Global Film Emperor

Chapter 361 Young people should have dreams
"uncle."

Lu Ze had already noticed the cars parked at the door. Lu Hua didn't own many Rolls-Royces, and even fewer with crystal emblems. Gao Jiyong had the only one. When Gao Jiyong got out of the car, Lu Ze got up and went to the door to greet him.

"Hmm, this is my first time visiting your little shop. It's very cozy and nice. If I were twenty years younger, I think I would also like to come here and sit for a while."

"You're too kind, Uncle. Please have a seat, I'll go pour you some tea."

"No need for formalities, we're already so familiar with each other, let's have a drink together, and have a heart-to-heart talk."

Gao Jiyong didn't sit down. Instead, he walked to the refrigerator, picked up a bottle of beer, checked the alcohol content, put it back, and replaced it with a bottle of beer with a higher alcohol content. Seeing this, Lu Ze didn't go to the back room. He also opened a bottle of beer, took some snacks to go with the beer, and sat down opposite Gao Jiyong.

The two were speechless for a moment, so they each poured themselves a glass of wine and watched in silence as the foam on top of the wine gradually dissipated, until Gao Jiyong picked up his glass and clinked glasses with Lu Ze first.

Although the drinks were in the refrigerator, no one drinks cold drinks in the dead of winter. The refrigerator had long been turned off. The flavor of the beer was more intense when it first entered the mouth, with the taste of citrus and hops bursting out instantly. Gao Jiyong, who also loves to drink, downed a glass, tasted it, and gave it his approval.

"It tastes better than the big green bottle, but it's not suitable for drinking with friends at a dinner party. It's too easy to get drunk. A couple of drinks are fine though. I heard... you're going to go back to acting?"

He took out a cigarette case from his pocket and handed one to Lu Ze. He lit it himself, poured himself another glass of wine, and flicked the ash into the ashtray after only taking a couple of puffs. Lu Ze took it without ceremony, lit it, and then nodded without saying a word.

“I’m not here to confront you so late. After all, you and Peiling are both getting on in years. It was a free choice in your relationship, and we can’t decide how you should choose. As your parents, we have no right to scold you just because you two have a conflict. I’ve been through this myself, and I understand that you can’t say who’s right or wrong in a relationship. We all know that besides matters of principle, there are many other factors that can cause a relationship to go astray. So I don’t mean to blame you.”

“If it were a son, I definitely wouldn’t, and I wouldn’t have the face to come to you. But she is my daughter after all. She has been pampered since she was a child and is my precious darling. It’s inevitable that I would feel sorry for her.”

These words were not meant to have any hidden meaning, but were purely from the heart. Lu Ze could understand Gao Jiyong's feelings and would not feel uncomfortable because he came to see him so late.

All the other lights in the bar were turned off, leaving only an orange light shining above the two of them, making them look like two characters facing off in a movie. Smoke rose and danced in the air. Lu Ze twirled the wine glass that was illuminated in gold, pondered for a few seconds, and then asked Gao Jiyong a question.

"I understand. How is Pei-ling feeling right now?"

"Not so good. She cried behind our backs after she got home. She's just petty and cries easily. She's like her mother in that respect. She's never strong enough. She's calmed down now and her emotions have stabilized. You don't need to worry or blame yourself. As a man, I completely understand why you two had a conflict. Come on, let's have a drink."

He had probably just finished eating. After two beers, he burped, giving the conversation a chance to pause. He looked around at the layout of the bar, and finally at the cripple slumped over the bar. He made a couple of squeaks, but they didn't attract the cripple's attention. He didn't care, adjusted his posture, put his hands on the armrests of the chair, and stubbed out his cigarette.

"Actually, I should apologize to you. I didn't consider your thoughts much before. I just thought that now that you're living an ordinary life, you probably don't have the desire to act anymore, or you could say you don't have the connections to act anymore. So I selfishly decided how you should face life in the future. I believed that you and Pei-ling could live a very happy life together, even without dreams. But now it seems that you won't be happy if you don't have any acting opportunities."

