#mlqc dates

~~~

If you see any “---” sign then it simply indicates change of scenes in the place.

________

灼目之约 {Scorching Eyes Date}

Preview : "My heirloom, a precious gemstone on my Phoenix hairpin was pried away. When I was looking for someone to repair the hairpin, I ran into Victor, the young master of Rongchang Trading Company. He's obviously an extraordinary person but he runs a mysterious shop. In this little shop, as we become more and more familiar, the secrets that we hid from each other are  gradually revealed....."

Part 1

Newspaper Boy : "Take a look! Take a look! Today's news--"

Newspaper Boy : "The master of Jinbao Pavilion will hold his 50th birthday and the young master of Rongchang Commercial Bank will return to China as chairman of the Chamber of Commerce!"

The newspaper boy on the street yelled and when he ran to a shop without a sign, he stretched out his hand to ring the doorbell.

I stopped him and handed him the change.

MC : "You can give it to me, I'll send it up for Mr. Victor."

The newspaper boy ran away happily, I held the newspaper, opened the door and walked in.

-----

The bustling pedestrians outside the door every day don't know what's inside this little shop.

The light and shadow were yellowish, like a soft mist, plated on the luxurious jewels.

Time seems to sing in a flying pace here, condensing a hundred generations of time into a tiring silk step or phoenix crown inlaid with filigree.

Unusually, some jewels can still faintly show signs of repair after damage.

I walked up the stairs to the second floor and saw the owner of here.

Victor leaned his back against the table, making coffee with his hand-cranked expresso machine.

MC : "I brought today's newspaper for you, Mr. Victor."

I put the newspaper on the table in front of him. He had long been used to my sudden visits so, he didn't even lift his eyelids.

Victor : "You're staying with me all day long, is Míngyuè Troupe so idle?"

He spoke coldly but he handed me a cup of coffee. I held the cup of steaming brown liquid, a little hesitant to say something.

MC : "I just saw today's newspaper."

MC : "It said that the young master of Rongchang Commercial Bank will become the new chairman of the Chamber of Commerce."

MC : "...You are going to be the chairman of the Chamber of Commerce, so will this jewelry shop still continue to open?"

Can I...still see you every day like this?

This sentence was crumpled at the tip of my heart several times but after all in the end, I couldn't say it.

Victor paused.

Victor : "This shop has never been open."

Victor : "You forgot, you are the only "guest" here."

He held the coffee cup, leaned on the table and looked at me quietly. The moment our eyes met, I suddenly remembered the first time I met him.

---

[*FLASHBACK*]

I was hurriedly looking for a shop in the street to repair my gem and was almost hit by a car.

I can only remember a harsh car honk and then I was embraced by someone in a warm embrace, with a faint woody fragrance surrounding me.

When I raised my eyes, I saw a pair of calm eyes under the dazzling sunlight.

I saw that face in the newspaper. It didn't have any expression, but it was unforgettable at first sight.

He is the young master of the Rongchang Trading company who returned to China not too long ago and he holds half of the city's business community so, he is well-known.

I wanted to thank him, so I followed him to an inconspicuous shop.

The prestigious young master of the firm actually nestled in a small shop, working as a jewelry restorer who lived in the simplest form.

I don't know where the courage comes from, or perhaps amazed by those gorgeous jewels-

I handed gem to him and asked him if he could do my business, but he refused in one bite.

-------

Victor : "Although, the workmanship is exquisite, the condition of it right now is so bad that it shows that the owner does not care of it at all."

MC : "It's not that I don't cherish it!"

After a short hesitation, I decided to tell the truth.

MC : "This hairpin is very important to me. It is a family heirloom but it was lost a long time ago."

Although, the opponent in front of me is one of the best and I can't afford anything to impress him but I still looked up.

MC : "If you fix this for me...I can sing for you!"

MC : "You can request whatever play you want."

Victor stopped and looked at me, as if he was a little interested.

Victor : "You can sing?"

MC : "Yes...although, I'm not very good for now."

I turned away a little hastily, thinking of my father who was once famous. The class leader said that he is the only person who can bear the word, "famous role."

When my father handed me the Phoenix hairpin that accompanied me on the stage, his eyes were full of ardent expectations.

I looked at Victor steadfastly with certainty.

MC : "But sooner or later, I will sing better than everyone else and I'll become the most popular actor in the MíngYuè troupe."

MC : "You do me this favor and I promise I'll do my best to repay you in the future."

As if moved by my bold words, the interest in Victor's eyes got stronger.

But he didn't immediately agree and I didn't give up.

Later from that on, I always went to him from time to time, sometimes helped him get the newspaper, sometimes I just watched him fix things curiously.

Finally, one day, when I was sitting across from him again, he held out his hand to me-

