Huayu 16: I Became the Dream-Fulfilling Master for Young Actresses

As evening falls, the air at Lao Ma's BBQ is filled with the smoke of cigarettes and the aroma of cumin and grilled meat.

Chen Xingzhou pushed open the door and immediately saw Bai Jingting by the window.

Several bottles of ice-cold beer and a skewer of grilled meat were already laid out on the table.

Bai Jingting was looking down at his phone when he saw him come in and immediately waved.

"Here it is!"

Chen Xingzhou walked over and sat down, and Bai Jingting immediately opened a bottle of beer and handed it to him.

Water droplets were still clinging to the bottle, indicating it had just been taken out of the freezer.

"Come on, have a drink to calm your nerves." Bai Jingting raised his bottle and clinked it against his.

"I passed by your neighborhood this afternoon and saw Bai Mengyan dragging a suitcase and taking a taxi away. You and her really...?"

Chen Xingzhou tilted his head back and took a sip. The cold beer slid down his throat, carrying a faint malty aroma.

He took a bite of the grilled rib and said in a flat tone, "No."

"No?" Bai Jingting was taken aback, then pursed his lips.

"You think she can just leave without a word? I was even planning to drink with you until dawn."

"She went to Hangzhou to film a movie; it was a pretty good opportunity," Chen Xingzhou said vaguely.

There's no need to go into too much detail about this with your brother.

Bai Jingting responded with an "oh," still somewhat skeptical.

"Really nothing's wrong? I saw you had a really long face when you came in, like someone owed you eight million."

Chen Xingzhou couldn't help but chuckle: "Can you stop imagining all this nonsense all the time? Do I look like the kind of person who would make a scene over a breakup?"

"How can it not look like it?" Bai Jingting snorted and retorted, sticking his neck out.

"Last year, you two had a fight, and you dragged me here to drink two cases of beer, hugging a lamppost and calling out someone's name, have you forgotten?"

Chen Xingzhou: "..."

The two ate and chatted, with round after round of skewers being served, and they drank several bottles of beer.

Just then, a clear, girlish voice came from the counter, interrupting their conversation.

"Boss, can I pay by scanning a QR code? Please..."

The boss looked at the girl in front of him and said helplessly:

"Our little restaurant doesn't accept mobile payments; we only accept cash."

Chen Xingzhou turned his head to look.

She was a girl with a high ponytail, wearing a light gray hooded sweatshirt and dark blue jeans.

She was thin, her face flushed red, and she stood in front of the counter, at a loss for what to do.

Chen Xingzhou raised an eyebrow. This must be Meng Ziyi, right?

It's been too long, so I can't quite remember.

"Hey, what are you looking at?" Bai Jingting followed his gaze.

Then she immediately nudged him and grinned mischievously.

"Isn't this the most beautiful girl from your class at the Beijing Film Academy? What do you want?"

As soon as he finished speaking, a blue system panel appeared in front of Chen Xingzhou's eyes.

[Ding! Female celebrity Meng Ziyi detected.]

[My current wish: to pay for the meal smoothly so I can finish eating and get back to practice my lines in time.]

Chen Xingzhou smiled slightly, patted Bai Jingting on the shoulder, and walked straight towards the counter.

"Wait here."

Bai Jingting stared at his retreating figure, paused for two seconds, then lowered his voice and whistled, a mischievous grin on his face.

"Wow, Chen Xingzhou! So you just told me you hadn't broken up with Bai Mengyan, and then you went and started hitting on the school beauty?"

Despite saying that, he watched with great interest, his eyes full of gossip.

After all, Chen Xingzhou has almost never taken the initiative with a woman.

The only time, it seems, was because of his childhood sweetheart, Tian Xiwei?

……

At the counter, Meng Ziyi gripped her phone tightly with both hands, bowed to the shop owner, and whispered an apology:

"Boss, can I pay by scanning a QR code? Please..."

The boss looked at the girl in front of him and said helplessly:

"Our little restaurant doesn't accept mobile payments; we only accept cash."

"Boss, I'll pay."

Chen Xingzhou waved his hand and called out.

Mencius turned his head to look.

Upon seeing Chen Xingzhou's distinctive sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes, she immediately recognized him, a look of surprise flashing in her eyes.

"Chen Xingzhou, is that really you?! I knew your back looked familiar."

"Thank you so much. I didn't bring any cash with me. I'll add you on WeChat and transfer the money to you."

Mencius breathed a sigh of relief, his tone carrying the familiarity of classmates.

Chen Xingzhou paid the money without being polite.

He's not a sucker; there's no need for him to pay for someone else's money for no reason.

Meng Ziyi immediately scanned the QR code to add him on WeChat, and the money was transferred instantly.

Just after the WeChat transfer notification sounded, the system notification sound also rang.

