, the courtyard fell utterly silent.

Everyone stood rooted to the spot, stunned.

Tie Dan’s eyes went wide. His simple, honest face instantly flushed bright red, then turned deathly pale.

"M-me...?" he stammered, pointing at his own nose, unable to form a complete sentence.

’Is this some kind of joke!’

’Him, play the Overlord? Perform alongside Brother Chen? And go up against the Capital City’s number one *dan* actor?’

’Although he was a bit simple-minded on most days, he wasn’t a fool. He was keenly aware of his own limitations, so he simply couldn’t believe this was happening.’

"Nonsense!"

An angry shout shattered the silence. The Class Leader, Guan Sihai, shot to his feet, his face livid.

"Chen Ye, I know you have your own ideas, but you can’t just act on a whim with something this important! Tie Dan is still just a boy. How could he possibly take on such a demanding role? Besides, it’s not like we’re short on talent! Every single one of your senior brothers in the troupe is better than him. Picking any one of them at random would be a safer bet!"

Guan Sihai was genuinely frantic.

This was no longer just a simple performance. It was a life-or-death gamble, with the reputations of both Chen Ye and the entire Qingchun Troupe on the line. There was absolutely no room for error.

Faced with his master’s furious questions, Chen Ye simply smiled and shook his head.

"Master, I understand your concerns." He walked up to Guan Sihai, his voice still calm.

"But this is a new opera, one that’s completely different from anything in our repertoire. The senior brothers are skilled, yes, but their styles are already set. It would be too difficult for them to change course and accept something entirely new in just two days."

His gaze shifted to Tie Dan, who was panicked and at a complete loss.

"But Tie Dan is different."

"Master, don’t underestimate him. You all might not have noticed how hard he’s been working these days, but I’ve seen it all."

Upon hearing this, Tie Dan froze. A moment later, his eyes stung, and he had to fight back tears.

Ever since Chen Ye’s meteoric rise to become the Immortal, a star watched by thousands, Tie Dan had never said a word, but a fire had been lit within him.

He was no longer playful and lazy like before. Every day, he would get up before dawn to practice, training until his voice was hoarse and his legs were swollen, yet he never once complained.

He had always been talented—otherwise, Guan Sihai would never have taken him as an apprentice. Now that he was putting in the hard work, his skills naturally improved by leaps and bounds.

Yet, in the shadow of Chen Ye’s dazzling brilliance, his progress seemed so insignificant that it went completely unnoticed. Even Guan Sihai hadn’t perceived it.

This made him feel deeply inadequate, as if he were a hopeless case.

He never imagined that Chen Ye had been watching him this whole time, committing all of his hard work to memory.

How could Tie Dan not be moved by this?

Guan Sihai was also taken aback by Tie Dan’s reaction. And although he was touched, he was still deeply worried.

"But... but the time is too short! We only have two days. How could we possibly rehearse a new opera in time?"

"Master, do you still not trust me?" Chen Ye’s smile radiated powerful self-assurance. "As long as we all pull together for these two days, we can absolutely whip this opera into shape."

Then, his tone shifted. "Besides, I’m the main focus of this opera. As long as the others avoid any major blunders, it won’t fall apart."

It turned out that Chen Ye had already modified the script for *Farewell My Concubine*.

In this world, there was no Chu-Han Contention, and no Xiang Yu.

Instead, he had found a tragic hero with a similar fate in this nation’s history and used that as a blueprint to craft an entirely new, fictional story.

He had therefore drastically expanded the role of Lady Yu, concentrating all the emotional crescendos and climactic moments onto the character he himself would be playing.

The Overlord, played by Tie Dan, would function more as a tragic symbol—a fulcrum used to make the character of Lady Yu more vivid and multi-dimensional.

Hearing Chen Ye say this, Guan Sihai’s tightly knitted brow finally relaxed a little.

He looked at the disciple before him, who seemed to have been completely reborn, and finally let out a long sigh and nodded.

"Alright, then. We’ll do it your way. For the next two days, the entire troupe is at your disposal!"

Once Guan Sihai gave the word, the entire Qingchun Troupe immediately sprang into action.

The old Class Leader, who had been strict his entire life, went against his usual nature and set aside all his usual harshness.

When the apprentices and percussionists made mistakes while adapting to the new opera, he no longer shouted or struck them. Instead, he patiently corrected them, time and time again.