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

Chapter 491 Where is Wang Jiawei?

“…Miss Nini, now that we’ve finished talking about the movie, can we move on to something else?”

"of course."

"I heard that a big star visited your set during the filming of this movie. Is that true?"

"Huh? Who are you talking about...?"

"Haha, Miss Nini, what do you think? Of course, it's your good friend, Mr. Chen Nuo."

"Uh……"

"Mr. Chen Nuo, did you visit the set because of you?"

"No, it's because he actually has a good relationship with many people in our crew. For example, the male lead Christian Bale, his classmates from the Beijing Film Academy are also in our crew, and director Zhang Yimou is also very close to him, so..."

Before she could finish speaking, the reporter interrupted: "Recently, there have been rumors online that you and he were a couple when you were filming Zhang Yiyi's 'The House of the Mute.' Is that true?"

"Huh? No, that's all nonsense. I don't have that kind of relationship with him."

"Is that so? But we got this information from your General Manager Zhang at New Pictures. We heard that you previously..."

"What? Mr. Zhang?"

……

……

"what?"

Good morning, Grandpa.

"Jun, judging from your appearance, are you planning to go on another long trip?"

"Oh right, I'm going to the mainland to take care of some business."

"No, what business do you, a delivery guy, have to run? Do you have food to deliver by boat to the other side?"

"Haha, no, I'm just going to visit some relatives."

"Oh, I see. When will you be back?"

"In a couple of days. What's wrong, Grandpa?"

"Oh, is that so? In a few days it will be Grandpa's birthday, and I'd like to invite you and Aqi to have a meal together."

"..."

"What's wrong? Come and have some fish soup."

"Grandpa, haven't I been coming over for soup whenever I have free time lately?"

"Yes, that's why you look so much better lately. Okay, it's settled then. Grandpa will be waiting for you to come back... Don't look so gloomy, listen to Grandpa, Grandpa won't hurt you."

"Uh…………"

……

……

"Hey, did you hear your mother talking to you?"

A man's voice came from inside, but Zhang Jiaqi ignored it and picked up a piece of food with her chopsticks.

The woman continued, "When Grandpa invites him to dinner, you can go and see what he's like. Grandpa says he's very handsome, but he's usually quite shy. He has some health issues, but they're almost completely gone. I ran into him a few days ago, and you wouldn't really notice it otherwise. Think about it, he almost broke someone's body that day because of you. There are very few men like that these days, so kind and righteous."

Zhang Jiaqi picked up her wine glass.

There was a "pop".

"Ouch!" Zhang Jiaqi cried out in pain, and said with dissatisfaction, "Mom, what are you doing?"

The woman withdrew the chopsticks she had thrown at Zhang Jiaqi's hand and said calmly, "Girls, don't drink so much. You won't be able to get married if you do."

The man said, "You have to listen to what your mother says, Aqi. You're our only child. If there were a second one, your mother and I would have abandoned you long ago. You need to get married soon so we can be at ease. You're already 27 this year. If you get any older, you'll only be able to find divorced men and help them take care of their children. You might as well go with that Ajun. He may not have money, but at least he lives close to us. If he beats you up, you can run back."

"Hit me?" Zhang Jiaqi laughed angrily. "What right did he have to hit me?"

"Why should I?" the woman said coldly, "Because you're always daydreaming."

“…I’m not eating anymore.” Zhang Jiaqi threw down her chopsticks.

“You stop eating every time I talk to you,” the man muttered. “Your mother was right. When you were a teenager, you said you wanted to pursue your dreams and become an actor, and ten years later, you're still dreaming. You read books all the time, and you buy so many. Look, there’s almost no room under the bed. I’m asking you, do you…”

"I'm going out." Zhang Jiaqi stood up, picked up her bag by the door, opened the door and rushed out.

"Hey you……"

The man's voice came from behind, but the woman ran like the wind, leaving it far behind.

……

"Daydream Takes Flight"
Never is too far away, too abstract.

After the final change of power
Becoming a bride is an ideal.

In Times Square
Everyone will always get a prize...

