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

Chapter 472 Thunderous Applause
2012年1月22日晚10点05分，湖北武汉汉口郊外某栋别墅客厅。

"They're here! Dad, they're coming!!!"

At the sound of a cheerful girl's voice, more than a dozen people, young and old, who were scattered in the living room playing mahjong, chatting, or playing cards, all stopped what they were doing and gathered around.

Someone laughed and said, "They're finally here! If we hadn't waited any longer, it looked like Dad would have gone to sleep."

"No, no, I'm in great spirits." An old man with a full head of white hair, but still looking very energetic, waved his hand cheerfully. "I'm so happy today, I can't sleep even if you ask me to."

“Little Feng’er, look how happy your grandfather is to have you back.” A middle-aged woman dressed in gold and silver jewelry said with a smile next to Liu Yifei, “You must come back to see your grandfather more often in the future.”

Liu Yifei nodded without saying a word, her eyes fixed on the television screen.

At this moment, a refined-looking middle-aged man wearing glasses frowned and said, "Your aunt is talking to you, you..."

"Alright, alright." Before he could finish speaking, he was interrupted by the middle-aged woman. "It's the New Year, so shut up. Come, come, sit down, sit on the sofa, let's watch TV together."

Another person laughed and said, "Sister, Feng'er's boyfriend is singing on the Spring Festival Gala, and I'm getting nervous here. What's going on?"

The woman laughed and said, "You're worrying for nothing and wasting your time. Feng'er's boyfriend has seen it all, he's been to the Oscars and Golden Globes multiple times, so going on the Spring Festival Gala is probably no big deal for him compared to you going to do some square dancing. It's a piece of cake."

"Eldest sister is right, second sister, you can rest assured," a chubby man in his forties said cheerfully.

The acrobatic performance titled "Whispers of Bamboo in the Empty Mountains" has ended. On the 50-inch television screen, a male host with a long, narrow face and a beautiful female host are reciting their introductions in a back-and-forth manner.

"Thank you to the Shenyang Qianjin Acrobatic Troupe for their wonderful performance. Bamboo is an important symbol in our traditional Chinese culture. Dong Qing, what comes to mind when you think of bamboo?" the man with the long face said with a smile.

Dong Qing laughed and said, "Mr. Zhu, there are so many things that come to mind. When it comes to bamboo, I think of the Four Gentlemen: plum blossom, orchid, bamboo, and chrysanthemum; I think of firecrackers ushering in the old year; and I think of rising higher and higher step by step."

"Bravo!" A loud shout rang out from the audience, and applause erupted throughout the venue.

Zhu Jun smiled and said, "Dong Qing, what you said is very good. But the bamboo I'm talking about includes more than just these."

Dong Qing smiled and asked, "What is that?"

"Here's a hint: an animal that loves to eat bamboo."

Dong Qing suddenly realized and said, "Bamboo? You mean, panda!?"

Zhu Jun said, "Yes, I'm talking about our country's national treasure, the panda."

"Does the panda have anything to do with our upcoming program?"

"Of course! Our next song is called 'Hometown of Pandas'..."

"Are Zhu Jun and Dong Qing drunk? Their transitions sound so forced. Shao Kang, why don't you go up and write a script for them?" the chubby man said.

"Hahaha."

Several people laughed, even the white-haired old man laughed.

Someone nearby chimed in, "Shaokang is the principal of a Confucius Institute, promoting Chinese culture abroad. Doing this is an absolute waste of his talents."

"Shaokang, you've been doing promotional work abroad these past few years. Could you tell everyone how effective this product really is..."

Amidst the casual conversation, Zhu Jun and Dong Qing on the television screen said in unison, "...Next, let's enjoy the song 'Chengdu' together."

Immediately afterwards, a melodious guitar sound came from the television.

A dark figure slowly rose from the lift platform at the back of the stage.

"It wasn't just the wine from last night that brought me to tears..." A male voice, neither loud nor soft, and not particularly pleasant to the ear, came through the television speakers.

The conversation in the living room did not stop.

"Objectively speaking, the work has indeed become easier in recent years. For example, in France, the number of people who enrolled in Chinese language classes at our school this year is more than 200% of last year's number, setting a new record."

"Oh? Really? The French are that interested in us?"

On television, accompanied by singing, a hazy beam of light hanging from the top of the stage enveloped the figure in the darkness, gradually revealing its outline.

He wore a black casual jacket with subtle embroidery, over which was a gray-black T-shirt with sequin embellishments, well-tailored dark blue jeans, and a pair of clean white sneakers without any logos. The whole look was both stylish and deliberately restrained and simple.

