Chapter 98

By the time the hotel staff delivered the steaming, delicious breakfast to Luo Jun's room, Luo Jun had already finished reading the serials of two Wu Xia novels, one romance novel, and one strange tales novel.

Qin Huai was also watching with relish on the side.

Although reading traditional Chinese characters was a bit difficult and the content of the novels was slightly old-fashioned, the writing style was excellent, especially that romance novel. The family trivialities and gossip struggles made Qin Huai feel that the author was sitting next to the parties involved while writing.

The breakfast bought by the hotel runner was paired with high-end tableware. The porridge was served in a white porcelain bowl, the side dishes were placed in small, exquisite petal-shaped plates, and the steamed buns were even supported by a silver tray.

There were also many pieces of tableware, knives, forks, chopsticks, and spoons, a combination of Chinese and Western styles.

"Mr. Luo, this is a movie ticket for the new movie on Sunday. It's your favorite middle seat in the third row, a small token of our hotel's appreciation." After the waiter finished setting the table, he respectfully placed a movie ticket on the corner of the table.

Luo Jun had already put down the newspaper and started eating the steamed buns. After failing to pick up a steamed bun with chopsticks, he pretended not to be very interested in the steamed buns and silently picked up the bowl to drink porridge.

"Is there only one?" Luo Jun asked.

The waiter was stunned, then said: "Of course not. How many do you need? I'll send them to you tonight."

"Bring another one, and make it adjacent," Luo Jun said. "Just send it with the newspaper tomorrow morning. Today, go to the bookstore and see if there are any newly published novels. If there are, buy them all for me."

"Okay, is there anything else you need?"

"Do young ladies like eating chestnut cakes from Western restaurants?" Luo Jun asked, looking at the waiter.

This question stumped the waiter. Qin Huai guessed that he probably hadn't eaten them, and he wasn't a woman either.

The waiter said: "I believe that as long as it's arranged by you, Mr. Luo, there is no lady who wouldn't like it."

Luo Jun was very satisfied with this answer and nodded: "Buy one and send it to the theater when the show ends."

Luo Jun handed out a white pound note, and the waiter accepted the money and left.

As soon as the person left, Luo Jun stabbed the steamed bun hard with a fork, holding the fork in his left hand and chopsticks in his right, muttering while gnawing on the steamed bun: "Why is this thing so hard to use?"

After eating, Luo Jun read the novels in the newspaper for a while, and after finishing the serials he wanted to follow, he went out and sat in a coffee shop for a while. He didn't stay in the coffee shop for too long. He probably felt that listening to piano playing was boring, so he changed to a teahouse to listen to storytelling.

At noon, he ordered takeout at the teahouse, ate some snacks casually, and called a rickshaw to the theater.

The theater was in a very remote location.

Qin Huai followed Luo Jun for a whole morning and could see that the Richard Hotel where Luo Jun lived was in a prosperous concession area, with hotels, Western restaurants, movie theaters, dance halls, and even shopping malls. He could see cars on the road, and ordinary people mainly relied on trams and walking to commute.

But Luo Jun obviously didn't like taking the tram, probably because he didn't like being crowded with people, and he didn't buy a car or hire a driver. He walked a few steps for short distances and called a rickshaw for long distances. Anyway, he didn't have small change in his pocket, and he only paid with small and large silver dollars without needing change, and the rickshaw puller could run no matter how far it was.

Money that was robbed is spent generously.

Qin Huai followed the rickshaw for the whole way, and even felt a little regretful in his heart later on. The exercise in the memory couldn't be reflected in his actual body. Otherwise, if he watched a memory and exercised hard every once in a while, his body would definitely be very healthy.

The theater was not big, and from a distance, one couldn't even tell it was a theater at first glance.

A middle-aged man wearing a long gown and looking anxious stood at the theater entrance. Seeing Luo Jun, his anxiety instantly turned into joy, and he greeted him from afar.

"Mr. Luo, I thought you had something to do today and wouldn't come," the middle-aged man said with a beaming smile. "Liu Tao was just asking in the backstage if you were coming today."

Liu Tao!

Qin Huai instantly triggered the keyword.

Luo Jun threw two small silver dollars to the rickshaw puller: "Coming early doesn't mean I can watch an extra show; it's a waste of time."

The troupe leader slapped himself lightly: "Look at my mouth, I really don't know how to speak. You are busy with a thousand tasks, and it's already giving us face that you can come. Please come in quickly."

"Tea, snacks, and melon seeds have all been prepared. Knowing you love eating crab roe crisps, I went to Ding Ji to buy them specially this morning."

Luo Jun walked inside.

This theater was indeed a small theater, the stage was not big, there were fewer seats, and there wasn't even a second floor or private boxes.

Except for two rows of small tables and a dozen reserved seats at the very front, the rest were all long benches.

However, there were many people. Only the two tables in the middle of the reserved seats were empty, and the long benches were packed full. There were also many standing tickets in the corners, and it could be seen that business was good.

