Huayu: Starting with Xiang Yu, the Hegemon of Western Chu

017. Hot Pot

The day after moving, Xu Zhinian insisted on treating Chen Mo to a nice meal to celebrate the housewarming.

The "good" one I'm referring to is the spicy hot pot at that hole-in-the-wall restaurant near the entrance of the residential area.

Fifty per person.

This is already the limit that Xu Zhinian can bear.

"When you become a top screenwriter, treat me to Haidilao hot pot," Chen Mo said.

"When you become a movie star, treat me to a Michelin-starred meal," Xu Zhinian said.

"make a deal."

The two entered the hot pot restaurant during the evening rush hour.

The shop is small, with seven or eight tables crammed together, and the smell of cooking oil mixed with the aroma of Sichuan peppercorns hits you in the face.

The boss is a woman from Sichuan, and her voice is so loud it's like she has a built-in megaphone.

"Hey handsome guys! Half spicy or half mild hot pot?"

"Mandarin ducks." Xu Zhinian held up two fingers.

"Okay!"

After the pot was served, Xu Zhinian unceremoniously occupied two-thirds of the red oil broth and began frantically adding tripe and goose intestines.

Chen Mo placed his bowl over the clear broth and quietly cooked tofu and vegetables in it.

"You don't eat spicy food?" Xu Zhinian asked him with his mouth full of tripe.

"Eat less spicy food. Eating too much spicy food will damage your voice and affect your lines."

"You're even thinking about your lines while eating hotpot?"

"Professional habits".

"That's not a professional habit, that's an occupational hazard. Do you practice your lines even while showering?"

"Occasionally. The reverberation in the bathroom is perfect for practicing resonance."

Xu Zhinian stopped picking up the tripe.

"Are you serious?"

"Seriously. Teacher Wu Jing'an once said that any space with an echo can be a natural practice room, such as a restroom, stairwell, or underground parking garage."

Who is Wu Jing'an?

"The acting teacher at the Central Academy of Drama has been teaching for over thirty years."

"So you people from the Central Academy of Drama practice your lines in the shower?"

"Not everyone, just me and two or three other people."

"What about the rest?"

"The rest of the people are singing."

Xu Zhinian imagined the scene of people practicing lines and singing in the Central Academy of Drama's bathroom, and almost choked on the peppercorns.

"Seriously," Xu Zhinian took a swig of beer to calm himself down, "have you seen that topic recently? Someone on the blog started a poll asking 'What role would you most like Chen Mo to play next?'"

"I didn't see it."

"Can you guess what got the most votes?"

"I won't guess."

"Sun Wukong".

Chen Mo paused for a moment as he picked up the tofu.

"The reason is that 'they are all overlord-level characters, and Chen Mo's eyes are too suitable for playing a monkey.'" Xu Zhinian took out his phone to show him, "The second place is Linghu Chong, and the third place is Bruce Lee. Netizens have quite a rich imagination."

"And what about fourth place?"

"The fourth place is Zhuge Liang. But many people disagree with this, saying that your temperament is not suitable for playing a civil official, and that you were born to be a military general and a hero."

"Netizens seem to know me quite well," Chen Mo said with a smile.

"By the way, there's a really funny comment in the comments section. Someone said, 'Putting everything else aside, just based on the fact that Chen Mo can soak cold rice until it's soft and eat it for four years, he doesn't need to experience life to play any tragic role; he himself is the material.'"

"Who said that?"

"A netizen named 'Overlord's Sister-in-Law'."

Chen Mo almost burst out laughing.

The two chatted while eating, discussing everything from online polls to gossip within the entertainment industry.

As a "lower-level person in the industry" working in a film and television company, Xu Zhinian had far more access to information than Chen Mo.

"By the way, do you know what project Zhang Yimou is currently preparing for?" Xu Zhinian lowered his voice, looking mysterious.

Zhang Yimou is one of the world's most renowned directors, often referred to as one of the "Fifth Generation Twin Stars" alongside Chen Kaige, and has won numerous international awards.

"I don't know," Chen Mo shook his head.

"I heard it's a spy thriller, a period drama set against the backdrop of the War of Resistance against Japan, with a huge budget. Casting hasn't started yet, but it's already spread throughout the industry, and a lot of people are asking about it."

"It has nothing to do with me."

"How can it not matter? You're a regular on the trending topics now, maybe someone's taken a liking to you?"

"Zhang Yimou chooses actors based on their acting skills and their suitability for the role, not on trending topics," Chen Mo said calmly. "Besides, if I played Xiang Yu and then tried to piggyback on Zhang Yimou's projects, that would be unrealistic. We have to take it one step at a time."

"Your mindset is really not like that of a 23-year-old."

"Maybe God gave me a few more years of phone credit."

Xu Zhinian was stunned for a moment.

Then it dawned on me.

Phone bill, Hua Fei, Hua (meaning youth).

"You're here again!"

Chen Mo picked up a slice of tofu without changing his expression.

"What do you mean? I'm talking about communication fees."

"You're talking about puns! Can you please not use puns during a meal?"

"No, this is one of my few hobbies."

"Is tormenting your friends your hobby?"

"Torment is your understanding; my understanding is sharing happiness."

Your happiness is built upon my suffering.

"That means our relationship is deep enough to withstand the test."

Xu Zhinian put down his chopsticks, clasped his hands together, and sighed deeply.

"What sins did I commit in my past life to have a friend like you in this life?"

As they were talking, the curtain of the hot pot restaurant was lifted.

A woman walked in.

She looked to be in her early thirties, about 1.65 meters tall, wearing a very ordinary beige trench coat, her hair casually tied in a ponytail, and she had no makeup on.

