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

Chapter 572 Gift
"Boom" sound.

The door of a small wooden cabin was kicked open from the outside, and a blizzard swirled in with ice chips, only to be quickly slammed shut again.

The room wasn't large, only a dozen square meters, but it had thick wooden walls and sealed gaps, enough to keep out the strong winds outside. More importantly, there were some dry firewood left in the corner near the fireplace.

After closing the door, he went over and lit the prepared dry branches with a match. The flames quickly crackled and rose in the fireplace, bathing the entire cabin in a warm orange glow. Chen Nuo then let out a deep breath.

He turned to look at the two women beside him.

One sat against the wall, panting heavily, his face already pale from the cold; the other huddled up, clutching his chest tightly with both hands, his body still trembling violently, his teeth chattering.

"Don't sleep yet." Chen Nuo took out the thermal blankets and energy bars that she had prepared in advance from her backpack and threw them in front of them. "Eat something and drink some hot water, and wait for your body temperature to rise."

Vivian understood what he was saying, but she couldn't utter a word. She simply took the thermal blanket obediently, looked up at the man in front of her, tears welling up in her eyes again, and whispered in a choked voice, "Thank you... thank you."

Dora, sobbing, said, "Sean... if it weren't for you, we would definitely be dead out there today... really, thank God you came, thank you, thank you so much."

Chen Nuo was still somewhat shaken. Although he had anticipated the threat of the snowstorm and prepared contingency plans, he never expected that the two girls would go so far, causing him and Linghu to get separated.

If it had been any later, or if the two had gone any further, he might not have been able to bring them back to the prepared shelter.

However, he did not say these words.

Regardless of what happened in his previous life, Vivian Che in this life was nothing more than a passerby he met by chance. His goal had been achieved, and he had repaid the debt of gratitude from his past life.

This is enough.

Moreover, that difficult journey through the wind and snow might very well become useful resources for him.

So, Chen Nuo suppressed his worries about Linghu and simply said, "It's safe now. Okay, you guys get some rest. Once the blizzard passes, everything will be fine."

……

Vivian was awakened from her sleep by a series of crackling noises.

They groggily opened their eyes in their sleeping bags and turned to look out the window. The sky was still dark, but the blizzard was still raging outside. It seemed that they probably wouldn't be able to leave anytime soon.

Fortunately, the shelter hut, shared by PCT hikers and forest rangers, was very sturdy and well-insulated, and...

She looked up and saw the man standing on the table by the stove, fiddling with a small machine. The sound that had woken her was coming from the machine in his hands.

Vivian couldn't help but give a wry smile.

She initially thought the other person was a newbie, but what happened?
Now, not only have they saved their lives, but it seems they also accurately predicted the weather and prepared ample supplies in the small house in advance, making preparations for disaster avoidance. Just look at the things covered with waterproof sheets in the corner; they have everything they need: food, water, and warm clothing. It even seems they have a radio to listen to the outside world!
She took out her phone and checked the signal strength; it was 0.

In this situation, only a shortwave radio can be used.

Just then, Dora, who was sleeping next to her, was also awakened. She rubbed her eyes, yawned, sat up, looked around groggily, and asked in a low voice, "What is he doing?"

Vivian lowered her voice and replied, "They're tuning the radio; they're probably getting ready to listen to the weather forecast."

Dora said "Oh," nodded in realization, then moved closer and whispered, "I need to pee."

Vivian was in the same boat, but she didn't know what to do.

But at that moment, the man heard the noise, and as if he could read minds, he turned around and said in a serious tone, "Awake? The toilet is outside, there's a pit behind it. Remember to put on your coat and take your headlamp, don't get lost."

When the two girls returned to the warm cabin from the biting blizzard, they found that the radio had started working quietly again.

The man sat at the table, holding a steaming cup of coffee, sipping it while intently listening to the intermittent sounds on the radio.

Vivian and Dora slammed the wooden door shut and fastened the bolt before they both breathed a sigh of relief.

Even after only a few minutes outside, the two were still stiff from the wind and snow, their hands and feet ice-cold. Not to mention the experience of relieving themselves outdoors, which was nothing short of a nightmare.

The man turned around and asked with a smile, "How are you feeling?"

Dora stammered, "I almost lost my ass. Sean, is there any more coffee?"

"Yes," Chen Nuo replied casually, pointing to the side, "Make your own soup over there. There's bread in there, and maybe some other things too. Find them yourselves."

