Ark, they don't revolve around you

One year ago, Syracuse, New Volsine.

The sky is overcast.

In the Milan Theater, the chandeliers cast a dim light and continuous music flowed from the old-fashioned phonograph, echoing the raindrops outside the window.

Zhuang Ning looked at Kong who was still training. The light shone on her face, and the expression on her little face was particularly conflicted.

He and Kong were not familiar with each other. He just came here at someone's invitation and happened to meet this girl.

Kong is adapting to the singing style of Syracuse opera.

There were many people in the Milan troupe who harbored malice and contempt for this young girl from Longmen. In their eyes, the songs of their idol were not up to standard. However, opera was an art form that had been passed down for hundreds of years and its audience was nobles. How could a mere idol be able to perform this?

But Kong's performance was beyond their expectations. With her talent, seriousness and hard work, she managed to overcome all kinds of extremely difficult singing styles one by one. Even her Syracuse was perfect.

If there are geniuses in the world, they are this kind of people.

But no matter how talented a person is, he still cannot avoid troubles.

Opera does not rely purely on technique; abundant emotions and rich experience are crucial, but she always felt that she was missing the point.

She sat down next to the Doctor.

"tired?"

"I can't sing with feeling." Sora's voice dropped a lot, "The candidates will be around soon, and I don't want to be eliminated."

"You will definitely not be eliminated." Zhuang Ning was inexplicably confident.

"Really?"

"It's a simple logic. You are Texas' friend... They have to give Texas this respect, right?"

But Kong was not so happy, instead he complained even more: "Then I will become a relative?"

“What else? Who among those who can enter the theater is not related to others? Who among them doesn’t have some relationship with those families?” Zhuang Ning smiled and shook his head.

As Sora listened, he became even more gloomy.

"The truth always hurts more... Never mind, since that person hasn't come yet, let's talk."

Zhuang Ning stared at her, his voice as gentle as possible, "I don't know much about opera, but I think you sang very well. What exactly are you worried about?"

"It's just a little bit off..."

Zhuang Ning flipped through her script: "The role you want to choose is the spouse of Salvatore Texas."

"Not spouses, they didn't end up together!"

"But she's also the female lead." Zhuang Ning took the script and rubbed his chin with his hand. "It's quite interesting. The person who wrote this opera is obviously a professional in the industry."

"Ok?"

"I can guess what you're thinking." Zhuang Ning seemed to be thinking about something. "You do lack some feeling... She is Salvatore's girlfriend, but she is from a good family and has lived a clean life. She abandoned her parents and joined Salvatore's family..."

He said he didn't understand, but he actually spoke very clearly. As Kong listened, he suddenly understood.

"Doctor, don't you understand this very well?!"

"I don't understand opera, but I understand some common things." Zhuang Ning said, and glanced at his watch. "We still have some time. Do you want me to act with you?"

"Is it okay?" Kong's eyes lit up.

"Just treat it as a leisurely time." Zhuang Ning said meaningfully, "The fire in Syracuse hasn't started yet anyway."

……

Two days later.

Zhuang Ning came to the Milan Theater again. Sora, Exia and Croissant were all there.

"Doctor, are you very free?" Kong said jokingly.

"Just passing by... empty, is it OK?" Zhuang Ning asked.

Sora pursed his lips and glanced at him with a hint of complaint: "Waiting for the results."

"It's done!" Exiah shouted and hugged her, "You got the role!"

Kong's worried eyes relaxed. If possible, she didn't want the role to be taken away by someone else.

"You see, hard work always pays off, right?" Zhuang Ning smiled.

"Didn't you say that I'm a relative of someone else?" Kong Xiang looked at him pretending to be unhappy, but the corners of his mouth were still raised, revealing his happy mood.

"You are not the only one with connections. You must have relied on your own strength, Miss Steward." Zhuang Ning nodded.

Kong was somewhat at a loss.

She felt she should say thank you, but Zhuang Ning had already turned around and put his hand on the door handle.

"Doctor, are you leaving now?"

"As I said just now, I'm just passing by." He smiled, "I will go to watch your performance, Miss Flight Attendant, keep going."

His coat swayed and he was indeed in a hurry.

Kong watched him leave, and belatedly thought, he is so busy, how could he still care about the information that I was selected?

Rhodes Island has no shortage of big names. A small idol shouldn't be a big deal to him, right?

Even so, he——

"Kong, are you still in a daze?" Angelus waved her hand in front of her.

"Stop being in a daze and keep practicing!"

The Angel's face turned pale: "Come again?"

"No need for you, I can do it alone." Kong raised the corner of his lips slightly.

……

During this month, Kong felt like he was living a busy life, sweating profusely.

But after all, it was her first time to appear on stage in a foreign country, and she had chosen a field she had never chosen before, so she couldn't help feeling nervous.