Liu Yifei watched intently, but the words in her ear did not stop.

“What Shao Kang said is true. I felt it when I went to the United States earlier this year. Before, if you asked for directions, people would ignore you if they heard your Chinese accent. Now it’s much better.”

"Really?"

"I experienced it firsthand, why would I lie to you?"

"Wow, Shaokang, you guys are doing a really good job."

On the television screen, the singer continued singing: "...What troubles me is the struggle for freedom." After finishing the song, he slowly walked down the steps and came to the center of the stage.

At the same time, a slender female dancer quietly appeared on the right side of the stage.

She wore a light white floral dress, the long skirt swaying with her steps, the hem rippling like water. She was barefoot, with delicate silver chains wrapped around her ankles, like a woman from Jiangnan who had stepped out of bygone days, her steps light and her dance graceful.

"Are you guys usually busy?" the chubby man asked, his eyes fixed on the TV.

The refined-looking middle-aged man replied, "There are more students this year, so there's a little bit."

On television, the male singer stood in the center, microphone in hand, his gaze fixed intently on the far end of the stage. His lips parted slightly, and he continued singing in a deep voice:

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

"Hahahahahaha."

After that line was sung, many people in front of millions of television sets laughed.

At his home in Changping, Beijing, Zhao Lei, sitting on the sofa, suddenly felt a jolt in his heart—he was off-key.

Although it was only for a moment, the melody immediately stabilized, but it was still very obviously out of tune.

Zhao Lei's heart clenched at that moment.

If he had this problem on the Spring Festival Gala stage, he would probably feel like dying right now.

What about him?

On the television screen, the camera slowly zoomed in, giving the singer's face a close-up.

There was no sign of panic after going off-key.

Unlike the other performers tonight, whose faces were heavily made up and dazzling under the lights, his face showed almost no trace of makeup.

His eyebrows were clearly defined, slanting from the center of his brow towards his temples, with a perfect balance of thickness and lightness, giving him a natural sharpness. His eyes were slightly deep-set, his nose straight, and his lips slightly thin, with clear and distinct facial features. Under the stage lighting, he showed no signs of greasiness, but rather exuded a cool and serene aura.

His naturally falling hair gently draped over his forehead, the strands smooth and layered, just like his singing voice that had returned to the right tune.

At that moment, Zhao Lei was stunned.

Then she turned her head and looked at the full-length mirror in the living room next to her.

There was a dog sitting inside.

Instantly, his heart calmed down.

……

Not only Zhao Lei, but when the close-up of this person's face was shown, the musicians who were originally smiling stopped smiling.

The once bustling living room of Liu Yifei's grandfather's house suddenly fell silent under this single shot. Her third uncle stopped discussing Confucius, her eldest aunt stopped talking about travel itineraries, her second aunt stopped asking questions, and her father stopped talking about work.

Everyone shut up.

Liu Yifei didn't turn around, so she didn't know their expressions.

She can't care about any of that right now.

At this moment, images began to appear on the LED backdrop behind the singer on the television screen.

On the completely black screen, tiny pink cherry blossom petals suddenly began to fall, dancing across the screen at a speed of ten millimeters per second. Segments of handwritten Chinese lyrics appeared in rows among the petals, then disappeared.

"Walk with me on the streets of Chengdu."

"We will not stop until all the lights are turned off."

"You held onto my sleeve."

I put my hands in my pockets.

He sang just as the lyrics described.

His face was expressionless; on stage this time, he was almost indifferent, his calm demeanor clashing with the overall festive atmosphere of the Spring Festival Gala.

But—strangely enough, Liu Yifei didn't seem to notice anything amiss.

She stared at his face, completely absorbed.

The female dancers began to dance in time with his singing.

Slowly spinning, taking light steps, turning around, and bending over, it's as if the lyrics are expressing a farewell ceremony in the night.

He didn't make any movements, nor did he dance along; he simply stood there quietly, his eyes following her dance. The 45-degree angle of the light reflected in his eyes, making it seem as if starlight was shimmering within them.

"In that rainy little town, I never forgot you. Chengdu can't take you with it..."

The singing echoed in the living room.

The area around Liu Yifei is now so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Suddenly, someone made a dissatisfied "Hey~".

Liu Yifei also frowned.

Just as everyone was enjoying the show, the CCTV director suddenly switched to a wide shot, panning from the stage to the audience. Such camera cuts are not uncommon; they are fleeting and often used to add atmosphere and showcase the energy of the event during breaks in the performance.

But this is far too untimely.

The smooth flow of emotions was suddenly interrupted.

