The Circus About to Open (3)

After the zoo director led all the animals to the small tent and dismissed the staff who were supposed to stay there to keep the performance confidential, he took out a carrot, blew on it, and a puff of smoke appeared from the carrot, instantly enveloping the entire tent!

"Cough cough, I was so suffocated! I can finally speak..." Wild Wolf Ogami stood up straight and exclaimed excitedly, "We're actually going to perform on such a big stage? This is our first time!"

To be honest, Jilan always felt that Ogami wasn't a wolf, but rather a husky that had infiltrated a wolf pack, acting very recklessly.

"The Snake Woman will be back tonight, I have to do my best..." Rhino Jiaxi kept muttering to himself in the corner.

"Shishido, you've never done a drill before. Are you sure you won't make a mistake?" Cheetah asked with some concern.

"I'm not like you, you big-bellied fellow. You'd better mind your own business!" Lion Shishido stretched. "There's still some time before the performance, you little keeper, I'll train you a bit more."

"No, there's no time left." Jilan glanced at her watch. "It's already past two o'clock. We need to check out the venue again and rehearse the routine one more time... Besides, the band that will be providing accompaniment will be here soon, and we'll need to practice together."

The performance was scheduled for 8 p. m., and time was very tight. Although Jilan wanted to practice with Shishido a little longer, time didn't allow it. As the general planner of the circus, he had many things to consider.

"Aren't you really prepared to try out the props yourself?" Jilan asked Shishido. "The show carries a certain degree of risk; there's a possibility of injury."

"Hehe, I wouldn't perform if there wasn't any danger. Now that I've tried it once, there's no point in performing it again." Shishido waved his hand, laughing boastfully, "I don't do things that aren't challenging!"

Time flew by, and apart from Shishido's grand finale performance, all the other animals' performances had been rehearsed once, and the stage props were all ready.

Around 5:30 PM, Kyoka Makoto and the others arrived late. Diduo Chengjie lifted the curtain of the large tent and saw Jilan standing on the stage, taking notes in a notebook. They excitedly shouted, "Jilan, we're here!"

"Remember this spot during the performance, and don't run around the stage with the ball." Upon hearing this, Jilan turned and glanced at Ogami, then stepped off the stage with a smile, saying, "Thank you for your hard work. You've come all the way from Tokyo to this small place; I really need your help this time."

"Aren't we friends? No need to thank me for something so small!" Diduo Chengjie smiled brightly. "I haven't seen you for a few days and you're already busy with your circus work again. You really know how to surprise people!"

"There are some unavoidable circumstances..." Jilan said with a wry smile, "But actually, as long as there's a recording, you don't need to come in person..."

Kyoka Makoto walked into the tent, paused slightly at the things on the stage, but quickly recovered and calmly said, "Jilan, you need to know that our time is very precious. Since we've spent time composing, we absolutely cannot allow a defective product."

"Brother Zhen, isn't all this just because you're interested in this performance too?" Jiancao Erren walked in with Dave, bluntly seeing through Kyoka Makoto's thoughts. Seeing Xiangtang Zhen turn away coldly, Jian Caoer innocently raised his hands and grinned, "Of course, the rest of us are interested too! Combining fairy tales with a circus performance—this is truly the first time I've heard of such a thing!"

Dave flushed red, and although he didn't say anything, his rapid nodding reflected his excitement.

"I'm telling you, you grown men just left your stuff at the door and ran inside, leaving us ladies to guard it. Are you really that shameless?" A mature woman's voice came from outside the tent. Although she said this, her gentle and generous voice suggested that she wasn't angry.

"Ah, I almost forgot," Jiancao Erren said with a smile, "There are also some beautiful ladies who came with us. I think you should know the people from the circus."

Upon hearing the woman speak, Aoi Hana, who had been secretly observing the situation, ran off the stage excitedly, shouting, "Sister Snake, you're back!"

"Is this Xiao Hua? Long time no see." A stylishly dressed woman walked in. Tiny Medusa -like snakes, motionless and coiled around her head in her updo of golden hair. She greeted Jilan with a gentle smile, "You must be Jilan. I heard your name at the Sports Festival. I never expected someone as prominent as you to accept the principal's invitation..."

She is the Snake Woman, the Pro Hero whom Ogami and Aoi Hana have been mentioning, who makes a living on the outside.

Jilan wasn't surprised at all that the Snake Woman recognized him, after all, she was a very active hero in Tokyo, and she had even specifically named Yaoyorozu and Itsuka Kendo as her assistants.

"Ah, there are many reasons for that..."

"Sister Snake, everyone at the zoo and I miss you so much!" Aoi Hana opened her arms and pounced on the Snake Woman, burying her head in her chest and complaining, "The zookeeper did so many messes while you were gone! Without you, no one could have stopped that crazy rabbit!"

"Well, aren't we still here, little Alice?" The Snake Woman patted her head, smiling like a mother. "Let him do whatever he wants. He knows he has us, his companions, to support him, which is why he acts so recklessly. Besides, letting him follow his own instincts isn't a bad thing, just like this circus that's about to perform..."

"Let's go, we outsiders don't need to hear about these things!" Jiancao Erren, with one arm around Dave and the other around Diduo Chengjie, walked behind Kyoka Makoto, who was silently heading towards the stage, and said with a grin, "Jilan, tell us about your general ideas. We've only heard fragmented explanations from you before, now we need to put them in order."

"No problem, the whole performance process is like this..." He wondered if he had forgotten something, but since he couldn't remember, it must not be important. Jilan Jiyu turned to the first page of his notebook and was about to speak when he heard a resentful voice behind him.

"Hey, haven't you guys forgotten something...?"

Jilan turned around and saw a stylish woman standing behind him. He asked, somewhat puzzled, "Um, excuse me, who are you...?"

"Jilan, have you forgotten me? We clearly spoke on the phone before...!"

The tent was dimly lit. Jilan had only glanced at it casually earlier, but when he looked more closely, he suddenly realized, "Are you Yaoyorozu Baiyan?"

Momo Yaoyorozu was wearing a long white dress, her hair, which she usually tied up, was loose and styled into curls, and she wore large sunglasses that covered her face, a completely different look from her usual style.