Huayu: Starting with Rejecting 00s Actresses on a Dating Show

Beijing, 2019.

Tan Wen almost sneezed.

The scent of Saint Laurent's Eau de Parfum was too strong, and the woman sitting opposite him sprayed far too much.

Two red lips drew close, almost touching.

"Eat it, or eat me?"

The woman spoke.

Her superb skincare routine and fashionable dressing skills make it impossible for others to judge her age at first glance.

But one's voice cannot hide their age.

Her surname is Fok, and she is one of the most successful artist managers in Hong Kong. In the industry, she is called Sister Manny. She is 47 years old.

Tan Wen has been out of film school for a year, and opportunities are scarce.

He recently auditioned for a co-production between mainland China and Hong Kong, and was about to receive the contract when he was informed that the production team had chosen someone else. It wasn't the first time he had been replaced by someone with connections.

However, during the interview, he met Sister Manny. She glanced at him and then invited him to talk again that evening. Unexpectedly, the address Manny gave him was her private residence in the suburbs of Beijing.

"Eat it, or eat me?"

"No matter which one you eat, I can still get you a role in this play."

Manny repeated it, pointing to the dog bowl next to the sofa.

A bowl full of dark, murky dog ​​food.

Tan Wen's face showed no anger or hesitation; he looked sincerely into Manny's eyes and said, "You."

Manny smiled broadly, sat down next to Tan Wen, kicked her high heels far away, revealing a small black butterfly tattooed on her ankle, which was quite eye-catching.

Tan Wen shifted his body slightly, his expression remaining sincere, and said:

"You...you've got a cakey makeup look."

Tan Wen stepped aside, stood up, picked up his coat, and said calmly:

"Manny, you're getting older, so don't stay up late. It's bad for your skin."

As Tan Wen walked out, he hailed a taxi while simultaneously calling his college roommate, Lao Zhou, back.

"Did that dating reality show send you there? You're so excited, calling me several times!"

A week ago, Lao Zhou saw that the popular dating reality show "The Moment My Heart Fluttered" was recruiting male guests, so he took it upon himself to sign up both himself and Tan Wen.

Old Zhou comes from a wealthy family and has little interest in acting. He spends his days lingering among women, and his long-cherished wish is to meet several rich heiresses on dating reality shows.

Tan Wen wasn't particularly interested, but he couldn't resist Lao Zhou's insistence, so he accompanied him to the interview.

Why are all the phone numbers you gave to the production team disconnected?

The assistant director called me, and I was really excited, but it turns out you got chosen, and I'm the clown, hahaha. Remember to recommend any girls you don't like to me later!

Tan Wen was stunned for a few seconds, then laughed and replied to Lao Zhou with a few friendly curses. He hung up the phone, lit a cigarette, and quickly made a decision.

He spent four years at the Beijing Film Academy, and a year after graduation he hasn't acted in any films or TV series, yet he's still staying in Beijing, clearly hoping to break into the film industry.

However, for him, entering the entertainment industry as a proper actor and participating in variety shows to gain popularity is not his best option.

But now that the opportunity has come, why not take it?

He was already facing a fee of at least 20,000 yuan for the appearance, but he rejected Manny's advances. He didn't know what the consequences would be, and he had no acting opportunities and no idea how he would pay his rent for the next quarter.

Following the contact information provided by Lao Zhou via WeChat, Tan Wen made the call:

"Hello, is this the production team for the 'Moment of Heartbeat' program?"

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half a month later.

"Wow, girls are beautiful in their own way, and boys are just boys."

"Are they having trouble finding people for dating reality shows? Why are all the guys so average-looking?"

"Why are there foreigners here? Please, don't let our beautiful young women be ruined by foreigners."

"Hey, this guy is really good-looking. Finally, someone decent-looking has appeared."

Wow, a man who looks like he stepped out of a comic book.

When Tan Wen appeared, the live chat was filled with exclamations, but there were also some sour comments.

"His suit was pilling; it was obviously cheap."

"The ones who wear big-framed glasses are the most cunning. When someone else's water breaks, they'll grab a bowl and say they want to drink mutton soup."

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In response to audience criticisms of the script and poor editing, this season of "The Moment That Makes My Heart Flutter" adopted a live-streamed format, using a combination of AI and human technology to present the most authentic and exciting footage.

