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

Chapter 494 Especially Handsome

"You really left him there?"

"What? Are you feeling sorry for Suo?"

"It's not that I'm worried about him... He's such a big star, isn't he safe?"

"What's unsafe about him? He's wearing a mask, sunglasses, and has dyed hair. Who would recognize him?"

"Then how will he come back? You don't necessarily want him to walk, do you?"

"You're a grown man, you have a phone and money, why would you need to worry about anything?"

"Sigh, I still think..."

"Stop rambling on and on, why don't you go down and keep him company?"

"...Hey, by the way, what should we eat for lunch?"

……

……

When Chen Nuo called, Gao Yuanyuan was sitting by her mother's bedside, looking at a movie magazine.

The woman in the hospital bed had just drifted off to sleep, while Gao Yuanyuan's movements as she flipped through the magazine were exceptionally gentle. She had already read the second paragraph of an article titled "2012, the Era of Art and Literature," published in *Movie View*, China's largest-circulation film magazine.

Gao Yuanyuan seemed to be deep in thought, her eyes focused, reading each word with exceptional care.

"...While we see Hollywood's theatrical release schedule this year filled with blockbuster films like *The Avengers*, *Skyfall*, *The Amazing Spider-Man*, and *Men in Black 3*, in China, over the past few months, we've heard the following news—"

Rumors of collaborations have circulated among numerous A-list stars and art-house film directors, including Zhang Ziyi and Jia Zhangke, Zhou Xun and Lou Ye, Aaron Kwok and Guan Hu, Huang Bo and Wang Xiaoshuai, Li Bingbing and Gu Changwei, Chen Kun and Zhang Yiyi.

With the exception of Fan Bingbing, who has been living a secluded life since her comeback last year, almost every other A-list star has changed their previous disdain for art films and begun to embrace cinematic art.

Not only Jia Zhangke, Lou Ye, Wang Xiaoshuai, and Zhang Yiyi have become highly sought after, but many second- and third-tier art-house film directors have also begun to enter the mainstream spotlight.

Give the simplest example.

Five years ago, could you have imagined that Liu Yifei, who went to Japan to release an album and wanted to become a crossover superstar, would collaborate with Wu Qi to make a low-budget period biographical film called "Liu Rushi"?
Can you imagine that Hu Ge, a leading man known for his handsome looks, would be willing to dress up as a woman and play a comical and ugly Errenzhuan (a traditional Chinese folk art form) performer in Hao Jie's new movie?
Or perhaps, when news broke that Guan Hu was casting for his new film, the Four Heavenly Kings, including Andy Lau and Aaron Kwok, all jumped on the bandwagon? If it were five years ago, I suspect that when Guan Hu's script was delivered to the agencies of these Hong Kong superstars, it would more likely have ended up gathering dust in the archives.

While these superstars' forays into other fields may dethrone figures like Hao Lei, Gao Yuanyuan, and Qin Hao, from a macro perspective, many years from now, future generations should see a clear dividing line in the chronology of Chinese cinema.

After the era of blockbuster films at the beginning of the century, Chinese cinema reached a crossroads in 2012, a decade later, where it took a 90-degree turn.

While investment, commercial prospects, box office revenue, and actor salaries are certainly important, this year, more and more top-tier film stars are placing the director's ability to win awards, especially the three major European awards, or to achieve success at an international film festival, on an equal footing with actor salaries and commercial value when choosing films.

Last year, Deanie Ip won the Best Actress award at the Venice Film Festival for her role in "A Simple Life," which was a great boost to their confidence in winning international awards.

Thus, the golden age of art films seemed to be slowly unfolding.

Again--

Five years ago, or to be precise, seven years ago, who could have imagined this?

What did we see on the Chinese film stage back then?
"Hero" became a cinematic hero, and Feng Xiaogang and Huayi Brothers, Chen Kaige and China Film Group, as well as any other capable director and company, are emulating the successful commercial case of Zhang Yimou and New Pictures.

By using money to bring together top celebrities, you'll naturally reap satisfactory rewards, regardless of what you film or how you film it.

Everyone went crazy over it.

Money from Shanxi, money from Zhejiang, money from Guangdong—China, having just joined the WTO, had too much hot money that needed an outlet for its explosive growth. At that time, film became the best channel for capital.