[Ding! Congratulations, host, for fulfilling Meng Ziyi's wish.]

[Reward: Dialogue Rhythm Mastery - Max Level]

[Results: Regardless of the role or dialogue style, the actor can accurately grasp pauses, emphasis, and emotions, ensuring smooth filming without any hiccups or jarring pacing, and perfectly complementing any co-star.]

Chen Xingzhou's eyes lit up when he saw the system notification flash by.

This system is amazing! It provides exactly what I need, and the skill is clearly very powerful.

Holding his iPhone 6s, Meng Ziyi looked up and smiled, "I'll add a note for you."

Chen Xingzhou snapped out of his daze and hummed in response.

Meng Ziyi was typing with his head down, and couldn't help but mutter to himself:

"Chen Xingzhou... Shen Xingzhou, it doesn't sound like a good thing."

After saying that, she realized how blunt she had been and quickly apologized.

"I'm so sorry! I was just saying it offhand, please don't take it to heart."

Chen Xingzhou seemed not to hear her, and simply observed her silently.

Meng Ziyi initially gained popularity for his classic "willow leaf eyebrows + almond-shaped eyes" combination.

Her eyebrows resembled distant, dark mountains; her bone structure was high and straight; her eyes were long and slender with slightly drooping corners.

She has full cheeks and protruding ears.

She is indeed good-looking.

Remembering that wishes would be refreshed, Chen Xingzhou saw Meng Ziyi's newly refreshed wish.

[Current wish: To quickly memorize the lines for Mu Nianci and Yang Kang's scenes together, so as to avoid forgetting lines or losing rhythm during filming due to nervousness.]

He raised an eyebrow; there was no chance of fulfilling this wish at the moment.

After Meng Ziyi finished typing, she noticed out of the corner of her eye that Chen Xingzhou's gaze was fixed on her face, and she suddenly stopped.

She looked up and met Chen Xingzhou's gaze, a blush creeping up her neck and cheeks.

She didn't flinch, asking directly, "Chen Xingzhou? Why are you staring at me like that?"

Even after she finished speaking, she kept her eyes fixed on Chen Xingzhou's.

But the blush on her cheeks started to spread, and her hands holding the phone became slightly sweaty.

Chen Xingzhou snapped out of his daze and habitually touched his nose.

Then he slowly withdrew his gaze, a slight smile playing on his lips:

"It's nothing, I just feel that the title of 'Beijing Film Academy's Campus Belle' is definitely well-deserved."

Meng Ziyi hadn't expected the other person to be so blunt, and her ears burned slightly as she chuckled.

"You have good taste! I have something to do, so I'll be going now. I'll treat you to dinner later!"

She put away her phone, holding the script, and waved goodbye.

Her almond-shaped eyes curved into crescents as she walked briskly out of the restaurant.

As soon as she finished speaking, her beautiful figure disappeared from sight.

Chen Xingzhou withdrew his gaze and calmly sat back down in his seat.

Bai Jingting moved closer to him and couldn't help but chuckle.

"Tsk tsk, as expected, a handsome guy paired with a beautiful girl, that's fast enough."

But you'd better be careful, or Bai Mengyan might come back from Hangzhou and settle scores with you!

Chen Xingzhou picked up a skewer, took a casual bite, and said in a flat tone, "Mind your own business."

Having been a seasoned player in the dating scene for so many years, how could he not handle that silly girl Bai Mengyan?

Bai Jingting waved his hand, chewing on a skewer and complaining:

"Don't come begging to me for mercy when you get punished."

The two sat for another half hour, finishing their skewers and emptying their beers.

Chen Xingzhou put down the wine bottle and stood up.

"I'm going back now, I have to practice my acting tomorrow."

"Going all out?" Bai Jingting raised an eyebrow and stood up as well. "Alright, I'll leave too. Call me on WeChat if you need anything."

Chen Xingzhou didn't turn around, but raised his hand and waved.

"understood."

After saying goodbye to Bai Jingting, Chen Xingzhou walked back along the streetlights of the old neighborhood.

Push open the door to the rented room.

The room still carried the faint scent of citrus emanating from Bai Mengyan, and her hair tie, which she hadn't had time to take with her, lay on the table.

Chen Xingzhou casually tossed his coat onto the bed and went to the mirror.

Looking at my own eyes and figure, which exuded a sense of江湖 (jianghu, a kind of chivalrous spirit), in the mirror, I couldn't help but sigh again.

"Cheat codes are so useful!"

With his experience from his previous life, he was confident that he would be selected.

However, with the help of cheats, the success rate is definitely much higher.

Thinking about filming, Chen Xingzhou opened his phone and began searching for the announcements on the school's official website not long ago.

……

Mencius's meaning: