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

Chapter 565 One Soft and One Hard

"Hi."

"Hello."

Hello.

"It's a pleasure to meet you."

As soon as he entered the hotel, Allison Graham greeted him and introduced him to the guests.

While ostensibly a wrap party for the film crew, it was actually a form of marketing to promote the currently showing "Twilight" movie. Therefore, in addition to the Twilight cast and crew, many other people from the production team were present, along with industry professionals invited by Summit Entertainment, and even some photographers and journalists.

Although they didn't all rush up at once, Chen Nuo's facial muscles ached from smiling so much after shaking hands and exchanging pleasantries with each group. He finally managed to deal with everyone who came up to talk to him.

Then, turning his head, he saw a guy with slicked-back hair and a face full of fat looking at him and smiling.

He was startled, looked the other person up and down, and slowly walked over.

"What's wrong?" Leonardo DiCaprio asked, a mischievous glint in his eyes, feigning ignorance.

Chen Nuo shook her head and sighed, "It's only been a few days since I last saw you? Motherfucker, how much weight have you gained?"

"Only 10 pounds."

Ten pounds, which is about nine kilograms, isn't too much, but for someone like Leonardo DiCaprio, any extra weight he gains goes straight to his face, making him grow horizontally.

Chen Nuo couldn't help but laugh and asked, "How did you do that? One pound a day?"

"Haha, I just eat a little more each day, then lie still and read the script, like a 19th-century railroad company owner, and let the rest take its course."

"Looks like your preparations went very well?"

Leonardo DiCaprio shook his head: "No, I've only just begun."

"Oh?"

Leonardo DiCaprio shrugged: "After Christmas, I'm going to find somewhere to lock myself away. Anyway, I'm not going to be involved in any awards season this year. I've read the script, and I have to say, I love this movie. Even though I don't even know if the script is based on reality, I feel like this character can bring me something new, and I love that feeling."

Seeing Leonardo's expression, Chen Nuo, who was with him, couldn't possibly miss it. Although he came to support him out of courtesy, Leonardo was clearly already subtly getting into character.

A sense of urgency suddenly rose in Chen Nuo's heart, and he nodded and said, "After this period is over, I will also start to prepare properly."

After saying that, he saw out of the corner of his eye that Allison was giving him a wink, and he immediately nodded: "Leon, excuse me for a moment."

"OK, you go ahead and do your thing, I'll stay a little longer and then I'll leave."

"Okay, thank you so much for coming today."

"Haha, don't be shy." Little Li laughed loudly.

The two hugged briefly, shook hands, and then separated.

Chen Nuo followed Allison forward, and along the way, people kept coming up to greet him. Some reporters who had entered the scene tried to stop him for interviews, but Linghu and Gulnazar blocked them all.

Soon, they went up the stairs to the second floor.

Reaching a room, Allison said, "He's inside."

Chen Nuo nodded, and then Allison helped him open the door. After he went in, the woman closed the door again.

Inside the room, the two men who were talking stopped talking at the same time, turned around and looked. When they saw it was him, the two old men stood up with a smile.

Rob Friedman laughed and said, "Chen, I was just talking to Philip about your last scene in Twilight. I told him that it was your own decision to act that way."

A bald, fat white old man chuckled and asked, "Is that true?"

Chen Nuo walked over and said, "Yes. Bill had other ideas at the time, but I ultimately decided to act this way. So what, Philip, it didn't ruin my Golden Globe, did it?"

Philippe Gabriel was the one who personally invited Chen Nuo to host the Golden Globe Awards; it's been almost a year since the two last saw each other.

Hearing Chen Nuo's joke, the old man immediately laughed and said, "Chen, you're still as humorous as ever. Are you free this year? Could you host another one?"

Chen Nuo laughed and turned to Rob Friedman, saying, "Rob, it seems we really messed up."

After he said that, both old men laughed.

Afterwards, Chen Nuo and Philippe Gabriel hugged and then sat down on the sofa in the room.

Rob Friedman poured him half a glass of the 2002 Dom Pérignon champagne they were drinking.

A bottle of champagne in this kind of hotel costs over $300 at the opening, which shows the growth of Summit Entertainment in recent years. Chen Nuo remembers that at the celebration party for the first Twilight 1, the shrewd Jewish people couldn't bear to part with this Dom Pérignon.

Next, we chatted casually.

