After the college entrance examination, life began to follow one's heart

Chapter 221 Ning Yuhan's Confusion, Xu Lin's Second Book Published

Ning Yuhan supported Xu Lin's ideas.

However, Ning Yuhan could only offer verbal and moral support, as she felt she couldn't really help.

Ning Yuhan wasn't the kind of girl who had unrealistic fantasies. These girls thought that as long as they were pretty, that was enough. They fantasized about you earning money to support the family while they were beautiful, and they even dreamed of marrying a rich and handsome man.

Ning Yuhan didn't think that way. She had always been very pragmatic. She understood that the gap between herself and Xu Lin was huge and was only getting bigger.

Society has a value system.

Simply put, it is the exchange of value between people.

Schools won't teach this, because even the teachers might not fully understand it. A significant portion of the teachers in the ivory tower are still hothouse flowers, never having experienced the harsh realities of society, and are out of touch with it, so naturally they wouldn't understand these things.

In terms of family background, whether parents and elders can teach well, and whether there are outstanding individuals in the family.

For example, the parents in this family are outstanding people. They have made a name for themselves in this society and made their family a middle-class or upper-class family with a net worth of A8 or even A9. They understand that a person enters society using a different value system.

For example, if you are not as good as me and want to ask me questions, you need to pay a corresponding value, such as money or other material things. Or, like beautiful women, they pay their reproductive value, which is their beauty.

This is value exchange.

Finally, it takes a lot of hard work and trial and error to gradually understand how society works.

Now, Ning Yuhan is actually not on equal footing with Xu Lin.

Xu Lin was too outstanding, while she was still a student who could only keep working hard but seemed to have no end in sight.

Key universities?

For ordinary people, graduating from a top university is already considered exceptional, and they often have more opportunities than graduates from ordinary universities.

But society is always stratified; there is a world of ordinary people, and naturally there is a world of higher levels.

Ning Yuhan was quite confused, not knowing how to catch up with Xu Lin or narrow the gap between them.

She truly loved Xu Lin. He was her first love, and she was the one who confessed to him first. It was almost love at first sight. In her world, Xu Lin was like a star in the sky, dazzling and radiant.

For Xu Lin, Ning Yuhan was like an ordinary man who had won the favor of a rich and beautiful woman. At this moment, the inferiority and powerlessness in the heart of an ordinary man were like a mountain crushing down on him.

Ning Yuhan thought to herself that her own situation was too poor. Even if Xu Lin had no objections, what about his parents?
How can two people with unequal social standing be together? How can they be happy together? Or how can anyone offer their blessings?

She felt insecure, afraid that Xu Lin would one day leave her and abandon her.

Nineteen-year-old Ning Yuhan has not yet truly grown up. Her world is still very simple, and she feels that her sky would collapse if Xu Lin were gone.

Ning Yuhan became increasingly confused and didn't know how to make an effort.

"What are you thinking about?"

Xu Lin asked casually, clearly unaware that Ning Yuhan was thinking about these random things.

"No."

Fearing that Xu Lin would notice something was wrong, Ning Yuhan quickly diverted his attention, hugged him, and kissed him.

"Honey, let's go to sleep..."

Ning Yuhan took the initiative, placing one hand on Xu Lin's belt.

Sleeping means really sleeping.

Sleeping requires taking off all your clothes.

"Don't worry."

Xu Lin was in high spirits. Of the three girls beside him, Ning Yuhan and the other two, he had had a real relationship with each of them. Each of them gave him a different experience.

Ning Yuhan is particularly unique.

Because Ning Yuhan was always shy and reserved.

Tonight was no exception.

However, Ning Yuhan was quite proactive tonight, even tying Xu Lin's hair into pigtails and putting on speed-enhancing gear.

Later that morning, Ning Yuhan made Xu Lin cry, and only then did Xu Lin end his battle for the night.

When Ning Yuhan cries, Xu Lin has to comfort her.

