Huayu: I'm reborn, but you still force me to be a scumbag?

Chapter 429: Dizzy
Yui Aragaki got up very early that day.

She got up at 6:30 a.m. to put on makeup, and by 8:30 a.m., she had left her rented apartment building.

Real estate agent Kaito Nakamura's used Honda Accord was parked on the side of the road.

However, somewhat strangely, Nakamura did not wait in the car as usual, but stood by the car door, carefully looking her up and down as she walked over.

Aragaki Yui felt a little shy under the middle-aged man's gaze. She subconsciously made a gesture of gathering her hair with her hands, then bowed slightly and said, "Good morning, Nakamura-san. Please take care of me today."

Nakamura finally smiled with satisfaction and said, "Good morning, Gakki, get in the car."

Yui Aragaki bowed and said, "Hi!"

The streets of Tokyo were not yet fully lit, and the morning mist still carried a damp chill, but many commuters were already hurrying along the road.

Yui Aragaki sat properly in the back seat, tilting her head to look at the street scene outside the window. For this Okinawan girl, Tokyo, which she only visited during promotional periods, was like a perpetually noisy yet unfamiliar stage, one she could never truly adapt to. That cold and sophisticated rhythm always put immense pressure on her, and every time she came, she longed to escape immediately.

Nakamura Kaito glanced at her in the rearview mirror and suddenly said, "Gakki-chan, this new drama by Director Mitsui is a rare opportunity for you. You must do your best today."

Yui Aragaki turned around, looked into Nakamura's eyes in the rearview mirror, and said earnestly, "Yes, Nakamura-san. I will definitely do my best."

Nakamura nodded and emphasized, "We must not be careless like last time. This time, no one can help us. We have to rely on ourselves for everything."

Upon hearing Nakamura mention "last time," Yui Aragaki's expression immediately became somewhat uneasy, and she lowered her head, saying, "Hey, it definitely won't happen!"

She lowered her head, her emotions a jumble of thoughts, and didn't notice the fleeting smile that crossed Nakamura's face in the rearview mirror.

The incident Nakamura was referring to was the "telephone accident" that happened not long ago on the show "Why Not Laugh?"

At the time, she was promoting her starring drama "Full Throttle Girl" on television. Receiving an invitation from Tamorisan to "Why Not Laugh?" was a rare promotional opportunity for her.

However, due to her momentary negligence, she did not receive the live call arranged by the program team, which almost caused a serious broadcasting accident.

If it weren't for someone cleverly covering up her mistakes on the show, her acting career might have ended there.

This is by no means alarmist.

As one of Japan's five major commercial broadcasting networks, if Fuji Television were truly determined to blacklist an artist, a single notice could make her disappear completely from all its programs.

Fortunately, someone saved her life.

It also aroused the curiosity of many viewers, who wondered if she, who was "swallowed by dreams," would appear in the next episode. As a result, her episode of "Laugh Out Loud" actually had exceptionally high ratings.

Afterwards, many people said that she was a lucky person blessed by God, and that she was able to turn misfortune into blessing.

But she felt incredibly awkward inside.

The banquet from several years ago had haunted her ever since. The experience of almost being given away as merchandise had become a persistent nightmare, making her, already not very outgoing, even more taciturn. She felt only fear, no affection, for that person.

She longed to escape the shadow he cast over her, but she could never manage it.

Ever since she became an overnight sensation in Japan because of his "head pat" on the TV show "Human Observation," her name has been brought up and discussed extensively by the media every time he appears in the news or visits Japan.

Just like with "Laugh Out Loud," if he hadn't been the guest in the previous episode, they wouldn't have invited her as the guest in the next episode in order to achieve better program effects.

However, she almost ruined it in the end, which also made her owe him another favor.

"Sigh." Thinking of this, Yui Aragaki's feelings became even more complicated.

At 9:30 a.m. on August 29, 2011, she and Nakamura arrived at a coffee shop in Daikanyama. She had been informed that she would be meeting with television drama director Mitsui there.

The cafe wasn't big, and there was only one other table of customers inside at that moment. Yui Aragaki, wearing a mask, entered, ordered coffee with Nakamura, and then sat down in a corner to wait.

