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

Chapter 573 Miracle
Once Dora's angry complaints subsided in the small space, the radio announced the nominations for Best Cinematography.

When Emma Stone announced the nominees, reading out "Claudio Miranda for Life of Pi, Roger Deakins for Skyfall, Darius Congee for The Water Drop, ...", Dora completely forgot her earlier embarrassment and cheered as if she had won.

She said smugly, "See? Vivian, I told you, 'The Drop' is a good movie, not some pornographic film. It's those disgusting men who portrayed it that way. Once you see it for yourself, you'll know it's a deeply moving film. The cinematography is truly beautiful; it definitely deserves a nomination."

Vivian said calmly, "You said the same thing after you came back from watching Twilight, after watching Eagle Catches Chickens, and after watching Inception. Dora, your fan mentality is too serious."

Dora scoffed and said, "You're too prejudiced against Chen. Open your eyes and see what the people say? What the variety shows write? 'The most influential Asian face of 2012'! Have all these media outlets been brainwashed?"

Vivian sneered, "Don't these reports just prove that he got to where he is today because of his fame and public relations?"

Dora shook her head and laughed, "You're really crazy, Vivian. Time magazine put him on the cover of their Person of the Year, saying he's a super phenomenon like Beyoncé this year, and you just won't face that fact..."

At this moment, the man next to her suddenly interjected, "Excuse me, Dora, you said Chen had something going on with Vivian's cousin... May I ask what it was?"

Dora burst into laughter and said, "Aren't you surprised? Didn't expect that the two people you rescued from the blizzard could be related to Nuochen? Hahahaha, isn't that incredible?"

The man chuckled dryly and said, "Yes."

Dora glanced at Vivian and smiled, saying, "Vivian, may I tell you?"

Vivian hesitated for a moment, then finally nodded.

Dora laughed and said, "Let me tell you, Vivian is no ordinary person. Her cousin is a member of a very popular idol group in South Korea. Once, when Nuo Chen went to South Korea to promote his movie, he met his cousin, and she fell in love with him at first sight. Later, she even fell ill because of it. Then, Vivian, who is kind-hearted and compassionate towards her family, harbored resentment towards Chen."

Vivian retorted loudly, "You're wrong, Dora. First, it wasn't love at first sight, Dora. He took the initiative to show affection to my cousin when they met. Second, I don't hold a grudge, and I have no personal issues with him."

Dora chuckled, "Chen seducing your cousin? Do you think that's possible? Hahahaha."

Vivian said, "That's the truth, believe it or not."

Dora laughed and turned to say, "So, because of this, she became Chen's hater from then on. Isn't that ridiculous?"

The two girls spoke in a cryptic manner, which others might not understand, but Chen Nuo, based on his knowledge of his ex-girlfriends, could roughly guess what was going on.

It's possible that during his last trip to South Korea to promote "No Man's Land" and meet with Girls' Generation, he glanced at Yuri a few more times because of Vivian, which led to people misunderstanding his intentions.

As for Vivian, this woman has always been petty. Otherwise, she wouldn't have insisted on breaking up with him over such a trivial matter as catching him cheating on her, causing his only relationship that came closest to marriage to end. Therefore, she held a grudge against him.

Hearing Dora's words, Chen Nuo couldn't help but smile and said, "It is a little funny."

Now that he had figured out what had happened, he no longer cared about those messy little incidents. His attention returned to Oscar.

Darius Congee's nomination for Best Cinematography was something he had anticipated. After all, the veteran actor's experience and performance were undeniable, and even the most critical film critics couldn't ignore them.

He was genuinely happy for the elderly Iranian man.

Chen Nuo was willing to bet that if there were a cell phone signal right now, the old man would have already called.

As for whether he himself will be shortlisted, to be honest, Chen Nuo is already somewhat desensitized to it.

These past few days, trekking through the wilderness, except for today, he has been in contact with the outside world every day via satellite phone or intermittent signal, receiving the latest news from Alison.

He knew that since some time ago, news about him had been circulating in the media, not only hyping up his recent Golden Globe Award but also discussing the commercial success of "Twilight".

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 12 was pulled from theaters on December 30, with only a small number of theater managers stubbornly keeping it on their schedules, hoping its phenomenal performance during awards season would draw audiences back to theaters.

By January 1, 2013, this teen idol series had ended with an unprecedented decline in fan film box office, grossing $14.5 billion worldwide excluding mainland China, bringing a commercially perfect end to the five-year "Twilight" series.

With $14.5 billion, it ranks fifth in film history.

