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

Chapter 467 The only thing I can't take with me from Chengdu is you

The panic is only temporary.

Chen Nuo regained his composure while brushing his teeth.

After brushing my teeth, I started washing my face.

After washing his face, he dried it with the new towel that Gao Yuanyuan had prepared for him.

He'd gotten used to this northern way of washing his face, rarely using a towel to wet it anymore—he just rinsed it under running water, then used the towel only to dry it. This method did indeed clean his face better than the former, and it was less damaging to his skin's stratum corneum. This was quite important for an actor whose livelihood depended on his appearance.

He looked at the man in the mirror.

The person in the mirror had a calm expression, clear eyes, and clean, fair skin. The hair at his temples was slightly damp and messy. His facial features were well-defined and clean-cut, with a few stubble sprouting on his chin and lips, giving him a composed air of someone who had just transitioned from adolescence to young adulthood.

What's most amazing is that even when he's not smiling, there seems to be a faint curve at the corners of his mouth, making it hard for people to feel hostility towards him.

Looking in the mirror, he casually ran his fingers through his hair a few times. Although he hadn't blow-dried or washed it, his hair still fell naturally and smoothly, soft and fluffy, fitting his head shape as if it had just been styled.

This is what he looks like without makeup right now.

Without any makeup, embellishment, or filters, it still looks like it has been enhanced with over 100 layers of beauty effects using some software from later generations.

To be fair, he's even more handsome than in his previous life.

The reason?
Chen Nuo thought to himself as he shaved.

Perhaps it's because I haven't experienced too many troubles in this life.

Good luck on the college entrance exam, and I'm going to university as I wish.

His intervention also prevented his parents' marriage from escaping the tragedy of their previous life.

He didn't go back to his parents' house to sponge off them like he did in his previous life, nor did he get into a protracted cold war with his father, nor did he plunge headlong into a quagmire of decadent life, going from one woman to another in bed.

In this life, he seems to have always been walking on the path of light.

There is less hostility.

There was no longer that period of squandering youth, giving up on oneself, or harming others and oneself.

Therefore, one's appearance reflects one's inner state.

……

After washing up, Chen Nuo returned to the living room, put on his coat, took out his phone, and subconsciously wanted to call Linghu.

He will be participating in the Spring Festival Gala this year, so Gulnazar and Linghu can only spend the New Year with him in Beijing. After that, they will be going to the United States. He felt bad about this, so he specially asked the two of them to invite their families to Beijing to celebrate the New Year in advance, with the company covering the travel and accommodation expenses.

He hadn't expected CCTV to be so quick, so he hadn't made any prior arrangements that morning.

At that moment, he suddenly remembered that Linghu and Gulnazar should be spending time with their families right now.

He paused at the edge of his pocket, thought for a moment, and finally put his phone back in.

Anyway, the CCTV building is also in Chaoyang District, only 2 or 3 kilometers away from Tuanjiehu. Besides, if I ask Linghu to come over, I'll have to wait. I might as well just go down and take a taxi myself.

Chen Nuo put on her mask, pulled the hood of her down jacket over her head, glanced back at Gao Yuanyuan's bedroom door, and walked out.

When I arrived at the elevator lobby, coincidentally, there was a family of three waiting for the elevator there as well.

A couple in their thirties were holding hands with a little girl who looked about three or four years old.

The couple seemed to be discussing buying New Year's goods. The little girl was wrapped up tightly from head to toe, with only her apple-shaped face showing. She was holding her mother's hand. When she heard footsteps, she turned around and looked up at him.

After that, she kept a close eye on him.

Chen Nuo put his hands in his pockets and stood silently to the side. He felt something in his pocket, took it out and saw that it was a mint he had taken from the table after paying the bill at the bar last night, which he had forgotten to eat.

Soon, with a "ding," the elevator arrived.

The family of three entered the elevator, and Chen Nuo followed behind them.

The elevator car was small. He was looking down when his eyes met a pair of large, round eyes with clear black and white pupils.

The little girl grinned at him.

When she opened her mouth, Chen Nuo noticed that her teeth hadn't fully grown in yet, making her look a bit comical.

Chen Nuo laughed and smiled at her.

Encouraged, the little girl laughed even harder and reached out to grab his hand.