Fortunately, a few seconds later, the camera switched back to the stage. At this point, the girl who was originally dancing to the left of the singer was now on the right.

Fortunately, the director stopped cutting the footage randomly after that.

In Liu Yifei's experience, it seemed like only a moment later, the song came to an end.

"Until all the lights go out, I won't stop. You'll hold my sleeve, and I'll put my hands in my pockets..." The man on the screen watched the dancing girl and sang softly, his tone filled with an indescribable tenderness. The dancing girl's movements gradually slowed down.

She stopped spinning and jumping, and instead gently approached him, stopping two steps away from him.

The two looked at each other.

Then switch to a panoramic view of the stage.

He stood in the center of the stage, raising his head slightly.

By this time, Liu Yifei had already learned it. She gently followed his lip movements and voice on TV, singing the last line together: "Walk to the end of Yulin Road, walk past the door of the small bar~~"

But this time, he drew out the last syllable, as if he were letting out a long, gentle sigh.

Then it abruptly ended.

There was no immediate applause from the television; instead, there was complete silence.

Liu Yifei was also lost in thought.

The unspoken "goodbye" that runs throughout the song was never actually said.

Immediately afterwards, a child's voice sang in the background, "Walk with me on the streets of Chengdu, oh oh oh, until all the lights go out, and we won't turn back."

At that moment, the man on stage suddenly smiled, revealing a joyful and warm expression.

In that instant, it was as if spring had returned to the earth, and flowers were blooming.

The somber atmosphere that had been built up in the previous few minutes was instantly swept away by that smile.

Many viewers in front of their televisions were immediately brought back to reality and remembered what day it was.

It's Chinese New Year.

So when he smiled and gave a slight bow to the audience, the loudest applause of the night erupted like thunder.

……

"Wind, how long has it been since we sat together like this?"

Liu Yifei tilted her head and thought for a moment, then said, "It's been quite a while, hasn't it?"

"Yes, it's been a long time. We haven't had a proper heart-to-heart talk in years. Dad is always busy with work and rarely cares about you... I want to apologize to you here."

"It's nothing." Liu Yifei tilted her head slightly, looking up at the sky, feeling a little awkward.

She was sitting in a glass room built on the second-floor terrace of the villa, where she could look up and see the night sky.

Unlike the city center, the outskirts of Hankou have far less light pollution, and the sky is deeper and farther away, dotted with stars. In that instant, she suddenly thought of the nights on the Serengeti plains, and of that vast starry sky.

Looking back on that time now, it feels like a distant yet clear dream.

However, the man's voice quickly pulled her back to reality from her daze.

"I'm very grateful to your mother for letting you come here for the New Year. Please remember to tell her thank you when you get back."

"it is good."

"Your mother has changed quite a bit in the past year or two. Am I just imagining things?"

"No."

"Oh? She doesn't nag you like she used to?"

"No. She's very busy right now. She's been in Japan since the second half of last year, dealing with things there."

"Japan? She has projects there?"

Liu Yifei nodded and briefly recounted Liu Xiaoli's work situation in Japan during the second half of last year.

The man was somewhat surprised after hearing this. "Her Japanese company is registered under your name?"

"Ah, yes."

The man chuckled softly, "I see... Ah, time flies. You've grown up, you're a young woman now, and you've even started dating."

"..."

"How does he usually treat you? Tell your dad the truth."

Liu Yifei said, "He's quite busy, so we don't see each other often. Other than that, everything is fine."

Do you argue?

“No, never,” Liu Yifei said, a slight smile appearing on her lips. “He’s always been very accommodating to me.”

"Really? So you're living together in Beijing now?"

Liu Yifei hesitated for a moment, then nodded: "Yes."

The man nodded and asked, "So, have you made any plans for the future?"

"after?"

"Yes. Has he mentioned it to you?"

Liu Yifei was silent for a moment before whispering, "No."

"No?"

She did not speak.

"Hehe." The man chuckled lightly, then asked, "So what do you think? Do you still want to be with him?"

Liu Yifei nodded without hesitation: "Yes."

The man fell silent for a moment. After a while, he let out a soft breath and said, "Actually, you're still young. Maybe it's too early to say these things, right? Take it slow, see things carefully. You have a long life ahead of you, and you can still have many choices."

Liu Yifei frowned deeply and remained silent.

The man continued, “Dad doesn’t mean anything by it, I just want to tell you some real, firsthand experiences. If a man focuses too much on his career, his family is often not very happy. They’re bound to be apart more often than together. Think about your mother and me, didn’t we separate because of this? And back then, compared to him now, I was nothing at all.”