The only names preceding it are Avatar, Inception, Titanic, and The Avengers.

Both Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 ($13.4 billion) and The Dark Knight ($13.38 billion) came after it.

Many box office critics even believe that this final Twilight film, after its release in the Chinese market in January, is very likely to surpass the $15.2 billion box office of "The Avengers," thus moving itself to fourth place in film history.

What is this concept?
This is an achievement that even the Harry Potter series, which has sold 450 million copies worldwide and been popular for 20 years, cannot match and must admit defeat.

Twilight, a film that started as a popular romance novel for young girls, has somehow managed to break into the top tier of global box office history, becoming a super commercial legend that stands alongside Avatar and Titanic!
This had a tremendous impact on Hollywood and the entertainment industry as a whole.

Therefore, in the entertainment reviews of various magazines at the end of 2012, the conclusion of this film series was highly praised.

In its year-end special issue, Time magazine grouped him alongside Robert Downey Jr., who sparked the superhero craze this year, and Beyoncé, who is now in her prime.

Moreover, he recently graced the cover of People magazine's first issue of the year, where he was named "Most Influential Actor of the Year."

Entertainment Weekly did the same, with Alison dedicating a full 12 pages to a special feature reviewing the rise of Twilight and listing it as one of the "Top Ten Cultural Symbols of 2012," alongside Facebook, the Olympic opening ceremony, and the Korean Wave.

Chen Nuo didn't know whether the media's praise of him was good or bad, but the fact was that, according to the information Alison received, these things not only led to a rapid increase in his commercial value, but also, judging from the feedback from the public relations company, it was not a good thing for his Oscar nomination.

But so what?

He's done everything he was supposed to do; the rest...
Let fate decide.

Just like the Chinese fishermen who left their homes and came to this place in 1880.

He had only been gone for 15 days.

But during these days, his ankles and calves swelled up and subsided repeatedly, and the blisters on the soles of his feet kept breaking and reappearing. Every step felt like stepping on needles.

If he hadn't been so incredibly bored last night, he would have completely forgotten that today was the day the Oscar nominations were announced.

And what about those Chinese laborers from over a hundred years ago?

In this desolate land of a foreign country, they wield their iron hammers, wearing out pair after pair of straw sandals. Do they ever think of their loved ones back home and the letters from home that drift away in the dead of night?
The nominees for Best Original Screenplay at the 85th Academy Awards are as follows:

The radio, crackling with static, came through intermittently.

"Love" by Michael Haneke...Zero Dark Thirty...Water Drop by James Pritzker...Flight—"

"Wow, a second nomination, for Best Original Screenplay, haha!"

Dora exclaimed, then turned to look at Vivian triumphantly and said, "How about that? I told you, Vivian, the plot of The Water Drop really is completely unexpected. Every twist and turn is like a jazz chord suddenly changing key in a composition class. You think it's going to go in one direction, but it changes the key and takes you to another world. It's really so good."

“Okay, okay, I admit it might be a little unexpected, but it’s just a nomination, so don’t get too excited, Dora.”

"Haha, Vivian, you're so cute when you're being stubborn. I don't know who said it before, but Waterdrop wouldn't get a single nomination. Now it has two, and there's still Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director, and Best Film to come! I think it could even get six!"

Hearing Dora's words, Chen Nuo couldn't help but smile behind his mask.

While it's true that they produced the most FYC print ads this awards season—winning over a dozen awards from Best Cinematography to Best Screenplay to Best Picture, spending millions of dollars—it all ultimately went to the director.

Their final prediction was that they would be satisfied with getting 2-3 shortlisted spots.

6?
No one in the Waterdrop crew had ever thought of this.

It was with this mindset that when the radio announced, "Best Supporting Actress, the nominees are—Sally Field, *Lincoln*. *Zzzzz*, *Les Misérables*, Jackie, *Zzzzz*, Janice Wen, *Zzzzz*..."

"Haha."

Dora burst into laughter for the third time tonight. "Best Supporting Actress! I told you, Vivian, didn't I tell you a long time ago that the Chinese girl acted exceptionally well? Well, she was nominated for Best Supporting Actress. Doesn't that prove my judgment?"

Vivian said, "Okay, Dora, you win. I might actually buy the DVD after this trip."

"Hahaha. Vivian, I told you a long time ago. Sean, why aren't you saying anything? Aren't you happy?"

"Huh? No."

Chen Nuo came to his senses.

At that moment, he was genuinely stunned.

He always thought that the 2-3 nominations would come from the most certain Best Cinematography, the 50/50 Best Editing, the less likely Best Director and Best Film, the almost impossible Best Actress, plus his elusive Best Actor.

