Huayu: Starting from retirement, sweeping across the domestic entertainment industry

The dinner table was set full.

Stir-fried pork with chili peppers, steamed assorted preserved meats, fish head with chopped chili peppers, and stir-fried beef with yellow peppers are four authentic Hunan dishes. The bright red chili peppers and glistening slices of meat are enough to whet your appetite just by looking at them.

Braised prawns and steamed grouper are placed on the other side, one red and one white, complementing each other nicely.

There weren't many dishes, but it was more than enough for four people.

At first, Zhang Jingyi was a little hesitant, only daring to pick up the dishes in front of her with her chopsticks and eating in small bites.

But Li's mother kept putting food on her plate, asking her about everyday things, such as whether filming was tiring, how the food was on set, and whether she was getting used to working away from home.

As she asked questions, Zhang Jingyi gradually relaxed and began to speak on her own initiative.

She said softly, "Auntie, this stir-fried pork with chili peppers is really delicious."

Li's mother smiled: "That was made by Li Ran. His skills are pretty good, aren't they?"

Zhang Jingyi paused for a moment and looked at Li Ran.

He was eating with his head down when he heard this, so he looked up and winked at her.

She smiled slightly, but didn't say anything.

Mr. Li took out a glass of baijiu (Chinese liquor) and poured himself a glass. The aroma of the liquor wafted out, the rich and mellow fragrance of aged Moutai.

Seeing this, Li Ran said, "Dad, I'll have some too."

Li's mother paused, looking at him. "Nonsense, can you even drink that?"

Mr. Li waved his hand: "Let him drink less today, it's fine."

Li Ran chuckled awkwardly, "Mom, I'm fine now that I've had alcohol."

Li's mother glared at him: "Have you forgotten? Back in our hometown, you'd be drunk after just one cup."

Li Ran smiled and said, "It's okay now, really. If I feel bad, I'll just have a drink."

Mr. Li had already taken another wine glass and poured it for him: "Alright, have a drink if you want."

Li Ran picked up his glass, clinked it with his father's, and drank it all in one gulp.

Li's mother stared at his face for a few seconds. His complexion remained normal, without any redness, and his eyes were clear.

"Are you really alright?" She was still a little worried.

Li Ran shook his head: "I already said it's nothing."

Li's mother then looked away, but still added, "Okay, then drink less."

……

After dinner, Li Ran took Zhang Jingyi for a walk.

The villa area was quiet, with streetlights casting a dim yellow light and trees rustling in the evening breeze.

In the distance, the outline of Yuelu Mountain can be seen, dark against the deep blue night sky.

Zhang Jingyi walked beside him and suddenly asked, "Brother Li Ran, couldn't you drink before?"

She paused for a moment, then continued, "And according to Uncle, you seemed to have had some kind of illness before..."

Li Ran held her hand and they walked slowly.

"I used to get drunk easily, probably due to an allergy, but we haven't been able to find out the exact reason."

He paused for a moment, then said, "I did get sick once when I was a child, and it might be related to that."

He didn't say much, and Zhang Jingyi didn't press him for details.

She simply squeezed his hand gently.

After a while, she suddenly said, "The year you transferred here in your senior year of high school, you were so fair-skinned and tall and thin."

Li Ran turned his head to look at her.

She gazed ahead, a slight smile playing on her lips, as if recalling something.

Li Ran slowly explained, "Actually, it wasn't a transfer; I went straight into the senior year of high school."

Zhang Jingyi was stunned for a moment.

Li Ran continued, "Because of illness, I missed junior high and the first two years of high school."

"But it wouldn't be appropriate for me to go back to junior high, so I used connections to get me directly into senior high."

Zhang Jingyi looked at him, her eyes showing a hint of surprise and a touch of realization.

"No wonder you were so..."

She thought for a moment, trying to find the right words: "How should I put it, I just feel that you are very solitary. You don't interact with anyone, and after class you just sit alone in your seat without saying a word."

She paused for a moment, then said, "A lot of girls in my class like you. You're tall and thin, fair-skinned and handsome, and your grades are good too."

Li Ran laughed: "And you? When did you start liking me?"

Zhang Jingyi's face flushed slightly.

She thought for a moment and said softly, "Actually, at first, I accompanied my friend to see you."

