Chapter 129 Qixi Festival [VIP]

Chapter Summary: The questions asked inevitably involve gossip that's "appropriate" for the occasion.

Today's box office rankings:

First, the science fiction film "Earth Diary", 9600W.

Second, the road movie "Countdown", 9200W.

Third, the romance film "The Love of the Woodpecker" grossed 56 million.

Fourth, the romance film "Exchange Life" grossed 23 million.

Fifth, the war film "The Horn of Victory" cost 9 million.

......

"Countdown" grossed 92 million yuan on its opening day, which is quite good. It also ranked first in pre-sales for tomorrow's Qixi Festival (Chinese Valentine's Day) and is expected to easily surpass 100 million yuan, strongly overtaking the sci-fi film "Earth Diary" at the box office.

Thanks to the holiday bonus, several romance films have increased their screenings tomorrow.

With an investment of over 100 million, it seems there's no pressure to break even for "Countdown".

The following day, August 10th.

The 7th day of the 7th month in the lunar calendar is Qixi Festival, also known as Chinese Valentine's Day.

The creative team behind "Countdown" traveled to Guangzhou, a city next to Shenzhen, for a promotional tour.

In the atmosphere of the program, during today's roadshow, the meet-and-greet with media reporters, and the interactive sessions with movie fans in various theaters, the questions asked by movie fans inevitably turned into gossip that was "appropriate" for the occasion.

First, director Wan Zhou was asked questions by reporters.

"Director Wan, after the release of 'Countdown,' many viewers felt that Teacher Tai and Teacher Mu were a perfect match. They are good-looking, have good acting skills, and their scenes together are full of tension. They are a match made in heaven."

How did you initially choose the two actors to play the male and female leads? Did you consider whether the actors had good chemistry?

Seeing the director's puzzled look, the host explained what "CP chemistry" meant.

After understanding the situation, Director Wan Zhou turned to Tai Feng and Mu Zhi and said, "Both of you are excellent young actors. The reason you chose them for the role is mainly because of their good acting skills and ability to endure hardship."

He then turned to look at the audience below the stage:

"The reason they were so well-received as a couple is mainly because of their excellent acting skills. They drew the audience in and made them believe in the love story between Asang and Youqu. I think that's the charm of an actor's performance—the ability to empathize..."

Next is Muzhi.

"Teacher Muzhi, you posted a Weibo this morning, a nine-grid photo of beautiful scenery in Tibet. It seems to have been taken when you were filming in Tibet last year. Do you miss the filming time last year? Is there any special meaning behind posting it on Valentine's Day?"

Before leaving the hotel in the morning, Mu Zhi posted a Weibo post.

I never expected this reporter to pay so much attention to my Weibo.

This question is a bit ambiguous, making people wonder if Mu Zhi is reminiscing about the filming time last year or missing the time spent with someone? And who else could it be but Tai Feng?

Today is Valentine's Day, could it be that they're showing off their love or trying to impress someone?

Mu Zhi explained the matter simply.

The incident stemmed from an interview Zhou Jingzhu gave on a TV program last year while she was filming in Tibet. The host asked her, "Please tell me which celebrity's posts on WeChat Moments have been interesting recently?"

“I have a friend who is filming in Tibet. She has been posting pictures of beautiful scenery that she can take casually lately. Yesterday I saw a picture of the starry sky that she posted. It was very beautiful.”

Even without being named, Mu Zhi's fans immediately guessed that the friend Zhou Jingzhu was referring to was their idol.

I've always remembered this.

Every year on Qixi Festival (Chinese Valentine's Day), Mu Zhi posts on Weibo to declare that she is single, in order to prevent insiders, paparazzi, and marketing accounts from fabricating a relationship for her.

Yesterday, Minmin mentioned it, and fans remembered this while busy promoting the movie, wanting Muzhi to share the beautiful scenery she had previously posted on her WeChat Moments.

So this morning, Mu Zhi posted this Weibo post to satisfy her fans' requests.

"I posted it because my fans wanted to see it, that's all."

If the reporter had simply gone to Muzhi Square, he wouldn't have asked such a ridiculous question.

I thought we had probably uncovered Mu Zhi's secret relationship. Even if Mu Zhi wouldn't admit it, I was sure many netizens would have the same guess. I never expected it to be for this reason.

Upon hearing this answer, the reporter gave an awkward, wry smile.

The second reporter's question:

"Teacher Mu, Asang's life is entering its final countdown. In order not to leave any regrets in her life, she went on a trip to Tibet alone, where she met the male protagonist Youqu and had a deeply unforgettable love affair."

