Huayu: Starting from joining the mainstream entertainment industry in 96

Chapter 53: Two Forms of a Cat (Revised)
The welcome banquet ended around 7 p.m.

Wang Sheng and Han Sanping walked out of the cafeteria side by side, the summer night breeze carrying away some of the smell of alcohol.

The two chatted about their work arrangements for tomorrow as they walked towards the residential area.

"dad!"

Just as I reached the small flower bed at the junction of the tenement building and the apartment building, a clear and childlike voice suddenly rang out.

Wang Sheng looked in the direction of the sound and saw a little girl wearing a floral dress and with two braids fly out of the shadow of the street lamp like a butterfly and hug Han Sanping's leg.

Behind her followed Han Sanping's assistant.

"Slow down." Han Sanping's serious expression melted instantly. He bent down and patted his daughter Han Jianu's head, his tone unusually gentle: "Have you finished your homework? Come down and play wildly."

"I finished writing a long time ago! Uncle Pan brought me downstairs to digest!"

Han Jianu looked up, her eyes sparkling. After blinking twice, she looked at Wang Sheng and greeted him in a clear voice, "Hello, Uncle Wang!"

Wang Sheng: "..."

Tired, destroy it.

In 94, after Han Sanping was transferred to Beijing, Han Jianu, who was then in the second grade, also transferred to the same school.

Han Sanping's wife did not come; it is rumored that she works in Chengdu and is currently separated and going through a divorce.

Before summer vacation, Wang Sheng didn't see Han Jianu very often. It wasn't until summer vacation started that they met more often. When they first met, the unlucky girl called him Uncle Wang.

Han Sanping couldn't help but chuckle and coughed lightly, "What are you yelling about? Brother Wang Sheng is only a few years older than you."

Han Jianu tilted her head, looking innocent: "But aren't all of Daddy's colleagues uncles and aunties? Brother Wang Sheng is Daddy's colleague!"

"Oh my, you're so clever."

Wang Sheng tried his best to maintain a smile and reached out to 'irritably rub' Xiao Han Yuanyuan's head.

My hands were covered in sweat.

This unlucky kid.

"I'll give you a gift."

Wang Sheng took out a few candies he had just taken from the banquet from his pocket.

"Thank you, Uncle Wang!"

Han Jianu happily accepted it.

Han Sanping smiled and shook his head, saying to Wang Sheng, "The child is unruly, don't mind him."

"It's alright, children say the darndest things."

After chatting for a few minutes and saying goodbye, Wang Sheng turned and walked towards his apartment building.

……

Pushing open the door, Wang Baoguo was reading the newspaper, while Zhang Xiulan was altering a pair of trousers at the sewing machine.

"You're back? How did the banquet go?" Wang Baoguo looked up from his newspaper.

"It went well, pretty smoothly." Wang Sheng changed his shoes and poured himself a glass of water.

Zhang Xiulan stopped pedaling and looked at her son: "You didn't drink too much, did you? Your face looks a little red."

"No, I just gave it a little something. I have a ton of things to do tomorrow."

As soon as Wang Sheng finished speaking, the Nokia 2110 in his pocket started beeping.

It was Li Xiaoran calling.

A while ago, Li Xiaoran excitedly told Wang Sheng that she had bought a cell phone. Coincidentally, Wang Sheng also had a cell phone, so the two exchanged numbers.

Pressing the answer button, Li Xiaoran's clear voice, tinged with a hint of excitement, came through: "Hello? Mr. Wang? Did I disturb you?"

"No, I just got home. Is there something you need, Miss Li?"

"I have great news for you," Li Xiaoran said, her voice brimming with excitement. "I got a role! It's not the lead, but it's a named character with lines! It's called 'The Bodyguard: The Jade Doll,' and I heard it's a pretty big investment!"

It sounds like a modern drama, but it's actually a period drama.

Wang Sheng raised an eyebrow: "Congratulations, Miss Li, you've finally taken this step."

He offered his congratulations, but in his heart he was thinking that the play didn't seem to make much of a splash.

"Thank you!"

Li Xiaoran's voice suddenly softened, carrying a hint of caution and obvious expectation: "Um, Mr. Wang, I'd like to invite you to dinner. Thank you for what you did before... anyway, thank you! Could you give me a chance to show my appreciation?"

Wang Sheng glanced at the wall clock; it was just past 7:10.

He didn't eat much in the cafeteria that night, he was too busy drinking and socializing: "Okay, tonight it is. Where?"

Li Xiaoran's joyful voice immediately came from the other end of the phone: "Really? That's great! Um... you know..."

"Okay, see you in a bit."

After hanging up the phone and saying goodbye to his parents, Wang Sheng strolled out of the factory area.

……

About half an hour later.

Inside a bustling, lively barbecue restaurant.

Wang Sheng found Li Xiaoran in a corner against the wall.

She was wearing a simple white T-shirt and jeans, her hair loosely tied up, and she had no makeup on, but her looks were still on point.

"Here it is!"

Li Xiaoran smiled and waved to him.

Wang Sheng walked over and sat down, looked her up and down and said, "Not bad, Miss Li, your ability to portray a character is really strong, you're dressed like a college student."

"Get lost!" Li Xiaoran glared at him reproachfully, but smiled and said, "I'm just being myself, okay? By the way, what do you want to eat? Order whatever you like, it's on me today!" Wang Sheng didn't stand on ceremony and marked a bunch of lamb skewers, beef tendon, chicken wings, eggplant, and so on on the menu with a pencil.

Li Xiaoran ordered two more pitchers of draft beer.

While waiting for the food, Li Xiaoran excitedly told Wang Sheng about the audition process, the situation on set, and her understanding of the role. Although it was only a supporting role, she had clearly done her homework.

As Wang Sheng listened, he poured her a beer: "There are a lot of people on set, so if there are any fight scenes, please be careful."

Read the script more often in your spare time, think about the characters' motivations, and don't just memorize the lines.

Acting is 70% about understanding and 30% about practice. Take every opportunity to observe how veteran actors perform.

"Okay, Teacher Wang!"

Li Xiaoran raised her glass, her eyes crinkling into crescent moons as she smiled: "Come, let me toast you first, to thank Teacher Wang for his guidance!"

"Don't give me that." Wang Sheng clinked glasses with her and took a big gulp.

The skewers were served quickly, and the two ate and chatted.

Wang Sheng mainly listened to her, occasionally chiming in with a few words to offer some sobering advice or share some survival tips for film crews.

Li Xiaoran listened attentively, her eyes shining, nodding from time to time.

Beer after beer.

"The Bodyguard: The Jade Doll" is a standard Hong Kong and Taiwan drama, invested by Taiwanese capital, produced in Hong Kong, and premiered in Taiwan.

Wang Sheng then talked about how low the quality of Hong Kong and Taiwanese celebrities was, which left Li Xiaoran stunned and instantly dispelled much of her fascination with them.

……

It was past 10 p.m. when we finished the meal.

Li Xiaoran's face was flushed, but her eyes were exceptionally bright.

She insisted on paying the bill, and the two walked out of the smoky barbecue restaurant.

The cool summer night breeze carried away the smell of barbecue.

Li Xiaoran stood by the roadside, smoothing her wind-blown hair. Suddenly, she turned to look at Wang Sheng, her eyes flickering, and said in a deliberately casual tone, "Hey, Wang Sheng, last time, didn't you ask me, 'Can your cat do somersaults?'"

Wang Sheng: "Hmm? What's wrong?"

“Let me tell you,” Li Xiaoran raised her chin slightly, with a hint of pride, “my cat can really do somersaults!”

Wang Sheng: "..."

He was a little confused.

Is this a hint? Or a suggestion?
Seeing his stunned expression, Li Xiaoran couldn't help but chuckle, her eyes crinkling into a smile: "Really! I'm not kidding! Why don't you come to my house and take a look?"

Her voice gradually lowered, carrying a hint of barely perceptible tension and anticipation.

Looking at her flushed cheeks and her eyes glistening under the streetlights, Wang Sheng's mind raced with a series of thoughts.

This is fucking an open secret!
There will never be a second or third time!

She's a girl, and a stunningly beautiful one at that. If I keep taking the initiative to invite her out, and then I refuse, it really seems pretentious. I'm also afraid that she'll think I'm not attractive enough, which would hurt her self-esteem, and I'm even more afraid that she'll think I'm not good enough.

“Sure.” Wang Sheng nodded, his tone relaxed. “Then I’ll go see how your ‘cat’ does somersaults.”

Last time, Wang Sheng made so many excuses to refuse to take their friendship to the next level, actually because he was a little intimidated by Li Xiaoran's family background.

They say money gives men courage.

Wang Sheng's courage has clearly increased significantly.

Of course, it cannot be said that they became arrogant after achieving success.

There's a saying, "When poverty knocks at the door, love flies out the window," and this saying applies to relationships between men and women as well.

In a romantic relationship, it's either you dominate her or she dominates you; there's no middle ground.

Slightly tipsy, Li Xiaoran smiled sweetly and said, "I promise I won't let you down!"

strange.

I drank a bit too much and didn't have time to think about it carefully.

……

Twenty minutes later, we arrived at Li Xiaoran's residence.

As I opened the door, a faint, sweet fragrance wafted out.

Just then, Li Xiaoran suddenly felt her arm being pulled, and then the door was closed, and she was pressed against the door.

Before Li Xiaoran could react, her mouth had already opened in response.

for a long time.

until--

"Meow~"

Wang Sheng, who had already pinned Li Xiaoran down on the sofa and was petting the cat, suddenly heard a meow.

Wang Sheng turned his head and saw a cat sitting on the coffee table. The light emanating from its two eyes seemed somewhat eerie in the dim environment of the room.

How come there's a cat here?
no……

Wang Sheng looked down at the panting Li Xiaoran: "So you were talking about this cat?"

Why bring this up now...?

Having drunk quite a bit earlier, Li Xiaoran was now feeling the effects of the alcohol and her desire was rising. She grabbed Wang Sheng's collar and continued to kiss him.

The somersault cloud beside it: They're all piled up together, so I don't need to do a somersault anymore, right? Meow~

(End of this chapter)