Chapter 206 The Real World [VIP]

Chapter Summary: Encounter - This newcomer is one of the candidates for the male lead.

"It was a real localized downpour. There was a sudden downpour on that 100-meter stretch of road, but the rain stopped as soon as I drove on."

Why did that big truck in front suddenly slow down?

"careful!!!"

The conversation drifted into my ears, seemingly both near and far.

Immediately afterwards, Mu Zhi felt herself lose her balance while sitting upright in the car. In a dizzying moment, she heard a loud "bang" in her ear.

The car seemed to fly up, and somehow the door she was leaning against opened.

She too took flight.

He was thrown out of the car and landed on the roadside.

This scene looks like something out of a poorly made TV drama, with exaggerated special effects that viewers have criticized.

The pain from her forehead hitting the ground jolted Mu Zhi awake from her dazed state.

She opened her eyes and saw a car crashed into the guardrail not far away.

That car looked familiar; it seemed to be the nanny van she used to ride in, the nanny van in the real world.

I suddenly remembered that I had been in a car accident on my way to an awards ceremony.

Upon realizing this, Mu Zhi's heart skipped a beat.

Shouldn't real-world experiences feel as distant as a past life?

Why could she still recognize the nanny van in the real world, and so accurately realize that she had been in a car accident on her way to an awards ceremony?

As for Mu Zhi's life in the parallel world in the book, when she recalls it: after she married He Zhiyue, everything seemed to be on "fast forward," and those memories became extremely blurry.

Her last memory was that she couldn't play an 80-year-old woman.

She died in He Zhiyue's arms at the age of 60, and confessed her origins to him before she closed her eyes.

The handsome older man, He Zhiyue, held her tightly and prayed to heaven to let her go home.

Then it was as if she had been in a long dream, and now she had woken up.

Back to the real world.

Through her tear-blurred vision, Mu Zhi heard a familiar voice.

Are you alright?

Someone carefully helped her sit up from the ground. She leaned against a familiar embrace and smelled a faint, refreshing fruity scent that made her feel at ease.

"hiss."

"Bear with it, your forehead is scraped and bleeding." Cool fingers carefully brushed away the hair on her forehead and placed something on it.

He accidentally cut his hand while peeling an apple today, and luckily there was a band-aid in his coat, so he took it out and put it on her.

Mu Zhi raised her hand to wipe away her tears. Her blurred vision was about to clear when, before she could see the person next to her clearly, the warm body she was leaning against suddenly disappeared. She saw a tall man stand up.

He said in a voice she knew all too well, "Your staff are here."

Then all that was left for her was her back.

Mu Zhi choked up and couldn't make a sound. Her body was limp and stiff, as if she had just been reborn and was out of control.

All I could do was watch that person's figure disappear quickly from my sight.

"Sister Mu!"

The staff member who had been unconscious in the car woke up, got out of the car with a dull ache in his head, and was so frightened to see that Mu Zhi had fallen out of the car that he stumbled and ran over.

They noticed a man hurrying away in the opposite direction from them.

Although the staff members had some doubts, the most important thing right now was Mu Zhi, so they didn't have time to chase after the person to ask "did you take any pictures when you came over?"

Looking at the familiar yet unfamiliar faces of the staff, Mu Zhi quickly regained control of her body after being helped up by her female assistant and calmed down.

It wasn't just their car that nearly collided with the large truck in front of them.

There appears to have been an accident on the road behind.

She inquired about the staff's condition and thankfully everyone had only minor scratches. The driver only had a bump on his forehead from hitting the steering wheel and was otherwise unharmed.

Manager Chen looked at Mu Zhi with a ghostly expression: "You're the one who's most seriously injured. You were thrown out of the car and your forehead is bleeding."

I'm worried about the possibility of a concussion? Are there any other problems with my organs?

He planned to take Mu Zhi to the hospital for a check-up first.

Just as he was about to ask the staff to get the first-aid kit from the trunk to treat Mu Zhi's forehead wound, he exclaimed in surprise, "Huh? Why is there a band-aid on your forehead?"

He stepped forward, about to part Mu Zhi's hair to take a look.

Mu Zhi backed away, and although her manager was not female, she still instinctively resisted being touched.

Mu Zhi suggested that they deal with the immediate issue first.

