Chapter 136: A New Beginning
Times change. The old generation is inevitably replaced by the new. In this era of transformation, one must either adapt or be left behind.
“Phew…”
Tang Yumeng sat with her legs crossed, one hand resting on her thigh, the other holding a cigarette, looking anything but ladylike. It was fortunate she was wearing a jacket and leather pants, not a dress; this wasn’t an image she wanted to be seen in.
Tang Yumeng, known for her gentle and caring demeanor, rarely let her guard down like this.
“Yumeng, I’ve told you countless times, stop smoking. You’re a girl.”
A middle-aged man sat across from her, his brow furrowed, his eyes sharp, wrinkles deepening on his face.
If Chen Xi were here, she would be surprised. This man was none other than Tang He, the chief editor of Wenqing.
Ignoring him, Tang Yumeng continued smoking. She hadn’t smoked before, but in the past two years, venturing out into the world, she had picked up the habit. A pack a day was her norm now.
“Yumeng!”
“Yes?”
Hearing the disapproval in his voice, she knew he was genuinely angry. She stubbed out her cigarette.
It’s just a couple of cigarettes. What’s the big deal? she thought, irritated.
“Yumeng, you’re becoming more and more rebellious. Why start smoking? Of all the things to learn!”
“…”
“Yumeng, I’m telling you again, come home. Leave that place.”
He’s always right. What can I do?
She might have thought that before.
But she wasn’t the same person anymore. She wouldn’t obey blindly.
“Dad, I haven’t changed. I’m still me, still your daughter. You just don’t understand me.”
Tang Yumeng forced a smile.
“Understand you? When have you ever understood me? You have no idea how hard I work, yet you ask me to understand your struggles. You haven’t been a parent; you don’t understand a parent’s worries. Don’t you know how much I worry about you?”
“Yes, I know.”
“You know? All you know is how to smoke.”
“Can we not talk about this?”
“Why can’t you be more like your brother, Yulong? You’re twenty years old! Act your age!”
Here we go again…
Tang Yumeng felt a pang of frustration, but what could she say? Her father was always right.
She understood his concerns. No father wanted his daughter in the entertainment industry, a dark and treacherous place where only the strong survived. Even Nangong Ying’s father disapproved; how could Tang He be any different?
That world was far more chaotic than the literary world.
Tang Yumeng had a twin brother, also twenty, who had debuted as a novelist at Wenqing, his first novel about to be serialized. Tang He intended to groom him into a star author, but Tang Yumeng had no interest in the publishing world; she yearned for the spotlight.
“You’re not a child anymore. You should know what you’re doing. It’s not too late to leave the entertainment industry. Don’t go back.”
Tang He pleaded with his daughter, hoping she would abandon her dreams of stardom. That world wasn’t for everyone; to succeed, one needed talent and resilience.
Tang Yumeng simply smiled.
“I won’t.”
She wouldn’t compromise.
Once she made a decision, she saw it through.
Meanwhile, after settling into her new apartment, Yu Linna’s online furniture order arrived. She called Zhao Yuyan to help assemble it.
“Little Linna, why did you buy furniture that requires assembly? Why not buy pre-assembled furniture? Or hire someone to assemble it for you? This is so troublesome! And the quality is so cheap!”
“Hiring someone costs money! If I can do it myself, I will. I don’t want to rely on others.”
“You’re obsessed with money! It’s just a few hundred yuan!”
Zhao Yuyan wanted to scream.
This girl was incredibly stingy, buying furniture online just to save money. And why choose furniture that required assembly? It was the most troublesome kind. She wished the furniture had arrived on a truck, not in separate boxes delivered by courier.
Yu Linna, the Gold Award winner with three million yuan, was unwilling to spend a little extra? It was baffling!
But it couldn’t be helped. Yu Linna had grown up poor; frugality was ingrained in her. Spending money, even a small amount, still pained her. Old habits died hard.
Zhao Yuyan helped assemble the computer desk, chair, and the living room table, struggling with the instructions for what seemed like hours, managing to attach only one table leg, while Yu Linna had already finished assembling all the furniture in the bedroom. Zhao Yuyan wanted to cry.
