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

Chapter 465 How to Deal with Female Intellectuals (8100 words)
That's from a past life.

Chen Nuo remembered that it was around this time that he went to the tavern for the first time. A friend of a friend took him there.

He had forgotten the girl's name, and the details of the whole incident were also very vague.

What I can remember now is that when he drove to pick her up, she was dressed in a bohemian style, which made him, a country bumpkin who hadn't traveled much abroad at the time, witness for the first time in real life what a bohemian young man from a big city was like.

That evening, after dinner, she took him to the little tavern that would later become very famous.

To be specific, as I said before, too much time has passed, and he can't remember some of it clearly anymore.

Chen Nuo remembered that the shop was very small, easily missed if you weren't paying attention. The interior and exterior were both dark; what might be considered individualistic by artsy types, he found unsettlingly gloomy. The walls inside were covered with some incomprehensible, gaudy paintings and old photographs. There was a small stage; when he went, a long-haired man was singing on it, while a group of brightly dressed, flamboyant young people huddled together, swaying along.

That was his first impression of the tavern.

There were no seats, so they sat at a small, dark bar. The girl ordered him a drink; he forgot the name, but it tasted bitter and spicy, hard to swallow, just like the crowded and noisy environment—he didn't like it at all.

That's how the evening ended. He stood up and finished his drink, then, feeling down, said goodbye and left.

As he walked out of the house, he glanced back and, through the glass, saw that she had already blended into the crowd that was shaking their heads and dancing wildly.

Then he left and never stayed.

Later, he heard from his friend that the girl had married and gone to Puerto Rico or Bolivia to pursue her freedom, and had never returned since, without any news of her.

Oh, by the way, back then, a glass of wine in a small tavern would cost about 25 or 30 yuan.

……

"I'd like a cup of Flaming Wild Rose."

"I want the Midnight Hunter."

"Okay~ Please wait a moment." The waitress said with a smile, then took the wine list and went to the bar.

The bar was very warm, with a large temperature difference from the outside. Gao Yuanyuan then took off her scarf and down jacket, leaving only her wool newsboy cap on her head.

In the dim light inside the room, the woman's eyes were hidden under the brim of her hat, with only a pair of bright eyes reflecting a bit of golden light. Her nose and mouth were exposed, giving her a hazy, indistinct look, like an Impressionist painting slowly emerging from the fog of a northern winter.

Seeing that she was quick and decisive, Chen Nuo immediately prepared to take off her mask as well, but Gao Yuanyuan stopped her with a hand.

"No, I've been here a few times before, and nobody here recognizes me." She lowered her voice and said with a smile, "But you... you should just forget about it and not pick it."

Chen Nuo didn't insist any further. She simply took off her down jacket, smoothed her hair which was flattened by the hood, then pulled her mask down a little to reveal her mouth and nose, and smiled at her: "Do you come here often?"

“Not often,” Gao Yuanyuan said in a low voice. “This shop actually just opened, about a month and a half ago. Before, it was a music bar. Including today, I’ve been here a total of… well, three times. I think the environment is nice, there aren’t many people, so it’s a good place to listen to music, have a drink, and relax.”

Chen Nuo nodded, then looked around at the surroundings. He could indeed see signs of renovation. The original counter had been converted into a bar, and the young waitress who had taken his order earlier was standing behind it mixing drinks.

Gao Yuanyuan noticed his gaze and said a little shyly, "When I came a few days ago, she wasn't the one mixing the drinks. I guess it's almost Chinese New Year and the original bartender is on holiday. If it doesn't taste good, don't force yourself to drink it. This time it's on me."

Chen Nuo laughed heartily: "Okay, then you treat me, thanks. Actually, even if it's delicious, I can't drink much."

Gao Yuanyuan laughed, "Didn't you down a bottle of champagne as soon as you appeared at the Golden Globe Awards?"

"One bottle?"

Gao Yuanyuan covered her mouth, "Sorry, I misspoke, it was one cup."

Chen Nuo laughed and said, "Actually, during the rehearsal, the director originally planned to have me drink whiskey. I said, 'If you want me to drink a glass of whiskey, I'll just lie down on the floor and fall asleep.' But those Americans have no sense of humor, and they were terrified. They said they'd pour me a glass of juice to pretend. I said, 'Juice is too fake, so let's have champagne. One glass is just right.'"

