When Spring Burns - Chapter 7

A spring breeze drifted through the courtyard, carrying the faint scent of camellia blossoms.

He Jianxue stared intently at the young girl on the verge of tears before her. “How do you want me to help you?”

Her words implied that Miss He had already agreed. Sheng Tingmian was overjoyed and somewhat incredulous. “You’ve agreed?”

The woman let out an impatient hum. “If I hadn’t, would you have stopped crying?”

Sheng Tingmian froze for a moment before realizing she was being teased. A flush of warmth spread across her cheeks. She also felt that Miss He had only agreed because she was young, meaning her promise to sing opera for a lifetime was nothing more than child’s play in Miss He’s eyes.

Feeling a bit dejected, Sheng Tingmian murmured, “…Thank you. I don’t know what to do, but I don’t want my aunt’s Liqing Troupe to disband. They’re truly wonderful.”

He Jianxue picked up her coffee again. “Invite them to perform here every day?”

Sheng Tingmian frowned slightly. “Wouldn’t that be competing with the Tianxing Troupe? Uncle Guan would think I’m ungrateful. Isn’t there a better way?”

He Jianxue smiled faintly. “You’re quite straightforward.”

Suddenly, an idea struck Sheng Tingmian. She stared directly at Miss He’s crimson lips, which had just touched the coffee cup, they held a camellia-like elegance, noble and refined. “Miss He, could you invest in our Liqing Troupe?”

He Jianxue raised an eyebrow. “How so?”

“You could be our troupe’s silent partner, pay our salaries, handle packaging and promotion. Our troupe would perform for the audience, and you could collect ticket revenues. Wouldn’t that be a win-win collaboration?”

The idea came from something Sheng Tingmian had recently encountered online. She had been covering classic childhood cartoon songs on a video platform and, perhaps due to her decent singing, quickly gained a few hundred followers. Someone had approached her, offering to sign her to a company, promising to package and promote her as a singer.

Afraid it might be a scam, she had politely declined. Besides, her ambition didn’t lie in singing, she merely had a good voice and could cover a few songs.

This experience had inspired her: if singers could be packaged and promoted, why couldn’t opera performers? And if Miss He invested, she wouldn’t have to worry.

“Win-win collaboration?” He Jianxue was surprised by the girl’s idea. “What if we lose money? Packaging, promotion, what if no one wants to watch opera? Wouldn’t I be losing on both fronts?”

Sheng Tingmian clenched her hands slightly at her sides, aware that few people were interested in opera these days, otherwise, theaters wouldn’t be closing. The ticket revenue was just an empty promise she’d sketched out, and Miss He clearly wasn’t buying it.

“It wouldn’t be a huge loss…” Sheng Tingmian insisted softly, mustering her courage. “At the very least, you’d have me as a lifelong free performer.”

He Jianxue chuckled. “What kind of person do you think I am?”

Sheng Tingmian looked at her shyly. “A great philanthropist.”

Hearing those words, He Jianxue smiled without replying. After a long pause, she finally spoke. “I’ll discuss the investment with your theater director.”

The girl left happily. The assistant turned to Miss He. “Can this really turn a profit?”

Packaging and promotion were minor concerns, the real challenge was the audience. They would be competing with major internet entertainment companies for viewers.

Nowadays, audience preferences had long shifted. Why would anyone watch traditional opera?

“Profit isn’t the point,” He Jianxue replied. “It’s about fulfilling the girl’s wish. Didn’t you notice? In every ten sentences, she mentioned her aunt’s Liqing Troupe.”

The assistant understood immediately.

“Go prepare the car.”

“To Changyuan Theater?”

“Yes.”

…

The next day, after practicing opera at home, Sheng Tingmian recorded a short segment of a classic childhood cartoon song and uploaded it to Doudou website.

The small laptop was a birthday gift from her aunt a few years ago.

Sitting at the desk, the computer’s white light reflected off her smooth cheeks as she scrolled through the comments, reading each one attentively.

Netizen 1: Not bad, little sister
Netizen 2: Such an ethereal voice, it feels like my soul is being cleansed
Netizen 3: Tears in my eyes, back then I wasn’t an internet troll yet
Netizen 4: Wow, you really captured the essence of that classic childhood cartoon song

Some comments focused on her video, asking why she didn’t show her full face and instead used a mysterious angle shooting from the chin upward, though they admitted it still looked good.

Sheng Tingmian could only explain that she wasn’t used to facing the camera directly, it made her unable to sing.

After browsing for a while, she noticed her follower count had surpassed a thousand.

She felt a pang of emotion. If only her opera singing could attract this many listeners.

She had previously uploaded videos of herself singing opera, but no one watched them. Out of boredom, she casually recorded a segment of a childhood cartoon song and unexpectedly received positive feedback, so she continued.

It was better than doing nothing.

Sheng Tingmian closed the slightly worn laptop, turned to the kitchen to fill a watering can, and went to the southeast corner of the rooftop. Squatting down, she watered the newly planted vegetable sprouts and cherry tomatoes.

Behind her, the spacious floor was spread with the bed sheets she and her aunt had hung out to dry.

As she watered, a smile tugged at the corners of her lips as she thought of Miss He from the day before.

Not only had Miss He not blamed her for barging into her home, but she had also agreed to invest in her aunt’s opera troupe.

Miss He was truly a wonderful person.

“Mian’er?”

Her aunt’s voice called from inside. Sheng Tingmian set down the watering can. “Aunt, I’m on the rooftop.”

