Poor Xi Xi
Chapter 752 Lan Qi and Talia Start Stirring Things Up
Meanwhile,
Far away in Brita, the capital of Kriti, thousands of kilometers southwest, in the bustling downtown area of Manhot.
The night was deep, and Lan Qi and Talia strolled through the wide Broadway Central Square, where the fountain in the center shimmered under the lights.
Surpassing the slow-moving vehicles, they dashed across the intersection just as the traffic light changed—
They hurried towards the Brita Opera House. The opera house's magnificent Kriti modernist building, with its five-story floor-to-ceiling glass curtain wall, emitted a warm glow, reflecting the huge poster on the exterior wall: *The Holy War Romance - The Grey Princess*.
"Hurry, hurry, we're going to be late!"
"There's still about fifteen minutes before the show starts."
Lan Qi and Talia ran all the way.
Gradually, they could see the main building of the Brita Opera House, with its large area of beige sandstone exterior walls. Through the circle of glass curtain walls, they could see the magnificent hall inside.
In front of the five giant glass revolving doors at the entrance were two sets of symmetrical circular fountain pools, the walls of which were made of brown granite, and the water columns rose and fell with the rhythm of the music.
The closer they got to the Brita Opera House, the more congested the traffic became. Fortunately, they both ran fast.
After sending Elsa and Ursula back to the St. Kriti Monastery, Lan Qi turned around and rushed towards the Brita Opera House in the central urban area of Brita.
Before departing from the St. Kriti Monastery, both he and Talia had undergone simple disguises.
Not only had Professor Landry been in the limelight a bit recently, but he also had to consider the Blood Clan's spies. It was most prudent to prevent him from being easily recognized as Professor Landry at the opera house. If any imperial nobles who knew him came to chat with him, it might also affect his approach to Abigail.
But Lan Qi and Talia had no problems with their identities under disguise. If they were really investigated, they could quickly change back into Landry and Landry's acquaintance.
The Kriti Empire does not have laws as strict as those of the Protos Empire prohibiting the concealment magic that changes races. Some well-known figures are allowed to dress up at their discretion according to their needs.
Now they look like a handsome black-haired man and a beautiful gray-haired woman who have agreed to come to the Brita Opera House to watch a play.
Walking closer to the opera house, Lan Qi and Talia merged into the crowd of guests in the front square.
The men wore custom-tailored suits or tailcoats, with buttons shining with the warm luster of brass and mother-of-pearl, while the ladies wore fashionable and luxurious evening dresses, adorned with jewels and exuding extraordinary elegance.
"Actually, I've seen the previous performance, but to be honest, today's public performance is also highly anticipated."
"Will they come up with something new?"
"The probability is not high, but it cannot be ruled out that there may be some changes made in tonight's performance."
Lan Qi and Talia walked forward, listening to the people around them chatting and laughing.
Their joyful voices were full of longing for the upcoming artistic feast.
They were not surprised. In their understanding, the Brita Opera House covers an area of nearly 10,000 square meters and adopts a unique "garage" stage design. It has the most advanced stage magical machinery and sound system in the Southern Continent. Even the imperial people who often live in Brita will find the performances at this theater very rare.
About 27 operas are performed each season, covering classical and modern works, allowing the opera house to remain lively throughout the performance season. Operas by famous ancient writers of the empire, such as Wiltis and Puccinica, to contemporary playwrights are staged.
They just didn't understand what the difference was between today's performance and the past.
But they came in a hurry tonight and didn't have time to find out.
The two of them silently passed through the bright and spacious foyer, and the brilliant light in the theater greeted them. Lan Qi and Talia quickly arrived at the ticket check-in.
"You two have VIP seats. Enter from Gate No. 1, then go straight along the staircase on the right to find your seats the fastest."
The staff examined the tickets one by one, and then guided them into the Brita Theater with standard and polite gestures.
"Thank you."
Lan Qi took back the ticket stubs and stepped through the heavy and exquisitely carved double doors with Talia, as if stepping into another space-time.
The moment they entered the theater's performance hall, they relaxed.
Fortunately, they made it, and there were still about ten minutes before the show started.
Lan Qi and Talia strolled up the marble staircase covered with thick red carpet.
A chandelier hung from the opera house's dozens-of-meter-high dome, and countless glittering crystals refracted a hazy light under the kiss of the lights, scattering soft but bright gratings on the wine-red carpet, weaving a colorful dreamland.
Every few steps, smiling staff members diligently and thoughtfully guided guests to their respective seats.
"Your time management is pretty good."
Talia found her seat and praised her male companion.