Celebrities + capital = success, it seems as simple as 1+1=2.

In this rising wave,
The film's artistic value has become the neglected child in the film family.

Audiences have gradually become accustomed to seeing one star after another in the cinema. The one-sided audiovisual stimulation and the glamorous packaging seem to have become the only reason for them to go to the cinema.

This trend seems irreversible.

Because it is a combined force between resources and capital.

Trying to stop this wave is almost no different from trying to stop money itself.

However, if this trend is allowed to continue, I believe that seven years from now, or even ten years from now, Chinese filmmakers will certainly taste the bitter fruit of their own making.

Because films are swept up by the tide of capital and soar to great heights, they seem to be high above, yet they are detached from their roots. When this tide eventually recedes, the only outcome will be a fall from the sky, shattering into pieces.

All of this seemed to have been set in stone at the beginning of the 21st century.

Even though many filmmakers like myself foresaw all these tragic consequences, they were powerless to change them.

Yes, what can we do?

This seems to be something that cannot be stopped by human power.

however.

No one expected that in 2005, an art film with a production cost of only a few hundred thousand yuan would conquer Berlin, quietly winning the first Best Actor award for a Chinese filmmaker at the Berlin Film Festival, shocking the entire nation. It later even rivaled "The Promise" in theaters.

Years later, when art-house film enthusiasts like myself look back on this event, we feel that no words can adequately describe the grandeur and magnificence of that moment.

A film with a budget of 400,000 (some say 200,000) and a blockbuster with a production cost of over 100 million are vying for screen time in theaters.

This punctured the beautiful bubble that capital plus celebrities could guarantee success.

What's even more unimaginable is...

The young man who conquered Berlin as soon as he emerged from seclusion did not lose himself in the pursuit of fame and fortune.

On the contrary, he exceeded everyone's expectations, making remarkable achievements at major international film festivals in the following years, from Berlin to Cannes, and then from Cannes to Hollywood, breaking countless records.

It is precisely these feats of his that have boosted the confidence of Chinese filmmakers and given hope to many Chinese directors, broadening their horizons.

For many, Cannes, Berlin, Venice, and even the Golden Globes and Oscars are no longer unattainable dreams, but rather a dream that can be pursued.

Regardless of the final outcome, the fact that more and more Chinese films and filmmakers are willing to challenge for international awards and to make the voice of Chinese cinema heard in the world is truly exciting.

The golden age of diverse and flourishing Chinese cinema will surely follow in this era of art and culture!

Who could have imagined,

This bright future of Chinese cinema is within reach.

Is it just because of one person's appearance?

When we rewind to the end of 2004, as Zhang Yiyi was smoking a cigarette outside the Film Academy that evening, racking his brains over his second film, he certainly couldn't have imagined that he would soon encounter someone.

The kick he delivered that landed on his opponent will be a moment recorded in the history of Chinese cinema.

It was this kick that opened the door to a glorious future for Chinese cinema!

To this, I can only say: Chinese cinema is fortunate, China is fortunate…

As she watched, Gao Yuanyuan didn't know why, but her emotions were unusually turbulent, and it felt like something was stuck in her throat.

She glanced at the old man on the bed and wiped the tears from her face.

Just as she calmed herself down and was about to continue watching, her phone vibrated.

……

……

Gao Yuanyuan drove around the service area for half a day before finally recognizing Chen Nuo.

Looking at that head of bright red hair, she rubbed her eyes in disbelief at first, but when she saw that familiar figure and confirmed that she hadn't mistaken him, the corners of her mouth immediately turned up and she smiled.

Because all the way here by car, she was still thinking about the article she had just read.

She wondered what the person who wrote the article in "Filmmaker" would look like if he saw his savior sporting an unconventional hairstyle.

Chen Nuo, however, did not notice Gao Yuanyuan's Toyota Highlander. He was sitting on a rather secluded bench in the shade of the supermarket area, talking to a little girl of about seven or eight years old in front of him.

"...No, it's really not."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"Hey, why are you wandering around alone? Where are your parents?"

"I do not know."

"You do not know?"

"Ah."

Chen Nuo was speechless.

The little girl suddenly ran over to him while he was sitting there waiting for someone. She immediately asked if he was Korean, to which he naturally said no. After arguing for a while, he realized something was wrong.