Victor : "Give it to me."

MC : "What?"

Victor : "Didn't you want me to help you repair the phoenix?"

[*FLASHBACK ENDS*]

Victor : "The hairpin is repaired but there is still a gem left to match it."

Victor raised his eyes and looked at me.

Victor : "Can you say it now? Why is the gem in the center of this hairpin missing?"

He clicked on the missing area on the Phoenix Police. The edge was uneven and you could see the traces of forced spreading.

For the first time since I met him for a month, he said something about it. I knew what he meant but I still looked away.

MC : "I will...bring the gems tomorrow."

Part 2

The night was noisy, the shadows of leaves were faintly reflected on the window paper, and the sound of gongs and drums in the front hall could be faintly heard across the wall.

In the dark, I opened the safe in front of me. Sure enough, there were fine jewelry inside, all of which were snatched by Jinbao using inferior methods to oppress the people.

I had kept my eye on it for a long time, and finally found a chance when the theatrical troupe came to Jinbao Chen's house for a performance.

The crimson red tourmaline is particularly conspicuous on the black velvet satin.

--This is the missing gem on the phoenix hairpin.

The last few times I got closer to it but today, I finally succeeded.

I put the tourmaline in my pocket, feeling the slight weight of the pocket somewhat ease my nervousness.

Master Chen : "Mr. Li, over here please."

It's the voice of Master Chen!

I was shocked and immediately restored the safe and squatted under the desk.

The footsteps got closer and closer and finally stopped at the door, my goosebumps felt like exploding!

Master Chen : "Mr. Li, since you accepted the greeting and came to me, let's say something open."

Master Chen : "Presumably, you may know that besides pouring jewelery, my Jinbao pavilion also does some other business."

Master Chen : "Although, some are ugly tricks, they make a lot of money."

Master Chen : "If the Chamber of Commerce is willing to turn a blind eye on this matter, I promise, it will be more sweet than RongChang's existing business."

I stared at the doorknob, suddenly saw it turn, hurriedly leaned down tightly to the ground, not letting myself make any noise.

With a click, the light was turned on. As long as Master Chen walks two steps inside, he will definitely find me.

??? : "I heard Jinbao Pavilion has done a lot of business not only domestically but also overseas."

??? : "Indeed, just shipping the "goods" received overseas can make a lot of money."

Almost instantly, I recognized the voice talking to Master Chen.

Is it Victor?! Is he here?!

Not only did my scalp feel numb but my thoughts were also messed up.

I sneaked out my eyes and saw Master Chen taking a book from the opposite bookcase and showing it to Victor.

Master Chen : "Mr. Li can take a look at this account. As long as you and I cooperate, the opportunity to make big money is huge."

His voice is getting closer and my heart is jumping to the noise!

Suddenly, someone stepped in front of me, blocking the dazzling light.

Victor : "It is said that the business of Jinbao Pavilion is not for everyone."

Victor : "It seems that RongChang shouldn't refuse the invitation from Mr. Chen's kindness."

I quietly opened my eyes and saw Victor's hands behind him, his fingertips shook slightly.

Is he telling me not to move?

The familiar wooden incense case scent wrapped around the tip of my nose and I was completely trapped in his shadow, subconsciously relieved.

Master Chen : "Then, I take it as Mr. Li agreed."

Victor : "But there is a condition that must be present when trading."

Victor : "Otherwise, as much as I earn from a business, as much as I deserve, it's Mr. Chen who gets the final say."

Victor : "The cooperation between me and you should be more frank and honest."

Master Chen seemed to be somewhat defensive, he hesitated for a moment then laughed again.

Master Chen : "These are all easy to say."

Master Chen : "The play is about to begin. Today, I'm invited the Míngyuè Troupe. The host said that Miss MC who is on stage today is a famous one, it's better for Mr. Li to move with me to the front hall to listen to the play."

Victor : "On the stage?"

Victor repeated it in a low voice.

Victor : "I'm looking forward to it."

When they closed the door and left, I heard footsteps walking away, so I quickly got up and ran out--

--Right now, everyone is preparing for the banquet in the front yard and the corridor is empty.

I ran small steps all the way and suddenly ran into a person.

MC : "!!!"

The man grunted and I recognized it was the voice of the housekeeper of Chen's household. While he was still holding his forehead and didn't respond, I hurriedly left.

I ran all the way back to the backstage and quickly changed into costumes and makeup.

---------

At the end of the second fold, I panted and stepped on the stage with the sound of gongs and drums and covered myself half of my makeup with a wine and gold fan in hand.

It was already at night and lights were lit outside the water pavilion and people who listened to the play were sitting in the pavilion.

I suppressed breath without calming down and when I walked slowly, and raised my eyes, I saw Victor.

Our eyes met silently in the air and his gaze seemed heavy.

I lowered my eyes, made the noble concubine's gesture and started singing.

