Chapter 53
Chapter 53
Xie Qingling opened the picture Dong Jia had sent.
It was a ticket to a dance drama. In addition to the title, *The Butterfly Lovers*, a production still of a young woman was printed on it.
The young woman wore an elaborate red bridal dress and a flowered crown. Beautifully adorned, she nevertheless looked stricken with sorrow, as though tears were about to fall. The ornate splendor of her wedding clothes did nothing to soften the grief between her brows. Instead, the stark contrast gave her a devastating beauty poised on the brink of collapse.
Ever since joining the department and looking at Shen Huaizhou’s face every day, Xie Qingling had assumed her standards of beauty had become impossibly high. Yet this young woman still made her eyes light up.
Her features were not exquisitely beautiful, but in this production still, she possessed a breathtaking magnificence.
It was a singular quality, difficult to describe and impossible to forget after a single glance.
This must be what people online meant when they called someone beautiful because of her aura.
One glance told you she was beautiful. The longer you looked, the more extraordinary she became.
Beside the young woman’s picture, a line of fine print read:
“Zhu Yingtai, played by Xia Ke’er.”
Xia Ke’er?
Xie Qingling paused. The name seemed familiar.
She searched her memory and finally recalled that, throughout their four years of university, Dong Jia had often played videos in their dorm and studied the choreography frame by frame.
The name Xia Ke’er had appeared frequently in those videos, so Xie Qingling had naturally remembered it.
But…
Looking again at the bright-eyed, radiant young woman on the ticket, Xie Qingling began to wonder whether her memory was playing tricks on her.
In Dong Jia’s videos, Xia Ke’er had never looked this dazzlingly beautiful or so utterly captivating.
What a transformation.
In the blink of an eye, it was almost as though she had become an entirely different person.
Modern makeup and styling were incredible. They could transform an ordinary-looking young woman into someone this brilliant and dazzling.
Xie Qingling was not the only one who recognized Xia Ke’er. Jiang Lulu did too.
Jiang Lulu sent a shocked reaction image.
[Jiang Lulu: Holy crap, am I seeing things? Is that really Xia Ke’er? I saw one of her performances with Jiajia before. I don’t remember her being this pretty]
[Jiang Lulu: She’s gorgeous! The story isn’t great, though. You can tell at a glance it’s a tragedy. Work is painful enough already. I don’t need a story stabbing me in the heart too]
[Dong Jia: Right? Right? I’ve watched her work her way up to where she is today. Friends, it’s seriously inspirational]
[Dong Jia: I saw an interview with her. Back when she was unknown, she said she sometimes went a whole year without booking a single performance and could barely afford food. Of course she looked exhausted. But now… hehe. Now she’s a star with all eyes on her!]
[Dong Jia: How does that saying go? Fame makes a person bloom, and success is the best suit of armor anyone can wear!]
[Dong Jia: And how can you call this getting stabbed in the heart? It’s the beauty of a bad ending! Clearly, it’s just another kind of happy ending!]
[Xie Qingling: Okay, I’ll go with you. It’s tomorrow, right? I’ll finish my self-criticism tonight.]
[Dong Jia: ??? Did I hear that right? A self-criticism? What kind of boss makes employees write those?]
[Dong Jia: Then hurry up and write it! See you at the opera house tomorrow!]
Xie Qingling was speechless. Do not even ask.
She wanted to know why she still had to write self-criticisms so often now that she had a job.
Xie Qingling gave a gloomy sigh and started churning out whatever nonsense came to mind.
The required length was so outrageous that she ran out of things to say several times and could only rephrase words she had already used – “remorse,” “regret,” “reflection,” “turning over a new leaf,” and so forth. She padded it with so much irrelevant, meaningless drivel that the end result was interminably long and tedious enough to make every language teacher she had ever had disown her as a student.
After cobbling it together this way, she finally reached twenty thousand words.
The next day, once she handed in the self-criticism, Xie Qingling was finally free.
One day of her seven-day vacation had already passed, leaving only six. She had to enjoy herself and relax properly.
Xie Qingling prepared thoroughly for this rare holiday, changing into something lighter than usual – though naturally, she still wore a long dress to conceal the unconventional weapons she carried.
Strictly speaking, Xie Qingling was never truly off duty.
Even while she was on vacation, if an emergency arose and Ling Fang called everyone in, she still had to cooperate.
Once she was ready, Xie Qingling took her bag and went downstairs, clearly dressed to go out and meet someone.