Where are the parents?
He looked closely at the little girl in front of him. She had a small nose and small eyes, two braids, and was wearing a plaid dress with white leggings and Nike children's shoes underneath. She looked quite fashionable.

"Are you sure you don't know where your parents are?" he asked again.

The little girl replied, "Mommy went to the toilet."

At this moment, Chen Nuo saw Gao Yuanyuan. She drove up in front of him, the passenger window rolled down, and the woman, wearing large sunglasses, smiled at him.

Why did he ask Gao Yuanyuan to pick him up?

Because there were no other candidates.

Qi Yuntian was still in Hong Kong. Gulinazha and Linghu had stayed with him there for several months and were on vacation when they returned. As for the people from the company, he didn't feel comfortable making a big fuss.

Liu Yifei went to Changshu, Jiangsu to film a period drama called "Liu Rushi".

Although Tong Liya was in Beijing, she was on a film set. "Beijing Love Story" aired in January, and this woman instantly became a sensation.

Originally, Chen Nuo thought the problem was that he didn't allow Tong Liya to have close contact with Chen Sicheng. Unexpectedly, it somehow became a hot topic on Weibo and gained a lot of fans. Tong Liya was hailed as a goddess of asceticism.

Now, the Xibe girl has become a minor celebrity in the mainland film and television industry, receiving so many offers that her schedule is packed until the end of this year.

The key is that the woman is very smart. After receiving the signing bonus of several million dollars, the first huge sum of money in her life, she did not squander it. Instead, she called him directly to ask what she should do and whether she could learn from him and buy US stocks.

You know, this kind of woman, besides having long legs, big breasts, a supple waist, and being gentle and virtuous enough to help you bathe, actually has brains!
Even after all this time, I still remember him buying US stocks and seeking his investment advice.

How many men in this world are worthy of her?
After listening, Chen Nuo thought for a moment and suggested that the woman buy a house first, spend all of the millions, and buy a comfortable big house to replace the old and dilapidated one she was living in now, and improve her living environment first.

As for whether to follow his example and invest in FAANG stocks... well, if you have confidence in him, you could take part of your salary from a movie before "The Eagle Catches the Chicken" is released in September and use it to buy some Netflix stock. However, he doesn't guarantee whether you'll make a profit or a loss.

In the end, Tong Liya sounded quite confident in him on the phone, but Chen Nuo didn't know whether she would actually buy it or not. After all, when faced with real money, human nature can't withstand the test.

In short, the only person in Beijing with free time is Gao Yuanyuan, a reclusive artistic young woman who hasn't been filming recently.

He called out to Gao Yuanyuan, "Wait a minute, I'm going to find this little brat a mother."

“I’m not a little kid,” the little kid protested. “My name is Deng Enxi.”

"Hehe, Deng Enxi. No wonder you say I'm Korean, I think you're the Korean one."

"I am not Korean, I am from Chongqing."

"Really? Then why did you skip school and come all the way to the capital?"

"Come and play."

"So what did you play?"

"Not the way of the machine."

He took the little girl's hand and led her to the front of the service area. Without much effort, he glanced around and saw two women and a man running wildly back and forth between vehicles and pedestrians, looking like they had gone mad.

Is that your mother?

"Yes." "Then you can go by yourself, I'm leaving."

"No."

"What did you say……"

As soon as Chen Nuo finished speaking, a sharp female voice rang out, "Deng Enxi!" Then he felt a gust of wind blow by, and a woman instantly appeared in front of him, pulling the little girl into her arms.

The woman knelt down, anxiously checking the little girl's body from head to toe. "Are you alright? Eun-hee, are you okay? You scared your mother to death, you know?"

The name matches, and the appearance doesn't seem fake; this must be the real mother. Since that's the case, Chen Nuo didn't delay any longer. He turned around and saw Gao Yuanyuan, who had parked the car and gotten out sometime earlier, standing not far away smiling at him.

He walked over and said, "Let's go."

Gao Yuanyuan smiled, revealing a set of neat, white teeth, and said, "I didn't expect you to help with this kind of thing."

What? Do you think I'm that bad?

"Haha, no, I just feel... I still don't know you well enough."

"That's a good thing. It keeps me a little mysterious, which makes me more attractive."

"Hahahaha, by the way, what's up with your hair? Why did you decide to get this hairstyle?"