"So you only had one drink? But you seemed to say you had three?"

"One cup, three cups, those are just platitudes." Chen Nuo glanced at her and smiled, "You're quite observant. Where did you see them? How do you remember all of this?"

Gao Yuanyuan couldn't help but chuckle to herself, "I watched the original version once, and then watched the translated version again. After comparing them, I realized that my English level is still a bit lacking, and I still need someone else to translate some of the jokes to understand them."

Weibo? Bilibili?

"On Weibo, there's a blogger named 'Dabaihua' who translates very well. He translates every interview or TV show clip you're on abroad. He has over a million followers, more than me."

Chen Nuo chuckled upon hearing this, "You watch it often?"

Gao Yuanyuan seemed to want to avoid his gaze, but she still tried to remain calm and did not lower her head.

Chen Nuo became increasingly certain that this person was hiding something.

Just then, the bartender came over with the tray of drinks, saying, "Your Wild Rose, your Little Hunter."

The waiter placed a deep red cocktail in a triangular stemmed glass in front of Gao Yuanyuan, and then placed a milky white one in front of him.

Sure enough, she didn't recognize Gao Yuanyuan. Her eyes swept over Gao Yuanyuan's face without any reaction, and she smiled and said, "Please enjoy your drinks, both of you."

"Thank you," Gao Yuanyuan said politely.

Chen Nuo looked at the cocktail in front of him, somewhat surprised by its color.

It's called Midnight Hunter, so why is it milky white?
That doesn't fit the theme.

Unless... could it mean that? No way.

With this thought in mind, Chen Nuo felt a little unable to drink anymore. He naturally took the glass in front of Gao Yuanyuan and switched it with the milky-white Little Hunter glass, smiling at Gao Yuanyuan, "Let's switch. I like your color." He then picked up the glass and took a sip.

It was icy cold and sweet and sour. Although it had a hint of alcohol, it wasn't exactly delicious, but it was still pretty good.

At this moment, a deep male voice on stage said, "The first song of today, 'People,' is dedicated to all the friends who have come to GoBar today."

Then a chord progression began, and a hoarse voice started singing: "She has a car, she has a house, she has a lot of savings in her account. She's a flower, she's a princess, she can't bear to be wronged, she'll suffer with you..."

Hearing him say that, Gao Yuanyuan didn't say much. She picked up her wine glass, took a sip of the milky white Little Hunter wine, and frowned slightly.

Seeing that she looked a little pained, Chen Nuo asked, "Doesn't it taste good?"

"It's a bit bitter."

After Gao Yuanyuan finished speaking, she took another small sip, savored it, and then said, "It's a bit bitter and astringent, and has a strange taste, but... well, it's actually not bad."

As she spoke, she took another sip, this time a bit too much, and a little wine leaked from the corner of her mouth. Gao Yuanyuan seemed to notice it too, and stuck out her tongue to lick the corner of her mouth.

"You didn't get it, try the left side," Chen Nuo reminded him.

Gao Yuanyuan moved her tongue slightly to the left, hooking the tip of her tongue, and licked the drop of milky white liquid.

Chen Nuo nodded, "Alright." Then he advised, "Drink slowly."

Gao Yuanyuan looked a little embarrassed, "I don't know why, but the more I drink it, the better it tastes."

"Shall we order another drink?"

"Let's talk about it later."

The young man's hoarse voice still echoed in the bar: "I'm just a poor kid, my life is as simple as a pebble, I'm just a singing kid, as long as I can fill my stomach..."

Just then, the door was pushed open, and several young people walked in; they looked like two couples. They looked around for a moment, then finally sat down near the door.

The atmosphere in the bar immediately became lively, with laughter, talking, and singing all mixed together, breaking the previous slightly quiet atmosphere.

"Did you go to Shanghai this time you came back?" Gao Yuanyuan asked.

Chen Nuo shook his head: "I probably won't have time this time. I'll have to wait until I come back next time to go."

"She...is she really being personally mentored by Fan Binbing?"

"correct."

“I couldn’t believe it when you told me this at the hospital in Los Angeles last time.”

"hehe."

