Chapter 132 - 110: Offering Tea and Picking a Word, A Bountiful Harvest

Chapter 132: Chapter 110: Offering Tea and Picking a Word, A Bountiful Harvest

Across the street, the Guangle Building was still packed to the rafters, without even an inch of standing room left.

Yan Xun was nowhere to be seen, but Yu Fengxian paid him no mind.

He simply faced the empty stands and meticulously finished singing his part.

Then, he took off the splendid opera costume, removed the pearled and bejeweled headdress, changed into a simple blue-cloth gown, and stepped off the stage.

After crossing the street, Yu Fengxian arrived at the clamorous Guangle Building and squeezed his way inside.

The theater was just as packed inside. Yu Fengxian stood at the back of the crowd, watching quietly.

He had spent his entire life on stage, basking in the adoration of thousands, but never before had he experienced an opera as a pure audience member, like he was today.

He had to see with his own eyes just where he had lost.

Soon, Yu Fengxian was completely immersed. It was as if he could truly see the mountains of corpses and seas of blood, hear the songs of Chu from all sides, and feel the endless sorrow of a hero at his end, along with the resolute and tragic beauty of Lady Yu’s suicide for love.

At the final moment, when Chen Ye performed the sword dance and took his own life, collapsing into the Overlord’s arms...

This famous Liyuan star, who had performed opera and held his head high his entire life, couldn’t stop himself from covering his face. His shoulders trembled slightly as he wept in silence.

The opera ended, and the applause was thunderous.

Yu Fengxian did not applaud. He simply stood up and, under everyone’s astonished gazes, slowly walked toward the stage, one step at a time.

"It’s Yu Fengxian!"

The crowd automatically parted to make a path for him, and everyone’s expression grew complicated.

Seeing Yu Fengxian, the members of the Qingchun Troupe instantly grew tense, assuming he was there to publicly cause trouble.

Guan Sihai, Tie Dan, and the others immediately moved to stand in front of Chen Ye.

Chen Ye, however, remained calm. He patted Tie Dan’s shoulder. "It’s fine. Everyone, step aside."

Meanwhile, Yu Fengxian reached the front of the stage and gave Chen Ye a deep bow.

"I lost."

His voice was hoarse but utterly sincere.

The entire hall erupted in an uproar, and a commotion spread through the crowd.

No one had ever expected that the great Yu Fengxian would actually admit defeat.

Then, Yu Fengxian slowly raised his head to look at Chen Ye and said, "But there is one thing I don’t understand that I must ask you."

"Please, ask."

"Dare I ask, Boss Chen, what is the secret hidden within your performance? Why is it that, despite a lifetime of honing my craft, I am still left so far behind?"

Chen Ye didn’t answer directly. He just smiled faintly and pointed to the pillars on either side of the stage.

"Boss Yu, please look at that couplet."

The crowd followed his finger and saw a large couplet hanging on each side of the stage.

The first line read: To act out joys and sorrows, partings and reunions; do not today’s events echo those of the past?

The second line read: To watch the acclaim and censure, the ups and downs; oft in the audience sits a character from the play.

Yu Fengxian stared at the couplet, muttering the words to himself, lost in thought.

Chen Ye’s voice rang out again, clear and resonant.

"Boss Yu, your skills have reached the pinnacle of perfection, but your stage is too small."

"Your eyes see only princes, nobles, and wealthy patrons, but you fail to see the joys and sorrows of the thousands of common people below the stage."

"You have been trapped by your title as ’Pingjing’s Number One Star.’ Therefore, no matter how grand your performance, it can never extend beyond that tiny patch of ground."

Yu Fengxian’s body shuddered as if he had been struck by lightning.

’That tiny patch of ground...’

’That’s right. His performances were for the Prince, for the powerful and influential, for the wealthy patrons who could spend a fortune on a whim.’

’He pursued perfect technique, a flawless performance... but he had forgotten.’

’At its core, opera is about portraying human emotion and singing of the ways of the world.’

’He understood now.’

’He understood completely.’

Yu Fengxian suddenly spun around and said to Deng Ming, who was standing by, dumbfounded, "Manager Deng, I need to borrow a cup of tea!"

A cup of hot tea was quickly brought over.

Witnessed by all the reporters and opera fans in the building, Yu Fengxian raised the teacup high and declared in a loud, clear voice:

"I, Yu Fengxian, am inferior in skill, and I accept my defeat wholeheartedly. From this day forward, the title ’Yu Fengxian, renowned star of the Capital City,’ will be no more. There will only be a humble Actor named Wu Xuan."

Wu Xuan was Yu Fengxian’s real name, though he had not used it for a very long time.

With that, he offered the tea to Chen Ye.

This scene took many by complete surprise, as no one had expected Yu Fengxian to honor his wager in public, much less without a moment’s hesitation.

Chen Ye accepted the tea, took a small sip, and set it aside.

Then, Wu Xuan asked his final question—the very one that had brought him south in the first place.

"Boss Chen, your skill and character are both of the highest caliber, but there is one thing I truly cannot comprehend."

"Back then, why did you humiliate me by saying I was just some busker from a godforsaken hovel?"

Hearing this, Chen Ye’s brow furrowed instantly.

"I never said such a thing. I respect every Actor who earns an honest living by their talent. How could I possibly say something so malicious?"

The two men locked eyes—one looking frank and open, the other utterly astonished.

In a flash, Wu Xuan understood the whole story.

He suddenly recalled Yan Xun’s vile expression when he had first approached him—how he had embellished the story and done his utmost to sow discord!

A monstrous wave of fury surged straight to his head!

’That damned Yan Xun!’

’To think I was used as a pawn by such a wretched person!’

But Wu Xuan did not lose his composure in public. He took a deep breath and immediately calmed himself.

After all, he was a famous star of his generation and had his own pride and dignity to maintain.

He then turned back to Chen Ye, his face filled with shame, and gave another deep bow that reached to the ground.

"Boss Chen, it is I who was foolish. I allowed myself to be deceived by a vile man and nearly made a grave mistake. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me."

This apology was even more sincere and solemn than his earlier admission of defeat.

The entire audience watched this dramatic scene unfold on stage, not quite able to process what was happening.