After being dumped by the diva, I was picked up by her arch-enemy.

"drop."

A WeChat notification sound plays.

Chen Hao looked at the new profile picture in his friend list and his hands were shaking with excitement.

"Jiang Shen, call me anytime if you need anything! I'll be there whenever you call, absolutely reliable!"

Chen Hao patted his chest and assured him.

Jiang Yichen nodded. "Okay, I'll contact you if I need anything."

After saying that, Jiang Yichen turned and walked towards the teachers' office building.

Chen Hao stared at Jiang Yichen's back, his eyes sparkling.

The man in the black jacket next to him leaned closer.

"Rat, do you really think Jiang Shen would hire us? He's a big star now, would he even look at our amateur troupe?"

Chen Hao shoved the man in the black jacket away from his head.

"You don't know anything! A genius of his caliber would never stoop to working with those mediocre business teams."

"What he needs is someone who understands his artistic soul! Does he even understand what an artistic soul is?"

........

The faculty office building of the Central Academy of Drama.

Jiang Yichen walked to the end of the third floor and knocked on the familiar wooden door.

"Come in." Gong Changge's strong voice came from inside.

Jiang Yichen pushed open the door and went in.

Gong Changge was looking at his lesson plan while wearing reading glasses. When he looked up and saw who it was, he immediately took off his glasses and stood up.

"You little rascal, you actually know how to come back and visit!"

Gong Changge strode over and patted Jiang Yichen on the shoulder twice without any hesitation.

Jiang Yichen smiled and bowed. "Teacher, I just got back and came to see you as soon as possible."

Gong Changge pulled him to sit down on the sofa and personally poured him a cup of tea and handed it to him.

I watched the final.

"You haven't wasted your time outside these past few years. You haven't lost your basic skills, and you've even blazed a new trail."

Jiang Yichen accepted the teacup with both hands.

"Thanks to my teacher's guidance back then."

"And regarding what happened online before, I must thank you and my grandmaster properly."

"If it weren't for my master's intervention, I think I would have been skinned alive by those people."

Gong Changge waved his hand and snorted coldly.

"Those old-fashioned, conservative types just can't stand to see young people doing well! Your grandmaster hated their attitude the most."

Gong Changge picked up his thermos and took a sip of water.

"He really admires you. Once you're settled in a couple of days, I'll take you to see him."

Jiang Yichen immediately nodded in agreement.

"Follow the teacher's instructions."

After leaving the school, Jiang Yichen took the subway back to Nancheng Hutong.

As soon as I pushed open the door of the Qilin Opera Troupe, a pungent smell of paint hit me.

Scaffolding was erected in the yard.

Several workers were standing on scaffolding, painting the pillars of the main building with fresh red paint.

Tan Yunxiao, shirtless with a white towel draped around his neck, was giving orders in a loud voice.

"Make sure the tiles over there are stacked neatly!"

"Apply two more coats of waterproofing to the leaking areas!"

Jiang Yichen smiled as he looked at the bustling scene.

The eldest brother's execution ability is truly impeccable.

I just received the money yesterday, and the construction team came to the site today.

"Third Senior Brother!"

Meng Lingyu emerged from the side room, a broom in her hand.

Her faded practice clothes were covered in dust, but her little face was flushed and full of excitement.

Jiang Yichen walked over and casually removed a piece of grass stuck to her hair.

"Stop sweeping. Go wash your face and change into some clean clothes."

Meng Lingyu blinked her big eyes.

Where are you going?

Jiang Yichen said.

"I'll take you to buy some new clothes."

Meng Lingyu asked excitedly, "Buy...buy new costumes?"

The Qilin Opera Troupe hasn't bought any new costumes for almost two years.

The clothes we wear on stage have been patched up several times already, and the gold thread has even come loose.

"Really?"

Meng Lingyu grabbed Jiang Yichen's arm and shook it frantically.

Jiang Yichen smiled and pulled his arm away.

"More real than real gold, hurry up and go."

"Okay!"

Meng Lingyu rushed into the room with a cheer.

In less than ten minutes, he changed into a clean denim jacket and ran out.

The two took a taxi straight to Dashilan.

