Huayu: It's normal for me, as a director, to mentor young actresses, right?

Chapter 86 Li Xue's Journey to the Zhang Family

After saying goodbye to Wang Jinghua, Li Xue returned to her small rented room, packed her luggage briefly, and booked a high-speed rail ticket home for the next morning.

She doesn't have a stable job in Yanjing and doesn't need to take leave, which is probably the only advantage of being a self-employed person.

The high-speed train from Yanjing to Jinan takes less than two hours. If she leaves in the morning, she can make it in time for lunch, which is perfect since she was also missing her mother's cooking.

When Li Xue arrived home, her mother was busy in the kitchen. The aroma of food wafted out, and the familiar smell made her feel instantly like she had truly come home.

"Oh, my eldest daughter's back!" Hearing the door open, her mother came out and glanced at her, her face immediately lighting up with delight. "Why didn't you tell me beforehand? Come on in, your father went to fetch spring water early this morning and just brewed some tea. Have a couple of sips to warm yourself up."

Seeing the smile on her mother's face, Li Xue felt a warm glow in her heart. Having been away from home in Yanjing for so long, she always felt a deep longing for her family.

"Mom, I'm back," Li Xue said softly to her mother.

"You're a lucky girl," the mother said, turning back to the kitchen. "Your dad just bought some meat this morning, and it's been stewing for a while now. We'll be able to eat it soon."

Li Xue smiled and nodded, "Then I'll go see my dad first."

Li Xue's father heard the noise at the door early in the morning, but he restrained the urge to get up and take a look. He simply tidied up the sofa next to him and poured a cup of freshly brewed tea and placed it beside him.

"Dad, I'm home." Li Xue poked her head out from the entrance and waved to her father in the living room.

The father smiled happily, but perhaps feeling that he was being too obvious, he deliberately suppressed his smile before speaking: "My daughter is back. Come and sit down. I just made some tea."

Li Xue didn't care about any of that. She sat down next to her father, took his arm, and said coquettishly, "Dad, I missed you and Mom so much in Yanjing."

"If you miss your mother, come back and visit more often." The father poured himself another cup of tea, his tone calm and even. "Your mother talks about you every day at home."

"Okay, I'll come back when I have time." Li Xue picked up the teacup and blew on it; the tea was still a little hot from the freshly poured tea.

"How many days are you staying this time?" The father put down the teapot and asked casually.

In his heart, he didn't really support Li Xue, a girl, working hard alone in Yanjing.

Whether you want to open a dance studio or a teahouse, isn't it all the same if you open one in Jinan? You'll have someone to look after you at home.

But every time he saw Li Xue happily talking about her future teahouse, her eyes full of anticipation and longing, he couldn't bring himself to say anything that would hurt his daughter.

"Stay a few more days," Li Xue said, putting down his teacup. "I don't have much work in Yanjing, so I can stay longer."

"Hmm." A slight smile seemed to appear on his father's lips, but it quickly disappeared, making Li Xue think he was seeing things.

The atmosphere between the father and daughter quieted down again, and they both drank their tea in silence, neither of them speaking again.

The only sounds in the house were tea being poured into cups and the clanging of spatulas in the kitchen.

"Daughter, husband. Wash your hands and come eat." The mother's voice broke the silence, and the two of them got up and walked to the bathroom.

Once Li Xue was seated at the dining table, her eyes lit up at the aroma wafting from it. "I've been craving this since I was in Yanjing! It smells so good!"

"You silly child, eat more if it smells good." The mother smiled as she served the rice and handed it to him.

"Thank you, Mom. I'm going to eat now." Li Xue took the rice bowl and eagerly picked up a piece of braised pork with her chopsticks.

"They studied in a big city, after all. They'll thank you when they come back," the father said, putting down his chopsticks and making a rare joke.

His mother ignored him, only telling Li Xue, "Eat slowly, no one's going to take it from you."

Li Xue nodded, but her mouth never stopped moving.

After they had almost finished eating, the father put down his chopsticks. "Did you come home this time... for something?"

"Can't I just miss you, sir?" Li Xue put down his chopsticks and looked at his father with a grin.

Her father didn't reply, but just looked at her calmly.

"Okay, okay." Li Xue pouted, "Someone asked me to become a star, and I wanted to come back and discuss it with you guys."

"Is it still the Korean S... or something?" The mother frowned, her voice tinged with worry.

Going to Yanjing is far enough; if we go abroad as well, who knows how many years it will take before we can see each other again.

"No, this time it's a domestic agency." Li Xue quickly explained, "The person who contacted me is Wang Jinghua. You may not have heard of her, but she's very powerful. You know Chen Daoming, right? He's the one who often plays emperors. He's an artist under her management."

Li Xue's parents were somewhat surprised to hear the name Chen Daoming.

At that time, Chen Daoming was very popular and could be considered a household name.

"Do you want to go?" The father was silent for a moment, not making any decision based on the name, but first asking Li Xue for his own thoughts.

After much deliberation, Li Xue solemnly uttered a single word: "I want to."

The father and mother exchanged a glance. The mother seemed reluctant, but didn't say anything.

"Then go ahead," the father nodded. "If you get too tired, come back. There's always food to eat."

Li Xue nodded, picked up his chopsticks again, and took a piece of meat. He didn't know when he would be able to come back after this trip to Yanjing, so he wanted to eat a little more.

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"They said they'd stay a couple more days, and they really did." At the entrance of Jinan Station, the mother couldn't help but murmur, "It's getting cold, wear more clothes. When you get to Yanjing, eat well..."

"Okay, okay, Mom, I know." Li Xue deliberately feigned impatience and pouted. "If you keep nagging, my head will spin."

Her mother pretended to be angry and patted her on the shoulder, but stopped nagging and moved aside to make room for her father.

After the mother and daughter finished speaking, the father came up to them, looking very serious. "When you go to sign the contract this time, you must hire a lawyer to take a look. Don't be stingy with the money. If you don't have enough money, just tell the family."

Li Xue nodded and carefully memorized it.

"Whether you become a star or not is not a big deal," her father said after seeing her nod. "The most important thing is that you are happy. Your parents will always support you."

Li Xue's nose tingled, but she smiled and nodded, "I'm very happy."

The father nodded and waved, "Go on, it's time to check your tickets. Your mother and I will see you off here."

The mother wanted to say something, but after opening her mouth, she didn't make a sound. She just waved her hand vigorously at her daughter.

Li Xue took a deep breath, waved, and turned to walk towards the ticket gate.

After walking a few steps, she couldn't help but look back.

The parents were still standing there.

Li Xuechong and the others smiled brightly, then quickened their pace and entered the waiting hall.

This trip to Yanjing will be a completely different life.