The opera came to a close, and at Yun Jin's invitation, the group took a tour of the Yun-Han Opera Troupe.
"This is the training hall. I've been practicing my fundamentals here since I was little."
"What kind of fundamentals?"
"Stance drills, movements, vocal exercises, and so on…"
"Was it fun?"
"At first, maybe. But later, it just became tedious—the pain of stretching, the monotony of memorizing verses, the soreness in your throat… I only persevered by gritting my teeth."
"That sounds exhausting."
"It was. But the reputation I have now was earned through that very effort."
"Hard work pays off"
"Mhm!"
"Look at all those weapons over there!"
"Ah, those? They're all props for performances—none of them are sharpened."
"Yaoyao, there's a spear! Can you show us the spear techniques you've learned? I'll take a picture!"
"Sure!"
The little girl eagerly ran over, lifting a spear from the weapon rack with both hands. Her bright eyes widened. "It's so light!"
Yun Jin nodded with a smile. "They're specially made—hollow inside, so they're lighter."
"For easier performances, right?"
"Yes, and for safety too. Liyue operas often have fight scenes with grand, flamboyant movements. If a weapon were to slip and hit an audience member, it'd be far too dangerous."
"Oh, I see!"
Yaoyao hefted the spear and began twirling it.
The air around her instantly stirred with vigor.
Xia Zhi could tell that the spear techniques she demonstrated were concise and fierce—clearly a martial art meant for battle.
In terms of spectacle, they naturally couldn't compare to Yun Jin's refined movements, but the little girl's occasional spirited shouts made the whole display utterly endearing.
Once Yaoyao finished her performance, Xia Ci grinned and said, "Cousin, didn't you say earlier that you'd sing for us?"
Yun Jin immediately turned to Xia Zhi, her face alight with excitement. "Mr. Xia, you'll perform?"
Though she had never heard him sing before, Yun Jin had been guided by him many times. Naturally, she assumed he was highly skilled—and had long been curious to hear him.
"I meant after we got back…"
"What's the difference? It's just as good here!"
"Yeah!"
"And it's quiet."
"But this is the Yun-Han Opera Troupe's territory. Singing here…"
Yun Jin quickly interjected, "It's no trouble at all! Please, Mr. Xia, feel free."
Seeing everyone's eager anticipation, Xia Zhi sighed in resignation. "Alright, I'll sing a short piece for you then. Hmm… how about The Divine Damsel of Devastation?"
"Yes!"
Xia Zhi cleared his throat and began to sing.
"Ah, lament—"
The lyrics were familiar, but his rendition carried a slightly different cadence from Yun Jin's.
Using the [Music Master] ability he had acquired from Madame Ping, he enriched the melody, making it fuller and more captivating.
As she listened, Yun Jin's eyes shimmered with fascination.
When the song ended, Xia Zhi smiled modestly. "Forgive my poor performance."
"Not at all!"
"I thought it was wonderful!"
"Boss is amazing!"
Xia Zhi chuckled and turned to Yun Jin. "What did you think, Miss Yun Jin?"
She bowed her head in sincere admiration. "As expected of Mr. Xia."
"Did you learn anything from it?"
"Yes! A great deal! Thank you for your guidance!"
After leaving the training hall, the group wandered into the storage room, where rows upon rows of costumes were kept.
"There are so many!"
"They're gorgeous!"
Yun Jin shared the stories behind each set.
Xia Zhi, of course, already knew all of this. As he "looked" around, he noticed Shenhe standing before one particular costume in the corner—a vibrant red bridal gown, rich with auspicious symbolism.
She stared at it for a long moment before silently turning away.
Xia Zhi made a mental note.
Once the tour concluded, the group strolled through the streets, where Xia Ci bought yet another assortment of charming but utterly useless decorative object from a vendor.
That night, Xia Zhi sat in his room and opened the system panel.
A customization interface appeared before him.
The exquisite Glaze Lily jewelry he had once traded with Mingxing Jewelry had been crafted through this very function.
For just 1 point, he could create any item of ordinary materials.
He tapped the screen, and the outline of an opera costume took shape.
To his discerning eye, the patterns still had minor flaws.
A few more adjustments, and the imperfections vanished.
Much better.
[Confirm production?]
"Confirm."
Moments later, a resplendent red costume materialized in his hands.
Its silk was smooth as water, seamless as if woven by the heavens themselves.
Xia Zhi ran his fingers over the fabric and smiled.
If he were to sell such a flawless masterpiece to Ningguang, the price she'd offer would surely rival—if not surpass—the Glaze Lily ornament.
After all, compared to a mere decorative piece, a wearable work of art like this would better showcase the wearer's elegance.
He set the costume on the bed and began his daily routine.
At one point, a soft knock came from the adjacent wall.
Shenhe had arrived.
The moment she stepped in, her gaze locked onto the familiar-looking garment on the bed, freezing in surprise.
"Boss, this is…?"
"A gift for you."
"Huh?"
"I noticed you seemed quite taken with this costume earlier, so I tried making one myself. Made a few tweaks—what do you think?"
"It looks even more beautiful."
"Right? Do you like it?"
"I do."
"Go on, try it on."
"Okay."
And then… there was no then.
Well, if one had to put it into words, uniforms really are something else, huh?
---
In another room, Qiqi wasn't out herb-gathering tonight. Instead, she sat at her desk, flipping through her personal notebook to a particular page.
Written on it were notes like:
- [Mr. Xia's cooking is delicious]
- [Mr. Xia's carvings are impressive]
Then, at some point, Mr. Xia became Boss:
- [Boss's novels are captivating]
- [Boss's medical skills are extraordinary]
Qiqi stared at the page for a long while before picking up her pen and adding:
- [Boss sings beautifully]
---
Yujing Terrace.
Ganyu tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep.
She was suffering from insomnia.
Not just tonight.
The night before, and the night before that… it had been the same.
Ever since she took Greater Lord Rukkhadevata's advice to handle work in her dreams, her office hours had indeed shortened drastically.
These days, she just sat at her desk, sipping tea, reviewing documents, napping, drafting reports, spacing out, spacing out, spacing out…
Before, she'd work late into the night, exhausted, dozing off during the day and collapsing into bed at night.
Now, with her days so idle and her shifts ending on time, she found herself wide awake when night fell.
Ganyu sat up and sighed, gazing at the moonlit sky outside her window.
I really am just meant to toil away, aren't I?
Her eyes drifted to a nearby table, where an invitation lay.
Ningguang had sent it that afternoon—a special gathering, women only.
Ganyu usually avoided such events, mostly due to lack of time.
But now?
Now she had all the time in the world.
Maybe I'll drop by tomorrow… just for a change of pace.
---
Join my Patreon for early access to 100+ chapters and to support my work: Patreon.com/rivyura