Her mother was startled and tugged at the little girl, "Yuanyuan, what are you doing?"

Then he looked up at Chen Nuo, smiled, and said, "I'm sorry."

Chen Nuo took a step back and shook his head.

He couldn't quite make out whether it was Yuanyuan, Yuanyuan, or Yuanyuan.

But regardless of which one it was, the little girl named Yuanyuan did not listen to her mother. Suddenly, she forcefully broke free from the woman's hand and pounced on him.

Her parents were stunned by this scene.

Although their little girl is adorable, she has always had a very strange personality. Whether at kindergarten or at home, she strongly resists teachers, relatives, or friends from even getting close to her, let alone holding her. Apart from the two of them, no one can get close to her.

They also saw a child psychologist. The doctor said it was because the child lacked a sense of security and was overly sensitive, leading to social avoidance disorder. He suggested taking the child out more often, exposing him to people and sunlight, otherwise he would grow up to be a very strange person, the kind who is nocturnal, crazy, and not a good person.

To avoid this outcome, the family of three went out to buy New Year's goods today, and also planned to take their daughter shopping, to get some sunshine, and to breathe some fresh air.

To my surprise, as soon as we stepped outside, my wife, who usually ignores everyone, suddenly became so friendly towards a stranger, which was both astonishing and quite baffling.

"Yuanyuan, don't be naughty." The girl's father grabbed her and hugged her, lifting her up in his arms. He said to Chen Nuo in Mandarin with a Northeastern accent, "Sorry, brother, she's not usually like this."

Chen Nuo shook his head and said, "It's nothing."

The man smiled kindly at him. "Do you live here? I don't think I've seen you before?"

Chen Nuo said, "No, I came to see a friend."

"Oh." The man nodded and didn't ask any more questions.

The little girl in his arms kept squirming, but she didn't give up. She babbled incoherently and made all sorts of wild gestures.

The man smiled sheepishly, then immediately changed his position, turning the little girl's face so it was facing inwards.

Well, the little girl turned around and twisted a few times, but seeing that she couldn't turn around to see anyone, she actually pouted and burst into tears. The sound was so loud that Chen Nuo's ears were ringing in the elevator.

"Ding."

The elevator arrived, and Chen Nuo quickly stepped out.

As we walked, we could hear the little girl's parents trying to comfort her, but the little girl's crying didn't stop; instead, it got louder and louder. The mother seemed a little impatient and scolded her, which only made the little girl's crying even worse.

As Chen Nuo listened, he couldn't help but stop at the entrance of the building.

He then turned around, strode over, and walked quickly to the family who had just stepped out of the elevator.

The young mother spotted him immediately, somewhat surprised. The girl's father saw him shortly after and exclaimed in surprise, "Hey, you..."

Chen Nuo ignored them.

He saw the little girl crying her heart out, her face covered in tears and snot, looking extremely disheveled, so he took out the small mint candy from his pocket.

He took the girl's hand, placed the candy in her palm, and said, "Here's a piece of candy for you, don't cry."

These words were like a magic pill; the little girl's crying stopped abruptly, as if a pause button had been pressed.

Chen Nuo smiled, looked up and asked, "What's her name?"

The girl's father was stunned and didn't say anything, but her mother spoke up from the side, saying, "Ai Sixue, the Ai as in Ai Qing."

Chen Nuo was taken aback. "Isn't her name Yuanyuan?"

Her mother laughed and said, "No, that's her nickname. Her grandmother gave it to her. That's not her formal name."

"...I understand." Chen Nuo nodded and smiled. I knew it; there's no such thing as a coincidence.

"Aisue, don't cry." With that, he ruffled the little girl's hair, nodded to the couple, and turned to leave.

And then, surprisingly, no crying came over.

Chen Nuo felt a sense of relief and opened the unit door, walking out with light steps.

……

Chen Nuo's good mood was quickly blown away by the brisk cold wind on the streets of Beijing.

Especially after leaving the residential area, the wind blows from all directions, making you feel like you've fallen into an ice cellar.

What's even more frightening is that taxis are incredibly hard to hail these days. Chen Nuo found an intersection and waited for what seemed like ten minutes before finally seeing a taxi drop off a passenger not far in front of him.

He was so cold that he was shivering, but seeing this, he didn't care and rushed forward, grabbing the passenger door of the taxi before the two girls could get there.

