Married in a Daze - Chapter 165

Chapter 165

Gu Changyun's Weibo post was like a breath of fresh air, cutting through the noise of the platform.

The reason for calling it 'fresh' was simple: he had actually publicly apologized and praised Qin Zhenzhen's acting skills. You have to understand, before this, he had always looked down his nose at the acting abilities of current young idol actresses.

Even more surprising than his praise for Qin Zhenzhen was his statement that Mountain Girl was the first film in the past five years that he'd wanted to watch a second time immediately after finishing the first viewing.

It could be said this was the highest form of praise he'd given a movie in recent years.

As a public figure with considerable recognition within the circle, his words immediately stirred up quite a wave. Netizens hadn't forgotten about his previous conflict with Qin Zhenzhen, and they swarmed to the comments section of his Weibo post.

—Wow, am I seeing this right? Did Qin Zhenzhen PR Gu Changyun?

—Is it so hard to admit someone else is talented? If our Zhenzhen really was going to PR Teacher Gu, why would she wait until now? Besides, isn't Teacher Gu famously incorruptible? If he was so easy to PR, that certain actress 'C' from last time had more connections and still couldn't manage it.

—Actually, I think what Teacher Gu said is right. I went to see Mountain Girl, and it really is great. Whether it's the plot progression or the film's overall meaning, it's both easy to understand and leaves you with endless things to ponder. I'll definitely go to the theater to support it.

—I went to see it too, completely lost in Qin Zhenzhen's eyes. To be honest, the standout in this movie is still Qin Zhenzhen.

—No argument here. Qin Zhenzhen already showed a breakthrough in herself when she acted in Cold Palace. This time, I'm very optimistic about it, and I trust Teacher Gu. Waiting patiently for the movie's release.

—Hey, commenter above, how much are you getting paid per post? I want to earn some money too.

—Me too! How come I don't think Qin Zhenzhen's acting is good? Isn't it still the same old thing, just widening her eyes and looking like a naive sweetheart? I still think Wei An has more genuine skill.

—Right. Even though Wei An's character might not be great, her talent is undeniable!

The phrase 'character might not be great' seemed to stab right at the hearts of Wei An's fans, instantly provoking a counterattack from them. They swarmed to Gu Changyun's Weibo, first trashing Qin Zhenzhen's acting and styling, then heaping praise on Wei An's diligent persona.

In just one night, Gu Changyun's name made it onto the hot search list three or four times. His Weibo post completely tore open the curtain on the war between the two factions of fans.

Throughout all this, Qin Zhenzhen maintained a silent posture. The online controversy didn't draw too much of her attention. After the premiere, she and Lu Ruyun had returned to the drama set to continue filming, seemingly too busy to pay attention to online matters.

One week later, Mountain Girl was officially released.

Director Zheng Shaoyuan's film also premiered on the same day.

Premieres chosen for the same day, release dates also chosen for the same day—only a fool wouldn't see the underlying meaning here. Many netizens were asking if there was some kind of history or feud between Director Zheng and Director Yu, and why they had suddenly squared off against each other.

Various speculations flooded the internet. Of course, no one ever addressed the issue directly.

Because even Qin Zhenzhen couldn't figure out why Zheng Shaoyuan would go head-to-head with Yu Changlin.

If they had some past history, it was unlikely. Zheng Shaoyuan made art films, while Yu Changlin had been making commercial films in previous years. Their paths didn't even cross, let alone harbor any animosity. Back when she was in Yu Changlin's crew, she'd never once heard Director Yu mention Zheng Shaoyuan.

The two had no previous contact whatsoever.

If one had to make a connection, it might be that Yu Changlin looked down on someone of Zheng Shaoyuan's character.

But this time, it was clearly Zheng Shaoyuan who had made the first move.

Qin Zhenzhen stared at the script in her hands, then suddenly shook her head, her expression conflicted. Lu Ruyun put down her own script and glanced at her. "What's wrong?"

"I still don't get it." Qin Zhenzhen's shoulders slumped. Lu Ruyun leaned closer, looking at the script in Qin Zhenzhen's hands. "Which part don't you understand?"

Her cool, fresh scent instantly enveloped Qin Zhenzhen. Lu Ruyun's profile was fair and smooth, glowing like fine jade. Qin Zhenzhen stared at her cheek for a moment, then leaned in and planted a kiss on it, her voice tinged with delight. "It's not the script."

