Guanghe Garden.
As a theater with a history of over a century, it once enjoyed a glorious past in Xiazhou.
At least ten years ago, the area outside the Guanghe Garden was bustling with activity, filled with the sounds of gongs and drums.
Some people use this place as a tea garden, where they can drink tea, chat, and listen to opera.
Some people treat this place like a theater, mainly for watching operas and secondarily for drinking tea.
But things are different now.
Nowadays, most of the customers are elderly and no longer distinguish between drinking tea and watching opera.
They're just nostalgic.
What we drink is the passage of time.
What we hear is the warmth and coldness of life.
The place is deserted.
These four words are enough to describe the current predicament of Guanghe Garden.
It was 3 p.m., time for the opera performance.
The elderly people noticed a sign hanging outside the gate indicating that the business was temporarily closed.
Although it was strange, I didn't think much of it.
Nowadays, the theater scene is becoming increasingly sluggish; people just take it one day at a time.
I don't know if I can hold on until the day they leave.
Thinking of this, the old people felt a little sad.
Inside Guanghe Garden.
Lin Rui sat on a wooden chair, with various kinds of pastries laid out on the octagonal table in front of him.
Taking a bite of red bean cake now and then, followed by a sip of tea, is truly delightful.
Not far away.
Luo Qi directed the staff to set up the filming equipment in various areas.
"Teacher Fusheng!"
"Sister Qi!"
Li Mubai arrived at the audience seats with a delighted expression: "I thought I was the only one who had a fondness for music, but I didn't expect Teacher Fusheng to be a fan as well."
What show are you performing today?
Li Mubai looked towards the stage and shouted, "Where's the troupe leader? Are they going to perform 'Seven Expeditions from Tiger Mountain' today? If not, Zhou Taiying will take command!"
"Stop shouting, Sister Qi has already chased everyone home."
Lin Rui waved his hand.
"no."
"Teacher Fusheng, what should we listen to?"
Li Mubai was somewhat bewildered.
"Today, you are the protagonist."
"I?"
"You're not kidding, are you?"
"I can sing casually, but when it comes to real singing, I can't compare to those veteran actors."
Although I've practiced for years, it's all just scratching the surface.
If he were to actually take the stage, Li Mubai would have no idea what to do.
It wasn't that she was shy; she simply didn't want to leave a bad impression on Lin Rui.
"Mu Bai, it's good that you've arrived. Come backstage with me."
"Backstage?"
Li Mubai swallowed hard: "Are you serious?"
Seeing that Luo Qi didn't seem to be joking.
Li Mubai asked somewhat nervously, "What kind of drama is this? Hongwu executing the doctor with a cup of wine?"
Singing the general's role wouldn't be bad either.
Even if someone is wielding swords and sticks, their opera singing might be off-key or off-key.
At least, this fake act can still earn some points in the initial impression.
Luo Qi looked at Li Mubai with a strange expression.
Li Mubai felt a chill run down his spine and swallowed again.
"Actually, Zhang, the county magistrate who beheaded Shi Mei at Humen, would also be acceptable."
"I've practiced that too."
Li Mubai's voice grew softer and softer as he spoke.
Luo Qi remained silent.
At this moment, Li Mubai lost his usual dullness and became incredibly wise.
"Sister Qi, you're not asking me to cross-dress, are you?"
Luo Qi smiled.
He was laughing so happily.
He is a promising young man.
In contrast, Li Mubai's face turned deathly pale: "What role?"
"Imperial Consort."
Luo Qi paused deliberately: "The kind of beauty that could topple kingdoms."
"don't want!"
"Teacher Fusheng, you have to save me!"
"You're here to watch a play, right?"
"Simple!"
"Let's not stay cooped up in this little park, let's go to the Xiazhou Grand Theatre!"
"We've booked the entire venue!"
"We will definitely arrange everything clearly."
Upon hearing that she was to play a concubine, and a stunningly beautiful one at that, she immediately agreed.
Li Mubai was like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, his fur standing on end.
Want to hear a traditional opera?
no problem!
This theater doesn't have any stars, let's go to the Grand Theater!
Listen to whatever you want, all you can eat!
"This was my idea."
Lin Rui put the pastries down.
He pointed to the sheet music on the table: "This is a new song for you. Time is short, so familiarize yourself with it as soon as possible."
