The noisy atmosphere in the room seemed to freeze instantly. Even the travelers gathered around the bar put down their glasses and turned their attention to the theater troupe.

Mei couldn't help but pause. "When I was in the old capital, I received some—from Mr. Kajin—"

"Guidance, right? That's precisely why he doesn't want to see you," the steward said in a low voice. "Kajin-gexia is very disappointed in you, Mei xiaojie."

Although the words were spoken close to her ear, her companions still heard the reply. Mei felt Eileen's hand grip hers tightly.

This statement was even more severe than a reprimand, especially coming from the mouth of a master of the theater world. For younger generations, their criticism could be either a critique or an encouragement filled with high expectations, but disappointment was something else entirely. If it had been her three years ago, she probably would have been at a loss, even bursting into tears.

But now, her first thought was not for herself.

She had been the Star of the Western Territory for many years, the mainstay of the Star Flower Troupe. Whether in acting or ability, she had a considerable degree of self-affirmation. If even she was so greatly affected, what about Eileen and Tina behind her? Not to mention Yanzi, who had good talent but lacked confidence.

Therefore, Mei found herself surprisingly calm.

She exhaled lightly and responded in an orderly manner, "Is that so? I think there may be some misunderstanding. It would be best if I could explain it in person, but if not, I can only apologize here."

Seemingly not expecting her to respond so casually, the steward frowned. "You…"

"In any case, I hope Kajin-xiansheng can go further in his drama and achieve new breakthroughs at the Grand Ceremony. We won't disturb you any longer." She took two steps forward and then turned back to say, "Also, please don't call me Mei xiaojie. I am now Mrs. Lannis."

The weather on the way back hadn't changed, but Mei felt that the sky had become much gloomier. The group was silent, completely lacking the activity and excitement they had had when they set out.

Just as they were about to part, Getter couldn't help but ask, "Mei-daren, do you really have a conflict with Master Kajin—"

"Fool, what nonsense are you talking about!" Rosia glared at him fiercely. "If Mei-jie had really had a conflict with him before, why would she have taken the initiative to visit him? Wouldn't that be asking for trouble! What disappointment? I think it's just jealousy."

Everyone gasped and looked at her in disbelief.

"Hey, hey… the person you're talking about is the drama master of Greycastle…"

"That's right," Rosia said indignantly. "Wintry City has become the new capital, and the Star Flower Troupe is the most popular performing group in the Western Territory. Their status has declined, so naturally they won't give us a good look. I've been following Mei-jie all the way from Longsong to Border Town. After she came back from the old capital, she never had any contact with the Kajin Troupe again. Where does the word 'disappointment' come from? To put it bluntly, they look down on us because the Star Flower Troupe has been established for a short time and doesn't have a reputation in the eyes of the nobles."

"Is that how it is?" Eileen said with a look of sudden realization.

Perhaps Rosia's indignant outburst was so confident that it restored some spirit to everyone.

"I was wondering why the steward didn't dare to look Mei-daren in the eye. It seems he was feeling guilty…"

"So Master Kajin didn't want to see Mei-jie because of this reason?"

"That's not true!" Mei finally couldn't help but roll her eyes. "With his reputation, why would he need to be jealous of me? Outside the Western Territory, almost no one knows who I am, but throughout Greycastle, even in the Kingdom of Dawn, many people have heard of the name Kajin. Fiss. You guys are getting more and more outrageous!"

Everyone immediately shrank back.

"Anyway, this matter ends here, understand?" Mei clapped her hands. "Go back, we still have filming tomorrow!"

Back home, Carter asked about the visit during dinner while chatting casually.

And she only used a few words to gloss over the matter.

No matter what the reason was, Mei didn't want to involve her husband.

This was, after all, just a conflict within the theater world.

The magic shadow filming went very smoothly for the next few days. The depressed atmosphere she was worried about didn't appear. On the contrary, probably because everyone was holding their breath, the final battle scene in the palace was particularly outstanding. Even Getter rarely performed beyond his usual level, and he wouldn't rest until he got the movements right. This atmosphere even drove the entire Star Flower Troupe, opening the eyes of those newcomers who had just entered the industry.

During this time, some people speculated whether it was because of Master Kajin's guidance that the actors suddenly worked so hard.

This also made Mei breathe a slight sigh of relief.

It seemed that the accident that happened in the Whistle Inn didn't bring too much impact to the troupe.

Just when she thought the visit had passed, something unexpected happened again.

The steward of the Kajin Troupe took the initiative to find her after a day of filming.

"My master wants to talk to you, Mei… no, Mrs. Lannis." He stood outside the castle area, seemingly waiting for a long time, with even a thin layer of snow on his hat.

Without a doubt, the person he was referring to was the creator of the Kajin Troupe, the drama master of Greycastle, Kajin. Fiss.

At that moment, countless questions涌入了 her heart. She even thought about using the other person's word "disappointment" to refuse him, but she found that she really wanted to see Kajin… not for anything else, just to solve the mystery.

"Can I bring a partner?" Mei asked.

"No, Kajin-gexia only allows you to go alone." The steward shook his head.

"Mei-jie…" Eileen, who was traveling with her, said worriedly.

She turned her head to look at Eileen, indicating that she was okay, and then took a deep breath. "I understand, please lead the way."

...

It was still the Whistle Inn.

Mei followed the steward to the second floor and entered a spacious room. Standing with their backs against the counter were several familiar faces—"Princess" Lunqin, "Troubadour" Aigepo, "Flying Glow" Benis… These people were all top actors gathered from various places. She had also had a fairly harmonious collaboration with them in *Prince's Love Quest*. The reunion after many years should have been full of joy, but from the cold expressions on their faces, Mei only saw contempt and hostility.

This couldn't help but surprise her greatly.

Although she no longer had any hope for a warm reunion, in the impression of the Star of the Western Territory, even if there were conflicts between them, they wouldn't be so clearly expressed. For famous actors, hiding their expressions was just a basic skill. Even when facing a newcomer, few people were willing to completely tear their faces apart—this was different from the busybodies in the Longsong Theater. The more famous a person was, the more they cherished their reputation. However, at this moment, they were unwilling to even put on such a pretense.

Mei looked towards the old man with half a head of white hair behind the table. After not seeing him for several years, Kajin seemed to have aged a lot, but none of the actors present would ignore his existence. These peers had not spoken all along, obviously waiting for the drama master to speak.

Kajin seemed to have sensed her gaze. He put down the script in his hand and stood up.

And his first words left Mei stunned.

"Mrs. Lannis, may I ask you and your troupe to stop a performance?"