Chapter 0357: Treating to a Meal

For dinner, Zhao Fusheng treated Yu Feihong to hotpot. They ordered a few simple things. Yu Feihong, who had rested for a day, was radiantly beautiful, and even sitting there, she gave off a serene feeling.

The soup in the hotpot boiled vigorously. Zhao Fusheng added vegetables and meat.

Yu Feihong just watched, quietly, then asked, “Want some wine?”

Zhao Fusheng shook his head. “I don’t usually drink.”

“Then you have a soft drink. I’ll have wine,” Yu Feihong said.

Zhao Fusheng nodded and asked the waiter to bring three bottles of beer and one bottle of soft drink.

“Cheers.”

“Cheers.”

They clinked glasses and each drank it all in one go.

“I didn’t say I’d only have three bottles of beer,” Yu Feihong said, glancing at Zhao Fusheng with a smile.

Zhao Fusheng nodded. “Baijiu harms the body, beer nourishes the stomach. A little is enough.”

A flicker of surprise passed through Yu Feihong’s eyes. Few men, when facing her, would urge her to drink less rather than more.

“You know, I have a particularly boyish personality,” Yu Feihong said with a smile.

Zhao Fusheng smiled. “I can tell.”

Being called Brother Fei, Yu Feihong naturally carried a manly boldness.

Glancing at Zhao Fusheng, Yu Feihong said, "You're the first man who doesn't urge me to drink."

Zhao Fusheng laughed: "I have a friend named Tan Kaixuan. He said: 'When you meet someone with malicious intent, no matter how kind you are, they'll think you're pretending.'"

Yu Feihong was taken aback, then nodded: "That's true, but there are always special people, aren't there?"

Zhao Fusheng shrugged, said nothing, and picked up vegetables and meat from the hotpot, lowering his head to eat.

His psychological age now was over forty, not early twenties. While he certainly admired Yu Feihong, Zhao Fusheng didn't think there could be any further development between them.

As for friendship, Zhao Fusheng hadn't considered it for now. Not because Yu Feihong wasn't good, but because he felt she was a celebrity and he was just an outsider. After their chance encounter, each of their lives would return to normal.

Yu Feihong watched Zhao Fusheng. The boy kept his head down eating, occasionally saying a few words to her—neither too many nor too few, just right. Frankly, she rarely met people like him.

"When I first heard Old Jiang mention you, I was a bit surprised." After the necessary small talk between two strangers dining together for the first time, they naturally moved on to discussing mutual friends, like Jiang Wen.

"Is that so? Teacher Jiang must have praised me quite a bit," Zhao Fusheng said.

Yu Feihong shook her head: "No, he said you're not someone who's easy to deal with."

Zhao Fusheng was stunned, then put down his chopsticks, wiped his mouth, and made as if to call: "I need to ask Teacher Jiang about this—how can he talk behind my back like that?"

Yu Feihong laughed. Clearly, she knew Zhao Fusheng wouldn't actually make that call.

"I'm a relatively mature person," Zhao Fusheng tilted his head, thinking, then explained to Yu Feihong: "To others, that might seem like a reason for being too calculating."

Zhao Fusheng's outlook on life was undoubtedly shaped by time and experience.

After decades of ups and downs, any adult would have formed their own life experience, and Zhao Fusheng was no exception.

"There's nothing wrong with being mature." Unexpectedly, Yu Feihong agreed with Zhao Fusheng's words, nodding. "Although my family isn't a scholarly one, my father told me when I was very young that a person must strive to realize their own value, otherwise living is equivalent to leaving no value behind."

Zhao Fusheng nodded: "Very insightful. Your father is a wise man."

"Not exactly wise; he's a businessman, so naturally he has his own way of dealing with people and the world." Yu Feihong smiled. "In my dad's view, living is first about striving to realize one's own value, second about taking care of one's family. Furthermore, one should try to help those kind ordinary people, because helping others is a joyful thing."

Zhao Fusheng laughed: "All very insightful. Deserves a toast."

As he spoke, he raised the drink in front of him.

Yu Feihong smiled, clinked glasses with Zhao Fusheng, and then drank it all in one gulp.

Since ancient times, Chinese people have liked to discuss matters over drinks. The reason is simple: drinking easily brings two strangers closer.

Just like Yu Feihong and Zhao Fusheng, during the process of drinking and chatting, the sense of unfamiliarity between them naturally diminished.

"Have you ever thought about writing 'Devils on the Doorstep' into a book?" Clearly, Yu Feihong knew quite well what Zhao Fusheng had done.

Zhao Fusheng shook his head: "I have no interest in being an armchair literary man."

Yu Feihong asked curiously: "What is an armchair literary man?"

"Most so-called literary men can be called armchair literary men." Zhao Fusheng's face was slightly flushed in the swirling steam of the hotpot, and he said offhandedly, "Because these people only talk and never do anything. They blabber on more beautifully than they sing, but have zero practical experience. Of course, some might not even be able to articulate clearly..."

"According to your reasoning, shouldn't we prioritize science over the humanities?" Yu Feihong laughed.

Zhao Fusheng thought for a moment, then nodded: "Wasn't it like that before? Science students looked down on liberal arts students, foreign literature students looked down on Chinese literature students, literature students looked down on philosophy students, philosophy students looked down on sociology students, sociology students looked down on education students, and education students had nothing to look down on, so they could only look down on their own teachers."

"Hahaha..." Yu Feihong almost slapped the table laughing. She felt this young man was really amusing.

This trip to Ninghai was truly worthwhile.

"Is it that funny?" Zhao Fusheng asked helplessly, looking at Yu Feihong.

Yu Feihong nodded: "Very interesting."

"Let's eat, let's eat."

"Alright, alright."

The two continued eating. Occasionally Zhao Fusheng would ask Yu Feihong about things in her circle, and Yu Feihong told him everything she knew without reservation. The meal was enjoyable for both host and guest.

Yu Feihong really only drank three bottles of beer, then didn't touch a drop more, instead drinking beverages along with Zhao Fusheng.

"Let me walk you back." Zhao Fusheng looked at the sky outside and said to Yu Feihong.

Yu Feihong's delicate brows furrowed slightly, then she nodded: "Alright."

The weather was turning warm but still cold. Though the spring chill lingered, though the leaves had not yet dared to peek out, they first shyly formed a few buds. When the spring breeze brushed by, they couldn't help but slowly bloom into smiles.

The two walked side by side on the road. The stars in the sky twinkled, and Zhao Fusheng suddenly laughed.

"What are you laughing at?" Yu Feihong was a bit surprised.

Zhao Fusheng shook his head: "I just suddenly felt that being able to walk this road with you, Sister Fei, is probably something I never imagined."

Yu Feihong glanced at Zhao Fusheng and inexplicably felt that this big boy seemed to have a story.