Chapter 5: Calligraphy and Painting Entertainment District
After finishing her cappuccino, Night Star left the café with Lianhua and Kong Yu Bai.
“Let’s just stroll around until evening and then head back to the theater.”
As for where to sleep, she figured setting up a camp on the floor at the theater should work. It would be her first time sleeping there, after all—might as well give it a shot!
Speaking of sleeping, Night Star suddenly remembered something.
“Oh sh**t, I completely forgot about that silly ghost!”
It just dawned on Night Star that there was a ghost waiting for her back home in Yun Chang City.
That ghost was probably waiting for her favorite Night Star to whisk her away to the new city.
But Night Star had come to Qi Yuan City all by herself, leaving that ghost back home without a second thought.
“Ugh~ Well, it is what it is. Night Lan is still in Yun Chang City, so I don’t have to worry about her falling apart. Maybe I’ll bring her along next time.”
Night Star mumbled to herself, showing no signs of guilt.
After all, it wasn’t like she did it on purpose. Who knew the theater’s transportation mechanism was so magical? One moment she was there, and the next she was here! By the time Night Star registered it, she had already arrived.
If only she had known earlier, she would have taken Eypar with her to the theater.
“Ah~”
Night Star sighed again.
Lianhua curiously asked, “Why are you sighing, Night Star?”
“Because I promised to keep Eypar close, and then suddenly I ended up here instead.”
“Oh, I see. Poor Eypar.”
“Yeah, pretty much.”
Returning to the present, Night Star had lost interest in the shops after buying a few of her favorite merch.
But! There was still the option of going to the cinema with Lianhua and Kong Yu Bai.
Since they mentioned wanting to learn more about their favorite things, they should be open to watching anime movies.
And Night Star just so happened to have a couple of anime films she wanted to recommend to them. Who knows, they might be super into it!
That would open up a whole new conversation!
So, under Night Star’s suggestion, the three of them headed into the nearby cinema. Luckily, there were several anime films that Night Star loved, and the showtimes lined up perfectly for consecutive viewing.
And just like that, the trio settled in for a movie marathon that stretched over several hours.
Upon exiting the cinema, they had plenty to talk about.
Kong Yu Bai was most interested in the music aspect of the films.
“Hmm~ The music in those movies was fantastic! Listening to the score alone might not hit you that hard, but when paired with the visuals—it totally amps up the atmosphere!”
Night Star nodded in agreement.
“Right? The soundtracks were epic! I loved every bit of it!”
Lianhua was more focused on the storytelling aspect. The way the story unfolded was something she could learn from for her own puppet shows.
Great movies undeniably require great directors and fantastic playwrights. When these talented folks come together, they create works that really resonate with people.
“This kind of narrative style is definitely something I need to take notes on.”
“One day, I want to create a puppetry masterpiece just like that!”
“Yup! I can’t wait to see Lianhua’s magnum opus.”
Next came the topic of the plots.
After watching those movies, it was impossible not to have any thoughts on the narratives. There were definitely parts that struck a chord with them.
The three of them shared their reflections about the film’s story as they gradually left the Film and Television Entertainment District.
…
Time passed, and it was now afternoon.
Night Star and the gang were still lazily wandering through the city streets, having a delightful and carefree time without a hint of boredom.
During their stroll, Kong Yu Bai took Night Star and Lianhua into a clothing store, splurging on all sorts of cute outfits, declaring that cute girls deserve cute clothes!
Especially for adorable lolis like Night Star and Lianhua, they totally needed some snazzy attire.
Under Kong Yu Bai’s enthusiasm, Night Star and Lianhua had no choice but to go along with it.
Although, Night Star found some of the outfits a little too embarrassing.
Mainly because some were overly glamorous, like princess dresses, which would definitely attract a lot of attention—too high of a turn-around rate for her comfort!
And there were plenty of super cute pieces that felt more suitable for kids. At least, Night Star was not about to wear those outside!
Initially, Night Star suggested that Kong Yu Bai shouldn’t waste money like this, but she reasoned that they could use the clothes as costumes for various stage plays.
With that logic, Night Star didn’t protest much anymore.
Well, it’s all for the theater group’s benefit!
After buying all those outfits, they couldn’t very well walk around with them all day, so they found a secluded spot and used the everywhere-entrance to return to the theater, stashing their new stuff before heading back out.
“So, where to next?”
Kong Yu Bai checked her phone’s map and suggested, “Qi Yuan City’s biggest feature is the various entertainment districts, and the nearest one to us is the Calligraphy and Painting Entertainment District. How about we check it out?”
“Sure, I’m totally game!”
Night Star was super curious about everything here.
Curious enough to want to explore them all! No matter the entertainment district, she wanted to try them all and then head back to the theater to chill—no need to go outside anymore!
So, the three hopped in a taxi and zipped straight to the nearest entertainment district.
Before long, they arrived at their destination.
Night Star hopped out of the car first, taking a good look at the overall situation of the Calligraphy and Painting Entertainment District.
Compared to the Film and Television District, this place seemed a bit emptier, and mysteriously quiet. A tad lonely, really.
Is it because people who like paintings and books tend to be more reserved?
Hmmm, possibly.
Kong Yu Bai was busy searching for information about the Calligraphy and Painting Entertainment District.
When she was here for a concert, she didn’t manage to explore all the entertainment zones.
After all, she was short on time back then. Being a famous songstress doesn’t leave much room for hustling around, so she mostly stuck to the music district.
As for places like the Calligraphy and Painting District, she hadn’t even set foot in.
“Hmm… from what I found, there’s supposedly the largest library in the city here, packed with tons of physical books. Should we check it out?”
“Physical books? Yeah, let’s go take a look!”
In this day and age, not many people read physical books anymore.
Most book lovers these days read E-books instead. Way more convenient!
Some companies even developed a small gadget that looks like a book; it’s kind of absurd!
But surprisingly, some people actually love this stuff.
Like the aforementioned Loxiquan, who claimed her family had the complete set of someone’s novel collection—it must be one of those gadgets.
Physical books, on the other hand, seemed to be on the way out.
Perhaps only the library in the Calligraphy and Painting Entertainment District still held onto those relics.
Night Star felt a bit nostalgic for things that have been replaced by the times—the ancient performance art, for example.
But nowadays, she enjoyed reading E-books as well, so she inevitably went along with the flow!
