Blissful Days After Widowhood - Chapter 365

When everyone dispersed, the owner of the theater advised him, “Don’t care about these people. Wait a minute, and when Xiao Feng gets mute, everyone will naturally only remember you.”

Hearing that, Hua Dan’s face got a little better. 

He admits that no matter his voice or appearance, whether in Jingu or in the capital, he was outstanding. 

But Brother Xiao Feng was getting stronger every day, especially these days, he had grown a little taller, and in another two years, as long as he survived the stage smoothly, he would push him down. How could Hua Dan not be in a hurry?

That’s why he thought about taking over the olive branch from the owner of the theater and switching to his play troupe. But since Xiao Feng had Gu Ye providing the playbook, which was really a good book, he just stayed.

But in the two shows, although he sang as the protagonist, it always made Xiao Feng stand out. 

Just like the second “Kindness”, Xiao Feng played as a stubborn sister-in-law who was embarrassing her sister-in-law. 

But under his interpretation, that little sister-in-law was bad, but she was stupid. 

For example, when she was washing clothes by the riverside, she attempted to push her sister-in-law into the river, but her sister-in-law swiftly turned around, causing her to fall into the water herself. She also tried to embarrass her sister-in-law by giving her croton powder. However, she mistakenly consumed the bowl of croton herself, leading to a humiliating situation in front of everyone, almost causing her own embarrassment to the extreme.

That kind of stupid person who couldn’t harm others at all, but instead harmed herself, was humorous and interesting, not annoying, and every time he did something ridiculous, it always made people laugh. 

In particular, Xiao Feng’s appearance was also beautiful day by day, and the audience was naturally more tolerant of his role. 

On the contrary, he played the role of a pretty girl, despite having the most significant role in the scene. He found it challenging to outshine Brother Xiao Feng.

He suspected that Xiao Feng was intentionally overshadowing him, possibly to show off.

A “Hua Dan” typically portrayed female characters with lively, flamboyant, and comedic personalities. He had gained fame for his Hua Dan roles and earned nicknames like “Diao Chan” and “Pretty Hua Dan.”

However, since his arrival in the capital, the theater owner’s scripts were mostly tailored towards “Zheng Dan” roles (male roles), and he felt neglected.

Although they were not the theater owner’s permanent actors, he couldn’t help but wonder why Xiao Feng, as the class leader, received better roles.

The script, written by Xiao Feng’s friend, cast him in the role of a grieving daughter-in-law, which didn’t allow him to stand out.

That happened repeatedly, making him suspect that Xiao Feng was doing it intentionally.

Recently, the theater owner once again tried to persuade him to leave the troupe. He was torn, not out of love for the troupe but because he didn’t want to leave behind the opportunity of performing good scripts alongside Xiao Feng.

The theater owner assured him that it wasn’t about wanting Xiao Feng but rather because influential families in the capital disliked him.

After completing the task, he would receive a substantial sum of money, and people wouldn’t suspect that Xiao Feng had been silenced intentionally.

Losing one’s voice was not uncommon in the singing profession due to the natural changes in vocal cords over time or excessive strain.

At that time, Xiao Feng wouldn’t suspect that someone had harmed him and would likely attribute it to his own physical condition affecting the troupe.

Naturally, he wouldn’t hoard the script for himself and would have to share it with Hua Dan as compensation.

‘Food of Heaven’ collaborated with him not only because the young master’s family, Gu Ye, was friends with him but also because if Xiao Feng lost his voice, the advertisement for ‘Food of Heaven’ would cease.

They would then naturally secure the advertisement deal.

The voice-dampening medicine was divided into several portions and discreetly added to Xiao Feng’s daily meals.

With these thoughts, Hua Dan finally felt more at ease and stopped worrying about the matter.

 …… 

Xiao Feng was brought to Duke Ying’s mansion by Song Shiliu.

During the curfew hours, most people had already returned home, leaving the streets shrouded in darkness.

However, two bright red lanterns still adorned the gate of Duke Ying’s mansion, casting their radiance on the golden lacquered plaque. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that it illuminated the surroundings at night.

Xiao Feng’s legs trembled as he approached.

Song Shiliu gently lifted him and entered the mansion.

Inside, Mrs. Wang had already retired to rest with Wu Zhong. Only Gu Yin, Wu Qingyi, the elderly doctor immortal, and of course, Gu Ye, who was deeply concerned, remained.

“Madam, the servant has extended the invitation,” Song Shiliu reported, her voice carrying the drowsiness of someone who had just woken.

Gu Yin advised her to get some rest promptly.

Given that Song Shiliu was performing various tasks for her, Gu Ye added, “Shiliu, you can rest until noon tomorrow; it’s perfectly fine.”

Song Shiliu’s face flushed with gratitude. Ever since she had entered Duke Ying’s mansion, she had been gripped by a sense of competition, fearing that someone might steal her position as the first maid. Consequently, she worked even harder than before.

However, she was still growing, and early mornings and strenuous work left her hungry and fatigued by the afternoon.

Gu Yin and Mrs. Wang regarded her as part of the family and saw no need to deprive her of adequate food and rest. Consequently, she typically worked only in the mornings, enjoying the same delicious dishes as Mrs. Wang and the others at noon. She would then indulge in two large bowls of rice before retiring for a well-deserved nap.