Sheng Xiaoyun came up to the rooftop and saw Mian’er standing in the corner, the evening glow casting a warm light on her slender figure. She walked over, cupped Mian’er’s face, and said happily, “The theater director just told me someone is investing a large sum in our troupe!”

Sheng Tingmian’s eyes widened, immediately thinking of Miss He, it must have been her doing.

“Really, Aunt?”

Sheng Xiaoyun moved her hands from Mian’er’s face to her shoulders, grinning from ear to ear. “Of course it’s true! Why would I lie to you?”

“The director said this benefactor is covering all new costumes, props, and everything else, even renovating the stage and raising everyone’s salaries!”

Hearing this, Sheng Tingmian realized just how much Miss He had done. Overjoyed, she hugged her aunt. “That benefactor is such a good person!”

“Absolutely…” Sheng Xiaoyun patted Mian’er’s shoulder contentedly. “Now I don’t have to teach at the school anymore. I can return to singing opera and be your troupe leader again.”

Changyuan Theater reopened, and Sheng Xiaoyun called back all the members of Liqing Opera Troupe one by one.

The old stage was dismantled and rebuilt, the audience seats were replaced with new ones, and the entire environment was upgraded for greater comfort.

The reopening event was in full swing, offering free opera performances along with a variety of snacks and treats.

Even those with no interest in opera were drawn in by the extensive promotion and came to see what the fuss was about.

Sheng Tingmian finished applying the rouge on both sides of her eyes in the backstage dressing room, outlined her lips with red, and looked up into the mirror. Using a headband, she lifted her eyebrows and eyes, instantly enhancing her overall spirit and energy.

She pressed her thumbs against her temples and checked left and right to ensure nothing was crooked.

Suddenly, she overheard a conversation nearby.

“Why do you think the boss is making such a big deal about promotion? No tickets are being sold, and while the audience has grown, there’s no income. Won’t they end up losing money in the long run?”

“I find it strange too…”

“Maybe they’re just trying to build hype without making a profit.”

“Ah, forget it. It’s not our concern anyway. Figuring out how to make money is the boss’s job.”

“True, we’re just employees.”

Sheng Tingmian lowered her hands, her emotions a tangled mix. Although it was a relief that the theater wouldn’t have to close down and her aunt’s troupe had returned, which was certainly something to celebrate, she couldn’t help feeling uneasy if Miss He wasn’t making any money from this.

What if Miss He decided to withdraw her investment in the future because of the lack of profit?

Sighing with worry, Sheng Tingmian changed into a pink women’s robe and a blue checkered gown, tying on a Taoist nun’s headscarf. Blue tassels hung down on either side of her headpiece. Today, she was performing the role of Chen Miaochang, the immortal Taoist nun from The Jade Hairpin, who defies monastic rules to fall in love with a scholar.

This opera was one she had practiced since childhood, the very first piece of traditional theater her aunt had taught her.

“Hurry up, no dawdling!”

Sheng Xiaoyun suddenly entered, clapping her hands loudly to urge everyone along. She finally stopped in front of Sheng Tingmian. “Mian’er, you need to give your best performance today. The director said that the boss will be in the audience later, so no mistakes, understand?”

Sheng Tingmian’s first thought was, could it be Miss He? A wave of inexplicable joy washed over her. “Alright, Auntie, I’ll make sure to sing well.”

This time was different from before, the audience seats were completely full. Compared to other operas, The Jade Hairpin stood out for its sweetness, essentially a love story with a fresh and elegant musical style.

During the excerpt “Challenging with the Zither” from The Jade Hairpin, Sheng Tingmian stood on stage holding a horsetail whisk, her gestures delicate and her expression lively as she gazed at the audience. She sang in her clear, delicate voice:

“Behind pink walls, layers of flower shadows sway,
The curtain rolls up withered lotuses, the water palace breezes play.
Holding the zither, I play beneath the bright moon’s ray,
Incense curls, golden beast-shaped burners sway,
In which palace of Penglai does she stay?”

When she sang the line “In which palace of Penglai does she stay?”, she suddenly spotted Miss He in the crowd. Her middle and ring fingers subtly pressed together, and her slender, onion-like index finger, which should have been pointing toward the audience, shifted with hidden intent, steadily indicating a specific direction.

He Jianxue, seated in the audience, was already captivated by her enchanting portrayal of the rosy-cheeked immortal nun. Her singing, paired with that delicate Kunqu opera voice, perfectly conveyed the demeanor of a young girl who, having taken refuge in a nunnery to escape disaster, had not yet fully embraced the ascetic rules.

Noticing this subtle gesture, He Jianxue’s red lips curved into a smile.

As the story unfolded, the immortal nun and the scholar grew acquainted, their emotions weaving back and forth in a tender tug-of-war. The audience was enchanted by the pairing of a talented scholar and a beautiful maiden, their hearts sweetly stirred.

After the performance, Sheng Tingmian stepped down from the stage but wasn’t ready to remove her makeup just yet. She lingered by the curtain, standing next to her aunt.

“Why haven’t you gone to change yet?”

“Auntie, how was my singing today?”

Sheng Tingmian asked casually, but her eyes secretly drifted toward the audience below.

Sheng Xiaoyun gave high praise. “You sang wonderfully. When that investor sees the strength of our Liqing Troupe, they certainly won’t regret investing.”

Sheng Tingmian’s gaze caught the figure in the audience, hidden in the dim lighting, faint and indistinct, only the distinguished profile of Miss He was visible.

Having seen her, Sheng Tingmian withdrew his gaze contentedly. “Definitely.”