ebonymovies Chapter 612 Joy Turns to Sorrow?
Chapter 612 Joy Turns to Sorrow?
……
……
The movie begins.
Liu Tianxian turned around and sat down again. She took off her sunglasses and pulled her mask down further, revealing her straight nose, a fair chin, and slightly upturned lips.
Holding the milk tea cup in her hand, she gently moved the straw to her lips with her fingertips, put it in her mouth, and took a small sip.
She flicked the pearl between her teeth, puffed out her cheeks, chewed it twice, and stared at the screen.
She is still very much looking forward to the original film.
Whether it was Gu Qing or Deng Chao, Xiao Liu considered his relationship with them to be quite good.
Seeing these two playing father and son is still quite amusing.
at the same time,
Zhang Jingyi and Zhou Ye didn't even bother to admire the back of the fairy sister's head; they were both focused on the screen.
The noise in the theater disappeared in an instant.
Old streets, a flow of cyclists, shops with signs, and that vintage music.
As soon as Old Deng appeared,
Liu Tianxian couldn't help but laugh.
She and Deng Chao have known each other since the 2012 film "The Four Great Detectives" and have a very good friendship.
Liu once called Deng Chao her "best male best friend".
Old Deng, on the other hand, proclaimed himself to be Liu Tianxian's "family member".
Including the release of "Psychological Crime" in the first half of the year,
Liu Tianxian even went to the event to show her support, but unfortunately she didn't run into Gu Qing.
"Hahaha~~"
The theater was filled with laughter as Old Deng was brutally beaten by thugs.
"coming!"
A motorcycle passed between the two, and Liu Tianxian's spirits lifted.
Seeing Gu Qing, dressed in a denim outfit, descend from the sky in a childish manner, and then believe the thug's offer of a one-on-one fight, only to have his weapon snatched away as soon as he threw it away, he was so frightened that his eyes widened.
"Hahaha--"
Liu Tianxian covered her mouth and laughed so hard she almost fell over.
"Jingyi, Jingyi, senior looks so handsome when he takes off his mask!"
Zhou Ye, meanwhile, became infatuated and gently shook Xiao Zhang beside him.
"Senior sister, can you tell me something I don't know?"
Zhang Jingyi remained completely absorbed in watching.
Even though she had already watched it once, after leaving the theater, she watched it on her phone for an unknown amount of time back in her dorm that night.
But I still find myself laughing at the plot.
Good comedy should have this kind of magic.
The same was true inside the cinema; laughter echoed like waves of wheat, one after another.
As the plot deepens
Xiao Liu forgot to cover his mouth, grinning foolishly with his teeth showing.
An hour and a half later, the story on the screen came to an end, and the camera zoomed out, freezing on a family portrait.
"There are more songs! There are more songs!!"
The end of the film actually made everyone in the audience even more excited.
Those who saw yesterday's premiere have already been raving about the post-credits scene online.
Most of the people present had seen these comments online, but none of them had actually witnessed them in person.
The reporters had set up their equipment well in advance, just waiting for Gu Qing to appear on screen with her guitar so they could record a high-definition version.
To their surprise, when the screen lit up again, there was no recording studio, no bar stool, and no Gu Qing holding a guitar.
Only the melody of "The Wind Rises" played in the theater, accompanied by the scrolling of the closing credits. Interspersed on the screen were behind-the-scenes footage and clips that were not included in the main film.
These behind-the-scenes moments are heartwarming and fun, and when paired with the melody of "The Wind Rises," they evoke a different kind of emotion.
But the reporters weren't buying it.
"Hey, where's Gu Qing?"
"How did it turn into a movie mashup?!"
Many reporters hunched forward or stood up, unsure whether to hold their cameras up or put them down.
"No way, could it be that the behind-the-scenes footage of Gu Qing's younger brother singing at yesterday's premiere is a one-time-only episode?"
"Damn, those who saw the premiere yesterday really hit the jackpot! Who would have thought this bonus scene would only be shown for a whole day?"
"Why change the version? It's so effective and popular!"
Not only were the reporters greatly disappointed, but Liu Tianxian was also taken aback.
"Didn't I miss out on 5 yuan... no, at least 10 yuan worth of content?"
"I'll make him pay me back later!"
Liu Tianxian sipped her cold milk tea, her eyebrows twitching slightly.
"Jingyi, you went to the premiere yesterday? Did your senior really sing for you guys at the end?"
Zhou Ye, sitting in the back row, watched Zhang Jingyi nodding blankly and felt so envious he almost cried.
She grabbed Zhang Jingyi's hand, her voice filled with grief and indignation: "I didn't even manage to get a ticket!"