"what----"

Hearing an angry and incredulous shout from behind him, he felt a little embarrassed and turned around to ask, "Want to sit with me?"

"No... that's fine."

A girl with long hair and an oval face looked up into his eyes, blinked, and then, instead of saying "okay," she said quite naturally, "Let's go to the China World Trade Center. Where are you going?"

The CCTV Spring Festival Gala rehearsals are held at the old site, which is located on Fuxing Road in the HD District.

But Chen Nuo went to the recording studio, which was a new location in Chaoyang District, near the East Third Ring Road, the building later known nationwide as the "Big Pants".

The "Big Pants" building only went into use after New Year's Day this year. To be honest, the construction and renovation took a full eight years, starting in 04—the same age as the War of Resistance Against Japan—which is quite an achievement.

The China World Trade Center and the CCTV building weren't far apart, and the route was convenient, so the three of them got into the car together. Chen Nuo sat in the front passenger seat, and the two girls sat in the back. The taxi driver was overjoyed, feeling like he'd struck gold.

After driving for a while, the two girls in the back seat kept whispering to each other. Then the girl with long hair suddenly asked out of the blue, "What are you going to the TV station for? To work?"

Chen Nuo glanced at the rearview mirror.

To be fair, both girls are quite pretty. One has long hair, an oval face, and big eyes, and looks a bit like Fan Binbing. The other girl with short hair is even more charming, and her features even resemble Wang Meng from his university class.

“No,” Chen Nuo replied, “I’m going to take care of some business nearby.”

"Oh," the long-haired girl responded, but kept staring at him in the rearview mirror. "Um... has anyone ever told you that you look a lot like a celebrity?"

Chen Nuo said, "No."

The girl said earnestly, "It really looks like you. When I saw your eyes, they seemed familiar, but I just couldn't remember who they were."

Chen Nuo smiled.

"Really," the long-haired girl said. "Why don't you take off your mask and let me see? Really, I feel really uncomfortable right now. I keep thinking about it, but I just can't figure it out."

Chen Nuo said, "I have the flu."

Upon hearing this, the driver in front immediately turned his head to look at him again, grinned, and said, "Good job, young man, you have a sense of public morality."

Chen Nuo said, "Thank you."

Hearing this, the two girls in the back seat didn't know what to say. They were quiet for a few seconds, then huddled together and whispered to each other.

"...Chen Nuo".

It was the voice of a short-haired girl, very soft, yet like a fine needle piercing his ear.

But the next moment, the long-haired girl laughed: "Hahaha—you...you really dare to dream! Hahahahahaha."

Amidst the laughter, Chen Nuo turned his head to look out the window on his side—

Not only was the "Big Pants" building, familiar to later generations of Chinese, completed, but the changes in Beijing over the past eight years have also been enormous compared to when he first arrived in the capital in 04.

Almost every time he returns to China, he finds either a new house or a new subway station.

But right now, apart from him, no other ordinary people know that this is just the prelude to a magnificent chapter.

He wasn't the only one who heard what the short-haired girl said; the driver also overheard it and chimed in, "These past two years, I'm not kidding, that guy Chen Nuo has really become incredibly popular. It's one thing to be popular in China, but to be popular all the way to America? Hey, I've lived half my life and never seen anything like it before, it's really amazing. I saw that American blockbuster he was in before, what was it called again? I've forgotten. The special effects, I'm not kidding, were absolutely incredible."

"Inception?" the long-haired girl asked.

"Yes, yes, that's it. My kid dragged me to see it. I didn't want to go in the first place. You know, why spend tens of dollars to see a movie? We might as well go out and have a nice meal, right? But it turned out to be really good. Except for not understanding it, everything else was great."

Long-haired girl: "It's quite difficult. I watched it twice and still didn't understand."

The short-haired girl spoke up: "I watched it three times."

The driver laughed and said, "You young people are really willing to spend money. I wouldn't be so willing to do that. If I don't understand something, I don't understand it. I'm not relying on that to get into university."

"Ha ha ha ha."

Both girls laughed.

"Are you two going shopping at the China World Trade Center?" the driver asked.

The long-haired girl said, "Yes."

"Look at them, they're sisters, right?"

"Yes, she's my cousin."