MC : "The first turn of the ice wheel in the island, See the moon, The moon rises early again--"

This is the first time Victor has heard me perform on the stage. I always wanted to invite him to come see me but I couldn't find the opportunity.

The night breeze in August is slightly drunk, I acted as a drunk concubine and sung an oath to the moon.

Turning lightly in one step, every one of the movements made him raise his eyes and gaze inadvertently.

From the light of the sleeves, I saw Victor talking to the next door person with his face turned sideways but his eyes stayed on me all the time.

Whenever he noticed my gaze, he raised his eyebrows slightly with a smile in his eyes.

As if the wind was blowing peach blossoms and the flowers were blowing down from the branch clusters, my heart trembled slightly and the singing voice that was originally soft and luring was involuntarily jumping for joy.

The sound of music is exquisite, it was when the imperial concubine was drunk but the housekeeper came to talk to Master Chen.

Almost instantly, Master Chen frowned and calmly looked at the people around him watching the theatre.

They'll find out that the tourmaline is missing!

The valuables were stolen, Master Chen will definitely conduct a thorough investigation and even a full body search.

Although I hid the tourmaline in the troupe's jewelry box in advance, the exchange in front of me still made me uneasy.

I tried to hide my panic, Victor glanced at me calmly and frowned slightly.

At the end of the play, the last verse fell in the wind and the voice of Master Chen rang!

Master Chen : "Everyone, wait a minute, the housekeeper came to report that something is missing from my house."

Master Chen : "If you don't mind, please wait for me to find more about it before leaving."

While talking, the butler brought a few men to the front yard, and my heart jumped suddenly, but Victor's voice sounded.

Victor : "There is Kūn dàn in MingYue Troupe who is good at singing."

[T/N : Kūn dàn 坤旦 , is a female actor that plays the role of Dan which is a Opera role or female roles in Chinese opera traditionally played by specialized male in the drama.]

Victor : "Seeing them today really made it unforgettable."

He crossed his legs and his face was calm, attracting everyone's attention.

The housekeeper looked at me several times, but Victor stood up and stood in front of me so that the housekeeper had to push away his gaze.

I looked at Victor in amazement, wondering which one he's talking about.

His tone was sober, his words were in the thick night, hitting my heart.

Victor : "It's better to stay by my side than in Míngyuè Troupe."

Victor : "I'll praise you until everyone knows about it."

He stretched out his hand to me, in the endless night, he was like the only light that could take me away from danger.

Victor : "Do you want to leave here with me?"

Everyone was taken aback by Victor's words. Only the head of Master Chen was circling Victor and me, as if he was interested in his actions at the moment.

The fire in the lantern was shaken by the wind and it shimmered like stars on the ground.

I looked into his eyes where there couldn't be any emotions found, my heart moved slightly and I couldn't help but put my hand on the palm of his hand.

MC : "Okay, I'll go with you."

Part 3

MC : "Thank you for helping me just now....”

The wind blew from the riverside and the neon lights of theatre and the shops in the distance illuminated the river, reflecting the light of the moon.

What just happened now was too fast for me to process and I still feel like I'm in a dream.

But the people walking by the river with me reminded me that this is indeed reality.

Victor walked slowly along the river, I quietly stepped on his shadow tailing behind him.

The wind blew the thoughts in my heart into a mess. I couldn't clean up anyhow, and felt that this was not a good time to talk to Victor.

MC : "You must have something to work on, I'll go back first."

Victor : "Stand still."

He stopped and looked at me.

Victor : "Weren't you the one who agreed to follow me?"

The scene of him reaching out to me flashed in my mind again and I was sure to look at him, a little at a loss.

MC : "...I thought that was just your excuse to help me escape."

Victor : "It is an excuse, but also a fact."

Victor : "Staying in the Míngyuè Troupe all the time, you will always be the last small role."

Victor : "Don't you want to sing well and show your talents on a bigger stage?"

MC : "I do want to sing...."

Victor : "You are willing to sing and I can afford it so what's the problem?"

He lifted his eyes slightly and looked at me deeply, the sound of river in the distance was rising and falling, like my mood that would never be clear.

MC : "Deference is no substitute for obedience, I have written down the favor I owe you."

[T/N : The bold words in above statement(恭敬不如从命) is a Chinese idiom meaning it is better to accept deferentially than to decline courteously or to follow someone's precepts is the sincerest form of respect.]

MC : "I will repay you in the future as long as you think about what you want."

He raised his eyebrows slightly said nothing but asked about something else.

Victor : "The things stolen from Chen's house today are the gems from your Phoenix hairpin, right?"

He knew too well and helped me cover my whereabouts....

