Chapter 62

"Are we really going to eat at a hotel?" Seina Chiharu asked with some concern.

"Of course not, only fools eat at hotels!" Shen Zhenghui smirked. "Forget it, I won't trouble you, who have only been in Beijing for a few months, to find a place to eat. I'll take you somewhere."

Shen Zhenghui hailed a taxi and, once inside, gave the name of a restaurant.

It was a high-end Sichuan cuisine restaurant, conveniently located not far from the drama school, and it was a favorite among the second-generation elites like Wang Anran. The class level was quite high.

So when Seina Chiharu and Shen Zhenghui arrived at this Sichuan restaurant, which looked ancient and elegant from the outside, Seina Chiharu was somewhat shocked.

"This used to be a prince's mansion from the Qing Dynasty, and it's considered the best Sichuan restaurant in all of Beijing," Shen Zhenghui explained.

Seina Chiharu looked at the restaurant name, inscribed by a leader, with admiration. "The best?"

"Of course, and the portions are small, perfect for two people," Shen Zhenghui smirked. "Can you handle spicy food?"

Seina Chiharu's face showed a struggle. "I can eat it," she hesitated, "but I'm afraid it will cause me to break out."

"Don't worry, we'll order some non-spicy dishes too. It's fine," Shen Zhenghui said, pulling Seina Chiharu into the restaurant.

"Sir, are you here to eat? We're fully booked right now, you'll need to wait," the waiter smiled, with many people waiting to eat in the hall.

"I want a private room."

"All the private rooms are full. Did you make a reservation?" the young waitress still smiled.

"Is Ping An Xuan available? Let's go there," Shen Zhenghui asked.

"Ping An Xuan?" The waitress's smile stiffened. "I'll check with the manager."

The manager was already walking over. "Isn't this Master Shen? How many people? Two? Master Wang isn't with you?"

The manager, Pu Tao, clearly recognized Shen Zhenghui, who often came with Wang Anran, and greeted him proactively.

Shen Zhenghui shuddered at being called "Master." "Wang Anran isn't coming, it's just the two of us."

"I'll lead you," Pu Tao nodded and bowed, leading Shen Zhenghui and Seina Chiharu upstairs, and instructed the waitress, "You take care of the others."

The waitress walked away with an envious look. Having a fixed private room in the restaurant meant they were no ordinary people.

As he led the way, Pu Tao tried to chat with Shen Zhenghui. "Master Shen, it's been a while since you've been here! Master Wang comes less often too!"

"Should I tell him to cancel the private room?" Shen Zhenghui smiled.

"No, no, it's an honor for our restaurant," Pu Tao hurriedly defended. "Old Master Wang comes less often, but Minister Wang comes frequently."

Shen Zhenghui didn't respond, and Seina Chiharu followed him into a room with ancient decor, where Pu Tao waited like a waiter to take their order.

"Manager Pu, just send a waiter. You have other things to do," Shen Zhenghui picked up the menu, opened it, and handed it to Seina Chiharu, who could see the pictures of the dishes. "You choose."

Pu Tao bowed and said, "Alright, I'll leave then." A smart waiter had already come in to take over.

The prices on the menu weren't too outrageous, and Seina Chiharu tried to identify which dishes were not spicy from the pictures.

Shen Zhenghui casually ordered a few small dishes he often ate.

Seina Chiharu ordered a few soups and put down the menu. The waiter left the private room and closed the door.

Seina Chiharu looked around curiously and asked, "Is this a restaurant only the Chinese elite can come to?"

"Not anymore. Look, there are ordinary people in the hall below," Shen Zhenghui replied.

"But the chefs for the ordinary people are different, right? There must be special chefs for the elite."

"Like you and me?" Shen Zhenghui smiled.

Seina Chiharu smiled slightly, lowered her head, and showed a look of longing. "I wonder if the food here is as good as the sushi from the Sushi God."

"Opening a branch only after having a son is too outdated, isn't it?"

"I agree," Seina Chiharu nodded. "But that's tradition!"

Shen Zhenghui didn't respond. It was hard to say whether this was tradition or a remnant of the industrialized society. People are fragile and can't adapt to drastic changes, always missing the old things. The 80s generation, living in a fully industrialized era, started to feel nostalgic in their 20s and 30s, let alone people from other generations. Time ruthlessly washes away the old, but some things remain, mixed with the new.

The Sichuan restaurant served the dishes quickly. Shen Zhenghui and Seina Chiharu briefly discussed the preparation of a new TV drama, and the waiter brought in the dishes. Shen Zhenghui ordered stir-fried pork, a rich soup with old tofu, and boiled beef, all good with rice. Seina Chiharu ordered a sour radish duck soup and a carp soup, and the table was filled with a variety of dishes, making Seina Chiharu gasp, "We won't finish this, will we?"