As the end credits rolled, the spacious theater was illuminated by bright white lights.
"Clap clap-"
The applause went from sparse to dense, from hesitant to enthusiastic.
Liu Tianxian also clapped a few times, her fingers striking her palms with a crisp sound.
As soon as they entered,
The atmosphere in the entire theater was as if a new switch had been turned on; the applause suddenly rose a level, and the sound of camera shutters began to explode.
Liu Tianxian spotted Gu Qingxing's striking figure in the crowd at a glance.
He walked half a body length behind Han Han, his pace neither too fast nor too slow.
A white trench coat in a modern Chinese style, with a neat and flowing cut, and a loose and spacious feel. The fabric has a faint luster under the light, and is adorned with a few ink butterflies embroidered and bamboo in ink wash style.
He wore black slim-fit trousers over a white Chinese-style shirt, with the buttons at the collar fastened meticulously.
It has the design of a modern trench coat, yet it carries the flowing charm of a traditional Chinese long gown. As you walk, the hem sways gently, as warm and smooth as jade, like a spring breeze caressing your face, resembling a slender bamboo.
"This outfit actually looks quite good..."
Liu Tianxian stared intently, her fingertips rising and gently brushing against the small ear cord on her delicate earlobe.
Behind them came Zhou Ye and Zhang Jingyi's low screams, but their excitement still leaked out from between their fingers.
The only unattractive part
There was a pair of small hands resting on Gu Qing's shoulders.
Zhao Liying followed behind Gu Qing, her steps light and natural, occasionally putting her hand on Gu Qing's shoulder and then letting it go.
All the girls present found it an eyesore.
"Gu Qing, look here!!"
"Little brother, can you look at the camera? Let me take a picture!!"
As Gu Qing and his group entered, the theater instantly became lively. The sounds of camera shutters clicking, screams, and applause mingled together.
The reporters' earlier frustration over the change of the end credits song had been completely forgotten.
The host quickly stepped forward to maintain order, raising his hands and pressing them down, his voice carried throughout the theater via the microphone.
Liu Tianxian neither stood up nor shouted.
She simply sat in her seat, secretly observing and stealing glances at Gu Qing through the gaps in the crowd.
Gu Qing's gaze swept across the theater, as if searching for someone.
Then, his gaze settled on the fifth row on the left.
It stopped in the direction of Liu Tianxian.
His lips curved slightly, a small movement, but Liu Tianxian, who was wearing contact lenses, saw it clearly.
Her heart skipped a beat.
"He...saw me?"
Liu Tianxian subconsciously touched her mask, sunglasses, and even pulled her hat brim down low.
"I'm dressed so thoroughly, how could he still recognize me?"
Liu Tianxian was a little happy.
Next second,
Gu Qingchao nodded slightly in her direction and waved gently.
The wave was small; his hand moved casually from side to side in front of his chest.
Liu Tianxian was just about to respond.
"Ahhh!! Brother Gu Qing greeted us!!"
Good evening, senior!
"Jingyi! Jingyi!!"
Zhou Ye pulled Zhang Jingyi to her feet, swaying happily from side to side, while the two little girls waved to Gu Qing incessantly.
Liu Tianxian: "..."
Damn it, they didn't recognize me!
After the host restored order to the scene, the main creative team members took their seats on stage one by one.
The questions that the reporters first asked had nothing to do with the film itself.
"Director, why is Gu Qing's younger brother's singing no longer in the end credits song?"
"Why is this different from yesterday's premiere?"
"Yes, yes, yes! We're protesting against this discriminatory treatment!"
A few fans in the back row took the opportunity to start a commotion.
"It's mainly my problem,"
Gu Qing picked up the microphone, then rubbed her forehead in apparent distress.
"I asked Brother Han to help me cut it out. After watching it yesterday, I thought it was too cringeworthy."
I was alone in the recording studio, holding my guitar, talking to the camera. When I watched the playback later, I was so embarrassed I couldn't speak. I'm afraid this will become a dark chapter in my life.
"Haha, where's the melodrama? I'm clearly very touched!"
"It's too late to delete it now; the embarrassing history has already spread online."
"I came here specifically for your ending theme song, little brother!"
The theater was filled with good-natured laughter.
Seeing that the topic had been successfully shifted, Gu Qing secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
His performance of the end credits song during yesterday's premiere was excellent, both surprising and touching, and sparked considerable discussion on various platforms.
Ke Guqing immediately realized a serious problem.
What impact would it have if this version were left untouched for a month?
Once the novelty wears off, will audiences have to watch him recite lines and sing and play instruments in front of the camera like an artsy young man every time they finish watching the movie?
Once or twice is fine, but what about three or four times?
Will ordinary viewers who are not fans feel awkward or uncomfortable when they watch it for the third or fourth time?
From awkwardness to annoyance?
Gu Qing wasn't afraid of being treated like a fool.
What he really fears is being manipulated by those with ulterior motives.
If their movie is targeted by rivals, and marketing accounts collectively jump in to maliciously interpret his end credits song scene as "a happy ending followed by tragedy."
That would be disastrous...
Any comedy that ends in tragedy will naturally provoke public disgust and rejection.
Audiences go to the cinema to have fun, not to be educated, and certainly not to turn their tears of laughter into tears of joy in the final scene.
Once labeled, even the best marketing campaign will fail, and even the best reputation will crumble.
This is trading public goodwill for box office revenue; it's the stupidest business to do.
Gu Qing was well aware of the lessons learned from some directors in later generations.
So he didn't waste a moment and immediately contacted Han Han to change the source material.
The version shown at today's premiere has become the mashup end credits song you see now.
Pairing behind-the-scenes footage and scenes of the actors' daily lives with the melody of "The Wind Rises" creates a warm, relaxing, and lingering effect, but it is by no means sentimental.
This not only avoids being targeted by rivals with malicious rumors, but also unexpectedly creates a new publicity angle.
Those who attended the premiere yesterday will become the envy of the entire internet. The high-definition footage of Gu Qing singing and playing the guitar that they captured will become rare resources that are forwarded and collected by countless people overnight, and the number of views will inevitably skyrocket.
Viewers who watched the mashup version today will feel like they "missed out on a fortune," thus spontaneously generating more discussion and topics on social media platforms.
This is even more effective than paying for trending topics.
This popularity is because the audience willingly and genuinely pushed it forward.
Reporters and film critics at the scene took turns asking several questions about the film itself.
And some "surprise guests" also made their appearances at this most exciting moment.
"Mom, what brings you here?!"
When Dong Zijian saw Wang Jinhua stand up from her seat and smile at the stage, he was so startled that he stood up straight.
"Just wanted to show my support." Wang Jinhua smiled dignifiedly and gracefully. The appearance of the top agent in the Chinese entertainment industry drew gasps from the audience.
“Zijian…”
Sun Yi, sitting next to Wang Jinhua, secretly took off her mask, revealing her face with exquisite makeup.
She didn't dare to get up, but just sat there and waved to the stage.
Sun Yi silently prayed that the observant reporters would take more photos of her.
She hoped someone would notice her.
I hope there will be a press release tomorrow that says "Sun Yi makes a stunning appearance at the premiere of Gu Qing", and I hope my name can be associated with this super popular premiere.
But Wang Jinhua clearly didn't want her to talk any more.
"Sister Jinhua, as Zijian's mother, shouldn't you support our new movie more?"
Gu Qing picked up the microphone and asked with a smile.
"No problem, Xiao Gu, since you've asked, Auntie will book ten shows for you!"
Wang Jinhua smiled kindly, and the fine lines at the corners of her eyes exuded maternal warmth.
She spoke decisively and without hesitation, "It's not just for Zijian, I'm also a fan of you and Liying. I've seen every single movie you two have made."
"Ooh ooh ooh—"
The theater erupted in cheers, with reporters jeering and the sound of camera shutters clicking even faster.
They are also very well-informed.
The new company that Zhao Liying joined was founded by Li Binbin and Wang Jinhua.
Including Old Deng from the Huayi Department, they're practically family.
"Is that Sister Jinhua's son?"
"She even ships Gu Qing and Zhao Xiaodao? Really?"
Xiao Liu seemed completely oblivious, tilting his head slightly and blinking repeatedly behind his sunglasses.
After a while
More celebrities then stood up and made surprise appearances.
From the Empress who just won the Feitian Award, to Li Chen who lives in the capital, to Jiang Xin who supports her only remaining best friend.
Chen Sicheng, who is embroiled in divorce rumors, is bringing along Liu Haoran, a boy-next-door type of artist signed by his company.
"Could we postpone this meal a little longer?"
As Liu Tianxian watched one colleague after another stand up to greet her, she suddenly didn't want to take off her mask anymore.
What she wanted was for Gu Qing to invite her to dinner alone, to find a quiet restaurant, so they could sit facing each other.
She asked gossip questions while eating, and Gu Qing rolled her eyes but still had to answer obediently.
At worst,
Even with Old Deng standing there like a third wheel, the three of them could still chat and talk.
With so many people here, how can we even eat?
"Senior Sister Liu, aren't you going to say a few words?"
