Chapter 59: The Stage Play: La Dame aux Camélias

People were bustling all around, and the actors on stage were getting into position. The spotlights focused their gazes, and the actress's bright red dress looked like a dazzling ruby set against the bare wooden stage.

Xie De didn't take the rose. His cold, dark green eyes moved from the red rose to his face, meeting his gaze as the corners of his mouth curled up in an utterly unapologetic sneer.

"Are you crazy?"

Wei Yanchi leaned over and sat down next to him. They were in the corner of the very last row. Operas didn't have many attendees to begin with, and the back row was so far away that barely anyone sat there.

"I'm not."

Wei Yanchi furrowed his brows slightly, a helpless smile on his lips, but his eyes were gentle and serious.

He said straightforwardly, "Every word I say is genuine and comes from the bottom of my heart. From the first moment I saw Mr. 39 and every time we've met since, I've found myself completely out of control. I can't stop myself from looking at you or keep myself calm. I know very well that I am already captivated by your eyes."

"Meeting you again in reality this time might be fated by heaven, urging me to express my feelings."

A sincere and romantic confession.

He tilted the rose in his hand toward Xie De again. This time, Xie De took the rose and casually examined it in his slender hands.

The opera was about to begin, and the lights above them started to dim. Gorgeous music composed of various instruments slowly began to play. To put it romantically, the music was like moonlight wrapped in the scent of roses.

Wei Yanchi could hear his heart about to leap out of his chest. He had never been so nervous before, nor had he ever experienced his emotions being so uncontrollable. His nervousness was mixed with excitement, and his excitement burst forth with joy, yet there was also a faint sense of anticipation and disappointment. All of it intertwining into a personal state of turmoil.

He stared intently at Xie De, admiring his own boldness for the first time.

Xie De cast a critical glance at him, casually tossed his rose into the trash can, and leaned back lazily in his seat. With his legs crossed, he spoke in a flat yet somewhat malicious tone.

"Wei Yanchi, you're really disgusting."

"Ah, sorry."

Now that the dust had settled, Wei Yanchi breathed a sigh of relief.

The opera began. The performance was the classic La Dame aux Camélias [1]. The musicians' superb vocal techniques made the arias elegant and pleasing to the ear, with a rhythm that was brisk and smooth.

The actress was bright and passionate, like a beautiful camellia flower. So pure and so fervent in her pursuit of love. She recited her lines loudly.

"I love you too, Alfredo. Before I met you, I thought my life was nothing but endless amusement and emptiness. It wasn't until you appeared that I felt true love; you are the sunshine of my life."

Wei Yanchi spoke up again with a hint of a smile.

"Actually, I feel pretty much the same..."

"It's really disgusting."

"...Sorry."

Xie De turned his head to look at him.

"Why are you still here?"

"Because the opera isn't over yet." Wei Yanchi exceeded Xie De's expectations. He didn't seem disappointed by the rejection at all. Instead, he said enthusiastically, "Some people think the plot of La Dame aux Camélias has some overly idealized or coincidental setups, but overall, its artistic achievements far outweigh these minor flaws."

A hint of surprise appeared in Xie De's eyes. Then he scoffed and went back to watching the opera performance.

Wei Yanchi caught that glimpse of surprise. He spoke calmly, yet with a hint of eagerness to explain.

"Mr. 39, I just wanted to let you know my feelings. Your rejection was within my expectations. From now on, you can treat every one of my gestures of goodwill and confessions as me pursuing you. I am just a very ordinary suitor of yours. If you are willing, I am at your disposal."

He really couldn't keep watching this opera!

He couldn't watch it even if he tried to endure it!

Goosebumps broke out all over Xie De's body. He stood up, turned around, and walked away without the slightest hesitation.

"Hey, Mr. 39!"

Wei Yanchi wanted to chase after him, but the emotions that had just welled up were immediately suppressed. Mr. 39 clearly didn't want to see him right now, so he could only watch in silence as Xie De walked away.