"I need to rush to the event to attend the awards ceremony. I'll go to the hospital for a check-up after I receive the award."

Upon hearing this, the agent, Brother Chen, raised his wrist to check the time. There was still time to make it to the red carpet.

If Mu Zhi is absent from tonight's awards ceremony, then the Best Actress award, which was already in her grasp, will truly slip away.

"...Okay, the makeup artist and assistant will go to the event with you. I and the others will stay here and wait for the traffic police to arrive and handle the accident."

Mu Zhi and her staff walked toward the car behind them and negotiated with the driver to see if they could get a ride.

A couple was sitting in the car behind. The driver's wife had seen Mu Zhi's films and recognized her, so she immediately agreed.

Driving to the event venue of Mu Zhijiang only takes a few minutes and is a simple matter.

Since the large trucks parked ahead and the car Mu Zhi and the others were in were not blocking the road, they could continue driving forward.

After Mu Zhi and the others got into the car, the driver started the car and drove forward.

"Miss Mu, you were in a car accident but you still have to rush to attend the event?"

"It's just a minor scratch, nothing serious. I'm really looking forward to winning this award, so I hope I can get it."

The driver's wife didn't pay much attention to entertainment awards, but when she heard that Mu Zhi was nominated and had a chance to win, she quickly wished Mu Zhi the best of luck.

"Thanks."

A few minutes later, we arrived at the event venue.

As soon as the car door opened, Mu Zhi looked at the person who entered, her eyes slightly red, and she stopped in her tracks.

"Zhizhi, where are you hurt?" Muzhi's mother helped her daughter out of the car and looked her over with concern, noticing the band-aid on Muzhi's forehead and the abrasions on her arm.

Mu Zhi shook her head, choking back tears, and said, "I'm fine."

"I was so worried about you, Mom!" Mu Zhi's mother stepped forward and hugged her daughter.

I was terrified when I heard from my daughter's agent that she had been in a car accident on the road.

She didn't want her daughter to enter the entertainment industry, which caused a disagreement between them, and their relationship became somewhat strained.

Upon hearing that his daughter had been in a car accident, his first reaction was deep regret. He felt that nothing else mattered, as long as Muzhi was happy.

Mu Zhi's mother wiped her eyes and asked Mu Zhi again, "Are you feeling alright anywhere?"

Seeing her daughter shake her head, Mu Zhi's mother immediately asked the staff beside her to take Mu Zhi to the backstage dressing room to fix her makeup, clean her arms, and check that her dress was a bit dirty. Fortunately, she had brought an extra dress for the inner room.

Tonight, I'll have to wear the same dress for both the red carpet and the event.

Mu Zhi: "But we're running out of time." There's no time to go backstage to change clothes.

"There's still time. I spoke with the organizers and we've switched the order of our red carpet walks."

Mu Zhi nodded; this was the only way.

Accompanied by her makeup artist and assistant, she followed several staff members arranged by her mother backstage...

After the awards ceremony.

Because of the car accident on the road, everyone was frightened, and tonight's party celebration has been temporarily canceled.

Mu Zhi was taken to the hospital by her mother for a full-body checkup. Apart from the injury on her forehead and the abrasions on her arms, the results showed that Mu Zhi was in good health. The results of some tests would not be available for another 12 days.

The doctor recommended that the patient stay in the hospital for observation overnight.

Mu Zhi didn't want to stay in the hospital and suggested going home.

Mu Zhi's mother now grants her daughter's every request and has agreed.

Back home.

My image of home changed from a black and white photograph back to color.

But when Muzhi saw her father and sister, while she felt joy and happiness, she also felt a lingering sense of unfamiliarity and unreality, and she couldn't immediately adapt to the closeness and warmth of her family.

Knowing that Mu Zhi had been in a car accident that day, her family understood her unusual reaction and didn't keep her talking to her for long, letting her go upstairs to her room to rest.

Back in her room, Mu Zhi sat on the bed, somewhat bewildered.

She felt as if she had been split into two people: one was the Mu Zhi who had experienced a lot in the dream world, and the other was the original Mu Zhi.

I don't know which one is the real one, or if they are all her.

The phone in her pocket kept vibrating. Mu Zhi took it out, ignoring the missed calls and the flood of messages, and habitually logged onto social media first.

