Starting as pearl divers, they have endless jobs.

Chapter 101 Overnight Sensation, A Voice from the Heart
With just one sentence, and before the person even appeared, the entire theater was in an uproar.

All the opera fans present were startled, feeling as if the voice had a hook that pierced their hearts and made them itch with desire.

Worth it!

Just for that voice alone, this trip was worthwhile!
Those troupe leaders and famous actors who had come from other opera troupes with the intention of watching a joke, suddenly froze their disdain and contempt. They subconsciously sat up straight, their eyes filled with surprise and uncertainty.

That voice, that charm... Where did Qingchun Troupe find such a talent?

Just as everyone was filled with excitement, the curtain of the stage slowly opened.

A figure moved gracefully and slowly walked to the front of the stage.

For a moment, everyone in Guang Le Lou held their breath.

The person on the stage was dressed in a magnificent blue robe, adorned with dazzling pearls and jade, with exquisite makeup, eyebrows like distant mountains, and eyes like autumn waters.

For a moment, everyone was dumbfounded.

No matter how stunning the poster is, it's still just a two-dimensional image.

The real person in front of me, whether it's a frown or a smile, or the movement of her eyes, exudes a vibrant, captivating beauty.

Inside the private room, Lu the tycoon and Qi Shihao, two middle-aged men who had seen it all, were dumbfounded and even forgot to put down their teacups.

Lu Jinghong blushed, her heart pounded uncontrollably, and her eyes sparkled with admiration.

In another, unnoticed private box, a well-dressed man with a pipe in his mouth, who had been lounging in his chair, suddenly sat up straight, oblivious to the pipe falling to the floor. His eyes were fixed on the figure on the stage, unable to look away.

Meanwhile, Chen Ye stood on the stage, feeling the gazes of thousands upon him, his heart as calm as still water.

The captivating diva's talent was subtly activated, and the effects of her stage presence skill were maximized.

In everyone's eyes, he was no longer Chen Ye, but Du Liniang from the opera.

His singing style, his posture, every glance, and every movement perfectly captured the character's infatuation, resentment, anger, and joy.

It is a kind of beauty that transcends gender and touches the soul.

The song ended, and the lingering sound lingered.

But the audience remained deathly silent.

Backstage, Guan Sihai watched with sweaty palms and his heart in his throat.

What's going on? Why isn't anyone cheering? Did they botch the performance?
Deng Ming, standing next to him, was also sweating profusely with nervousness, constantly wiping his forehead with a handkerchief.

He was risking his reputation and the Guang Le Lou brand to promote Chen Ye. If he messed it up, he could forget about being the manager!

Just when the two were extremely anxious.

"it is good!"

The man on the second floor, who was smoking a pipe, was the first to clap and shout "Bravo!"

That cheer was like a spark that instantly ignited the entire stands.

Thunderous applause and deafening cheers swept through the entire Guang Le Lou.

Guan Sihai and Deng Ming's legs went weak and they almost lost their balance, but their faces were immediately filled with ecstasy.

Because they knew it had succeeded!
As expected, Chen Ye was undoubtedly the absolute focus of the entire following scene.

Every note he sang drew thunderous applause, and every gesture he made elicited screams from the audience.

The audience was so excited that their hands were red from clapping and their voices were hoarse from shouting, yet they still showed no signs of fatigue.

Those colleagues who had come to watch the spectacle were now ashen-faced and slumped in their chairs, utterly dejected.

The reason for this was that they knew that starting tonight, the world of Zhenhaiwei Pear Garden was about to change.

This young man named Chen Ye will reign supreme in the entire Zhenhaiwei opera scene with unparalleled prowess, becoming an inescapable nightmare for all female impersonators.

After an unknown amount of time, the grand show finally came to an end.

Chen Ye stood in the center of the stage, bowed deeply to the audience, and took his bow.

But the audience below the stage seemed not to hear the gong signaling the end of the show; not a single person got up to leave, and they continued to stare at him with fervent eyes.

Suddenly, someone took the lead and a shiny silver dollar was thrown onto the stage, making a crisp sound.

Immediately afterwards, a series of clanging and banging sounds filled the air.

Countless copper coins and silver dollars rained down on the stage from all directions.

This is an old custom in Zhenhaiwei, where opera fans use this most direct way to express their love and admiration for a performer.

Thank you all for your support.

Chen Ye repeatedly bowed in thanks, and as soon as he spoke, his clear and bright young voice resounded throughout the entire venue.