In previous years, it might have been harder to find topics to talk about, but this year, I believe that not only the three of them, but any group of filmmakers or movie fans would have endless things to say when they get together.

That's the saying: this year was truly a year of epic battles.

Works that were rarely seen in other years have suddenly appeared all over the place this year, as if they were free.

First, they all praised "Lincoln" and unanimously agreed that, barring any major surprises, Daniel Day-Lewis had essentially secured the Best Actor Oscar this year, becoming the first actor in history to win the Best Actor Oscar three times.

Then they discussed several critically acclaimed films that had already been released, such as Argo, Life of Pi, Zion Williamson, Les Misérables, and Silver Linings Playbook.

Philip praised Jennifer Lawrence's performance in "The Clouds," and then mentioned Chen Nuo's role as the jury president at the Shanghai International Film Festival.

"Chen, you are not only a great actress, but also an excellent judge. You have a really good eye. Jennifer Lawrence's performance this year absolutely deserves a Best Actress award. But I can imagine the pressure you must have felt at your hometown film festival, giving such an important award to a 20-something actress."

Chen Nuo smiled, considered his words carefully, and then slowed down his speech, saying, "Yes, but sometimes, when we do the right thing, we have to bear some pressure and not be influenced by the opinions of others. If I don't give this award to Jennifer, I will feel like I owe her something."

Philippe Gabriel looked at him, remained silent for a moment, and then smiled and said, "I think you're right."

After all, this was a celebration party for "Twilight." The chance to chat with the president of the Foreign Correspondents' Club, who took office in 2011, was limited to a mere twenty minutes before the event began.

After finishing a glass of champagne and the small talk, it was time to go downstairs and officially begin the celebration.

The procedures for these victory celebration banquets are largely the same.

A red carpet and backdrop were set up in the hall, and media reporters waited behind the flashbulbs for the film crew to make their collective appearance.

The host first announced the box office success, followed by the producer, director, and lead actors taking the stage one by one to raise their glasses and give speeches, bringing the atmosphere to a climax.

As the music began, champagne was poured into stemmed glasses, filling the air with the rich aroma of Dom Pérignon and the clicking of camera shutters. After the formal toasting session, people dispersed in small groups to chat, take photos, or give brief interviews to the media.

For Chen Nuo, he does this for almost every movie, and some movies even do it more than once. For example, Warner Bros. held three celebration parties from the time of Inception's release to the end.

I know these processes inside and out.

The only difference might be that Christopher Nolan wasn't there this time; he was the only one standing prominently in the center, undoubtedly the center of attention.

Today, his friends and acquaintances were the most numerous in attendance. Apart from Emma Stone, who was filming and unable to attend, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, Natalie Portman, and Deadpool Reynolds were all present.

Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet only made a brief appearance before disappearing, while socialites like Reynolds and Natalie Portman stayed behind, chatting with people everywhere. What surprised Chen Nuo the most was that Tom Hanks also came. He hadn't expected it at first, and had only asked tentatively, but the old man actually brought his wife to the appointment.

But the more he acted this way, the more uneasy he felt.

Damn it, does this old man think that's enough to explain himself?

Chen Nuo spent a lot of time chatting with these old and new friends, and then waited behind Rob Friedman to speak.

Chen Nuo felt that Rob Friedman was probably giving this speech as a farewell address to his career. He started from the casting process during the preparation of the first Twilight movie and talked about the recent achievements of Twilight. He spoke with great emotion and enthusiasm, praising almost everyone involved in the Twilight project, from the author to the actors.

Finally, he made an introduction gesture and said with great emotion, "Next, please welcome Chen, our soul, our leader, our legend, to speak about the miracle created today."

I don't know who wrote this article, it made Chen Nuo feel embarrassed.

When it was his turn, things got a bit less interesting.

Firstly, he didn't hire anyone to write his article. Secondly, he didn't have any deep feelings about the Twilight movie; from beginning to end, he treated this poorly plotted film as just a tool to make money. Even this Golden Globe nomination was merely a means to submit "Drop."

It has to be said that if Twilight were a woman, he would truly be a heartless scumbag.

So he thanked the guests, reporters, audience members, and fans, and then stepped down from the stage.

As soon as he finished speaking, several invited reporters came up to him.

"Chen, Philippe Gabriel is here today too. Have you spoken to him?"