An old, slightly outdated song drifted from a clothing store on the street. The melody brushed past Zhang Jiaqi's ears, but she didn't pay any attention to it.

She's no longer the little girl who would stand at the bus stop dreaming of becoming "the next superstar." Besides, one of the two who sang that song back then has long since fallen from grace.

She took out her phone and dialed a number.

"Hey, Wei, what are you doing? Got some time to go for a walk... Oh? You're already at work? Really? Who introduced you to the role?... Okay, okay, call me back when you're done. I'll be waiting for your call."

After hanging up the phone, Zhang Jiaqi's expression became somewhat complicated.

She held the old iPhone with its peeling paint and opened another contact.

"Brother Hao, hello here, this is Kiki. I just heard from Ah Wei that you helped her find a role at TVB. Do you have any extra opportunities for me?... Ah? Not you? Well, sorry Brother Hao, I must have made a mistake... I'm not free today, I have to go to the countryside to help my mom with her shop. I'll call you again when I get back... Okay, bye Brother Hao."

Zhang Jiaqi made several more calls, but still couldn't get the information she wanted.

Finally, she sighed, tapped a number in her call log, and dialed it.

“Gigi, are you up? Did you know that Avi found a role on set? I’m not kidding, she just called me and asked who introduced her to her, but she wouldn’t say… It wasn’t Zhang Tianhao, I just asked him… Money, I haven’t worked for days, where am I going to lend you money? Okay, I’m hanging up now, bye.”

Zhang Jiaqi put the phone in her bag, carefully stepped over a puddle of water, and walked out of the alley onto the main street.

She hadn't walked two steps when she saw a newspaper stand by the roadside. An old woman was sitting on a small stool. When she saw her coming, she smiled and said, "Aqi, the East Weekly is just out of print. Would you like a copy?"

"Yes." Zhang Jiaqi walked over, took out 10 yuan from her bag, and handed it over.

Aaron Kwok secretly meets with ex-girlfriend Lynn Hung; are they getting married soon?

Sammi Cheng is suspected of withdrawing from "Romancing in Thin Air II," appearing sullen throughout the filming.

Backstage photos from Twins' reunion concert: Did Charlene Choi and Gillian Chung have zero interaction in private?

The largest headline read—

Chen Nuo, who had been working in Hong Kong for several days, secretly returned to the mainland and attended the premiere of "The Flowers of War" yesterday.

The accompanying image is a high-resolution photo of a man in a sharply tailored black suit standing on the red carpet.

Some say it's because of the new movie she's filming in Hong Kong that she's losing weight, while others say it's because she's not feeling well.

But regardless, standing there, he seemed born for the red carpet in Zhang Jiaqi's eyes, radiating a dazzling glow. With a slight smile, it was likely no woman in the world could resist his charm.

Zhang Jiaqi looked at the photo, and then noticed a line of small, yellow text below the title that read:

Traveling a thousand miles to keep a promise, for love or loyalty? It's all shrouded in mystery.

The corner of the cover also reads:

"Rumors circulate that Chen Nuo has rekindled his old flame with the latest 'Mou Girl' (actress discovered by director Zhang Yimou), Nini. When pressed by reporters on the spot, Chen Nuo remained silent, seemingly tacitly admitting it. This is really serious! Latest responses from Liu Yifei and Janice Man!"

Zhang Jiaqi put away the magazine and continued walking on the bustling street.

……

……

Five minutes later, Zhang Jiaqi walked into a McDonald's, ordered a juice, sat down in a corner, opened the newly bought "East Weekly," and began to read it page by page amidst the noisy crowd.

The special gossip report inside the pages, written in large bold font, reads:

"Rekindled romance? Chen Nuo secretly returns to mainland China for the premiere of 'The Flowers of War'"

—Nini, Janice Man, Liu Yifei, who is the rightful wife?

Recently, rumors of a romance between Chen Nuo and Nini, the lead actress of "The Flowers of War," have intensified. Last May, he made a special trip to Nanjing to visit the set, seemingly to see his former love. According to insiders, the two leads developed feelings for each other during the filming of their debut film, "The House of the Mute," and their on-screen romance became a real-life relationship.