This really stirred up a hornet's nest.

"It's a man! It's actually a man!"

"My God! How can a man portray a woman so beautifully!"

"I don't care! I love him whether he's a man or a woman!"

The audience, especially the women, went even crazier.

His body was that of a man, yet he possessed a stunningly beautiful appearance. This extreme contrast amplified his charm exponentially.

The money increased even more, and soon a thin layer was spread on the stage.

Lu Jinghong, sitting in the private room, was so excited that her face turned red, and she paced around anxiously.

She wanted to give a tip, but she didn't bring any money with her when she went out.

In desperation, she gritted her teeth, took off the fine gold bracelet from her wrist, carefully wrapped it in a handkerchief, and threw it forcefully toward the center of the stage!

"Mr. Chen, I like you!"

The girl's clear and bold shouts echoed throughout the entire theater.

That shout was like a ladle of cold water being poured into a pot of boiling oil!
"Ahhh! Boss Chen, look at me!"

"Boss Chen, I love you too!"

These usually quiet and refined ladies from wealthy families have completely lost control.

People were taking off their earrings, untying their necklaces, pulling out their hairpins... all sorts of gold and silver jewelry, pearls and jade, were being thrown onto the stage as if they were free, and the scene descended into chaos.

This scene left not only ordinary people speechless, but even Deng Ming, who had run a theater for many years, and Guan Sihai, who had sung opera all his life, dumbfounded.

Just then, one of the workers shouted at the top of his lungs:

"Second floor, Room A, No. 1, a reward of five hundred silver dollars for Boss Chen!"

The entire audience fell silent for a moment, followed by an even more deafening roar of cheers. Chen Ye smiled and thanked them, then returned to the stage more than ten times before finally seeing off these enthusiastic fans.

Afterwards, it was found that the various tips alone were worth thousands of dollars, not including the theater's share of the ticket revenue.

This staggering revenue silenced the shareholders of Guang Le Lou who had previously expressed reservations about Deng Ming's decision.

The next day, every newspaper in Zhenhaiwei, big and small, featured a stunningly beautiful photograph of a woman in a blue dress on its front page.

"A once-in-a-century talent in Peking Opera, his performance astounded Zhenhaiwei!"

Who knows that the peerless clown Chen, is actually a man?

The headlines, overflowing with praise, coupled with that stunning photo, instantly ignited the talk of the town.

In the streets and alleys, in teahouses and taverns, wherever there are crowds, people are talking about the earth-shattering performance at Guang Le Lou last night.

"Have you heard? A divine figure has appeared at Guang Le Lou! He's even more beautiful than a woman when he dresses up!"

"She's more than just beautiful! That voice, that figure, it's like the gods are chasing after her to feed her!"

"I was there last night, and wow, the scene was incredible! Money and jewelry were being thrown onto the stage like rain. I've lived for over forty years and seen countless shows, but I've never seen anything like it!"

And this is just the beginning.

For the next ten days, Guang Le Lou was packed to capacity every time.

Ticket prices have been driven sky-high by scalpers, yet they are still extremely difficult to obtain.

Every day before the performance, the area outside Guang Le Lou is packed with people, blocking the entire street. Many wealthy businessmen and opera fans from other places even travel by train or ship to catch a glimpse of Chen Ye's talent.

The enthusiasm of female viewers was particularly noteworthy.

They not only attended every event and spent lavishly, but also spontaneously formed a team.

Whenever Chen Ye took the stage or took his final bow, they would cheer him on in unison, creating a powerful and impressive spectacle that drew the attention of countless men.

Even more outrageous, many young ladies from prominent families and wealthy women disregarded their status and sent various handmade sachets, embroidered items, and even letters with explicit love messages, their audacity was astonishing.

Backstage at the Qingchun Troupe, the room specifically used for storing gifts was already overflowing with all sorts of expensive tonics, silks, satins, antiques, and jade artifacts, a dazzling sight.

"Nana, look! Chen Ye looks really handsome today."

Inside the private room, Lu Jinghong stared intently at the figure on the stage with bright, sparkling eyes. Her face was flushed with excitement, and she clasped her hands together, her expression full of admiration and pride.

She is now Chen Ye's most die-hard "leader of opera fans". She not only attends every performance, but also always sits in the private room with the best view, and always brings her best friend Qi Nana along.

Looking at the radiant figure on the stage, and then at her best friend's infatuated expression, Qi Nana was filled with mixed emotions.

