Chapter 1543: Chapter 1550: Show Affection (3)
Wanyan Jingchen couldn’t bear to refuse her, and imdiately called over the servants, instructing them to go inside and book a private room.
This theater building was the largest and most lavish in the Qing Luo Kingdom. On typical days, it hosted casual visitors and opera enthusiasts, with one big performance each morning and evening, and smaller acts at other tis. When significant guests booked the venue, it was closed off to other patrons, or sotis the entire troupe would be invited to perform directly at soone’s residence.
Thanks to several popular lead perforrs, the theater’s business was quite prosperous. Almost every day, bureaucrats and aristocrats would co to show their support.
Many won from affluent households also enjoyed coming here to watch the performances. However, they usually booked elegant rooms on the second floor ahead of ti. On one hand, it offered a quiet and comfortable viewing experience. On the other hand, the first floor was a chaotic mix of people from various backgrounds, which helped avoid unnecessary exposure or encounters with strangers.
Once the servants had secured the private room, Wanyan Jingchen led Xiang Yun inside. Passing by the first floor, he noticed the noisy commotion inside, where most of the guests were n. The scene was further amplified by servers bustling about delivering tea, lon seeds, and pastries, creating an atmosphere of chaos and disorder.
Having grown up working and navigating the outside world, Wanyan Jingchen was completely accustod to such unruly environnts. However, he still worried that Xiang Yun, as a refined Miss from the Marquis’s Mansion, might be uncomfortable amid such clamor. To his surprise, Xiang Yun seed delighted upon seeing the lively chaos, asserting that she thoroughly enjoyed such bustling and noisy places.
Although she seed to enjoy it, Wanyan Jingchen dared not let her linger there too long. He took her hand and quickly led her upstairs.
The second floor had five elegant private rooms, the hallway long, quiet, and narrow—a sharp contrast to the rowdiness of the first floor. The environnt was worlds apart. The private rooms were tranquil and refined, with red woolen carpets covering the floor and uniformly made redwood furniture. On the table were tea and an assortnt of fresh fruits, as well as snacks. Near the window stood a rack carved from pear blossom wood adorned with hibiscus flowers, supporting a pot of sprawling purple-root orchids. Beside the rack was a low-legged side table holding a celadon sachet bottle with sloped shoulders, inside which blood a freshly blossod magnolia, white as jade and exuding a faint, elegant fragrance…
On the wall, a transparent, wide window with shining glass had been carved open, giving a clear bird’s-eye view of the theater stage below—clearer even than watching from the first floor.
“Clang clang clang…”
Onstage, an opera actor dressed as a traveler was singing boisterously, performing “Northern Lights and Reddish Lips.”
It was a famous repertoire, yet Xiang Yun disliked such sorrowful lyrics and lodies. Pouting, she said, “I originally thought I’d hear sothing cheerful, but it’s just these dreary tunes again. Truly disappointing.”
Wanyan Jingchen laughed and said, “Although this opera may not be entirely joyful, its lyrics and overall grandeur are masterfully crafted. The rhythmic cadence and the inclusion of the piece ‘Parasitic Grass’ make it quite worth appreciating. Yun’er, why not settle down and listen—you might even gain sothing unexpected.”
Xiang Yun waved her hand vigorously, twisting her mouth and said, “Never mind, never mind. I won’t listen. If I hear too much and suddenly gain clarity like a Buddhist nun, there isn’t a shrine for pregnant won to take in.”
Wanyan Jingchen was amused by her humor and said, “Even if there were one, I wouldn’t let you go inside! Never mind, since you don’t enjoy this opera, perhaps we can ask them to switch to another one.”
“No!”
Before Wanyan Jingchen could call soone, Xiang Yun quickly stopped him, saying, “Look at everyone enjoying themselves so noisily. I can’t disrupt the crowd just for my own sake. That’d be downright inconsiderate. Alright, you listen to your performance, and I’ll eat!”
As she spoke, her big, round, sparkling eyes settled on the table, wandering among the assortnt of vibrant red and green pastries.
Wanyan Jingchen frowned slightly and said, “The things outside may not be clean. If you have a craving for sothing, why not ask the Imperial Cooks in the Palace to prepare it for you? That way, you won’t risk upsetting your stomach and regretting it later.”
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