Huayu: Starting from joining the mainstream entertainment industry in 96

Chapter 520, Chapter 518: You're not good enough anymore?
The heavy conversation with Han Sanping about the mission of the times and personal paths weighed on Wang Sheng's mind like a waterlogged boulder.

As dusk settled over Beijing outside the car window, the city lights shone brightly, outlining the ancient city's rapid transformation into an international metropolis. Yet, he felt a sense of alienation and weariness, as if caught in a torrent of change.

Beneath the pinnacle of success lay hidden anxieties known only to him.

Everything he possesses today—wealth, prestige, and the power to set industry rules—largely stems from his "prophetic" vision of the direction of cultural products over the next two decades.

This was like a treasure trove with astonishing reserves, which supported him in building the Shengying Empire.

But treasures eventually run out. Once the "classics" in our memories have been reproduced and exhausted, what path should we take next?

Should we rely on genuine originality that belongs to this era?

He is not Charlotte, and cannot return to a reality where he can start over after waking up from a dream.

He is in the real and brutal business world, where every step involves the livelihoods of thousands of employees, massive capital operations, and immeasurable industry impact.

The fear of "running out of ideas" was like a faint chill that occasionally crept into the cracks of his self-satisfaction.

Especially after having a soul-searching conversation with an elder like Han Sanping who had a keen understanding of the world, this concern about the uncertainty of the future became even clearer.

"Go to Xiaoran's place." Wang Sheng leaned back in the soft leather back seat of the Audi A8, closed his eyes, rubbed his temples, and instructed the driver/bodyguard in the front seat.

"Yes, Mr. Wang." The driver responded steadily, turned the steering wheel, and the vehicle smoothly merged into the night traffic, heading northeast of Beijing.

Li Xiaoran's residence is located in the central villa area of ​​Shunyi District, in a low-density community called "Mingduyuan".

This is one of the earliest developed high-end villa areas in Beijing. It boasts a tranquil environment, high green coverage, and good privacy, attracting many celebrities, wealthy businessmen, and foreigners to reside here.

Following Wang Sheng's financial advice, Li Xiaoran used her savings and part of her acting fees to buy a detached villa here in full.

Unlike Fan Xiaopang, she doesn't have strong international ambitions, nor does she have the ties of a family like Gao Yuanyuan. Her purchase of real estate is more out of a desire to preserve the value of her assets and for a peaceful and comfortable personal space.

The car silently glided into the villa area and stopped in front of a two-story house with a private garden and a simple and modern exterior design.

Get off the car.

Wang Sheng used the spare key that Li Xiaoran had given him to open the villa's gate.

The warm yellow lights in the courtyard illuminated the carefully tended flowers and plants.

Through the floor-to-ceiling windows, you can see the flickering light and shadow on the TV screen in the living room.

Wang Sheng pushed open the slightly ajar front door, and a warm scent mixed with the aroma of scented candles and cats wafted out.

In the living room, Li Xiaoran was sitting cross-legged on the soft carpet, wearing a large coral fleece pajama with cartoon patterns, her face bare, and her hair casually tied into a loose bun.

The huge LCD TV in front of her was playing the currently popular Korean drama "Full House," and snacks such as potato chips and preserved plums were scattered on the coffee table.

Startled by the sound of the door opening, she turned around abruptly and saw Wang Sheng. Her face instantly lit up with a smile of surprise and joy, like a star suddenly illuminating the night.

"Oh! What brings you here?!" She practically jumped up, running barefoot across the floor, her voice brimming with excitement. "You didn't even call ahead! I didn't even get ready!"

She brushed a few stray hairs from her forehead, a little embarrassed, her face flushed with surprise.

As she grew older and her career stabilized, Li Xiaoran and Wang Sheng did indeed meet less frequently than in their earlier years.

She has a rather indifferent personality, doesn't compete or fight for anything, and is content with her current status and income—as one of the earliest actresses to become famous in the Sheng Ying Group, she has long since achieved financial freedom.

