Chapter 1688: Beiping Old Dreams: The Beauty Actor Overpowers the Big Shot 03

After Jin Chen finished his performance, Xu Nanchun and he took turns going on stage; even when they brushed past each other behind the curtain, they couldn't avoid exchanging a warning glance.

Xu Nanchun shot Jin Chen a fierce look, both angry and openly wary.

Jin Chen bluntly rolled his eyes in return.

"Hey there, little ancestor, come quick, come quick!"

The troupe leader's face split into a grin; for the first time seeing Jin Chen and Xu Nanchun oppose each other, he didn't take sides, and asked the still‑made‑up Jin Chen to come backstage to the dressing room, "Do you know how many flower baskets you just got, and who sent them?"

He didn't even need Jin Chen to answer, happily stroking his little mustache and bobbing his head, "It's Mr. Pei! Having him send flower baskets is unprecedented—not just for our Weiyang Xiyuan, but for the whole of Beiping!"

The troupe leader said, then called two young apprentices over to remove Jin Chen's makeup.

Jin Chen sat down and started pulling off his headgear, yanking it wildly—so heavy he felt like he'd get a spinal injury!

"Did he leave any words?" Jin Chen glanced at the mirror; the troupe leader standing behind him slapped his thigh, "Oh, what are you saying? That's Mr. Pei—sending flower baskets is already a great honor, you'd better not… huh?"

The troupe leader pondered, then exclaimed, "You said you wanted to find a backer—could it be Mr. Pei?"

"What's wrong with that?"

Jin Chen wiped off the thick stage paint; even after removing his heavy makeup, his striking charm remained, and the determined smile in his eyes was impossible to ignore.

Now not only the troupe leader, but even the two apprentices removing Jin Chen's makeup were frightened, exchanging glances and not daring to speak.

From the other side came a sneer: "You think getting a flower basket means you can dream? I see you watched Xu Nanchun rise to a branch and now you think you can day‑dream too."

The speaker, lightly touching her cloud‑like hair, was a delicate, alluring maiden who had just taken off her costume and slipped into a full‑length cheongsam, as if heading to a tryst.

At this moment, her gaze toward Jin Chen held envy, which harshly added a twisted edge to her beauty.

Jin Chen looked at her through a row of headgear hung beside the mirror, the back of his hand half‑supporting his chin, his tone intriguing.

"How coincidental— in the half‑month I've been in Beiping I've heard quite a bit; there just happens to be a story about an actress who volunteered for a role, was accused by Mr. Pei of being a business spy and driven away. Qingluo sis, do you know who the story is about, and has Mr. Pei ever sent her flower baskets?"

Qingluo: "……"

Her face instantly turned from green to white, and the delicate handbag in her grip was crumpled.

"Who else could it be? She's obviously talking about herself!"

Such an embarrassing thing—Qingluo never wanted to recall it in her lifetime, yet this person found out.

"Go ahead and be proud, but Mr. Pei won't pamper actors; the theater already has Xu Nanchun— that's enough."

Qingluo rolled her eyes and left, her high heels thudding on the floor—showing she harbored grievances not only against Jin Chen but also against Xu Nanchun, long‑standing.

The troupe leader's face also darkened; from Qingluo's words he sensed a few other implications.

If Jin Chen really hooked up with Mr. Pei, from now on would he listen to Young Master Xiao or to Mr. Pei? That would be hard to manage.

Besides, Jin Chen's eight characters lack even a single stroke—nothing can be said for sure.

"What Qingluo said isn't wrong either— with Mr. Pei's favor, aren't you afraid of having too few chances to show your face? Plenty of people want to request your songs, so don't harbor other thoughts."

"I don't."

Jin Chen wiped off the last of his lip color, took the handkerchief from an apprentice to wipe his face, leaned lazily against the chairback, curled his lips into a smile, and his voice was alluring.

"I'll make sure to get him."

The apprentices behind him couldn't help but blush, glancing at Jin Chen several times before looking away.

Troupe leader: "……"

"What the hell is this?!"

——

Leaving aside the fact that new talents have risen, Xu Nanchun's final performance received no applause like before; among the audience unrelated to the chamber of commerce, the most talked‑about person on their way home was the newcomer rather than the star, and even the maids serving in the theater had plenty to gossip about.

