Stage Play...

I wanted to get a refund, but Qian Qian definitely would not allow it...

So it seemed I had no choice but to sit through the historical epic this girl had scribbled together today.

But looking at the sea of spectators around me—these poor suckers lured here by gimmicks like "personally written and directed by the Imperial Matriarch, with friendly appearances by senior officers of the Savior Army of Azeroth, adapted from the most moving fairy tale in human history"—I suddenly felt that things were not so bad after all. At least plenty of people were being buried with me today.

At worst, I could treat the sight of people around me foaming at the mouth as today's main show.

As my thoughts ran wild, a gentle harp melody suddenly drifted out from behind the empty stage. The venue, which had still held a little chatter, immediately fell silent. As the soundproofing field activated, the open-air theater fell into complete stillness.

Only that faint harp music grew clearer and clearer, as though it came from every direction, gradually filling the listeners' ears.

I had been waiting for Snow White to charge onto the stage on a Dodge Tomahawk in powered armor and shout, "My name is Samus!" but I froze instead.

Such beautiful music was actually opening a stage play written by Qian Qian... Had my Qian Qian's brain finally started functioning properly this time?

"Ding dong, ding dong." The plaintive yet graceful harp passage gradually swelled, eventually becoming an ethereal melody softly echoing over the entire theater. At the same time, the curtains onstage slowly parted at last, and quiet gasps immediately rose from all around.

Water Cube... Ahem, considering copyright issues, I should not use such an image-based description.

A crystalline body of water appeared onstage, clearly held