"I knew it, you look a bit old-fashioned. Are you still studying?" "Yeah, I'm studying in Beijing, and my sister is in the US."

"Wow, you're an international student, no wonder you look so stylish."

The short-haired girl smiled and said, "Thank you, you have such a lovely voice."

"No, no, I'm just telling the truth. Young man, don't you agree?"

Chen Nuo didn't dare to speak, and nodded.

Just then, the phone in his pocket rang.

When I answered, it was a girl's voice on the other end, and she immediately started complaining: "Where did you go? Didn't you say you'd be back this morning? Why aren't you here yet?"

He said in a low voice, "Something came up. I'll be back later."

"What's wrong?" Liu Yifei continued.

"Something happened."

"Why are you speaking so softly? What's wrong?" Liu Yifei's voice suddenly became alert. "Who's next to you?"

"No one."

Liu Yifei exclaimed, "How could that be! You've been sneaking around! Tell me, where are you?"

Chen Nuo whispered, "In the taxi."

"Taxi? What taxi?" Liu Yifei asked incredulously. "You're going to take a taxi?"

"Ah."

"real or fake?"

"real."

"You, you, you...you're all alone?"

"Yes. I'll tell you later."

"Really, aren't you afraid...?" Liu Yifei said, then suddenly laughed and said, "Forget it, you're crazy, you probably could do it. Tell me when you're done, and come back early. I've already bought the groceries. Today I'll cook for you myself and let you taste the cooking skills I've been practicing lately."

"it is good."

The phone hangs up.

After he finished making that call, the car fell silent again.

The two girls in the back seat stopped talking to the driver and started whispering to each other again.

After a while, the long-haired girl's voice seemed even louder than before, "Handsome guy, are you sure you're not some celebrity? Your voice sounds so familiar. Are you rehearsing for the Spring Festival Gala at CCTV right now?"

Chen Nuo looked at the location; they were still two blocks away from the CCTV Headquarters, almost there. "No."

"Really not? But I really think your voice sounds familiar."

Chen Nuo said, "It really isn't."

The driver laughed and said, "Young lady, you're wrong. The young man is definitely not going to the Spring Festival Gala rehearsal, because the Spring Festival Gala rehearsal isn't even there..."

After the driver explained, the two girls in the back seat finally quieted down.

"By the way, do you guys think Chen Nuo will be on the Spring Festival Gala this year?" Every driver in Beijing is a chatterbox; once they start talking, they can't stop, one topic after another, impossible to silence. "I've been watching the news for the past few days, and they've said all sorts of things. Do you know if there's any definite news yet?"

"Yes, definitely." That was the voice of the short-haired girl sitting behind Chen Nuozheng. "Why would he come back to Beijing from the United States if he wasn't going to participate in the Spring Festival Gala? He's definitely coming back to participate in the Spring Festival Gala."

The driver chuckled, "So, people aren't allowed to come back to visit their relatives?"

"He's not from Beijing, why would he come to Beijing to visit relatives? He's from Sichuan. It's almost Chinese New Year, he must be in Beijing for work, probably to perform on the Spring Festival Gala. He also has many award ceremonies in the US. Inception was nominated for many awards this time, but he didn't attend and went back to China instead. There's only one possibility," the short-haired girl said with certainty.

"Haha, that's great. Actually, I hope so too. I guess if he were here, my kid could have a proper meal with us and watch TV. Otherwise, he'd definitely go play video games after eating dumplings. You know that new computer game that came out recently, what's it called? League of Legends? My kid's on vacation now, and he plays it all the time," the driver added.

"I don't know," the long-haired girl replied, then sighed. "I don't know what program he's performing. When will the Spring Festival Gala lineup be announced? It's so annoying. I won't feel at ease until the lineup is announced."

The short-haired girl said, "Don't worry, there won't be any problems."

“I think there’s a problem. Yesterday, a news outlet on the internet said that this was already the fourth rehearsal, but he still didn’t participate. If he really has to go on, is it still too late?”

"Why is it too late? Maybe he's practicing right now..."

Before the short-haired girl could finish speaking, the driver slowly applied the brakes and pulled the car over to the side of the road.

"arrive."

"Thank you." Chen Nuo opened the car door and prepared to get out.

"Hey, young man, where's the money?"

