It wasn't an apple that hit Newton.

The theater was deserted. There were no carriages to be seen, and the huge theater entrance was completely empty, with not a single customer in sight. Only a few uniformed waiters were wandering around aimlessly.

If there's even one person, it's not like there's absolutely no one left!

Filled with questions, Li Cheng grabbed a yawning waiter and asked, "Is Miss Annie here?"

"Miss Anne was supervising the training backstage at the theater."

The waiter happened to have been to Smith's banquet and met Li Cheng once. After considering for a moment, he led him to the backstage of the theater, where several people were receiving rehearsal instruction from Annie.

"Julie! Stop looking, it's you!"

Although there was no audience member outside, Annie seemed completely unconcerned and continued to shout and yell with great energy.

After yelling, she stood up from her seat, walked over to the actress named Julie, put her hands on her hips, and yelled at her again: "It's you again who's dawdling! Aren't you ashamed at all? Do it again!"

Julie, who was called upon, was wearing a rather exquisite costume and was the only woman among those rehearsing, so she was probably the lead actress. After being reprimanded, she lowered her head in grievance and said, "Boss, since there's no audience anyway, can we take a break today? Rehearsing all the time is exhausting."

"Big Sister"? What kind of title is that? So that's what Annie asked these actors to call her? Is she here to be a director or to join a gang?

Li Cheng couldn't help but twitch his lips. He really wanted to know what Mr. Stoller's expression would be when he heard a group of people all shouting "Hello, Big Sister!" to Anne.

Hearing Julie's plea for mercy and seeing that the other woman looked genuinely exhausted, Annie bit her lower lip, thought for a moment, and then frowned as she comforted her, "Okay, then go and rest for a while."

Now the others were getting restless. A short, stocky man tentatively said, "Big sister, actually I also..."

"Everyone else, keep rehearsing!" Annie glared at the male actor immediately. "Julie is the female lead, and she's the weakest one in terms of stamina. And you guys? You're all stronger than me!"

"This is different..."

The short, stocky man glanced at Annie's arms, who was standing there with her hands on her hips, and muttered to himself—he had personally witnessed Annie pick up a wooden sword and beat a street thug who was trying to cause trouble to a pulp.

Hey! What are you staring at me for?

Anne clenched her fist and waved her arm, baring her teeth in a threatening gesture: "Hurry up and continue rehearsing."

Because everyone in the theater was her subordinate (they should have been employees, but the title "boss" was more appropriate for her), Anne acted very casually. She even rolled up her long sleeves to make them short sleeves, revealing a small section of her wheat-colored skin that was slightly sweaty, making people want to take a look.

Human nature in the world is generally like this: upon seeing short sleeves, one immediately thinks of white... well, brown arms, then of nudity, then of genitals, then of sexual intercourse, then of hybridization, then of illegitimate children.

——Lu Xun: I did say that before, although you don't need to include pinyin, including my name.

Just as Li Cheng was quietly observing Anne's daily life, trying to write a boring book like "Anne of Green Gables" to pass the time with Stoller's frequent greetings, Anne finally noticed this only audience member who was hovering outside the cast list.

"Hey?"

She paused for a moment, then stepped forward enthusiastically and playfully punched Li Cheng on the shoulder: "What brings you here? Come on, find a place to sit, don't be shy!"

That was certainly quite impolite.

Li Cheng rubbed his shoulder, which had been punched for no reason, and silently complained to himself.

He also discovered that the nearest seat was dozens of steps away, and finding it too troublesome, he simply grabbed Annie's cushioned wooden chair and sat down—when ordinary people say "don't be polite," it's mostly just polite talk, but when it comes to Annie, it's especially convincing.

"call."

Finally able to sit down comfortably, Li Cheng breathed a long sigh of relief, inwardly marveling that the cushion was still warm.

These days, riding in a horse-drawn carriage is definitely not comfortable, especially after the rain. The already bumpy carriage was jolted even more, making your butt hurt.

Anne wasn't angry that her throne had been taken away. Instead, she stood happily to the side, one arm propped on the back of the chair, swinging back and forth like she was doing pull-ups: "So what brings you here today? Did you decide to drag me hiking for some exercise?"

"No, I'm not lacking in exercise. If you want to climb a mountain, go by yourself."