The top trending topic was her winning the Best Actress award tonight.

Clicking in, I noticed that everyone had noticed the band-aid on her forehead.

"I heard Mu Zhi was in a car accident on her way to receive the award, but she still insisted on attending the ceremony? That's amazing!"

"No wonder she's a Best Actress, her facial expressions are amazing! Her performance on the red carpet and on stage accepting the award tonight was perfect; you couldn't tell at all that she had just been in a terrifying car accident."

"Congratulations to Mu Zhi on winning Best Actress! I wonder how many people were proven wrong tonight, hahaha. With the Best Actress trophy in hand, she's completely outshone all her fellow actresses from the same period."

......

Exiting the trending topic of winning the award, I discovered a potential trending topic at the bottom of the hot search list: #MuzhiCarAccident#.

News of her car accident on her way to receive the award quickly spread online.

At the end of the awards ceremony, the agent, Brother Chen, said that he would try his best to suppress the car accident, at least to prevent it from escalating tonight, so as not to confuse netizens with the main point.

They also stole the spotlight from tonight's awards ceremony.

Mu Zhi received a message from her agent saying that the studio would release a statement later about the car accident that occurred on the way to the awards ceremony.

She replied with an "okay".

She suddenly remembered that when she fell to the ground, it seemed that someone helped her up, not a staff member.

In a daze, I felt that the person was He Zhiyue.

It seems absurd, but perhaps it's not just her imagination?

Mu Zhi clicked on the trending topic about her car accident, wanting to see if anyone had taken any pictures.

Scroll down to view.

"I just saw a post on the forum saying that Mu Zhi was in a car accident and was thrown out of the car? That's absolutely outrageous!"

"......"

As I continued reading, my finger suddenly paused.

There was a Weibo post that included her full name; it was posted half an hour ago.

A picture was attached.

A blurry picture shows a man helping her up from the ground.

Only the man's back was captured in the photo.

Even though it was completely blurred, she still recognized it...it was He Zhiyue.

Mu Zhi's heart was pounding wildly, as if it were about to jump out of her chest. Perhaps it was a lingering effect of the car accident, but her temples were throbbing with pain.

Despite her headache, she typed "He Zhiyue" into the search bar on the social media platform and clicked search.

One second later, the page content appeared.

He Zhiyue's account appeared on the social media platform.

Her fingers trembled slightly as she clicked on the account's homepage: He Zhiyue, an artist signed with Lanxing Media.

No Weibo posts have been published.

Mu Zhi burst out laughing.

A memory surfaced in my mind, but I couldn't recall which city it was in. I only remembered that it was a variety show being filmed in a villa by the sea.

That night, the power went out. He Zhiyue held a flashlight and took her for a walk, saying that he was interested in acting when he was a child. He wondered if they would have had the opportunity to work together if he had entered the industry as an actor.

She didn't want to delve into why the invisible male protagonist in a novel would appear in the real world, nor did she care whether the life he experienced in a parallel world was real or a dream.

Her muddled mind had only one thought: she wanted to see He Zhiyue.

The following morning.

Agent Li Mingchen went to the break room to make himself a cup of coffee. When he returned to his office and saw Mu Zhi sitting on the sofa, he was so surprised that he choked on his coffee and coughed for a long time.

"My goodness, didn't I give you two days off to rest at home?"

He was in a car accident last night and rushed to the company early this morning. The three-time Golden Horse Award winner said he abused his daughter and came to the company to settle accounts with him.

Mu Zhi pointed to the script on the coffee table: "Didn't you give me a script for a modern idol drama a few days ago, wanting me to take it?"

Li Mingchen gave Mu Zhi a strange look: "You mean the drama 'A Match Made in Heaven'? Didn't you turn it down?"

Before coming, Mu Zhi had already prepared her speech in her mind.

"I've changed my mind and want to learn more."

"Didn't you say that as a popular young actress, I only film two dramas a year, which is too few works, and you wanted me to take on more roles?"

"I've been cast as the female lead in a sci-fi movie, but filming won't start for another five months. I remember that filming for 'A Perfect Match' only took three and a half months. If it's suitable, I'll take the role, and it won't interfere with my next project."

Li Mingchen clapped his hands excitedly: "That's right! That makes sense!"

