Huayu: Starting from the top talent show

Chapter 421 Exclusive New Year's Eve Partner
At 10 p.m., after the Star Awards ended, Shen Juan did not return to Guomao, but went to Song Zuer's home and played cards with the rumored "Emperor Juan's personal madam". She experienced the wonderful feeling of a flood breaking through the dam and rushing out with overwhelming force, which she had not experienced for a long time.

Although most of the work done by this self-proclaimed "Starlink unofficial scout" is meaningless.

After all, Shen Juan, as a playboy, still has the airs and attitude he deserves, and it's impossible for him to really lower his standards and accept anyone who comes his way.

Or to put it another way
She was primarily acting in her own self-interest, mainly to profit from the wealthy female celebrities who coveted Shen Juan.

But isn't there a saying that goes like this?
There is no credit, there is also hard work.

Shen Juan approved of Song Zuer's actions.

Because it can effectively help him strengthen and solidify his current "popular heartthrob" persona, which is subject to both praise and criticism.

The important thing is not the result, but the process.

So before Song Zuer actually did something outrageous that she couldn't control and that required Shen Juan to clean up her mess, Shen Juan turned a blind eye and didn't ask too many questions or directly interfere with her money-making business. It can be said that he gave her enough control of the game and let her be herself on the field.

Anyway, he has never publicly approved of Song Zuer's behavior as a madam, so if something really happens, he can just cut ties.

After all, the famous Swiss psychologist Carl Jung once said something very valuable: like plants, people also grow, some in the light and some in the dark, but the vast majority of people need darkness, not light.

In this circle full of darkness and filth, it is difficult for good people who are not greedy, unambitious, and do not compete to get ahead. Of course, this does not mean that you have to become as dark as those rotten fish and shrimp, or even darker than them, in order to stand out and do better.

It's essential to at least understand how dark their practices are and then set a bottom line for your own conduct.

Using black magic will corrupt the mind.

But in order to gain greater power and to win the battle against the dark wizard, let the corruption happen.

He doesn't care.

The last morning of 2019.

The mountain city was still shrouded in a thin mist. Shen Juan, who had just finished a three-day concert at the Longxing Football Stadium in the city last night and had been playing with his BIG3 teammates until late at night in the hotel, was woken up by the heart-stopping sound of his cell phone alarm and the chattering noise next to him.

Zhou Ye urged loudly, "Get up! Today's schedule is super packed. Even half an hour's delay could affect the whole day's plans!"

Shen Juan could only rub his sleepy eyes, give a helpless look, lift the covers, and get out of bed.

I can only sleep three hours a day
Is this the fate of time management masters?
Without maximizing one's physical talents and taking good care of one's body, one probably wouldn't be able to withstand such high-intensity, high-frequency torment.

At 10:00 a.m. sharp, the four people, fully armed and specially disguised for going out, gathered downstairs at the hotel.

Zhou Ye was wearing a brown bear-patterned wool hat, all bundled up, and holding the breakfast she had bought in advance.

Cheng Xiao fiddled with her newly bought Polaroid camera. She had been learning a lot of photography skills on her own recently and was eager to try them out.

Taking advantage of the other two's inattention, Tian Xiwei grabbed Shen Juan's arm and said, "First stop, the Yangtze River Cableway!"

On the way to the cable car, Shen Juan ate the breakfast Xiao Ye bought while looking at the mountain city scenery outside the window, but he got dizzy from the unique terrain.

The seemingly flat road turns into steep steps after just a few steps, and the buildings along the street are built against the mountain, as if they are suspended in mid-air.

Although he spent almost two months filming in the mountain city last year and gained a general understanding of the city's unique cyberpunk structure, he was working at the time and couldn't relax and travel like he can today. So, seeing it from a tourist's perspective today has a unique charm.

Zhou Ye pointed to the well-arranged residential buildings and laughed, "Doesn't it look like a maze? I used to get lost a lot when I was a kid."

"Aren't you studying in Huizhou?"

"I moved there with my parents later."

"Oh," Cheng Xiao then looked at Tian Xiwei, who was stuffing xiaolongbao into her mouth like a hamster: "What about Sister Tian?"

"My home is in Tongliang, so it's not that exaggerated," she replied vaguely as she ate her breakfast.

