Chapter 346: Respect and Glory

Tong Liya's home is in the East Third Ring, about 5 or 6 kilometers from the office building of Huanxin Company on Chaowai Street, taking only a little over 20 minutes to drive. Likewise, the drive to Huairou is only about an hour.

The surrounding area consists of newly built residential complexes with a relatively low occupancy rate and limited pedestrian traffic, so the privacy is quite good. Chen Nuo and Tong Liya entered the elevator from the parking lot one after the other, without encountering any idlers.

The one-bedroom apartment was kept quite tidy, with some coats and trousers hanging on the balcony to dry.

However, several black and white bras and panties were hanging on the curtain rod in the living room.

Noticing the direction of Chen Nuo's gaze, Tong Liya's face turned slightly red, and she said, "You sit down, I'll pour you a glass of water."

"What, only water?"

"No." Tong Liya was a bit flustered. "What... what do you want to drink?"

"Milk."

"Okay, I'll pour you... what kind of milk do you want to drink?" Tong Liya noticed the man's gaze and instantly blushed.

Chen Nuo said with a straight face, "Sheep's milk is best, cow's milk is fine too. Otherwise, what did you think it was?"

Tong Liya stamped her foot. "You're so bad."

After the small joke, the awkward and tense atmosphere between the two finally relaxed a little.

Chen Nuo sat on the sofa, drinking the Yili garden milk Tong Liya had poured for him, his gaze falling on the exquisite Xibe ethnic handicrafts on the TV cabinet and coffee table.

Tong Liya explained from the side, "These were all brought over by my mom and dad when they came to visit last time."

Chen Nuo asked, "Do they often come to see you?"

"No, just after the New Year, when they dropped me off, they came to visit for a few days."

"Oh... do they support you being an actress?"

"Not really." Tong Liya said truthfully, "They actually wanted me to go back and be a teacher or take the civil service exam, but they can't do anything about what I want to do... What about you? I read in the newspaper that you secretly came to the capital to take the exam for the Film Academy?"

"Yeah, at that time my dad..."

As the two chatted idly, the atmosphere in the room slowly became relaxed and pleasant.

Chen Nuo casually picked up the remote control on the sofa and turned on the 34-inch TV on the wall, but the screen was full of static.

Tong Liya let out an "ah" and said a bit embarrassedly, "It might be that the bill wasn't paid. I went to Hengdian to film before and only came back a few days ago. Um, let me peel some loquats for you to eat; I just bought them yesterday, they're quite fresh."

"You do all these things yourself? Didn't your company hire an assistant or something for you?"

"I was going to hire one before, but I didn't think it was necessary. I'm used to being alone, and having an extra person feels weird. Besides, no one recognizes me when I go out now, so it's quite convenient to do things. I don't really need someone following me."

Tong Liya pulled a loquat from the coffee table and said while peeling it.

Chen Nuo smiled and said, "After *Let the Bullets Fly* is released in December, that might not be the case anymore."

Tong Liya showed her usual polite fake smile. "I hope so."

The loquat was quite large and juicy. After peeling it, Tong Liya looked at it and said generously, "Let me feed you."

Chen Nuo nodded and opened his mouth.

Tong Liya put the loquat into his mouth.

Afterward, Tong Liya's face suddenly turned a bit red, and her voice became sweet and cloying, like sun-dried horse milk raisins in the Ili summer. "What... what are you doing?"

"What are you doing? Why did you put your finger in my mouth?"

"I didn't..."

"Oh? Then I'm sorry. Misunderstanding."

Tong Liya bit her lower lip, her eyes seemingly veiled in mist, and she whispered, "Bad guy."

"Where am I bad? Come here and explain clearly."

Tong Liya hesitated for a moment, but finally sat over. Her whole body was trembling slightly, as if she had returned to the time they first met.

Chen Nuo just placed his hand on her thigh, and before he could speak, he heard Tong Liya let out a soft moan, her body falling to the side and pressing against him, as if all her strength had been drained away.

Watching her close her eyes, her earlobes turning red, her face like blood jade, as if it were about to bleed in the next second.

Chen Nuo couldn't bear to tease her anymore; he gently cupped her face and stroked her flushed cheeks with his thumb.