Chen Nuo hadn't paid anyone in ages, and he'd been preoccupied with other things, so he hadn't even thought about it. Hearing this, his mind went blank for a moment, and he immediately reached into his inner pocket.

Phew, thankfully, my wallet was inside my clothes.

He took it out and saw a colorful stack inside. He remembered that this was money he had taken before the Golden Globe nomination dinner, money he had prepared as a tip for the waiters just in case.

He closed the car door and said, "Excuse me, sir, I don't have RMB, only USD. Is that alright?"

"Huh? US dollars?" The driver was a little surprised.

“Yes, look.” Chen Nuo opened his wallet and showed it to the driver.

"Hiss—" The driver looked at it and gasped. "Holy crap, you really don't have a single RMB note. Good grief, how much do you have? Did you just come back from America?"

The taxi was quiet at that moment, and Chen Nuo felt a chill down his spine, though he wasn't sure if it was just his imagination.

He took out a bill, handed it to the vendor, and said, "Is this alright, vendor? I'm sorry, I really didn't have time to exchange it."

The driver looked at the $100 in his hand, then at him, and said hesitantly, "Sure, but do you have any smaller bills? I can't make change this early in the morning."

"Keep the change." Chen Nuo breathed a sigh of relief and said, "I'll give it to the two beauties behind me as well."

The driver took a deep breath, exhaled, and slowly nodded, saying, "Okay."

"Okay, bye-bye." Chen Nuo immediately pushed open the door and got out of the car. After finding his way, he walked towards the entrance of the CCTV headquarters.

He had only taken a couple of steps when a scream suddenly came from behind him: "Chen Nuo—!"

He turned around and saw the short-haired girl. She had rolled down the back window at some point, and her pretty face was flushed, whether from the wind or something else, he couldn't tell.

"Chen Nuo! Is that you?" she called out again.

Immediately afterward, another head popped out—the talkative long-haired girl. She looked even more disheveled than the short-haired girl, her voice trembling: "Chen Nuo—is it really you? It's you, isn't it?"

Chen Nuo looked at them, pulled her mask down a little, waved, then turned around and walked away quickly.

……

……

Half an hour later, a brand-new recording studio was packed with more than a dozen people of all kinds.

Some people who couldn't get in crowded around the entrance, forming a circle. A few short people on the outer edge couldn't see inside even when they stood on tiptoe, and they were jumping around anxiously.

"Alright, alright, everyone who has nothing to do with this recording, get out," Ha Wen said impatiently.

Then came a commotion, and the recording studio door closed. Finally, only a few people remained inside, and the recording could begin properly.

Ha Wen said, "Let's listen to some music first. Old Zhang, start playing it."

As a fingerstyle guitar melody began to play, Zhao Lei tried to calm himself down, but his breathing became uncontrollably tight and his heartbeat quickened.

Because he was absolutely certain that this moment was the crossroads of his destiny.

Soon, the song finished playing.

Ha Wen said, "This is the first song, it's called 'Painting,' Mr. Chen, what do you think? Or should we listen to it first and then decide?"

"Listen to the end."

"Okay. Old Zhang, play the second song."

Compared to the first song, the second one sounds a bit rougher, especially in terms of vocals and arrangement, which are somewhat immature. Zhao Lei stayed up all night yesterday, working through the night with the recording engineer, and finally managed to finish a sample this morning. Although the song is far from perfect, it's the best he could do.

As Chen Nuo listened, a sense of doubt arose in his heart.

Has the song "Chengdu" already been released in this era? If it has, why is Zhao Lei still performing in bars? Moreover, the more he listened, the more he felt that this song was quite different from the "Chengdu" he remembered—the melody, harmony, and even the direction of a few lines of lyrics were slightly different.

Even he, a layman who doesn't know much about music, could hear the difference, which shows that quite a few changes have been made.

The song ends.

Everyone turned to look at Chen Nuo. He hesitated for a moment, then spoke up: "I think the second one is good."

"Snapped!"

Ha Wen slammed his hand on the table and said, "That's what we thought too. In that case, let's not delay. Why don't you start practicing now? Tomorrow afternoon is our last rehearsal, and we'll be recording a backup tape then. We'll just have to trouble you to practice this song in this one day."