Suppose you don't have much time left to live, what would your regrets be? Would they be like Asang's?

Want to take a spontaneous trip?

Looking for a man to date?

Mu Zhi shook her head: "I may be different from Asang. I hope that before I die, I can leave behind a classic work, a character that will still be remembered by some viewers many years later."

When she said these words, Mu Zhi had a faint smile on her face, and her tone was light and casual, yet it was still very authoritative.

Tai Feng, who was standing to the side, turned his head slightly and gave Mu Zhi a deep look.

"Teacher Mu, is a tall, handsome man like You Qu, who is cold on the outside but warm on the inside, and taciturn and mysterious, your type?"

Mu Zhi cleverly replied, "She's Asang's type."

Neither the director nor Mu Zhi were easily swayed by their responses; they focused their attention back on the film.

Tai Feng is notoriously difficult to interview in the industry; he is taciturn and uncooperative. For example, if a reporter asks a question unrelated to the film or about the artist's private life, Tai Feng will not answer and will simply say, "Please ask questions related to the film."

Sometimes, when faced with malicious questions from reporters, they may even bluntly confront them.

As a result, reporters later became hesitant to ask Tai Feng any questions.

I wouldn't dare today either.

One of Tai Feng's fans was quite bold: "Brother Feng, we fans all know you love to travel. You go traveling as soon as filming wraps up. You're 33 this year, not young anymore. Would you like to meet your own Asang on your travels, like Youqu did? What kind of girl do you like?"

Mu Zhi: ? This is a true fan, not giving any face to their single idol.

Other people's fans don't want their idols to be in relationships.

Perhaps because Tai Feng is an actor who mainly works in the film industry, he won the Best Actor award and has no shortage of good resources. He has been in the industry for many years now.

It's Qixi Festival again, and fans are already urging each other to get married.

Tai Feng was as taciturn as ever, but after a moment's thought, he answered the fan's question seriously: "...It depends on fate."

Regarding the second question: "When I met her, I liked whatever she was like."

This drew envious exclamations of "Wow!" from the audience.

I thought Tai Feng was a rock, cold and hard, but I didn't expect him to talk about his future lover with such a doting tone. He's quite good at it.

The day's roadshow has concluded.

Mu Zhi returned to her hotel room, feeling as if all her strength had been drained. After putting on the hotel's disposable slippers, she walked unsteadily to the sofa and lay down.

After a long day of running around, my body is starting to feel sore and uncomfortable.

I closed my eyes and rested for 60 seconds.

Mu Zhi opened her eyes, sat back on the sofa, and picked up her phone from the sofa.

Open the movie ticketing app to check today's box office figures.

First, the road movie "Countdown", 112 million.

Second, the science fiction film "Earth Diary", 8300W.

Third, the romance film "The Love of the Woodpecker" grossed 76 million.

Fourth, the romance film "Exchange Life" grossed 46 million.

......

As she predicted, "Countdown" grossed over 100 million yuan.

Romance films have benefited from the holiday season, with box office revenue increasing significantly.

Just as I was about to check Weibo, the doorbell rang.

Mu Zhi: Minmin?

On the way back, Mu Zhi herself didn't celebrate the holiday, but she transferred some money to Min Min to arrange a late-night snack for the team members.

She said she wouldn't eat it and told them to eat it themselves.

Maybe the takeout arrived, but Minmin still came over to ask me?

Arriving at the door, I habitually peeked out through the peephole.

It was Tai Feng?

Mu Zhi opened the door with some surprise. Tai Feng had changed out of the shirt and trousers he wore during the promotional tour. Now he was wearing a black fisherman's hat, a plain black T-shirt, and black jeans.

I noticed a suitcase standing at Tai Feng's feet.

Are they rushing back to Beicheng overnight?

Tai Feng noticed Mu Zhi's question and explained, "I booked the last flight to the resort island tonight a few days ago."

"Teacher Mu, I've come to say goodbye. The roadshow for the next week will be in your hands, along with Director Wan and the main creative team."

Mu Zhi remembered this incident; Tai Feng's roadshow schedule was already finished.

She nodded: "Don't worry, Professor Tai, the creative team of 'Countdown' and I will do our best to complete the subsequent roadshow work."

"Have a nice holiday."

Tai Feng: "Thank you."

The two remained silent for a few seconds.

Tai Feng pushed his suitcase and turned to leave, but after taking only two steps, he stopped and turned back: "Teacher Mu, see you in Beicheng."

