Chapter 19: The Sensible Man

Zhang Li stood at the doorway, hesitating as she reached out to knock. Suddenly, the door swung open on its own.

Inside appeared Li Yousi, speaking with conviction. “Yu Hua, I think we should go out for a nice meal today. Staying in the cafeteria all the time isn’t good. Don’t you want some fish to boost your brainpower?”

Yu Hua glanced at a remarkably pretty young woman standing at the door.

She wore a red padded jacket, a small tiger-head felt hat on her head, and her hair was styled in a bun, making her look utterly adorable—about fifteen or sixteen years old.

Most people in the Writers’ Association were dull and awkward; even the women usually wore glasses. Yu Hua had never seen such a beautiful girl before.

He was momentarily stunned, then said slowly, “I think I’ll pass.”

Li Yousi pressed on, “Why pass? Come on! Eating together brings warmth and life!”

He was just about to find someone to join him.

But noticing the way Yu Hua looked, he turned back curious.

He saw a petite girl with an elegant, charming presence.

Zhang Li was only eighteen, and with her youthful appearance, she truly looked like just a girl.

Besides, people often look different on screen compared to real life, and this was her prime—the peak of her beauty at eighteen.

Li Yousi’s gaze immediately fixed on her face, a flicker of surprise crossing his features before he quickly recovered and asked, “Zhang Li? What are you doing here?”

He and Zhang Li were on good terms, so he usually dropped the formal “comrade” and used her name directly—it felt more natural.

Hearing his question, Zhang Li’s eyes narrowed slightly, and the corners of her mouth curved swiftly into a smile. “Am I not allowed to come?”

Yu Hua wasn’t a fool.

What could such a beautiful girl be doing at their guesthouse?

This guesthouse was known for housing a handful of handsome men, Li Yousi being the standout.

Now his suspicions were confirmed—she was indeed Li Yousi’s sweetheart.

With a spirit of helpfulness, Yu Hua smiled generously and said, “Since your sweetheart is here, I won’t disturb you. I have a manuscript due in a couple of days, so I’ll head back to the dorm to revise it.”

“Oh,” Zhang Li replied softly.

Li Yousi glanced back at Yu Hua, thinking, Ungrateful! When there were no girls around, he was all talk, looking for introductions. But now, seeing a truly beautiful woman, he was tongue-tied and weak in the knees.

He turned back and offered a warm smile to answer the pressing question.

“I was going to say I’d come find you at the ‘Dream of the Red Chamber’ troupe, but some are in Hebei, others in Beiping. I’m confused—I honestly have no idea where your guesthouse is.”

Zhang Li watched his feigned puzzlement, then broke into a smile, a swirl appearing on her pretty face.

“You really mean that? Haha, don’t tell me you’re so generous. Everyone knows you’re the most ambitious of all.”

Li Yousi chuckled, stepped inside, and brought out something, then came back out and said, “You just got here, right? It’s already one in the afternoon. Have you eaten? I’ll take you out.”

Zhang Li nodded repeatedly.

Li Yousi looked back and asked again, “Yu Hua, old man, are you coming to eat or not?”

Yu Hua replied firmly, “No, I’m not. I’m going to the cafeteria.”

Li Yousi had gotten along well with Yu Hua these past few days—he was genuinely amusing.

“All right then.”

Zhang Li breathed a sigh of relief, thinking this comrade was quite decent, at least tactful.

She looked up at Li Yousi’s back as she followed him out. Today, he wore a deep green coat; from behind, his broad chest gave a feeling of security.

The two left together.

“Where are we going?” Zhang Li asked softly.

Li Yousi turned back. “I’ve pretty much tried all the good state-run restaurants near here. This time, I’m taking you for hotpot!”

Both were from Jincheng.

Although many had prejudices and stereotypes about Jincheng, what it was best known for in the beginning was hotpot.

Sichuan-Chongqing hotpot was both numbing and spicy. When they were in the cultural troupe, they’d go out for hotpot once every month or two to satisfy their cravings. So, two Jincheng natives together—how could they not eat hotpot?

“Hotpot? I’ve never even seen it,” Zhang Li said, surprised.

But at this time, private businesses weren’t fully open yet. Hotpot, as a chain, hadn’t spread nationwide. Beiping mostly had Shandong and Huaiyang cuisines.

However, Beijing-style mutton hotpot was available, the most famous place being Donglaishun.

The dishes at Donglaishun weren’t particularly expensive now. A plate of lamb cost about ninety cents. Even if they ate a lot, it wouldn’t cost more than five yuan.

Li Yousi smiled and said, “Follow me, and you’ll see.”

Donglaishun was on Qianmen Street, and they were on East Fourth South Street—about six kilometers apart, a half-hour bus ride at most.

They boarded the bus.

Zhang Li sat beside him but didn’t lean in too close. She understood the social atmosphere of the time. Taking advantage of the enclosed space, she voiced a question she’d been curious about.

“When did you start writing novels?”

Li Yousi answered directly, “About after the audition. I realized I couldn’t act well, and I didn’t have many other talents, so I figured I’d look for another path.”

“Then I saw the comrades in the Propaganda Department—they worked from nine to five every day. So, I wrote a novel.”

“A few days later, after finishing the novel, I copied down the magazine’s address and sent it in.”

Listening to him, it seemed submitting a manuscript was incredibly easy and effortless. Zhang Li frowned slightly and whispered, “Is it really that simple?”

It felt like a joke to her.

Writing a novel meant suddenly having an idea and then just writing it down?

Zhang Li clicked her tongue. The love letters comrades in the Propaganda Department wrote to her looked like scribbles, so how could it be so easy for Li Yousi?

“You don’t believe me?” Li Yousi shook his head helplessly.

A clever woman was hard to fool.

Zhang Li was undoubtedly smart and capable—a rising young woman. Though still a girl now, her ambition was gradually revealing itself.

After playing this role, her future was bound to be successful. In later years, she would build herself into a prosperous businesswoman.

Naturally, it was much like Xue Baochai’s line, “Good winds help me rise to the blue skies,” riding the wave of reform to soar upward.

“No, it’s just that you make it sound too simple. Where’s the novel that’s so easily fooled? I don’t even understand how to write letters!”

“You just go on and on, speaking fluently as if you’re a natural writer. Are you treating me like a child?”

She covered her mouth and laughed.