Of the three, Ning Yuhan is actually the only one who cries. Rong Xiyan cried twice before, but never again. Xia Xiyao has never cried. Therefore, Ning Yuhan is the most fragile, like soft tofu.

Silent all night.

The next morning, Ning Yuhan still had her signature pigtails.

Ning Yuhan has naturally thick hair, and her twin ponytails sway as she walks, giving her a lively and playful look with a unique charm.

Xu Lin had class today, and his first class was in the same teaching building as Ning Yuhan's, only one floor above hers, so he simply walked Ning Yuhan to her classroom door.

Moreover, Xu Lin and Ning Yuhan never cared about how others looked when they walked together. For example, right now, he had one arm around Ning Yuhan's shoulder and swaggered to the classroom door.

Everyone noticed the two of them.

Especially Xu Lin.

Before Xu Lin became famous, everyone thought of him as just a typical rich, handsome, and successful man, even though such men were out of reach for them.

What now?
He's a rich, handsome, and incredibly talented man with 60 million fans across the internet.

Suddenly, there are several more prefixes.

Even celebrities aren't as dazzling as him; he's the epitome of a perfect, rich, and handsome man.

With the filter applied, the girls in the classroom all thought Xu Lin looked even better, like a noble young master from an ancient family in a novel.

Looking at him this way, people felt that Xu Lin was indeed not someone that could be raised in a conventional family. With his sword-like eyebrows and phoenix eyes, he was of inestimable nobility. Every feature of his face was so breathtakingly sculpted. In particular, his phoenix eyes could bewitch you with a single glance, like a succubus. If he were a person from ancient times, he might have been like Pan An, Song Yu, and Gao Huan, great handsome men in history, and would have been remembered by historians for his good looks.

It is said that Ning Yuhan took the initiative to confess her feelings. Many people thought that Ning Yuhan would actually take the initiative to pursue a junior she had only known for a few days, and even establish a relationship in less than a week. What people did not expect was that Ning Yuhan's boyfriend was actually a very outstanding man that even women could only dream of!

"arrive."

Xu Lin pointed to his right cheek. Seeing so many people watching, Ning Yuhan pursed her lips, blushed, and leaned in to kiss him, a fleeting kiss, like a dragonfly skimming the water or a wild goose leaving its mark.

"Okay, I'm going back to class now."

"Uh-huh."

Xu Lin then left as well.

Ning Yuhan didn't enter the classroom until Xu Lin was out of sight.

With Xu Lin no longer by her side, most people's attention finally fell on her, and they realized how stunning Ning Yuhan was today.

Ning Yuhan is similar to many boys who dress the same way. Many boys always have the same outfit, the same hairstyle, and the same few clothes.

Ning Yuhan is similar; she only has a few clothes, and her hairstyle is basically always a high ponytail.

She doesn't seem to know how to dress up, but she's undeniably beautiful.

Even with makeup, she's still more beautiful than you. All the pretty and charming girls in the class are smitten, wondering why God is so kind to her.

Now, in the second semester of sophomore year, there are hardly any girls who don't know how to do makeup and dress up.

It seems that only Ning Yuhan doesn't know how, or perhaps she doesn't want to; she doesn't even have cosmetics.

A face that seems to be fed by God and a top-notch figure—truly enviable.

Ning Yuhan's double ponytails were the most eye-catching thing today. Although Ning Yuhan had double ponytails before, it was only once.

Ning Yuhan's double ponytails have a unique style, making her look stunning at a new level.

"Hanhan, did you go to a hotel with your junior again?"

As soon as Ning Yuhan sat down, Huang Yiran, who was sitting next to her, immediately started gossiping.

No one knows that Xu Lin has a rental property outside, and that if Xu Lin wanted to, he could easily buy a luxury apartment in a good location in Jiangdu.

"What do you ask for this?"

Ning Yuhan replied softly, blushing slightly.

"Hehe, then we know!"