After seeing his haggard, hungover state, Annie felt he might need some exercise, but Li Cheng was completely uninterested and refused the suggestion to go hiking.

"Then why did you contact me?"

Annie, who had been quite confident, now had a slightly confused expression on her face.

"Can't I just hang out with you if there's nothing wrong?"

Li Cheng replied instinctively, but then realized that doing so might get him dragged hiking, so he quickly said, "It's nothing serious, I just came to Lincoln and stopped by to see how you are doing."

Seeing the two talking, the people rehearsing noticeably slowed down and even started secretly exchanging things other than their lines.

Li Cheng's excellent hearing allowed him to faintly hear whispers such as, "Big Sister's amazing boyfriend is here, finally we have a solution," "Why didn't Big Sister go to him sooner?" "Probably shy," "Big Sister would be embarrassed?" "Then she probably just forgot."

What are you all chatting about?

Anne didn't hear what they were talking about, but when she saw her subordinates chatting away, she immediately flew into a rage and yelled, "Don't think you can skip rehearsals just because we have guests! Do you believe I'll confiscate your lunches?"

Chapter 223 Best Friend Tactics

A group of grown men were scolded by Annie, but they didn't get angry. They were all incredibly obedient, with not a trace of impatience on their faces, and they really started to cheer each other on and work hard.

While this was partly due to Annie having control over their salaries, it was more about recognizing Annie's attitude and abilities in handling matters during their daily interactions.

In a renowned and thriving theater, if you encounter a female boss who treats you like a brother, even a salted fish would be tempted to turn over.

"Do it this way, and if you do a good job, I'll treat you to drinks tonight!"

Seeing this, Anne smiled with great satisfaction and waved her arms encouragingly, "While the theater is closed for a few days, let's practice hard and not let other theaters ride on our heads!"

Hearing that they were being treated to a meal, everyone's spirits soared, and they continued rehearsing with great enthusiasm.

Taking this opportunity, Li Cheng asked, "So what exactly happened? Why is it so quiet today? Is it because you've decided not to accept customers?"

"Oh, you're asking about that."

Anne looked annoyed and waved her hand, saying, "Don't even mention it. Recently, a bunch of street thugs have appeared out of nowhere near the theater. They're always loitering outside my theater, either fighting or picking fights with customers."

"Street hustler?"

Li Cheng frowned: "I don't think I saw it on the way."

"You came by horse-drawn carriage, didn't you?" Anne seemed unfazed, as if she had encountered similar situations before. "Most people who take horse-drawn carriages are rich. Those street thugs usually don't bother rich people for no reason."

"But just having a few rich people watching the show isn't enough. Aren't my actors tired? I'll just close the doors and not put on any shows for the next few days. I'll take this opportunity to hone their acting skills so they won't be outdone by people from other theaters."

Well, judging by her attitude, she really thinks she's the boss.

Li Cheng's lips twitched, and then he made a hypothesis: "These thugs who suddenly appeared are very suspicious. Do you think Kevin might have sent them to cause trouble for you?"

The destructive power of calling in a few thugs to disrupt business is actually not that great; it's mainly disgusting. And even if Li Chengzhen has some kind of background, there's no need to worry, because the matter is too small to be taken seriously.

"I knew it! Where did all these street thugs come from!"

Upon hearing this, Annie slapped her thigh and angrily exclaimed, "So it was Kevin who did this, bullying me... By the way, who is Kevin?"

Li Cheng was quite used to this, and he had long since given up on expecting anything from Annie's memory: "It's that noble young man who kept bothering you before, the one who ran away in anger at the banquet."

Annie suddenly realized, "So it was him. That pretty boy actually used such despicable methods."

Poor Kevin, he'd been hanging around for over half a month, but he couldn't even remember his name; all that was left was the label "pretty boy."

Li Cheng silently mourned for the other party for two seconds.

After learning who the mastermind was, Annie squatted down and unconsciously drew circles with her finger, whether she was cursing or thinking of a solution was unknown.

Li Cheng didn't have any better ideas, so he didn't say anything. After all, while the method was disgusting, it wasn't very destructive.

But then he suddenly noticed that the actors around him, after hearing what they were talking about, were all looking at him with eager anticipation, though he didn't know what they were expecting.