These remarks slipped into Xu Nanchun's ears through the cracks.

He didn't want to sing today's piece, didn't want Xiao Bofeng to find out after returning from Shanghai, but it wasn't to give Jin Chen a leg up either!

But when he went backstage and asked, he learned that Jin Chen had taken some snacks to the second‑floor private room to thank Mr. Pei.

The private room was still fairly quiet; after seeing off the last few chamber‑of‑commerce members with pleasantries, Yun Cunxuan lowered the curtain and told Pei Yinnian about breaking the Xiao family's lawless dominance after they seized control of Beiping's East Dock.

They hadn't spoken two sentences when footsteps approached; Yun Cunxuan fell silent, looked toward the door, but was drawn by the newcomer.

"Hey, who are you?" Yun Cunxuan asked jokingly; at a glance he didn't realize the person before him was the new actor from earlier, nor did he notice the look Pei Yinnian gave him from beside.

Jin Chen approached slowly, still holding a tray of snacks presumably brought by a servant; in his dark long coat he looked even taller, and after removing his headgear his long hair partly covered his fierce, gorgeous brows, while the remaining shadow revealed a startling beauty as a smile flickered.

"I'm Jin Chen; I heard from the troupe leader that Mr. Pei sent flower baskets, so I came especially to thank you."

His words were clearly aimed at Pei Yinnian; only then did he turn to Yun Cunxuan, nodding with a faint smile.

But the subtle tension beneath his feigned calm still couldn't escape the eyes of those two sharp individuals.

Yun Cunxuan almost instantly understood, raised the cigarette pinched between his fingers, took a puff, and with a carefree grin teased, "So it's you— you're also someone with ideas."

Pei Yinnian wasn't oblivious to his friend's teasing glance; he remained calm, his gaze sweeping over Jin Chen like a tangible presence, and he lightly turned his prayer beads.

"If you're just here to thank me, put down the snacks and leave."

"What if it's more than just thanks?"

Jin Chen took up the conversation, boldly locking eyes with Pei Yinnian, earnest and focused—as if, with everyone else nearby, he could see only the person before him.

Pei Yinnian's motion of turning the beads paused, he lowered his gaze, "Do you want me to pamper you?"

Jin Chen's brows twitched; he reluctantly agreed, not denying it, and lifted the corner of his mouth, "Pamper me, then— Mr. Pei won't regret it."

The room fell silent for a moment; Pei Yinnian seemed to be thinking, yet also as if thinking of nothing.

Only Yun Cunxuan's exhaled smoke swirled about; Jin Chen instinctively stepped back half a pace, yet then heard Yun Cunxuan interject, "What's the point of following this blockhead? Follow me instead—I'll make sure you're famous across half of Beiping."

Jin Chen: "……"

"Beating you up would be more interesting."

Yun Cunxuan's remark was half‑joke, half‑serious; after all, a rogue's love of play is no secret— if Pei Yinnian truly didn't want to pamper him, this role was his for the taking.

Pei Yinnian's brows furrowed slightly, the change too slight to see, and he watched Jin Chen's reaction.

Jin Chen placed the snacks on the table, his smile easing a little, "Mr. Pei doesn't mean that; I was just day‑dreaming. From now on, just come to the theater more often, Mr. Pei."

Yun Cunxuan: "Hey you, not giving this young master any face?"

"No need for Young Master Yun to worry."

Jin Chen gave a quick laugh, really fake, as if stingy.

Yun Cunxuan: "……"

"You weren't laughing like that at Yinnian just now!"

"This person is interesting." Yun Cunxuan saw he left without any reluctance and chuckled.

Pei Yinnian's gaze fell on Jin Chen's departing back; he picked up a pastry and took a bite.

"Have someone look into him." Pei Yinnian said this as casually as drinking water; Yun Cunxuan first let out an "oh", responded instinctively, then realized.

"Hey? Why are you looking into him?"

He's not a spy and has no odd behavior; could it be that he really wants to keep this friend?

Yun Cunxuan leaned over to look at Pei Yinnian's complexion, but saw nothing unusual.