…

The protagonist is crazy, he's gone mad!

What the hell is he talking about? What exactly is he trying to do?!!

Xie De walked very fast, and after feeling the protagonist's gaze on him, he walked even faster. In no time, he disappeared into the vast night scenery, breaking away from the immersive music and stepping into the city of reinforced concrete.

Big cities always seemed to be built along rivers, and this city was no exception. A large river ran from west to east, with several bridges spanning across its banks.

Right now, it was the height of the nightlife revelry.

Xie De sat on an isolated bench by the river, gazing at the night view.

Truthfully, from the moment Wei Yanchi pulled out that rose, he had started doubting his life. His brain cells had traveled a hundred and eight thousand miles, thinking he had accidentally stumbled into The Truman Show.

Because this was simply absurd, utterly absurd!

Tonight must be an illusion, or else the protagonist had been possessed by a ghost. Otherwise, there was no way to explain the protagonist's behavior.

With a ding, a message arrived on his phone.

He looked down and saw it was the protagonist again. He instantly felt a phantom toothache, frowning deeply before clicking to open it.

"Mr. 39, I'm truly sorry for ruining your mood. If you really can't accept it, please just treat tonight as if I was just spouting nonsense."

You were spouting nonsense*

Xie De put his phone away and continued to doubt his life.

The river in front of him flowed calmly and magnificently, nurturing the land around it. The gentle river breeze it brought comforted the heart of a wanderer.

Perhaps half an hour had passed.

Gibberish finally came back, humming a tune gleefully.

"ヾ(≧▽≦*)o *See You♪, I awaken the ocean, awaken the desert, filled with color everywhere... let's fly forward together, even if it's 10,000 kilometers... la la…"

Xie De said faintly, "So you rolled your way back?"

"Ouch! Host, what's wrong?! You're not holding a grudge, are you? What's with that tone?"

"...Gibberish, you never mentioned that the protagonist is gay."

Gibberish looked bewildered.

"Huh?! What's wrong, what happened? What did I miss?"

Xie De clicked his tongue.

After a chaotic explanation, Gibberish was left messy in the wind, and then let out its familiar, shrill screech.

"So you're saying you successfully captured the protagonist? Wow, Host, you're so awesome! When did you capture the protagonist behind my back?! Wow, if only 730 was this easy to capture."

"Gibberish, don't change the subject."

"Alright," Gibberish scratched its head and pulled up the plot it had read no less than dozens of times, trying to find a spot it had missed. "This book has no CP. The protagonist has never had feelings for anyone, and he's also a formidable mad dog. Why would he suddenly confess to you?"

"That's why I'm asking you to analyze it."

Gibberish pondered.

"Host, actually, gaining the protagonist's favor is beneficial to us, right? After all, we wanted to cling to his coattails from the very beginning. We can use him to clear dungeon instances and get items."

Xie De said expressionlessly, "How is that any different from playing with someone's feelings?"

G"Then what, we just leave this cheat code sitting there and not use it? Other people actively try to capture the protagonist." Gibberish tried to reason.

Xie De got another headache. Gibberish couldn't offer any useful advice at all. Unfortunately, he hadn't brought any cigarettes with him, so he couldn't suppress the annoyance in his heart.

"Forget it, I don't care anymore. I'll just assume the protagonist was spouting nonsense!"

Gibberish felt that Xie De was wasting a precious gift.

"Come on, that's the protagonist's affection. It's equivalent to the protection of a big boss. Are you really just going to ignore it?"

Xie De shrugged.

"I don't like men, and I disdain the act of deceiving someone's feelings even more. Gibberish, I finally have a slight feeling that you are just a system."

"...”

———

[1] La Dame aux Camélias — La Dame aux Camélias (commonly translated as The Lady of the Camellias or known in English as Camille) is a tragic romance novel published in 1848 by Alexandre Dumas fils. The narrative explores the stark conflict between intense romantic passion and the rigid social moralities of 19th-century Parisian high society.