Tong Liya's body trembled even more violently. She opened her eyes slightly, revealing a shy and timid gaze, and tilted her head back, her long eyelashes fluttering.

Chen Nuo's lips slowly approached, first landing on her smooth forehead, then sliding toward the tip of her nose.

Her hands gripped the corners of his clothes tightly.

Afterward, Chen Nuo hugged her tighter with one hand, while the other hand, which had been on her thigh, moved from bottom to top and slipped into her top.

As a former dancer, Tong Liya undoubtedly maintained a good figure; one could even say it was the best-maintained figure he had encountered in this life.

Her lower abdomen was flat and firm, without a trace of fat, like ironed silk, smooth and without a single wrinkle.

Moving up from the lower abdomen, he entered a fiery realm.

Their bodies were tightly intertwined.

She tilted her head slightly, and his lips finally covered hers. After a light taste, he deepened the kiss.

She panted lightly, her fingers gently inserting into his hair, her hands wrapping tighter and tighter around his neck.

The narrow sofa limited the space for further development.

However, fortunately, Tong Liya was a professional dancer by training.

On a limited stage, flexibly using a supple, boneless figure to display various graceful and charming dance poses was, for a dancer, a matter of course.

Movements like the lying split, the horizontal split, and the kneeling pose of looking back at the moon could just be unfolded on the narrow fabric sofa.

These high-difficulty dance poses, which enhance expressiveness and infectiousness by displaying body curves and charming expressions, were not a problem for Tong Liya.

Sometimes, Chen Nuo only needed a slight hint, and Yaya could strike a pose that was convenient and effortless for him.

Except for certain poses that were too excessive, causing the woman to be too shy to bear and having to request them again and again, she was truly like plasticine—you could mold her however you wanted.

On this point, I believe everyone has played with dance girls, so I won't say more.

Afterward, I don't know how much time passed, but the storm in the room finally calmed down.

Chen Nuo and Tong Liya pressed their foreheads together, gazing at each other, their heavy and warm breaths intertwined, the sweat on their bodies making their skin feel sticky.

The flush on Tong Liya's cheeks had not yet faded, and sweat had dampened her long hair, with a few strands sticking to her fair and beautiful face.

A pair of slender, fair, and moist legs slowly closed, her lips moved slightly, and she looked at Chen Nuo as if wanting to say something, but in the end, she didn't say it.

When her rising and falling chest slowly calmed down, Tong Liya blinked her eyes, suddenly sat up with a *whoosh*, and said in a bit of a panic, "I don't think I've paid the gas bill yet, what should I do?"

By the time Tong Liya got dressed and went out to pay the gas bill at the gas company's business hall and returned, Chen Nuo had changed places and was asleep in her bedroom.

As soon as Tong Liya entered the door, she heard faint snoring.

She lightened her steps and pushed open the bedroom door, only to see the man on the 1.5-meter single bed, covering his face with her pink quilt, revealing only a bit of thick hair on the top of his head.

Tong Liya watched for a long time.

Finally, she hardened her heart, walked over, sat on the edge of the bed, and shook him. "Get up and wash up, ah!"

Before she could finish speaking, the woman let out an exclamation. It turned out the man had spread his arms like a giant roc, hugging her through the quilt.

Chen Nuo's voice still carried sleepiness; having been in the United States for so long, he hadn't adjusted to the jet lag yet. He said lazily, "Not washing."

"But... it's not clean."

"It's okay, I don't mind."

Tong Liya's face was red; she rubbed her feet together, took off her shoes, and got onto the bed.

Her body was buried in the quilt, while the man's legs pressed on her body, his broad embrace wrapping her whole body, and from inside to outside, she felt a thick warmth, as if she had been immersed in warm water.

Tong Liya really felt so happy, so happy, like a boat that had been drifting for a long time, finally finding a safe, windless harbor to rely on.

She closed her eyes and fell asleep without knowing it.

Finally, Tong Liya was awakened by a phone ringtone coming from the living room.

It wasn't hers; it should have come from the man's clothes left in the living room.

She raised her head to look; he hadn't woken up yet.

Tong Liya hesitated for a moment, but finally got out of bed on tiptoe, went to the pants pocket on the living room floor, and took out his mobile phone.

But the next moment, looking at the name on the screen, Tong Liya's heart felt like it had been punched hard by someone, it was terribly painful.