In recent years, she has significantly reduced the frequency of accepting roles, preferring to choose scripts that she likes and that are not stressful, or simply taking a long vacation like she is now, staying at home as a happy "lazy bum".

"I wanted to come see you, so here you are." Wang Sheng changed into slippers, his eyes scanning the living room, searching for something. "Looking for Somersault Cloud?" Li Xiaoran asked knowingly, then called out towards the stairs, "Yunyun~ Your dad's here to see you!"

As soon as the words were spoken, a plump, long-haired cat with three different colors of fur slowly strolled down the stairs with elegant and slightly lazy steps.

It was in May 1996, not long after Wang Sheng and Li Xiaoran met, that she bought a kitten and named it "Somersault Cloud".

Time flies. The mischievous and lively little kitten has now become an eight-year-old "uncle" who has entered middle age and is slightly plump.

Somersault Cloud walked to Wang Sheng's feet, rubbed its head against his trouser leg, and made a "gurgling" sound in its throat as a greeting, but it did not jump into his arms as eagerly as it did when it was a child.

Wang Sheng bent down and carefully picked up the now rather heavy calico cat.

It felt heavy when I picked it up. Its fur was still soft, but I could feel the relaxation in its body and the composure that belongs to a middle-aged cat.

He gently stroked the thick, long fur on the back of the somersault cloud, feeling the warmth and pulse of life coming from his fingertips, and a strange sense of emotion welled up in his heart.

“You’re getting old too…” Wang Sheng murmured softly, his eyes somewhat unfocused.

A cat's lifespan is only a little over ten years, and eight years is almost half of its life.

This silent passage of time is like a tangible marker, reminding him of the path he has walked in this world, and of the people and things that have quietly changed.

Watching him wallow in self-pity, Li Xiaoran blinked, a strange yet concerned expression on her face.

She leaned closer, lowered her voice, and asked, half-jokingly and half-seriously, "What's wrong? Why are you suddenly so sentimental... Could it be that something's wrong with your health?"

Her gaze unconsciously drifted towards Wang Sheng's lower body, her tone teasing, "Especially..."

Wang Sheng was lost in the melancholy of the fleeting nature of time when she suddenly asked him this blunt and nonsensical question. He then rolled his eyes at her, and his melancholy vanished in an instant.

"Bullshit!" he laughed and cursed, putting the Somersault Cloud, which had begun to struggle slightly because it was uncomfortable being held, back on the ground.

The fat cat, now free, immediately wriggled its rear end and darted back upstairs without looking back to continue its sweet dreams.

After putting down the cat, Wang Sheng turned around and looked at Li Xiaoran, who was standing close by.

Stripped of her celebrity aura, she has fair and delicate skin. Thanks to her years of skincare and relatively leisurely lifestyle, she looks several years younger than her actual age, with a sense of purity and relaxation in her eyes and brows.

This kind of state is especially rare in the highly competitive and stressful entertainment industry.

Perhaps it was precisely her easygoing and self-pleasing personality that allowed her to provide a haven where he could completely relax when he felt tired and lost.

Wang Sheng didn't say anything more, but simply reached out and put his arm around Li Xiaoran's slender yet supple waist, gently pulling her towards him.

Li Xiaoran was taken aback at first, then a blush rose to her face, but she did not resist. Instead, she obediently leaned into his arms, looked up, and her eyes held a questioning look and a knowing tenderness.

He lowered his head and kissed her lips, which smelled sweet like snacks.

The kiss initially carried a sense of comfort and seeking solace, but soon, fueled by their familiar scents and physical memories, it became passionate and deep.

The accumulated longing, the hidden pressure, and the uncertainty about life and the future all seem to have found an outlet.

Clothes were scattered on the floor, stretching from the sofa in the living room all the way to the master bedroom on the second floor.

The master bedroom's decor continues the overall minimalist and comfortable style, with huge floor-to-ceiling windows offering a tranquil view of the courtyard at night.

(End of this chapter)