"It's just for filming; I'll dye it back in a couple of days."

"No, I think it looks great."

"Really? My mom said it's ugly."

"Hahahaha, by the way, what was your mother thinking? Why did she leave you here?"

"Oh, it's hard to put it into words."

The two chatted as they got into the car. Gao Yuanyuan started driving, and just as they started moving, the group of people who had been there earlier, along with the little girl, quickly walked towards them.

"Wait, wait!" the woman called out. "Hey, you handsome red-haired guy, wait a minute."

Well, no wonder I could see it from so far away, it really is because of that hair.

Chen Nuo rolled down the car window but didn't say anything.

"Handsome, thank you." The woman walked over and said politely, "Eun-hee told me, thanks to you for taking care of him. This is a small token of my appreciation, please accept it."

As she spoke, the rather elegant woman in her thirties took out several bright red banknotes and handed them over.

Chen Nuo had no choice but to speak up at this point, and said, "Never mind."

"Handsome, please accept this. It's just a small token of our appreciation. Of course, it's probably nothing to you, but we really appreciate it," a man next to us said in Chongqing dialect.

Chen Nuo laughed and said, "Really, no need. Have a great trip, bye-bye."

After saying that, he waved to the other person, rolled up the car window, and Gao Yuanyuan stepped on the gas, and the car drove off.

Gao Yuanyuan smiled and said, "Tell me, what do you think their reaction would be if they knew you were Chen Nuo?"

Chen Nuo said, "What do you think?"

Gao Yuanyuan tilted her head and thought for a moment, then smiled and said, "I probably won't give you any money."

Chen Nuo burst into laughter.

……

……

"Hey, are you home yet?"

"No."

"Where did you go?"

"Leave me alone?"

“I’m trying to talk to you nicely, but if you insist on doing this, then…”

"I'm at a friend's house."

"When are you coming back?"

"Probably tomorrow morning."

"Then I'll help you pack your things, and you can come back tomorrow morning and take them with you."

"Okay, thank you, Mom."

"Yeah, take it easy, don't get caught by the reporters."

After saying that, the phone hung up.

Gao Yuanyuan asked, "Have you rested well?"

Chen Nuo asked helplessly, "Are you sure it's today?"

"I'm sure. I specifically noted the dates; it's these last two days, and today is very likely."

"Oh, okay then."

Sighing aside, a woman like Gao Yuanyuan, lying in bed, still insists you have sex with her. Even though you've already been there once, as a young man in your twenties, if you don't get excited, you're really not human.

Chen Nuo is human, so when Gao Yuanyuan's two long legs wrapped around his waist, his body, which had been resting for half an hour, instantly regained its vitality.

This time, it's still a five-step process.

The unsuccessful attempt in January made Gao Yuanyuan follow the experience posts of mothers who had successfully conceived even more strictly. In addition, she also used the past few months to practice Kegel exercises.

What is Kegel exercises? They are a method proposed by American obstetrician and gynecologist Arnold Kegel, which involves contracting and relaxing the pelvic floor muscles to strengthen them, thereby improving urinary incontinence and enhancing quality of life.

Gao Yuanyuan practiced for three months, and it was clear that she had put in a lot of hard work, which allowed Chen Nuo to fully appreciate the benefits of women's exercise.

For example, the feeling is similar to grasping the index finger of your left hand with your right hand and applying about four or five tenths of your strength.

In this situation, it felt like a struggle with one's own pleasure nerves, a constant internal conflict and pull, creating a great deal of contradiction. Chen Nuo could only last about 20 minutes before giving up.

After it was over, the woman was really invested in the matter. Even after going to such lengths, she still wasn't satisfied and was already making an appointment with Chen Nuo for the next time.

"If I go to Shanghai tomorrow, I'll be locked up and won't be able to see anyone, so it's definitely not going to work out."

"Aren't you the chairman of the judging panel? Can't you just sneak out?"

Chen Nuo turned his head and said in surprise, "Yuanyuan, you have such thick eyebrows and big eyes, I didn't expect you to be the kind of person who cheats and swindles."

Gao Yuanyuan playfully slapped him, saying, "Where did you cheat or try to be clever?"

Chen Nuo laughed and said, "It really won't work. If I get caught, it will be a huge international scandal. I reckon everyone in the industry will want to arrest me and eat me alive. This is the Shanghai International Film Festival, the only one of its kind in China."