"Do you remember when I was downstairs telling your aunt that our college enrolled more than twice as many students in 2011 as we did in 2010?"

"Ah."

"More than half of them became interested in our country and Chinese culture because of him. It has made our work significantly easier than in previous years. In all my years, I've never seen anything like it, let alone imagined it. Ambassador Kong and I have discussed this, and we both believe that if he continues down this path, it will be an absolutely fantastic thing for the promotion of Chinese culture. Otherwise, do you really think anyone can appear on the news?"

After listening to him finish speaking, Liu Yifei asked, "And then?"

"Then, if he really grows into an international star who is even more powerful and influential than he is now, how many things will he have to think about every day? How many people will he meet every day, and how many temptations will he face? I can't even imagine it. Feng'er, have you ever thought about it—in that kind of life, will your position in his heart gradually decline? Will your importance in his heart become smaller and smaller?"

Liu Yifei looked at the man, slowly shook her head, and said, "No, it won't happen."

The man gave a wry smile and said, "Feng'er, I'm not saying this to stop you from being together. I just want to remind you—life with him definitely won't be easy. Wouldn't it be a better choice to find someone simple, less successful, someone who can be by your side every day, care for you, and love you? Have you thought about that?"

"I haven't thought about it, and I don't want to think about it."

Liu Yifei said, "I love him."

Her short sentence was like pearls falling onto a porcelain plate, clear and distinct, firm and decisive.

The man paused for a moment, a complex look appearing in his eyes, and his expression changed slightly.

After a long pause, he took a breath, slowly exhaled, and smiled, "Since you're so confident, why don't you invite him over for a visit next year during the Spring Festival? What do you think, Feng'er?"

Liu Yifei hesitated for a moment, then finally nodded and said, "Okay."

Despite saying that, Liu Yifei's father's words of advice still left her feeling depressed. After the conversation, she didn't want to go downstairs to interact with her father's relatives anymore. She made an excuse that she was tired and went upstairs to her room for the night, lay down on the bed, and took out her phone.

She first found Chen Nuo's number, but hesitated before dialing. She had also attended the party and knew that it had just ended and people should still be busy.

So he found Liu Xiaoli's number and dialed it directly.

Upon hearing the clatter of mahjong tiles on Liu Xiaoli's end, she answered the phone excitedly, "Qianqian, what's up? I'm telling you, your aunt lost a lot today, hahahahaha..."

"Mom, there's something I'd like to ask for your opinion on."

"Okay, you say it. Bang, three of them!"

"Yes, that's right. My dad just told me..."

Before they could exchange more than a few words, an incredulous voice came through the microphone: "What did he say?! I mean, @#￥！#@！@！An Shaokang is telling you this?! Is he crazy?!"

After a while, the other end of the phone fell silent. "Xixi, don't listen to your dad. He's not thinking straight. If he were even slightly smarter, I wouldn't have taken you with me back then!"

"what?"

"Seriously, what do you mean by 'the more successful you are, the less happy you are'? That's bullshit! Success brings happiness, and unsuccessful men bring you unhappiness! Your dad was such a failure back then, so much so that he couldn't even plan your future properly, which is why... otherwise, I would have been out of my mind to raise you alone. Think about it, if it were President Chen... Chen Nuo, he's your dad... no, ugh, I'm so angry, I can't even speak properly. What I mean is, everything your dad says is utter nonsense, don't take a single word to heart. You understand?"

"Hehehehe." Liu Yifei laughed. "I know, Mom. That's what I think too."

“It’s the Lunar New Year, and I don’t want to get angry, otherwise I would have called him and yelled at him right now. The only thing he said that made sense was that the more successful a man is, the more temptations he faces outside. But if you just give in, wouldn’t that be giving those vixens an easy win? Do you understand that? Does it make sense?”

"Hehe, Mom, you're right, that's what I think too. And Chen Nuo, I don't think he would do that."

This time, there was a moment of silence on the other end of the line, then a voice came through: "No matter what, you absolutely must not listen to your dad. That's defeatist thinking, the kind of self-pitying, artsy type. If he weren't like this, I wouldn't have been so angry that I divorced him back then. All these years later, he hasn't changed at all! Okay, come over tomorrow, and I'll talk to you about it then."

After hearing Liu Xiaoli's words, Liu Yifei's mood improved completely, and she smiled and said, "Okay."

"Okay, come over early in the morning and tell them I have something to do here."

"I know, Mom."

"Then that's settled, I..."

"mom."

"Well, what?"

I love you, Mom. Happy New Year.

Ps:

Today, these 6000 words took the time it would take to write 1 words.

(End of this chapter)