The two broke up after Janice Man got involved. Nini, the woman, has held a grudge ever since.

Finally, in May of last year, the two were suspected of rekindling their old romance. According to sources from the "The Flowers of War" production team, Chen Nuo spent a late night in the same room with Nini during a visit to the set, and she did not leave until the early morning.

The production team later responded that "this is absolutely not true," but a hotel staff member privately stated that the two did indeed stay on the same floor and their entry and exit times were highly consistent.

This time, Chen Nuo, who was filming a Hollywood blockbuster in Hong Kong that was hailed as the "Chinese version of Game of Thrones," suddenly returned to the mainland in secret. This was believed to be to support Tony Stark and help his ex-girlfriend return to the top.

What's even more intriguing is that at the premiere, when a reporter tried to press director Zhang Yimou about the matter, he immediately turned visibly angry, seemingly extremely dissatisfied with the leak within the production team.

As is well known, Chen Nuo has only publicly acknowledged two girlfriends since his debut—one is Janice Man, and the other is his current girlfriend, Liu Yifei. The recent revelation of a "third" has caused a stir in the entertainment industry, trending on mainland social media for three consecutive days. Countless fans are disappointed and angry, saying that Chen Nuo's romantic history is rich and contradicts his previous public image.

So what is Liu Yifei's attitude as his current girlfriend? Will his ex-boyfriend, Wen Yongshan, respond?

Three women vie for one man; who will ultimately be the rightful queen?
For more coverage, please stay tuned to the next issue of *Eastweek*, where our reporters will bring you exclusive scoops.

After reading it, Zhang Jiaqi sighed slightly. Sure enough, it was just another one of those weekly magazines making up headlines to make money. There was absolutely nothing to report.

Having followed entertainment news for a long time, she immediately knew that the whole "Nini" thing was just a publicity stunt to promote the movie "The Flowers of War".

As for the last thing they said about Liu Yifei and Janice Man's latest bombshell, I'd bet ten thousand dollars that there won't be anything in the next issue. That's how Hong Kong entertainment newspapers and magazines are these days; they just make up whatever sells well.

After reading the largest cover story, she started reading from the beginning again.

Aaron Kwok, Sammi Cheng, and Twins... However, in this issue of the weekly magazine, gossip about Chen Nuo still occupied more than one item.

Besides the latest rumor, there are two other pieces of news.

One is from the United States—the sensational "theft of cement slabs from the Chinese Theatre" last year.

Zhang Jiaqi recalled that the cement slab later ended up in Italy, where it was auctioned off at an underground auction in Milan.

This time, Eastweek magazine reported that the cement slab has inexplicably reappeared in the United States.

A police department in Florida reportedly received an anonymous call reporting that cement slabs had been hidden in a warehouse. However, when police arrived, the slabs had vanished. The only known culprit was the warehouse owner, a freight company proprietor, who claimed to know nothing about the slabs. Police later discovered that someone had indeed secretly opened the warehouse and placed the slabs inside. They then removed them within the first hour of the police's arrival. Surveillance footage revealed a fake license plate on a vehicle.

From then on, the cement slab disappeared again.

Zhang Jiaqi read the long and detailed article with great interest.

The second news item is also a derivative of another old news from last year.

The story refers to last year's Bazaar Charity Night, where a mainland company called "Sugarman Films" won a high bid for Chen Nuo's cameo role in a film or television series. Ultimately, the company used this opportunity to promote a TV drama called "Heaven's Scar." Now, the series has completed production, and the bidding for its broadcast rights officially began last Friday.

After several rounds of fierce bidding, Hunan TV successfully won the exclusive first-run broadcasting rights for 1.6 million yuan per episode, and it is expected to be launched in July during the summer season.

160 million per episode... Zhang Jiaqi doesn't know if this price is expensive or cheap.

She closed the magazine and then took out her phone to look at it.

No one is looking for her.

……

……

"Hey, remember to behave after you get there. Don't drink alcohol, and don't ramble on about your daydreams, understand? You need to make a good impression. Ah-Chi, say hello if you hear me!" Her mother's voice came from the kitchen.