As the main creative team on stage was about to finish the interactive segment and prepare to leave, Liu Tianxian remained calm and unmoved, making Zhou Ye and Zhang Jingyi in the back row anxious for her.
"I'm just here to watch a movie, you two have to keep it a secret, okay? Don't tell anyone."
Liu Tianxian turned to the side, raised a slender finger and gently pressed it against the edge of her mask. Her eyes held a sly smile, and she spoke in a low voice, feigning nonchalance.
If Gu Qing finds out, given that brat's terrible personality, he definitely won't invite me to dinner alone anymore.
He would definitely smile and say, "Since everyone's here, let's eat together."
Then they mixed this meal, which was a courtesy meal, into the communal meal and invited everyone to join in.
Don't even think about it!
"Oh, senior sister, we'll definitely keep it a secret."
Zhou Ye and Zhang Jingyi had no choice but to nod, making a zipping motion with their fingers to their lips.
"Sing one, sing one, sing one!"
Suddenly, a unified jeer erupted from the audience, the sound echoing from the back row all the way to the front.
Liu Tianxian, Zhang Jingyi, and Zhou Ye all turned their heads to look at the stage at the same time.
It turned out the event was almost over when a bold reporter stood up and shouted, "Gu Qing, since we won't be able to see the end credits—could you sing us a little a cappella?"
The suggestion was immediately met with unanimous approval from the audience.
Gu Qing picked up the microphone and, without refusing, was about to speak.
Old Deng leaned halfway out from behind him, one hand on Gu Qing's shoulder, the other pointing in Zhao Liying's direction, shouting in a tone that seemed to thrive on trouble:
"Sing to Liying! Sing to Lili!"
"Ooh ooh ooh—"
The excitement and whistles from the crowd were deafening.
Gu Qing shook her head helplessly, but did not refuse.
Suddenly, Sister Zhao became shy and bashful, occasionally covering her mouth and looking away, not daring to look at Gu Qing. A sweet atmosphere instantly filled the air.
"hehe…"
Liu Tianxian glared at the jumping-up old Deng, "Does Deng Chao have nothing better to do all day?"
"Why not just have Brother Gu Qing sing for us, the audience? Why sing for just one person?"
Zhou Ye quietly echoed the complaint.
"Ok!"
Zhang Jingyi nodded slightly involuntarily, but then hurriedly shook her head in a panic, "They all seem...almost the same."
Gu Qing sang a few lines, and the premiere came to an end.
"Goodbye, little brother Gu Qing, goodbye, little brother..."
"Gu Qing, make sure you eat and drink well tonight."
Reporters and fans got up and left the theater. Liu Yifei mingled with the departing crowd, pulling her hat brim down even further. As she passed the lead actors, she nodded slightly in greeting, mimicking the mannerisms of others.
"Okay, you should eat more too."
Amidst the chaotic farewells, Gu Qing suddenly heard a unique blessing.
He was stunned for a moment, not having time to see who said it, and could only respond with a slightly amused and exasperated tone in the direction the voice came from.
"Brother Chen, Brother Sicheng..."
Gu Qing walked quickly toward Li Chen and Chen Sicheng.
"Liying, my darling!"
Jiang Xin opened her arms and pulled Zhao Liying into her embrace, and the two of them hugged each other tightly.
Jiang Xin's movements were so fast and forceful that Zhao Liying's feet almost left the ground when she was hugged by her.
"young married woman!"
Old Deng also darted to Sun Li's side like a husky that had just been released from its cage.
The group went to the restaurant they had booked in advance for the dinner in high spirits.
The atmosphere at the banquet was relaxed and pleasant, without any suffocating business networking; it was more like a gathering of relatives and friends to eat and chat.
"Xiao Gu, this is Haoran, an artist signed to my company."
During the meal, Chen Sicheng specifically called Liu Haoran over to Gu Qing and introduced him to her in detail.
His hand rested on Liu Haoran's back.
"This kid is very down-to-earth and has solid acting skills. He recently auditioned for Director Chen's 'Legend of the Demon Cat' and got a small supporting role in it."
"Brother, I'd like to ask you to look after him on set, so he doesn't get bullied."
"Brother Gu Qing!"
Liu Haoran, who was also very experienced in interpersonal relationships, greeted him respectfully, with a hint of nervousness and admiration, "I am your fan."
"Haoran, hello."
Gu Qing saw another "acquaintance," greeted him with a smile, and spoke in a gentle and polite voice.
Gu Qing snapped out of her thoughts and turned to Chen Sicheng, saying, "Brother Sicheng, just wait until I go to Director Chen's house next week to visit. Just make sure he doesn't bully me too."