"Alright then. Sigh." Gao Yuanyuan sighed softly.

Then she suddenly raised her eyebrows and said with great interest, "I heard that the number of films submitted this time has set a record for the Shanghai International Film Festival, with more than 3000 films submitted, which is more than 1000 more than the previous edition."

Chen Nuo nodded.

He knew that the actual number was 2130 more.

The majority of the participants were filmmakers from Japan and South Korea, who seemed to have suddenly remembered that their superpower was organizing a film festival this year, so they eagerly signed up.

Besides that, there's the United States, and then Europe.

These three regions combined have approximately 1100 films, while the other 100-plus countries combined have less than 1000 more.

However, in his view, the vast majority of these extra films were actually subpar works. They were either experimental works by emerging directors or low-budget films produced by independent production companies. For example, "The House of the Mute" belonged to this type.

Are there any films submitted to this year's Shanghai International Film Festival that are as valuable as "The House of the Mute"?
there must be.

However, this puts the taste of the foreign advisors and selectors on the film selection committee to the test.

If these films are eliminated during the nomination and selection process, there's nothing he, as the chairman of the jury, can do.

His task was simply to watch the 17 films nominated for the main competition and organize the jury to vote for the eight Golden Goblet Awards, including Best Film, Jury Grand Prix, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Actress.

So he said nonchalantly, "Anyway, I'll just finish watching all 17 movies in the main competition and that'll be it."

"ask you a question."

"what?"

"What are your selection criteria when you're judging Best Actor and Best Actress?"

Gao Yuanyuan spoke casually, but Chen Nuo couldn't help but turn his head to look at her; the woman's expression was anything but casual.

He said, "As an actor myself, I definitely pay more attention to details. For example, I score based on aspects such as the sense of conviction in form, focus, delivery of lines, control of body language, and camera presence. But in the end, it probably comes down to feeling. I was a judge at the Tokyo Film Festival before, and I found that everyone's selection process follows a similar pattern. Because those who can stand out from thousands of films generally have no major problems with their basic skills. So, in the end, who the judges think is the best is basically a subjective matter."

Gao Yuanyuan sighed and said, "Why is it that some people can impress the judges while others can't? Why is that? Perhaps their basic skills and performances are at the same level, but the difference in their ability to empathize is particularly obvious. Do you think it really is a matter of talent?"

Chen Nuo thought for a moment and nodded, saying, "That might indeed be the case."

Gao Yuanyuan looked at him and laughed, saying, "I thought you would say no."

Chen Nuo smiled and said, "Yes or no. I don't lie."

Gao Yuanyuan hummed in agreement, then suddenly tilted her head up and kissed him on the cheek, saying, "Then I'll ask you another question."

"explain."

What do you think of my talent? Be honest.

"...Not high."

Gao Yuanyuan laughed and said, "Are you really that direct?"

Chen Nuo laughed and said, "Then what do you want me to say?"

Aren't you afraid I'll be heartbroken?

"Do you know?"

Gao Yuanyuan sighed softly and said, "No. Actually, I know. Chen Nuo, can you give me some advice? I'm really confused sometimes. I have no idea which direction I should strive for. I saw in the news that Liu Yifei went to act in 'Liu Rushi,' and I knew that she was aiming to hone her acting skills and win awards in the future. But I don't know if I can still hone my skills after acting for so long and at my age."

Chen Nuo said, "You're wrong."

"I was wrong?"

"Yes. Liu Yifei didn't go there to hone her acting skills."

"You mean this?" Gao Yuanyuan chuckled. "Then what was she doing there?"

Chen Nuo said, "She's aiming for the award."

"what?"

Chen Nuo said seriously, "Really. So you see, she's so confident, so why do you think you can't do it? You say you're too old, but can 20-year-old Gao Yuanyuan act as well as 30-year-old Gao Yuanyuan? No, right? Before you've reached your limit in your efforts, it's actually too early to talk about talent. Do you think your efforts are enough?"

Gao Yuanyuan stared at him blankly, remaining silent for a long time.

Finally, the woman said softly, "Actually..."

"what?"

"...Please don't dye your hair back yet, okay?"

"What?"

"Actually, you look really handsome right now."

(End of this chapter)