"Hey, you mentioned Tongliang, and something suddenly came to mind!" Shen Juan finished his breakfast and wiped his mouth with a tissue.

"what?"

“When I was a trainee in South Korea, I met a friend surnamed Jiang. If I remember correctly, he was from Tongliang, Chongqing.” Shen Juan drank the hot coffee that Xiao Ye had bought for him. “However, he was unable to debut for various reasons, so he ended up working as a choreographer.”

"Did you fail to debut like me?"

"Ah."

"Then why doesn't he go back to China?"

“I can’t be an idol if I go back to China! Back then, nobody knew that South Korea’s talent shows would be replicated in China.”

"It seems that it's really difficult for trainees to debut."

"That's why so many people are criticizing Yang Chaoyue."

In a sense, the sudden popularity of koi fish and thimbles is not fundamentally different. They both rely on good looks and luck to get ahead, easily trampling ordinary people who work hard to practice and solve problems underfoot.

"Juanjuan, don't you like her either?"

"I don't really care. After all, idols in the Chinese entertainment industry don't really have much professional skill, and they will eventually have to transition into acting. There's no need to fixate on the fact that they can't sing or dance. The fact that they became popular is their own achievement."

Since it wasn't a holiday today, when I arrived at the cable car station, I found that there weren't many people queuing at the entrance.

In the cold wind, Shen Juan put his hands into Cheng Xiao's warm scarf to keep warm, making Cheng Xiao's face scrunch up from the cold.

Seeing this, Zhou Ye reached out and poked him, teasingly lowering her voice, "Even such a popular star is afraid of the cold?"

"Wasn't it because someone swore this morning that Chongqing wasn't cold and there was no need to wear so many clothes?" Shen Juan couldn't help but roll her eyes at Zhou Ye, which made Tian Xiwei laugh out loud. But as she laughed, she became a little jealous. "If I had known, I would have brought a scarf to warm Juan Juan's hands today! How damn annoying!"
About fifteen minutes later, we finally boarded the cable car.

The cable car slowly glided down to the river.

Shen Juan leaned against the glass, gazing at the scenery outside the window.

Although the visibility wasn't great today, he could still see the rolling Yangtze River below and cargo ships passing by in the distance, their horns blaring. The tall buildings on both banks were faintly visible in the fog, a scene that reminded him of the sea he saw in Asari, Hokkaido earlier this year.

The water and sky meet, but there's a touch more of the everyday life in it.

The same people are by my side, but the relationship is better.

My mood and mindset have also changed a lot.

"Quick, take a picture!" Cheng Xiao squeezed through the crowd, holding up a Polaroid camera.

The four of them huddled together, capturing a beautiful moment as the Burning Winter Squad and the magnificent Yangtze River mountain city were framed together.

After getting off the cable car, they strolled around for a bit. To solve the lunch problem, Tian Xiwei led everyone into the narrow and crowded alleys according to the pre-planned itinerary. The damp stone slabs, the mottled brick walls, and the small tavern converted from an air-raid shelter at the corner all exuded the unique charm of the mountain city.

They eventually stopped in front of a hot pot restaurant.

Without a doubt, this is the most representative Chongqing delicacy that Sister Tian and Xiao Ye, two kids from the mountain city, came up with!

then
Then it was Shen Juan and Cheng Xiao's turn, those two poor kids who weren't as good at handling spicy food and numbness as people from Chongqing, who were covered in sweat.

“I can understand being from Shanghai, but Xiao Xiao, aren’t your parents from Hunan and Jiangxi provinces? How come they can’t eat spicy food?”

"I can eat spicy food, but not this spicy stuff!" Cheng Xiao said, frowning as she drank her iced drink. Shen Juan then took a tissue to wipe her sweat.

Sister Tian felt a little uneasy again.

Ah Xi, I should have said I was afraid of spicy food too!
After we finished eating hot pot, it was already afternoon.

After discussing it, the four abandoned their original plan and began to wander around Chongqing, without forcibly pursuing the famous tourist attractions that had already been recorded in travel guides.

After all, what kind of scenery you see is not important.

What truly matters are the people by your side. So I'll just wander around as I please.

I take pictures wherever I go.

They would occasionally chat about interesting childhood stories, past experiences, and their hopes and plans for the future.