"I just can't figure out why Zheng Shaoyuan chose to release on the same day as Director Yu."

Lu Ruyun's face flushed slightly from the peck-like kiss. Hearing Qin Zhenzhen's words, she smiled. "It's because he wants to replace him."

"Replace him?" Qin Zhenzhen's delicate brows furrowed. She sat cross-legged on the sofa, tossed the script aside, and looked at Lu Ruyun. "What do you mean?"

Lu Ruyun also set down her script, sitting up straight, her expression mild. "Who was the last 'Beacon of Art Cinema'?"

Qin Zhenzhen paused, thought for a few seconds, then reacted. "It was Director Yu!"

Lu Ruyun gave a slight nod. When Yu Changlin first started making films, he chose to make art films. His collaboration with Tang Ya back then was called a match made in heaven. That film is still considered a classic today. Even then, netizens joked he was the 'Beacon of Art Cinema'.

Now, Zheng Shaoyuan has been crowned with the same title. Wanting to replace him is understandable.

After all, within the director circle, he's considered a dark horse. Compared to Yu Changlin, who hasn't directed a film in three years, he has far too many advantages. Even with his previous controversial moves, it can't stop netizens from watching his films.

That's his advantage.

So he chose to release on the same day. He's extremely confident in himself. He believes that with his skills, he can thoroughly embarrass Yu Changlin and make him give up the 'Beacon of Art Cinema' title.

But he forgot, when someone is too confident, it turns into arrogance.

Zheng Shaoyuan's film didn't blow up as anticipated. On the first day of both films' release, his box office was indeed a bit higher, but the reviews couldn't compare to Mountain Girl.

Those who had seen Mountain Girl were full of praise, marveling at the screenwriter's clever design, marveling at the director's shooting skills, marveling at Qin Zhenzhen's outstanding performance. Even every minor supporting character could be pulled out and written a lengthy thesis praising them.

The plot's pacing was strong, with comedic moments, moments that tugged at heartstrings. The styling wasn't exaggerated, the dialogue wasn't awkward, the plot twists weren't abrupt. The logic was powerful, foreshadowing and callbacks were seamless. Qin Zhenzhen's portrayal of the mountain girl left a deep impression. Her bright, expressive eyes alone exploded across the internet, generating immense buzz.

Just as Gu Changyun had said.

This was a movie you'd want to watch a second time after the first viewing.

Three days after its release, Mountain Girl's box office soared, directly crushing Zheng Shaoyuan's film, rapidly climbing to the top of the box office charts for movies released in the same period, overshadowing all its peers.

Opening any related topic online, you'd find discussions about the plot, discussions about Qin Zhenzhen, Chen Feng's acting and looks. People going for second, third, even fourth viewings were increasing by the day. Mountain Girl went from having empty seats in theaters upon its initial release to tickets being sold out the moment they were listed, all within three days.

This movie, against all expectations, became a smash hit.

Meanwhile, Zheng Shaoyuan's film, which everyone had predicted would be a hit, went from packed theaters with no empty seats at the start to fewer and fewer people watching it later on. Even the topic volume on Weibo plummeted, the page views dwindling to a mere fraction of Mountain Girl's.

The headlines on major forums quickly replaced promotions for Zheng Shaoyuan's film with posters for Mountain Girl, hyping it daily.

Unlike the clamor outside, Qin Zhenzhen didn't overly focus on the follow-up developments. She threw herself wholeheartedly into the script. Filming for The Real Culprit had entered its climax phase. The plot had reached the point where the female lead turned herself in, and she, upon receiving the news, rushed over, just in time to witness the female lead having an episode.

"Action!"

The clapperboard snapped. Under the camera's lens, Lu Ruyun sat on a stool, her face calm. "It was me."

"I'm the one who killed A-He."

The police officers exchanged glances. The slightly older officer pressed his lips together. "Miss Yu, do you know what you're saying?"

Lu Ruyun lifted her head, her gaze like stagnant water, sending a slight chill through anyone who saw it.

"I know. You've been suspecting me all along, haven't you? Now I'm here of my own accord. Why don't you believe me instead?"

The older officer opened his mouth, thought for several seconds but said nothing. It was only when the officer beside him nudged his arm that he snapped back to reality. "Alright. Then could Miss Yu tell us, why did you kill him?"

Lu Ruyun's expression was indifferent, her tone normal. "Because I hate him."

