Alice in the Land of Steam

"Isn't my scene supposed to start in the second act? Let me rest for a bit before then. If there's anything you need, please talk to the theater owner... Wait, aren't you theater staff?"

A glamorous young woman stood before the dressing mirror, still combing her hair, turning to cast a surprised, or rather, curious glance at the two. The word "glamorous" was used because she perfectly embodied Lin Ge's definition of an opera star in every way. A beautiful face, exquisite makeup, an elegant demeanor maintained at all times, even her surprised expressions were endearing, and her deep red performance costume, adorned with delicate gold embroidery, shimmered in the candlelight like a burning flame.

She was so stunning that it was impossible to look away; it was as if she was born to be the center of attention, the focus of everyone's gaze. Thus, it's not hard to understand why some people are so passionately devoted to actors who should be hidden behind the scenes, rather than simply liking the roles they play.

Theoretically speaking, the latter would probably be the rational behavior, but in reality, very few people can remain rational.

Gloria blinked, momentarily dazed.

The woman before him, Miss White Night Glaber, was a completely different species compared to the quiet and well-behaved White Night Wilder from before. If the former was a tranquil ink painting, then the latter was a bold and colorful oil painting, vibrant, flamboyant, and making no attempt to conceal her presence.

Her long gray hair wasn't neatly tied back, but loosely draped over her shoulders, with only a few strands casually braided into thin braids, adorned with tiny pearls, swaying gently as she turned her head.

"Ah, I see." The girl suddenly looked enlightened, put down the hair ribbon in her hand, turned around, crossed her arms, and looked at the two of them with a scrutinizing gaze. "You came to see me, right? You came all the way from far away?"

Her tone carried an air of self-assured confidence, as if everyone in the world, whether audience members or two strangers meeting for the first time, should be captivated by her beauty and talent.

Gloria opened her mouth as if to say something, but Ling gently pressed her shoulder down.

“Yes,” the young man said calmly, “we have come here specifically to visit Miss White Night Glaber.”

"Oh dear, really." The girl got the answer she wanted, and a confident smile appeared on her lips, as if this were actually a competition, a competition of how to win people's favor, and without a doubt, she would always be the winner.

“You fans are always so enthusiastic, I don’t know what to do. But since you managed to break through all the theater’s security to get to my dressing room, it shows you’re really sincere.” As she spoke, she sat back down in front of the makeup mirror, picked up a comb, and slowly and methodically combed her long hair.

Her gaze swept across the mirror as she observed their reactions, a subtle smile playing on her lips—was it confidence or arrogance, or perhaps both?

"So, where would you like me to sign? On a poster? In a brochure? Or..."

She paused, deliberately drawing out her words, "Sign it directly on your clothes? But that's really unnecessary. Many fans have made that request to me, but that would make them seem like my possessions. I'm not someone who likes to own too many things. In other words, we just need to maintain the distance between an actor and a fan. Do you understand?"

"what……"

Gloria's mouth dropped open. This time, the young man didn't stop her, because she was also experiencing a complex mix of shock, confusion, and self-doubt—a feeling that could only be described as bittersweet.

"No matter what, this is too bizarre," Gloria said heavily after regaining her senses.

"Yes." Lin Ge nodded heavily, understanding what the other person meant.

Whether this Gloria is real or a disguise, she is so eerie that one wishes to erase their memory and pretend they never saw her. Admittedly, the previous Miss White Night Wilder, as a well-behaved student at the girls' boarding school, was already a far cry from the real person, but this Miss White Night Glaber can only be described as a complete subversion, like Alice suddenly becoming Saint Charlotte one day.

While this metaphor is somewhat exaggerated, it fits the character's persona. After all, Bai Ye is not only cold in personality but also seems so boring in her personal life. To her, being flamboyant is equivalent to pretense, and enthusiasm means being ostentatious. No matter how she dresses up, her core remains unchanged. Since that's the case, there's no need for her to try to please others.

She is a person, not a rag doll.

A person's values ​​are deeply ingrained, and if Bai Ye can even fake that, Gloria thought even more heavily that she probably would never be able to defeat her in her entire life.
She couldn't help but say, "We didn't come here to get your autograph!"

"Oh?" The girl paused in her hand, holding the comb. She tilted her head slightly and looked at Gloria with a puzzled expression. "You're not here for an autograph? Then what are you here for? You're not here to interview me, are you? Oh dear, no way. You need to make an appointment in advance for an interview. I'm very busy."

As she spoke, she pointed with great seriousness to the densely packed performance schedule on the wall, with each performance marked in red ink, leaving almost no blank spaces.

“It’s not an interview.” Lin Ge shook his head, his tone still calm. “We just want to ask you a few questions.”

"They went through all that trouble to sneak into the theater backstage just to ask me a few questions? Fans these days are really strange."

The girl tilted her head, a mischievous glint in her gray eyes. Though it was the same pair of eyes, the same gray, she could express emotions Bai Ye couldn't: surprise, confusion, teasing, and amusement. "Why don't you tell me what the question is first? If it's about my personal life, like whether I have a crush, where I like to go shopping, what I like to eat… well, I can't answer that. You know, a girl should have some secrets of her own, shouldn't she?"

As she spoke, she put her index finger to her lips, making a "shh" gesture, looking playful and cute.

Gloria felt her fists harden.