Upon hearing that it was Lin Rui who arranged it, Li Mubai's face fell.
Hearing that Lin Rui had written a new song for him instantly revived him.
Picking up the sheet music, five regular script characters came into view.
—The New Drunken Concubine
…
After that, things became much simpler.
Li Mubai held the sheet music like a precious treasure and went backstage with Luo Qi.
Lin Rui was also quite curious, so he followed them.
Theatrical makeup is very different from regular makeup.
Even top makeup artists at entertainment companies couldn't handle this job.
Each profession has its own expertise.
Fortunately, Luo Qi has a wide network of connections.
She managed to hire a veteran stage makeup artist with thirty years of experience from the Grand Theatre.
"Apply color, correct facial expression."
"Apply red to create a three-dimensional effect on the face."
"White face, setting powder, and setting oil paint."
"Brush off the redness to give your face a naturally pink and tender look."
"Eyebrows and eyes reveal a person's characteristics."
"Yuanbao-shaped lips, outlining the lip shape."
The veteran opera makeup artist's surname is Zhao, and he looks to be in his fifties.
She moved slowly and would occasionally say a few words as if no one else was around.
Lin Rui quietly looked at Li Mubai in the mirror.
He was quite surprised that a genuine, passionate young man could be transformed into a stunning figure under the meticulous work of the costume makeup artist!
That's right!
Absolutely stunning!
"Tighten your head."
"Wear headdress and face coverings."
"become."
Li Mubai kept his eyes tightly closed, never daring to look in the mirror.
His eyelashes trembled slightly only after the makeup artist stopped.
Looking at himself in the mirror, he considered all sorts of possibilities.
But clearly, his past experiences limited his imagination.
He was stunned!
Her hair was styled in a high bun, revealing her temples, and her delicate eyebrows were painted with a touch of spring in her eyes. She was breathtakingly beautiful!
Even Luo Qi, who was standing to the side, was dumbfounded.
As a woman, she felt inferior about Li Mubai's makeup.
Lin Rui clicked his tongue in amazement.
Once this man gets into a flirtatious mood, women have no chance.
Luo Qi had also discussed the issue of Li Mubai playing a cross-dressing role with Lin Rui.
After all, she was worried that having a man disguise himself as a woman would affect Li Mubai's future career.
But after seeing the sheet music for "The New Drunken Concubine," she no longer hesitated.
quality!
Innovation!
At that moment, she wasn't thinking about whether Li Mubai would be labeled.
Her only concern was whether Li Mubai could handle the song.
The real challenge of this operatic singing style lies in the falsetto that makes it impossible to distinguish between male and female voices.
This can only be adjusted gradually during the audition stage.
Considering Li Mubai's identity, Luo Qi took the initiative to contact Li Donglai.
The richest man's son dressed up as women.
Even though it's just a role reversal, I still need to ask for opinions.
Li Donglai's anger was understandable!
In his entire life, he despised effeminate men who were neither male nor female!
A true man of unyielding integrity kneels not to heaven, nor to earth, but only to his parents!
He only said one thing: if Li Mubai dares to dress as a woman, he dares to clean house!
Before Luo Qi could explain the whole story, Li Donglai angrily hung up the phone.
In the end, Lin Rui made a phone call to Li Donglai.
It's unclear what was said, but Li Donglai agreed on the spot.
This made Luo Qi curious, but also filled her with resentment.
What happened to the unyielding spirit!
What happened to being a dignified man!
We promised that we would not kneel to heaven or earth, but only to our parents!
I said I hate effeminate men the most!
That's it?
Li Family Compound.
Li Donglai walked out of the study, looking at the slender gold script he had written on the Xuan paper, his eyes filled with joy.
"When did Lin Rui, that kid, become so clever and learn about social interactions?"
"However, if you dare to offer such a bribe, I, Li Donglai, dare to accept it!"
"It's a pity that such a good poem can only be appreciated by myself for the time being."
"I heard that Yang Yi and Gao Jianbo invited several literary masters from Huazhou, wanting to join forces to target Tianrui."
"Go ahead and play your games. I, Li Donglai, guarantee to stand by and watch, and will never participate."
The bigger the commotion, the happier I am.
"We're counting on you guys to step up your efforts. If we don't put some pressure on this kid, how will he get the words to flow?"
"You guys mustn't let me down."
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