"She must have given birth in November, right? It feels like just yesterday she was a year old. Fan, it's really not easy for her to raise her child all by herself. But she's so busy, how could she possibly have time? Isn't she afraid of being discovered by the media?"

"It's not as complicated as you think. You can leave the work to the nanny and go to work as usual. Besides, our company has already spoken to those newspapers and media outlets and asked them not to keep an eye on our people. In addition, if we hire more security guards and pay attention when they come and go, there shouldn't be any problems."

"Are you planning to raise her in China indefinitely? Don't you consider sending her abroad?"

"Do not."

In the dim light, Gao Yuanyuan's expression was unclear, but she clearly smiled. "Why?"

"For no reason at all. Where else would Chinese people be if not in China?"

Gao Yuanyuan smiled again, "Then... do you feel happy?"

"what?"

"Having a child."

Chen Nuo thought for a moment, her smile softened, and she nodded, saying, "It's quite blissful."

Gao Yuanyuan took a sip of wine.

By this time, the bar had gradually filled up, with about half of the seats occupied.

She glanced around, then changed the subject, saying with some surprise, "What's going on? There are so many people today?"

"They probably came for the singer. He sang quite well," Chen Nuo said.

"what?"

Chen Nuo asked in surprise, "Didn't you hear me?"

"...It's not that I didn't listen, my attention was all on you."

"Don't you love listening to folk songs? This person has a pretty good voice, a lot like mine, but his singing isn't great."

Yes, Chen Nuozhen really thinks the song is no good.

For example, the lyrics, "Others have cars, others have houses, others have large sums of money in their savings," sounded like he was being sarcastic and sarcastic towards himself, which was very unpleasant to hear.

Gao Yuanyuan said "Oh," and then said, "Let's listen to one last song and then leave."

"Row."

"Come on, touch one."

Chen Nuo felt that Gao Yuanyuan was acting strangely today. He couldn't quite put his finger on what was wrong, but something just felt off. After thinking about it, he could only conclude that the woman was probably experiencing a bout of pretentious, artsy behavior.

With the thought of caring for the patient in mind, he picked up his wine glass and clinked it with her's.

It's icy cold, and it actually tastes better the more you drink it. The Flaming Wild Rose is icy, and the Midnight Hunter is white, haha. Interesting.

At this moment, the male singer on stage spoke up: "I'd like to ask, are there any girls from the South in the audience?"

For a moment, the entire room fell silent; no one spoke.

Chen Nuo smiled.

Gao Yuanyuan's face was hidden in the shadows, but it felt like she was watching him intently. As soon as he smiled, the woman immediately asked, "What are you laughing at?"

“I laughed at him,” Chen Nuo said in a low voice. “There are still a few days until the New Year. What’s the point of having any southern girls? All the southern girls have gone home for the New Year.”

He had barely finished speaking when a voice came from the doorway: "It's me, what's wrong?"

It was one of the girls from the two couples who came in the second batch, besides the two of them, who raised her arm high at this moment.

"Hehehehehe, hahaha..." Gao Yuanyuan immediately laughed, bending over and lying on the table, burying her face in her arms, her shoulders shaking incessantly.

Is this really that funny?
Chen Nuo touched his nose somewhat awkwardly.

The singer on stage then said, "Thank you for coming to our bar. The next song is called 'Southern Girl,' which is a song from my album that I really like. Now, I dedicate it to you, this Southern Girl."

After finishing his sentence, he strummed a chord and began to sing into the microphone: "In a northern village lives a southern girl, who always likes to stand by the roadside wearing a floral dress. She doesn't talk much, but her smile is so calm and elegant. What is hidden in her gentle eyes? It's the sorrow of longing..."

Good songs always have the power to speed up time; a song is over in no time.

During those few minutes, Gao Yuanyuan listened very attentively. After listening, she felt her eyes well up with tears. Although she was a girl from the North, she felt as if she had become a girl from the South in the song, experiencing her sweetness and sorrow.

When the song ended, she joined the other bar patrons in applause for the singer on stage.

Then she heard several people at nearby tables discussing the identity of the singer on stage.

This person seemed to be a fairly famous folk musician, and words like "2011 new album" and "14th place in Super Boy" entered her ears.

After listening for a while, she said, "So he really is a singer. This is the first time I've ever heard of his name, Zhao Lei, Zhao Lei... How about we listen to one more song before we leave?"