After waiting for more than ten minutes, Director Mitsui still hadn't arrived. Nakamura checked his watch and said, "Gakki, I'll go call and ask what's going on."

Nakamura went out, and Aragaki Yui picked up her coffee and took a sip.

……

……

Yui Aragaki looked completely bewildered at this moment, as if she knew nothing, which brought smiles to the faces of many viewers.

这是2011年9月5日晚上7点零5分。

As promised, TBS adjusted the broadcast time of "Human Observation," taking over the prime time slot on Saturday to air this extended 2-hour special program.

The location was still that fancy studio.

The host is still Ryuichi Kosugi, and the three regular guests are the funny Becky, the serious Yoshida Taku, and the sharp-tongued Kondo Haruna. The guest is still Haruka Ayase.

Unlike four years ago, this time the program footage that everyone in the studio watched together was pre-recorded and post-processed, with colorful Japanese subtitles and off-screen commentary.

Just now, the commentator made a joke that made the audience and the host laugh.

Kosugi Ryuichi said, "Gakki is so cute. I really look forward to seeing what kind of expression she'll have when she sees Chen Sang."

Becky said, "I can't wait for Chen Sang to arrive."

Kondo Haruna said, "What's it to you?"

Becky stated matter-of-factly, "I was a witness to their past relationship."

Kosugi Ryuichi interjected, "Haruka-chan, what about you? Are you looking forward to it?"

Haruka Ayase forced a smile and said, "Of course, I'd also like to see what Gakki's expression will be when she sees Chen-san."

Kosugi Ryuichi smiled and said, "I believe that millions of Japanese viewers, like Haruka-chan, are looking forward to the first meeting between Chen-kun and Gakki-chan in a few years."

The number of millions here is not an exaggeration.

Chen Nuo's return to Japan to appear on "Human Observation" to fulfill a promise to his fans, after being promoted by TBS, had already caused a huge stir online and in real life.

Whether on 2ch or Yahoo Japan's entertainment forums, there are hundreds or even thousands of posts discussing this matter.

On 2ch, in the post titled "So that Chen Nuojun can be on 'Human Observation' again as soon as possible," those fans who posted their ticket stubs, including Cherry, Orange, Lily, Ayano, and Peach, regarded this as a great victory day in which they participated.

"We did it! Chen Sang is back!"

"Everyone, thank you for your hard work these past few days! We really brought him back with our box office success!"

"Great! I'll definitely stay glued to the TV!"

“I’ve made up my mind. I won’t cook that day. My husband and son will eat convenience store bento boxes instead.”

"Me too. I'm going to make the curry in advance and let them heat it up and eat it themselves on the day. I'll focus on watching the show!"

These ordinary yet passionate voices have converged into an undeniable torrent, surging online and echoing in reality.

As soon as the show started airing today, the ratings on the TVBS program "Human Observation" jumped to 24.9%.

The premiere ratings were 2 percentage points higher than the previous episode's highest ratings, ranking second this year, only behind the 31.6% of the March 18 episode of "SMAP x SMAP," which is an absolutely terrifying figure.

Although it was somewhat expected, it still made Takeru Satoh, who had come to the scene specifically to supervise, beam with joy. He sincerely patted Naoki Takizawa on the shoulder and said, "Takizawa-kun, you've worked hard these past few days."

Naoki Takizawa is no longer the impetuous young man he was four years ago. Although he felt that he had been working tirelessly on post-production for the past few days, not only writing the script, supervising the voice acting, but also editing, and had probably slept less than 10 hours in three days, he immediately shook his head and said, "No, this is all my duty."

Sato Takeru nodded in satisfaction and said, "It seems you've done a great job so far. I won't forget your contributions, Takizawa-kun."

"Hi!"

"So, you're doing this on purpose?" Takeru Satoh pointed to a screen on the video wall in front of him.

Half a minute passed, and Yui Aragaki was still there, listlessly drinking coffee. Although there were voice-over comments about Yui Aragaki, the plot did not make any substantial progress.

Generally speaking, doing this would severely impact the viewership of variety shows.

Naoki Takizawa nodded in agreement, "Yes, that's right."

Takeru Satoh laughed and said, "Are you trying to make the audience more and more excited? But aren't you worried about the backlash? You seem very confident, Takizawa-kun."

