When Spring Burns - Chapter 41

Sheng Tingmian had no idea what her sister was thinking, only that she had to continue her training today.

At Changyuan Theater, the huadan and xiaosheng role actors who had finished training were all discussing what the new opera excerpt would be.

“I heard it’s an adaptation of Dongfang Bubai from Jin Yong’s The Smiling, Proud Wanderer, with the xiaosheng role transforming into a huadan role.”

“Really?”

“That’s what’s being said online.”

“If it’s a xiaosheng-to-huadan transformation, that’s really challenging. Both huadan and xiaosheng actors would need to be skilled.”

“Not necessarily. What if it’s performed by two separate actors?”

After listening to the discussion, Sheng Tingmian thought that if the new opera excerpt was indeed a Kunqu adaptation centered around Dongfang Bubai’s transformation from xiaosheng to huadan, it would be very suitable for Du Jingya.

Du Jingya had a masculine appearance for a girl, but she was quite good at playing huadan roles. Previously, due to her height, there were almost no xiaosheng actors who could perform alongside her, which was why her aunt had her switch from huadan to xiaosheng.

“Du Jingya, I think this opera excerpt would suit you well.”

Although Du Jingya was somewhat hopeful, after all, new wine was always better than old wine reheated, she also felt a hint of concern. “If this were in the past, Jin Yong’s martial arts novels would definitely attract a large audience of wuxia fans. But nowadays, martial arts dramas are hardly seen in the film and TV industry. What does that tell us? It means young audiences’ tastes have changed.”

Sheng Tingmian recalled their previous performances. “The ones that received better responses were mostly sweet romance dramas.”

Du Jingya said, “Exactly. The market is what it is. We can’t force a change in the audience’s preferences unless we create a new market ourselves.”

Sheng Tingmian was lost in thought. When she returned from the theater, she noticed the study door was still closed. She knocked tentatively, but there was no response. She tried turning the doorknob.

As soon as she entered, she saw He Jianxue asleep at the desk.

Sheng Tingmian fetched a thin blanket from the sofa and walked around the desk. Her sister was resting against the chairback, her brow bone deep-set, exuding an indescribable air of elegance and nobility no matter the time or circumstance, like a clear spring flowing through a forest, natural and unadorned.

Sheng Tingmian’s gaze unconsciously drifted downward, lingering on the woman’s lips… She quickly averted her eyes, lowered her gaze, and leaned over to cover He Jianxue with the blanket.

Just as she did, she realized He Jianxue was already awake.

“Sister, did I wake you?” Sheng Tingmian met her deep-set eyes, still holding the thin blanket, unsure whether to remove it or leave it in place.

He Jianxue looked at her sister leaning over her, concern etched between her brows, her gaze faintly lingering on her lips. It was then that He Jianxue noticed how beautifully shaped her sister’s lips were, tinged with a light, healthy hue. Her small chin was firm, with the translucent fairness befitting a 19-year-old girl.

She wanted to lift that chin and kiss her.

Realizing what she was thinking, He Jianxue lowered her eyes and straightened up, her voice calm. “Are you off work?”

“I just got back.” Seeing that she was no longer sleeping, Sheng Tingmian had no choice but to put the blanket away. “Sister, haven’t you been resting well?”

“Perhaps not.” He Jianxue deliberately avoided letting her gaze linger on Tingmian.

Sheng Tingmian thought to herself that alcohol really was harmful to the body. “Why don’t you go back to your room and rest for a while?”

“No, I’ll work a bit longer. There’s just a little left to do.”

Sheng Tingmian bit her lip. When her sister had work to do, she usually didn’t interfere. “Alright, shall I get you some fruit?”

She was about to turn away.

“Mianmian…” He Jianxue called out to her.

Sheng Tingmian turned her head. “What’s up?” But after waiting without hearing the next words, she felt puzzled while also sensing that her sister was staring deeply at her, as if she had something to say.

“Is there something on my face, sis?” Sheng Tingmian couldn’t help but touch her cheek.

He Jianxue tightened her jaw, thinking of Ji Siyi’s fate, and ultimately didn’t voice her overstepping feelings for her. “You can go. I don’t want any fruit.”

After Sheng Tingmian left, the study returned to silence. He Jianxue remained motionless for a long while before starting to smoke again.

As long as they maintained a pure sisterly relationship, she would always be her little sister, never leaving her side.

Why scare her over such trivial feelings?

…

That evening, after washing up, Sheng Tingmian played with Tyrande for a while before returning to her room to rest at the usual time.

Seeing that her sister was already lying down, Sheng Tingmian climbed into bed and settled beside her. She wasn’t sure if it was her imagination, but in the few seconds after she lay down, the woman next to her seemed to shift slightly away.

Sheng Tingmian froze for a moment but didn’t overthink it. She moved closer until she was pressed against her sister before stopping. “Sis, there’s something I want to tell you.”

He Jianxue looked at the young girl snuggled tightly against her, sighed inwardly, and turned her gaze to the ceiling. “What is it?”

Sheng Tingmian said, “I heard that Teacher Pang is adapting the story of Dongfang Bubai’s gender transformation from Jin Yong’s novels into a huadan role, is that true?”

He Jianxue replied, “Yes, Teacher Pang has already given me the adapted script. I read through it once, but the adaptation fell a bit short, so I sent it back for revisions. However…”

Sheng Tingmian asked, “However what?”

“Teacher has a proud spirit and isn’t very willing to revise it, saying I don’t know how to appreciate it.”

He Jianxue chuckled to herself. Her mother had loved listening to Kunqu opera since her youth, and she had been immersed in it since childhood. With so many classic Kunqu operas, even if she couldn’t sing them, she could recite the lines by heart.

Who sang well and who sang poorly, she could tell, let alone judge the quality of a mere script.