After hesitating in my heart for a while, I told him this long past that I had hidden in my heart.

MC : "You've probably heard that the Master Chen of Jinbao Pavilion is polite on the surface but not a good person in the dark."

MC : "He raised a bunch of thugs, searched for valuable jewels everywhere and forced others to sell them to him at very low prices."

MC : "After my father died, they found me and forced me to sell the Phoenix hairpin that my father left for me."

MC : "I swore not to sell it and they just snatched the tourmaline."

MC : "I entered the Míngyuè Opera Troupe to steal the tourmaline by taking the opportunity to sing in the Jinbao Pavilion."

I looked at Victor, he listened quietly, not surprised at all and I smiled.

MC : "Can you guess these already too? I heard what you said just then."

MC : "I heard that he colluded with foreigners to resell these jewels and all he made with it was black moeny."

MC : "So what about you, why did you pretend to agree to cooperate with him?"

Victor : "Why do you think it was a pretend?"

Victor : "Smuggling is profiting the beauty, I can also just want to get a share of the pie."

I shook my head.

MC : "Victor, just as you can insight into my thougts, in fact, during this period of time we spent, I can also somewhat sense what you are planning."

MC : "When I went to your shop several times, I saw Rongchangs's people on the side of the road."

MC : "They didn't look like ordinary errand guys and I saw someone put a gun on their waist."

MC : "I guess many of the inconvenient plans to pass RongChang were carried out by you."

Victor's steps were not hurried nor slow.

Victor : "Now that you know so much, why aren't you afraid but instead still get close?"

I hesitated for a moment.

MC : "The day you promised to take over the position, I went to find you."

MC : "But I was still a little worried at that time."

MC : "Because you are RongChang's young master, it's impossible to think about repairing the phoenix of a poor actress of a mediocre Troupe."

MC : "But when I saw you, I had no worries."

MC : "The Phoenix hairpin without the gems is worthless but in your hands, it looks like a peerless treasure."

-------

I remember every detail of that day. Victor wore a single-sided glasses and looked down at the Phoenix hairpin in his hand.

The spectacle chain was reflected by the shattered streamer and the brilliance of the jewelry in the shop was silently flowing.

I didn't say anything, I just watched his every move and tightened sleeves.

People in the Troupe often laughed at me for using a broken hairpin as a family heirloom but he didn't.

This kind of precious treatment is the first time I have encountered in my life.

It's as if a window suddenly opened ina  room full of dust and mist. There's a picturesque landscape over the window and there is a person--

"There is our elegant and accomplished prince, - As from the knife and the file, As from the chisel and the polisher."

[T/N : Okay, I know you don't get it and neither do I bc this was literally a stanza from a poem. This same poem will be used at the end of date too so, I've written it's meaning at the end as notes since it will be easier that way to have altogether.]

A person with such splendor who can never be forgotten.

I still remember I asked him why Master of RongChang would stay in a small shop to repair jewelry, he said--

Victor : "The craftmanship of many jewelry has been passed down from generation to generation."

Victor : "If no one continues this line of inheritance in this era, they will disappear."

Victor : "No one in future generations will know that we once possessed incomparable skills."

When he said these words, his face was heavy but he was more eye-catching than any jewels I have ever seen.

From that day on, I knew that whatever he was planning would not be a bad thing.

-------

The river tide was swaying layer after layer, Victor did not deny my speculation, he answered my question.

Victor : "Jinbao Pavilion secretly smuggled jewels overseas to wear national treasures for profit. This city cannot tolerate him."

MC : "What are you going to do? Cut off all his goods?"

Victor : "No, it's better to stop the fire by raising the soup and stopping the boiling."

MC : "I'll help you!"

In Victor's side eyes, I settled and continued speaking.

MC : "I have been in theatre since I was young, watched and learnt to sing, all the stories of heroes."

MC : "I admire their strategy and determination to advance against the current and wanting to walk with others in troubled times."

Even if I don't have the ability to be like them, at least I might be able to help a little bit.

As long as.....I can stand side by side with the person in front of me.

It was silent, Victor suddenly stretched out his hand and brushed the falling flowers from my shoulder.

He smiled in his eyes and said nothing.

------

Today is the double seventh day, the day for the Jinbao Pavilion ceremony.

I was the only one in the dressing room, the table was full of jewelry and the bouquets sent by the guests were piled up into hills.

With Victor's money paving the way, almost overnight, I became a star. It became hard to get a ticket for the play in which I appeared.

Although I had some doubts, I didn't think too much into it.

A slight knock on the door awakened me from my thoughts. I looked back in a daze and saw Victor standing at the door.