She really wanted to pretend she hadn't seen it and put it back, but a lazy voice came from the bedroom: "Who is it?"

She had no choice but to hold the phone, turn around, walk into the bedroom, and pretend to be nonchalant. "Liu Yifei."

Chen Nuo sat up and nodded. "Oh, give it to me."

Tong Liya handed over the phone.

Chen Nuo yawned, picked it up, and said "hello."

In the following conversation, Tong Liya watched him without blinking.

"... Today I'm planning to go stay at my mom's... um... in two days I'm going to Korea... okay, I know, play less games, your eyes are almost blind... you know... when I'm free I'll go online... add, add, add, I'll add, okay?... okay, kiss... hanging up now."

The phone hung up, Chen Nuo smiled at Tong Liya and said, "Asking me to join a World of Warcraft guild... Do you play games usually?"

Tong Liya shook her head and said, "No... um, you two have a very good relationship."

A normal person would feel a bit of shame in this situation, right?

But Chen Nuo didn't.

Because he wasn't a normal person.

In his previous life, he had experienced similar scenes eight hundred times if not a thousand; sometimes while doing things or taking a shower, he would receive similar calls.

If his hands were busy, he would even let the woman in question help him put the phone to his ear.

If you want to talk about what his cheat code from his rebirth was, this was it.

Acting, actually, he could do it in both lives; that was called talent.

Bringing the thick skin and pick-up skills of a 40-year-old from his previous life back to his 20s was the real cheat code for living a second life.

When 90% of young people would feel ashamed of their two-timing behavior due to conscience at this time,

Chen Nuo's face didn't turn red, his heart didn't beat faster, and he looked calm.

How calm?

Just like a certain emperor chatting with a certain concubine about the affairs of the harem.

"I didn't lie to you before; being with her at the beginning was really fake. As a result, this time going to Berlin, it inexplicably turned from fake to real. Sigh, I can only say that fate plays tricks on people."

Fate plays tricks on people.

If it were someone else, like you, saying such things in this situation, the final harvest would probably be a slap.

However, when Brother Nuo used his best-actor-level acting skills to say it with a desolate and soul-stirring expression... Tong Liya suddenly felt a sense of self-pity, as if she had been born too late.

In plain language, she was a bit angry and jealous, but suddenly felt that it wasn't really his fault; the only fault was that she had arrived too late.

Chen Nuo actually didn't stop there and continued: "Actually, it's my fault too; I'm the type of person who can't resist temptation. If you can't stand it, I won't blame you. You are completely worthy of a man who treats you wholeheartedly. As for me, I can't give you a complete love, and sometimes I will wrong you, and I might not be able to accompany you during holidays."

Once these words were said, the tears that Tong Liya had been able to control completely broke their banks.

Chen Nuo sighed slightly, clearly not a human, yet acting as if Liang Shanbo were facing Zhu Yingtai, revealing an expression of eternal regret, reaching out to wrap his arms around the girl's shoulders, and whispering, "I'm sorry."

Then, with a slight force, Tong Liya really threw herself into his arms and cried loudly....

Really.

Actually, human hearts are made of flesh; even a scumbag cannot be said to be truly heartless.

It's just that some things have to be said.

Chen Nuo knew that if he didn't make things clear face-to-face today and sort out the hierarchy, then in the future, holidays would be hell; he might as well just wait to die.

Tong Liya cried for a while, then suddenly asked with sobs, "Then what am I to you?"

"At the very beginning, I actually thought it was a mistake."

"And then?"

"Then, I found myself unable to restrain my feelings, and I could only keep making mistakes."

"... Then do you regret it?"

"To be honest, I'm quite conflicted. Sometimes, you are like a breeze sweeping across my heart; sometimes, you are also like an anchor sinking to the bottom of my heart."

"... What does that mean?"

"Wind means freedom and lightness; anchor means weight and bondage. Sometimes I don't want to hold you back, and sometimes I want to let you sink in with me..."

Chen Nuo actually didn't want to use pick-up lines published in 2023; this was simply bullying people from the past.

However, Tong Liya was actually the type of woman who liked to hear sweet words, so there was no other way; he had to do it.

This wasn't unexpected, right?

Because, no matter what it would be like ten or twenty years after his previous life,

But Yaya, who was 27 years old now, was just a girl who would hang her underwear indoors,

That's all.

