Chapter 32 032 A Terrifying Man's Viewing Experience
Chapter Thirty-Two
The cinema that Wei Jin chose was in the city center, but he selected a time slot that was quite early, when there were still very few people in the theater.
"Thousand Mountains" has not yet been widely released; it is currently only being screened in previews, and it is not easy to find a cinema to schedule a screening.
In fact, Wei Jin had expected that there would be fewer viewers for "A Thousand Mountains," since it was just a weekday and the show was early. However, the actual number of viewers who came was more than he had imagined.
To be honest, Wei Jin is not worried about the quality of the finished film "Thousand Mountains". Qin Panyun's level has always been very high. She has not made any bad films to make money as she gets older. Li Mobei and Hua Lin are recognized as powerful actors. These two would not choose a movie with poor quality.
The only thing that worried him was Gu Yilou.
Wei Jin didn't even know who Gu Yilou had been chosen at first. It wasn't until the release of "Thousand Mountains" was approaching that he checked the cast list and discovered that the actor chosen to play Gu Yilou was Lin Yuan, who had never had any acting experience before.
Wei Jin's expectations were immediately dampened.
Does Lin Yuan's appearance have anything to do with Gu Yilou?
Could it be that Qin Panyun couldn't withstand the pressure from the investors and had no choice but to send in an actor with no experience?
Can a new actor portray Gu Yilou well?
Although it's said online that Lin Yuan got the role through an audition, which actor would admit to being promoted by capital? Isn't that what everyone says?
Wei Jin sighed.
"A Thousand Mountains" is a short but exquisite story. When rumors first circulated that it would be adapted, Wei Jin was already looking forward to it. After discovering that Qin Panyun was the director, his expectations rose even higher.
As for who should play Gu Yilou—Wei Jin had considered this after reading the original novel, but the actor he imagined was now in his fifties and obviously not suitable to play Gu Yilou.
But Lin Yuan is too young, and his temperament doesn't seem to match Gu Yilou's.
In short, Wei Jin would be furious if the entire film "Thousand Mountains" were ruined because of Lin Yuan.
...
After a short wait, "A Thousand Mountains" finally began.
The moment the familiar dragon logo lit up on the screen, Wei Jin slowly sat up straight.
With the smoke of war cleared on the frontier, General Qin Chong returned to the capital, only to be unfortunately drawn into the struggle for the throne. Little did he know that his misfortune was not accidental, but rather deliberately orchestrated by someone.
Wei Jin hadn't watched a period film for a while. "Thousands of Mountains" wasn't the kind of film with a colorful style, but the lighting wasn't so dark that it was hard to see clearly either.
Specifically, "Thousand Mountains" is not a film for the director to show off his skills, but a film made with a down-to-earth desire to tell a good story.
Compared to other films, "Thousand Mountains" has a fast pace, and all the information from the original work is reflected in the film. The screenwriter also made appropriate additions. In the first half of the story, Li Mobei used his acting skills to enrich the character of Qin Zhong.
Qin Zhong is no longer a flat character in the book, but a three-dimensional, living person.
The original work doesn't describe Qin Chong's feelings after his misfortune in much detail. The plot just keeps moving forward, and the characters' pain and sorrow are only expressed in a few words.
The film focuses on this part.
It is Qin Zhong's grief and sorrow that highlight Gu Yilou's despicable nature.
Qin Chong regarded him as a close friend, but what did Qin Chong mean to him?
When Qin Chong resolutely decided to seek justice for himself, Wei Jin knew that it was time for Gu Yilou to make her appearance.
Qin Zhong is a great general who stands tall and upright. Even when faced with danger, he silently swallows the bitter pill alone. Objectively speaking, Li Mobei is really good at acting. He portrays Qin Zhong, a character with a tough exterior but tender heart, in a very delicate way.
Once this kind of person trusts someone, that trust lasts a lifetime—just like his trust in Gu Yilou.
Without hesitation, Qin Zhong went to find Gu Yilou immediately.
It was a bright, sunny day when Qin Chong was welcomed into the Gu family mansion by a servant.
Now the whole capital knows that General Qin has suffered a misfortune. Qin Zhong is also disheartened. He came to find Gu Yilou this time, prepared to be rejected. Now almost everyone in the capital avoids him. He has experienced the coldness of human nature.
Footsteps could be heard in the distance.
A figure slowly appeared under a peach tree.
The newcomer was dressed in a light blue robe, walked slowly, and was rather thin. When the wind blew, the outline of his arms was revealed—Gu Yilou was indeed thinner than the average person.
When Gu Yilou's face came into view, Wei Jin's eyes lit up.
Gu Yilou in the shot is clearly the image of a handsome young man.
Lin Yuan's sunny disposition wasn't very evident at this moment.
Qin Zhong needed help and thought Gu Yilou would refuse, but Gu Yilou responded sincerely.
When Lin Yuan and Li Mobei's faces appeared on the screen at the same time, Wei Jin immediately understood why Qin Zhong had been deceived.
Gu Yilou seems too sincere.
How could Qin Zhong not believe those sincere eyes?
The peach blossoms were enchanting, and for Qin Zhong at this moment, Gu Yilou, standing beneath them, was his savior.
Gu Yilou was being fake all along, but Qin Zhong only realized it at the very end because Gu Yilou acted too convincingly.
Wei Jin's strongest feeling at this moment was that Lin Yuan was too photogenic, or perhaps the director's camera was too fond of him.
Half of it is the red of peach blossoms, and the other half is a pale and sincere young man under the tree.
Seeing this scene, Wei Jin even felt that for Qin Zhong in the movie "Thousand Mountains", Gu Yilou's face at this moment was probably already engraved into an important moment in his life.
