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

Chapter 581 The Person I Want to Thank Most (Revised)

"Janice, you've really struck it rich this time! I've watched you grow up, can you give me a hand now?"

"Oh my god, Janice, is it really you? Is the person in the news really you?"

"Sister! It's you! You've been nominated for an Oscar!"

"Janice, the whole of Hong Kong was so excited when the news came out last night! As the first Hong Kong actress to be nominated for an Oscar, is there anything you'd like to say to the people of Hong Kong?"

"Yongshan, congratulations! On behalf of the Beijing Film Academy, I extend my congratulations. Hope you can come back and visit sometime!"

Lying on the fluffy, soft bed in the presidential suite of the Los Angeles Hilton, the woman slept fitfully all night, her mind replaying scenes from the past few days like a movie.

There were family members, friends, teachers, and reporters; some spoke Mandarin and others Cantonese; some had high and some low tones; some were male and some were female. However, what they all had in common was the same surprise or joy.

These images are tormenting.

Do not,
It's not so much torture as it is tormenting her.

This left her, who already had trouble sleeping due to jet lag, in a state of semi-consciousness all night.

I don’t know how long it took.

"Dong dong dong."

"Sister Shan."

"Dong dong dong."

A gentle knock and a soft call woke her from her half-asleep state.

At that very moment, all the images in her mind suddenly intertwined and converged into a clear picture—

It was an old television, about twenty inches in size.

The television screen glowed, displaying a blonde, blue-eyed woman with a radiant smile, dressed in a silver-white gown, reciting in a soft, slightly husky voice the words that would change her destiny:

"—The 85th Academy Awards nominees for Best Supporting Actress are—Janice Man, for *DROP*!"

The sound echoed in my mind again and again.

Janice Man slowly sat up and leaned against the headboard, but did not immediately get up to open the door.

She stared blankly at the curtains opposite her. Sunlight streamed through the windows of the presidential suite at the Los Angeles Hilton, and a faint floral scent filled the air. Yet, she couldn't tell whether it was real or a dream.

Did she really hear her own name spoken by Emma Stone on TV that afternoon, accompanied by her sister?
She, a girl who debuted in her teens and made a living through advertisements, photo shoots, and runway shows,
I really want to go to the Kodak Theatre and sit in the star-studded venue with Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Amy Adams, and Jennifer Lawrence, waiting to see if her name will be called again on stage.

Shouldn't she have spent her whole life struggling in the mire of the Hong Kong modeling industry, perhaps with good luck, being noticed by a benefactor one day, being brought into his company, stumbling along on her acting career, and then possibly being sidelined for some minor incident until she was 30 years old, when she would finally have a breakthrough and begin her ordinary and unremarkable acting life?
"Dong dong dong."

"Dong dong dong."

"Sister Shan."

The knocking and shouting resumed.

The woman finally came to her senses.

I walked over in my pajamas and opened the door.

Xiao Yuan clearly hadn't slept well either, her eyes were bloodshot as she appeared before her with a smile: "Sister Shan, I'm sorry to wake you, Michelle and the styling team have all arrived."

"Okay, I'll be right over."

"Okay, Sister Shan, I'll go out and wait for you."

"Ah."

The door closed again.

The woman stood in the doorway, her mind still working slowly, just as it had that afternoon when she heard her English name on television. Her sister's scream and her mother's exclamation seemed to come through a wall, muffled and indistinct.

Only one person, one name, is clear to her.

She didn't even respond to her mother's and sister's celebratory cheers; without thinking, she picked up the phone and dialed. But all she heard was a robotic female voice saying the number was out of service.

Then she remembered that he had already embarked on a new journey.

"Ding-ding-ding-"

Suddenly, a shrill ringing sound rang out; it was the alarm clock she had set herself last night.

The shrill, unpleasant sound finally brought the woman fully awake, and she hurriedly walked towards the bathroom...

