Chapter 5

By the time the three of them found her, panting, Jiang Liu was sitting at a small stall, chatting enthusiastically with someone. In front of her was a bowl of steaming hot duck blood and vermicelli soup, topped with vibrant green scallions that were a feast for the eyes and made one’s mouth water.

“For goodness’ sake, can you please stop running around? What if something happens?”

Zhang Xiaochen felt like a nagging mother. He plopped down on the stool opposite her, his words tinged with dissatisfaction.

It was one thing when they were strangers, but their current situation was dire. Every companion had to be cherished. Plus, Jiang Liu had helped him last night, so he couldn’t help but worry a little more about this girl.

While he was fuming, Jiang Liu merely glanced at the three of them and slowly called out to the shopkeeper, “Three more bowls of duck blood soup and two orders of steamed buns.”

Then she turned to the person next to her and explained, “They’re my friends. Please, continue.”

Beside her was an elderly man. The fabric of his long gown was a bit faded but well-kept and clean. He had a kind face, and upon hearing her words, he shook his head heartily. “If you want to know which theater here is the most famous, you’ve asked the right person.”

At this point, his expression became quite proud. He fumbled in his pockets for a long time before carefully taking out a cloth bundle. After unwrapping it layer by layer, a yellowed old photograph was revealed.

Hearing that Jiang Liu was asking for clues about the theater, Zhang Xiaochen stopped complaining and leaned in to look without any politeness.

The photograph was quite old and couldn’t compare to their modern high-definition cameras. But after carefully examining the faded image for a moment, he couldn’t help but cry out in surprise.

“It’s this theater!”

There were only two people in the picture. A young man in an opera costume stood with a proper posture, his features handsome. He was holding a seven or eight-year-old boy, and both were smiling happily.

And the background… was none other than the Curtain Dream Theater.

It was just much more exquisite than it was now. Large red lanterns hung by the entrance, the calligraphy on the plaque was powerful and vigorous, and the hems of many people’s clothes could be vaguely seen in the corners, a stark contrast to its current desolation.

The old man’s gaze fell on the photograph, and he seemed a bit dazed. “It’s been a while since I’ve looked at it. It really brings back memories.”

Jiang Liu smiled gracefully and didn’t rush to ask the crucial question. Instead, she said, “Something you carry so close to you must be very precious.”

“Yes, so many years have passed in a flash. Back then, I was only this big…”

He gestured with his hand in the air and sighed nostalgically.

“Nowadays, all these Western songs and dances are in fashion. It’s rare to meet a young person who loves to listen to opera. You were born in the wrong era, you missed the good times!”

He stared at the photo, lost in thought, his whole demeanor becoming much more melancholic.

Here’s our chance!

The three of them exchanged a glance, and Xu Shu took the opportunity to inquire, “Could there be a story we haven’t heard?”

The old man laughed heartily, carefully put the photo away, and then slowly began to tell his story.

***

“She’s still not back. Where on earth did she go?”

In the theater, the two male students were pacing anxiously, constantly looking up at the time, their faces pale.

Unlike Jiang Liu’s smooth progress, they had gotten lost not long after leaving. The originally sunny day had suddenly turned gray and gloomy, and a cold wind blew, soon followed by rain.

They hadn’t brought umbrellas and didn’t dare to go too far. They had planned to come straight back, but then Ren Linlin suddenly went crazy, claiming to have seen a house in the distance!

The two of them looked left and right but saw no buildings. Yet Ren Linlin was convinced and ran off to take shelter from the rain, unstoppable.

Her state reminded them of her strange behavior last night. They trembled and didn’t dare to stop her, only shouting after her to remember to come back when the rain stopped, before turning and running back themselves.

Who would have thought that the appointed time would come and go, and Ren Linlin would still be nowhere to be seen.

They were really afraid something had happened, so they rushed to Jiang Liu. “Why don’t you go out and look for her?”

Xu Meng, who had been quiet all this time, rolled her eyes dramatically. “She went out with you. How could you just leave her behind?”

Now that something had happened, they were scared? What kind of cowards were they?

One of them, whose guilt had been exposed, stuck his neck out and retorted, “Who knew she would run off? She’s a grown woman, does she need us to look after her?”

Just as they were about to start arguing again, Yellow Hair, who loved to stir up trouble, joined the verbal battle, siding with Xu Meng. Jiang Liu silently put down her teacup and got up.

“Where are you going?”

Xu Shu had learned his lesson and was constantly watching Jiang Liu’s movements. He was startled by her sudden move and quickly grabbed her sleeve to ask, afraid that Jiang Liu would disappear without a word.

“I’m going out to have a look.”

Although Ren Linlin’s words were not pleasant, she was just a freshman at heart and wouldn’t lie about important matters. Since she said she saw a house, there must be something to it.

If there was anything special about her, Jiang Liu could only think of one thing—she had been on stage last night.

Coincidentally, she had been on stage too.

She raised an eyebrow slightly, a plan already forming in her mind. She patted Xu Shu. “Don’t worry.”

Just as she finished speaking, the door creaked open, interrupting their argument.

Jiang Liu looked up and saw Chen Si leading the way, dressed in a light green padded long skirt and holding a sky-blue oil-paper umbrella. She was brimming with vitality, like a ray of spring sunshine that had wandered into autumn, completely out of place in the desolate theater.

Perhaps because she was a student, her hair was styled in two braids, adorned with matching hair clips, which made her look even more well-behaved and cute.

Noticing the tense atmosphere in the room, Chen Si tilted her head in confusion and trotted over, holding her skirt. “What’s wrong?”