There was still some resentment in his words, even if it wasn't obvious, it was still there. Lu Ze could hear it, but he didn't refute it. As a parent who hoped that his daughter and her boyfriend would be happy, it was only right for him to complain a little. Moreover, even though Gao Jiyong was a little unhappy, he was trying his best to save face for Lu Ze. Lu Ze really couldn't find fault with such a father, because this man had already done his best.

"I'm very sorry."

"No one needs to apologize for pursuing their ideal life. Everyone should live life to the fullest, however it brings them joy. On the contrary, I feel guilty towards you. After all, you were once a famous star across the country, and your worldly experience is certainly far greater than that of a small-town businessman like myself. Now that your career is thriving again, it's true that our family has climbed the social ladder. Yet, even so, we're still restricting your ambitions and hindering your development. To put it bluntly, we're forcing you to live off our wealth, without considering how awkward or embarrassing that situation might be for you." Since it was just him and Lu Ze present, he spoke frankly, unlike their first meeting when they held back, saying whatever came to mind.

Indeed, Lu Ze and Gao Peiling were in a state of equal status but unequal economic status. In today's society, it is really difficult to get by without money. As the one with a strong economic foundation, it is inevitable that their mentality will be somewhat biased. They want to break the status quo of the same class and insist on dividing themselves into kings and queens.

But thinking about it, does Lu Ze really lack anything? It seems that apart from money, he has better conditions than the Gao family in every other aspect. And money, if Lu Ze wants to earn it, is it really that difficult?

The waters of Shanghai are much deeper than those of Lü Hua. Even if Lü Hua's company is not the best, it is still much better than his factory-owning boss. Most importantly, Lu Ze is in the entertainment industry, and ordinary people have a general idea of ​​how dirty this industry is.

In such an environment, Lu Ze has managed to thrive without a single stain on his reputation, which is already an admirable ability.

Although Gao Jiyong didn't believe that Lu Ze was truly without any flaws and had never been caught red-handed, this only highlighted how ruthless Lu Ze was. For a child from a rural family to achieve such success, it wasn't just a matter of being a good actor. Connections, fame, and social status were all indispensable, and for someone with these resources, making money was incredibly easy.

Lu Ze hadn't expected Gao Jiyong to be so blunt, which didn't fit his understanding of Gao Jiyong. But because of this, Lu Ze understood his attitude. He held his glass with both hands, gently clinked it with Gao Jiyong's, swallowed the wine in one gulp, and then refilled his glass.

Seeing Lu Ze like this, Gao Jiyong's expression was also very complicated. After filling his cup, he drank another cup and gently patted Lu Ze's shoulder.

"It's truly gratifying that your career is back on track. But Pei-ling's attitude is what it is. Although I'm very satisfied with you, the decision is still in her hands. Since she can't accept your profession, it's just that we're not meant to be. It's really unfortunate that we can't be together as father-in-law and son-in-law. But I believe you can still be good friends. Let's not lose touch. If you need any help in the future, don't hesitate to ask."

"I understand, thank you, Uncle."

"No need to be polite, but... there's no need to maintain your relationship with Pei-ling any longer. It's not good for either of you to continue like this. Come on, one last drink, I should be leaving now."

The two didn't drink much, only one bottle. After the last glass of wine, Gao Jiyong got up and put on his coat, with Lu Ze following behind him, ready to see him off.

"Oh, it's snowing."

It's not unusual for snow to fall in February, and the two of them weren't surprised. The Rolls-Royce was still running, and the windshield wipers were constantly swaying. When the driver saw Gao Jiyong come out, he hurriedly took out an umbrella from the car door and came over to shield him from the falling snowflakes.

He turned around and saw that Lu Ze wasn't using an umbrella, so he took the umbrella from the driver and held it over Lu Ze's head. Lu Ze was taller than him, so it was a bit difficult for him to hold the umbrella. He gently patted the fine snow off Lu Ze's shoulder and let out a long sigh.

"Sometimes fate really plays tricks on people. It's snowing, you should go back quickly. I should also leave before the snow is too heavy, so I don't slip on the road. By the way, Daze, there's something I want to say to you. You're still young. Young people should have dreams."

So, if you should go after them... then go after them.

(End of this chapter)