"Yes, we talked before the party started."

What is his opinion on you submitting two films to the Golden Globes this year?

"Haha, we didn't talk about this. After all, it doesn't seem like the right thing to discuss in private." "Does he support you?"

“As I said, we didn’t talk about this, we were just chatting casually.”

Just then, a female voice suddenly interrupted, "Excuse me, Chen, do you have a moment?"

Chen Nuo looked up and then smiled at the reporters around him, saying, "Okay, excuse me for a moment."

However, a quick-thinking reporter asked the woman who had suddenly interrupted, "Ashley, do you think Chen's performance in Twilight this time is worthy of a Golden Globe nomination?"

Ashley Greene, who played Alice Cullen in Twilight.
Having not filmed for over a year, her short hair, which she had kept for filming, has grown quite long, forming beautiful waves that cover both sides of her oval face. The color has also returned from black to its original brown. Paired with the graceful light gold dress she's wearing today, she looks incredibly feminine. No wonder she's an actress who won the Teen Choice Award for four consecutive years for Twilight, and a goddess in the hearts of many American teenagers.

When asked by a reporter, Ashley gave her signature smile and said, "Absolutely. Whether it's acting or anything else, I think Chen is absolutely deserving, and I not only think he deserves the nomination, I think he is fully deserving of the Golden Globe."

Upon hearing this, the reporter's eyes lit up, and it seemed he was about to ask further questions.

Chen Nuo interrupted, "Excuse me, gentlemen, Ashley and I haven't seen each other in a long time. Please give us some space. We'll see you later." After saying that, he led Ashley to the other side of the room.

On the way, Ashley Greene whispered, "Chen, should I not have bothered you?"

Chen Nuo smiled and said, "How could that be? I should thank you for saving me. Long time no see, you've become even more beautiful, Ashley."

“Really?” Ashley Greene’s face lit up with a hint of happiness. “I really didn’t mean to bother you. Actually, I wanted to come and find you as soon as you came in, but there were too many people with you. I was afraid that if I didn’t go now, you would leave.”

"Okay, I told you, it's really nothing. What did you want to see me about?"

"Um, could we find a secluded spot?"

Chen Nuo hesitated for a moment, but finally nodded and said, "Okay."

Chen Nuo then took Ashley back to the room where he had chatted with Philip earlier. This time, neither Linghu nor Gulnazar were with him. Gulnazar was with Allison, interacting with the members of the Foreign Press Association who were present that evening, while Linghu usually didn't show his face in such situations.

The champagne on the table hadn't been cleared away yet. Chen Nuo walked to the wine counter, took two new glasses, and poured one for himself and one for Ashley.

The two sat side by side on the sofa, the dim light shining down. They each took a sip of their drink, and neither spoke for a moment.

After a while, Ashley spoke softly, "Can you believe it? It's all over just like that."

Chen Nuo, however, did not share her feelings.

He had too many things to do and no time to dwell on the sorrow of parting. After all, things like reminiscing, feeling nostalgic, and longing are usually things that people who can't see the future do.

He replied, "Yes, that's right, everything has gone by too fast."

Ashley turned to look at him and said softly, "Do you remember when you first came to the film set?"

"I have a bad memory, I don't remember."

“I remember it very clearly.” Ashley smiled and took a sip of champagne. “You were wearing a white tracksuit that day. Before that, I had only seen you on the big screen. To be honest, at the time I couldn’t understand why Catherine and the others chose to replace Robert. You know, at first, I thought no one could accept someone like that, um—”

Chen Nuo casually remarked, "Chinese vampires?"

Ashley said, “Yes. I grew up in Jacksonville, and there wasn’t a single Chinese person in my neighborhood. I could only see things about China on TV and in the newspapers. The Chinese people I knew were nothing like you.”

"Read less fake news."

"Haha, yes. That's why I went to China this year and saw it for myself."

"Oh? Where did you go?" Chen Nuo asked curiously, intrigued.

"BJ, Shanghai, Hangzhou, and Chengdu."

"Chengdu?" Chen Nuo laughed heartily. "Did you eat anything from there?"

"Yes, I ate it. OMG, it was so spicy! I suspect they poisoned it."

"Ha ha ha ha--"

This is perhaps a common characteristic of every person who lives away from home.