"If only you had thought of this sooner, wouldn't it be better to make more money?! It's the same shooting cycle as a movie, but you get paid more than a movie. You're such a rich heiress who doesn't need money, but you insist on taking a 3 or 4-month break after filming a movie. You're so stubborn."

Let me tell you, a well-made idol drama can become a classic film or television work...

Mu Zhi did not dislike the subject matter.

The script for "A Match Made in Heaven" is indeed excellent. The director is a pioneer who has made many classic idol dramas. This is his new work after returning to the screen after 6 years. The screenwriter is a well-known bestselling romance novelist, and the production team is top-notch.

It's a good pie.

She turned it down before because the drama mainly focuses on the romance between the male and female leads. The actress needs to have a lot of emotions to empathize with the character, and she has never been in a relationship. There are too many romantic scenes, and she would find it very difficult to act.

Now, she wants to revisit the show because...

Mu Zhi asked, "Have the female lead and male lead for this drama been decided yet?"

Li Mingchen: "The female lead hasn't been decided yet. Director Liu contacted me a couple of days ago, wanting to strongly invite you to star in the film. He thinks you're the only one who can play the female lead."

"As for the male lead, I heard he's been auditioning these past few days, so it should be decided soon."

Mu Zhi asked casually, "Do you have a list of candidates for the male lead that I can see?"

"Director Liu sent it to me a few days ago... Wait a moment, let me find it."

Two minutes later.

Mu Zhi took the iPad from her agent.

I clicked on the male actor's profile picture and text. There were well-known male actors, popular idols, and finally a newcomer.

Mu Zhi clicked on He Zhiyue's photo, and it looked exactly like the person in her mind. When he wasn't smiling, he was noble and aloof, but his temperament and aura hadn't settled down yet, and there was a hint of youthful naiveté and unrestrained arrogance between his brows.

She pointed to He Zhiyue's photo and said, "This guy is quite handsome. Is he a newcomer?"

Li Mingchen wondered: When did Mu Zhi start caring about looks? Isn't it about acting skills?

But thinking about it, it makes sense. It's an idol drama, so the male lead's appearance is very important, especially since he has to act opposite Mu Zhi and be worthy of her looks.

"He is indeed a rare top-tier face in the entertainment industry. Sigh, the first time I saw this newcomer's photo, I had the idea of ​​signing him. But after checking, I found out that he is an artist under a new company, Lanxing Media, and this company has only signed him as an artist."

Li Mingchen explained: "Director Liu said he wanted to find the most suitable and perfect male and female leads in his mind, without caring about popularity or status, so this newcomer became one of the candidates for the male lead."

Mu Zhi: "I want to know the audition results for the male lead of this drama. I have read the script of 'A Match Made in Heaven,' and the male lead is indeed very similar to the image of this newcomer. If possible, I would like to see the audition video of this He Zhiyue."

Why did Li Mingchen feel that Mu Zhi seemed very interested in this newcomer? He didn't have time to ask more questions; if Mu Zhi could take on this role, it would be a fantastic thing.

He will naturally do his best to make it happen.

"Okay, I'll call and ask now."

Mu Zhi was listening to her agent make a phone call when she heard the words "got rejected," and her heart sank.

After ending the call.

Li Mingchen relayed the information he had obtained from the assistant director to Mu Zhiting.

"They said the audition was originally scheduled for last night, but the newcomer was late. Director Liu was very angry, feeling that the newcomer had no sense of time, and canceled the audition on the spot."

Mu Zhi remained silent. No wonder he left in such a hurry; was he rushing to an audition?

Mu Zhi said to her agent, "Give me Director Liu's phone number."

Li Mingchen: ? ? ?

That evening.

Li Mingchen followed Mu Zhi to Director Liu's personal studio.

Mu Zhi called Director Liu to explain why the newcomer named He Zhiyue was late. Unexpectedly, He Zhiyue was also at the scene of Mu Zhi's car accident last night.

Did he also save Mu Zhi?

The reason for being late was a car accident that caused a traffic jam.

Mu Zhi asked Director Liu to give this new actor another chance and suggested that she could observe the audition.

That's utterly absurd.

Li Mingchen thought with a heavy heart: Is Mu Zhi experiencing her first love?