This place has the most complete selection of time-honored theatrical costume brands in Beijing.

Step into an old shop called "Jinxiuxiang".

The shop was filled with all kinds of theatrical costumes.

The robes, flags, pleats, and flowing sleeves are colorful and exquisitely embroidered.

The boss was a fat man in his fifties, who was sweeping dust with a feather duster.

When she turned around and saw Jiang Yichen and Meng Lingyu, she immediately beamed with joy.

"Oh, two rare guests!"

What would you like to see today?

Jiang Yichen waved his hand and got straight to the point.

"Give me five sets of pleated robes for the female lead, three sets of armor for the male lead, as well as water sleeves and thick-soled boots."

The fat boss's eyes lit up; this was a big order.

"Alright! I'll get you the best material right away!"

Meng Lingyu wandered around the store, touching this piece and looking at that piece, unable to put them down.

Jiang Yichen followed the fat boss inside to check the dimensions and quantity.

As Jiang Yichen looked at the list, his gaze passed over a row of traditional opera costumes and landed on a clothes rack in the corner.

There were several slightly different outfits hanging there.

The cut is more tailored to fit the modern body shape.

The color combinations are extremely bold.

The sleeves are made of semi-transparent gauze, adorned with tiny sequins.

It incorporates elements of traditional Chinese opera and also carries a strong sense of traditional Hanfu style.

Jiang Yichen walked over and reached out to touch the fabric.

"Boss, how much are these?"

The fat boss walked over, glanced at it, and sighed helplessly.

"These were ordered by a film crew a while ago, who said they were going to shoot some kind of ancient-style web series."

"As a result, the production team ran out of funding, and the clothes ended up in my hands."

"The veteran actors don't approve of this stuff, they think it's against the rules. Ordinary people can't wear it out, so we're wondering what to do with it."

Meng Lingyu also came over.

She looked at the clothes and frowned.

"Third senior brother, this outfit is too flashy."

"If we wore this on stage, the old opera fans would definitely scold us for not following the ancestral rules."

Jiang Yichen smiled.

Veteran opera enthusiasts certainly don't buy into that.

But young people online are eating it!

Those transformation videos that go viral on short video platforms are all about that kind of visual impact.

Traditional opera costumes are too bulky; this modified version is just right.

"I'll take all of these sets."

Jiang Yichen pointed to the row of clothes racks.

The fat boss was stunned, thinking he had misheard.

"Are you sure? This can't be shown on a proper stage."

"Sure."

Jiang Yichen took out his bank card and handed it over.

Let's settle the score.

Meng Lingyu tugged at Jiang Yichen's sleeve, her face full of confusion.

"Senior brother, why did you buy all this?"

Jiang Yichen smiled mysteriously.

"The hermit has his own ingenious uses."

You'll find out when you get back.

The fat boss was overjoyed and quickly packed up all the clothes.

It filled four large woven bags.

Jiang Yichen called a Lalamove truck to transport all the gear back to the alley.

The next morning.

The sky over Beijing was exceptionally blue, and the sunlight shone on the newly painted red pillars, giving them a vibrant feel.

Jiang Yichen sat on a stone bench in the courtyard, watching his fellow students stretching their legs in their newly bought practice clothes.

He took out his phone and scrolled through his contacts.

I found Chen Hao's WeChat account.

Jiang Yichen didn't send a text message, but instead made a voice call.

After two beeps, the other end answered immediately.

"Hey! Jiang Shen!"

Chen Hao's voice came through.

The background noise included the sound of keyboard typing and my roommate's snoring.

Clearly, this kid is still in the dorm.

Jiang Yichen moved his phone a little further away.

"Chen Hao, did I disturb you?"

"No, no, absolutely not!"

Chen Hao sprang up from his bed in the dormitory.

"Jiang Shen, please give me your orders anytime! I'm on standby 24/7!"

Jiang Yichen found his exaggerated tone somewhat amusing.

"Have you been busy lately?"

"I have a small job I'd like to ask you for help with."

Chen Hao was overjoyed when he heard this.

The gears in my brain started spinning wildly.

Jiang Shen contacted me on his own initiative!

Small job?

Could the "small job" that Jiang Shen mentioned be just an ordinary small job?