Zhang Jiaqi sat in front of the dressing table, sighed, and said, "I heard you."

"Hurry up and change your clothes!"

"I know."

In the small house of just over 20 square meters, even though her father had gone out to work, Zhang Jiaqi still drew the curtain in the middle and began to change her clothes.

Although she was determined to just appease her parents, Zhang Jiaqi still unconsciously took out the custom-made cheongsam from the far corner of her wardrobe. She had it made several years ago at a well-established shop in Tsim Sha Tsui, and she still couldn't bear to wear it more than a few times.

After getting dressed, stand in front of the mirror and look at the person in the mirror.

She still had a slender figure, and her face was cool yet alluring. She loosely tied her hair into a bun, gently brushed her bangs aside, and the woman in the mirror gave her a playful smile.

At 27, she is no longer a young girl, but she is still radiant and charming.

She lifted the curtain and stepped out. Her mother looked up, glanced at her, paused for a moment, and then chuckled, "You're really dressing up so seriously?"

Zhang Jiaqi said frankly, "Didn't you say you wanted to leave a good impression on people?"

Her mother glanced at her and smiled, "Yes, yes, hurry up and go. Take this with you."

……

dong dong dong.

The door opened.

"Aqi, you're here." Grandpa Chen smiled so broadly that his face was covered in wrinkles.

Zhang Jiaqi held a porcelain plate in both hands and handed it over: "Grandpa, this is sweet and sour pork ribs that my mom asked me to bring over."

"Oh, you're too kind." Grandpa Chen took the dishes and stepped aside to let her in. "Come in and sit down."

Zhang Jiaqi walked into the house, and before she could even sit down, Grandpa Chen seemed to suddenly remember something, hesitated for a moment, and said softly, "Um... Jiaqi."

"Hmm?" She looked up.

Ah Jun said he's busy with work today and has some things to do, so he won't be coming over for dinner.

"Huh?" She was stunned for a moment, and the expression on her face froze instantly.

"Wait, wait, don't rush." ​​Grandpa Chen quickly waved his hand. "Although we can't have dinner, he said he'll come over for a bit after work, and you two can chat then, okay?"

Zhang Jiaqi opened her mouth, wanting to say "No".

But she didn't know if it was because she didn't want to go home and face her mother's face, or because of the cheongsam she had just changed into. Although the woman in the mirror still had a graceful figure, the fine lines under the foundation could no longer be hidden.

In short, she stayed.

By the time the deliveryman knocked on the door, Zhang Jiaqi had already drunk three cups of the medicinal wine that Grandpa Chen had personally brewed. Her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes were slightly tipsy. Under the dim light, her cheeks were glowing, and she looked like a peach blossom.

……

Chen Nuo arrived late, of course, not because he was busy.

It's not because he would ever take off his mask in front of Zhang Jiaqi.

After all, he had just returned from the premiere of "The Flowers of War" in mainland China, and he still had two episodes left to film. He was also going to stay here for another month or so. If he were recognized, he definitely wouldn't be able to stay any longer.

The penultimate episode was alright.

The director of the final episode was someone he had to go through a lot of trouble to get. He's a very troublesome guy. If Xie Jiajun doesn't maintain his form, the show might not even air this year, let alone next September.

Wearing a mask, Chen Nuo blinked, gave a simple, honest smile, and said, "Grandpa, I'm sorry."

Grandpa Chen laughed and said, "Come in quickly, Aqi has been waiting for you for a long time."

Chen Nuo walked in and saw a woman in a dark green cheongsam, holding a bowl of soup and gently sipping it spoonful by spoonful. Her rosy lips made soft slurping sounds under the white porcelain spoon.

The woman's expression was indifferent, as if she hadn't noticed his arrival.

"Alright, I'm going out to buy some things, I'll be back in a bit. Ah Jun, Ah Qi, you young people can chat now." Grandpa Chen said hurriedly, and seemed impatient as he pushed open the door and left.

Only a man and a woman remained inside the room, one standing and one sitting.