Ha Wen's attitude was much better than before, and she addressed him with polite formalities, and she wasn't wrong.

Two years ago, when he participated in the Spring Festival Gala, there was no time to record a backup tape. Speaking of which, CCTV was really taking a huge risk. If something went wrong on set, leaving the entire nation speechless, it would be the biggest broadcasting accident in the history of the People's Republic of China, and the station director would probably have to come out and bow in apology.

“Okay, let’s begin.” Chen Nuo nodded.

Ha Wen immediately instructed, "Teacher Lin, you explain the score to General Manager Chen first, and General Manager Chen, you walk through the score once."

As soon as he finished speaking, an old man with gray hair walked up, sat down with his guitar, spread out the sheet music, and began to explain.

Chen Nuo listened attentively.

Fortunately, he had learned a lot about music while filming "Perhaps Love." He also had some practical experience when he sang "Hawthorn Flower" later. Otherwise, if he were really facing the dense sheet music now, he probably wouldn't even be able to keep up with the beat, let alone sing the melody accurately.

However, to the professionals in the room, the song itself was not complicated, so it was only natural that Teacher Lin spoke so quickly.

After all, this song is in C major, in 4/4 time, with a stable melody and a gentle rhythm. For industry professionals, practicing for half an hour while looking at the sheet music is enough to play it fairly well. The song itself is even more so; the melody is straightforward, and the breathing techniques are not demanding. Basically, as long as the pitch is accurate and there is a little musical foundation, someone at a similar level to Yang Mi and Liu Yifei can sing it.

After speaking for about ten minutes, Old Man Lin said, "That's about it. It's very simple. Would you like to go through it with me now?"

"Heh. You son of a bitch. If it weren't for the fact that I practiced countless times in my past life..." Chen Nuo nodded without changing his expression and said, "Okay."

Ha Wen asked, "Zhao Lei, do you have anything to say?"

Zhao Lei was probably a hundred times more nervous than when he was singing on stage. He racked his brains and said, "The song itself is not difficult. What's difficult is the emotion in it. That emotion is what I wrote in the song hoping to move people. So, when you sing, you should try to put yourself in that scene."

He paused, then continued, "Love, regrets and nostalgia, and the warmth of everyday life. I think I wrote these things into my songs."

After a brief silence in the recording studio, Chen Nuo nodded seriously and said, "I understand."

Just like Ha Wen said, he has to record a backup tape for the Spring Festival Gala tomorrow. Today he also has to go home to eat, sleep, and make love... In reality, the time he can leave for practice is pitifully short. Therefore, he must be fully focused and give it his all every time he auditions.

Chen Nuo walked into the soundproof booth of the recording studio, put on his headphones, closed his eyes, and slowly immersed himself in the recording.

Given his current control over pitch and singing experience, it would be almost impossible for him to sing other songs with such depth and emotion in such a short time. But "Chengdu" is an exception.

That was a city he knew well, with familiar streets and a familiar name.

That place holds countless memories for him.

Love, regret, and longing—these are all things that actually happened to him, and there's no need for fantasy about them.

As for the warmth and humanity of everyday life, does what he saw along the way count?
When he opened his eyes, he felt that everything was ready.

I nodded to the sound engineer outside the soundproof glass, and the accompaniment in my headset immediately started playing.

He opened his mouth and slowly began to sing into the microphone.

"It wasn't just the alcohol from last night that brought me to tears."

It's not just your gentleness that makes me reluctant to part with you.

How much longer do we have to walk on this road? You're holding my hand.
What troubles me is the struggle for freedom.

In this section, he didn't deliberately embellish his voice or force an emotional expression; he sang softly, as if sitting on the streets of Chengdu.

After finishing the song, he took a breath and, following his heart, added a little more emotion.

It's like singing about the wind of late autumn and the continuous rain.

A hand he couldn't hold back that year.

"Parting always happens in September, and memories are the sorrow of longing."

The tender green willows of late autumn kissed my forehead.

"I have never forgotten you in that rainy little town."

As he sang this part, a person appeared before his eyes.

It wasn't that bohemian woman; it was someone else, a different face. If it were her...

At that time, would he still be able to give up and leave without any regrets?
After pausing for a beat, Chen Nuo continued singing, and the next line of lyrics was the answer to many things in his heart—

(End of this chapter)