Senior Sister

[Clear-eyed, wealthy socialite x aloof young male opera singer] I really want to write this. Please add it to your collection!

On New Year's Eve, Gao Xi stayed home, drinking and watching the gala.

The projection on the wall was in full swing. A male dan performer, his brows painted and eyes lined, performed a medley with a popular young star.

Zhou Duo arrived late, took a sip of champagne from her glass, pointed at the projection, and asked if she knew him.

"He's my junior from opera school. I played the Green Snake, and he played the White Snake."

"What happened after that?"

"There was no 'after that.'"

Gao Xi didn't mention that, back then, when she decided to switch careers and act in television, He Huan had stood outside her apartment all night.

He had been soaked by the rain and his fever wouldn't break. His voice had never sounded so hoarse. "Senior, if you leave, I won't play the White Snake with anyone else."

*

At the start of the new year, a male dan performer named He Huan went viral online. The fourth-generation heir to the He School's qingyi tradition, he was a walking work of art.

For the first time in five years, Gao Xi received a text from him.

He invited her to see his opening-night performance next month.

*

Gao Xi happened to see a post from a marketing account announcing that Zhou Duo had gotten married in France.

When they met again, an argument was inevitable. She fell during their struggle and, enduring the pain, pulled the door open to leave, only to collide with a pair of dark, misty eyes.

He Huan stood in the doorway, drenched in sweat. He had just finished his opening-night performance and hadn't had time to remove his makeup. His bangs were a mess, clinging to his red-and-pale face.

Only then did Gao Xi remember that she had missed his opening-night performance that day.

"Senior, I called you, but your phone was off..."

Reader's guide:

* Female lead is not a virgin; male lead is a virgin. Older woman and younger man, with a three-year age gap.

* No same-sex couples, but related content appears. The male lead is attracted to neither men nor women; he only has eyes for his senior.

The author is an amateur opera fan. Please forgive any mistakes about opera.

September 1, 2022

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