Huang Yiran smiled.

Liu Yuqing saw Ning Yuhan take out the Maybach Miss set of books from her schoolbag.

This is the deluxe edition; the cover is very beautiful.

Liu Yuqing asked, "Hanhan, did you go to the bookstore to buy books?"

"Yes, I bought it last night."

Ning Yuhan nodded.

"Hanhan, let me see."

"for you."

Liu Yuqing opened the first volume of the book series. She opened to the first page, which was not the actual content; it was a blank page.

However, there are two lines of text on it, clearly written in a man's and a woman's handwriting.

First line: "Forever gentle and lovely senior."

The second line: "I will always love my handsome, talented, and mischievous junior!"

Wow! How romantic?

Xu Jinjie and the others' eyes lit up; the two lines of text were clearly not written by the same person.

The second line is Ning Yuhan's handwriting, but what about the first line?

"Hanhan, isn't this the handwriting of your naughty junior, Mr. Xu?"

Liu Yuqing's gossip is burning brightly. Now there are photos of Xu Lin's calligraphy online, and you can tell at a glance that it is Mr. Xu's calligraphy.
Huang Yiran also said, "Isn't this exactly the same as Mr. Xu's handwriting online?"

"Hanhan, admit it, your junior is Mr. Xu, and your boyfriend is Mr. Xu!"

"Hanhan, just nod." "Hanhan, when we buy a set of books, how about we have Mr. Xu sign them for us?"

The crowd was filled with ambiguity and made a fuss.

But Ning Yuhan just shook her head and said, "Class is about to start!"

Look, she won't admit it. The other students in the class were listening to their discussion, hoping to hear Ning Yuhan's confirmation, but Ning Yuhan just wouldn't say anything. She really kept her mouth shut.

In the end, Liu Yuqing and her team had to return empty-handed.

Tuesday evening.

Xu Lin chatted with the owner of the publishing house that published his book "My Twenty-Six-Year-Old Miss Maybach" and confirmed that his book "When We Were Young, April in the Human World" would also be published by their publishing house.

This publishing house is called Zhuyue Publishing House.

It's not a well-established publishing house, but a newly emerging one that focuses on publishing literary works, including both traditional and online literature.

Xu Lin's previous book was published by this publishing house, and this book is no exception, mainly because he doesn't want to get into disputes with other publishing houses.

"Mr. Xu, shall we talk in person tomorrow?"

"can."

Xu Lin said, "Let's do it tomorrow morning!"

"Haha, Mr. Xu, see you tomorrow!"

The owner of Xingyue Publishing House is Yu Shengzhong, a middle-aged man who sounds like a rather forthright and generous man.

Xu Lin then sent a message to Shang Wanjun asking for a day off.

Xu Lin found himself getting busier this semester, with quite a lot to do.

These past few months I've been frequently traveling to different film sets, and not just one. Besides the set of Miss Maybach, there will also be the set of "The Great Jing Dynasty".

The production company stated that the opening ceremony for "The Great Jing Dynasty" will be held sometime in the latter half of this month, with the specific date to be determined in the next few days.

As for the official start of filming, I heard it will begin in late May, at which time Xu Lin will be coming to the film set.

He is also a screenwriter.

Oh, and he'll also be composing all the music for this show later on.

Furthermore, if Xu Lin were to invest in a film, he would be even busier.

In addition to all sorts of other things, Xu Lin felt like he was about to become a very busy person.

"Plans can't keep up with changes."

Xu Lin remembered that he used to want to enjoy life.

"Never mind, enjoying success is a valid life philosophy."

On Wednesday morning, Xu Lin arrived at the teahouse that Yu Shengzhong had arranged to meet.

Upon seeing the other party, Xu Lin shook hands with him and asked, "Mr. Yu, did you come alone?"

"Isn't Mr. Xu the same? Haha..."

"Mr. Yu, please have a seat."