For the rest of the day, from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., the woman ate only a piece of whole-wheat bread and drank a little milk. In the afternoon, she even dared not drink water, only enough to moisten her lips.

But when she finally got everything ready and set off, she didn't feel thirsty at all; only one thought was in her mind—Oscar, she had really come.

However, just as she got into the car and was on her way to the Kodak Theatre,

That name that kept her up all night and kept her distracted all day
The thought surfaced in her mind once again—

The person who brought her here.

What about him?

Where is he now?

……

……

"Now walking down the red carpet is the cast and crew of 'DROP.' This is an art film that is extremely rare in recent years and has achieved commercial success in theaters worldwide."

However, while achieving box office success, the film also sparked widespread controversy.

The bold performances of the male and female leads, along with the highly realistic and tragic plot and social core, have led many film critics to call it "a nakedly anti-American masterpiece."

Tonight, "DROP" received five Oscar nominations—Best Cinematography, Best Original Screenplay, Best Supporting Actress, Best Actor, and Best Picture.

The most anticipated award is for the lead actor, Nuo Chen, who is nominated for Best Actor for the second time for this film. However, it is regrettable that, according to the organizer, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, he will not be attending tonight's awards ceremony because he is currently preparing for the pre-production of a new film.

Therefore, this mysterious and legendary Asian movie star was absent from the red carpet of "DROP" tonight.

The person walking in the middle of the screen is James Pritzker, the director of "DROP".

He is a third-generation member of the famous Pritzker family in Chicago, but he chose a completely different path, carving out his own niche in the fields of art and film.

Walking to his left was the film's leading lady—Charlize Theron. She had just finished filming her new movie, cutting off her signature long hair and sporting a clean, short blonde hairstyle that made her look incredibly dashing.

To the director's right is Janice Man, the Hong Kong actress nominated for Best Supporting Actress tonight. Yes, this young actress from Hong Kong, China, is one of the most eye-catching Asian faces on the red carpet tonight.

It is understood that "DROP" is her first true starring role in a film. Before that, she only had brief cameo appearances.

This time, her scenes with her ex-boyfriend Nuo Chen in the film showcased an astonishing level of emotional intensity and authentic performance, moving countless viewers. It can be said that her passionate six-minute performance with Nuo Chen in the basement was the most electrifying part of the entire movie.

Beside Janice is the film's cinematographer, Darius Kangi. This master cinematographer was nominated for an Oscar for works such as *Seven* and *Midnight in Paris*, but never won an award.

In "DROP", his masterful control of light and shadow, especially his portrayal of Nuo Chen's lonely, repressed yet intense emotions, is a stroke of genius.

However, at the recent Golden Globe Awards, he lost to Claudio Miranda, the cinematographer of "Life of Pi." Tonight, can he exact revenge and ascend the highest stage at the Oscars?
Following *DROP* on the red carpet was *Les Misérables*…

Why isn't Chen going?

As the radio host began introducing Tom Hopper, Hugh Jackman, and Anne Hathaway, the girl's voice from the Nevada campfire finally rang out again.

Still in a sullen tone: "Dios, this is the Oscar for Best Actor! What movie can't wait? If he doesn't go, will the Oscars still give him the award? What is his PR team doing! If he misses this chance, who knows how long he'll have to wait for the next one! God, I really can't understand, #@!#@!%, Is there any way to contact him? Is it too late to get there now?"

It's clear that the brown-haired Latina girl is really anxious.

He spoke extremely fast, and his speech was interspersed with Spanish.

But what he said...

Chen Nuo's face flushed slightly upon hearing this, but he pretended not to hear and continued eating the noodles in his bowl, which were almost cold, with his fork.

"Come on, Dora, you're making it sound like Chen is guaranteed to win an award just because he went. You're way too optimistic."

“No, no, no, I didn’t say that, but it’s a possibility, Vivian.”

The girls' chatter drifted by, but he paid no attention.

