Chapter 426: Floating like a fairy

Yui Aragaki got up early this day.

She got up at 6:30 under the urging of the alarm clock to put on makeup, and at 8:30, she walked out of the apartment building she rented.

Manager Nakamura Kaito's second-hand Honda Accord was parked on the side of the road.

But what was slightly strange was that Nakamura wasn't waiting in the car as usual, but standing by the car door, looking her up and down carefully as she walked over.

Yui Aragaki was a bit shy from the middle-aged man's gaze, subconsciously made a gesture of gathering her hair with both hands, then bowed slightly and said: "Good morning, Nakamura-san, please take care of me today."

Nakamura finally revealed a satisfied smile on his face at this time, saying: "Good morning Gakki, get in the car."

Yui Aragaki bowed: "Hai!"

The streets of Tokyo at this time hadn't fully brightened, and the morning mist still carried a damp chill, but there were already many office workers walking in a hurry on the road.

Yui Aragaki sat in the back row properly, tilting her head to look at the street view outside the car. For this girl from Okinawa, Tokyo, which she only came to during the promotional period, was like a stage that was always noisy and strange, always putting great pressure on her. Every time she came, she longed to escape immediately.

Nakamura Kaito looked at her from the rearview mirror and suddenly said: "Gakki-chan, this new drama by Director Mitsui is a particularly rare opportunity for you, you must perform well today."

Yui Aragaki turned her head, looked at Nakamura's eyes in the rearview mirror, and said earnestly: "Yes, Nakamura-san. I will definitely work hard."

Nakamura nodded and emphasized again: "Must not be as careless as last time, this time no one can help us, everything depends on ourselves."

Hearing Nakamura mention "last time," Yui Aragaki's expression became uncomfortable instantly, and she lowered her head: "Hai, definitely won't!"

She buried her head, her mood complex, and didn't notice the smile that flashed across Nakamura's face in the rearview mirror.

The matter Nakamura mentioned referred to the "phone accident" that happened on the show *Waratte Iitomo! * not long ago.

At that time, she was promoting the TV series *Zenkai Girl* she starred in on the TV station, and being invited by *Waratte Iitomo! * hosted by Tamori-san was a very rare promotional opportunity.

As a result, because of her temporary negligence, she didn't answer the live connection phone arranged by the program team, almost causing a serious broadcast accident.

If it weren't for someone who cleverly covered up her mistake on the show. Her acting career might have ended there.

This is by no means alarmist.

As one of Japan's five major commercial TV stations, if Fuji TV really made up its mind to ban an artist, one notice could make her disappear completely from major programs.

Fortunately, someone saved her life.

And it also made many viewers watch the next episode with curiosity, wondering if she, who was "swallowed by a dream," would appear on the show. As a result, the ratings for that episode of *Waratte Iitomo! * were actually very good.

Afterwards, many people said she was a lucky child favored by God, that she could even turn a misfortune into a blessing.

But she felt incredibly awkward in her heart.

That banquet a few years ago had always been lingering in her heart. The experience of almost being sent to someone as a commodity also became a nightmare she couldn't get rid of over the years, making her, who was not cheerful in character, become increasingly silent. Toward that person, she only had fear, no good feelings.

She really wanted to get rid of the shadow he cast over her, but she was never able to do so.

Ever since his "head-patting kill" in *Human Observation* made her famous overnight in thousands of households in Japan, every time he appeared in the news or came to Japan, her name would definitely be picked out by the media and discussed wantonly.

Just like *Waratte Iitomo! *, if it weren't for him being the guest of the previous episode, they wouldn't have invited her as the guest for the next episode in order to pursue the program effect.

However, she almost messed it up, which also made her owe him another favor.

"Sigh." Thinking of this, Yui Aragaki's mood became even more complex.

On the morning of August 29, 2011, at 9:30, she and Nakamura arrived at a certain cafe in Daikanyama. The news she got was to meet Director Mitsui of the TV series here.

This cafe was not big, and there was only one table of guests inside at this time. Yui Aragaki entered wearing a mask, ordered coffee with Nakamura, and waited in a seat in the corner.

After waiting for more than ten minutes, Director Mitsui hadn't come yet. Nakamura looked at his watch and said: "Gakki, I'll go make a phone call to ask what's going on."