This was Tan Wen's first time walking in front of a barrage of cameras and live broadcast, so her body was inevitably a little stiff. Fortunately, the process was very short, and after showing her face, she got into a car and headed to the filming location.

The camera zooms in and out, revealing a two-story, glass-walled cottage in the frame. Beyond the cottage lies the sea. An SUV slowly appears in the frame and eventually stops in front of the cottage.

Tan Wen got out of the car, having already mentally prepared himself, so he wasn't very nervous.

As soon as he entered the cabin, he found that a girl had already arrived.

The girl was wearing a white off-shoulder dress, and her exposed collarbones were fair and shiny.

Her jet-black hair was combed from the middle to the sides and casually draped over her chest. She wore sandals, which made her calves and toes look exceptionally clean and pink.

The phrase "white moonlight" unconsciously popped into Tan Wen's mind. This was the kind of white moonlight he imagined: pure, sunny, and captivating.

He glanced at the girl, not daring to look directly at her for long. She wasn't the stunning type, but she had fair skin, smooth features, and a natural, gentle aura.

This clean, relaxed foundation makes her pleasing to the eye and provides her with a huge range of styles, seemingly able to pull off everything from a girl next door to a glamorous beauty.

"Hello." The girl stood up to greet him, her eyes quickly scanning Tan Wen.

Tan Wen reached out and gently touched the girl's fingers. "Hello, my name is Tan Wen."

"Oh, my name is Lu Yuxiao."

Tan Wen sat down opposite Lu Yuxiao, just as he was about to find a topic to talk about, when suddenly his vision blurred and a semi-transparent panel appeared in front of him, quickly generating lines of text.

At eighteen, you were admitted to university. Your parents paid for your education, incurring debt in the process.

At 22, you participate in a dating reality show, suffer cyberbullying, but also gain popularity.

At twenty-four, your career is taking off, but in order to keep your beloved, you hand over control of the finances to her.

At 28, your father needs a large sum of money for surgery. Your girlfriend refuses to contribute, citing the need to buy a house in Shanghai for your future marriage. You have a big argument, and in the end, your girlfriend reluctantly gives you the money.

At thirty, you marry your girlfriend, but she refuses to have children, citing her career.

At thirty-two, your marriage fails, your assets are transferred by your ex-wife, your parents' health deteriorates, and you dare not answer the phone when your sister calls.

Host: Tan Wen, the Divorce Reversal System has finished loading. Please select whether to reverse your life. Countdown: 10, 9...

What?

"What's wrong with you?" Lu Yu waved his hand at Tan Wen, who was in a daze.

Divorce? Asset transfer? No... Is this... Is this what my life will be like from now on? So bleak?

6

5

4

Before Tan Wen could think any further, he simply grunted in his mind, and the countdown ended immediately.

Regardless of whether this system is real or fake, and regardless of whether the description of my life in the system is true or false, I cannot refuse it. It's better to believe it than not to believe it. Sometimes, a wrong choice can ruin your life.

After the countdown ended, the text on the panel twisted and eventually formed a new text.

[The Divorce Comeback System has been unlocked. Host: Tan Wen.]

Your marriage failed, your assets were transferred by your ex-wife, and you're holding a lethal dose of sleeping pills. You recall that afternoon when you participated in the dating reality show. If you had responded to He Mi'er's hints of affection back then, perhaps everything would be different now.

Task: Respond to He Mi'er's feelings; Reward: Earth Entertainment Resources *1

As he was processing the information before him, the door to the cabin opened and a girl walked in.

The girl wore beige high heels, and a blue dress clung tightly to her slightly fleshy body, fully revealing her tall and slender figure.

She carried a black Hermès crocodile-embossed bag, which complemented her fair, baby-like arms perfectly. Her Van Cleef & Arpels necklace rose and fell with her flawless bosom.

As she approached, a very light, comforting perfume scent filled the air.

She's stunningly beautiful, her looks rivaling any female celebrity. He suspects this girl, like him, isn't there to find love, but rather for the attention and popularity; she'll probably debut after the show.

Tan Wen subconsciously shook his head slightly. He had never been interested in girls with this kind of socialite style. While fake socialites were certainly rotten inside, real socialites were mostly just all show and no substance.

The girl waved to Tan Wen and Lu Yu in a generous manner, "Hello, my name is He Mi'er."

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