Naoki Takizawa said, "I wouldn't dare, I just..." Before he could finish speaking, another minute had passed on the viewership monitor in front of him. The updated curve not only did not decline, but it suddenly jumped up again, eventually reaching 25.5%.

He breathed a sigh of relief; there was no need to say anything more.

Takeru Satoh saw it too, and his smile widened. "Well done, Takizawa-kun. It seems you were right, and we were right too, haha."

What does this have to do with you, you lazy good-for-nothing! You haven't cared about the planning, recording, or post-production for a single second; all you do is flatter Chen Jun.

"Hey, it's all thanks to Minister Sato's excellent leadership."

"Hahaha, Takizawa-kun, you... wait, is this Chen-kun?"

"Yes, that's right, Minister Sato."

"Is...is that so? Takizawa-kun, you really, really are a genius."

"No, not me."

"Oh?" Takeru Satoh was stunned, then exclaimed in surprise, "Could it be..."

“That’s right, this is Chen Jun’s suggestion.” Naoki Takizawa looked at the television screen in front of him.

Not only Takeru Satoh, but all the viewers in Japan, including the hosts in the studio, stared in astonishment.

Because the man who walked in through the door at that moment was someone they had never seen before.

He wore a baseball cap that covered his forehead, large black-rimmed glasses, and a light mustache. He wore a loose-fitting Astro Boy T-shirt, capri pants, and sneakers, and carried a black backpack.

His entire appearance, except for his mustache, instantly reminded every Japanese person who saw him of one word: otaku.

Then, he looked around to make sure he was in the right place, and then walked to Yui Aragaki's seat.

Yui Aragaki also noticed the man walking towards her immediately.

She obviously didn't recognize him, after all, Chen Nuo's outfit was really too different from his usual style.

Voiceover: "At this moment, Gakki doesn't recognize that the otaku walking towards her is Chen Jun at all. How will she react?"

Chen Nuo walked up to Yui Aragaki's table and asked, "Is this seat taken? May I sit here?"

Yui Aragaki shook her head and said, "Sorry, this place is taken."

Voiceover: "But Chen Jun ignored him."

Chen Nuo plopped down. "Hahahaha." Accompanied by canned laughter, Aragaki Yui paused for a moment, then glanced at Chen Nuo, frowning slightly, clearly a little startled: "Eh...excuse me, who are you...?"

A burst of laughter erupted in the studio. Host Ryuichi Kosugi chuckled, "She really didn't recognize me! That was a huge success!"

Chen Nuo lowered his voice and said mysteriously, "I just saw you at the door. Are you... Yui Aragaki?"

Yui Aragaki lowered her head, offering an awkward yet polite smile, and began to demonstrate the professionalism of a Japanese entertainer: "Yes, I am..."

A voice-over immediately interjects: "As expected of an artist, even when faced with a strange otaku who suddenly strikes up a conversation, he can still maintain a polite smile!"

Chen Nuo said in a serious tone, "Great! I'm actually a fan of yours—can I take a picture with you?"

Yui Aragaki took a small step back: "...Excuse me, it's not convenient right now."

Voiceover: "Gakki's alert level has risen to 80%! How will Chen Jun respond at this time?"

Chen Nuo leaned back and said, "It's okay, I can sit here until it's convenient for you."

"Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!"

This statement was a direct hit to the Japanese, and countless people, whether in the studio, the control room, or in front of their televisions, burst into laughter.

Yui Aragaki looked up, as if she was about to say something.

Suddenly, as if struck by lightning, his face was filled with disbelief.

She stood frozen for a full two seconds before letting out a soft gasp:
"Chen—Jun!?!?!?!?!?!"

The hosts in the studio all laughed.

Kosugi Ryuichi excitedly shouted, "It's here! It's here! It's appeared!!"

Becky laughed: "She's going to cry, isn't she? She's about to cry, isn't she?!"

Voiceover: "Chen Jun and Gakki meet again after four years—completely catching Gakki off guard! How will Gakki react next?"

Yui Aragaki covered her mouth, repeating incoherently, "Wh-how could it be you...you, how could you...how..."

Chen Nuo smiled, reached out, and ruffled her hair without saying hello.

In that instant, in Tokyo's Minato Ward, Kyoto's Fushimi, Sendai's old houses, and Hokkaido's Sapporo, countless people felt their time flow backward.

That heart that didn't want to grow old, those unspoken feelings of affection, the sweet scent that filled the air that summer—all of it poured out of my heart like a tidal wave with this scene.

But this head pat, which feels just like yesterday, is not the end.

The bespectacled, slightly crooked mustache-sticker guy on TV smiled in front of the hidden camera pointing directly at him. He was still as gentle as ever, but this time, his Japanese was much more fluent.

He said, "Long time no see, please take care of me."

Many people in front of the television
Whether they are working mothers, married housewives, young white-collar workers after get off work, or mature women who are now mothers, at this moment, they all smiled through their tears, just like Yui Aragaki.

……

……

For many Japanese, the most beautiful dream of this summer unfolded after this dramatic beginning.

It wasn't just the women who enjoyed the subsequent sweet and romantic scenes; as Chen Nuo had guessed, many otaku had also joined the ranks.

Although Yui Aragaki wasn't famous yet at this time, she was able to rank third in Oricon's "Most Desirable Female Celebrity to Date" survey, only behind Haruka Ayase and Maki Horikita. This was all thanks to the support of male otaku.

Although he was ridiculed for saying it later, on that night, many Japanese otaku really put themselves in Chen Nuo's shoes, fantasizing about having an extremely romantic date with the star with a bright smile.

They went to play in the stream together.

We also strolled together on the street.

Finally, as night fell, we went to see one of the hottest movies of the summer.

When the movie ended and they parted ways, they hugged each other to say goodbye.

As the woman walked away into the night, the man also walked to the other side.

The subtle ambiguity created a beautiful atmosphere, and everything was just right. Even Ayase Haruka, who was initially uncomfortable, couldn't help but feel moved by the end.

The viewership ratings for Sato Takeru and Takizawa Naoki have been steadily rising and are about to surpass SMAP's viewership record for this year.

Just when everyone thought this was the end of this episode of Human Observation,

Suddenly, the girl in the light blue dress turned around on the Tokyo street at night and called out, "Chen Sang."

Chen Nuo stopped and turned around.

In the footage, the girl lifts her skirt and runs quickly towards him through the brightly lit streets.

She stopped in front of him, took a couple of breaths, and then suddenly stood on tiptoe and kissed his lips.

"Wow!!!!!!"

A gasp rippled through the studio.

Haruka Ayase was stunned.

Everyone watching on television was stunned.

Only an off-screen voice loudly proclaims, "What! Gakki actually kissed Chen Jun on her own initiative! We're just a prank show, we don't want to be on the world news!"

Instantly separate.

Yui Aragaki bowed deeply and said, "Smimasai, Arigatou!"

Then she ran away at an even faster speed.

It's important to know that Makoto Shinkai's later success was largely due to his ability to depict moments like these.

The Japanese have an ingrained fascination with this kind of fleeting encounter.

Yui Aragaki's turning kiss is like Takaki in "5 Centimeters Per Second" who can't catch the train, or like the unfinished confession on a rainy day in "The Garden of Words," breaking the hearts of countless Japanese people while moving them deeply.

As Chen Nuo stood on the streetlight, watching Yui Aragaki's retreating figure one last time, he smiled nonchalantly and turned to leave.

The voice-over says, "Ah! The final twist startled even the narrator. It seems that Chen Jun and Gakki's story has taken an unexpected turn. What will happen next? I really look forward to their reunion."

The Japanese really like this ending.

Not only did it set a new Japanese viewership record for the year on the day of its broadcast, keeping Takeru Satoh and Naoki Takizawa drinking all night, but the day after the show aired, Inception's box office saw a significant surge against the trend.

Early on the morning of September 4th, Yamamoto from Toho called Chen Nuo, excitedly saying, "Mr. Chen, we did it! Titanic is now beneath our feet, and we are now the second-highest-grossing film in Japanese film history!"

Chen Nuo, who was still half asleep, woke up instantly upon hearing this. He removed the hand from his stomach, sat up, and asked, "What's the box office figure now?"

"263.1 billion yen! We sold 310 million yen yesterday, a full 158% increase from the day before. Mr. Chen, it's been seven weeks, and we're still managing to break 300 million yen a day. It's all thanks to you, you've created a miracle!"

263 billion, which is equivalent to US$3.42 million according to the 2011 exchange rate.

Since its release in Japan on July 15, Inception has grossed $3.42 million in the Japanese market in seven weeks, exceeding his expectations, Warner Bros.' expectations, and everyone's expectations.

The box office of over 3 million US dollars is not just due to the added value of 3D movies and IMAX theaters; this is the kind of box office that only phenomenal movies can achieve in Japan.

As the world's second-largest film market, when have the Japanese ever been so welcoming of a foreign science fiction film?!

All I can say is that his efforts were worthwhile!

With this, Japan became the third country, after the US, UK, China, and South Korea, to break the box office record of "Titanic." "Inception" also reached a global box office of $21.4 billion, officially surpassing the Titanic's $21.3 billion to become the second highest-grossing film in global film history.

It's easy to imagine that the media will hype this up, and cinema managers will have plenty of confidence to extend screenings. Where will Inception go from here? It's not over yet!
No matter how indifferent Chen Nuo is to fame and fortune, and how much he doesn't love beautiful women, he is a true gentleman. Even if Zhu Xi were reborn, at this historic moment, he couldn't help but feel complacent and elated once again.

Turning his head, he noticed that the woman on the bed had woken up at some point. She was pulling the blanket over her flat chest and staring at him with wide eyes, her expression carrying a shyness and docility unique to Japanese women.

He was blinded by money and desperately needed the help of beautiful women to calm him down in order to prevent himself from going astray. Without saying a word, he pressed his hand on her.

"Ah!" Yui Aragaki exclaimed in surprise, "Wait, wait a minute, Chen-kun, I, I haven't..."

Unfortunately, Chen Nuo wouldn't be soft-hearted towards a woman who offered herself up.

After it was all over and his mind cleared, Chen Nuo knew it was time to give an explanation for his reckless behavior over the past few days.

In other words, give him some money for the night, gag him, and then he'll do whatever he wants. He already has enough women in his harem; he can play around with them, but he's not interested in adding more for now.

Come to think of it, it's all his fault for getting so caught up in the role he was filming "People's Observation" that day that he couldn't resist the temptation.

He appears to be following the Makoto Shinkai route on the show, but in reality, he is Makoto Itō.

That evening, after recording the show, Yui Aragaki called him and rambled on for a long time on the phone.

He was still caught up in the drama at that time, annoyed by the stupid Japanese scumbag script written by that pretentious intellectual Takizawa Naoki. So he resorted to his old trick and asked Allison and Gulnazar to get a big box and load it up for him.

After spending the night there, the next morning they packed Gakki-chan back into a box and sent her out again. Tell me, isn't this Ito Makoto just as bad as he seems? If Chinese girls found out about this more than ten years later, wouldn't he be reported?

But this is 2011, and it's in Japan, so not only is nothing wrong, but Yui Aragaki seems to be addicted to it, and she even came twice last night.

Aragaki, along with Ayaka Ayaka, spent this time in Japan, taking turns planting seeds and indulging in nightly revelry, truly forgetting all about home.

While Yui Aragaki may not be the ultimate experience, she is obedient and compliant, with long and shapely legs. Apart from her small breasts being a flaw, everything else is passable.

Not only was the bed more comfortable, but Yui Aragaki also inspired him to collaborate on a project with Fuji Television.

Yesterday, after several days of negotiations, he and Fuji TV finally signed a contract to each invest 50% in the production of a comedy TV series, which also marks the end of his trip to Japan.

"The script has been found, and I think the female lead is suitable for you. Tell your agency to contact Fuji TV."

Yui Aragaki was taken aback and instinctively wanted to refuse.

Chen Nuo waved his hand and said indifferently, "Just nod."

Yui Aragaki paused, her face flushing slightly, her heart racing. That unreasonable, unyielding tone, that gentle yet domineering aura—it was the perfect man every Japanese woman dreamed of, and she was no exception.

Her face flushed, and she stammered, "I...I want to know if this is suitable for me? What role would I play? What's the name of the script?"

Chen Nuo said calmly, "The name is 'Beauty is Justice,' and you'll play a lawyer."

(End of this chapter)