"Mr. Xu, please have a seat."

After exchanging pleasantries, the two took their seats, sitting on the floor rather than on stools; there was a low table between them.

Yu Shengzhong looks to be in his forties, with a good complexion and a unique temperament. He is not greasy at all in middle age, which is truly rare.

At this moment, a beautiful woman in a cheongsam entered, sat down between the two, and began to burn incense and brew tea.

It's quite elaborate: burning incense, warming the cup, adding tea leaves, pouring water...

The process was carried out step by step, and the technique was very skillful and meticulous.

The tea ceremony is a form of traditional culture that has existed for thousands of years and is very particular.

"Mr. Xu is interested in the tea ceremony?"

When Yu Shengzhong noticed that Xu Lin's gaze was fixed on the cheongsam-clad beauty's hands, or rather, on her tea-making movements, he asked a question.

"This was my first time experiencing the tea ceremony; it was quite an eye-opener."

"Speaking of the tea ceremony, I didn't understand it when I was young. I thought, 'I'm just drinking a cup of tea, right? Why is the process so complicated? Even washing the teacups has its rules, and brewing tea takes half an hour or even longer. Why should I drink this tea?' But as I got older, I unknowingly became fascinated by the tea ceremony and began to ponder its intricacies. Gradually, I understood why the tea ceremony is associated with the concept of 'the Way' (Tao). It turns out that drinking tea is like life, a process of self-cultivation. As my understanding of the tea ceremony and even the cultivation of life deepened, my mind gradually returned to tranquility. I understood that life should be lived naturally, and I no longer craved worldly things. I was able to enjoy the peace of mind that comes from understanding the true meaning of life. How wonderful!"

Yu Shengzhong has a strong desire to express himself.

"Mr. Yu must have transcended vulgar tastes."

Xu Lin said leisurely.

"Ha ha……"

Yu Shengzhong let out a hearty laugh, “I searched for him a thousand times in the crowd. Suddenly, I turned around, and there he was, in the dim light. My life is like a galloping horse, how wonderful!”

Xu Lin continued, "It seems that Mr. Yu has reached the highest level of life."

Without a certain level of cultural literacy, people wouldn't understand what Yu Shengzhong meant by suddenly spouting a line from Xin Qiji's "Qing Yu An." They'd probably just be talking past each other, or even think that Yu Shengzhong's words were completely nonsensical. I said I wanted to get away from lowbrow tastes, and you spout a line from a Song Dynasty poem. How am I supposed to respond?

But these are actually the three realms of life that Wang Guowei described in "Renjian Cihua".

The third realm is what Yu Shengzhong said in this phrase, which represents understanding the true meaning of life. But what exactly one understands is hard to say. This kind of thing can only be understood intuitively and cannot be explained in words. It's like Wang Yangming's enlightenment in Longchang. But what exactly did Wang Yangming understand? Even those who specialize in studying Wang Yangming's philosophy probably can't say for sure.

The Tao that can be spoken of is not the eternal Tao. What is it that can be described?
Where is Mr. Xu?

Yu Shengzhong also raised an eyelash, not expecting Xu Lin to pick up on his words.

"me."

Xu Lin: "They are still searching aimlessly, their minds and bodies trapped by fame and fortune, by wealth and beauty, by the five desires and six dusts. They look around, at a loss. They are just ordinary people who have never even glimpsed the path to a higher level of enjoyment in life."

Xu Lin was talking about the first stage of life. At this stage, people are like the oxen and horses working in society, full of confusion about life, not knowing which way to go in the future, or even how to live in the present. Most people are like this. Therefore, countless people are trapped at this level, even for their entire lives, imprisoned by various worldly shackles. For example, after graduation, you have to work; after working, you have to get married; after getting married, you have to have children; after having children, you are trapped for life. Life no longer belongs to you. From then on, one part of sweetness dilutes nine parts of bitterness. Sometimes you wake up in the middle of the night from nightmares, unable to fall back asleep, suddenly feeling depressed, not knowing what life is all about, and then asking, "Damn it, what the hell is the meaning of this life?"
"When suffering from illness, one should carefully control one's mind, not be swayed by external circumstances, and not let thoughts arise in one's mind."