Ye Anran, who was on duty downstairs while writing her own self-criticism, saw her and nearly wept with envy. “God, I’m so jealous. You haven’t been here long, but you’ve already distinguished yourself and earned a vacation. Who knows how many years it’ll take me to scrape together enough time off?”
“Where are you going? Do you have plans with someone?” Ye Anran asked.
“Yeah. I’m seeing a dance drama with a friend.”
“A dance drama? Is it *The Butterfly Lovers*?”
Xie Qingling stared at her in surprise. “How did you know?”
“You haven’t heard? The dance drama *The Butterfly Lovers* is huge right now! Tickets are incredibly hard to get. Scalpers are charging three thousand yuan apiece online!”
“That’s absurd.” Only then did Xie Qingling realize how precious Dong Jia’s tickets were. She ventured, “Is *The Butterfly Lovers* really that good?”
“I wouldn’t know,” Ye Anran said. “Maybe it’s just marketing. But the dance drama has an excellent reputation. I hear everyone who sees it live comes out raving about it and recommending it for free. That’s how it naturally became a hit.”
Xie Qingling had always considered dance drama a niche art form that took some background to appreciate. People rarely discussed it online, and she herself hardly ever watched it.
She had never imagined *The Butterfly Lovers* could become this popular. It seemed she was the only person in the world who had not heard.
After a pause, Ye Anran added, “Though I am pretty familiar with Xia Ke’er, the principal dancer in *The Butterfly Lovers*. She’s probably responsible for half the show’s popularity. I see her all the time when I’m watching variety shows. She’s unbelievably popular lately and has more fans than some movie stars. I hear someone even wants to invest in a movie with her as the lead so she can go win awards.”
“Got it. Then I’ll go see for myself today.” Xie Qingling said goodbye. “It’s getting late. I should go.”
“Bye.” Ye Anran lowered her head to look at her unfinished self-criticism, bitterness welling in her heart. Learning that Xie Qingling was going to see *The Butterfly Lovers* made her fall apart completely.
She wanted to see Xia Ke’er live too!
* * *
Xie Qingling rode her motorcycle all the way to the entrance of the opera house.
Dong Jia was already waiting there.
When she saw Xie Qingling on the motorcycle, Dong Jia cried, “Wow! That’s so cool! Did you buy it recently?”
“Of course not. My department issued it to me for work.” Xie Qingling took off her helmet and smiled. “When the performance is over, I can take you for a ride.”
“Sure! But we don’t have to wait until it’s over. We can go cruising right now!” Dong Jia leaped up in excitement, then glanced at the time. “The performance runs for three hours, from four in the afternoon until seven. We still have plenty of time!”
The mere thought of riding such a sleek, mechanical-looking motorcycle made Dong Jia’s heart pound. It was as if a scene from a movie had come to life. The feeling was… melodramatic and embarrassing, but thrilling too.
The two of them ate lunch near the opera house first. Only then did Xie Qingling take Dong Jia for a ride along the nearby streets.
An hour later, at three in the afternoon, they returned to the opera house entrance.
By then, the pre-show festivities for *The Butterfly Lovers* were already under way, and the performance was about to begin.
Several people outside the opera house had already put on their costumes and were performing backflips and similar dance moves, drawing waves of cheers.
“Everyone, ticketing for *The Butterfly Lovers* will begin shortly. Guests with admission tickets, please enter through the ticket checkpoint on the left side of the entrance. The Rainbow Raiment Dance Troupe thanks you for joining us.” After the performance, someone stepped forward, bowed to the audience, and loudly announced that the show was about to begin.
Xie Qingling and Dong Jia followed the crowd into line and soon found their seats.
Their seats were near the rear at the edge of the auditorium. The view was not very good, and they were far from the stage, so they could not enjoy the best possible experience.
Dong Jia said regretfully, “These were the only tickets I could get. Tickets to this dance drama are just far too hard to find.”
“But it doesn’t matter. I may not be able to see my goddess up close, but I brought an autograph book. She hardly ever comes to Future City. Afterward, I’ll wait backstage and see if I can get her autograph.” Dong Jia quickly cheered up again.
Just as she had said, she had followed Xia Ke’er even through the years when the dancer was an unknown nobody.
Now the idol she had supported was famous throughout the country. Naturally, Dong Jia felt nothing but delight. An autograph alone would be enough to keep her giddy for ages.
Four o’clock soon arrived.
As lilting music began to play, every light in the auditorium went dark.