In the evening, the four of them took a taxi to Nanshan.

As we arrived at the viewing platform, it was getting dark, and the city lights gradually came on. The golden lights of Hongyadong were reflected on the river, the Qianmen Bridge spanned the two banks, and the neon lights of Jiefangbei and the lights of the high-rise buildings complemented each other. The whole of Chongqing was like a dazzling cyberpunk painting unfolding before our eyes.

Shen Juan leaned against the railing, gazing at the city view, holding the soft Cheng Xiao in his arms, his eyes sparkling with starlight.

Tian Xiwei handed over two cups of hot milk tea: "How is it? Isn't it quite different compared to the night view of Hokkaido?"

"They are quite different."

Shen Juan took one of the cups and said, "Hokkaido is a tranquil and gentle romance, while Chongqing is a lively and vibrant life force."

A cool night breeze brushed against his cheek. Looking down at the myriad lights of the city below, Zhou Ye suddenly said, "Actually, I'm quite grateful to you."

Shen Juan raised an eyebrow: "Thank me for what?"

"Thank you, big star, for being willing to stay anonymous and accompany us like ordinary people, chatting about ordinary family matters and experiencing these ordinary daily lives." Zhou Ye smiled, her eyes shining with a gentle light like a clear breeze and bright moon, and enhanced by the atmosphere, she was breathtakingly beautiful.

Shen Juan lowered his head and took a sip of milk tea. The warm, mellow aroma and sweetness gradually spread from his mouth to his heart. "I remember a French guy named Gabriel once told me that when I walked down this avenue that Louis Vuitton had specially cleared for me as the final act, I would be remembered in history forever. I asked him if he had ever walked such a road before. He answered no, saying that he was still just an ordinary person. So I told him that I was just an ordinary person too."

Tian Xiwei certainly remembered this line, which was promoted by LV in French news and recorded in the diary of the Leviathan deluxe CD, making it a must-memorize dialogue in Alovers that countless fans and casual observers called movie lines. So she spoke the second half of the sentence for Shen Juan, "But today?"

Let's be immortal.

Shen Juan smiled gently, then lifted the limp Cheng Xiao in his arms a little higher so that he could rest his chin on her head. "Being an artist is my job, being a big star is an identity given to me by others, but to you, I am just an ordinary boyfriend, nothing more."

“An ordinary boyfriend couldn’t do what you do,” Zhou Ye whispered, nestled to Shen Juan’s right.

“No ordinary boyfriend would be as fickle as you. Saying you were one-on-three is already being kind to you,” Tian Xiwei said, shaking her milk tea cup. The plastic straw made a soft slurping sound. She gestured towards the brightly lit Jiang Jing, “What exactly did Yang Mi say to you that night?”

Shen Juan felt a strange urge to laugh. "Actually, she didn't say anything. She just said, like the Big Bad Wolf, that she would definitely come back."

"That bastard!" Tian Xiwei gritted her teeth in hatred. She had previously thought Yang Mi's workaholic style was inspiring and made her seem like a great female lead, but now it seemed she was just a complete idiot! After being rejected so many times, she still had the nerve to keep pestering Juanjuan! She was so damn shameless!
She now wishes she could imitate what Juanjuan did to Caochuanpu and post a message on Weibo criticizing Yang Mi, telling her to stay away from her boyfriend and stop being so promiscuous!
However, considering Yang Mi's sensitive identity (a divorced young woman, a top-tier actress born in the 85s with immense national popularity, and previously rumored to have had a scandal involving a Hong Kong man being cheated on by a certain international star born in the 95s), if Juanjuan were to be associated with such a woman, it might negatively impact his image.

So Sister Tian held back.

After all, her hot-tempered, rebellious persona exists to solve problems, not to become a problem.

“There’s no need to be angry with her. There are too many people like that in the industry. Once their material needs are met, they start to excessively pursue spiritual comfort. So the more you reject her, the more interested she becomes. Such people may have some kind of mental deficiency.” Shen Juan comforted her softly, “Besides, Ju Zi doesn’t need to think about Apple’s problem. Living her own life well is the most important thing.”

"But I am an orange!"

Shen Juan immediately lost his composure, "I was just quoting someone else, is it really necessary to nitpick over the details?"