She didn't worry about anything tonight, whether it was finding the way or considering the time. Just like when she was dating in Paree, the city of flowers, she could empty her mind and follow Lan Qi to enjoy a comfortable experience.
Although she had discovered Lan Qi's reliability when she was in the Southern Wantina Territory, at that time she only regarded Lan Qi as an employer, but now she is convinced that Lan Qi is really a very good travel companion.
"I'm never late. Students can be late, but the headmaster can't."
Lan Qi sat down according to the number, holding his breath in the midst of the all-round sound of cheering.
He didn't forget the business at hand.
Lan Qi's eyes casually swept over the VIP seats.
The elite of Brita's high society gathered there.
Fortunately, the tickets they got now were purchased by Ursula, the daughter of the Roland family, and were in the VIP area.
If Abigail was really on-site to supervise in the audience as Barton said, then she would most likely be among these people.
"Look, is that her?"
Suddenly, Talia's sight was attracted by a figure in the distance. She gently touched Lan Qi's arm, brought her cheek close to Lan Qi's, and signaled him to follow her gaze.
In the aisle seats near the wall, a figure was standing there alone, frowning and whispering, with an anxious expression.
She looked about twenty years old, with pure silver-gray hair cascading down like a waterfall. She was wearing a black off-the-shoulder evening dress. The well-cut fabric fit her exquisite figure, and a black gemstone necklace surrounded her neck, making her skin look even whiter.
"I'm really counting on you. I don't think this is my problem. I'll definitely practice on them if they don't meet my expectations, and to be honest, in the end, they only reached the barely passable level... How would I know that their bodies would suddenly not be able to hold on? If I had known, I would have arranged fewer episodes. Wasn't it that guy who asked me to expand the influence, so I arranged the episodes so fully that the actors couldn't understand my ideas..."
The black-dressed woman seemed to be using communication magic, talking very irritably, and stomping her high heels from time to time.
But the scene was too noisy, and the surrounding area was full of people's chatter. Lan Qi and Talia, who were far away, couldn't hear what she was saying specifically.
"That's really her, let's go quickly."
Lan Qi stared intently and was surprised to confirm that she was indeed the director of this highly anticipated play, the famous Kriti Empire's talented woman, Abigail.
The other party seemed to have a more irritable temper than he imagined. It was hard to imagine that she was the royal magic craftsman who was praised as a treasure by the Imperial Magical Engineering world.
"Will it be a little difficult to deal with?"
Talia was worried that disturbing Abigail, who was in a very bad mood, would directly lead to a rejection.
Although Abigail looked glamorous, a faint cloud of sorrow shrouded her face. She held a translucent purple communication magic card in her hand and paced back and forth next to her seat.
They were not the only ones who wanted to find Abigail, but now everyone was very tactful and did not take the initiative to approach Abigail.
"Leave it to me."
Lan Qi nodded to Talia with certainty, exchanging an understanding look.
Talia looked at him and felt relieved.
Lan Qi has always been very good at communication.
Without any hesitation, Lan Qi and Talia immediately got up and walked towards where Abigail was.
As the two gradually approached, Abigail raised her head and cast a doubtful look at them.
"Miss Abigail, we were introduced by an acquaintance..."
Lan Qi said politely.
You can't say Barton's name in public, otherwise people will discover his cooperative relationship with Barton.
But Barton said that as long as they can be alone with Abigail and say that they are friends introduced by him, Barton, Abigail will definitely give them face. Whether or not they agree to cooperate with them, at least there will be an opportunity for discussion.
"!"
Abigail's eyes lit up.
She immediately hung up the communication magic, put down the magic card, and said to the two of them as if she had seen a savior.
"You're finally here!"
She breathed a sigh of relief and said to the two of them.
"Huh, did he contact you in advance?"
Lan Qi was slightly surprised.
He remembered that Barton had Abigail's contact information, but he was not willing to actively contact Abigail through communication magic.
Did Barton still not trust them and help them say hello to Abigail in advance?
"Of course! The traffic on the road is very congested, right? I was so anxious. I thought you wouldn't make it!"
Abigail nodded straightly, the coldness and restlessness on her face disappeared.
"Come with me, come with me!"
She reached out
She motioned for Lan Qi and Talia to follow, and walked towards the corridor inside the theater without looking back.
"..."
Lan Qi and Talia did not expect Abigail to be so enthusiastic.
Talia didn't understand why Lan Qi's social skills were so strong. Can he immediately impress the other party with sincerity?
The two felt that today was so smooth that they might not even need to watch the drama to be alone with Abigail and discuss matters.
In any case, they followed along first.