Only after she finished speaking did she notice the expressions on the faces of the people around her.

The mask was pulled down, covering his chin and highly recognizable jawline, revealing only the central features of his face. His brows were furrowed, as if he were deep in thought.

Clearly, he didn't absorb a single word of the song or its meaning.

This immediately dampened her enthusiasm considerably. "...How was it?"

After she finished speaking, the other person came to their senses, but their face remained expressionless. They looked at her and nodded absentmindedly, saying, "...Okay, I'll listen for a while longer."

In the end, they listened to three more songs.

After Gao Yuanyuan paid the bill, the two walked out one after the other.

The night wind was icy cold, and Gao Yuanyuan suddenly felt a strange, inexplicable loneliness creeping into her heart. She looked up, exhaled a puff of white breath, and watched the mist slowly dissipate into the night, thinking wistfully:

Perhaps there aren't that many perfectly matched soulmates in the world. It's just that in the hustle and bustle of life, we occasionally meet one, and before we have a chance to get to know them properly, we mistakenly believe they are our destiny.

Chen Nuo was unaware of the woman's emotions beside him.

He was still lost in his own thoughts.

As he went out, he noticed the poster by the door, which had been knocked over, had been re-pasted sometime during the day. It featured a photo and the name of the male singer on stage—

Zhao Lei.

The man in the photo looked exactly like the one who had sung at the bar earlier; his features were ordinary, not ugly, but definitely not handsome. To Chen Nuo, he was just a stranger.

But if you add the two familiar songs you just heard, the first one is "Southern Girl" and the second one is "Painting," then you can basically rule out the possibility of having the same name.

He was reminded of the tavern by the scenery, and as a result, he met the culprit who would later make the tavern a huge hit in the bar.
This is such a coincidence.

Did Zhao Lei become famous at this time?
I don't think so, otherwise they wouldn't be performing in such a small bar.

If it weren't for that song "Southern Girl," he wouldn't have recognized who it was.

Chen Nuo was somewhat moved and didn't feel like talking for a while. He walked silently with Gao Yuanyuan for a while, when his phone vibrated in his pocket.

It's Ma Dong.

"Hello, Director Ma?"

Ma Dong's voice was anxious, and he spoke very quickly: "Mr. Chen, do you have internet access? We've compiled a new playlist, and I just sent it to your email. Could you please download it and listen to it as soon as possible? I'm so sorry, I'm really sorry, but we really don't have time, so I can only trouble you."

Chen Nuo turned to ask, "Do you have a computer at home?"

Gao Yuanyuan nodded and said, "Yes."

Chen Nuo said into the phone, "Go ahead and send it, I'll go back and check right away."

"Okay, okay, thank you, thank you."

Half an hour later, the two returned to Gao Yuanyuan's home. She opened her laptop, and Chen Nuo logged into his email, downloaded the song sent by CCTV, and started playing it.

It has to be said that CCTV is CCTV; when it gets serious, its efficiency and quality are absolutely top-notch.

In a short period of time, the three songs I chose were all good. The melodies were catchy, and the lyrics were thoughtful. They were the kind of standard "popular aesthetic" works.

After listening to the explanation, Chen Nuo turned to Gao Yuanyuan, who was sitting next to him, and asked, "What do you think?"

Gao Yuanyuan listened attentively and nodded, saying, "It's pretty good."

Which song is your favorite?

"I can't really explain it," Gao Yuanyuan said earnestly. "The most important thing about the songs you sing is that you like them."

Chen Nuo noticed the woman's low spirits, but didn't ask any questions. He nodded and played the song again, this time silently singing along in his mind. He didn't dare to open his mouth, afraid of being laughed at.

After going through it once, he was sure.

The song is good, but it still falls far short of his requirements.

The simplicity he speaks of is like Yang Mi singing "My Deskmate". But the simplicity of Ma Dong and his group is like Han Hong singing "Pearls and Jade".

This is not even a concept.

This is how to do.

He didn't want his first collaboration with CCTV to end so abruptly unless absolutely necessary.

Moreover, if there was no other way, that would be fine, but now, after thinking for a long time, he finally took out his phone and dialed Ma Dong's number.