She recalled those days with a touch of nostalgia: "Back then, when a transfer student came to the school, and was the only one who could commute, it was a big deal. All the girls were so curious, and they would peek out the window after class."

"My friend dragged me along too. Of course, it was her who wanted to see it, not me."

She emphasized one point.

Li Ran looked at her with a smile.

"But when I first saw you," her voice softened, "I had a very strange feeling."

"How should I put it... I just feel like you're really lonely. Like a lost child, you really want someone to care about you."

She looked up at him: "And you were completely different back then. It's just..."

She thought for a long time before finally figuring out how to describe it, and slowly began to speak.

"It's like you don't belong to this world. It's like you have your own world that no one else can enter."

Li Ran remained silent for a moment.

She's right.

During that period, he had only recently been reborn and was in a daze.

He wasn't sure whether his past life experiences were dreams during his five-year coma, or if the present moment was the dream.

Later, he went pro and won a championship, thinking he could prove something.

Even as he held the trophy in his hands, he was still in a daze. Was all of this real? Or was he just having a very, very long dream?

Until the system appears.

His worldview was reshaped.

He finally understood that everything was real.

The past life was real, and so is the present. Maybe it's all an illusion, but so what?

What is true?

He is Li Ran as he is now, and that's enough.

He smiled and looked at her: "So you liked me back then?"

Zhang Jingyi thought for a moment: "Back in the first semester, I wouldn't say I liked him. It was probably more of a... protective instinct."

Li Ran's lips curled up; wasn't this just the awakening of maternal instincts?

Zhang Jingyi paused for a moment, then said, "Later you changed, you became more sunny and cheerful, and that's when I really started to like you."

She pouted slightly: "That's when I started bringing you breakfast."

Li Ran laughed: "Actually, I ate breakfast at home before going to school."

Zhang Jingyi was taken aback for a moment, then glared at him: "But I was at school then, I couldn't bring you anything else!"

She muttered softly, "Back then, I only secretly liked you, who knew you knew everything..."

Li Ran held her hand tightly without saying a word.

……

When the two returned to the villa, Mr. and Mrs. Li had already gone to their room to rest.

Li Ran took Zhang Jingyi's hand and walked upstairs: "Let's go take a shower and rest."

Zhang Jingyi followed behind him and asked softly, "Brother Li Ran, which room will I be staying in tonight?"

Li Ran turned to look at her: "Of course I'll come with you."

Zhang Jingyi blushed: "Wouldn't that be inappropriate...? Auntie and Uncle are still here..."

Li Ran laughed: "It's not like we haven't been together before, what's there to be afraid of? My mom and the others don't care about these things, they're not that particular."

Zhang Jingyi pursed her lips and didn't say anything more, but just followed him upstairs.

the next morning.

A simple breakfast was laid out on the table: porridge, steamed buns, and a few side dishes.

Li's father hadn't returned from his morning run yet, so Li Ran ate with Li's mother and Zhang Jingyi first.

After finishing her meal, Li's mother put down her chopsticks and looked at Zhang Jingyi: "Jingyi, would you like to go for a walk with Auntie today?"

Zhang Jingyi paused for a moment, then quickly nodded: "Okay, Auntie."

Li Ran looked up, puzzled, and asked, "Where are you going?"

Li's mother glanced at him and said, "Let's go shopping."

Li Ran nodded: "Oh, then I'll carry the bags."

Li's mother waved her hand: "No need. Jingyi and I are fine on our own. You stay home with your father."

Zhang Jingyi glanced at Li Ran, her eyes filled with a pleading look.

She was still a little nervous and wanted Li Ran to go with her.

Li Ran noticed this and gave her a reassuring look: "Then you can go with my mom."

Zhang Jingyi then nodded.

Li's mother added, "We won't be back at noon."

"Let your dad cook dinner. It's been years since I've had his cooking. I asked him to cook yesterday, but he just passed the buck to you."

Li Ran smiled and said, "Okay! I'll tell him when my dad gets back from his morning run."

Li's mother and Zhang Jingyi went out.

After Li's father returned, Li Ran relayed Li's mother's words to him verbatim.

He went back to his room to rest...

The exciting chapter "Chapter 109 What's Real?" is now available online. Click to read it now!