The troupe leader led Luo Jun toward the reserved seats. There was no need to shoo people away. Luo Jun had one table to himself, and the people around him all knew him and greeted him with smiles one after another.

"Mr. Luo is here to watch Liang Zhu again."

"What watching Liang Zhu, Mr. Luo is here for Liu Tao."

"Mr. Luo, when can we drink your wedding wine? Old Huang has already married his eighth concubine, why is there still no movement from you?"

"Isn't it almost time?"

"Mr. Luo, when do you plan to buy a house? I have a good house, right on the street where the Richard Hotel you live in is. If you are interested, I'll take you to see it after the play..."

"Good for you, Mr. Liang. I said, when did you, who watch Western movies every day, become interested in Liang Zhu? It turns out you're here to do business with Mr. Luo, right?"

"I'm also considering it for Mr. Luo. It's so uncomfortable to live in the Richard Hotel every day. It's better to have a house of your own."

"Does Mr. Luo need you to consider it? You want to live in the Richard Hotel, but can you afford to live in a suite every day?"

Luo Jun ignored everyone's chatter and drank tea on his own, waiting for the play to start. Qin Huai looked at the people in the reserved seats. Judging by their attire, everyone was rich or noble. Sitting in the theater like this made the whole theater look high-end.

At the very corner of the reserved seats, there was a table of three people who didn't look so rich or noble, who were curiously looking at Luo Jun and the people around him while whispering.

Qin Huai leaned over to listen to the gossip.

"What's the situation today? Why did everyone come, except for Mr. Luo, Fourth Master Bai, Third Master Zhong, Boss Zhang, Boss Wang, Young Master Liu, Young Master Li, and Mr. Ge? Are they here to listen to the play?"

"Are you stupid? They aren't here to listen to the play. Their intention is not the play; they are here to probe Mr. Luo's background."

"Mr. Luo's background? Isn't Mr. Luo's family just doing business in the south, and he returned after studying abroad for many years? What background could he have?"

"Are you really stupid or pretending to be stupid? Some time ago, that Tiger Gang set their sights on Mr. Luo..."

"I know, I know, isn't it said that the Tiger Gang is backed by some retired official from the north..."

"Last night, they were all gone."

"What's gone?"

"Do you know about the fire at the pier last night?"

"I know, I know, it was written in this morning's newspaper, saying that the goods in several warehouses were burned to nothing. Was that the Tiger Gang's warehouse?"

"What goods were burned to nothing? People and goods were all gone, burned until not even ashes were left. I heard that the police station didn't dare to investigate. If you go out and ask around now, where is there any Tiger Gang? Even the Mouse Gang doesn't dare to exist."

The person listening to the gossip gasped, looked at Luo Jun with fear, and whispered: "Then he is..."

"The most bizarre thing is that there wasn't even a gunshot at the pier yesterday. Isn't Mr. Luo from England? He doesn't even know how to use chopsticks well. Now many people are spreading rumors that he is the illegitimate son of a duke."

Qin Huai:...

This rumor is a bit outrageous.

Luo Jun doesn't look like a mixed-race person either.

Although the truth is even more outrageous than the rumors.

Guess what? He isn't even a human. Before the gossip was finished, the play started.

The people chatting immediately stopped talking, and Qin Huai walked directly to the side of the stage to watch.

Qin Huai had watched the story of the Butterfly Lovers since he was a child. He had watched the movie and several versions of the TV drama. Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai, the famous Chinese tragic aesthetics. May I ask which child didn't hate Ma Wencai and his sidekicks when they were young?

Although the male actor playing Ma Wencai became more and more handsome later on, by the time Qin Luo watched the Butterfly Lovers, the child only looked at Ma Wencai.

This was the first time Qin Huai watched the opera version of Liang Zhu.

Liu Tao was very beautiful.

Even with heavy makeup, the gorgeous opera makeup covered her entire face, making it difficult to judge what the actor should look like, but Qin Huai could still see that Liu Tao was a standard beauty.

Egg-shaped face, willow-leaf eyebrows, eyes that were large and expressive, bright and lively. Every smile and every frown could be acted out with her eyes.

Not to mention her voice, which was melodious and pleasant.

In this era where opera was very competitive, any actor who made a name for themselves had real skills.

Luo Jun was watching the play seriously.

He was so serious that it was a bit eerie.

As everyone knows, Liang Zhu is a tragic story. The love between Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai was not tolerated by secular families, and they eventually committed suicide and turned into butterflies. It is a poignant love story of a couple who used death to break free from the shackles of the world.

According to the normal process of watching a play, when the play reaches the finale, female audience members who are emotionally expressive and sentimental in their daily lives should already be wiping their tears with handkerchiefs.

But Luo Jun looked quite happy.

He seemed to like this ending very much, and even smiled and applauded after the two turned into butterflies and Zhu Yingtai turned into a yellow butterfly, accompanied by the desolate melody of the erhu, as the curtain fell.

Those who didn't know would have thought the opera troupe had changed the story of Liang Zhu to a happy ending.