She had to admit that Chen Ye did indeed possess a deadly charm.

Despite being a man, he portrayed a woman's coquettishness, anger, infatuation, and resentment with remarkable depth and nuance. His ultimate charm, transcending gender, made even a woman like her heart race.

Chen Ye's sudden rise to fame naturally attracted countless invitations.

Invitations to private parties for the city's powerful and wealthy gentry were piled up like a small mountain.

Grand theaters in other places offered him exorbitant sums to perform, and even newspapers tried every means to publish a personal interview with him.

Faced with all this, Chen Ye's attitude surprised everyone.

"Manager Deng, Master Guan, let's decline all these invitations." In the backstage dressing room, Chen Ye removed his makeup, revealing his handsome young appearance, and said calmly.

"What? You've cancelled them all?" Deng Ming panicked upon hearing this, his chubby face contorted with pain. "Boss Chen, my dear! That's all hard-earned money! And those high-ranking officials and dignitaries, we can't afford to offend them!"

Guan Sihai was also puzzled: "Aye, this is a great opportunity to make a name for yourself, why refuse it?"

Chen Ye picked up his teacup, took a small sip, and said calmly, "Being too famous isn't a good thing. Besides, I just want to sing opera quietly and don't want to be bothered by all this mess."

Chen Ye did not want to be exposed to the public eye too much, nor did he want to be bound by worldly fame and fortune, because for him, performing opera was not to please the powerful and wealthy, but to cultivate himself.

Guan Sihai nodded upon hearing this, "Alright, since you've made up your mind, then let's do as you say."

Looking at Chen Ye's unquestionable gaze, Deng Ming was anxious and restless, but dared not force him.

He now understood that this Boss Chen was a living god, with his own ideas, and the ideas of ordinary people simply wouldn't work on him.

Left with no other choice, Deng Ming could only grit his teeth and deal with those powerful figures with a bitter face. He had to uphold Chen Ye's wishes while avoiding offending anyone, so he was busy every day and his lips were almost worn out from talking.

"Sigh, maybe these famous actors became famous precisely because of their unconventional thinking."

Deng Ming could only console himself with this thought.

Among the many enthusiastic fans, there was one person whose presence particularly caught Deng Ming's attention.

He was a middle-aged man who always had a pipe in his mouth, dressed impeccably, and with a calm demeanor.

He attended every performance without fail, but never made a fuss. He would always sit alone in the corner box on the second floor, quietly listening to the entire play.

He was extremely generous, and every time he tipped someone, he would have his staff deliver a leather suitcase full of silver dollars to the backstage, often amounting to hundreds or even thousands.

Deng Ming had privately warned the staff at the theater.

"That's Master Li, a truly influential figure in Zhenhaiwei. He has an unfathomable background and immense power, so we absolutely cannot be negligent or offend him when he comes to watch the opera!"

Chen Ye seemed oblivious to the noise and undercurrents in the outside world.

He maintained his own rhythm, practicing his movements and singing in the Qingchun Troupe's rehearsal room during the day, and releasing his understanding of the role to the fullest on the stage of Guangle Tower in the evening.

He enjoys this feeling, precisely conveying his emotions and skills to everyone in the audience through singing, recitation, acting, and acrobatics under the watchful eyes of countless people.

That evening, it was another classic scene from The Peony Pavilion.

When Chen Ye sang "Love arises without knowing where it comes from, and deepens with each passing moment," he suddenly felt a slight tremor in his spiritual world.

【Occupation: Seductive Diva Lv4】

You've leveled up again!
As his level increased, Chen Ye felt that his senses had become sharper than ever before.

In an instant, the noisy cheers from the audience seemed to shed their outer shell, revealing the most authentic core of their emotions.

In the private room on the second floor, Lu Jinghong's heartfelt words, full of love and infatuation, were as clear as if they were right next to my ear.

Qi Nana's complex emotions—a mixture of admiration, curiosity, and a hint of wariness—were also on full display.

In the lobby, there was the bittersweet mix of envy and helplessness among fellow theatergoers, the fervent and pure love of the theatergoers, and the greedy and sordid malice of certain individuals…

Countless thoughts flowed into his perception like a gentle stream.

It was a wonderful experience, as if the emotions of everyone in the entire theater had become notes that he could freely pick and guide.

Although this feeling only lasted for a moment, it brought Chen Ye a lot of gains.

He knew he was about to advance.

(End of this chapter)