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The shock of the wealth gap didn’t wear off until Lu Xing was on the bus.

He looked back at Song Junzhu’s villa.

The villa was valued in the eight or nine figures, and because of its prime location, the price was still rising steadily.

Lu Xing might not even earn enough to cover the taxes on a single villa in his entire lifetime, and the brand of clothes he was wearing was even more ridiculous.

Countless people, in order to show off by owning this brand, would pool their money to buy one piece and take turns wearing it.

Such an arrogant brand, yet its staff respectfully carried piles of clothes into the homes of their VICs.

When it comes to fate, don’t even talk about fairness.

Before he started his job as a professional simp, his only intersection with a high-end villa district was…

He had picked up and eaten food from the trash cans at the entrance of the villa district. The quality of the food was quite good.

Occasionally, on holidays like Valentine’s Day, he’d even hit the jackpot. 

The only downside was that it was easy to eat food that had been… tampered with.

Lu Xing smiled as he thought about it.

“We were never people from the same world.”

He just wanted to save enough money before graduation, successfully get into university, and become an ordinary person.

A cup of hot tea, a small plot of land, and a hundred million in savings.

【Attention all passengers, the next stop is Haicheng Grand Theater!】

The bus announcement brought Lu Xing back to his senses. He gathered his things and prepared to get off.

An old man was also planning to get off at this stop. Seeing Lu Xing’s movements, he smiled and struck up a conversation.

“Young man, going to the amusement park?”

Five hundred meters west of the Haicheng Grand Theater was a popular amusement park.

Lu Xing shook his head and smiled at the old man.

“To the Grand Theater.”

The old man was taken aback. “Are your parents staff at the theater? Are you here to see your parents?”

Lu Xing didn’t understand.

“Grandpa, why can’t I be here to watch a performance at the Grand Theater? There’s a show today.”

The old man waved his hand.

“Don’t kid me. You’re not even twenty, are you? Who listens to opera at this age!”

“My granddaughter is your age too. They all like that… what’s it called… oh, right, right, it’s called laifu haosi.” (TL: The old man mispronounces the English loanword “live house” as “来福耗死” (láifú hàosǐ). That means “Good Fortune Comes and is Wasted to Death”)

Lu Xing chuckled.

“Grandpa, it’s ‘live house’.”

The old man clapped his hands nonchalantly. “That’s the one. As long as you know what I mean.”

“But today’s performance is by Chi Yueshan. It’s not a loss for you to listen.”

“This Chi Yueshan isn’t old, but her fundamental skills are solid. I tell you, it’s only a matter of time before she wins the Plum Blossom Award!” 

(TL: The Plum Blossom Award is the highest theatrical award in China.)

Lu Xing nodded with a smile. “I think so too.”

Having finally spotted a young member of the audience, the old man’s interest was piqued, and he kept talking to Lu Xing.

“I wish that girl Chi Yueshan was my granddaughter. I could listen to her sing every day!”

Lu Xing let out a laugh.

“Are you trying to make her sing until her vocal cords split?”

The old man waved his hand. “How could I? Me and a few friends who love opera are all optimistic about Chi Yueshan. It’s a good thing she didn’t quit the industry back then!”

“I heard she wasn’t making a name for herself back then and was planning to quit after one last charity performance. Unexpectedly, that performance was hit by a storm, and only one person came to watch. Under those circumstances, Chi Yueshan actually had an epiphany and got better and better at singing!”

As he listened to the old man, Lu Xing flipped through his small notebook until he stopped at the page for Chi Yueshan.

【Chi Yueshan, Female, 24 years old, Opera Actress, dignified and elegant, gentle and spirited】

The old man smacked his lips and continued.

“I wonder who that sole audience member was. If I knew, I’d definitely treat him to a meal!”

“His name is Lu Xing.”

The old man froze. “What?”

【We have arrived at Haicheng Grand Theater. Passengers, please exit in an orderly manner to avoid crowding.】

Hearing the bus announcement, Lu Xing stood up and said with a smile.

“That audience member’s name is Lu Xing.”

The old man looked at him in surprise. “Lu Xing? Young man, you know a lot of inside stories. Is your family really in the business? What’s your name?”

Before getting off the bus, Lu Xing left him with one sentence.

“My name is Lu Xing.”

【The doors are closing. Passengers, please be careful.】

“Oh, your name is Lu Xing.”

The old man processed it for a moment, then was suddenly shocked.