"Oh, Sean, I must say, you're an angel!" Dora exclaimed, immediately rushing towards the pile of supplies against the wall, rummaging through them and exclaiming, "Ham! Chocolate! Bread! Caviar! OMG, even red wine and whiskey!?"

Vivian was also there.

Even though I had expected it, I was still speechless.

Recalling the first time she saw this man drinking coffee by the tent, she couldn't help but agree with Dora's words again: this was definitely a wealthy young man who had come to experience a hiking trip; otherwise, how could things like these be here! She couldn't even imagine how much manpower and money it would have taken to bring all this stuff over!

At this moment, however, she was more concerned about something else.

He went over to ask and immediately breathed a sigh of relief—his companion had been contacted via satellite phone and was now safely in another nearby shelter. He was just waiting for the weather to improve so he could join them.

Vivian made the sign of the cross and said, "Thank God."

Now she could finally enjoy her breakfast in peace.

The two girls laid out the food they had found on the table, ready to fill their hungry stomachs.

Just then, Vivian noticed with some surprise that the radio in front of the man wasn't playing a weather forecast, but rather KCRW, a local Los Angeles radio station.

Listening to the radio broadcast, Vivian suddenly remembered that today was January 10th, the day the Oscar nominations were announced!

It's 5:20 PM, ten minutes before the official announcement of the Oscar nominations. Host Jason Bentley is chatting with Claudia Eller, a senior film critic for Variety, about this year's awards season.

"Some say this is the most fiercely contested competition in recent years~ Hehe~"

"That's true. If we were to list the qualified hit movies, we could make a long list. Every single one of them is a true masterpiece, not just some kind of 'buzz,' which is something we haven't seen in a long time."

"So, what do you think of the film nominated for Best Picture—?"

Although the signal wasn't very good, with occasional crackling sounds making the sentences intermittent, it was a sound from a civilized world beyond the snowstorm.

Even in such a confined environment, it is still impossible not to be fascinated.

For a moment, the three of them remained silent, eating their breakfast while listening to the conversation on the radio.

"Zzzzz... Argo, Lincoln, and Life of Pi will definitely have a spot in this year's Best Film category. In addition, Les Misérables and Silver Linings Playbook are also very likely to be included."

What about Cloud Atlas?

"No... I think the disastrous performance of 'Zzzzz' at the Golden Globes already proves that...Zzzzz, it's simply impossible." "Then, what about 'Zero Dark Thirty' and 'The Drop'?"

"Both films deal with sensitive topics, so I don't think they have much of a chance. ~tsk tsk tsk~ Although Chen's performance is ~tsk tsk tsk."

"What did she say?" Dora muttered with a mouthful of bread, "This damn signal, it always turns out like this at the crucial moment. These past two days have definitely been my unlucky days."

Vivian smiled and said, "She said it would be difficult for Waterdrop to be shortlisted this time."

Dora said, "I know, Vivian, I heard that. I just want to hear her reasons. Why does she say that this movie, which made me cry three times, can't be nominated for an Oscar? Why?!"

Vivian took a bite of bread, and the salty and rich caviar burst in her mouth little by little. The delicate oiliness and salty sea flavor spread on her tongue, making her feel so comfortable that she almost wanted to groan.

It's a miracle that I can have such an extravagant breakfast in such a warm little house after escaping death.

Oscars and water droplets—perhaps just yesterday, she and Dora would have argued about it for half a day.

After all, Berkeley students are no strangers to Hollywood, and many of their graduates go on to work in the film and television industry. So before this, Oscar nominations, popular films, and film reviews were practically everyday topics of conversation at their dinner tables.

In her opinion, the movie called "Water Drop" was nothing more than a well-packaged pornographic film disguised as an art film, so why was it nominated for an Oscar?

But now, she doesn't want to say anything.

The radio conversation continued, though the sound was still intermittently interfered with by the wind, snow, and signal interference, but the content of the host and guest's conversation could still be pieced together.

"Now that we've talked about Best Picture and Best Director, what do you think of the most anticipated Oscar this year, the 'zzzzzz'?"

"Without a doubt, Daniel Day-Lewis! He's absolutely awesome... Besides him, Hugh Jackman is awesome, and Bradley Cooper's performance in 'Silver Linings Playbook' is awesome, especially Cooper, who has been a big surprise this year."

Dora muttered as she chewed on her bread, "Oh, of course, it'll definitely be Daniel Day-Lewis again. Whoever he plays wins an award."