This outfit wouldn't stand out on the street.

But if you look closely at her face, you'll find that her features are very delicate.

It's not the kind of refined look that internet celebrities have; it's the kind of beauty that has clean lines, perfect proportions, and can withstand the test of going makeup-free.

Moreover, she has an aura that is completely at odds with her simple attire.

Well, how should I put it?

It's like a bottle of Lafite on a convenience store shelf with a "Special Price 9.9" label on it.

You'll miss it if you don't look carefully.

Upon closer inspection, wow!

She walked to a small table in the corner and sat down, ordering a single hot pot with a clear broth base.

Then we quietly started cooking the vegetables in the hot pot.

Xu Zhinian's chopsticks stopped in mid-air.

He stared at the woman for three seconds, then abruptly turned his head and lowered his voice.

Holy crap.

"What's wrong?"

"Do you know who that woman is?"

Chen Mo glanced in the direction of Xu Zhinian's gaze.

do not know.

"Shen Yu." Xu Zhinian brought his mouth close to Chen Mo's ear, his voice barely audible, "Shen Yuzhuo. The owner of Pu Shi Culture."

Chen Mo thought for a moment and had a vague impression of the name.

"The one who does investments?"

"It's not just about investing."

Xu Zhinian's expression was as if he were telling him a martial arts legend.

"Her father is in the mining business, so the phrase 'family owns mines' is literally true when it comes to her. A few years ago, she started her own company, Pu Shi Culture, and invested in several well-received art films. She also works as an agent, but she only signs actors she approves of. She only has three people under her, and each of them is a hardcore talent in the industry. She has a famous saying in the industry: 'I don't sign stars, I only sign actors.'"

Chen Mo glanced at Shen Yu again.

A rich girl who can easily invest in several movies without batting an eye is sitting alone in a hole-in-the-wall restaurant where the average cost per person is fifty yuan, eating a single hot pot.

We ordered the clear broth hot pot base again.

This contrast is indeed quite interesting.

"Go say hello," Xu Zhinian nudged him with his elbow.

Why?

"Why? He's an investor and agent, and you're a newcomer actor who's just starting out. You're going to get some exposure, and maybe you'll have a chance to work together in the future. These kinds of opportunities don't come every day."

"I'm not going."

"Why not go?"

"Being disturbed by strangers while eating is the most annoying thing." Chen Mo picked up a piece of cooked cabbage and put it in his bowl. "She came to eat hot pot alone, which means she just wanted some peace and quiet. It's not socializing for me to go and say hello; it's being a spoilsport."

"But......"

"And look closely," Chen Mo lowered his voice even further, "she ordered a clear broth hot pot. A person coming to a hole-in-the-wall restaurant to eat clear broth hot pot alone means she's not there for the flavor, she's there for peace and quiet. People like that hate being disturbed."

Xu Zhinian looked at Shen Yu, then at Chen Mo.

"Your observational skills are even better for judging people than for acting."

"The ability to read people is a fundamental skill in acting."

"Fine, fine, whatever you say is right." Xu Zhinian sighed and went to pick up his goose intestines again. "Anyway, if you don't seize the opportunity when it comes, you'll regret it later."

"I won't regret it." Chen Mo took a bite of rice porridge. "If the opportunity is real, it will come again."

The two finished their hot pot meal.

Chen Mo settled the account.

There are ninety-seven pieces in total.

As he left, he habitually glanced at Shen Yu in the corner.

She was still eating; there were some white radish and winter melon slices left in the small pot in front of her. She picked them up one by one and ate very slowly.

On the table next to him was a cell phone and a car key.

The car key has a very understated Porsche logo hanging on it.

Porsche car keys, and a hot pot meal costing fifty yuan per person.

Chen Mo took this detail in mind but made no comment.

He pushed open the door and went out.

Unbeknownst to him, Shen Yu glanced up the moment he walked out.

I glanced at his back for about two seconds.

Then she lowered her head and continued eating her white radish.

The corners of her mouth curved slightly.

It's very faint, so faint that you can hardly see it.

But it is indeed bent.

It was no coincidence that she came to this hole-in-the-wall restaurant today.

She watched "The Legend of Chu and Han".

I watched it from the first episode to the last.

After watching it, she did something she rarely does.

I came to see an actor in person.

It's not about arranging a meeting or making a phone call; it's about "looking".

See what kind of person he is in real life.

Observe his demeanor when he is with his friends.

See if he behaves the same when he's not on camera as he does when he's on camera.

She saw a few things today.

First, he ate hot pot with a clear broth base.

She had heard from an acquaintance that Chen Mo was very careful about protecting his voice, and today she could see that for sure. For a 23-year-old to resist the temptation of spicy oil in front of a hot pot, such self-discipline was not something he could fake.

Secondly, his friends clearly recognized her and were urging him to come over and say hello, but he refused.

The reason wasn't "I'm sorry," but rather "I don't want to disturb other people's meal." This reason made Shen Yu feel more comfortable than any enthusiastic self-promotion.

Third, he needs to soak his rice in soup to soften it before eating it.

This detail surprised Shen Yu.

She didn't know the story behind it, but she felt that the way a person eats often reflects their personality.

Adding soup to rice soup shows that he is used to making do and using subpar conditions to make them usable.

But "making do" is not the same as "giving up".

He wasn't just enduring life; he was processing it in his own way.

This is consistent with his performance style in front of the camera.

Restraint, composure, and the ability to subtly weave all emotions into the details.

Shen Yu took out her phone and wrote two words in the notes app.

"Good taste."

Then I put my phone away and continued eating hot pot.

After finishing her meal, she left 100 yuan on the table, got up, and left.