Amid the boiling sea of voices—
A space opened up before them: a stage in the center, surrounded by seating on all sides and above.
After the previous clash with the Fatui, Fan Er-ye had received compensation money from Tartaglia, but the second floor had been completely wrecked. On Bai Ge's suggestion, Fan Er-ye decided to renovate instead of restoring it as-is.
Following Bai Ge's advice, the center of the second floor was hollowed out, turning the teahouse into a layout where the lower level held standard seating, while the upper level consisted of private boxes.
As the two entered from the first floor, having arrived relatively late, they immediately drew everyone's attention.
Bai Ge followed those gazes and looked around.
Good grief—he nearly said it out loud.
Yun Jin truly deserved her status as Liyue's top-tier superstar. Her new play had gathered more than half of Liyue's mid- to high-level elites.
Just among the people Bai Ge could immediately recognize—
That seemingly ordinary old man seated near the front of the first floor was actually Tian Shu, the Tianquan Star.
Beside him sat Lan Jie, the branch head of the Adventurers' Guild, the two currently deep in conversation.
On the other side were a refined, red-haired young man and a burly fellow who looked nothing like they shared the same parents—Xingqiu and his elder brother.
Behind them sat various well-known figures of Liyue and foreign merchants, including Bai Ge's familiar Snezhnayan trader Ivanovich and Chang the Ninth.
As for the private boxes upstairs, Bai Ge spotted even more heavyweights:
Baizhu, the owner of Bubu Pharmacy.
Wanyan, the head of Yinyuan Hall and a titan of Liyue's salt industry.
Ruoyu, the representative of Shenglu Hall, overseeing the mining business.
And the ever-mysterious proprietress of Wangshu Inn—Verr Goldet.
As for the rest, Bai Ge didn't recognize them.
But it was safe to say that at least half of Liyue's Seven Stars and Eight Great Houses were present.
"What a lineup," Bai Ge muttered, clicking his tongue in amazement.
He had never expected that simply attending an opera would gather so many big names.
"Yeah… so many familiar faces," Keqing said in surprise as well.
As a workaholic, this was Keqing's first time attending a premiere like this. She recognized far more people than Bai Ge did—making her all the more astonished.
Just then, a cheerful voice came from an upstairs corner.
"Hey! Bai Ge—over here!"
Bai Ge looked up and saw Hu Tao. And standing beside her—
"N-no need, thanks, Hu Tao! I already have seats!"
Seeing that all-too-familiar figure next to her, Bai Ge tactfully declined.
At that moment, he was convinced Yun Jin's Vision must have been a special gift personally approved by the Geo Archon—this performance had even drawn him out.
Grabbing Keqing, Bai Ge quickly headed upstairs to seats on the opposite side of the second floor.
As they moved, several gazes subtly shifted.
"Is that… Keqing?"
"I never thought Keqing would come to an opera with someone."
"They look pretty close, don't they?"
"How surprising—so even Keqing can fall for someone?"
"And who's that guy, Bai Ge? He seems quite close to Director Hu as well."
"But he does look pretty handsome…"
Eyes examined them from all directions.
Sometimes, the venue itself was a symbol of status.
Since Bai Ge could enter this place—and seemingly not by relying on Keqing—those at the top of Liyue's various industries naturally made a mental note of him.
Even more surprising was what happened next.
Upon hearing that Bai Ge had arrived, Yun Jin—still backstage, her makeup only half-done—actually rushed out.
"Bai Ge! You're here!" Yun Jin greeted him happily.
At the same time, she immediately noticed Keqing beside him.
"Oh? That's Lady Keqing!"
"Impressive, Bai Ge—you even managed to bring Lady Keqing along!"
With a teasing grin, like a close buddy, Yun Jin waggled her eyebrows.
"Haha, it's nothing," Bai Ge replied with a smile.
"Work gets busy—everyone needs to relax sometimes."
Watching how familiar Yun Jin and Bai Ge were with each other, Keqing couldn't help but feel surprised.
"Bai Ge, you know Master Yun?"
"Of course!" Yun Jin answered cheerfully before Bai Ge could speak.
"This play was based on a story Bai Ge provided—we completed it together!"
"I guarantee it'll be a top-quality masterpiece of the year!"
"Oh? That impressive?" Keqing raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"Absolutely," Yun Jin nodded.
"That's why he's here—I'm taking this as a thank-you!"
But Bai Ge could tell—Yun Jin was a bit nervous. She had come out to see a familiar face, steady herself a little.
"It'll be fine," Bai Ge said gently. "I believe you'll do great."
"Haha, then I'll take that as good luck!"
Not long after, Yun Jin was dragged back backstage by the opera troupe staff.
But as Keqing watched Yun Jin's retreating figure—
A strong sense of crisis quietly took root in her heart.