"Can't you change your name to make me happy? Can't you be a little more creative? I've taken so much criticism for you on Weibo, can't you repay me and be grateful for my efforts?" Tian Xiwei hugged Shen Juan's left arm and said coquettishly with a straight face.

"Okay, I'll be more careful next time."

"Hey, I'm not asking you anything." Sister Tian secretly watched Shen Juan's expression and reaction out of the corner of her eye.

"Ah."

"And I did not take advantage of the favor."

"I know."

"If you really don't want to do this, that's fine. I just want you to know who I am." Sister Tian swallowed subconsciously, trying her best to appear calm and composed.

"I actually like you a lot."

"I know that, and I like you too."

"Then why can you speak so calmly?" Sister Tian glared at Shen Juan with some dissatisfaction. "I get so nervous and embarrassed every time I say sweet nothings, but you act so calm. Doesn't that make me look bad? Am I really that insignificant to you?"
Shen Juan turned his head and looked at her gently and calmly, "Maybe it's because I've gotten used to having you around?"

"Oh," Sister Tian immediately lowered her proud head, leaving only a heart full of joy and happiness.

After listening to their conversation, Cheng Xiao, who was in Shen Juan's arms, and Zhou Ye, who was on his right, exchanged a knowing glance and saw a clear smile in each other's eyes.

A seemingly sunny and cheerful person with a bad temper and foul mouth, but actually gentle, proud and awkward, who craves attention and recognition.

He appears taciturn and aloof, but in reality, he's adept at making direct advances and stirring hearts, sometimes so sincere that people willingly forget his scumbag status.

If we temporarily ignore their inseparable romantic relationship with this man, then Sister Tian and Juanjuan, this complementary couple, are actually quite adorable.

At least they like it.

To some extent, this might be one of the reasons why the three of them can live together harmoniously under the same roof.

After leaving the observation deck, we spent the rest of the time wandering aimlessly through the streets and alleys of the mountain town.

Finally, we arrived at the riverbank and found a relatively quiet spot with fewer people, where we waited peacefully for the New Year to begin.

As the midnight bells rang, thousands of fireworks burst into bloom in the night sky, illuminating the faces of the four people in a flickering light.

"Happy New Year, Juanjuan!" Zhou Ye excitedly shook Shen Juan's arm, jumping around with joy.

"Happy New Year, Xiao Ye." Shen Juan rubbed her puppy head with his free hand and responded with his eyes lowered.

"Happy New Year, Juanbao!" Cheng Xiao held up a Polaroid camera and pointed it directly at Shen Juan's breathtakingly handsome face.

"Xiao Bao, Happy New Year!" Shen Juan smiled and looked directly at the camera, cooperating with her to take the most perfect photo.

then
Shen Juan then looked at Sister Tian, ​​whose face was full of anticipation, but who was pretending to be very busy, and who knew what she was busy with.

Happy New Year, Yellow Orange!

"Happy New Year, Tan Song!" Tian Xiwei subconsciously switched into character, then asked with a silly smile, "But isn't it a little strange to send each other New Year's greetings using character names?"

"Then say it again using your real name."

Happy New Year, Vivian.

Happy New Year, Shen Juan!

Zhou Ye looked up at the dazzling fireworks blooming in the night sky and asked, "So where are we going to celebrate New Year's Eve next year?"

"Well, that depends on what our big star says, right? After all, he even canceled his schedule for Hunan TV's New Year's Eve concert this year just to come to Chongqing with us for New Year's Eve!" Cheng Xiao said with a smile, snapping photos with her Polaroid camera.

The photos include stunning scenery rarely seen on ordinary days, Xiao Ye who is as happy as a happy little dog, Sister Tian who smiles like Stitch, and myself.

But of course, her favorite was Shen Juan.

Her absolute favorite is Shen Juan!
Tian Xiwei took Shen Juan's arm, "No matter where we go, he's already our exclusive New Year's Eve partner!"

A perfect New Year's Eve partner?
Looking at the different but equally bright smiles on the faces of the three people, Shen Juan couldn't help but smile along.

This new name doesn't seem too bad.

At least he likes it.

　Sorry, I had a lot going on over the weekend and couldn't finish Friday's chapter. I'll try to finish it by working overtime these next few nights!

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(End of this chapter)