She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down, and then asked, word by word, "Bai Ye, how long are you going to keep this up?"

"Act?" The girl blinked, looking completely innocent. "You want to see me act? But it's not my turn to go on stage yet, so why don't you wait patiently for a bit?"

"Who wants to watch your act?" Gloria said irritably. "I mean, there are only the three of us here, so you don't need to pretend anymore, White Night. Just admit it honestly, what exactly are your intentions in trapping me and Ling in this dream? Even if it's a prank, isn't this going a bit too far?"

The dressing room fell silent.

The comb in the girl's hand froze in mid-air. She stared blankly at Gloria, the smile on her face gradually fading. In its place was an indescribable expression, as if she were confused, as if she were pondering, or perhaps she was simply preparing her next line.

"W-what are you doing..." Gloria felt a little guilty under her gaze and tried her best to put on a fierce look.

Of course, if the other party were the real Bai Ye, such pretense would not only be useless, but would only earn her a sarcastic remark. Miss Bai Ye Glaber did see through the girl's bluster, but instead of mocking her, she kindly asked, "I know a few good doctors, would you like me to introduce you, lovely lady?"

“Oh, no need, thank you,” Gloria replied instinctively, then realized the implication behind the other person's words and immediately flew into a rage: “Nonsense, I’m not sick!”

But if he wasn't sick, why would he talk such nonsense?
Miss White Night Glaber's eyes were filled with pity, which made Gloria so angry that she didn't want to talk to her anymore.

“Miss Bai Ye,” Lin Ge spoke up at the opportune moment, breaking the unbearable awkwardness, “I just want to ask, are you satisfied with your life now?”

The girl turned her head and looked at Lin Ge.

She couldn't help but laugh out loud: "I thought you were going to ask me if I had time to have a meal with you. I didn't expect you to ask such a question. You're really a strange person... or a philosopher?"

In the eyes of the public, there is actually no difference between these two types of people.

"However, sir, since you've brought this up with me, does it mean that in your heart, a popular actress shouldn't be content with her current life? But the truth is, countless audiences cheer for me every day, theater owners treat me like a cash cow, theater critics in the newspapers vie to praise my acting skills, and those so-called celebrities and aristocrats all want to invite me to their banquets..."

The girl stood up, lifted her skirt, and twirled around in the dressing room. Her gorgeous deep red dress bloomed like a summer flower. "What more could I ask for in this kind of life?"

She stopped, stood by the window, looked up, and gazed at the moonlight outside.

"Flowers, applause, praise, adoration..." she said, each word carrying a strange rhythm, as if reciting a poem. "I deserve all of this because I have worked hard, sweated, and paid a price that most people cannot imagine. If I were to say I am not satisfied now, I would not only be letting them down, but it would also be a sign of greed. So, I am very satisfied, I should say I couldn't be more satisfied."

She turned around and smiled slightly: "I just don't know if you'll be satisfied with this answer?"

Gloria's heart skipped a beat.

She glanced at Ling Ge instinctively, only to find that the young man's expression remained calm and composed, as if the girl's words were just an ordinary line.

“Is that so?” Ringer nodded, then turned around. “Let’s go, Gloria.”

"Huh?" Gloria was stunned. "That's it? Weren't we supposed to—"

That's enough.

Without looking back, Ling walked out, his footsteps echoing in the dark corridor. Gloria glanced at his retreating figure, then at Miss White Night Glaber standing by the window, and for a moment she was at a loss for words.

The girl remained standing by the window, the moonlight casting her long, long shadow across the floor like a gray river. She didn't turn around, nor did she speak; she simply stood there quietly, like a beautiful sculpture.

Gloria gritted her teeth and finally caught up with Linger's pace.

In the dimly lit corridor, the sound of their footsteps rose and fell.

"It's the same again, isn't it?" Gloria complained. "Every time you ask this question and then leave. What's the point, Ling? Can you really tell if someone is real or fake just by asking this question? But anyway, I think this Bai Ye is definitely fake..."

Before she could finish speaking, Lin Ge stopped and turned to look at her: "Fake? Why would you think that?"

"Huh?" Isn't that obvious? Gloria replied without hesitation, "Because Bai Ye definitely couldn't play such an exaggerated character. Look at that Miss Bai Ye Glaber, so arrogant and vain, she's just like Alice. Bai Ye hates people like that the most, how could she possibly act like that?"

That's true, but...

“Don’t just look at the surface.” Lin Ge’s voice was deep. “Didn’t you notice how she addressed us just now?”

The arrogant and vain White Night Glaber mistook two uninvited guests who had sneaked backstage at the theater for his fans. However, this was a term that clearly did not belong to the Mirror Star world. At least for now, no one would use this strange term to refer to their followers and admirers.

“If I’m not mistaken, she must have heard it from Alice and deliberately used the word in front of us. In other words, she deliberately exposed herself again. Now, do you know why, Gloria?” Ringo asked her.

Gloria's expression vividly illustrated what it meant to be completely bewildered: "I... well, maybe it's because she's playing a prank? Well, that's probably not it either, anyway... I don't know."

She lowered her head in frustration, ashamed of her ignorance of Bai Ye.

But actually, there's nothing to be ashamed of.

because--

"I do not know either."

After Lin Ge finished speaking, he stopped in his tracks. Ahead of him was a faint light.

After going around in circles, the two returned to the entrance. (End of Chapter)