Backstage, Exia and Croissant were cheering, but Sora didn't see Texas, which didn't surprise her, as the man had an important party tonight.

As for him... the doctor probably won't come either? Sora was a little confused, after all, the doctor and Texas had the same party.

—but she saw the Doctor in the most prominent position.

Zhuang Ning was dressed in a formal suit, and his appearance changed drastically, like a genuine Syracuse gentleman, and he waved gently into the air.

There is definitely no relationship between the two of them, but Zhuang Ning is indeed a serious person. He said he would come, and he did not break his promise.

Kong suddenly felt much more relaxed and mustered up the courage to go on stage. She concentrated and held her breath as the orchestra played.

——Her performance received praise.

It was a huge success, and even Sora himself didn't expect to gain such fame.

After the performance, half a month passed quickly. During this period, Kong could only see the doctor occasionally.

He went in and out of various family mansions and parties, and met the big shots who had the power of life and death in this city.

Sora sometimes thought that the Doctor would not be so kind when confronting those big shots.

In any case, the Volsini incident has come to an end, the ownership of the city has been settled, and Texas can return to Longmen.

However, Kong himself had signed a contract with the Milan Theater and had to stay for a while longer.

"Isn't this great?" Zhuang Ning leaned against the marble column under the eaves of the theater. "You are better than them."

Sora pursed his lips: "Doctor, what about you?"

"I have to leave soon, but I'll keep an eye on you..." He raised his thumb towards Sora.

"Oh." She responded, feeling a little disappointed. It's true, the doctor is very busy...

After he left, Kong stood there for a while, intending to look for Texas.

—She hadn’t expected to see the Doctor on her way to find Texas.

The man took off his mask and hood and let the heavy rain hit him. He had an expressionless face and did not move for a long time.

There was no one around him. He felt so lonely, so lonely that he seemed to have only his shadow as company, as if even the breath he exhaled wanted to escape from him.

She didn't know what Texas said to Zhuang Ning, but in fact, he was disappointed.

Will that person be so disappointed?

This is a gap buried in my heart. I thought it would disappear with time, but it has grown like a snowball this year.

When he finally saw the doctor again, Sora finally spoke out the words he had been accumulating for a long time.

She wondered how the Doctor would react.

It doesn’t matter whether she is angry or forgiving. Anyway, given Texas’s behavior, she will definitely not apologize. There must be a misunderstanding between the two of them, and she wants to resolve that misunderstanding!

——She just didn’t expect Zhuang Ning’s reaction to be so cold.

"But I don't mind, Miss Steward." He sounded a little unfamiliar, not at all like the doctor who would encourage and comfort her in the past.

"If it's alright, I'll leave first."

He stood up and gradually disappeared from Kong's sight.

Kong suddenly thought of the doctor who would go out of his way to act opposite her.

I remember the Doctor who would pay special attention to whether she was selected, and I also remember the Doctor who would come to watch her first play.

What's wrong with him?

Kong's expression was as dumbfounded as he looked at the doctor's receding back. He looked very similar to when he passed by a year ago, yet completely different.

She stretched out her hand, trying to stop him from leaving, but no sound came out.

Until the end, even my raised hands fell down, and I felt a slight pain in my chest...

Chapter 24 Powerful Decontamination

Sora realized that the agent was pushing his shoulder.

"null?"

“…Ah, what’s wrong?”

The agent remained calm, but was shocked in her heart. She had never seen such an empty space before.

Uneasy, puzzled, a little sentimental and indescribably complicated... It's just weird.

"That person has been gone for ten minutes."

"It's been so long." Sora nodded slightly, "Texas is coming to pick me up. You go first."

It was obvious that he wanted to be alone. Although the agent was a little uneasy, he couldn't argue with him. After giving him a few more instructions, he had to leave.

She was alone here for a long time before she heard footsteps. It was Texas. She had heard this sound thousands of times. She knew the strength, pace and frequency very well.

"Sora, leave."

Even the sound is the same as before.

Sora stood up and followed Texas, like a ghost, his steps seemed particularly frivolous.

Just said nothing.

She didn't look at Texas' face when she sat in the passenger seat, and both of them were silent for a while, only the melody was flowing in the car.

"Texas."

After a long while, Sora finally opened his mouth, "Do you know what happened to the doctor?"

She asked casually.

But his eyes were fixed on Texas. Somehow, this Custer idol who dressed himself up as Rupert actually had a little bit of pleading in his eyes.

"I know that it's a matter between him and you, and you've always been reluctant to talk about it." Sora's voice was not too loud, "I just want to know, what happened to him..."

Texas almost forgot to look ahead.

——He will become a monster one day, so how much of it comes from you?

"It's okay." Texas said, his voice revealing fatigue.