Lin Yuan's first appearance was much better than Wei Jin had imagined; at least Gu Yilou was lively and not stiff.
Of course, it's possible that Lin Yuan is better at portraying the sunny side of a character, but Gu Yilou's true nature is not like that. Can Lin Yuan continue to play the role well?
Wei Jin's thought had only flashed through his mind for a second when he suddenly froze.
The moment Qin Chong turned around, Gu Yilou glanced at him.
Qin Zhong turned around resolutely, naturally unable to see Gu Yilou's gaze.
The clarity and sincerity had long since vanished; what Gu Yilou saw now was pure indifference—the contrast between the moment before and the present was too stark. Even though they were still under the peach blossom tree, Wei Jin felt as if the sunlight had dimmed.
Gu Yilou's eyes were like unfocused black holes, containing not even hatred, just pure darkness.
He was like a dark shadow, impervious to even the brightest light.
Director Qin Panyun said that Lin Yuan was a pleasant surprise for the crew.
Wei and Jin refused to believe this statement until this moment.
Wei Jin recalled that when he read the original work of "A Thousand Mountains", the author commented on Gu Yilou, saying that the emotions experienced by this character were like water slipping through one's fingers, which could never be retained.
This person is terrifying.
...
After Gu Yilou's appearance, the plot of "Thousand Mountains" continues. Qin Zhong encounters many setbacks, and many things that could have been accomplished according to plan always encounter obstacles.
Gu Yilou's involvement was certainly part of this.
When Gu Yilou first appeared, the long shot gave Wei Jin more confidence in his portrayal of Lin Yuan. After that, whether it was Gu Yilou flattering the prince, colluding with powerful eunuchs, or pretending to be a good person to comfort Qin Zhong, Wei Jin couldn't help but sigh.
Each aspect reveals the complexity of the character Gu Yilou.
The more times Gu Yilou appeared, the more terrifying he found him.
The scheming behind his words and laughter, the pretense when comforting Qin Zhong—at one point, he even put his arm around Qin Zhong's shoulder to comfort him.
In the shot, the two are in the light and in the shadows. Gu Yilou is naturally in the shadows, like a snake tightly coiled around Qin Zhong, exuding a chilling aura.
Qin Zhong couldn't see it, but the viewers facing the screen could.
When faced with Gu Yilou's eerie demeanor, Wei Jin, as a viewer, even felt the pressure.
But Heaven ultimately protected Qin Zhong. He met partners willing to gather information for him and strangers willing to help him unconditionally—this was what Gu Yilou envied most.
He seemed to have everything, but he couldn't get anything he wanted, while Qin Zhong easily got everything he desired.
He tried every means to put the other party in a desperate situation, but even in the most desperate situation, Qin Chong was still able to survive.
Gu Yilou was considered a close friend by Qin Zhong, but even without him, Qin Zhong still had people to help him.
Gu Yilou was ultimately dispensable.
As the plot unfolds, Gu Yilou's true colors are finally revealed to Qin Zhong.
To be honest, after watching the previous episodes, Wei Jin felt that Lin Yuan's performance was very close to Gu Yilou's, much better than he had imagined.
However, when Lin Yuan's true colors were revealed, Wei Jin could only say that he far exceeded his expectations.
Lin Yuan and Li Mobei have several scenes together in the movie, but objectively speaking, they have never had a direct and intense confrontation.
But this scene—
One is the ultimate form of anger, the betrayed.
The other one—the angrier Qin Chong was, the more nonchalant Gu Yilou appeared.
The clash between these two emotions will not give people the feeling that Li Mobei has the upper hand over Lin Yuan; it will only make people feel that Qin Zhong's intense emotions have been lightly dissolved by Gu Yilou.
One is the extreme of heat, and the other is the extreme of cold.
Gu Yilou's smile was undisguised, and coupled with his lines, it only made people feel endless absurdity—the mask of the noble young master was removed, and the real Gu Yilou was a cruel snake.
He reminisces about moments that push people to despair, from which he draws excitement.
He lacked any normal human emotions. Perhaps he once wanted to possess them, but ultimately found that he couldn't hold onto them at all.
“Right here, they knelt down and begged me. Once you’ve experienced that feeling of having someone in your hands, you can never let go.”
At this point in the story, Wei Jin even felt that Gu Yilou's voice was terrifying.
It was the same person, the same frail body. The night wind howled, yet within that frail shell lay a power that no one could control.
Rampant and cruel.
“Speaking of which, Uncle Qin also died here.” Gu Yilou paused, looking at Qin Zhong.
"Don't mention my father!"
"How wonderful, even on his deathbed he was still thinking of you. He had no idea why I hated you, he thought it was because of him. He begged me to let you go, but unfortunately you can't see it..."
Overwhelmed with excitement, Gu Yilou's gaze even became somewhat unfocused for a moment.
He's a madman, a complete madman.
Because Gu Yilou was too crazy, when he faced Qin Zhong, his aura even overwhelmed Qin Zhong.
Wei Jin didn't blink, unwilling to miss the moment of their duel.
Now he has no doubts at all.
If he were the director, he would definitely choose Lin Yuan as well.
Who would believe it? Lin Yuan, with his sunny and cheerful appearance, can portray the sinister character of Gu Yilou so perfectly.
Wei Jin recalled the photos of Lin Yuan's real life that he had seen before—there was not a trace of Gu Yilou in them.
Bright and optimistic yet aggressive, kangaroo type.
This person is terrifying.
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Author's Note: Update, Chapter 1 [shrug][shrug]
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