Because Abigail had almost disappeared at the end of the doorway, she looked more anxious than the two of them.
Abigail's high heels tapped on the marble floor, making a crisp and frequent sound.
Lan Qi and Talia didn't know why, so they followed Abigail's pace and walked through the corridors inside the theater.
In addition to the main stage, the opera house also has many supporting facilities such as rehearsal rooms, dressing rooms, and clothing and prop production workshops.
They sometimes turned into narrow and deep passages, and sometimes crossed wide and bright halls.
The staff they met on the road nodded to Abigail.
Finally, a gray door appeared in front of them.
"Please come in."
Abigail opened the door smoothly and motioned for Lan Qi and Talia to come in.
"Thank you."
Lan Qi and Talia greeted.
At this point they probably understood.
Sure enough, the face of Mafia boss Barton Hall is easy to use.
He directly arranged a meeting with Abigail for them.
Abigail understood that she wanted to chat with them two alone, so she eagerly brought them here.
Immediately, the two stepped into a spacious and well-organized room.
The room was brightly lit, with mirrors covering three walls. Various cosmetics, wigs, and small props were arranged in front of the mirrors, which were dazzling and dazzling. Several leather seats with soft cushions were placed in the center of the room.
"Uh, Miss Abigail..."
Lan Qi looked in surprise at the room full of busy people, pointed to the front, and asked Abigail.
But Abigail didn't have time to pay attention to him. She quickly beckoned two teachers and briefly explained a few words.
"Come here quickly, what are you still doing in a daze?"
The beautician nodded knowingly and then started to get busy.
They first dragged Lan Qi and Talia to sit in front of the mirror, skillfully using the brushes, sponges, and powder puffs in their hands to outline a new outline on their faces.
The foundation shimmered softly under the lights, and the eyeshadow and blush complemented each other, like the colors in the hands of an artist, making Talia's features even more bright.
As for men's makeup, it focuses on shape without edges. There is no need to use eye shadow. You only need to use the remaining powder from the contouring to modify the eyes, which is much faster than Talia's.
"Perfect, your natural temperament and figure are like princes and princesses. You don't need much modification to feel that you are close to the characters."
Abigail looked at them with satisfaction and said confidently and satisfied.
From the first glance, she discovered that the actors her friend helped her find were even better than she imagined.
The two of them sat in front of the mirror with blank expressions, and were quickly putting on makeup by the staff of the Brita Opera House. Later, someone brought over the costumes wrapped in non-woven fabric garment bags, waiting for the makeup artists to finish their work and complete their looks.
"Wait a minute."
Lan Qi realized that something was wrong, put his right hand on the back of the chair and looked back.
Weren't they and Abigail chatting across channels just now?!
"If you have anything to say, I will try my best to satisfy you after the performance."
Abigail looked at Lan Qi's nervous look, put her hands together and begged.
She knew that such a temporary rescue performance would test the actors' skills and hearts, but now she could only believe that the actors her friends helped her find were reliable enough.
After all, they also said just now that they were introduced by a friend, so she must not have recognized the wrong person.
The whole makeup process was smooth and orderly. Lan Qi and Talia only felt like they were in a dream. Before they could react, the makeup artists completed the final touches and rushed the two of them to change their clothes.
"No, we..."
Lan Qi felt like he had something stuck in his throat. He now realized that the problem seemed a bit serious.
"Aren't you the actors that a friend helped me introduce?"
Abigail looked at Lan Qi and Talia's expressions a little hesitantly.
Her heartbeat also fluctuated with her breathing, and it was visibly accelerating.
"Ah?"
Talia was also dumbfounded.
She seemed to have heard that the intensity of stage play arrangement was very high.
Did the lead actor of this show have a sudden physical problem? Abigail was looking for a friend to save the day, and then misunderstood the two of them as actors introduced by a friend?
"What ah? Isn't that right?"
Abigail looked at the man and woman in front of her suspiciously.
Everything was going wrong tonight. If these two were playing with her, then her mentality would almost explode.
Close to the start of the show, she had no other time to arrange actors!
"We..."
Abigail's face turned sharply, as if she was going to kill them, causing Lan Qi and Talia's words of explanation to get stuck in their throats.
Judging from Abigail's temper and state, explaining the situation clearly now and asking to chat with her alone would only cause her to angrily blacklist them permanently and drive them away.
Correspondingly,
Crisis or opportunity, it is all in one thought!
"We are the actors you are looking for, that's right."
Forced by the high-pressure situation, Lan Qi and Talia, despite sweating profusely, agreed in one breath.
(End of this chapter)