Nakamura went out, and Yui Aragaki picked up her coffee and took a sip.

Yui Aragaki looked blank at this time, looking like she didn't know anything, making many viewers show smiles on their faces.

This was 7:05 PM on September 5, 2011.

TBS adjusted the broadcast time of *Human Observation* as promised, taking out the prime time on Saturday to play this 2-hour extended special program.

The scene was still in that flashy studio.

The host was still Kosugi Ryuichi, the three resident guests were the funny Becky, the serious Yoshida Taku, and the poisonous-tongued Kondo Haruna, and the guest was still Ayase Haruka.

Different from four years ago, the program footage watched by everyone in the studio this time, which was recorded in advance and processed in post-production, not only had colorful Japanese subtitles but also voice-over commentary and roasting.

Just now, the commentary roasted a sentence, making the viewers in front of the TV and the hosts laugh.

Kosugi Ryuichi said: "Gakki is so cute, really looking forward to what expression she will have when she sees Chen-san later."

Becky said: "When is Chen-san coming, I can't wait."

Kondo Haruna said: "What does it have to do with you?"

Becky said righteously: "I am the witness of their past bond."

Kosugi Ryuichi interjected: "Haruka-chan, what about you? Are you looking forward to it?"

Ayase Haruka laughed reluctantly: "Of course, I also really want to see what expression Gakki will have when she sees Chen-san."

Kosugi Ryuichi laughed: "I believe thousands of Japanese viewers are the same as Haruka-chan, looking forward to the first meeting between Chen-kun and Gakki-chan after a few years."

Thousands here is not an exaggeration.

Chen Nuo coming to Japan to appear on *Human Observation* again to fulfill the agreement with movie fans had already caused a huge sensation online and in reality after TBS's warm-up promotion.

Whether it was on 2ch or the entertainment forums of Yahoo Japan, hundreds of posts were discussing this matter.

As for 2ch, in that thread titled "For Chen Nuo-kun to appear on 'Human Observation' again soon," those Cherries, Oranges, Lilies, Ayanos, and Peaches who posted their ticket stubs treated this event as a great victory day that they had participated in themselves.

"We did it, Chen-san is back!"

"Everyone, you've worked hard during this time! We really invited him back with box office!"

"That's great, I will definitely guard in front of the TV!"

"I've decided, I won't cook that day, let my husband and son go eat convenience store bento."

"Me too, I'm preparing to make curry in advance, let them heat it themselves that day, I want to focus on chasing the show alone!"

These ordinary and enthusiastic voices converged into an irresistible torrent, surging on the internet and echoing in reality.

As soon as it started broadcasting today, the ratings statistician in TBS

The premiere ratings were directly 2 percentage points higher than the highest ratings of the previous episode, ranking second for the year, second only to the 31.6% of the March 18th episode of "smapxsmap"—this was absolutely a terrifying figure.

Although it was somewhat expected, it still made Sato Ken, who had come to the scene today specifically to supervise, beam with joy. He patted Takizawa Naoki on the shoulder sincerely and said, "Takizawa-kun, you've worked hard these past few days."

Takizawa Naoki was no longer the young and frivolous boy from four years ago. Although he also felt that he had been doing post-production without sleep or rest for the past few days—not only writing the proposal and supervising the dubbing but also editing, having slept perhaps less than 10 hours in three days—it was indeed exhausting to the extreme, but he immediately shook his head and said, "No, all of this is my duty."

Sato Ken nodded with satisfaction and said, "It looks very good so far. I won't forget your contribution, Takizawa-kun."

"Yes!"

"So, was it intentional for you to be here?" Sato Ken pointed to a scene on the television wall in front of them.

Half a minute had passed, and Aragaki Yui was still there drinking coffee listlessly. Although there was a voice-over making snide remarks about Aragaki Yui, the plot had not made any substantive progress.

And doing this, generally speaking, for a variety show, would cause a huge drop in viewership—no, in ratings.

Takizawa Naoki nodded and admitted, "Yes, that's right."

Sato Ken laughed, "Are you trying to make the audience look forward to it more and more? However, aren't you worried about a backlash? It seems you are very confident, Takizawa-kun."

Takizawa Naoki said, "I wouldn't dare, I just..." Before he could finish, the ratings monitor in front of him showed that another minute had passed, and the updated curve not only didn't slide but suddenly shot up a notch, with the final value reaching 25.5%.

He couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, and there was no need to say the rest.

Sato Ken saw it too, and his smile grew even wider, "Well done, Takizawa-kun. It seems you were right, and we were right too, haha."

What does it have to do with you, you lazy scoundrel! You haven't managed a single second of the planning, recording, or post-production; you only know how to suck up to Chen-kun.

"Yes, it's all thanks to Department Head Sato's leadership."

"Hahahaha, Takizawa-kun, you... eh, is this Chen-kun?"

"Yes, that's right, Department Head Sato."

"This... is that so? Takizawa-kun, you really, really are a genius."

"No, it's not me."

"Oh?" Sato Ken was stunned, then said in surprise, "Could it be..."

"That's right, this was Chen-kun's suggestion." Takizawa Naoki looked at the television screen in front of him.

Not only Sato Ken, but all the viewers in Japan at this moment, including the hosts in the studio, all widened their eyes in surprise.

Because the man pushing the door and entering on the screen at this moment was in a guise they had never seen before.

He wore a duck-billed cap on his head covering his forehead, a pair of large black-rimmed glasses on his face, two faint little mustaches pasted on his lips, a loose Astro Boy t-shirt on his upper body, cropped pants on his lower body, plus a pair of sneakers, and a black backpack on his back.

The entire outfit, except for those two mustaches, made every Japanese person who saw this scene instantly think of one term: Otaku.

Afterwards, he looked around, confirmed the situation, and walked toward Aragaki Yui's seat.

Aragaki Yui also noticed the man walking toward her for the first time.

And she obviously didn't recognize him; after all, Chen Nuo's outfit was really too different from his usual self.

Voice-over: "At this moment, Gakki hasn't recognized at all that this nerd walking toward her is Chen-kun. What kind of reaction will she have?"

Chen Nuo walked to Aragaki Yui's table and asked, "Is anyone sitting here? Can I sit?"

Aragaki Yui shook her head and said, "Sorry, someone is sitting here."

Voice-over: "But Chen-kun didn't pay attention to her."

Chen Nuo sat down with a thud. "Hahahaha." Accompanied by canned laughter, Aragaki Yui was stunned for a moment, looked at Chen Nuo again, and frowned slightly, obviously a bit startled: "Eh... excuse me, who are you...?"

A burst of laughter erupted in the studio, and host Kosugi Ryuichi laughed, "She really didn't recognize him! It's so successful!"

Chen Nuo lowered his voice and said mysteriously, "I saw you at the door just now. Are you that... Aragaki Yui?"

Aragaki Yui lowered her head with an awkward yet polite smile, beginning to show the professional quality of a Japanese artist: "Yes, I am..."

The voice-over immediately interjected: "As expected of an artist, even when facing a strange nerd who suddenly strikes up a conversation, she can still maintain a polite smile!"

Chen Nuo said solemnly, "That's great, I'm actually your fan—can I take a picture with you?"

Aragaki Yui's body leaned back slightly: "... Sorry, it's not very convenient right now."

Voice-over: "Gakki's alert index has risen to 80%! At this moment, how will Chen-kun respond?"

Chen Nuo leaned back and said, "It's okay, I can sit here and wait until it's convenient for you."

"Hahahahahaha!"

For the Japanese, this sentence was truly a straight pitch; whether in the studio, the control room, or in front of the television, countless people burst into laughter.

Aragaki Yui raised her head, just about to say something.

Suddenly, her whole body seemed to be struck by lightning, and her face was instantly filled with disbelief.

After being stunned for a full two seconds, she suddenly let out a low cry:

"Chen—kun!?!?!?!"

Several hosts in the studio all laughed.

Kosugi Ryuichi shouted excitedly, "It's here, it's here, it's here! It appeared!!"

Becky laughed, "Is she going to cry? Is she about to cry?!"

Voice-over: "Chen-kun and Gakki's reunion after four years—in a situation where Gakki was completely unprepared! Next, what reaction will Gakki have?"

Aragaki Yui covered her mouth, repeating incoherently: "H-how could it be you... y-you, how could you... how..."

Chen Nuo smiled and reached out his hand; without saying hello, he directly rubbed her head.