Mu Zhi walked into the audition room.

Inside sat the director, producer, assistant director, and well-known screenwriter.

Mu Zhi greeted them one by one, and then sat down in the seat that had been arranged for her.

Director Liu asked, "Ms. Mu, would you mind acting out a scene with one of the auditioning actors who comes in later?"

"OK."

When Li Mingchen heard Mu Zhi agree so readily, he felt even more heartbroken, and his suspicions about Mu Zhi taking the role in the film deepened.

5 minutes later.

The door to the audition room was pushed open from the outside, and a tall man walked in.

The male lead in "A Match Made in Heaven" is a CEO.

He Zhiyue came to the interview today wearing a white shirt, the hem of which was tucked into her narrow waist. Her two long legs were encased in high-end suit trousers that were tailor-made and ironed without a single wrinkle.

It perfectly matched the person in Mu Zhi's mind.

"Hello, Director Liu..."

Sitting next to Director Liu, a woman wearing a black baseball cap looked up, and He Zhiyue's eyes met hers, causing her to freeze in shock.

"He Zhiyue?"

The assistant director spoke up to remind her, and He Zhiyue realized she had lost her composure and quickly came back to her senses, saying, "Sorry."

Mu Zhi spoke up: "I am Mu Zhi, hello."

"Hello, Teacher Mu."

He Zhiyue felt encouragement and a sense of reassurance from Mu Zhi's gaze.

He quickly calmed down, adjusted his mindset, and greeted the rest of the people.

"He Zhiyue, you are a newcomer and have never acted before. Can you tell me why you want to become an actress?"

Starting a year ago, He Zhiyue has been having the same dream over and over again.

In his dream, there was a woman with whom he met, fell in love, and stayed together for life.

But I still can't see the other person's face clearly.

Until one day, he saw a huge advertisement on the street, and the female celebrity in the advertisement overlapped with the person in his mind.

He was already interested in acting, but because of her, he developed a strong desire to become an artist and resolutely chose to enter the entertainment industry.

He Zhiyue naturally wouldn't reveal her true feelings, but simply said, "I love acting. Acting is my grandfather's dream, my mother's dream, and my dream."

Although I entered this industry a little late, I believe it's never too late to dream.

As for his choice to star in "A Match Made in Heaven," he learned that Mu Zhi was in talks for the role and was interested in playing it. As a newcomer, he was only qualified for this role at the moment, so he decided to give it a try with a sliver of hope.

He was unaware that Mu Zhi had declined the role.

After Director Liu finished asking his questions, the audition preparations began.

All auditioning actors received the same question: peel an apple. They received the question the day before the audition.

The first scene is him and the female lead sitting on the sofa watching TV. The female lead is snuggling up to the male lead, and he is peeling an apple for her.

The second scene is when the female lead breaks up with the male lead, and the male lead cuts his hand while peeling an apple.

He Zhiyue was stunned when the director told him that Mu Zhi would be acting alongside him.

Mu Zhi took off her hat and placed it on the table. She walked over to He Zhiyue and smiled, saying, "As a professional actor, no matter who your co-star is, you must calm down and quickly prepare your emotions so that you can get into character as soon as possible."

He Zhiyue's expression hardened, and he nodded.

There was a sofa readily available in the audition room.

In fact, the scene of him peeling an apple for her had appeared in his mind many times. When Mu Zhi sat down and moved closer to him, He Zhiyue's tense body immediately relaxed...

During the audition, Mu Zhi did not act exactly as the script suggested.

She discovered an interesting little secret: in her dream, He Zhiyue had a thin line on the outer corner of his right eyebrow, which wasn't in his profile photo.

But now she saw it; he had drawn on his eyebrows to hide the tiny scar.

When Mu Zhi reached out and touched her eyebrows, such an intimate gesture made He Zhiyue involuntarily think of some inappropriate scenes in her dream, and her ears turned red.

Hearing the director yell "Cut," He Zhiyue breathed a sigh of relief.

The audition is over.

After He Zhiyue left the audition room, Mu Zhi stayed behind to finalize the collaboration with Director Liu.

10 minutes later.

Mu Zhi and her agent walked out of Director Liu's studio.

She looked at He Zhiyue, who was waiting at the door, with a surprised expression, and at the man in a suit standing next to him, who should be his manager.