After exchanging a few words, he got straight to the point: "I just went to a bar near Tuanjiehu in Chaoyang District and heard a singer perform. I thought he was really good, and he seems like a good fit for me..."

As Chen Nuo was speaking, he was suddenly interrupted by a scream from the person next to him.

He turned his head and saw that Gao Yuanyuan had suddenly changed her expression, looking at him with surprise and delight.

Chen Nuozhen couldn't understand what these artsy young women were up to all day, and he didn't know if Ma Dong on the other end of the phone had heard him, but he didn't care. He continued, "...Why don't you go take a look?"

Chen Nuo felt that this was the only way to put it.

"Suitable".

It's a subjective opinion, and no one can find fault with it.

He can't very well say that his skill level is at best similar to Yang Mi's. Yang Mi sang "The Power of Love" on Hunan TV's New Year's Eve Gala, which made the whole country laugh so hard they were rolling on the floor. If he sang those three songs live on the Spring Festival Gala without lip-syncing, the effect would probably be about the same; the whole nation would probably spit out their New Year's Eve dinner.

On the contrary, back then, in order to win over that beautiful, artsy girl, he put in a lot of hard work, and practiced songs like "Chengdu," "Ideal," and "Southern Girl" until he was quite proficient.

"...They shouldn't have left yet. If we hurry, we might still be able to see some people there. But I'm wondering if that would be too much trouble for you?"

"No trouble at all!" Ma Dong sounded relieved. "President Chen, please send me the address via text message, and I'll have Director Ha Wen and her team go there right away."

"it is good."

After hanging up the phone, Chen Nuo was about to ask Gao Yuanyuan for her address.

But the beautiful woman beside him seemed to have become a completely different person. The faint gloom that had been there all night had vanished like snow under the sun, leaving her radiant and full of vitality. Her aura was as if she had just broken through a bottleneck and suddenly leveled up—to use a metaphor, it was like a cultivator stepping into the Foundation Establishment stage, overflowing with spiritual energy and showing the first signs of immortality.

Those big eyes, which were at least among the top three in the country, were now so moist they seemed to drip water. Under the soft indoor lighting, they looked like two pools of spring water, gazing at him tenderly.

"I'll write it," Gao Yuanyuan said softly.

Chen Nuo handed her his phone. The woman's fingers flew across the keyboard, and in a few seconds she had typed and sent the message. Then she slowly looked up at him and asked, "Are you really going to sing the song from the bar?"

"Ah, yes."

"why?"

Chen Nuo looked at Gao Yuanyuan.

If he still doesn't understand at this point, he might as well jump off a building.

It was at this moment that some memories from my previous life in the tavern suddenly became clear in my mind.

Finally, when he said he was leaving, the artsy girl he'd been pursuing for two weeks, dressed in bohemian style and with her hair full of braids, wanted to leave with him, but he turned his back on her. In the end, the girl clutched his sleeve, her eyes reddening as she watched him push open the door, a scene straight out of a melodramatic soap opera. He also heard what sounded like a glass being smashed at the end.

Later, I went dancing and stuff because I was venting my heartbreak.

Thinking of this, he suddenly remembered how to deal with artistic young women like Gao Yuanyuan.

The first secret is that you should never speak directly to them.

If she confuses you, you should keep her in a state of mystery.

Every sentence should leave room for interpretation, allowing the other person to fill in the blanks themselves. Say only half, leave the rest unsaid, and stop short of revealing the whole story. This is what's most attractive to literary-minded women. Often, you don't need to waste words; they'll be moved by your own words. Once you master this technique, these women are actually easier to handle than gold diggers, and you don't even need to spend money.

So Chen Nuo smiled faintly and said casually, "Don't you like listening to that?"

That's all.

Gao Yuanyuan was stunned, as if she had been electrocuted.

After a while, Chen Nuo saw that she didn't react, so he gently touched her shoulder. The woman seemed to have no bones, snuggled up to him, hugged his waist, and buried her head in his chest.

Chen Nuo then stroked the woman's long, smooth, jet-black hair.

Gao Yuanyuan said softly, "I'm sorry, I thought...it was my problem, I..."

Chen Nuo didn't know what the woman was saying, but it didn't matter that he didn't understand. He knew what he should say—it was time to put his 300 pick-up lines to good use.