At this instant, in Tokyo's Minato Ward, Kyoto's Fushimi, Sendai's old house, and Sapporo, Hokkaido, I don't know how many people's time flowed backward.

That heart in the chest that didn't want to grow old, those unspoken likes, and the sweetness that permeated the air in the midsummer of that year, all poured out from the heart like a tide with this scene.

But this head-rubbing kill that felt like yesterday was not the end.

I saw the nerd on TV wearing glasses with a slightly crooked mustache sticker, facing the hidden camera directly, revealing a smile, gentle as ever, but this time, his Japanese was much more fluent.

He said, "Long time no see, please take care of me."

Many, many people in front of the TV,

whether they were working mothers or housewives after marriage, whether they were white-collar young women after work or mature women who were now mothers, at this moment, all smiled with tears in their eyes, just like Aragaki Yui.

For many Japanese people, the most beautiful fantasy of this summer unfolded after this dramatic beginning.

It wasn't just those women who liked the subsequent sweet and sticky sugar-sprinkling plot; as Chen Nuo thought, many otaku also joined the ranks.

Although Aragaki Yui wasn't famous yet at this time, being able to rank third in the Oricon "Most Wanted Female Artist to Date" survey, second only to Ayase Haruka and Horikita Maki, relied on nothing else but the support of otaku.

Although it was ridiculed by many later, on this night, many Japanese otaku really substituted themselves into Chen Nuo's role, fantasizing about having a romantic date with a star who possessed a bright smile.

They went to the valley to play in the water together.

They also strolled on the streets together.

Finally, when night fell, they also went to watch the hottest movie of this summer together.

When the movie was over and it was time to part, they hugged each other to say goodbye.

When the woman walked away into the night, the man also walked to the other side.

The faint ambiguity created a charming atmosphere, and everything was just right. It made Ayase Haruka, who didn't feel comfortable in her heart at the beginning, couldn't help but feel a little moved when she saw the end.

The ratings in front of Sato Ken and Takizawa Naoki also showed an upward trend, about to surpass SMAP's ratings record for this year.

When everyone thought this was the end of this episode of Human Observation,

suddenly, the girl wearing a light blue long dress turned back on the streets of Tokyo at night and called out, "Chen-san."

Chen Nuo stopped and turned back.

In the camera, the girl lifted her skirt and ran toward him quickly on the neon-lit street.

She stopped in front of him, panted twice, and then suddenly stood on tiptoe and kissed his lips instantly.

"Wow!!!!!!"

There was a sudden exclamation in the studio.

Ayase Haruka was stunned.

Everyone in front of the TV was also stunned.

Only the voice-over said loudly: "What! Gakki actually took the initiative to kiss Chen-kun! We are just a prank show, hey, we don't want to be on world news."

It was a fleeting touch.

Aragaki Yui bowed sharply and said, "Sumimasen, Arigato!"

After that, she ran away even faster.

You know, the reason why Shinkai Makoto could be so successful later was by depicting moments like this.

The Japanese obsession with this kind of brushing past each other is rooted in their bones.

This turn-and-kiss of Aragaki Yui was like Takaki who couldn't catch the train in "5 Centimeters per Second," and like the unfinished confession on that rainy day in "The Garden of Words," making I don't know how many Japanese people heartbroken and moved.

When Chen Nuo stood under the street lamp and looked at Aragaki Yui's back for the last time, he revealed a free and easy smile and turned to leave.

The voice-over said: "Ah! The final reversal surprised even the narrator. Looking at it now, the story between Chen-kun and Gakki-chan seems to have had an unexpected development. What will happen next? Really looking forward to their reunion."

The Japanese really eat up this kind of ending.

Not only did it set a Japanese ratings record for the year that day, making Sato Ken and Takizawa Naoki drink for a whole night, but the day after the show aired, the box office of "Inception" also saw a very obvious counter-trend rise.

Early on the morning of September 4th, Yamamoto from Toho called Chen Nuo, his tone excited as he said on the phone, "Chen-kun, we did it! 'Titanic' has now been trampled under our feet, and now we are the second place in Japanese film history!"

Chen Nuo, who hadn't woken up yet, woke up upon hearing this, took the hand that was resting on his stomach away, turned over and sat up, and asked, "What is the box office now?"

"26.31 billion yen! We sold 310 million yen yesterday, an increase of a full 158% from the day before yesterday. Chen-kun, it's the seventh week, and it can still break 300 million in a single day. It's all thanks to you for creating a miracle!"