Zhang Xiaochen glanced at the two male students. “It’s nothing. Are you here to bring us food?”

Under his gaze, the two of them lowered their heads and said nothing, their faces flushed, not daring to argue.

Jiang Liu took in the situation and couldn’t help but think. Xu Meng was one thing, but this Yellow Hair was clearly a seasoned street smarts, and he didn’t hold back when he cursed people out.

This kind of person would try to win an argument even when he was wrong, let alone now that he was in the right. Of course, he was unbeatable.

Chen Si didn’t know about these little conflicts and just nodded blankly, only then remembering her purpose. She quickly gestured for people to set out the food.

“It rained today, so I was a bit delayed. Sister Liu must be hungry, right?”

She pushed a bowl of chicken noodle soup in front of Jiang Liu, but seeing that she didn’t sit down, she asked, a little puzzled, “Is it not to your liking?”

Jiang Liu met her gaze for a long time, then smiled. “No, I love chicken noodle soup. But Linlin is out and hasn’t returned today, so I’m a little worried.”

Chen Si let out a sound of surprise and turned to look at the rain outside. “The rain is getting heavier. Maybe she’s found a place to take shelter?”

Jiang Liu was already getting ready to leave. “You guys eat first. I’m going out to look for her.”

“No!”

Chen Si, who had always spoken in a soft, gentle voice, suddenly screamed and rushed forward to block Jiang Liu’s path.

Her beautiful eyes were filled with a rare urgency. She tried every means to dissuade her. “Senior Sister Ren will be fine. Sister, you should eat first.”

Jiang Liu didn’t say anything, just looked at her thoughtfully, a dark light flashing in her eyes. Her bright black eyes reflected only Chen Si’s figure, and no one could see what she was thinking.

Chen Si felt a little flustered under her gaze and turned her head to look away, but she still tried to stop her. “Even if you have to look for her, you… you should eat first, and then go. I’ll go with you, sister!”

Strange, too strange.

From her previous words and actions, their relationship should be very good. Why was she reacting so strongly to something as trivial as going out to look for someone?

Jiang Liu was puzzled and continued to look at her thoughtfully.

Chen Si stomped her foot in frustration, her voice already tinged with tears. “Sister, I’m begging you, please eat first.”

The group looked at the two of them, speechless. At this point, even the most clueless person could sense that something was strange about Chen Si.

Zhang Xiaochen had thought that someone like Jiang Liu wouldn’t listen. Just as he was about to say something to ease the tension, he saw Jiang Liu suddenly burst into a chuckle. As her expression changed, the pressure in the room instantly returned to normal.

She reached out and wiped the corners of the little girl’s eyes, her words gentle. “We’re just going to eat. Why are you crying?”

After wiping away the tears, she even pinched Chen Si’s soft cheek, then contentedly withdrew her hand and sat down to eat.

But Chen Si was frozen in place.

She looked at Jiang Liu’s back, a little dazed, as if in disbelief, yet also with a sense of nostalgia.

In the end, she just took a deep breath to calm her racing heart, and in an instant, her expression changed, and she obediently sat down next to Jiang Liu.

Yellow Hair, who had witnessed everything, was speechless.

What the hell? Why was she so agreeable now?

Why didn’t this person give a heads-up before running off like that?

He was completely baffled. He simply plopped down and started eating, ignoring the two of them.

Today, the timing was perfect. As soon as the noon bell rang, Chen Si put down her chopsticks and calmly picked up her umbrella. “Sister Liu, let’s go.”

Jiang Liu grunted in agreement but didn’t move immediately. She whispered something in Zhang Xiaochen’s ear before following her.

The rain was still drizzling. Perhaps because of this, there were hardly any people on the street. As the two of them walked under one umbrella, Jiang Liu felt a long-lost sense of peace.

She used to have money and leisure, and she was very content. Why did she suddenly have such a thought?

Jiang Liu laughed silently at herself and reached out to help Chen Si hold the umbrella.

“Your dress is inconvenient. Let me hold it.”

The space under the paper umbrella was limited, and the two of them were almost pressed together. Her hand happened to cover the back of Chen Si’s hand, and the warm touch made Chen Si flinch subconsciously.

Carefully withdrawing her hand from Jiang Liu’s palm, Chen Si secretly breathed a sigh of relief, only to hear an abrupt question. “Are you hot? Your face is so red.”

Jiang Liu was slightly taller than her by half a head, and when she looked down, she could see the red tips of her ears, which she found strange.

On such a rainy day, even if her padded jacket was a bit thick, it shouldn’t be hot enough to make her like this.

Chen Si’s breath hitched, and she quickly waved her hands. “No, it’s just… it’s been a long time since I’ve walked around with my sister.”

Jiang Liu didn’t say anything, sensing that her mood was a bit off. She waited quietly for a long time before hearing a faint sigh.

“Mother won’t let me get involved in the theater’s affairs. I even have to sneak over, except when I’m delivering food. I really don’t understand why.”

She sounded a little annoyed. The pitter-patter of the rain seemed to be a release for her worries.

Jiang Liu blinked and asked, seemingly casually, “Do you like watching opera?”

Chen Si shook her head. “No, it’s just that Mother likes it. But she rarely listens to it now. I always try to persuade her to reopen the theater, but she’s not willing.”

“Maybe it’s because she’s sick. She always likes to have you all perform, but she only watches by herself. With no income, it’s no wonder she can’t keep people.”

“Always?”

Jiang Liu couldn’t help but stop, her gaze fixed on the end of the road.

In the misty rain, a house stood alone, its edges seeming to melt into the dense, swirling mist, disappearing in the blink of an eye.