"It's okay. If there were no misunderstandings between people, life would be like a flat plain, how boring that would be."

Gao Yuanyuan's voice suddenly became soft and gentle, as if it could melt one's bones, "That's so well said, I love that line. Did you come up with it yourself?"

"Ah."

“You really are…” Gao Yuanyuan paused, seemingly considering her words, before saying, “So talented.”

She then sighed, adjusted her face, and leaned further in. "I just can't think of words like that. Sometimes, I have a lot on my mind that I want to say, but I just can't. I can only keep it bottled up and don't know how to express it. It's very painful, but I don't know what to do."

Chen Nuo quickly added, "Actually, the person who truly understands you doesn't need you to say anything; they will understand on their own."

Upon hearing this, Gao Yuanyuan's breathing suddenly became heavy and rapid, her breath pricking Chen Nuo's stomach, causing an itchy and tingling sensation that made him feel a little uncomfortable.

Gao Yuanyuan, who was very close to him, obviously noticed his discomfort immediately and adjusted her posture.

After a while, Chen Nuo made a sound.

This seemed to be a form of encouragement, and Gao Yuanyuan became even more proactive.

About ten minutes later, Gao Yuanyuan looked up. Her makeup was a little smudged, and her lipstick was a complete mess. "Do you want to take a shower?"

Chen Nuo was somewhat disoriented at this moment.

My eyesight is a bit blurry, and I can't see very clearly.

In his eyes, the two of them seemed to have returned to the bar.

Gao Yuanyuan once again held the long stem of the wine glass and took a large gulp. This time, she drank too quickly, and some wine spilled from her lips.

However, unlike last time, this time the woman didn't need him to remind her. With a flick of her tongue, she accurately found the spot and rolled the little hunters from the corner of her lips back into her mouth.

……

……

How many songs is this tonight?

Zhao Lei couldn't remember very clearly anymore.

After the tall, stylishly dressed couple left, he sang for a long time.

But this was already something he was used to.

Since he got his first guitar at the age of 13, he started busking in the underpasses of Beijing at the age of 17, and later went to perform in bars. It seems that he spent every night like this.

He used to sing as many as forty or fifty songs a night for a daily wage of 80 yuan.

Then, at the age of 20, he traveled from Beijing to LS, then to Chengdu, then to Lijiang, and back to Beijing, a journey that has lasted five years. Along the way, he seems to be singing tirelessly.

The singers who sang his songs had grown up, the people he loved most had passed away, and he sang about how he was destitute and heavily in debt, yet he never stopped.

He borrowed 60 yuan from a friend, and after singing the last song on his self-released album, he saw his cousin Yingzi wink at him from the bar.

Zhao Lei understood immediately and said into the microphone, "Thank you all for coming today. The New Year is almost here, so I'd like to wish you all a Happy New Year in advance. This is my cousin's bar, and I hope you'll all come and support us. Thank you."

"Good~"

"no problem!"

Sparse responses came from the audience.

"So tonight, there's one last song. I just finished writing this song recently, and tonight is the first time I'm singing it in public. With the Spring Festival just around the corner, I dedicate it to everyone here today..."

He was interrupted before he could finish speaking.

The bar door was suddenly pushed open from the outside, and a rather elegant middle-aged woman with short hair led a group of four or five men and women into the bar.

The commotion was quite loud, immediately attracting the attention of everyone in the bar. Including Zhao Lei, everyone turned to look.

The short-haired woman completely disregarded the atmosphere in the room, sizing up Zhao Lei before speaking in an unsettling tone, looking down at him: "Were you the one singing here all night?"

Before Zhao Lei could reply, Yingzi approached, holding her phone, and said somewhat warily, "Excuse me, we're about to close and we're not accepting new customers. Is there anything I can help you with?"

"I need to speak with him." The woman pointed to Zhao Lei on the stage. "That's enough for you tonight. Everyone else can leave. I need to speak with him."

Yingzi frowned and said, "Who are you? If you don't explain yourself, I'll call 110."

Zhao Lei saw the woman raise the corners of her mouth, revealing a dismissive smile, and lean over to whisper something in Yingzi's ear.

Then, he saw Yingzi's eyes suddenly widen and her mouth open, as if she had heard something unbelievable.

(End of this chapter)