The Xinjiang mixed noodles Tong Liya made, commonly known as Xinjiang *latiaozi*, tasted good.

It's just that I don't know if any tears fell into it, so it was a little bit salty.

But Chen Nuo still slurped it all up, even scraping the seasoning on the plate clean.

Tong Liya only ate a little bit herself, then kept watching him eat from the side, and finally asked, "Are you full? Do you want me to make you a little more?"

Chen Nuo made a hesitant look, but finally shook his head and said, "Forget it, eat less at night."

Tong Liya smiled sincerely and said, "In the future, if you want to eat, you can come over..."

But immediately, the smile dimmed again. "However, it's quite inconvenient for you to go out. Um, let's talk about it later."

Chen Nuo nodded and said, "Indeed, it's quite inconvenient."

After speaking, he picked up his phone and dialed out. "Linghu, you go back first. Come pick me up earlier tomorrow... 7 o'clock. Earlier, there won't be many people then."

The phone hung up.

Tong Liya blinked her eyes and said, "You... you're not leaving tonight?"

"Not leaving, it's quite inconvenient; since I'm here, I'll stay a while longer."

Tong Liya smiled so wide this time that both her canine teeth were exposed, more beautiful than the red flowers on the Ili grassland.

After she finished tidying up, the two of them each held a glass of milk, drinking and chatting.

"You didn't get selected for *No Man's Land* this time."

"Oh."

"What, not surprised?"

Tong Liya shook her head and said, "I was already dizzy in my head at the time, so it's only right that I didn't pass the audition... Who did you decide on in the end?"

"Guess."

Tong Liya guessed twice and was wrong both times, only guessing Ma Su in the end, and couldn't help but be a little surprised. "Her?"

Chen Nuo smiled and said, "What, do you think she's not good enough?"

Tong Liya shook her head and said, "No, she's definitely better than me. It's just... why didn't you choose Chen Hao?"

Chen Nuo said, "Too beautiful."

Tong Liya nodded thoughtfully and said, "Then... what about Zhang Jingchu?"

"Too little of a worldly air."

"Oh, so you think Ma Su is better than them?"

Of course not.

It's just that the young lady Ma Su played in *Breakup Buddies* in his previous life left a very deep impression on him.

A dance girl, a young lady, they have similar attributes, don't they?

Besides, they are all produced by Ning Hao, so if their cooperation is facilitated in *No Man's Land* a little earlier, will it spark equally stunning sparks?

Chen Nuo at least thought it was worth a try.

At the very least, it's better than choosing other actresses to try their luck.

But of course, he couldn't explain it like that to Tong Liya, so he prevaricated, "Yeah, when Ma Su auditioned, her acting was very natural and real, and her crying scenes were also good."

Speaking of this, Tong Liya said it was fine, but at this moment she couldn't help but show regret, pouted, and said, "Actually, after I finished acting at the time, I knew I didn't act well."

Chen Nuo smiled and said, "What, still sad?"

Tong Liya smiled embarrassedly and said, "A little bit."

Chen Nuo smiled and said, "Don't be sad. This is a man's play; the heroine in it isn't easy to stand out, so it doesn't really matter whether you act or not. And the conditions are really tough. I heard from Ning Hao that they really eat sand until they're full every day. If you ask me, it's better that you didn't go."

Tong Liya lowered her eyes and said "um."

Actually, she lied before.

A big director, a big production, a first-class cast.

The key is that it's produced by Huanxin Company; I don't know how many actresses want to get on it.

As for her, after three auditions, she finally entered the final stage, but was screened out... Although she also knew that being able to enter such a final stage was mostly because of the master-disciple relationship with him, but where was there only a little bit of regret?

However, at this moment, hearing the man's words, her mood suddenly improved a lot.

"Don't 'um' anymore. Come, peel some more loquats for me to eat."

Tong Liya smiled, raised her head to look at him, and said, "Okay."

Yeah, what does a role matter?

Why do actresses like Chen Hao and Zhang Jingchu, who are much more popular than her, want to get this role? Isn't it because of him?

And he is by her side now, so why bother thinking about this role?

Wouldn't that be putting the cart before the horse and being extremely foolish?

Yaya was definitely a smart woman; once her mind turned, she understood the matter clearly.