Director Chen has officially sent him an invitation to have a casual meal at his home and discuss the script.
Gu Qing just hoped that Director Chen wouldn't just say "Please sit down, Gu" to him.
The dinner was relaxed and enjoyable, and before we knew it, it was coming to an end.
Liu Haoran has really had his eyes opened today.
He had been working with Chen Sicheng in the industry for some time and had attended at least a dozen or so dinner parties.
In his mind, a celebrity dinner of this caliber, even if it wasn't all clinking glasses and toasting, should at least be filled with smoke and the smell of alcohol.
But at tonight's banquet, not many people smoked or drank; everyone was busy with their own things.
He's starting to feel a little uncomfortable.
Let's at least go sing karaoke together...
……
After the banquet ended, Gu Qing took a car back to the hotel alone.
Zhao Liying and others had to hurry to catch their flights to the next city to continue their promotional activities.
"Gu Qing, treat me to dinner! Treat me to dinner!!"
"I'm hungry, you liar! You came all the way to the capital and didn't even treat me to a meal. Are you trying to renege on your debt?"
"Answer me! Treat me to dinner!!"
On the way, Gu Qing was bombarded with messages as soon as she opened her phone.
Liu Tianxian returned home dejectedly. Under her elderly mother's strange gaze, she locked herself in her room and began bombarding her with messages.
"Senior sister, I'm here in the capital to promote my work, not for tourism."
Looking at the screen full of messages, Gu Qing helplessly pressed the voice button to reply.
"And if you want to eat, you should have told me earlier. It's already past eight o'clock. If you had told me in the afternoon, I could have made some arrangements."
"Why didn't you call me earlier? You didn't take my invitation to dinner seriously at all!"
When Gu Qing opened the voice message, he heard Liu Tianxian's charmingly naive and domineering voice coming from the phone.
The voice wasn't really angry; the last syllable had a slight upward curve.
"I've been starving all day, just waiting for you to treat me to a meal—what do you say we do?"
Ungrateful! I even rallied the fans to support your new movie!!
"..."
Gu Qing thought about it and realized it was true; he hadn't remembered at all. "Senior sister, I'm sorry, I forgot."
"Hehehe, I fell for it. He even apologized to me."
Liu Tianxian lay on the large, soft bed, placed her phone on the pillow, and listened to Gu Qing's voice in the voice message, the corners of her lips slowly curling up.
She even felt like a bad woman.
She rolled over a little more on the bed, reaching the other side, her long hair spread across the pillow. Then she cleared her throat, pressed the voice button again, and lowered her eyebrows.
"Then what do you suggest? Senior sister is really starving to death..."
"Senior sister, I can't exactly call you out for dinner now, can I? If the media takes pictures of this, we won't be able to explain ourselves."
Gu Qing's voice came through the phone, her tone filled with helplessness and seriousness.
It was already past 8 p.m., which is when the Chaoyang residents are most active.
He and Liu Yifei were photographed having dinner alone together late at night.
That would be more than just a trending topic about "going out for a meal."
That was a trending topic related to "dating".
"I don't care, I just want to eat! I'm so hungry—oh my god, my junior brother killed someone, he lied to his senior sister and won't give me food..."
Hearing his helpless yet earnest tone of distress on the other end of the line, Liu Tianxian's legs began to arch and bounce repeatedly on the bed with amusement.
She buried her face in the pillow, and her voice, transmitted through the pillow to the phone, became muffled, aggrieved, and somewhat spoiled tone.
"Knock knock knock—Sisi, should Mom bring in the steamed fish and chicken soup that you asked Auntie to make?"
Suddenly, a woman knocked on the door, her voice gentle and concerned.
"Mom! No need! Just leave the food at the door, I'll get it myself in a bit!"
Liu Tianxian's pretty face changed slightly. She quickly covered her phone with her hand and hurriedly looked up at the woman outside the door, shouting in a panic.
Her voice switched to normal volume in a second, a speed that was worthy of being called a face-changing performance.
She remained motionless, straining her ears to listen intently to the sounds outside, even holding her breath.
Only when the footsteps faded away down the corridor did he breathe a long sigh of relief.
"That scared me to death..."
She got out of bed, walked to the door, pressed her ear against it to make sure there was no sound outside, and then ran back to her soft bed with lingering fear.
He picked up the phone.
Liu Tianxian glanced down at the screen, her beautiful eyes lighting up.
On the screen, Gu Qing sent another new message:
"Senior sister, I'll be staying in the capital for another day tomorrow to attend the premiere of Uncle Long's new movie. There's also a dinner party tonight. Do you want to come?"
"Come!!"
……
...(End of this chapter)