"And what about 'Zzz'?" the host asked again.

"He's definitely been a star this year, but he's also been very controversial. Whether this superstar can win over the Academy judges is another matter."

"Claudia, as a variety show critic, what's your opinion of him?"

"I think it's a 'zzzzzz' sound—"

Vivian had been listening intently. Then, the signal suddenly disappeared.

Dora also let out a cry of disappointment.

The man picked up the radio and started fiddling with it again.

Dora said, "Sean, if you can fix it in five minutes, I'll give you a present."

"Oh? What?"

"You'll see when the time comes... Hey, why aren't you taking off your mask yet?" Dora chuckled. "Don't be shy. Seriously, I don't think you're as ugly as you say."

"Is that so?" After saying that, the man pulled his mask down, covering his mouth which had been exposed.

However, although the chin and mouth that were previously exposed have grown a lot of beard, obscuring their original appearance, Vivian still felt that they didn't look ugly based on their outline.

But Sean clearly didn't want to talk about this topic, and no matter how much Dora teased him, he remained silent.

Dora had no choice but to change the subject, saying to her, "That woman on the radio just now was talking about Chen, right?"

Vivian found it somewhat amusing and said, "Of course, who else would it be?"

"Ah! If Chen doesn't get nominated for an Oscar this time, I swear to God, I won't watch the Oscars for a single second this year."

"No Chen, no Oscar, huh? Please, can you stop being so childish, Dora?"

“You’re the one who’s naive, Vivian. I mean, just because of what happened between Chen and your cousin, you’ve been looking at him unfairly.”

"Do I? No. I'm just objectively assessing that while he is indeed a global superstar, his acting skills are clearly overrated. The Oscars aren't the Golden Globes; nobody cares about his fame there. Acting skills come first."

"Haha, overestimated? Overestimated a full five times?"

"Who says it's not?"

"You're really ridiculous, Vivian. Those media reports are clearly a propaganda campaign launched by Chen's competitors. Can't you even see that? Out of all the living people in the world, only he and Sean Penn have won Best Actor awards at all three European film festivals. And you actually say that his acting skills are overrated? OMG, you're so easily brainwashed."

"No, Dora, think about it carefully. There's an article that makes a lot of sense. Look at the four Best Actor awards he won at the European Film Festival. Almost every single time, and I mean every single time, there was someone on the jury who was close to him. Of course, I'm not saying it's certain, but it is definitely a point of suspicion, isn't it?"

“DAMN…Alright, I won’t argue with you. Anyway, I believe Chen will definitely make it this time. I’ll bet you $100.”

"Three Oscar nominations at 27? Do you know how many people in history have done that? The answer is zero. Leonardo DiCaprio didn't get his third nomination until he was 30, and Marlon Brando didn't get his third until after he was 30. Daniel Day-Lewis was already 32 when he was first nominated and won Best Actor. No one has ever been nominated for Best Actor three times before turning 30. Do you think it's possible? With the adult film *Waterdrop* and *Twilight*? Which do you think has the potential to create a miracle?"

“I think it’s all possible. Why is it impossible? There’s never been an actor who received three Golden Globe nominations in the same year, but Chen still did it. Why can’t he do it at the Oscars? I’ll bet you $100 that Chen will be nominated this time. Do you dare?”

"Why wouldn't I dare? Let's gamble."

Just then, the man finally got the radio working.

The sound came from the speaker again.

The discussion had shifted from radio hosts and guests to a female voice announcing, "I now announce the nominees for Best Supporting Actor at the 85th Academy Awards: —"

"OMG, all done, thank you Sean! You're amazing!" Dora exclaimed excitedly, then suddenly turned the man's face towards her with both hands and kissed his lips through his mask.

A few seconds later, the girl separated from the other person and said with a grin, "This is my gift to you. How is it? Are you satisfied?"

Vivian watched this scene, feeling incredibly conflicted, unable to describe the emotions she felt. But then, she paused for a moment, and couldn't help but burst into laughter.

The man said, "Uh, I remember you didn't brush your teeth this morning..."

Ps:

That's all we can do for today.

I could have written more, but just at 12 o'clock, on my way to take my family member to work at the hospital, I collided with a bicycle that ran a red light and injured my foot. I'm sitting on the side of the road now waiting for the traffic police to arrive.

It was a very simple matter, and I was even thinking of just accepting my bad luck, but I ended up encountering a disgusting person, so I had no choice but to take it seriously.

Sorry.

(End of this chapter)