Feiyun Slope!
Heyu Teahouse!
This place was built by Master Fan, and on ordinary days he would always invite the tea storyteller Liu Su to perform here.
Unlike Tian Tiezui of Chihu Rock, whose stories catered to the common folk, Liu Su mostly told refined and elegant tales. If one had to describe it in a single word, it would be "upper-class."
As a result, many of Liyue's officials, nobles, and wealthy merchants preferred to spend their leisure time here, rather than entertaining themselves alongside the commoners of Chihu Rock.
As long as there are people in the world, there will be social classes—this is simply unavoidable.
And in order to distinguish themselves from the lower strata, even storytelling was divided into ranks.
However, today was different from usual.
Early on, Heyu Teahouse was already packed to the brim.
That was because everyone had learned in advance that the head of the Yun-Han Opera Troupe would be performing today.
Speaking of this troupe leader—she had risen to fame at a young age, born into a Liyue family steeped in traditional opera. On her very first appearance on stage, she conquered the audience with her clear, sweet voice and lively, graceful stage presence.
Despite her youth, she had already become an extremely famous leading performer.
No matter the role, she could perform it effortlessly, grasping every detail with perfect precision.
Not only was she an outstanding performer, she also knew how to write operas herself. As a result, many veteran opera enthusiasts held her in the highest regard.
Seeing that there was still some time before the performance began, yet the audience seats were already completely filled, Master Fan's face bloomed with joy.
"Oh my, just one performance by Mr. Yun in our teahouse earns enough Mora to keep the place closed for a whole month!"
The fan effect of Boss Yun was just that exaggerated.
Master Fan felt immensely satisfied with himself. After all, he had been wise enough to choose long-term cooperation with the Yun-Han Opera Troupe—and had managed them with remarkable freedom.
Not only that, he had even encouraged his daughter, Xingyan, to befriend Mr. Yun, and helped cover for the elderly members of the troupe so that Yun Jin could occasionally slip away to enjoy rock concerts.
With such back-and-forth favors, connections naturally widened.
Feeling rather proud of his foresight, Master Fan once again welcomed another major merchant and escorted him to a prime seat near the front.
Seeing that more people were still trying to enter, he couldn't help but feel a happy kind of trouble.
"Ai, no room left—no room left."
Apologizing to the disappointed crowd outside, Master Fan maintained a smiling face and could only tell them to come earlier next time.
"Everyone, I'm terribly sorry. Please arrive earlier next time!"
After sending away those lingering outside the teahouse, Master Fan was about to head back inside when he noticed the Qixing's secretary arriving—accompanied by a handsome young man.
Just as he was about to say there were no seats left, the young man took out an invitation.
"This is a letter from Lady Keqing, the Yuheng Star."
Master Fan recognized it instantly—it was one he himself had sent out.
He dared not say anything unnecessary, nor did he ask why the letter was in the young man's possession. Instead, he directly led Luo Li and Ganyu into the teahouse.
Unlike most guests, he guided them all the way to a private, enclosed upper-level room.
From here, the view below was wide and unobstructed, the environment notably quiet, and the furnishings inside were refined and elegant.
It was clearly prepared for guests of distinguished status.
Before arriving, Luo Li had casually observed that there were only ten such private rooms—yet they occupied nearly half of the teahouse's space.
Sure enough, privilege existed everywhere.
Completely unaware that he himself was one of the privileged, Luo Li and Ganyu took their seats at the front of the private room.
Before long, sounds of tables and chairs being adjusted and several footsteps came from the neighboring room.
Luo Li didn't pay much attention and waited for the opera to begin.
He was quite looking forward to Yun Jin's performance.
Soon after, several veteran performers stepped onto the already-prepared stage below to arrange props.
During this time, a girl wearing a floral crown, with a delicate and clever appearance, walked out from backstage and onto the stage.
Her eyes were lively, accented with faint peach-colored eyeshadow. Her figure was graceful, her temperament elegant.
Even under the gaze of several hundred people, the young girl showed no stage fright. With a smile as refreshing as a spring breeze, she spoke in a clear, melodious voice like birdsong.
"As the saying goes, reputation is nothing compared to meeting in person. Today, having the fortune to meet you all at last is truly an honor. My surname is Yun, my given name Jin. I am unworthy, but I serve as the head of the Yun-Han Opera Troupe."
"Thank you all for your support. Recently, I've gained some insights. To express my feelings, I will shortly perform 'Walking Through Snow.' I humbly ask for your guidance."
Her clear and beautiful voice echoed throughout the teahouse.
The girl named Yun Jin lifted her posture, articulating each word with exceptional clarity.
Her brief introduction drew cheers from the audience below.
Those unfamiliar with the background asked others around them, and soon learned the story behind this performance.
In the past, Yun Jin had been dissatisfied with her own acting. As long as she displayed elegant movements and showed off her good voice, no matter what she performed, audiences would always applaud.
But Yun Jin refused to be content with that.
She was not just herself—she was also the thousands upon thousands of characters she portrayed.
She believed she had to breathe as the character breathed, live as the character lived, and let her emotions rise and fall with every smile and frown in the play. Only when countless life trajectories intertwined into a world full of feeling could it become the opera she truly wanted—the story she wished to tell.
Later, with the performance of "Walking Through Snow," she finally broke through her bottleneck, as if she had truly become the character within the play. From that moment on, her acting ability soared dramatically.
After that, she inexplicably received a Vision.
For a time, it became a much-discussed legend.
Word of mouth spread, and Yun Jin's fanbase grew like a virus.
Naturally, Luo Li found this fascinating.
Before long, the stage was fully prepared.
Only Yun Jin remained onstage.
"Walking Through Snow" was a solo performance, placing great emphasis on acting fundamentals. It depicted a grueling journey through the snow.
"It's starting!"
This was also Ganyu's first time watching such a performance, and she couldn't help but feel curious.
In the past, she never had such leisure—she even had to schedule her sleep.
On stage, Yun Jin settled into her stance. After a brief moment of silence, a long, lingering, murmured chant slowly drifted forth.
The audience listened in complete silence, subconsciously lightening their breathing, afraid to disturb Mr. Yun on stage.
As the performance progressed, the audience became utterly entranced.
Luo Li couldn't help but nod slightly. No wonder she could gather such crowds—Yun Jin's opera skills were truly top-tier.
Just as he was about to comment, a somewhat familiar voice suddenly came from next door.
"Whether it's singing, recitation, acting, combat—or the hands, eyes, body, techniques, and steps—Mr. Yun is outstanding in every aspect."
Luo Li's heart stirred. He turned toward the voice, only to hear a cold female voice follow immediately after.
"Frivolous tricks that lead to decadence. No wonder Liyue is filled with such decadent sounds everywhere. From top to bottom, this city is rotten to the core."
Despite the sarcasm in her words, the previously steady male voice showed no anger or rebuttal. Instead, it responded with a faint chuckle.
"Hmph. Then I'd like to see what kind of city this place becomes once you're gone."
The woman's voice made no effort to conceal the malice and mockery within her words.