"Her dependence on her father has reached a certain level. If she had to choose between her sister and her father, she would definitely give up Ye Liunian. Even if the entire city had to choose between Ye's father and her, she would still choose her father."

Tang Nian pursed her lips, seemingly lost in thought.

"Do you think I'm being too absolute?" Lou Mu put away his slightly upturned lips and leaned closer to Tang Nian, whispering.

Tang Nian glanced up at Lou Mu, then quickly lowered her head and nodded almost imperceptibly.

"Ye Liusi seems easy to get along with and has no ulterior motives, but don't fall for her tricks."

Lou Mu tapped the table lightly with his finger, without elaborating.

Tang Nian frowned, about to retort, but she had spent too little time with Ye Liusi, and Ye Liusi's words kept swirling in her mind, leaving her unsure where to begin.

"You don't need to worry so much. Let's take it one step at a time. Maybe she'll come to her senses after she finds out that Ye's father isn't her father."

Lou Mu couldn't bear to see Tang Nian like this, so after thinking for a moment, he still spoke up to comfort her.

Tang Nian sighed. Thinking about all this now was useless. The most important thing now was the final scene of the evening.

She suddenly remembered the reason Ji Shuhe gave when he found the two of them.

"Does Ji Shuhe mean that I've been controlled, but you haven't, which is why he's approaching us for cooperation?"

Lou Mu remained silent for a long time, thinking about Tang Nian's previous actions, before finally speaking, "Very likely."

He had been wondering if it was the sound of drums that could control people, but Tang Nian's painted skin clearly didn't work that night.

And that glass of wine...

I wonder what this glass of wine means to Fuyao Opera House.

In this case, it would be inappropriate to leave Tang Nian alone in the theater and have Lou Mu go to the storeroom.

Tang Nian then thought of that human skin drum.

"Tell me, if I shut down my five senses, would I be able to break free from the control of the big drum?"

“It’s worth a try.” Lou Mu hesitated, “However, if we block out our five senses…”

Tang Nian interrupted Lou Mu: "I know, but isn't this the best way?"

The sound of the human skin drum is extremely penetrating, so stuffing cotton in her ears is definitely not an option. After thinking it over, she realized that this was the best method.

However, once she blocked her five senses, Tang Nian didn't know if she would be able to escape unscathed and save these people.

Having been a person for too long, Tang Nian suddenly lost confidence in what she had learned before.

If the young prince could enter the theater, things would be much easier, but alas...

"Fine, let's do it your way."

As he spoke, Lou Mu took out another jade bead: "If anything happens, find a way to break it."

Looking at the crystal-clear beads, Tang Nian couldn't help but laugh and ask, "Haven't you finished using that bracelet yet?"

After so many times, Tang Nian had begun to guess the purpose of Lou Mu's jade beads.

Lou Mu smiled, but didn't tell Tang Nian. He simply said, "These beads were originally saved for you."

Tang Nian's face flushed slightly. She turned her head away, avoiding looking at Lou Mu: "Really? Thank you. I'll find a way to pay you back."

This left Lou Mu speechless, unsure how to continue.

He coughed lightly twice and took an envelope out of his pocket.

"This is..." Tang Nian took it, tore open the envelope, and skimmed through the letter before looking up. "A letter from Chu Yanjun?"

Lou Mu nodded.

"I didn't expect Ji Shuhe to actually have some skill. What should we do now?"

"Since he keeps his promise, we are not the kind of people who break promises either. However, there are some things that he doesn't need to worry about."

After speaking, Tang Nian nodded knowingly, revealing an "I see" smile.

"You mean..."

She made a gesture, and Lou Mu clapped his hands lightly.

"Wouldn't that be inappropriate?"

Tang Nian had some concerns, but Lou Mu was not worried at all.

"I will know what I'm doing."

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

Outside the door were the Ye sisters. Upon seeing Tang Nian, Ye Liunian smiled and nodded gently at Tang Nian.

Ye Liusi naturally didn't miss it, her eyes darting back and forth between her younger sister and Tang Nian.

Fortunately, Lou Mu's appearance diverted her attention.

Tang Nian finally breathed a slight sigh of relief.

She hadn't expected Ye Liusi to be so observant.

Lou Mu was absolutely right.

Ye Liunian stood behind her and nodded. She only looked at Ye Liunian, but Ye Liusi sensed that something was wrong.

The four of them arrived at the theater chatting and laughing, but each of them harbored their own secret intentions.

There were far fewer people outside the theater today, and the staff inside led the four of them into the main hall to sit with the locals.

"Aren't we sitting in a private room today?"

“Miss Tang, the best place for today’s performance is in the main hall.” The waiter’s smile was strange as he respectfully explained, but he insisted that they sit in the main hall.

Tang Nian didn't refuse anymore.

If that's the case, let her see what kind of charm this play has.

Ignoring the waiter's advice, she and Lou Mu sat in the last corner.

The Ye sisters wanted to come along, but they were squeezed in the middle by the throng of people and had to give up.

"Wait until the candles go out, then go find the storeroom. I'll stay here and keep watch," Tang Nian transmitted her voice, saying that there was still some time before the event began.

Lou Mu nodded, but he had other plans in mind.

"Lou Mu, look up there!"

Lou Mu was startled. Following Tang Nian's gaze, he saw that the window of the private room where they should have been was wide open, and a man was lying on the window with strange patterns painted on his face.

Seeing that the two of them had noticed him, the clown grinned at them, his exaggerated smile making Tang Nian feel as if she were in an ice cellar.

Before the two could react, the clown had vanished into thin air, and even the window of the private room had closed.

What is that?

“I don’t know. I’ve seen him for three days in a row. Each time he just smiles at me and then disappears. I asked you, and you said you didn’t see anything.” Tang Nian’s voice was muffled. “I also asked Ye Liunian today, and she doesn’t know this person.”

"You'd better be careful here, since you've gotten away with it so quietly."

Lou Mu stared intently at the closed doors and windows with a stern face, remaining motionless.

He didn't notice his sudden appearance and disappearance. If that person hadn't deliberately made Tang Nian notice him, he probably wouldn't have known about such a person until the end of the opera.

"Okay, you too."

Tang Nian wasn't much better off. Under that person's gaze, she always felt that he had seen through all their plans.

As the opera began, just as the candles went out, Tang Nian felt a gust of wind brush past her, and then Lou Mu vanished from the spot.

She also perked up and dared not be negligent, making a hand gesture to block out her five senses.