Darkness surrounded them, leaving only the faint outlines of human figures.
Xie Qingling’s professional instincts kicked in, and she peered through the darkness a few more times.
Then the lights came up, and amid the stage lighting, *The Butterfly Lovers* began.
The dance drama was divided into four acts and told its story from the perspective of its heroine, Zhu Yingtai.
She left home to study and met the male lead, with whom she came to know love and pledged herself for life. Yet when she returned home, she was told that she had already been promised to Ma Wencai. The final act took place along the bridal procession’s route and ended in the tragedy of her suicide for love.
This was Xie Qingling’s first time watching a dance drama live. She was not particularly artistically inclined, but if asked what she thought of the production, she could answer with absolute certainty: it was beautiful beyond words.
The stage lighting and the poignant atmosphere conjured by drifting mist combined with the dancers’ lithe, powerful movements – their bodies like startled swans and roaming dragons – to form a magnificent feast for the eyes and ears.
Xia Ke’er, the lead dancer, was especially striking.
Xie Qingling was no professional judge and could not assess the technical level of her dancing, but one thing was certain: Xia Ke’er was the kind of dancer who could command an entire atmosphere.
As her skirts whirled, she moved with ethereal grace, like a butterfly fluttering and spinning endlessly, or a fleeting sprite, lovely and fragile. The sight filled the audience with sorrow and brought ceaseless tears to their eyes.
No wonder Ye Anran had said everyone who saw the live performance became an unpaid evangelist and recommended it to everyone they knew.
Xia Ke’er was so beautiful.
*The Butterfly Lovers* was so beautiful.
It was beauty born of body and stage, performed with life and soul. Indescribable and incomparable, it was utterly different when seen in person instead of on a screen.
The entire production lasted three hours. During those three hours, no one left the auditorium, not even to use the restroom.
At last, it reached the final act: the suicide for love.
Xia Ke’er appeared onstage in red and danced with desolate, mournful beauty, like a flower weeping blood.
After the incident with the Bride in Red, the sight of any beauty in this style made Xie Qingling shudder all over. She had been completely enthralled a moment ago, but now she abruptly came back to her senses.
She had actually become that absorbed.
Xie Qingling frowned, sensing that something was slightly wrong.
She should have kept part of herself alert at all times, ready for Ling Fang’s orders.
She had truly gone too far just now, Xie Qingling thought. She had nearly earned herself another self-criticism.
At that moment, Xia Ke’er removed the red outer robe onstage, revealing pure white mourning clothes underneath.
On the surface, she wore the festive red of a bride about to marry. Beneath it, she was already in mourning and had resolved to die and share her lover’s eternal sleep.
She danced in movements that were chaotic yet beautiful. Every backbend, every kick, and every turn carried a mad splendor, as if she were racing toward that lovely grave which was destined never to see the sun.
Before their eyes, she drew closer and closer to her beloved’s “grave.”
Then, against the plain white of Xia Ke’er’s clothes, a patch of crimson suddenly began to spread.
Before long, red gradually soaked through the fabric that had been white. With every movement Xia Ke’er made, the stain deepened.
Dressed in mourning, it was as if she had worked another piece of magic and changed once more into a “wedding dress.” This time, however, the “wedding dress” seemed to please her enormously. She smiled in a daze, two trails of bloody tears running from her eyes. Wearing that vivid red wedding dress, she raced resolutely toward another world to reunite with the person she truly wished to marry.
Neither worldly convention nor the divide between life and death could halt her urgent steps.
With a heavy thud, Xia Ke’er – who had been dancing toward a future of death – crashed to the floor before the “grave,” proclaiming her death and the conclusion of her suicide for love.
The curtain slowly closed, signaling the end of the performance.
The effect had been breathtaking. The audience remained so deeply immersed that they did not immediately realize the show had ended.
When the curtain closed, silence fell over the theater for an instant, broken only by faint sobbing. Then thunderous applause erupted through the auditorium.
Dong Jia’s face was flushed with excitement and streaked with tears. She clapped hard, her hands smacking loudly together.
Xie Qingling was no exception. She applauded readily as well.
But as she clapped, one of Xie Qingling’s hands suddenly stiffened.
Her nostrils flared as she sniffed hard at the wisps of blood in the air. Accustomed as she was to dealing with fresh blood, her expression instantly turned grim.
All that bloodred color covering Xia Ke’er just now…
Xie Qingling started in alarm.
Were their props really that lifelike?