TL: Hua
When the car stopped, the tires rubbed against the frosted ground, making a sharp, piercing sound like a thunderclap, instantly shattering the somewhat tender atmosphere.
The back window of the Lincoln rolled down, revealing a cold face.
As a reporter, Chu He naturally recognized Xun Qian.
However, he had never seen him this close before. He could almost feel the frostiness on Xun Qian’s face, which was even more biting than the cold winter night.
Chu He’s expression changed. First, it turned to surprise and then to a tense apprehension, as if facing a formidable enemy.
Xun Qian’s cold gaze swept over Chu He, then fixed on Qi Xiaoyu’s face. He uttered two simple words, “Get in.”
As soon as he finished speaking, someone quickly got out and opened the car door, waiting for Qi Xiaoyu to get in.
Chu He still held the tulips, standing stiffly in place, and murmured, “Xiaoyu.”
Qi Xiaoyu glanced at him, a faint smile appearing on his face. “Mr. Chu, please go back. Your affection is put in the wrong place.”
Undisguised disappointment was written all over Chu He’s face.
He watched as Qi Xiaoyu was ushered into the car, and the door slammed shut quickly. He also saw Xun Qian’s icy face and thought of another version of the rumor. Judging by this, Qi Xiaoyu really looked like he was being forced by the commander’s power.
On the other side, once inside the car, Qi Xiaoyu couldn’t help but laugh and said to Xun Qian, “Weren’t you going to wait for me nearby? Why did you come over?”
Xun Qian raised an eyebrow, took Qi Xiaoyu’s cold hands in his own, and said, “Who was that person?”
“A reporter, wanting to interview me.”
“Did you agree?”
“How could I have the time? I’ve been swamped lately.”
While speaking, Qi Xiaoyu caressed Xun Qian’s cheek and then added, “Even if I’m not busy, the time I have isn’t enough to spend with you.”
Xun Qian still had a cold expression, but the corners of his mouth slightly turned upwards.
Actually, if the two of them had gotten married earlier, they wouldn’t have these troubles.
But Xun Qian wouldn’t say such things to urge or pressure Qi Xiaoyu.
In the past three years, the future of the Red Moon Troupe and Qi Fengjian’s health had already put a lot of pressure on Qi Xiaoyu.
What he needed to do was to silently support and patiently wait until Qi Fengjian’s health improved to a point where Qi Xiaoyu no longer needed to worry, and then bring up the matter of marriage.
He had the driver take the car back to the commander’s residence. Before leaving, he had instructed the kitchen to prepare many snacks, specifically for Qi Xiaoyu to eat when he returned.
Looking out the window, Qi Xiaoyu sighed, “It’s still better back home. The food is delicious, and the theatergoers really understand opera.”
Every time Qi Xiaoyu talked about performing opera, Xun Qian would quietly listen.
“When performing opera abroad, I always think about how to adapt the story to make it more accessible and easier to understand and how to use techniques to win applause. It’s not like performing opera at home, where you just need to perform the play well.
The theatergoers all know which parts deserve applause and which parts are the most brilliant.”
Xun Qian stroked his hair. “If you don’t like it, we won’t go to any more public performances next time.”
“It’s necessary as a cultural exchange. Didn’t you say that the more we perform abroad, the more people will understand the beauty of Peking Opera?”
“Yes, that’s right.” Xun Qian wanted to elevate Qi Xiaoyu’s status, so he strongly supported his overseas performances. “Do you have to go abroad again soon?”
“There was originally one scheduled, but it’s uncertain now. I mentioned it to you before.”
“Yes. But isn’t the current political situation very tense? When I came back the day before yesterday, I saw many students protesting in the streets, saying they wanted to burn down the embassy of Country R.”
Xun Qian nodded slightly, his expression a bit heavy. “That’s right. The plan to perform there should be put on hold for now.”
Qi Xiaoyu stayed at the commander’s residence very late that day and returned to the Red Moon Troupe late as well, so he woke up late the next day.
After getting up, the first thing he did was visit Qi Fengjian.
He would massage Qi Fengjian, chat with him for a while, and if it was sunny outside, he would push Qi Fengjian to take a walk in the garden.
Qi Fengjian could now move, eat on his own, and say very simple monosyllabic words, but everything was very slow, and he didn’t recognize people very well.
Fortunately, Qi Xiaoyu was very patient. If Qi Fengjian moved slowly, he would also take his time.