“Ah?” Sheng Tingmian hadn’t expected such a thing, but upon reflection, it wasn’t impossible.

“Don’t worry about this matter. I’ll think of another way.”

Sheng Tingmian hesitated for a moment before asking, “Sis, when you invited teachers from the opera-within-an-opera program to create new scripts, were you valuing their literary skills, adaptation abilities, or their creative capabilities?”

He Jianxue asked, “Why do you ask?”

Sheng Tingmian gently held her arm, half-propping herself up, and slowly shared her thoughts. “Sis, I wanted to share some of my ideas. Some teachers are undoubtedly excellent and have strong literary skills, but the stories they create might not align with the audience’s tastes. I’ve seen my fans and friends say they want to see me perform different Kunqu operas. Some suggested they’d like to see love stories like ‘The Jade Hairpin,’ while others said they want something more innovative with simpler, more understandable lyrics…”

Sheng Tingmian looked at her sister’s profile, unsure what she was thinking. “I’m just expressing my thoughts. If you think it’s not right, you can ignore it.”

She simply felt that fans, after all, represent the younger generation, and their preferences could, to some extent, reflect the audience’s tastes.

He Jianxue turned to look at her steadily. “Mianmian, the direction of your thinking isn’t without merit. Another day, I’ll have someone change the strategy for soliciting scripts.”

When Sheng Tingmian saw her sister adopt her suggestion, she was first stunned, then her eyes reddened, and the corners of her mouth couldn’t help but curl upward. “Sister, you’re the best sister in the world.”

Who would have thought that a dignified group chairman like her sister would take advice from a girl like her, who hadn’t even finished middle school?

To her, this was utterly overwhelming.

“Is this really something to be so happy about?” He Jianxue didn’t understand why she was so elated. It was just taking a suggestion, something she did frequently.

Sheng Tingmian shook her head, sniffled, and said, “You don’t get it. Ever since I was little, my aunt never let me make decisions on important matters. She always made them for me because she thought I was too young, that I couldn’t handle things as calmly and rationally as an adult.”

Aside from sneaking off with Uncle Guan to perform opera at her sister’s house and secretly coming to ask for investment help, she had never really had the chance to stand on her own.

But she didn’t resent her aunt for it. It was her aunt’s way of protecting her. In the past, she had always hoped to grow up faster, to become older, so that when she became the troupe leader, her aunt would finally let her act independently.

She just never expected that, in a similar situation, her sister would,

He Jianxue understood what she meant and chuckled softly, ruffling her hair. “As long as the suggestion is reasonable and constructive, I’ll always consider it.”

“Mm-hmm!” Sheng Tingmian let her sister tousle her hair, feeling the ruby women’s ring on her sister’s finger pressing against her scalp. She reached out and gently pulled her sister’s wrist down, spotting the understated yet luxurious ring.

“Sister, you forgot to take off your ring. Let me help you.”

Sheng Tingmian pinched the ring setting on her sister’s index finger with her thumb and forefinger and carefully removed it. “Did you buy this ring, sister? It’s so beautiful.”

“I didn’t buy it.” He Jianxue watched as she held it in her hand, admiring it, her gaze softening. “It’s a family heirloom passed down to me by my mother. There’s only one like it in the world.”

Sheng Tingmian gasped. “It’s so precious, even more valuable than my bracelet.”

He Jianxue’s eyes fell to the violet jade bracelet on Sheng Tingmian’s wrist, which accentuated her younger sister’s gentle and elegant aura, making her seem even more ethereal.

“Have you had any more nightmares lately?”

Sheng Tingmian didn’t know why she suddenly brought this up. “Ever since I started wearing the bracelet and the worry-free plaque, I haven’t had any nightmares, sister.”

Those nightmares always left her feeling uneasy. Feeling tired, Sheng Tingmian lay down, resting her head on her sister’s arm, and decided to tell her about something she had witnessed in the past.

“Sister, have you ever seen a ghost?” Sheng Tingmian whispered, pulling the blanket up to her shoulders.

With such softness and fragrance in her arms, He Jianxue wasn’t sure whether to focus on the ghost story or ignore the way her sister was inching closer.

“No, I haven’t.”

“Let me tell you, I have.”

“…Go on.”

“When I was 15, I saw a pair of shoes in a classroom.”

“Isn’t it normal for there to be shoes in a classroom?”

“But that classroom had been empty for a long time, and right before I went in, a student had hanged themselves there.”

“Do you think those shoes belonged to that student?”

As soon as she said this, He Jianxue clearly felt her waist being hugged. Weren’t you the one who said you weren’t scared?

A soft “Mm” came from the embrace. “I really saw it, sister…”

He Jianxue’s eyes darkened with heartache as she held her tighter, pressing her head against her chest. “And then?”

Sheng Tingmian continued, “After I went back, maybe because my body was too weak to handle it, I had a fever for two days. My aunt took me back to our hometown to see a spiritual healer, and only then did I get better.”

“Your experience does have a mysterious, supernatural vibe.”

“But ever since I started wearing this bracelet, I haven’t had any more nightmares.” Sheng Tingmian felt completely secure now.

He Jianxue knew she had omitted many details, but since she didn’t want to talk about it, she wouldn’t press further. “So, it seems I picked the right gift?”

“Absolutely.” Sheng Tingmian felt this was the best gift she had ever received.

Drowsiness set in, and Sheng Tingmian released her hold on He Jianxue’s waist, straightening up. “Sister, let’s sleep. I’m tired.”

He Jianxue looked at her now-empty embrace, feeling a sense of loss. She put the ring away and turned off the light. “Alright, let’s sleep.”

However, a moment later, He Jianxue felt a slender figure slip back into her arms.

“Sister, after telling that ghost story just now, I think I’m still a little scared.”

“…”