Although Janice Man's performance is often mentioned in many film critics' reviews, the girl's scenes with him in the movie definitely received more than just praise from Tom Hanks.

But how to say it?

Perhaps it's true what they say: there's no scenery up close.

He never really thought that Janice Man would actually gain the approval of the discerning Oscar judges and be shortlisted for the Best Supporting Actress Oscar!
At that moment, he was overwhelmed with mixed feelings.

In fact, he had always felt a little guilty towards Janice Man.

Since Janice Man returned to Hong Kong to take care of her father, he has really paid little attention to his ex-girlfriend. Most of the time, he only makes brief stops in Hong Kong on his way to the United States for a quick meeting.

Over the past few years, Huanxin Company has secured some resources for her, but the only real key projects, apart from "Water Drop", are "Drug War", which she recently finished filming and is scheduled for release during the summer season to compete head-on with Huayi Brothers' "Detective Dee: Rise of the Sea Dragon".

—And now things are different. This Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress is enough to change her entire career trajectory.

First of all, just based on this nomination, regardless of whether she wins the award or not, this honor is enough for her to live off for the rest of her life. Her status in the Chinese film industry will no longer require anyone to support her, nor will he, who is already increasingly busy and unable to take care of her, need to worry about her future.

Secondly, this also resolved one of his concerns. Considering his schedule, the release of "Drug War" coincided with his filming of "Chinese Labor Corps," which would have left him unable to be in two places at the same time.

In this situation, even if he doesn't show up, the film's promotion will already have a halo because of his title as "the first Asian film festival nominee for Best Supporting Actress at the Oscars," so there's no need for him!
Huayi, humph, you're really in trouble now!
Thinking about it this way, Dora's excitement made him laugh out loud, and he picked up his coffee cup and made a clinking gesture.

Dora understood immediately, picked up her coffee cup and clinked it against his, but the girl wasn't satisfied and said, "Don't drink this. I just saw some whiskey. How about it, Sean, shall we have a drink to celebrate?"

Chen Nuo looked out the window and nodded, saying, "OK."

"Yay!" Dora cheered, then asked, "Vivian, what about you?"

Vivian was also looking out the window at the white snow.

The whooshing sound of the wind was still clearly audible in the background of the radio, and the memories of last night flooded back into her mind, causing her to shiver involuntarily once again.

He said absentmindedly, "Okay."

……

"Come on! Cheers!"

Three glasses, each containing a small amount of amber liquid, clinked together in mid-air before falling into the mouths of the three people at the table.

Vivian took a sip, while she noticed that the man only took a small sip.

Only Dora drank it all in one gulp, letting out a satisfied "Ha—", before suddenly saying, "Sean, thank you again for saving our lives. If it weren't for you, Vivian and I would definitely be dead..."

Vivian paused for a moment, then realized what she meant and immediately added, "Yes, Sean, thank you so much. But even the PCT is considered a relatively safe route, yet it still has blizzards like this. The route you're going to take is much more dangerous than the PCT. There are no cabins like this there, and if anything goes wrong, it could really be life-threatening. You don't need to take that kind of risk."

Dora said, "Yes, Sean, although this woman has a terrible eye for movies, she does have a lot of outdoor experience. The route you took was really too dangerous."

Vivian watched as the man's lips, hidden in his green beard, curved into a faint smile, and she said, "It's alright, I know."

She was about to offer some words of encouragement when Dora's regretful sigh interrupted her. It turned out that the radio was intermittently broadcasting the results of the Best Director award.

This time, Waterdrop wasn't so lucky; director James Pritzker didn't receive this crucial nomination.

Not only was Waterdrop absent from the Best Director nomination, but she also missed out on the Best Actress nomination. The South African diamond in the film failed to secure a spot.

Dora complained bitterly about the judges' unfairness.

But soon, Dora's voice disappeared, replaced by a tense expression.

Under her influence, the entire cabin became unusually quiet.

Apart from the howling blizzard outside the window, the only other sound was the crackling of dry wood being roasted by the fire in the fireplace.

In this desolate wilderness, the three listened silently to the sounds coming from Beverly Hills, thousands of kilometers away, a place of dazzling prosperity.

Dora clasped her hands tightly, as if in prayer.

Vivian didn't seem to feel anything.

She glanced at Sean on her left and was surprised to find that the usually calm and indifferent man was now just as focused as Dora, his eyes never leaving the radio.

This was somewhat beyond her expectation.

Speaking of which, why would such a cool guy be fiddling with a radio and listening to Oscar nominations so early in the morning?