Mu Zhi: "...Okay."

Their next project is a martial arts film directed by Hong Yan, and they will meet again in a while.

As Tai Feng was leaving with his luggage, he happened to run into Minmin, who was carrying takeout to find Mu Zhi.

Just as Mu Zhi closed the door, the doorbell rang again.

This time, it really was Minmin who came.

"Sister Zhizhi, the takeout has arrived. I brought you some food."

Minmin followed Muzhi into the room and placed the things she was carrying on the coffee table.

“We ordered barbecue, but I know you can’t finish it, Sister Zhizhi.”

Celebrities have to pay attention to their diet. Eating oily and spicy foods like barbecue can easily cause internal heat and breakouts, which can affect their on-screen appearance. They also worry about gaining weight from eating high-calorie late-night snacks...

"I ordered you a small vegetable salad with shrimp, which you like. Would you like some?"

Mu Zhi noticed that the salad Minmin brought out was indeed a very small portion.

I'm a little hungry now.

"Thank you, Minmin. I'll eat in a bit."

Minmin couldn't help but ask curiously, "Sister Zhizhi, I ran into Teacher Taifeng when I came here. What's he doing here?"

"Teacher Tai's roadshow is over. He's taking a flight out of Guangzhou tonight. Come over and say hello."

Minmin: Huh? The aloof movie star actually came over to say hello to Sister Zhizhi?

Although they did a 9-day roadshow together, Mu Zhi and Tai Feng were just colleagues. They communicated with each other during the roadshow promotions, but they didn't communicate much or have time to communicate in private. Everyone was busy moving between venues and doing business all day long.

Over this period of time, our relationship has probably only become a little more familiar.

Did you come specifically to say hello? I sensed something was off.

However, Mu Zhi's expression remained normal, as if she didn't take the matter to heart.

Minmin didn't want to make any hasty guesses.

Anyway, whether it's the boss or the movie star, as Mu Zhi's staff member and career fan, she hopes all these admirers will stay away and not disturb Sister Zhi's solo career!

On August 11th, the film's creative team was missing Tai Feng, but with director Wan Zhou and the popular Mu Zhi present, it was not affected at all. Every screening in every cinema they visited was packed, and the popularity and enthusiasm remained undiminished.

The promotional roadshow continues in full swing.

The holiday bonus is over.

Encouragingly, the box office performance of "Countdown" did not drop much compared to the previous day, with a daily box office of 93 million yuan, still ranking first.

It outperformed the second-ranked science fiction film.

The agent said over the phone: "According to big data analysis of the two films' reviews, the special effects of 'Earth Diary' are good, but the story is not well told, and the word-of-mouth is polarized."

"Countdown" owes its success primarily to director Wan's box office appeal, the film's novel subject matter, location shooting throughout, and the combined good looks and acting skills of you and Tai Feng... This established a strong reputation and attracted many viewers to the cinema.

As of now, the film has grossed 297 million yuan in its first three days of release.

Ticketing apps have revised their box office predictions for "Countdown" from 700 million to 1.1 billion.

"The summer vacation is coming to an end in less than half a month. There are no big movies to be released before the National Day holiday. I predict that the final box office of 'Countdown' will be higher than the app's prediction, reaching 1.5 billion."

"Zhizhi, this is your fourth work. Every work you starred in has achieved great success. Now your reputation as a lucky star is even more widespread."

"It's only been three days since the film was released, and I already have new endorsement offers and a script. We'll discuss it in detail when you come back to Beicheng."

Mu Zhi: "...Okay."

On August 16th, the two-week nationwide roadshow tour came to an end.

Minmin sighed: Mu Zhi returned to Shashi after attending the press conference for the release of "Countdown" in Beicheng. In order to ensure the timely completion of filming for the movie "Escape from the Game", the filming schedule was packed for nearly a month, with each day lasting more than ten hours.

After filming wrapped, the next two weeks were spent tirelessly running around doing promotional tours.

Their staff all felt exhausted, but Mu Zhi had to maintain her best performance in front of people and cameras, which made her even more tired than them.

Finally, I can rest... I should be able to rest for a day or two?

Mu Zhi and her team rested for one night in the city where they were doing the roadshow.

The next morning, the group flew back to Beicheng.

[Author's Note]

Give Zhibao a shoulder massage, you've worked hard! Congratulations on the box office success of your new movie! Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants between 23:19:13 on August 23, 2022 and 23:57:46 on August 24, 2022!

Thank you to the little angel who watered the nutrient solution: Jiu 1 bottle;

Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!