The two officers quickly exchanged glances again, listening as Lu Ruyun continued. "Because I hate him! I hate him!"

Her voice grew lower as she spoke, carrying a hint of gritted teeth. Before the two officers could respond, they saw Lu Ruyun's face turn pale. She suddenly shoved the table. Documents and pens clattered to the floor with a sharp, unpleasant sound. The office instantly descended into chaos. Lu Ruyun, like a frightened rabbit, instantly crouched down, hugging herself. She was trembling slightly.

Qin Zhenzhen ran through the door, her eyes widening at the sight, her gaze filled with countless layers of worry and heartache. Her eyes reddened. She rushed over a few more steps to stand in front of Lu Ruyun, crouching down and wrapping her arms around her, using her own warmth to comfort her.

These actions were subconscious, almost requiring no thought.

Completely natural reactions.

"OK!" Duan Qiuhan yelled towards the camera. He Shuangshuang and Ji Lu immediately stepped forward, each helping one of them up. When Lu Ruyun stood up, her expression had already returned to normal. It was Qin Zhenzhen whose eyes were still slightly red.

"Zhenzhen." Lu Ruyun stood in front of her, looking down. "What's wrong?"

Qin Zhenzhen rubbed her eyes. "Maybe a little tired."

Lu Ruyun gently brushed her long hair aside, her voice soft. "If you're tired, let's wrap up early."

"Wrap up early?" Qin Zhenzhen looked down at her wristwatch. "At this hour?"

Lu Ruyun smiled. "Let's go. I've already spoken to Qiuhan."

Qin Zhenzhen looked at her in a daze. Only when Lu Ruyun took her hand and walked out of the film and television city did she realize she was serious.

"We're going back now? What about Shuangshuang and Lulu?" Qin Zhenzhen looked back repeatedly as she walked, still unable to believe Lu Ruyun had actually skipped out on work.

Lu Ruyun nodded. "They went back to the hotel. We're not going back. I'm taking you somewhere."

As she spoke, she carefully put a cap and mask on Qin Zhenzhen. Seeing her well-prepared look, Qin Zhenzhen chuckled. "Where are you planning to take me?"

Lu Ruyun also smiled. "You'll know when we get there."

An hour later, the two of them were sitting in a movie theater.

Qin Zhenzhen had already seen the movie during Mountain Girl's premiere. She hadn't expected Lu Ruyun to bring her to watch it again. She watched as Lu Ruyun bought popcorn and cola, placing them in her hands, then blinked and said, "Let's go in."

Her voice, muffled by the mask, was somewhat low. Qin Zhenzhen, expression still a bit dazed, hugged the drink and popcorn as they walked in.

The two sat in the top right corner seats. Qin Zhenzhen had thought that after being released for a few days, there wouldn't be too many people, but the theater was packed. After sitting down, she and Lu Ruyun were worried about being recognized by the people nearby, so she didn't dare take off her mask.

Several girls sat in front of them. The movie hadn't started yet, and they were chatting.

"I'm telling you guys, this is my fourth viewing today!"

"Who isn't? I just gave my wife some fan support!"

"Wife? Whose wife?"

"Who else? Qin Zhenzhen, of course."

"Ah, isn't that my wife?"

Sitting behind them, Qin Zhenzhen choked slightly upon hearing her own name, coughing a few times, her face slightly flushed, her gaze shifting. The girl in front, hearing her cough, quickly waved a hand. "Keep it down."

Qin Zhenzhen lowered her head. The hand resting on the armrest was grasped by another. She turned to look; Lu Ruyun was also looking at her, her voice coming from behind her mask. "Feeling a bit better?"

Qin Zhenzhen paused for a few seconds, immediately understanding Lu Ruyun's intention. The earlier gloom from the set vanished. She smiled and nodded. "Much better."

Lu Ruyun wrapped an arm around her shoulders, letting her rest her head on her shoulder. In the dark environment, they were no different from any ordinary couple, all cozy and affectionate.

When the movie started, the chatter from the girls in front drifted over again. Lu Ruyun chuckled softly. Qin Zhenzhen looked up at her. "What are you laughing at?"

Lu Ruyun's gaze shifted towards the front. "Nothing. Just thought it was quite a coincidence."

Qin Zhenzhen's eyes held a trace of confusion. "Coincidence?"

Lu Ruyun nodded, looking at her bright eyes. "Yeah, a coincidence. Seems I have the same wife as them."

Qin Zhenzhen: ...

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