Such a thought flashed through Vivian's mind, but her slightly dizzy head prevented her from thinking about it further. As the alcohol took effect, she picked up her glass and took another sip.

The warm liquor slid down my throat, and just then, the radio announcer's voice came through—it was Emma Stone, the rising star who won the Cannes Film Festival Best Actress award upon her debut and has been making a name for herself in Hollywood in recent years. She announced in a slightly amused voice:
"...Buzz buzz buzz...The Best Actor nominees are as follows—"

"Come on, please, please..." Dora clasped her hands together and murmured.

"—Nuo Chen, 'Water Drop'..."

There was no background noise. There was no hissing. It was remarkably clear.

At this moment, the cabin was so quiet that even the sound of the wind seemed to have disappeared.

Vivian was stunned.

Dora was stunned.

Emma Stone on the radio continued reading: "Bradley Cooper, 'Zzzzz Behind the Clouds.' Daniel Zzzzz Lewis, 'Lincoln'... Zzzzz Phoenix, 'The Master,' Zzzzzzz—"

The radio lost signal again.

At this moment, Dora suddenly shouted, "What did she just say? Damn it, who was she talking about at the beginning? Was it Chen? Did Chen really get on the shortlist?"

Vivian sat in the chair, stunned.

Not to mention Dora, she simply couldn't believe her ears!

Emma Stone really revealed the biggest mystery of the night right from the start?

Did those usually arrogant, picky, and wary Oscar judges really give the green light to a film that countless film critics believe "punctured the biggest abscess in American society"?
Is it really possible for a Chinese person to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor with a film that so thoroughly exposes the flaws of American society?

—And she's 27 years old, and this is her third time being nominated!?

If things continue like this, will he really be able to bring home that golden "little golden man" before he turns 30?

Can an Asian actor really reach this level in the rigidly hierarchical and entrenched world of Hollywood awards?
A series of questions churned in Vivian's mind, almost making it hard for her to breathe.

And just then, the scene from that night at the Golden Globe Awards uncontrollably resurfaced in her mind—

He sat between Leonardo DiCaprio and Christopher Nolan, with Clint Eastwood, the director of "Hoover," beside him, chatting and laughing.

That was Hollywood's top social circle, filled with faces she'd only ever seen on magazine covers.

Among a table full of old-school producers, top actors and actresses, and studio heads, he appeared so young. His black hair and yellow skin were like a striking splash of ink in the ballroom, almost unreal.

Then, his gaze slowly shifted towards her, carrying an expression that made her breathless, and their eyes met.

At that moment, she instinctively looked away.

Vivian was lost in thought, her heart churning with a myriad of emotions once again.

She had always thought she disliked him, but at this moment, she had to admit that as a Korean, an Asian, she felt an unprecedented sense of pride and honor that made her involuntarily excited and thrilled.

She believes that any Asian who grew up in the Western world would feel the same emotions at this moment.

Only those who truly live on this land understand how strong those invisible barriers are, and how difficult it is for a person of Asian descent to achieve anything in a society dominated by white people.

Truly, the longer you stay here, the more you realize how rare this is, what a miracle it is!
The man seemed to say something, but she didn't hear it clearly, and Dora giggled again.

"Okay, I'll pour the wine... Hahaha, this is simply amazing!"

Dora excitedly poured wine into the three people's glasses, this time pouring an extra lot, the amber liquid shimmering with a warm glow in the firelight.

“I almost lost my life last night, and today I’m here, drinking whiskey, sitting by the fire, and hearing that Nuo Chen was nominated for an Oscar! OMG, Sean, you’re right, this is all so crazy, so unreal! We really have to celebrate.”

Vivian picked up her wine glass without hesitation.

She noticed that Sean next to her was also unusually cheerful as he raised his glass.

When Dora raised her glass, she spoke in her voice, which had been praised by her teachers at school, as if reciting lyrics: "Let us toast to this crazy fate, to this miraculous day, to Sean who saved us, and to Noel's third Oscar! Cheers!"

There was a "ding" sound.

The three wine glasses clinked together in mid-air once again.

Vivian took a sip, the warm whiskey sliding down her throat, its fiery heat spreading through her body.

She saw the man opposite her, but this time he didn't take a small sip like before. Instead, he tilted his head back and drank the almost overflowing glass of wine that Dora had poured in her excitement in one gulp.

Her hand paused for a moment, then she poured the rest of the wine down her throat.

ps:
Please vote for me at the beginning of the month!
Knee injuries are so painful.

(End of this chapter)