"Mr. Luo..." As soon as the play ended, someone who couldn't wait wanted to get up and go over to chat with Luo Jun.

"I have other things to do." Luo Jun got up and walked toward the backstage.

The troupe leader was already waiting enthusiastically backstage, telling Luo Jun that Liu Tao was still removing her makeup and asking Luo Jun to sit and wait for a moment. The lounge was clearly organized specifically for Luo Jun, with tables, chairs, screens, ornaments, vases, and decorations all present, and several relatively cheaper snacks were placed on the table.

Luo Jun had no interest in the tea and snacks here. Disliking the darkness in the room, he opened the window, sat by the window, took out the newspaper he hadn't read in the morning from his pocket, and started reading the novel.

Qin Huai:...

When did he fold the newspaper into a handkerchief and stuff it into his pocket?

Mr. Luo, are you that fond of reading novels?

Qin Huai stood on the side and watched together.

The plot of the novel in this third-rate tabloid wasn't very good. Every boring plot was followed by a lascivious scene. Luo Jun obviously didn't like reading stories where the plot wasn't enough and color had to be added. He read ten lines at a glance and very quickly, and the content of the two pages of the newspaper was finished.

Then Luo Jun folded the newspaper and took out another one from his other pocket.

Qin Huai:?

No, what kind of good person carries novels in their left and right pockets when going out to watch a play?

The novel in this newspaper was an old-fashioned Wu Xia revenge story, and the writing style was okay. Luo Jun read it with relish.

"Mr. Luo."

Qin Huai and Luo Jun were both buried in reading novels and didn't notice that Liu Tao had already arrived.

Liu Tao, who had removed her opera makeup, looked very different from how she looked on stage.

On stage, Liu Tao was bright-eyed and white-toothed, radiant, and every smile and every movement could attract the eyes of the audience.

But at this moment, Liu Tao, who had changed into ordinary clothes, still had bright big eyes, willow-leaf eyebrows, and an egg-shaped face, but she looked much more plain. Qin Huai could even pick out many obvious shortcomings on her face.

For example, her chin was a bit short, her nose wasn't straight enough, and there were a few small moles on her face. These ordinary features combined with her beautiful eyes made people feel a bit of a pity.

Luo Jun put away the newspaper, calmly folded it into a handkerchief in front of Liu Tao, and stuffed it into his pocket.

"You are really knowledgeable, reading newspapers wherever you go," Liu Tao sighed.

Luo Jun just nodded slightly and didn't speak.

"I stewed some dried tangerine peel for you... Are you thirsty? Let me pour you a cup of tea." Liu Tao put down the small cup she was holding and went to the table to get a teacup and pour tea.

"What do you think of today's Liang Zhu?" Liu Tao handed the teacup to Luo Jun.

Luo Jun took the teacup and held it without drinking: "Except for you, it's all bad."

"The singing is bad, the posture is bad, the positioning is bad, and the erhu accompaniment is also bad." As soon as Luo Jun opened his mouth, one could tell he was an old critic.

Liu Tao could only lower her head and apologize: "I'm sorry, Mr. Luo, our opera troupe is indeed... I'm sorry to have disappointed you."

"Sit down," Luo Jun pointed to a chair.

Liu Tao sat down obediently.

"But I like this story very much," Luo Jun said.

Liu Tao looked up in surprise, met Luo Jun's gaze, and quickly moved her eyes away: "Do you like... this kind of story?"

"I like endings that are complete."

Liu Tao:?

Now Liu Tao couldn't care about being shy, and her small face was full of question marks.

"Complete?" Liu Tao began to doubt her entire opera career. "Is the story of Liang Zhu... complete?"

"Didn't Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai turn into butterflies and stay together in the end?" Luo Jun asked back.

"But... but they both committed suicide before they turned into butterflies."

"Whether it's being a butterfly or being a human, isn't it the same?" Luo Jun said lightly. "According to what's written in novels, monsters can become spirits, and humans can cultivate immortality. Whether it's a human or a butterfly, it's a kind of life, a living creature, and there is essentially no difference."

"When they were humans, they were oppressed by the world and couldn't be together. Turning into butterflies and becoming a pair, isn't that also a kind of beautiful ending?"

Liu Tao was stunned by Luo Jun's theory. She digested it carefully, smiled and nodded, her bright big eyes full of smiles: "What you said also makes sense."

"Someone as knowledgeable as you is really different from us who sing in opera troupes. I've been singing Liang Zhu since I was a child, and I never thought that turning into a butterfly was also a good ending. You're right, being a butterfly is also quite good, and you can fly."

"Do you like butterflies?" Luo Jun asked.

Liu Tao nodded heavily: "I like them."

"Originally, I just thought butterflies were beautiful, but after hearing what you said, I think butterflies are also very free."

"Then do you like butterflies?"

"They are all the same," Luo Jun said. "To me, humans, butterflies, and birds are all the same. Being anything is fine."

Liu Tao smiled again, looking at Luo Jun with a smile.

Her eyebrows were curved, and her eyes were full of him.

This is a two-in-one~

(End of chapter)