Abnormal Gourmet Chronicle
Chapter 115 - 96 Liang Zhu (Part 2)_2

Chapter 115: Chapter 96 Liang Zhu (Part 2)_2

"Does Mr. Luo need your consideration? Do you think you can afford to stay at the Licha Hotel, living in a suite every day?"

Luo Jun ignored the chatter of the crowd, focusing on drinking tea while waiting for the play to start. Qin Huai surveyed the people in the private box, noting that all were either wealthy or noble. Their presence elevated the status of the entire theater.

In the corner of the private box sat three people who didn’t seem as wealthy, curiously observing Luo Jun and his companions while whispering among themselves.

Qin Huai moved closer to eavesdrop on the gossip.

"What’s happening today? Why are all these people here, apart from Mr. Luo: Grandpa Bai, Third Master Zhong, Boss Zhang, Boss Wang, Mr. Liu, Young Master Li, and Mr. Ge? Are they here to watch the play?"

"Are you stupid? They’re not here to watch the play; they’re here for other reasons, to dig into Mr. Luo’s background."

"Mr. Luo’s background? Isn’t his family just southern merchants who have returned after studying abroad for many years? What other background could there be?"

"Are you really that naive? Recently, the Tiger Gang has had their eyes on Mr. Luo..."

"I know, I know, wasn’t it said that the Tiger Gang is backed by some northern magnate...?"

"Last night, they all disappeared."

"What disappeared?"

"Last night, there was a big fire at the docks, you know?"

"I know, I know, there was a report in the newspaper this morning, saying several warehouses were burnt down. Were those the Tiger Gang’s warehouses?"

"Everything was burnt to the ground, not a trace left, neither goods nor men. I heard even the police dared not investigate. Go outside and ask around—there’s no Tiger Gang left, nor even the Rat Gang dares to exist."

The eavesdropper gasped, sneaking a fearful glance at Luo Jun: "So, is he...?"

"Most puzzling, there wasn’t even a shot fired at the docks last night. Isn’t Mr. Luo supposed to be back from studying in England? He can barely use chopsticks, and now many people are spreading rumors that he’s a duke’s illegitimate child."

Qin Huai: ...

This rumor is getting a bit ridiculous.

Luo Jun doesn’t even look mixed race.

Although, the truth is even stranger than the rumors.

Guess what? He isn’t even human.

The gossip wasn’t over when the play began.

The chatterers immediately fell silent, and Qin Huai went straight to the stage to watch.

The story of Liang Zhu, Qin Huai had watched since childhood, in films and several TV versions. Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai, a famous example of Chinese tragic beauty. Which child hasn’t disliked Ma Wencai and his cronies at some point?

Although the actors playing Ma Wencai have become more handsome over time, by the time Qin Luo watched Liang Zhu, the kids were only interested in Ma Wencai.

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

Liu Tao was very beautiful.

Even with heavy makeup, the bright opera face covering the entire face makes it hard to discern what the actor actually looks like, but Qin Huai could still tell Liu Tao was a standard beauty.

Oval face, willow-leaf eyebrows, large, expressive eyes, bright and lively, expressing emotions with her eyes.

Her voice, needless to say, was melodious and captivating.

In this highly competitive era of opera, any actor who makes a name for themselves has genuine skill.

Luo Jun was watching the play intently.

His focus was so intense it seemed a bit eerie.

Everyone knows Liang Zhu is a tragic story. The love between Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai cannot be accepted by their conventional families; they ultimately die for love and transform into butterflies— a poignant love story of lovers breaking free from societal constraints through death.

According to the usual viewing process, by the time this play reaches its conclusion, women who are more emotional on normal days should already be wiping their tears with handkerchiefs.

Yet, Luo Jun seemed quite happy.

He appeared to particularly enjoy the ending, and even as Zhu Yingtai turned into a yellow butterfly accompanying a sorrowful erhu melody at the curtain call, he smiled and clapped.

If you weren’t aware, you’d think the troupe had changed the story of Liang Zhu to a happy ending.

"Mr. Luo..." As soon as the play ended, some couldn’t wait to rise and approach Luo Jun.

"I have other matters to attend to." Luo Jun stood up and headed backstage.