When he was introducing "DROP" just now, he thought about how nervous and awkward Janice Man must be on the red carpet right now... He had to admit that for a moment, he suddenly felt a pang of regret.

This is really strange.

You should know that he not only didn't go home for the Chinese New Year this year, but he didn't even make a single phone call to his family and friends on New Year's Eve, but he didn't regret it at all.

But now, he actually felt his beliefs wavering.

wtf.

Is this the power of first love?

However, the scumbag's mentality quickly regained its advantage.

There are reasons why people don't go.

First, he went but couldn't get it.

Secondly, I feel that once he goes there, the state he has finally found will be disrupted again. No matter how good his mental fortitude is, he is not a machine. If he gets into and out of character too many times, he might very well go crazy.

Thirdly, it was the result of his discussion with Allison. The woman told him that perhaps this time, it would be better not to go.

Given that's the case, it's inevitable that he won't go.

What's the point of thinking about this and that now?

"Boss, are you still hungry? I have some more here."

Suddenly, a familiar voice came from inside. Chen Nuo looked down in surprise and realized that he had been sticking his fork into the plate, but the plate was already empty.

Although he was wearing a face mask, he was still a little embarrassed. He put his fork on the plate and said, "I'm full, thinking about something."

Linghu paused for a moment, then said, "Mr. Chen, don't worry. Although Miss Wen looks very refined, she is actually very generous in her dealings with others."

Chen Nuo was a little surprised.

Although these words weren't particularly pleasing to the ear, they were still quite rare for Linghu.

It seems that Janice Man wasn't the only one who knew what kind of person she was after dating him for several years.

He wiped the plates and forks clean with snow, then took a break and didn't pay any more attention to what happened next. He crawled into the tent in the workers' shed, lay down under the moisture-proof mat, put his hands behind his head, and listened to the radio coming from outside.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Hollywood Kodak Theatre, and welcome tonight's host—Seth McFarlane!"

This was followed by enthusiastic applause and the host thanking the entire audience.

The radio he bought, made in China, was of good quality. Although the sound quality was thin, the volume was loud enough, and it was clear enough as long as it wasn't during a blizzard. Chen Nuo could clearly hear the laughter and applause of the audience in the background. Having been to Kodak many times, he even felt as if he could see those well-dressed men and women thousands of miles away through the sound emanating from that small radio.

He smiled.

Listening to the Oscars on the radio is really strange.

"Good evening, everyone. Welcome to the Oscars ceremony. I am..."

Seth McFarlane, a two-time Emmy Award-winning comedian, is also an animator, screenwriter, television producer, film and television actor, voice actor, singer, pianist, and lyricist—a true all-rounder with impeccable speech.

"I never thought I would host the Oscars. Wow, I'm going crazy when I have hundreds of millions of viewers watching me now."

"It's me, the host of the Oscars, I'm so honored."

"To be honest, last year was a year full of drama."

"Everyone has seen Argo, right? It's based on a top-secret story from 1978, and it tells the story of... Perhaps it's precisely because it's so top-secret that we don't even know who its director is."

Chen Nuo smiled.

Ben Affleck's loss for Best Director was absolutely unexpected. He searched his memory for a long time, finally confirming that he had indeed forgotten whether it was like this in his past life, and therefore had no way of knowing how much of a ripple his butterfly effect was this time.

However, he was certain that there was wind.

Without wind, Seth McFarlane couldn't have followed up his joke about Ben Affleck with a smile, saying, "In 2012, our total box office in the U.S. exceeded $112 billion, a record high."

It is worth mentioning that Nuo Chen contributed more than 15% of the box office revenue with two films that grossed 16 billion yuan. His face can be seen in every movie theater from New York to Tokyo.

Think about how much money he could make from that. I think that's the real reason he didn't come to the Oscars today—not because he's preparing any film, but because he's disdained to associate with you millionaires.

"Hahahahaha-"

Laughter erupted from the radio, so loud that it couldn't be drowned out by the sudden gust of wind outside the tent.

