Chapter 1884: Who Are You?

Clatter—

Yao rolled up his sleeves, turned on the faucet, and put the clean bowls, chopsticks, and plates into the sink.

Thanks to the butcher shop’s ninety percent discount, today’s lunch was the most sumptuous meal the two brothers had eaten in the last month. Compared to them, Chen Ling ate very little; he only waited until the two brothers had eaten their fill before symbolically eating a few more mouthfuls to clear the plates.

Yao was washing the plates earnestly in the kitchen, while Chen Yan sat obediently at the dining table, looking at Chen Ling nervously.

"Mr. Lin..."

"I’ll leave my makeup for today to you."

Although Chen Yan knew how to sing, since there were only men in the family, no one had taught him how to apply makeup, so he wasn't skilled at it... And since Chen Ling had stayed in the Ancient Treasury of the Play Path for so long and had learned 【Painting the Vermilion Face】, applying makeup was naturally not a difficult task.

"Don't worry," Chen Ling said with a faint smile. "Just sit there; leave the rest to me."

Chen Yan nodded, resting his hands on his knees, sitting perfectly still.

Chen Ling did a quick inventory of the makeup tools and began applying them. Chen Yan’s tools were very crude, looking like things scavenged from the neighbors' trash, but for Chen Ling, they were enough.

Chen Ling’s movements were swift, yet every stroke was precise and perfect. In just a few minutes, the foundation of Chen Yan’s makeup was complete.

Chen Yan looked at himself in the mirror, his expression shifting from initial nervousness to surprise, then to joy, until finally, the corners of his mouth couldn't stop curling upward...

What beautiful Dan makeup.

Under Chen Yan’s adoring gaze, Chen Ling basically finished the makeup. Just as he was about to outline the eye makeup for Chen Yan, his figure paused slightly.

"Mr. Lin, what's wrong?" Chen Yan looked at him in confusion. "The eye makeup... are you not going to finish it?"

"...I am."

A flash of reminiscence crossed Chen Ling’s eyes. He finally raised the brush and gently swept it across the corner of Chen Yan’s eye...

An intoxicating apricot red bloomed at the corner of Chen Yan’s eye.

When the final stroke was added, Chen Yan’s temperament shifted, as if he had truly become a Dan actor on the stage. He looked at himself in the mirror with delight and was about to stand up to say something, but Chen Ling gently pressed down on his shoulder.

Then,

he added a vermilion mark between his brows.

It was a mark identical to the final stroke of Chen Ling’s "Painted Vermilion Face"... it was the final legacy left to Chen Ling by the Red King of the Fifth Generation.

Chen Yan looked at this final stroke, puzzled. "Mr. Lin, what is this stroke..."

"Nothing... just looks good."

Chen Ling put away the makeup tools. Chen Yan quickly stopped worrying about the final stroke, feeling that it added a unique charm to his entire look. He immediately stood up and ran over to Yao, who was washing dishes, showing off his makeup like a child.

After a quick cleanup, Chen Yan grabbed his bag and walked out the door with Yao.

"Mr. Lin, if you're not busy... would you like to come watch my performance?"

Chen Yan asked expectantly.

Chen Ling nodded with a smile,

"Sure."

……

Chen Yan’s school was very close.

Compared to the schools in District 3 of the Fifth Generation world, this one was more formal, with more comprehensive facilities. Chen Yan led Yao and Chen Ling through the gate. Passing students turned to look at Chen Yan, seemingly very curious about his attire.

Chen Yan walked with his head held high to the playground, which was already filled with seats for the audience, with a simple stage standing in the center.

The evening gala hadn't started yet, but many students were already seated. Students in various costumes were moving in and out of the backstage area. A teacher caught a glimpse of Chen Yan, the actor, and immediately waved him over.

"Brother, Mr. Lin, I'm going over there first... remember to watch me later." After Chen Yan said this hurriedly, he ran excitedly toward the backstage.

Chen Ling and Yao stood at the very edge of the student seating area, watching as the seats filled up, standing like two statues.

I don't know how much time passed,

Yao spoke up:

"The way you look right now... it's not real, is it?"

Chen Ling wasn't surprised by Yao’s question. He let out a long sigh, "...No, it isn't."

"You deliberately changed, but not entirely... on your face, one can still see the same traces as mine." Yao turned to look at Chen Ling. "That day, Ah Yan and I didn't see you climb the stairs, but I heard quite a bit from the neighbors."

"Our appearances are the same; it must have caused you a lot of trouble, right?" Chen Ling said calmly. "But don't worry, I've already sent people to acquire your factory, and everyone who slandered you has been dismissed... You will be successfully promoted and continue to live a stable, peaceful life."

Yao froze in place.

His original intention was just to test Chen Ling, but the answer Chen Ling gave left him at a loss.

"Who... exactly are you?" Yao couldn't help but ask. "You look just like me, yet you have the same opera robe as Ah Yan. You are clearly a high and mighty existence; why would you have any connection to us brothers huddled on Frost Avenue?"

"...It doesn't matter anymore." Chen Ling stared into his eyes. "Don't worry, I won't disturb you for long."

Yao saw a hint of indescribable emotion in Chen Ling’s eyes.

Just as he was about to say something, Chen Ling suddenly looked up at the stage:

"He... seems to have run into trouble."

Yao was startled and immediately looked back, only to see Chen Yan arguing with a teacher at the edge of the stage, tears welling up in his eyes.

Yao’s heart sank, and he immediately ran over there.

"What happened?"

"You must be Chen Yan’s brother, right?" the teacher said apologetically. "For tonight's gala, a high-ranking leader doesn't really like opera, so we might have to temporarily cut Chen Yan’s program..."

"Temporarily cut it??" Yao’s brows furrowed. "Doesn't that mean we're short a program?"

"We have a choir that won an award in the district, and the leader wants them to perform instead. You know how it is, not many people listen to opera these days, and Chen Yan is performing a solo. In terms of the number of participants and the popularity of the program, it doesn't quite meet our requirements..."

"No, teacher... that doesn't seem fair, does it?" Yao’s tone grew heated, but seeing the red-rimmed eyes of Chen Yan beside him, he silently suppressed his temper.

"Excuse me, teacher, let's step aside and talk."

Yao pulled the teacher aside.

Tears slid down Chen Yan’s cheeks. He stood at the edge of the bustling stage in his clean, neat opera robe, clutching his sleeves, feeling lost.

He watched the back of his brother talking to the teacher, took a deep breath, wiped away his tears, and was about to walk up to say something.

Just then, he caught a glimpse of the side of the audience area...

That mysterious Mr. Lin was nowhere to be seen.