There was also a woman wearing a mask, only revealing her beautiful big eyes, with a noble and gentle demeanor.

He Zhiyue introduced, "This is my mother."

"Miss Mu is very beautiful."

Even He Zhiyue's mother has a very gentle voice.

Mu Zhi greeted, "Hello, Auntie."

In fact, Mu Zhi recognized He Shuhui even before He Zhiyue introduced her.

She had only seen He Shuhui's photo in her dreams, yet she miraculously recognized her as He Zhiyue's mother.

In this world, her family is all around her, and He Zhiyue's mother is alive and well. That's wonderful.

"Teacher Mu, thank you... for helping with the acting."

"If it weren't for you, I might not have passed the audition and wouldn't have been able to get the role in this movie."

"Don't underestimate yourself. Director Liu is very satisfied with your audition performance. He praised you for your talent in acting and for being relaxed and natural in your performance."

After He Zhiyue left, the director jokingly remarked, "The love in this newcomer actor's eyes is quite obvious."

Mu Zhi looked at He Zhiyue and said, "By the way, thank you for the band-aid."

He Zhiyue was surprised, not expecting Mu Zhi to recognize her.

Last night, he saw her lying injured on the ground, and his heart ached.

Because Mu Zhi's staff had arrived, he was worried that staying would lead to photos being taken and rumors about him affecting her, so he had to leave in a hurry. Back in his car, he watched her leave with her staff.

He rushed off to the audition.

During the audition and right now.

When Mu Zhi and He Zhiyue looked at each other, they both felt the emotions in his eyes. Although they were not as intense as in their dreams, there was still a long way to go.

She smiled and extended her hand to He Zhiyue: "I wish us a pleasant collaboration."

He Zhiyue looked at Mu Zhi with tender eyes, took her fingertips in his hand, and said softly, "Yes, it's been a pleasure working with you."

[Author's Note]

My heart was pounding and my hands were trembling, but the story has come to a perfect end! The whole book is finally finished! Hahaha! Thank you again to every single one of my lovely readers who supported me, especially the few who stayed with me until the very end. Mwah mwah mwah mwah mwah~ See you in the next book! Yay!

Let's take a look at another pre-order novel, "Human Honey Elixir," the synopsis of which is as follows:

1.

I heard that Young Master He went to the deep mountains for a trip and brought back a country bumpkin.

His group of cronies were dumbfounded. Had they been eating too much gourmet food and were now trying some wild fruit?

Everyone bet that this country girl wouldn't last a week before being dumped.

One week, one month, two months have passed.

Instead of news of a breakup, I received an invitation.

Young Master He invested in a shop for that woman and asked them to come and support it.

2.

On the opening day of [Yao Meili Health Center].

Finally, I met the woman He Er was keeping as a mistress.

A girl dressed in ethnic minority clothing was as beautiful as a fairy in a painting.

The ever-arrogant Second Young Master He followed the girl around busily, waving to them: "Come and line up to get a card."

Someone joked, "Second Young Master, none of the women you dated before lasted more than a month. This time, you're personally helping to open the shop and attract business. Are you really that into it?"

Zhao Mixi exclaimed in surprise, "You've misunderstood!"

“Mr. He’s friend is investing in opening a Yao bath shop. I am an inheritor of the Yao bath intangible cultural heritage, and Mr. He introduced me to be the shop manager.”

"We're just friends."

He Tang's face darkened, and he gritted his teeth in a low voice at the person who had been teasing him: "Get lost. Don't interfere with my pursuit of someone."

Everyone: ? ? ? He still hasn't won her over?

3.

He Tang was afraid of being lonely, so he dated a series of women whose faces he couldn't remember, extorting emotional value from them in exchange for money.

But no one could stay by his side for more than a month.

He grew tired of this approach, and a friend invited him to travel to the mountains to cleanse his soul.

He Tang smiled nonchalantly, not expecting to actually encounter his elixir of life in the mountains.

At the Yao village's rain-praying festival.

On the high platform, a woman wearing a red hat adorned with large silver hairpins and dressed in brightly embroidered clothing is performing a blessing dance.

He Tang, who was being pulled aside by his friends to watch from below the stage, was captivated at first sight.