Chen Nuo listened, and before he knew it, the fatigue from the day's journey overwhelmed him. His eyelids drooped, and he slowly drifted off to sleep.

"Sean, Sean—"

Chen Nuo didn't know how long he had slept when he suddenly heard someone calling him.

He groggily opened his eyes and saw the tent zipper being gently pulled open from the outside, letting in a gust of cold wind carrying the scent of night snow.

Beside him, a rather tall girl was squatting in an awkward position. She was wearing a gray-white down jacket, over which was a windproof windbreaker, and on her lower body, she wore dark fleece-lined tight-fitting sweatpants, which outlined the supple and full curves of the South American girl's athletic thighs and pert, rounded buttocks.

Her cheeks were slightly flushed, and her long brown hair fell over her shoulders, with a few strands clinging to her lips and gently swaying in her breath.

The girl said, "Sean, you need to go inside your sleeping bag. You'll catch a cold sleeping outside, and the temperature is going to drop soon."

Chen Nuo rubbed his face and said, "Thank you, Dora. What time is it? Has the awards ceremony ended?"

"No, it hasn't been long since it started, but it's so boring that it makes me sleepy."

He listened intently; from the radio outside, applause and a male voice giving an acceptance speech were playing: "...Thank you to the Academy, and to the outstanding team at Life of Pi, especially director ANG LI, you..."

Chen Nuo was startled and turned to ask, "What kind of award is being given out?"

Dora looked a little confused and said, "Best visual effects. What's wrong?"

Has the Best Cinematography award been announced?

"not yet."

Chen Nuo immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

Best visual effects is an award that *Life of Pi* is almost guaranteed to win, with virtually no competition, because Ang Lee truly delivered stunning visuals in this final masterpiece of his film career. It can be said that after *Inception*, *Life of Pi* is the only 3D blockbuster that can be compared to it and *Avatar*.

Achieving the best visual effect is absolutely well-deserved.

This award is usually next to Best Cinematography. The winner of Best Visual Effects is also generally a strong contender for Best Cinematography.

Since we've already had the best visual effects, the best photography should be next.

So, what will the final outcome be, and will Darius Congee be able to defeat Pi? He has no idea.

He asked, "Is Vivian asleep?"

She fell asleep when the awards ceremony started.

"So... were you the only one listening to the radio outside just now?"

"Yes."

Chen Nuo looked intently at the Latina girl in front of him and asked, "Why? Aren't you cold?"

"It's a bit cold, so I came in. I wanted to see if Chen could win an award."

"You're such a big fan of his."

"Haha, actually I'm not like that, I was just influenced by my sister..."

As Chen Nuo listened to Dora recount her connection with him, he learned that this woman had a younger sister who was a true Twilight fanatic. Meanwhile, he paid attention to the radio.

"Next up is David Fincher." When the host Seth's voice came over, Chen Nuo immediately perked up.

"Bring the radio in."

"Ah. Oh. Okay."

Dora agreed and immediately turned and slipped out. Before David Fincher could finish his opening remarks, she picked up the radio.

"Speaking of which, I have to thank you, Sean. Without this, Vivian and I would have been so bored on the way here."

"You're welcome."

Chen Nuo casually agreed. His attention was entirely focused on David Fincher's words, while Dora quietly zipped up the tent flap behind her.
After bringing it in, the sound was undoubtedly clearer.

Claudio Miranda, Life of Pi.

Roger Deakins, Skyfall.

"Januz Kaminsky, Lincoln."

“Semers McGarvey, Anna Karenina”.

“Dares Congee, DROP”.

After a brief pause, the sound of a letter being opened could be heard.

Chen Nuo was a little nervous.

Life of Pi was Ang Li's last moment of glory, and the same can be said for Iranian photographers.
As he gets older, this might be the old man's last chance to win an Oscar.