Yu Shengzhong muttered to himself, pondering whether he had truly accomplished it.

This is Buddhist content, which Xu Lin recognized immediately. The traditional cultural system consists of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism; one listens and you understand which is which.

"All phenomena arise from causes and conditions, and all phenomena cease due to causes and conditions. The Buddha said that all phenomena arising and ceasing due to causes and conditions are empty."

Xu Lin: "The Buddha said that the four elements are all empty, and that all forms are illusory. If one sees all forms as non-forms, then one sees the Tathagata. I'm still looking outside the door. I don't know if I'll be able to go in and see for myself in this lifetime."

"I've only scratched the surface, or perhaps I'm still outside the door, far from understanding the 'Tao'."

Yu Shengzhong suddenly sighed and suddenly lost confidence.

The woman in the cheongsam next to them was still brewing tea, and she seemed somewhat bewildered by their conversation.

But then she was even more confused.

Later, the two began discussing concepts like the workings of the universe and celestial secrets, such as the European Renaissance and the fall of the Ming Dynasty.

What is the secret of heaven?
Europe experienced the Renaissance and the Black Death, while in the Ming Dynasty, natural disasters struck at the end of the dynasty.

These two things are the secrets of heaven; the accidental fusion of history, due to multiple factors, has led to the inevitability of history.

The woman in the cheongsam was completely confused. Then she thought, what's the point of these two people talking about these things?

what's the point?
What's the point?

But then, the two completed a publishing contract worth 30 million, which terrified the woman in the cheongsam so much that her legs went weak and her scalp tingled.

OMG!

thirty million!
"A thousand cups of wine are too few when drinking with a bosom friend; but even half a sentence is too much when talking to someone with whom you don't see eye to eye! Haha..."

Yu Shengzhong laughed heartily. He chatted with Xu Lin for two hours, which made him feel incredibly happy, a sense of spiritual well-being.

Because he had never felt so happy in his entire life, especially with an eighteen-year-old.

"Mr. Xu, it's a pleasure doing business with you!"

He extended his hand, and Xu Lin also extended his hand. "It's a pleasure to work with you."

"Mr. Xu, you have a new book coming out, and it would be convenient for you to collaborate with me!"

"We will give priority to your publishing house." Xu Lin nodded.

The two chatted as they walked out of the teahouse and then parted ways.

“Mr. Xu, I have never felt so free and open-minded in my conversation with anyone. Moreover, you are still a young man, yet you have such profound thoughts and insights. I was being too superficial and judging people by their appearance!”

"I only turned a couple more pages."

"Mr. Xu is being modest."

Yu Shengzhong shook hands with Xu Lin again, as if they were old friends who had met too late. "Mr. Xu, I'll take my leave now. I have something to do later. Let's get together again when we have the chance."

"Okay, let's get together again sometime."

"it is good!"

After saying this, Yu Shengzhong drove away.

Xu Lin also got back into his car; he was driving a Lamborghini today.

Xu Lin noticed there was a pack of cigarettes in the car, which he had left there earlier, just in case.

Snapped!
Xu Lin took out a stick and lit it.

I just chatted with Yu Shengzhong for two hours about all sorts of random topics, including history, Buddhism, philosophy, and the Dao of Heaven. People who don't know the subject would probably think we were just bored idiots.

But Xu Lin used these things to negotiate a 30 million yuan publishing contract. In addition, the contract included a 50/50 profit split, in which he would also receive 50% of the publishing profits.

"It seems that reading more books is indeed useful."

Xu Linshen seemed to sense something, so he opened the car window and started smoking.

That puff of smoke was incredibly satisfying.

(End of this chapter)