He is well dressed today but his breathing is slightly chaotic as if he hurried over here.

When he saw me, he breathed a sigh of relief, pressed the waves in his eyes and walked towards me.

MC : "Is something wrong?"

Victor : "Nothing, let me wish you success on the stage."

Holding a bunch of flowers in his hand, he turned his head to put the flowers on the dressing table but when he saw the pile of bouquet, his eyes gleamed.

I took the flowers from his hand and held it tightly in my arms.

MC : "This...I really like red roses!"

Seeing my movements, Victor's eyes flashed with a slight smile, the next moment, he gently held my wrist and his other hand was behind me.

His voice was extremely soft.

Victor : "Stop singing in this scene. My people will take you away from here."

Suddenly, a question flashed in my heart and then I remembered the sudden appointment of Master Chen and the rumors of Victor's love at first sight for me in the city....

Obviously, it was just a birthday banquet but in the name of protecting my safety, Mr. Chen sent several guarantors to follow me.

Looking up, the bodyguard at the door was gone but Victor's people guarded the door instead.

I suddenly understood something.

Victor's plan must be carried out today. the old fox minded Master Chen didn't trust him yet and I was used as counterweight to Victor.

As soon as Victor makes a difference in the transaction, those "bodyguards" will use me to threaten him.

MC : "I won't go."

I looked at him.

MC : "I must sing on this stage."

MC : "I'm the character you hold out. Only when you are there, my play will be brilliant."

Victor wanted to say something but seeing the waves in my eyes, it turned into a hint of helplessness with my firm expression.

Seeing the unfinished makeup on my face, he picked up a brush from the dressing table then raised his hand to pinch my chin.

He painted my lip makeup--little by little.

Victor : "You don't have to go, you just sing in your play and don't care about anything else."

His voice was very soft.

Victor : "I will take care of you."

MC : "Today I will sing "The Seventh festival.", I practiced for a long time, you must watch it carefully."

MC : "If I sing well, you have to remember to give me a “luck” at the end."

MC : "Let others know that I'll always be yours."

Promise me that when the play ends, there'll be peace.

Victor didn't answer, he let go of me, emotions in his eyes wavering slightly.

I touched his sleeves unconsciously, wanting to save some good time at this moment.

MC : "The way you look now is so different from when we met not so long ago."

MC : "A month ago, you always cherished words like gold but spoke coldly to me."

MC : "I don't know which day you will start, to help me make a cup of coffee when you're doing it by yourself, to teach me to read French from the newspaper."

Like a drop of rain falling into old picture scroll, every time spent in the shop with him, every moment when the clock ticking came alive.

MC : "By the way, I remember that one word--"

Victor : "Ivresse."

He took my words naturally and I bent my eyes.

MC : "Ah, yes. It means intoxication."

MC : "At that time, you gave me an example. I don't remember the original sentence but I remember it in Chinese."

MC : "There are only two things in the world that cannot be hidden : intoxication and love."

Victor looked down at me, as if tracing my face inch by inch with the dim light, his low voice seemed to echo in my ears of that day.

"Il y a deux choses ne se peuvent ca cher, l'ivresse et l'amour."

He paused for a moment, his eyes fell on my face.

Victor : "If you can't hide it, hold it in well."

My heart jumped suddenly because of his words, the woody fragrance was steady and dense and I took a deep breath.

MC : "Victor, I'm so happy to have met you, I....."

Victor raised his hand and gently squeezed the tip of my nose, there were few dim lights in this falling night.

Victor : "The play is about to begin, let's go."

Victor : "There's still a long time to come and more words to say, don't rush for this moment."

I looked into his eyes and saw his calm and serene expression. How great the danger ahead might be, I wasn't afraid.

In this game of gems, interests and desires, Victor stood firmly in the center of the game, holding my hand.

I'm the one he will keep on watching and I'll advance and retreat along with him.

After victor left, when I was about to go to the play, I saw a bunch of red roses and suddenly discovered something.

I picked up the flowers and found a small card among them.

A familiar handwriting greeted me.

“Peach Blossoms and Bright Moon, sending gift for you to have a good time."

[T/N : Here, it might have another meaning. “I hope you’ll be lucky in love and Míngyuè, sending gift for you to have a good time." bc in some cases “逃花” can mean “luck in love” instead of “Peach Blossoms” and MC's troupe name "MingYue" means "Bright Moon" so, I’m writing down both just in case his note has double meanings.]

The surging tide enveloped my heart speechlessly, the gongs and drums sounded, I took a deep breath and stepped onto the stage.

Part 4

I stepped onto the stage with the sounds of drums, stood still amid the loud applause of the audience.

The Chen family's thugs stood in a conspicuous place, their waist were equipped with guns and they locked their eyes tightly to me without exception.