?

Why are you looking at me like that?

Li Cheng paused for two seconds, then recalled the whispers of the group when he first appeared.

Only then did they realize that everyone knew Kevin was probably behind it, but none of them mentioned it to Annie, fearing she might do something impulsive. They wanted to wait for Li Cheng to arrive before dealing with the matter.

Haha, what does it have to do with me? I'll just pretend I didn't see it.

Li Cheng curled his lip, pretending not to see the group's eyes turn from expectation to disappointment, and continued his nonsense: "Besides organizing their rehearsals, what else have you done lately?"

It seems we can't see a play at the Little Hollywood Theatre today. While it's not impossible for Anne to arrange a performance by herself, these actors already consider him Anne's lover. If she brings Lavoisier and the other two to the theater... they might get a beating from the indignant crowd. He wants to teach this unfaithful man a lesson on behalf of his sister-in-law.

Since he was already there, Li Cheng casually inquired about the primate's daily activities so he could regularly write to Mr. Stoller to report back.

"Me? I've recently been trying to write my own plays."

Anne straightened her back, speaking with great confidence and demeanor, and said, "Many of the plays I brought from London have been learned by Lincoln's theater, and some of them are even performed better than mine."

Although Anne herself is a good actress and has mastered many advanced acting training methods from London theaters and modern times, unfortunately, the actors left behind by the bankrupt theater under her command are, to say the least, below average talent and are simply not up to par.

Many London theaters employ playwrights who not only actively innovate but also frequently produce plays adapted from current events.

Li Cheng was stunned, reacting as if his dog had suddenly played Apex for him right in front of him, with the same horrified look on his face.

"You can write screenplays?" he asked in great surprise. "Where are they? Let me see them?"

"what?"

Annie's momentum instantly deflated by half. She awkwardly rubbed her nose and glanced around as she said, "Well, I'm still working on it... What's with that expression? Are you impressed by my creative abilities? I'm an acting genius personally certified by Therese, who says 'If I want to do it, I can definitely do it'!"

It's not that I look down on you, it's that I utterly despise you! A student who can't even copy homework properly is trying to write a script? What about the playwrights that theaters pay to support? And what does acting talent have to do with scriptwriting?

Just as Li Cheng withdrew his disdainful gaze and was about to casually make a few sarcastic remarks, a sudden idea struck him.

Hey, isn't this the perfect opportunity to bribe Annie?

As one of Newton's few close friends, Anne's words were undoubtedly very effective.

Often, a person's thoughts can gradually change under the subtle probing of friends and family. For example, if everyone you know praises someone you don't have a good impression of, after a while, you'll likely start to doubt whether you've misunderstood them.

Similarly, if Anne is bribed and she frequently whispers in Newton's ear, perhaps Newton's thinking can be gradually changed, and he will not have too much resistance to the existence of his lover, thus reducing the pressure Li Cheng will face when Lavoisier is exposed.

Yes, that's what they call the "best friend tactic."

Li Cheng, envisioning a bright future, even found Annie, that silly girl, more agreeable. He even gave her a rather gentle smile: "Need a script, right? No problem, I've got it covered!"

Chapter 224 "Adding quotation marks to make it a light novel"

"Gui" in ancient times referred to the place where women lived. "Guimi" originally referred to a close female friend, a term used by women to address their intimate female friends.

Although over time, the term "best friend" has gradually taken on some less positive connotations, along with "fellow townsman," the saying "beware of fire, theft, and best friends" serves as a warning against being betrayed by one's closest friend.

As Newton's best friend, Anne was perfect for backstabbing... oops, I mean, for being a breakthrough point.

Although Li Cheng had previously analyzed from a historical perspective that Newton's anger at discovering his affair would not exceed his anger at someone insulting his height, that was just his naive speculation. Who knows what the little boy might do?

Even just getting a glimpse of Newton's thoughts from Anne would be helpful! It wouldn't be a waste of the morning!

"Hmm? Banana, you're acting a little strange today."

Faced with Li Cheng's initiative in offering to do the work, Annie's eyes suddenly sharpened, and she stopped doing push-ups against the back of the chair: "Why are you being so attentive? You wouldn't happen to..."

Holy crap, why is this idiot suddenly so perceptive today?