26.3 billion, calculated at the 2011 exchange rate, was 342 million US dollars.

Since "Inception" was released in Japan on July 15th, in seven weeks, it sold 342 million US dollars in the Japanese market, which exceeded his expectations, and also exceeded the expectations of Warner and everyone else.

A box office of over 300 million US dollars was not just the box office bonus brought by 3D movies and IMAX theaters; this was a box office that only a phenomenal movie could have in Japan.

But as the second-largest film market in the world, when have the Japanese ever welcomed a foreign sci-fi movie so much!?

It can only be said that his hard work was not in vain!

With this, Japan became another country that broke the box office record of "Titanic" after the US, UK, China, and South Korea. The global box office of "Inception" also reached 2.14 billion US dollars, officially surpassing the 2.13 billion US dollars of the big ship, becoming the second place on the global film history box office chart.

It is conceivable that the media will definitely hype this up, and theater managers will also have full confidence to extend the screenings. Where the future of "Inception" will go is not the end yet!

No matter how indifferent Chen Nuo is to fame and fortune, and how much he doesn't love beauty, he can be called a gentleman and Zhu Xi reborn; at this historical moment, he couldn't help but feel proud and satisfied again, floating like an immortal.

Turning his head, he noticed that the woman on the bed had woken up at some point, pulling the quilt with her hands to cover her flat chest, looking at him with wide eyes, her expression carrying a kind of shyness and obedience unique to Japanese women.

He was dizzy with money, and in order to prevent going astray, he urgently needed beauty to help him calm down, so he pressed on without saying a word.

"Ah!" Aragaki Yui screamed, "Wait, wait a minute, Chen-kun, I, I haven't..."

Unfortunately, for this kind of woman who delivered herself to his door, Chen Nuo would not be soft-hearted.

After it was over, his mind cleared up, and Chen Nuo knew it was time to give an explanation for the debauchery of the past few days.

In other words, give some overnight fees, shut her up, and then let things be. He already had enough women in his harem; playing around was fine, but he had no interest in adding people for the time being.

Speaking of which, it was all his fault for getting too into character when filming "Human Observation" that day, so he couldn't resist the temptation.

In the show, it looked like he was taking the Shinkai Makoto route, but in reality, he was Ito Makoto.

After recording the show that night, Aragaki Yui called him and rambled on the phone for a long time.

He hadn't gotten out of character at that time, and being annoyed by the stupid Japanese cuckold script written by the dead sentimentalist Takizawa Naoki, he directly used his old trick, telling Allison and Guli Nazha to go get a big box and packed her up.

After one night, he sent Gakki-chan out in the box the next morning. You tell me if this is Ito Makoto or not; if the Chinese little fairies knew about this more than ten years later, would he be reported?

But this was 2011, and it was in Japan, so not only was it fine, but Aragaki Yui was also like she was addicted, and they even went twice last night.

Aragaki plus Ayaka and Ayaka, he had been sowing seeds in Japan in turns during this period, singing and dancing every night; it was truly a case of being so happy that he forgot his home.

Although Aragaki Yui couldn't be considered a top-tier experience, she was obedient and compliant, with long legs and a good figure; except for the flaw of having small breasts, everything else was barely passable.

Not only was it comfortable in bed, but Aragaki Yui also gave him inspiration for the project in cooperation with Fuji TV.

Yesterday, after several days of negotiation and consultation with Fuji, he finally signed the contract, each investing 50% to produce a comedy TV series, which also announced that his trip to Japan could come to an end.

"The script has already been found, and I think the female lead in it is more suitable for you. Tell your agency to let them contact Fuji TV."

Aragaki Yui was taken aback and subconsciously wanted to refuse.

Chen Nuo waved his hand and said lightly, "You just need to nod."

Aragaki Yui paused, her face a little red, and her heartbeat accelerated a little. This unreasonable, indisputable tone, this gentle yet domineering feeling, was simply the perfect object that Japanese women dreamed of, and she was no exception.

She said with a blushing face, stammering, "I... want to know if it's suitable for me? What am I playing? What is the name of the script?"

Chen Nuo said lightly, "The name is 'Appearance is Justice,' and you play a lawyer."

(End of this chapter)