“What? Your name is Lu Xing! Hey, don’t go! Wait for me! I’ll treat you to a meal!”

“Driver! Driver! I haven’t gotten off yet! My opera is about to start!!!”

The driver waved his hand. “Oh, Grandpa, the bus has already started moving. Just wait for the next stop.”

“I’ll fuck your grandpa!” 

(TL: A common, vulgar curse. Could also be interpreted as “I am your dad” or “I am your uncle”)

…

Lu Xing got off the bus and walked towards the Haicheng Grand Theater.

His acquaintance with Chi Yueshan was purely by chance.

One day, more than a year ago.

The wind and rain were raging. Lu Xing was mentally and physically exhausted from his part-time jobs and casually found a pavilion to rest.

Suddenly hearing a noisy sound, he looked up and saw a charity performance on a stage not far away.

The rain was pouring down, and there wasn’t a single person in the audience, but on the stage, the singing, chanting, acting, and acrobatics continued as usual.

Once the opera has begun, all are welcome to listen.

It cannot be stopped. This is the rule of the ancestors.

Although that was the case, looking at the empty stage below, the opera actors couldn’t help but lose heart. Even the string instruments sounded listless.

Lu Xing thought for a moment, then held up his umbrella and walked through the mud to the audience seats, listening to the entire performance.

On the stage, a hundred states of life. Below the stage, only one person.

The performance ended, and the sky cleared up.

Just as Lu Xing finished clapping and was about to leave, a girl in an opera costume with full makeup stopped him.

She asked Lu Xing, “Did I sing well?”

Lu Xing nodded. “You sang very well.”

The girl in the costume was a little disappointed. It was the same old polite remark.

After becoming a professional simp, Lu Xing had developed an instinct for sensing people’s emotions.

In short—an occupational hazard.

So he fell silent for a moment, then added.

“I saw your hand tremble a little when you were frightened by the thunder, but your voice didn’t waver. So I think your fundamental skills are very solid.”

“You will become a star.” 

A hopeful light instantly erupted in the girl’s eyes!

The fact that Lu Xing could point out such a small detail meant that he had really been listening seriously!

The girl in the costume grabbed Lu Xing’s hand and thanked him repeatedly, introducing herself as Chi Yueshan.

From then on, Lu Xing remembered this name.

Chi Yueshan, a very beautiful name.

The next day, Lu Xing received a phone call.

The person on the phone requested that Lu Xing go to watch Chi Yueshan’s opera every Sunday night, write an opera analysis of no less than one thousand words, and cheer Chi Yueshan on so that she wouldn’t give up on singing.

The pay was four thousand yuan per session.

Lu Xing agreed.

Chi Yueshan’s talent was truly excellent. Her appearance and singing style were both top-notch.

Listening to her sing was a rare moment of rest for Lu Xing, who was exhausted from making money every day.

And so, this habit continued for more than a year.

As long as there was a Chi Yueshan opera on a Sunday night, Lu Xing would be there, rain or shine.

He had to admit, his eye for talent was indeed good.

In just over a year, Chi Yueshan had already made a name for herself and had a considerable reputation in the industry.

However, Lu Xing felt that with Chi Yueshan’s face, it was only a matter of time before she became a mainstream star.

As he was thinking…

Lu Xing arrived at the entrance of the Grand Theater and saw a familiar figure looking around at the door.

It was Chi Yueshan.

Chi Yueshan was wearing an exquisite opera costume, looking like a divine fairy. Her years of opera training had given her a dignified and outstanding posture.

Because she hadn’t put on her headdress yet, Chi Yueshan’s long hair fell like a waterfall over her shoulders. 

The evening breeze gently brushed through her hair, which was smoother than silk.

But at this moment, Chi Yueshan seemed not to have seen the person she was waiting for, and her eyes were a little dim.

“Chi Yueshan!”

“Lu Xing!”

Upon seeing Lu Xing, Chi Yueshan’s dim eyes instantly lit up, and she quickly ran towards him.

When she reached him, Chi Yueshan curved her lips into an elegant smile.

“What took you so long?”

Having sung opera for so long, the intonation of Chi Yueshan’s speech in daily life also had a slight upward lilt, making one’s heart go numb.

The wind blew through Chi Yueshan’s long hair, the ends of her hair brushing against Lu Xing’s cheek.

Lu Xing smiled and said.

“For Star Chi’s performance, I will always be there.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep