Chapter 160: The Mermaid's Tale (5)

On the night of the premiere of "Mermaid Romance", Wu Shanluan finally managed to get a night off from the famous director who loves wearing sunglasses, and he came to attend the premiere on time.

"Leo originally wanted to come too, but unfortunately his role was more important than mine, so Director Tang wouldn't let him leave." The Director Tang that Wu Shanluan mentioned was the one who was good at making films to win awards, but whose box office numbers often angered investors to the point of hospitalization. Because he loved wearing sunglasses, and sunglasses were commonly called "black sunglasses" in Hong Kong, he also got the nickname "Black Sunglasses Tang".

Of course, people usually just jokingly call him "Blackie Tang" or "Blackie SWAT officer" in private, but when it comes to formal address, they all call him Director Tang.

Director Tang recently wanted to make another new-style urban fantasy film, "Angel of the Mortal World," following "Chongqing Forest"—but his filming speed is really worrying. The theme song "Angel of the Mortal World," which he wrote for this film, was already released as an album and performed in a concert, but the film hasn't even started shooting yet...

Finally, filming was about to begin, but the script was being revised again and again, almost a hundred times a day. Even Wu Shanluan, who had already worked with him once, felt uneasy when he saw Wu Shanluan pass him a note—because the note meant that the director had new ideas, and the script that he had painstakingly memorized last night could basically be thrown away again...

In Wu Shanluan's aggrieved words, he only had two thoughts every day on this film crew: one was "What am I supposed to film today?" and the other was "What have I actually filmed today?"

Although being able to work in the crew of a master of art films is a kind of luck that many people can only dream of, this state of being confused both on and off screen still left him feeling completely disoriented during this period. If it weren't for the opportunity to get out and "get some fresh air" tonight, he felt that he would have almost collapsed.

Even if it's just like in the last movie, let him be a butcher who slaughters pigs!

At least this is some kind of handiwork; it helps to relax my muddled mind...

Everyone laughed at his rants, but Wan Jiamei was the only one who still had a little bit of a fan's conscience and casually asked how things were on set in the early hours of the morning.

“He’s in a worse situation than me. The director has revised the script for him at least five times in the past few days, and he’s already overwhelmed with the task. Tonight, they said they wanted to shoot a brand new smoking scene that would give people a real ‘feel’. They’ve been shooting for several hours and still haven’t finished. Leo is so tired of smoking…” Wu Shanluan sighed.

“No wonder he couldn’t come.” Wan Jiamei sighed helplessly.

"Why are you looking at me? Whether he comes or not is none of my business." Li Sishi suddenly saw Wan Jiamei looking at her with a regretful expression after sighing, and immediately expressed her disapproval to this CP fan. "Besides, I should be worried about him if he really rushed over!"

He quietly told Wan Jiamei that he would slap himself to stay awake when he was too tired from rushing to events in the early morning. Wan Jiamei's eyes widened as she listened: "So this is how hard it is to be a rising star? Luckily, I'm still only a semi-famous star..."

"Who thinks like that about themselves!" Li Sishi was amused again and raised her hand to check the time. "Alright, enough joking, it's time for us to get ready to enter."

According to the pairings in the play, Li Sishi, as the female lead, naturally walks with the male lead Cheng Erjian, while the second female lead Wan Jiamei walks with the second male lead Wu Shanluan.

As they entered the venue, some sharp-eyed fans waved at them and said, "Ah May, your mermaid look is so beautiful! Will you be releasing a special mermaid edition album? If so, I'd like to collect a copy!"

"The company will make arrangements, please wait patiently." Li Sishi smiled and waved to the other side, which immediately drew screams and cheers.

“Your fans are just like Leo’s…” Wan Jiamei whispered as she walked behind the group of fans, noticing their outgoing manner.

“Most of it was poached from him,” Li Sishi said with great confidence.

This time, Wan Jiamei was amused by her: "You're really going too far!"

"There's no such thing as 'fans' changing every ten years; they'll always like one person, so why can't that person be me?" This statement relies on the similarity in pronunciation between "fans" and "feng shui."

Li Sishi could speak fluently without hesitation.

As they arrived at their seats, Li Sishi had just sat down when Cheng Erjian, who had been silently watching her and Wan Jiamei playfully bickering, suddenly spoke up, "That's right, you're right."

Since everyone is destined to like someone, why can't that person be me?

Just like when he wants to buy a very rare and fun game disc, so many people are competing for it, why should he back down because there are too many competitors?

When he buys game discs, isn't it always the case that he buys them whenever he can, fights for them whenever he can, and if he can't get them, he quietly waits for an opportunity to try again?

In particular, when he first met Li Sishi, he overcame his fear of interacting with people because of a game disc he liked.

Li took the initiative and took the first step...

He now even has the advantage of being in a more convenient position, with more opportunities and closer proximity than other people who have been rumored to be romantically involved with Li Sishi.

Thinking of this, he didn't say anything more, but just quietly watched the movie and waited for his own mermaid to appear.

It is beautiful during filming, but on the big screen, shaped by light, shadow and special effects, it has a different kind of beauty that is both familiar and different.

As the mermaid sang to the statue of the sea god, the once slightly noisy movie theater grew quieter and quieter, as if afraid that even the slightest sound of breathing would shatter this dreamlike and beautiful reverie.

I thought the mermaid's silhouette on the poster was stunning enough, but who would have thought that static beauty could not compare to the moving beauty in motion. Combined with the ethereal and melodious singing, the clear waves of the moonlit water and the cool colors of the light all surrounded the shimmering fish tail, praising how the waves wet her long, black hair, which became like stars in the dark blue moonlight.

It was as if the most beautiful miracle had arrived at this moment.

But the mermaid, whose beauty was like a divine miracle, did not move the sea god as she wished. Instead, she captivated humans who were too easily tempted, and they still needed her to come and rescue them.

Following closely behind is the story of the mermaid coming ashore. Based on the classic fairy tale novel "The Little Mermaid," it tells a story of a strange race and a human falling in love by chance in a modern metropolis... The old-fashioned title is also known as the classic plot, but its strength lies in its ingenious new wine in an old bottle.

With its fresh and natural color palette, the play-within-a-play scenes and songs are a delight to watch. The friendship and love between the handsome young men and beautiful women in the play are also particularly touching. The play is well-paced and engaging, and with its good looks and singing, it can be considered a high-quality light comedy in today's market.

The invited film critics were thinking this, but unexpectedly, the final part of the plot took a dramatic turn when the mermaid's identity was discovered. Even though the male lead, the second male lead, and the second female lead rescued the female lead, the mermaid, from the owner of the rival theater troupe, the owner of the rival theater troupe had already publicized the fact that the female lead was a "mermaid" and even said that he would reveal the female lead's alien identity when the new play premiered tonight.

The male lead, the second male lead, and the second female lead all advised the mermaid not to go on stage, but the mermaid knew that this premiere of the new play was not only the key to turning the troupe's situation around, but also the key to her sudden enlightenment.

Therefore, despite everyone's objections, he insisted on going on stage to perform.

As expected, after the new drama started, the owner of the rival theater troupe brought a bunch of reporters, hoping to use the guise of leaks to stir up trouble and capture the mermaid.

He seized the opportunity and led the reporters to swarm around the "mermaid" on stage wearing a feather mask, splashing her with a large bucket of water. However, they were horrified to find that her long legs, which looked especially translucent under the slit of her colorful dress, showed no change whatsoever...

"No, impossible! Mermaids' legs turn back into fish tails as soon as they touch water! That's what my family's secret manual says..." The rival theater troupe owner shouted in a panic, "It must be because I didn't splash enough water... It must be!"

However, no matter how obsessed he was, it was no use. His blatantly obvious human legs weren't fish tails, so the rival theater troupe owner was not only reported for indecent assault but also received an ambulance from Green Water Mental Hospital for allegedly intending to cause harm...

The male lead went on stage and explained that the owner of the rival theater troupe was a mermaid fanatic who had gone mad and mistakenly believed that the actress in their troupe was a mermaid. He then tried to make money off this gimmick. As he turned backstage, he gave the mermaid and the second female lead, Kiki, who were changing costumes in pairs, a "everything is OK" sign.

Leaving aside the fact that their troupe uses some magic-like cloaking techniques, the second female lead, Qiqi, is more than capable of playing the role of the mermaid heroine in the stage play, as seen in previous scenes.

Only in the final scene, when the mermaid chanted her prayer, did Kiki lose by a single racial talent.

The final scene depicts the mermaid's prayers ultimately moving the sea god to bring purity to the world, and the song she is required to sing is "May This World Be Like a Fairy Tale."

"May this world be like a fairy tale, embracing imagination to realize it; with arms reaching for the stars, let's set off fireworks for the earth every night..."

The beautiful images full of fairytale charm, combined with the pure and ethereal singing, construct an ideal world full of emotion and warmth, brimming with happiness and hope.

Like a gentle spring, it nourishes the parched soul of a traveler on a long journey; like a heartwarming fairy tale, it makes one believe in this materialistic world.

There is still a beacon of hope that teaches people to believe that there is compassion in the world and love among all beings.

Fans who were deeply attracted by the beautiful stage and already collected Li Sishi's albums undoubtedly had even higher expectations for the "Mermaid Special Edition" album.

While the song is indeed very catchy, if it happens to be accompanied by the perfect visuals, it becomes an even more powerful and decisive combination!

I'd love for this special edition deluxe edition, even if it's a bit more expensive. All I want is this super dreamy mermaid MV!

There was no time for the eager fans to continue fantasizing that the stage play would end with the mermaid praying.

Her final act was a selfless dedication—she came from the sea, and she will eventually return to the sea.

Offstage, the mermaid also bids farewell to the reluctant protagonists. As the morning light is about to illuminate the earth, she carries the promise between humans and mermaids, looking forward to the day of their reunion.

"Perhaps one day I will return—and when I do, I hope to see a better world than it is now..."

“We’re all working hard, hoping to make this world the world you want to see,” Asuka and Kiki said softly.

"I will also try my best, and wait for the day you come back." The male protagonist, King, did not try to stop her. After quietly watching the mermaid sink into the sea, he slowly turned and left under the comforting gazes of Asuka and Kiki.

The scene shifted from dark to light, and suddenly everything had changed.

On a sunny beach, a child holding a mermaid doll finished his soda, looked around to make sure no one was watching, and then threw it at a trash can in the distance.

"You're so young and you already want to be a litter bug!"

(1)

Under the bright sunshine, King intercepted the parabola in the air and walked over to the guilty-looking child, lecturing him, "Do you know that if we keep polluting the environment like this, you will never see the mermaid in the fairy tale world again?"

"Because mermaids need very clean land and very clean sea to survive. Imagine if the sea were full of garbage, even you wouldn't want to go swimming. How could the mermaid sister tolerate such a dirty 'home'... Considering that the child in front of him was still young, King tried his best to use the simplest language to make the child understand his meaning."

"Then, if I listen to you, brother, and take good care of the environment—will we be able to see the legendary mermaids in the future?" the child asked hesitantly. Then, realizing that King was ignoring him, he couldn't help but wave his hand in confusion: "Brother?"

"Yes, we will all meet." King gazed at the shimmering light flashing across the sea and slowly revealed a complex and affectionate smile.

As the end credits rolled, a burst of enthusiastic applause gradually filled the theater.

"Congratulations!" Seeing the positive response from the audience, Li Sishi first hugged Wan Jiamei to her left and they congratulated each other.

Then, just as Li Sishi was about to give Cheng Erjian, the male lead, another hug to congratulate him, she turned her head and saw in the dim light that his eyes were exactly the same as those in the movie scene just now.

Remembering Wan Jiamei's previous warning, and unwilling to "lose another friend," Li Sishi decisively withdrew one of her outstretched arms, leaving only one hand extended to shake hands...

However, Cheng Erjian, who usually goes along with her wishes, actually withdrew one of his hands tonight after seeing her withdraw one.

Then, he raised his other hand and gently touched Li Sishi's hair: "Congratulations."

This is Li Sishi's first film to carry the box office. As senior students with the same vocal coach, this head pat seems to show the closeness of their relationship more than a simple handshake or hug.

Seeing the surprised look in Li Sishi's eyes, Le Yun, who was sitting next to Cheng Erjian, also secretly pinched her own face hard in disbelief: It actually hurts!

He wasn't dreaming...

So when did Erjian finally get it?!