The Class Leader was already enthusiastically waiting backstage, informing Luo Jun that Liu Tao was still removing her makeup and asking Luo Jun to sit and wait a moment. The resting room, clearly prepared especially for Luo Jun, had tables, chairs, screens, ornaments, and vases, with some relatively inexpensive snacks on the table.

Luo Jun was uninterested in the tea or snacks, opened the window disliking the dimness of the room, and sat by the window, taking out a newspaper he hadn’t read from his pocket to read a novel.

Qin Huai: ...

When did he fold a newspaper into a handkerchief and put it in his pocket?

Mr. Luo, do you love reading novels that much?

Qin Huai stood beside him, also reading.

The plot of the novel in the third-rate newspaper wasn’t great. Every few boring sections contained a risqué scene, which Luo Jun clearly disliked, flipping through the pages quickly and finishing the content of two pages in no time.

Then Luo Jun folded the newspaper, and from another pocket, pulled out a different one.

Qin Huai: ?

No, who on earth goes to a play with novels stuffed in both pockets?

This other newspaper contained a traditional martial arts revenge story, decently written, which Luo Jun read with great interest.

"Mr. Luo."

Both Qin Huai and Luo Jun were so engrossed in reading that they didn’t notice Liu Tao had arrived.

Liu Tao, without the opera makeup, looked quite different from on stage.

On stage, Liu Tao shone brightly, captivating the audience with every move.

But now, in ordinary clothes, Liu Tao still had bright eyes, willow-leaf eyebrows, and an oval face, yet she looked rather plain. Qin Huai even noticed several apparent flaws on her face.

For instance, her chin was a bit short, her nose not prominent enough, and she had a few small moles. These ordinary features combined with beautiful eyes might make one feel somewhat disappointed.

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

"You’re really well-read, needing to read newspapers wherever you go," Liu Tao remarked.

Luo Jun merely nodded slightly without speaking.

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

"How did you feel about today’s performance of Liang Zhu?" Liu Tao handed the tea cup to Luo Jun.

Luo Jun took the tea cup, holding it without drinking: "Except for you, everything else was lacking."

"Singing skills were lacking, demeanor was lacking, stage positioning was lacking, and even the erhu in the accompaniment was lacking." From the first words, you could tell Luo Jun was an old critic.

Liu Tao could only bow her head and apologize: "I’m sorry, Mr. Luo. Our troupe indeed... I’m sorry to have disappointed you."

"Sit," Luo Jun pointed to a chair.

Liu Tao obediently sat down.

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

Liu Tao looked up, surprised, meeting Luo Jun’s gaze before quickly averting her eyes: "You like... this kind of story?"

"I like stories with a happy ending."

Liu Tao: ?

Now Liu Tao couldn’t bother feeling embarrassed, her small face full of question marks.

"Happy ending?" Liu Tao began to question her entire opera career, "Is the story of Liang Zhu... a happy ending?"

"Didn’t Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai turn into butterflies and unite in the end?" Luo Jun countered.

"But... but they only became butterflies after dying for love."

"Being a butterfly or a human, isn’t it all the same?" Luo Jun said mildly, "As it’s written in the novels, monsters can cultivate spirits, humans can cultivate immortality. Whether human or butterfly, they’re all forms of life, living beings, essentially no different."

"While humans, they couldn’t be together due to societal pressures, but as butterflies, they’re paired; isn’t that a beautiful ending too?"

Liu Tao was dumbfounded by Luo Jun’s theory. After carefully digesting it, she nodded with a smile, her bright eyes filled with mirth: "You make a good point."

"You are indeed different from us performers in the troupe. Since childhood, I’ve performed Liang Zhu and never thought being a butterfly could be a happy ending. You’re right; being a butterfly can be nice, you can even fly."

"Do you like butterflies?" Luo Jun asked.

Liu Tao nodded emphatically: "I like them."

"Originally, I just thought butterflies were beautiful, but listening to you, I feel they are also very free."

"So do you like butterflies?"

"It’s all the same," Luo Jun replied, "To me, humans, butterflies, birds are all the same, being any of them is fine."

Liu Tao laughed again, her eyes smiling as she looked at Luo Jun.

Her brows and eyes curved, filled entirely with him.