[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-playboy-of-huayu-how-did-a-celestial-immorta":3,"chapter-the-playboy-of-huayu-how-did-a-celestial-immorta-the-playboy-of-huayu-how-did-a-celestial-immorta-chapter-68":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Playboy of Huayu: How Did a Celestial Immortal Transform Me?",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2297694,4495,"Chapter 68: Fooling Zhou Jielun","the-playboy-of-huayu-how-did-a-celestial-immorta-chapter-68",68,"\u003Cp>The clock turned back to yesterday afternoon, May 22, 2002, at the residence of Anita Mui.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Assistant Da Ni and the socially anxious artist Zhou Jielun got out of the car in front of the Heng'an Pavilion mansion, looking at the luxury home—which was still beyond his financial means—as if he had never seen the world before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Da Ni, can I afford this house now?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If you sell yourself, it's about enough.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh, not funny.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh, you're very funny.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two, whose conversation was extremely boring, were led by the butler to the second-floor terrace, where Anita Mui and Lu Kuan had already been waiting for a while.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Welcome, Jielun!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Jielun stepped forward very cautiously to shake hands with this big sister of the Hong Kong entertainment scene; although she couldn't be called his idol, she was a senior worthy of respect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, he didn't know why the other party had invited him to her home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In later generations, the only time Anita Mui and Zhou Jielun appeared on the same stage was at the Hong Kong Jade Solid Gold Best Ten Music Awards in January 2003.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anita Mui passed away that same year, and in 2004, Zhou Jielun covered \"Woman Flower\" at his own concert to pay tribute and commemorate her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On such occasions, Da Ni was usually responsible for socializing; otherwise, you couldn't get a peep out of Zhou Jielun even if you hit him with ten sticks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This artist was very hard to manage!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hello, Sister Mui. I am Jielun's assistant, Da Ni. Knowing you have been unwell recently, this is some Alishan black tea we brought from Taiwan. It can refresh the mind and relieve fatigue; please accept this small gesture.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That's wonderful, thank you Jielun, thank you Da Ni. Please, have a seat.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anita Mui had also heard of this up-and-coming star in the music scene who had recently become popular across Asia. After exchanging a few more pleasantries, they got to the point.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Jielun, the reason I invited you over today is first to make friends and get to know a young person in the Chinese music scene who has surpassed his predecessors.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Second is this Mr. Lu. He is a domestic film director and would like to invite you to sing a movie ending theme song.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only then did Zhou Jielun and Da Ni cast their gaze toward the young man sitting leisurely to the side. He was quite handsome and refined; they hadn't expected him to be a director—he was too young.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were in the music circle and had an information barrier with the film circle. In this day and age, information didn't spread as quickly as in later generations, so they didn't know much about Lu Kuan's affairs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The ending theme is called 'The Chizi Heart of Dream Chasing'. Here are the lyrics.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Kuan took out the demo and the lyric sheet and handed them over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let's have Jielun listen to it first.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Jielun was a veteran of social anxiety and was eager to hide in a corner to listen to the song. He nodded, took the items, and went to Anita Mui's home music studio.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It started with a melodious prelude. Xiao Jin had already done his best to add some traditional instrument elements according to Lu Kuan's description; listening to it in the headphones now, it still felt a bit strange.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hmm? After listening for a few seconds, he felt something was wrong. Looking at the \"The Chizi Heart of Dream Chasing\" in his hand, this wasn't the song at all?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He flipped down a few more pages and saw a sheet titled \"Blue and White Porcelain\".\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as he wanted to ask for clarification, he turned his head and saw the three people on the terrace laughing and talking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Forget it, better to listen to the song first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned the volume to the maximum and entered the main verse:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The raw porcelain is outlined, the blue and white brushstrokes turn from thick to thin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The peony painted on the bottle is just like your initial makeup.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The slowly rising sandalwood incense drifts through the window, I understand your worries.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The brush on the rice paper stops here, left half-finished...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Jielun couldn't help but sit up straight. Half a verse gave him a vague sense of familiarity; it was very similar in tone to the \"East Wind Breaks\" he was currently creating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He couldn't quite say what style this was, but his company was very surprised that he had suddenly shifted from the blues-based \"Eight Dimensions\" to this classical-style melody.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking at the lyrics again, the first three lines described the scenery of blue and white porcelain, and through the passage about sandalwood incense drifting through the window, it seemed to be describing a lady applying her makeup.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He continued listening:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The glaze renders the painting of the lady, the charm is kept private.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And your sweet smile is like a budding flower waiting to bloom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Your beauty drifts away in a wisp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Going to a place I cannot reach...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the outlining of the raw porcelain to the rendering of colors, it was also a transition from a beauty applying makeup to her vanishing without a trace, followed by the chorus, which had the highest singability.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the song ended, Zhou Jielun replayed it without hesitation, casting the matter of \"The Chizi Heart of Dream Chasing\" to the back of his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After another pure listening session, Zhou Jielun awkwardly interrupted the trio's lively chat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Um... Director Lu, may I ask if the demo was the wrong one?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boss Lu looked shocked: \"No way? Let me see.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He rummaged through his briefcase, and another demo labeled \"Chasing\" fell out. Only then did he hand it over with an awkward laugh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wrong one, wrong one, it's this disc.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Jielun was unmoved: \"Um, I'd like to ask who wrote this song? If it's convenient, I'd like to buy it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh... that one? That is another humble work of mine; I don't intend to sell it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The prey had taken the bait; Boss Lu sat firmly on the fishing platform.