The sun came out this morning, melting the frost from the night before and warming up the body.
Qi Xiaoyu pushed Qi Fengjian to bask in the sun in the garden.
There were quite a few people in the garden. The apprentices practicing their skills were arranged in rows of five or six, with three or four rows in total.
These were all new apprentices who had recently been recruited.
A large part of them had come to the Red Moon Troupe to learn opera because of Qi Xiaoyu’s reputation.
When they saw Qi Xiaoyu appear, they all stopped what they were doing and respectfully greeted him, “Hello, Teacher Qi.”
Qi Xiaoyu nodded to them, signaling them to continue practicing.
Then, while accompanying Qi Fengjian, he also gave them some guidance on postures and movements.
Among these new apprentices was a fifteen- or sixteen-year-old boy with a handsome appearance and a slender figure named Yang Qinhai.
Yang Qinhai came from a prominent family and had a particularly lively personality. He actively sought out Qi Xiaoyu whenever he had doubts.
Qi Xiaoyu patiently demonstrated and instructed him on several basic movements like the water sleeves and the lying fish.
After a while, Yang Qinhai came over to chat again, mentioning the previous night’s performance and praising Qi Xiaoyu’s diamond-studded headdress as unique and beautiful. He said with great admiration, “I heard from my uncle that this headdress came from the former palace and is very rare to see. Teacher Qi, could you let us take a look?”
Qi Xiaoyu didn’t talk much about these things and just responded with a smile.
Not all of these new apprentices would stay in the Red Moon Troupe. Gu Zizhen and Xi Yun would conduct regular assessments on them, and those who failed would be sent away.
So he didn’t talk much about personal matters, especially since this headdress was a gift from Xun Qian.
Gu Zizhen was engrossed in the account books for October, and Gu He was helping out by his side.
Gu He had grown much taller than he was three years ago. Teenagers grow like weeds, and even though he was just over ten years old, he was already almost as tall as Qi Xiaoyu’s shoulders.
Seeing him enter, Gu He immediately got up from his seat, brought over a new armchair, and brewed a pot of fresh tea.
Qi Xiaoyu sat down and helped Gu Zizhen organize the accounts, discussing the troupe’s situation over the past few months. “How are these newly recruited apprentices? How many do you think will stay?”
Gu Zizhen pulled out a notebook from a stack, opened a page, and pointed it out to him. “The list of those I’ve selected is all here.
Did you see them today?”
Qi Xiaoyu looked at the names in the notebook and nodded. “When I accompanied Master for a walk in the garden, I saw them practicing there. Let’s go with the list you’ve made, Senior Brother. It’s pretty much what I saw as well.”
Although to outsiders, Qi Xiaoyu had now taken Qi Fengjian’s place as the head and owner of the Red Moon Troupe, Qi Xiaoyu had always respected Gu Zizhen very much.
Even if he had already made up his mind about matters within the troupe, he would always consult Gu Zizhen first. As long as there wasn’t a major conflict, he would follow Gu Zizhen’s ideas and prioritize Gu Zizhen’s opinions.
Seeing that Qi Xiaoyu had no objections, Gu Zizhen continued, “There are still a few on the waiting list. Take a look and see if we should keep them. For example, this Zhang Xiaocai is hardworking, but he really doesn’t have much talent. His vocal range isn’t good, and he’s not suitable for any of the roles—male, female, painted-face, or clown.
And then there’s this Yang Qinhai. I initially let him join the troupe because he’s Yang Baosen’s nephew. He actually has good potential and has inherited some of Mr. Yang’s musical talent, but his personality…”
“He’s too impatient and not down-to-earth,” Qi Xiaoyu interjected.
Gu Zizhen was taken aback for a moment, then nodded. “Yes, that’s right. You saw it too? Performing opera requires the most patience to hone one’s skills, and his impatient nature is really not suitable for it.
I know you admire Mr. Yang Baosen, and I was worried you might be biased.”
“Mr. Yang is Mr. Yang, and his nephew is his nephew. But let’s tell him gently.”
“I know. Out of respect for Mr. Yang, I will take his feelings into consideration.”
The two senior and junior brothers discussed the new apprentices for a while and finalized the list of who would stay and who would leave.
Just as Qi Xiaoyu was about to get up to leave, Gu Zizhen suddenly spoke again, “Wait, there’s one more thing.”
Hearing this, Qi Xiaoyu sat back down, looking at the hesitant Gu Zizhen with some confusion. “Senior Brother, please speak.”
