Huayu96: My Thirty Years of a Prodigal Son

Looking calmly at Zeng Li, Sister Zhao asked, "Did you break up with Qin Sheng because you caught him cheating? Or at least do you want to move out and calm down?"

Zeng Li shook his head, then nodded.

"I don't want to break up with him, but I really don't know how to face him, so I want to move out and calm down first."

Nodding, Sister Zhao suddenly changed the subject.

"Ah Li, have you bought a house in Beijing?"

Zeng Li was taken aback, then shook his head.

"I didn't buy it."

Sister Zhao continued calmly, "Do you want to buy it?"

Zeng Li hesitated for a moment, then said, "If we had enough money, who wouldn't want to buy it? This is the capital city."

Sister Zhao smiled and said, "Ali, I know you are a freshman in the acting department of the Central Academy of Drama."

The Central Academy of Drama is located in the Nanluoguxiang area, within the Second Ring Road. It has a lively atmosphere and is a comfortable place to live.

Let's say you buy a house in that area; the average price per square meter in that area is around 5000.

If you want a less cramped living space, you'll need at least 120 square meters, which costs 600,000.

When your parents get old in the future, you'll have to bring them to Beijing to live with you.

Buying a smaller apartment nearby, say 70 square meters, would cost over 300,000 yuan.

This doesn't even include the cost of renovations.

Ali, think about it. Do you think you can stay in the capital on your own?

Zeng Li was somewhat surprised after hearing Sister Zhao's calculations.

When she first arrived in Beijing, she had only heard that housing prices were very expensive, but she didn't actually know just how expensive they were.

Now she knows.

It's something she couldn't afford in two lifetimes on her own!

A house price of 5000 yuan per square meter is an astronomical price in the eyes of Zeng Li, who earns 600 yuan a month!

Zeng Li thought that her huge savings of 388,000 yuan should be enough to handle most problems.

I never imagined that if I bought a house, I would end up owing the bank for life.

Seeing Zeng Li's surprise, Sister Zhao laughed and said, "Li, this is just the cost of the house. I haven't even calculated the cost of daily living for you yet."

Do you know how much my monthly living expenses are?

Zeng Li shook his head.

Sister Zhao held out a hand.

"The minimum is three thousand, and that's even if I'm careful with my money."

I know you're going to say you can't spend that much, but that was the you of the past.

Now that you're a celebrity, you have to use the best in everything you buy—clothes, bags, cosmetics.

Your future living expenses will only be higher than mine.

Seeing Zeng Li remain silent, Sister Zhao sighed heavily and said:

"Ali, you are being pampered and spoiled by Qin Sheng right now, so you don't feel it."

But in reality, the cost of living in Beijing is enormous! There are expenses everywhere!

Without Qin Sheng's help, to put it bluntly, you'd probably be living like a dog in the capital.

This is the first and most important rule I want to tell you about the adult world:

In the capital, you absolutely cannot get by without money!

Zeng Li hesitated for a moment.

She wanted to explain that she wasn't a very ambitious person, and that if things went wrong, she could just go back to her hometown.

But looking back on this period of her life, even without Qin Sheng's company, the prosperity and liveliness of the capital city are still something she misses very much.

I just don't have much ambition; it doesn't mean I can completely give up without any ambition at all.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have given up everything to come to the capital with Yuan Quan to make his way in the world.

Seeing Zeng Li's dejected expression, Sister Zhao smiled with satisfaction.

She knew Zeng Li had taken her words to heart.

This is exactly the effect she wanted.

The right and wrong of feelings are things that only children care about. I can't explain it to Zeng Li, and I have no intention of doing so.

He just wanted to lay bare the coldness and hardship of the adult world in front of Zeng Li, hoping to make her back down.

Taking a breath, Sister Zhao continued, "Ali, so do you understand now?"

You can't live without Qin Sheng; without Qin Sheng, you simply can't survive in the capital.

Seeing that Zeng Li did not refute, Sister Zhao continued to intensify her attack.

"Ah Li, now that we've talked about you, let's talk about Qin Sheng."

You probably know how talented Qin Sheng is, but you probably don't yet realize how rich he is, or rather, how rich he will soon be.

Zeng Li shook his head blankly.

Sister Zhao held up one finger.

"One hundred million. In no more than two years, he can amass a fortune of one hundred million. And that's a conservative estimate."

Zeng Li was truly taken aback this time.

She probably knew Qin Sheng would make a lot of money, but she never expected him to earn this much!

One billion!

That's terrifying!

This person must be one of the richest people in the country, right?

After Zeng Li had processed her surprise, Sister Zhao continued, "Li, do you know how many wealthy people with assets exceeding one hundred million are truly faithful and never cheat?"

When this topic came up, Zeng Li looked up at Sister Zhao with a sensitive expression.

Sister Zhao smiled slightly and said, "The reality is that more than 90% of wealthy people have multiple women."

Even if some couples appear to be loving and affectionate on the surface, they may actually keep many lovers in private.

This is something I am absolutely certain of.

Zeng Li was somewhat skeptical.

"Are there really that many?"

The ordinary people she usually comes into contact with still mainly adhere to the concept of monogamy.

Sister Zhao said confidently, "Absolutely more, if not more. Ali, you have to understand that people with a net worth of hundreds of millions have too many women who want to climb up to them. In their own fields, they are practically emperors."

Zeng Li fell silent again.

With a slight smile, Sister Zhao continued to bombard Zeng Li's values.

"Ah Li, now that we've talked about the circle of the wealthy, let's talk about the entertainment industry."

Do you know how many male celebrities in the entertainment industry are truly faithful and never cheat?

Zeng Li, whose interest had been piqued by Sister Zhao, asked, "How many are there?"

Sister Zhao held up one finger again.

"Far below 10%."

I can say with certainty that the infidelity rate among male celebrities in the entertainment industry is over 97%.

Zeng Li was surprised again.

"Is it that tall?"

Sister Zhao said confidently, "It will only be higher, not lower."

After a pause, Sister Zhao looked at Zeng Li seriously.

"Ah Li, this is the second rule of the adult world I want to tell you:"

Whether in the entertainment industry or the world of the wealthy, it's okay to be a little oblivious when being the woman behind a successful man.

This world is so cruel and heartless; money is needed everywhere, but it's harder to earn than eating shit.

It's rare to find a handsome billionaire willing to support you and help your career. Do you know how many girls dream of this?

As for the quality of being devoted, it's a quality that's simply unattainable for a high-quality man like Qin Sheng.

The temptations he faces in his daily life are more numerous than you can imagine.

So Ali, think it over again. A benefactor who can support you, a top male celebrity, a future billionaire.

"Such a great guy, and you want to break up with him over something as trivial as cheating? Isn't that a bit immature of you?"

After listening to Sister Zhao's long speech, Zeng Li fell completely silent.