It was dusk, and the May sun, unlike people, was in its prime, casting its last rays upon Grandpa Chen's little house. Several golden beams of light shone through the half-open wooden window, illuminating the corners of the table and the floor inside. Within these beams, one could see tiny specks of dust floating in the air, swirling silently against the old backdrop.

At this moment, time seemed to slow down, and space itself seemed to enter another dimension.

The woman's face was backlit, hidden in shadow, but as she buried her head in her soup, her neck curved, revealing a snow-white line, like a swan bending its neck to drink water in a pond.

Her legs were casually draped slightly under the table, facing Chen Nuo, right at the high slit of her cheongsam. At this moment, a corner was open, revealing a patch of snow-white, delicate skin.

I don’t know how long it took.

Have you seen enough?

When the woman's voice came, Chen Nuo finally came to his senses.

"I'm sorry," he said softly, then looked away a little embarrassed.

Zhang Jiaqi put down the bowl in her hand, which had been empty of soup thirty seconds ago, looked up, and said, "The way you look at girls, you're going to scare them away, you know that?"

Chen Nuo paused for a moment, then shook his head and said, "I don't know."

Never been in a relationship?

"No... no, there is."

"Is there any?"

"Have."

Zhang Jiaqi looked him up and down, then smiled. "Judging from your appearance, you don't seem like it. Okay, sit down and let's chat. Standing there like a blockhead, no girl will like you."

"Oh." Chen Nuo walked over and sat down on the old, narrow sofa in Grandpa Chen's house.

Zhang Jiaqi turned around and asked with a half-smile, "Could you take off your mask and let me see it?"

"Do not."

Why?

"Because... I was injured on my face when I was a child."

"Really? But that's not what Grandpa Chen said... Do you know what we're here for today? How can you not show me what you look like?"

The woman spoke in hushed tones, trying to hide her nervousness. She rested her arms on the table and crossed her legs, revealing more of her long, slender legs for a moment.

Chen Nuo glanced at it subconsciously, but immediately looked away and said, "I don't know, ah, I know."

Zhang Jiaqi's lips curled up slightly, and her smile resembled a dark green rose in a dark room. "So, tell me, what are we here for?"

Chen Nuo said, "We've come to eat."

"What are you going to eat? If you want to eat, you might as well go home. What Grandpa Chen and my parents mean is that I should come here to have a blind date with you."

"Ah, oh."

"So, would you like to date me?"

"me……"

Chen Nuo stammered, unable to utter the next word for a long time.

At this moment, he truly resembled a novice in love, or perhaps not, since Xie Jiajun also had a child. However, in matters of the heart, a man grappling with past emotional issues is indeed like a blank sheet of paper.

Therefore, when faced with a mature and beautiful woman pressing him relentlessly, he truly didn't know how to respond.

Don't blame Chen Nuo for not being able to distinguish between the play and reality; it's just that this moment is really too far removed from his original life.

In such situations, it's easy for a person to become unlike themselves. Just like when someone travels and enters an unfamiliar environment, their personality and habits will unconsciously differ from those at home.

At this moment, completely immersed in the role, a thought suddenly flashed through Chen Nuo's mind—

If Ann Hui were here right now, what would she think about how to film this scene and how to develop the plot of this movie?
What about Wang Jiawei?

……

……

"What then?"

"Of course nothing was done."

Did you reject her, or did she reject you?

"Of course she rejected me."

"Why? Is it because you won't take off your mask, or are you being silly and people think you're boring?"

"How would I know? Go ask her."

"...Nuozai, I think you need to understand something. I'm actually very busy right now. I'm preparing for a new film, which is a very important film in my career. Because many people outside are waiting to see me fail, thinking that I haven't made any films for several years after winning the Cannes award, and that I'm afraid to make films again. But I want to prove to those people that I'm not old yet, and that I can still make good films. So, this time I'm really putting my heart into preparing for it. But, you asked me to direct your film, and I still came. Under these circumstances, could you be a little nicer to me?"

"...Director Wang, please continue asking what you want to know."

"Alright. After we finish filming this episode, take me to see that girl. Now that you've said that, I'm starting to get interested in her."

(End of this chapter)