Will he get what he wants?
Can he give this old man a chance to fulfill his dream?
Chen Nuo's heart was in turmoil.

Just then, Michael Bay finally tore open that damned envelope and said in a loud voice:
"The winner of the Best Cinematography award at the 85th Academy Awards is... Darius Congee, for DROP."

"Oh--"

"YES!"

Two voices rang out simultaneously from inside the tent.

Chen Nuo got excited and started shouting while waving his fist in the air.

If it weren't for the limited space, he would have loved to do a couple of somersaults!
Won!

Especially when he thought of angLi's current bitter face, he felt strangely pleased.

"Don't know anything? It's just that Golden Horse Awards. To generalize and hate on someone's behalf is so petty."

A background voice came from the radio: "This is Darius Congee's third nomination and first win. He previously won for..."

Dora blinked and asked curiously, "Sean, you seem very happy. So you like DROP too?"

Chen Nuo was a little embarrassed and nodded, saying, "Yes."

Dora suddenly laughed and said, "Have you ever gone to the movies with a girl?"

Chen Nuo said, "No."

Dora said, "Really? Then why do you like this movie? That's quite rare. You wouldn't happen to be a fan of Chen, would you?"

Chen Nuo hesitated for two seconds, then decided to be shameless and nodded, "Yes."

"real or fake?"

“Really.” Chen Nuo let loose completely, shrugged and laughed, “I love his clown; I think it’s the greatest performance of the last decade.”

"Hahahaha. I knew it! Men are all like that. They say they don't like it, but they still secretly watch every single one of his movies."

Just then, a voice that felt strangely familiar to Chen Nuo came through the radio, but this time, his voice trembled almost uncontrollably. Every word seemed to be forced out of his throat, carrying a deep, almost overflowing emotion. This made Dora's smile fade.

"First of all, I want to thank Wong Kar-wai for asking me to make a movie eight years ago. That was the first time I met Chen—at that time he was just an unknown young actor."

"Secondly, I want to thank James. James, thank you for inviting me to join 'DROP.' I have the utmost respect for your trust, your perseverance, and your almost fanatical passion for film. This work belongs to each and every one of us."

"Of course, the person I want to thank the most—he couldn't be here today. He's busy somewhere, but I believe he's watching TV right now, watching me lift the trophy. From the first day I met him until now, he hasn't changed. He's such a pure and professional person. For him, film has never been just a job, it's a belief, a part of his life. Many people think that photography is just the art of light and shadow, but I want to say that the truly great light comes from his eyes."

"I also want to thank Gina, my wife, for your support..."

The old man was genuinely excited.

Chen Nuo is certain that by the time he finishes his acceptance speech, he will probably be a minute over time.

“He and Chen are really close,” Dora said from the side. “He seems like a good person.”

Chen Nuo was silent for a moment, then nodded affirmatively, "Yes, although sometimes... he is indeed a good person."

At that moment, it suddenly occurred to him,

When Darius Congee won Best Cinematography, James must have jumped for joy in his chair.

The Best Actor and Best Cinematography awards at Venice, the Best Original Screenplay at the Golden Globe Awards, the Best Cinematography award at the Oscars... This film alone can be considered a complete success. If we add the nominations, it can be said that he has exceeded the expectations set forth in his father's will.

The prize-winning fee he paid out of pocket has finally been settled.

Just as he was feeling happy about this double blessing, the girl beside him suddenly exhaled and said, "Phew, it's getting colder and colder, Sean. Do you want to go into your sleeping bag and warm up for a while?"

Chen Nuo hesitated for a moment. In the end, he was a man of conscience after all. How could he not feel guilty for causing that beautiful woman's YouTube channel, which she had run for three years and had several thousand followers, to become obsolete? He immediately licked his slightly dry lips and said, "I want to. Want to join me?"

"Emmmm, okay."

Ps:

I've heard that fasting can detoxify and remove waste, is that true?
(End of this chapter)