Afterward, she remembered the TV series she went to talk about before.

Since she didn't pass the audition here, should she go to that play?

Just as she was struggling, she suddenly saw the man eating loquats happily, and Tong Liya silently cursed herself for being an idiot.

The person recognized as the best at picking plays in all of China was in front of her; did she still need to worry about this?

"... That's how it is. I think Director Chen Sicheng is quite sincere, and, at that time, their cast in *Soldiers Sortie* was so popular, so I was thinking, could this play also be good... But, he doesn't have much experience in directing. I'm a little worried. Do you think I should go?"

Tong Liya finally snuggled into Chen Nuo's arms and finished talking about the matter.

*Beijing Love Story*.

Chen Nuo recalled it; the name sounded familiar. It should be somewhere he had heard of in his previous life.

According to his shallow understanding of Chinese entertainment in his previous life, TV series whose names he could hear should all belong to big hits.

As for Chen Sicheng...

Chen Nuo smiled.

He really didn't take it to heart.

The affairs of two lives, they could be said to be different people.

If he really applied the people and things of his previous life to this Tong Liya, it would be too disrespectful to the other party and too disrespectful to himself.

Just like Fan Bingbing, she is no longer a tax evader in this life, right? It's just that she changed to cheating on him... Speaking of which, who is that adulterer of her mother?

Withdrawing his thoughts, Chen Nuo decided not to be suspicious; since the play would be a hit, he should give Tong Liya enough trust and not stop her from acting; he should give the other party the right to pursue her ideals.

"If you want to go, then go. However, there are some things you need to agree on with them in advance. For you, no kissing scenes, no hugging, let alone bed scenes. Holding hands... no more than three seconds."

Tong Liya giggled, her dimples showing, and under the dim light at 8 o'clock in the evening, she was beautiful enough to be against the rules. "Then how can we film a love story like that?"

"Why can't we film it? Who said you can't film a love story without kissing scenes? Whoever says this, whether it's your agency or whoever, you tell them to call me directly, and I'll talk to them."

Tong Liya looked at him blankly, and her face turned red again without knowing it.

Chen Nuo looked at her and said, "I'm not joking with you; if there's anything, call me directly."

Tong Liya endured and endured, but at this moment, she finally couldn't hold it anymore.

Her whole heart felt like it had been melted; she leaned her face over, didn't say anything, and just kissed him deeply.

May 30, 2010, Chen Nuo flew to Korea.

Li Jing went to the United States, and Qi Yuntian had to sit in the company.

So this trip to Korea, only Linghu accompanied him.

This was equivalent to him being alone, without anyone to talk to on the road, which was really a bit lonely.

However, from the moment he got off the plane, he didn't feel that way anymore.

CJ Entertainment really had a big scene this time, a full three cars, two S-class Mercedes and one Bentley, making him look like some state guest visiting abroad, with a delegation behind him.

When he got in the car and asked the old acquaintance Han Zhenghao who came to pick him up what this was for.

Han Zhenghao, who had already been promoted as he wished, no longer a menu waiter, but had become the Minister of the Public Relations Department of CJ Entertainment, explained respectfully, "You are here at the invitation of the Blue House this time. Reasonably and emotionally, our CJ Group should receive you according to the highest courtesy. Not to mention that our Chairman Li specifically instructed that before the Blue House banquet, Chen Nuo-xi, you can make any requests you have in these two days."

Chen Nuo initially felt that Han Zhenghao's attitude was a bit exaggerated.

However, when the car drove out of the airport, he saw the pile of reporters at the airport entrance and those dense, crowded fans, not knowing how many, all black heads.

He realized that there must be a reason.

If it weren't for those girls holding light boards with his name, and posters with his face printed on them, and when chasing the car, shouting his name loudly... he would have thought he had crashed into Tang Mu Cruise.

Han Zhenghao looked at him very seriously and said, "Tang Mu Cruise can't compare to your status in our country now, Chen Nuo-xi."

"At the beginning, our CJ Group invested in this movie, just holding the wish of whether we could bring back the Palme d'Or. But in the end, we didn't expect that what we harvested was the Republic of Korea's first Oscar trophy."

"Chen Nuo-xi, Director Bong Joon-ho and you are now the glory of our Republic of Korea."

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 347 =====