"Whatever we don't finish, we can take home," Shen Zhenghui said.

"I don't have a fridge where I live," Seina Chiharu frowned.

"Ha, eat up, we might not have enough!" Shen Zhenghui laughed.

Indeed, Shen Zhenghui, who had been almost driven mad by Japanese food, burst into action, eating several times his usual amount. Seina Chiharu's appetite was also stimulated by the delicious flavors, and they didn't talk much while eating.

When they were almost done, they started drinking the soup, and Shen Zhenghui asked about Seina Chiharu's studies and how she was getting along with her classmates.

"Everyone is very considerate, seeing that I'm a foreigner," Seina Chiharu said.

Shen Zhenghui smirked.

"They're all curious about me acting in movies," Seina Chiharu continued. "Some of them want to develop in Japan and have been asking me about it."

"Japan has an oversupply of actors," Shen Zhenghui smiled. "Live-action movies have been in a long-term slump, and the film industry has been hit by Hollywood. It's not doing well at all. Haven't you told your classmates this?"

"I have," Seina Chiharu looked troubled, "but they don't believe me. They say even if that's true, it's still better than in China, at least Japanese TV dramas are good. So they still want to go to Japan through me!"

"Forget about them," Shen Zhenghui shook his head.

"Okay," Seina Chiharu nodded.

After the meal, Shen Zhenghui ordered a sausage to take away. Then he took Seina Chiharu back to the hotel to chat. It wasn't suitable to do intense exercise right after eating, so they walked back to the hotel, chatting about recent events. Seina Chiharu was happy to talk to Shen Zhenghui about her acting studies.

"Yes, I feel the Chinese teachers are very comprehensive, and their teaching methods are very... academic, different from the training courses I took in Japan. They cover almost every aspect and type, and the requirements for basic skills are very high. I thought I wouldn't be able to do it, but the teacher said I did well. I'm just a bit hesitant when playing characters with completely different personalities," Seina Chiharu said happily. "I feel like I didn't learn much the last time I came to China, but this time I've gained a lot."

"That's because you're in an academic school," Shen Zhenghui smiled, looking at the excited Seina Chiharu sharing her experiences. "China's training for actors is very strict, involving several years of formal courses, unlike Japan's methods."

"Yes, I've felt that," Seina Chiharu nodded and continued, "I feel the regular students are very impressive, with much stronger basic skills than me. The teachers are also very impressive. For them, playing any role, any expression, and any emotion seems effortless, while I have to spend a lot of time to get into the right state."

"How long have they been in the acting profession? How long have you been?" Shen Zhenghui teased.

Seina Chiharu's face turned red. "Shen, logically, with such good actors and training methods in China, your film industry should be very developed, right?"

Shen Zhenghui rolled his eyes. "That has nothing to do with the entertainment industry," he said. "The development of the film industry isn't determined by just one factor."

"Oh, really?" Seina Chiharu looked thoughtful, making Shen Zhenghui want to pat her head.

"Alright, stop thinking about it," Shen Zhenghui pulled her hand. "What are you thinking about?"

Seina Chiharu smiled. "I'm thinking about what it would be like if you come back to China to make movies in the future."

Shen Zhenghui was surprised by her idea. "Do you think I'll come back to make movies here?"

"I think so," Seina Chiharu nodded vigorously. "It feels like you're training in Japan, and when you become a master, you'll return to China, just like the students who studied in Japan in the past, came back to serve their country after learning skills." Seina Chiharu's eyes sparkled, her sincere gaze making Shen Zhenghui's heart flutter.

"Is that so?" Seina Chiharu asked.

"I haven't deliberately planned to do that," Shen Zhenghui said, "but in my heart, I shouldn't be limited to just China or Japan."

"Hmm? What do you mean?" Seina Chiharu asked curiously.

"My own arrogant idea, I'll tell you, but don't tell anyone else," Shen Zhenghui cleared his throat. "To me, I should be the Shen Zhenghui of Asia, the Shen Zhenghui of the world."

Seina Chiharu's admiring gaze made Shen Zhenghui a bit intoxicated.

"Chiharu," Shen Zhenghui said seriously, "you've been away for so long, don't you know how much I missed you? You didn't even tell me you were leaving."

Seina Chiharu's face turned red. "Yes, I'm sorry," she said softly. "I missed you too."

With a click, the hotel room door opened and then closed immediately.