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The little heavenly king was still unwilling to give up; he vaguely felt that this song would have a miraculous effect on his breakthrough in the Chinese-style theme.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Director Lu, I will sing the ending theme for you for free, I hope you can part with this song.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boss Lu feigned hesitation for a moment: \"This... how about this, 600,000, for full copyright.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing that Anita Mui had gone to take her medicine, Li Fengni grew bolder: \"Are you robbing us? No way, our Jielun can write his own songs!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the new year, selling songs wasn't a good business; even when Wang Feng wrote songs for others, he couldn't even sell them for a unit price of 10,000.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unfortunately, the socially anxious artist didn't grasp her intention to drive the price down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Da Ni, buy it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was thinking that if the company didn't agree, he would pay for it himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I... you...\" She felt that these two were on the same side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Buying a song isn't something I can decide; I have to ask Mr. Yang.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was true; she was just an assistant, and Yang Junrong was his proper manager.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boss Lu played hard to get: \"How about this, Jielun, I invite you to act in this movie, and I'll give you the song for free, how about that?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The price of 600,000 he had offered was already far beyond the actual market price. He hadn't expected Zhou Jielun to accept it through gritted teeth, so he hurriedly changed his tune.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Me? I can't. I can't even speak when facing a camera.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because of the music, the distance between Zhou Jielun and Lu Kuan had narrowed, and he refused the invitation without any pretense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Jielun, didn't you act in 'Star Garden' this year? You shouldn't be a stranger to acting, right?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This drama had a unique theme and was 156 episodes long; it was a project put together by \"Meteor Garden\" producer Zhang Xiaoyan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It invited 156 stars to appear under their real names, including Xie Tingfeng and Wang Fei, who were currently having a May-December romance, Na Ying, who was madly in love with Gao Feng, as well as Wang Lihong, Cai Yilin, and others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The TV series adapted emotional stories from real life, and because of the participation of numerous stars, it was once very popular.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Jielun waved his hands repeatedly: \"No, no, that was just for fun; movies are too formal.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Kuan sighed; he had no choice but to increase the stakes. Like a magician, he took another demo of \"Orchid Pavilion Preface\" out of his bag.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Jielun, listen to this one too.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Fengni stared wide-eyed as Lu Kuan fed her artist a love potion, but she was helpless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just five minutes later, this new Asian little heavenly king, whose bangs were thicker than his words, gave his assistant an unquestionable order.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Contact Mr. Yang, sign the contract!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At dusk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Kuan happily held the memorandum of understanding faxed over from Taiwan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because there were still many details in the performance contract that needed to be negotiated, it wasn't something a female assistant like Li Fengni could decide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Therefore, both sides first signed a memorandum of understanding on the agreement, and after a few days, when Zhou Jielun arranged his schedule and flew to Jingcheng, they would sign follow-up documents regarding the contract details.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Kuan Zai, you've got guts; I really don't know how your brain is wired.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anita Mui looked at her little brother with pride; in her excitement, she even slipped into Cantonese.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Minhui also made no attempt to hide her admiration: \"Sister Mui, I feel like Mr. Lu doesn't look like he's 19, but rather like he's 91.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anita Mui laughed: \"Little brother, when can you write a few songs for your big sister?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Of course~\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having spent a long time with them, Boss Lu had actually learned some Cantonese.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had carefully considered that if Xie Tingfeng, the most suitable candidate from a film perspective, decided to withdraw, Zhou Jielun would be the best choice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were three reasons:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, Zhou Jielun had a huge fan base across Asia, and his \"Eight Dimensions\" would win the sales crown this year.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Second, Zhou Jielun had a superior musical foundation compared to Xie Tingfeng; for him, the jazz drums would not be a problem after a period of intensive training.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Third, Zhou Jielun's personality was very similar to the character in the play—both were from single-parent families, timid, and reticent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although his acting skills couldn't compare to Xie Tingfeng's, just like how Liu Yifei was brilliant as Wang Yuyan and Zhao Linger, the compatibility between Zhou Jielun and this character was very high.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The remaining problem was how to convince him. For this, Lu Kuan had specifically asked Jin Zhiwen to make these two demos before he left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He just wanted to copy songs quietly and then stun Zhou Jielun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ding ding ding ding ding~~\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Nokia 7650 in Boss Lu's pocket rang. This was a new machine he had begged from the sponsor of \"Whiplash\"—the first Motorola with a camera function.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Director Qiu, what's wrong?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Director Lu, the police station called and said the mastermind behind the sit-in protest has been detained. They are now collecting evidence from the film crew.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His voice was very agitated; the Qingying Factory had not filmed anything for two years, and holding the quotas given by the higher-ups without any works to show for it meant that he, as the factory director, was doing a worse job than the cleaning lady.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Kuan secretly clenched his fists; it seemed the move he had meticulously planned had taken effect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oh, little young master, oh little young master, let me see just how much higher you can jump!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It still takes magic to defeat magic!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2002,"2026-06-20T06:05:17.358Z",1,"Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite","070f24d4009ce68246addb1db68e6a0f659404939ef0aae735b898da350bac4b","the-playboy-of-huayu-how-did-a-celestial-immorta-chapter-69","the-playboy-of-huayu-how-did-a-celestial-immorta-chapter-67",343,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-playboy-of-huayu-how-did-a-celestial-immorta-cover.jpg"]