He intuitively felt that what Gu Zizhen wanted to talk about wasn’t related to the opera troupe but was probably a personal matter, because Gu Zizhen was never this hesitant when it came to official business.
Gu Zizhen hesitated for a moment, but what he asked was, “Is the public performance in Country R going to be canceled?”
“It probably will be. I saw Xun Qian last night, and he told me it’s best to postpone it for a while. The recent situation has become a bit turbulent again.”
As he spoke, he glanced at Qi Xiaoyu. “Of course, war is the worst-case scenario. It’s unlikely to reach Shanghai. However, we need to make several preparations.”
“What does Senior Brother think?”
“Actually, if a war really breaks out, what can we do? We’ll just have to flee. I heard that the southwest might be safer. I think we can start preparing.”
“I’ll follow your arrangements.”
“Hmm?” Qi Xiaoyu knew that after going in a big circle, the conversation would indeed come back to him.
“Your matter can’t be delayed any longer either. It won’t be good if we wait until the war.”
“Senior Brother, you’re talking about me and…”
“That’s right, it’s about you and Commander Xun.
I know you want to wait for Master to recover.” Gu Zizhen paused.
“But you’ve also seen Master’s condition. The doctor said that this situation might last for a very long time.
It might improve in the future, or it might just stay like this. If you wait for Master to get better… It will take too long. If Master wakes up, he will blame me then.
Besides, Commander Xun has been waiting for you for three years already. Three years may not be long, but it’s not short either.”
Qi Xiaoyu thought, had his senior brother received some benefits from Xun Qian? Why else would he be urging him to get married?
Then he heard Gu Zizhen continue, “I’ve looked at the almanac, and there are many auspicious days at the end of the year…”
Qi Xiaoyu called out softly, “Senior Brother…”
Gu Zizhen smiled. “Alright, I won’t say anymore. Think about it carefully yourself.”
Under the shadow of war, life in Shanghai went on as usual.
Qi Xiaoyu received an invitation from a film crew, asking him to make a cameo appearance for a day or two.
Because the company that invested in the film had also handled some of his overseas performances, Qi Xiaoyu agreed.
The movie was called “Old Dreams on the Sea,” and they rented a classic villa in the concession for filming.
His part was very small, almost just showing his face and singing a short excerpt from an opera. It was filmed in less than half a day.
While Qi Xiaoyu was putting on makeup, he vaguely heard people pointing at him and discussing his relationship with Xun Qian again.
He looked at himself in the mirror, recalling the scene when he left Xun Qian that night, and then remembered what Gu Zizhen had said to him.
Qi Fengjian in his current state could actually attend their wedding, but he selfishly hoped that his master could watch him get married in a more lucid state.
After filming, Qi Xiaoyu returned with a heavy heart. Just as he came out of the villa and was about to call for a car, he suddenly heard someone calling him from behind.
Qi Xiaoyu turned around and saw that it was Jiang Sicheng, hiding behind a wall and waving at him.
Qi Xiaoyu looked around and walked towards him.
Seeing him come over, Jiang Sicheng quickly pulled him aside and whispered, “It’s great I ran into you here. I happen to have something I need your help with.”
Since they had drunk wine together by the Huangpu River, they had maintained intermittent contact over the years. When Jiang Sicheng went to the Paramount and other places, he would occasionally come to the Laurel Stage to show his support.
When the Red Moon Troupe encountered some minor troubles, Jiang Sicheng would also lend a hand.
Jiang Sicheng got straight to the point. “Can you go to Ichiro Yamada’s residence the night after tomorrow and perform an opera to keep him occupied?”
Qi Xiaoyu frowned, knowing that this was no simple matter. “What do you want to do?”
Jiang Sicheng looked around, making sure no one was nearby again. “We need to go to his office to find something, an engineering map.”
“We? Who are ‘we’?”
“Students from the Communist Association.”
Qi Xiaoyu understood as soon as he heard it. He had heard the name Communist Association a long time ago. It was probably when Xun Qian took him to Xun Ran’s welcome banquet that he heard a group of students talking about it. “When did you join such an organization?”
Jiang Sicheng pursed his lips in dissatisfaction. “Everyone is responsible for the fate of the country. Why can’t I join? Can you help me or not?
You don’t need to do anything else; the rest has nothing to do with you.”
He held up one finger. “I know they like to hear you sing opera. Just drag it out for an hour.”