“Little Linna, do you have any more furniture to assemble?” she asked, forcing a smile. She was genuinely terrified; if there was more furniture, she might die here.
“I think that’s everything. I don’t need anything else.”
Zhao Yuyan breathed a sigh of relief.
She was done with assembling furniture. She would rather hire someone next time.
“You don’t have much furniture.”
Zhao Yuyan looked around the apartment. Yu Linna had only bought the essentials: a computer desk and chair for the bedroom, a table and two chairs for the living room. That was it. Or perhaps she simply didn’t need anything else.
She was living alone, after all.
Yu Linna had bought a laptop on the day she moved in, claiming it was more convenient for working on the go. It seemed she intended to work even while traveling, a stark contrast to Zhao Yuyan, who had two desktop computers.
“Alright, everything’s assembled. Time for a break.”
“Big Sis Yuyan, thank you so much for your help. Stay for dinner. I’ll cook.”
“Sure!”
Zhao Yuyan, always up for a free meal, readily agreed. And having the adorable Yu Linna cook for her? She was delighted.
Having lived alone for so long, Yu Linna was a skilled cook. And after living with Ye Zhiyun, responsible for all the cooking, her culinary skills had further improved. She went to the market with Zhao Yuyan, buying extra meat to thank her for her help.
Yu Linna’s new kitchen was fully equipped, making cooking a breeze. In her old apartment in the slums, she couldn’t afford proper cookware, subsisting on instant noodles. Now, she could eat whatever she wanted, without worrying about the cost.
“Little Linna, you cook often, don’t you? You look just like my mom when you wear an apron.”
“Since I lived alone before, I’m quite used to cooking. I’ll make you something delicious.”
“Lived alone? Why? Is your family away?”
“…Yeah, something like that.”
Yu Linna avoided the topic, continuing to wash the vegetables.
In her apron, she looked like a proper housewife. If she weren’t so petite, people would be spamming the comments with “I love you, Mrs. Yu!”
“Little Linna, I read your novel. When are you writing the next volume?”
Zhao Yuyan, sitting in the living room, scrolling through her phone, tried to make conversation. Having been emotionally scarred by the ending of Ballad of the Enchantress, she was eager for the next installment. But the first volume hadn’t even been published yet; her impatience was evident.
“The second volume won’t be ready anytime soon. I’m aiming to finish it by April, then I’ll take a break from writing in May.”
With the gaokao approaching, Yu Linna didn’t want to waste any time, so she had to work quickly. Zhao Yuyan understood, but she was still eager for the next volume.
“What’s going to happen in the second volume? Will Xu Anqi and Ye Han meet again? If not, I’m sending you razor blades!”
“Big Sis Yuyan, why are you so invested? The book hasn’t even been published yet, and it doesn’t even have illustrations…”
“Just tell me! Will they meet or not?!”
“Okay, okay, a little spoiler: they will meet again, but it won’t be easy.”
“What?! You’re writing a tragic romance? I’m going to kill you!”
“No, no, no! I promise, it won’t be tragic! It will be beautiful! Trust me!”
Yu Linna spent a while calming her down, her investment in the story evident. The renowned Air, getting worked up over Shion’s novel? If her fans knew, it would be hilarious.
Yu Linna herself didn’t understand why Zhao Yuyan was so invested in her story, especially with its heavy ending. She seemed to have forgotten that a good ending, or in this case, a thought-provoking ending, was crucial for hooking readers, leaving them wanting more.
“Dinner’s ready, Big Sis Yuyan! I made steamed fish. Try it.”
“Mmm, this is delicious! Even better than restaurant food! Little Linna, you could be a chef if you weren’t a writer~”
“I’ll pass on being a chef. I don’t like greasy kitchens. Come on, eat.”
Yu Linna picked up her chopsticks and continued eating. Having just moved in, she still had a lot to do, and she needed energy.
And with school starting soon, time was of the essence.
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