Taking the opportunity of throwing my sleeves, I looked up and saw Victor sitting behind the bead curtain on the second floor.

Opposite to him sits Master Chen and there were several foreigners with blond hair and blue eyes on the table.

The small box was full of people, some from the Chen family and some from Li family. It seemed that they were talking about the "cooperation" that Master Chen called about.

I saw the second floor lounge from my peripheral vision and they seemed to be proceed smoothly. Master Chen shook hands with the foreigners, smiling all over the face.

Victor watched all this and suddenly warned me slightly with his eyes.

The lights of the theatre stained him with light and shade, reflecting the crane on his robe as if waiting to fly.

At this moment, someone opened the curtain and said something in ear of Master Chen. Master Chen's expression changed and he suddenly raised his gun at Victor.

My heart was tight and I stopped my step immediately.

As soon as the singing stopped, the music also stopped and there was a sudden silence up and down the stage.

Master Chen didn't react much as if he expected this result. He laughed twice, stepped forward and moved his gun closer to Victor.

My brain was blank for a moment and the phoenix hairpin embedded with tourmaline was removed from my hair.

MC : "Master Chen--"

No one expected that there would be such a show from the stage, even Victor's face changed slightly.

I know he is worried about my safety and is unwilling to involve me in his plan.

But I don't want to just be a bird dancing on his palm, I want to be the person who advances and retreats with him.

Reaching my firm gaze, Victor seemed helpless and panicked but finally nodded slightly.

After getting his affirmative response, I lifted the Phoenix pin high and deliberately turned the red tourmaline under the light.

Master Chen's complexion changed---he recognized this tourmaline.

I didn't give him time to react, so I threw the hairpin to the stage!

Master Chen : "Stop her!"

Master Chen stretched out his hand almost reflexively and as soon as he was in a trance, the gunshot rang.

Victor was still sitting steadily, RongCang's people had already taken off his gun.

The transaction is over.

The thugs under the stage reacted quickly and immediately ran towards me--

RongChang's people : "Today is Miss MC's place, Mr. Li asked everyone, please do it for his sake."

Suddenly, a lot of banknotes floated down on the second floor, spreading out like snowflakes, the crowd seemed to have become a mess.

The thugs were jammed by the crowd and couldn't approach me.

I looked up at Victor. He opened the bead curtain and stood in a place where the lights could not be reflected in the light and shadow on the stage, his mouth moved as if saying---

Victor : "How about this kind of luck?"

-------

MC : "Aren't the tourmalines all broken? Why do you still have them?"

I sat in Victor's shop and looked at the tourmaline in his hand in shock.

Although the broken marks were still there, they seemed to have been perfectly restored to their original appearance.

Victor inserted it in ignoring my voice, his eyebrows were focused.

Victor : "Although, it took some time, it was finally fixed."

Since the last time, the black trading chain of Jinbao Pavilion was broken by Victor, he seems to be very busy and I often don't see him.

Unexpectedly, he was busy....with this matter.

After plugging it in, Victor finally looked at me and suddenly raised his hand held the tassel beside my temple.

The round white pearl fell on his palm, spineless, my heart with nowhere for me to escape.

There were waves in his eyes but his voice was extremely soft.

Victor : "When I was with the Chen family, it was the first time I heard you sing an opera. You sang in the “Peach Blossoms with the moon” in opera with deep affection."

Victor : "Later I helped you and you asked me how you can repay me."

MC : "What do you want?"

There was a gentle smile in Victor's eyes.

Victor : "You sing the play for a lifetime and I will hold onto you for the lifetime."

Victor : "This is what I want."

The first time I saw him, it was on the noisy street. The car was speeding by and the people around were talking.

But the only thing I remember is the dark eyes and my heart beating like a drum.

I couldn't help but smile slightly, raising my head to answer him quietly.

MC : "Okay, I'll save all the tickets for your name for this life."

The daylight outside the window was quiet, fading slowly.

"Look at those recesses in the banks of the Qi, With their green bamboos, so fresh and luxuriant."

“There is our elegant and accomplished prince, - As from the knife and the file,

As from the chisel and the polisher."

"How grave is he and dignified.

How commanding and distinguished."

"Our elegant and accomplished prince, -

Never can he be forgotten."

-------------------------

DATE CLEARED~

------------------------------

Moments {"Costume Experience” “戏装体验 ”}

Victor’s Moment Post : "Humming in a costume is not called singing an opera."

Option 1 :

MC : "Save me some face!!"

Victor : "There's a lot of room for improvement."

Option 2 :

MC : "Did Mr. Li forget that he applauded at that time?"

Victor : "That was just to encourage your enthusiasm."

Option 3 :

MC : "I just wanted to experience it.”

Victor : "You have already experienced it for an hour."