When someone mentions your hometown, people always become more enthusiastic and talkative, and Chen Nuo was no exception. Although he was sitting there with Ashley, his mind was still on Philip from before, wondering what that old man meant. He felt that the meeting was just a chat, without even a hint.

But now, he temporarily put those things aside and asked with great interest, "Where did you go?"

“There were many places. I stayed there for half a month and visited almost every place.”

What do you think of that place?

"It's probably the best city I've ever been to. I like to find a teahouse there, sit down, drink tea, and bask in the sun."

Chen Nuo laughed and said, "You really have great taste, Ashley."

Ashley Greene said with a smile, "Thank you, anyway, I really had a very enjoyable holiday there, and I think I will definitely go again when I have time."

It's not that I have good taste, it's just because the newspaper said you're from there.

I walked through the streets and alleys of a foreign land with my backpack, not seeking excitement or fun, but your past.

Luckily I went, otherwise, how could you have responded to every word I said and shown me a genuine smile?

Four years have passed, and you've become one of the very few people standing at the top of Hollywood. I can no longer squeeze into your circle, so I can only use topics like this to get your attention.

“At the time, I was just as angry with you as Christine and the others because you were not only late, but you also didn’t attend the script reading.”

Ashley smiled and said, “But when I saw you on set, everyone went silent the moment you turned around. I thought to myself, ‘Oh my god, so that’s how it is.’ I immediately understood why Kathryn and Robert replaced Robert with you. It’s bad for Robert to say this, but you were definitely more suitable for the role than him. And it turned out to be true. I believe that if he had played Edward, Twilight would not be what it is now.”

Facing Ashley, the girl who had once confessed her feelings to him, Chen Nuo had always harbored some affection for her, at least much more so than for Christine. He didn't pretend, and readily nodded, saying, "Thank you. Actually, I feel the same way. Hahaha."

They both laughed.

Ashley then said, "I wonder if today will be the last time we see each other? I was just talking to Taylor, and he said we'll meet every five years from now on. If that's true, will you come?"

Chen Nuo laughed and said, "Ashley, who knows what will happen five years from now? At the end of last year, a college classmate of mine said he was going to hold a reunion and invited me to attend, but I haven't heard back yet. Taylor is a sentimental and good kid, but she's also a bit naive."

“So…” Ashley Greenie adjusted her posture and said, “You refused?”

Chen Nuo shook his head and said, "I'm not refusing, I..."

Before he could finish speaking, Ashley suddenly seemed to have mustered her courage, leaned forward abruptly, and hooked her slender arms around his neck. With a hint of urgency and trembling, she threw herself into his arms.

The next second, she raised her head, her eyes burning and determined, her breath quickening as she kissed his lips. Before he could even react, her lips pressed heavily against his.

In this process, Chen Nuo actually had time to react.

He only needed to reach out and push, and Ashley Greene, despite being a model, was only 165 cm tall; that would certainly stop the woman.

But in that split second, he suddenly remembered what Ashley had said to him earlier, and recalled how he had rejected her once by the pool. His heart softened and hardened at the same time.

……

Gulnazar looked around at the party for a while but didn't see anyone, so she went upstairs.

Of course, you'll encounter quite a few people trying to strike up a conversation during this process.

They all call her by the name she used in "The Eagle Catches the Chicks," Lin.

While this annoyed her a bit, she also had to admit that playing such a role had been a great help to her work.

Just now, she went with Alison to chat with the reporters from the Foreign Press Association. There was no need for introductions or for her to find topics to talk about. Every reporter knew her, and everyone would take the initiative to strike up a conversation with her, asking about various things in "The Eagle Catches the Chickens".

However, precisely because of this, when she finally finished her social engagements and thought of someone, she couldn't find that person anywhere.

Where will it be?

Gulnazar went up to the second floor. It was a long corridor, and there was no one there. She walked halfway up the corridor and felt a little scared, so she turned around and prepared to go downstairs.

Just then, she suddenly froze.

After hesitating for a while, he slowly pressed his ear against the door of the room next to him.

Just a few seconds later, she immediately looked up, her face flushed red, and she nervously looked around.

Thankfully, there was still no one there.

She thought for a moment, placed her hand on the door handle, and gently twisted it, opening it effortlessly.

Gulnazar pouted and muttered under her breath, "Why isn't the door closed?"

She quickly and quietly closed the door again, hesitated for a moment, and finally stood at the doorway.

(End of this chapter)