~~~~~~~~~~~

Notes for the parts that included reference to the poem :

First I wanna say that this poem part translation was all thanks to @perhaps-in-anotherdream​. She went out of her way to find the poem and explain it to me.

If it wasn't for her, we would've had to read the half-baked summary by yours truly who's stupid. I read the entire poem but still didn’t understand so thank you so much for sending me the translation and it’s meaning! T^T

Now, the translation :

“瞻彼淇奧、綠竹猗猗” "Look at those recesses in the banks of the Qi, With their green bamboos, so fresh and luxuriant!"

“有匪君子、如切如磋、如琢如磨” "There is our elegant and accomplished prince, - As from the knife and the file, As from the chisel and the polisher!"

“瑟兮僩兮、赫兮咺兮” "How grave is he and dignified! How commanding and distinguished!"

“有匪君子、終不可諼兮” "Our elegant and accomplished prince, - Never can he be forgotten!"

"This poem verse sums up MC’s first impression of Victor when she met him for the first time. And how what she thought of him over time turned out to be true in the end." The poem verse basically defines Victor’s character too.

Addition to this. I also found a short summary of the entire poem from some sources & websites : "About a modest gentleman who's hardwork and cultivation is like processing a bone tool that you have to consult and learn it before you cut it, Like processing a jade, you have to cut and polish it before you wear it."

The poem - 卫风·淇奥 {诗经}

----------------------------------------------

🍮Call 1 of this date : Retro Crossing Guide

🍮Call 2 of this date : Phoenix Hairpin