With his previous successes, Zhuang Sheng became synonymous with good movies.
Therefore, even though it's a campus romance film that's been criticized by the public as the "king of melodramatic and terrible movies," people are still willing to look forward to it because of its reputation.
Of course, there are also many people who hate her so much they're itching to see her fail.
But these people are destined to be disappointed.
To paraphrase Fu Gui: "My sister An An will have a mishap? Impossible, absolutely impossible."
A year later, the movie "The Youth" was released amidst great anticipation.
Before the film's release, Fugui was a little worried: "Sister An'an, will 'The Youth' really be a hit? Will it be a bit bland?"
In her view, this was just the most ordinary and authentic youth of a young boy and girl, pure and innocent to the extreme.
They would blush if they met in the hallway or even just glanced at each other unintentionally.
Qi An smiled confidently: "Of course it will. Trust me, campus films don't need any kissing, hugging, or melodramatic scenes. Just the word 'normal' is enough to touch the heart."
"Do you know why even dogs shook their heads when they watched those old school movies?"
Fu Gui shook his head: "Why?"
Qi An looked at her dog shaking its head, a smile in his eyes: "Because there's no sense of empathy, no way to connect with the situation."
Among the masses, how many people have such a spectacular youth?
For most people, youth is like a glass of bland water, plagued by heavy academic burdens and acne.
The person you like is like an orange candy that has fallen into plain water, a cool breeze on a hot summer day, or the most beautiful scenery in a dull and confusing life.
It is the brightest color in youth.
An uncertain future begins to feel anticipated, simply because this person is in every imagined future.
This person is youth itself.
Fu Gui scratched his head, seemingly understanding but not quite: "Sister An'an, I have a question. You know, you're so knowledgeable, why are you still single?"
The smile in Qi An's eyes froze instantly.
She gritted her teeth and said in a friendly tone, "I didn't hear your question clearly, please say it again."
Fu Gui shuddered, his survival instinct kicking in: "Haha, Sister An'an, I mean, your spirit seems to have gotten stronger recently. Do you have any tips?"
Qi An: "...Because I don't have a boyfriend."
Fu Gui: "..."
I'm outta here, I'm so vengeful.
The movie was released as scheduled.
Then……
Boss Qi was right, it exploded again.
"Holy crap, does anyone in the family understand this? I can't believe I've seen such a normal school film in my lifetime!"
"My friends and I were stunned. Abortion, car accident, and arrest—not a single one of them got away with it. Is this still the kind of domestic campus film I know?"
"This is what teenage love is all about! Just having their names side by side can make them happy all day. Who cares about all that other stuff? Is it because they don't have enough homework or the functions aren't difficult enough?"
"Damn, I feel like I'm seeing myself in this. I'm not going to say anything more. I'm going to play it again with my wife. By the way, my wife is the girl who sat in front of me."
"Get out of here, upstairs! Waaah, I've lost my youth. There will never be anyone who likes me as simply as she did."
"Honestly, this is Xiao Nuo's best acting ever. His smile is absolutely captivating. However, the female lead is the real star. Her blushing scenes are absolutely amazing."
...
Online and among people around us in real life, we see and hear discussions about this movie everywhere.
After all, everyone has a youth.
The top trending topic is #OpenYourEyesAndLook,ThisIsOurYouth!#
Xiao Nuo finally made headlines not for her looks or scandals, but for her acting skills, and Lan Xi became the best representative of campus first love.
The box office can't compare to patriotic films, since the audience for campus films is relatively small, consisting mainly of teenagers and young people reminiscing about the past.
However, it won the Qixi Festival box office champion as soon as it was released, becoming the dark horse of the year.
It set a benchmark for subsequent domestic campus films.
Thanks to this movie, Xiao Nuo finally shed the label of "pretty face with no substance" and officially entered the ranks of actors.
Lanxi's spirited performance in the film earned her the Best Newcomer Award, transforming her from an unknown nobody into a star.
Lanxi held the trophy, her little face streaked with tears.
It wasn't until he stepped off the podium that he saw his agent, Sister Wu, patting her chest with lingering fear.
Sister Wu whispered, "Oh my god, that's terrifying. I just heard some news, do you know He Fei?"
Lanxi clenched her fists nervously: "...I know, what happened to him?"
“He also auditioned last year. I thought he was quite suitable to play the male lead, but Director Zhuang rejected him for some inexplicable reason. I felt a little sorry for him.”
Sister Wu patted her chest: "Now, I really admire Director Zhuang's judgment. If we had chosen him, we wouldn't have won any awards, we would be crying right now."
Lanxi's throat tightened: "What happened to him?"
"He gambled away a lot of money and borrowed a lot of money from loan sharks. He couldn't pay it back, so his hand was chopped off by debt collectors. He was also found to be a drug user and has been detained."
Sister Wu said thankfully, "Luckily, Director Zhuang has a keen eye for talent, otherwise the movie would have been a flop."
Lanxi breathed a sigh of relief, feeling as if the heavy stone that had been weighing on her heart for over a year had finally been lifted, and she felt extremely relaxed.
This is such good news, even happier than winning an award.
"Sister Wu, let's have hot pot tonight to celebrate. Let's invite Director Zhuang and Sister Fugui too."
Sister Wu was in a good mood at the moment, so she simply said, "Okay."
Before Lanxi could even feel happy, she heard her say, "Let's indulge ourselves one last time today, and start dieting tomorrow."
Don't think I don't know you've been secretly eating snail rice noodles with Director Zhuang and Fugui lately. Look how round your face has become.
Lanxi touched her face: "..."
"oh."
At this moment, the host asked Qi An, "Let's interview Director Zhuang. What are your thoughts on the popularity of 'The Youth'?"
Upon hearing that her idol was about to speak, Lanxi quickly turned to look at Qi An.
The host joked, "After all, everyone knows that campus films haven't been very well received in recent years. Let's learn from Director Zhuang."
A round of enthusiastic applause erupted in the stadium, and everyone looked toward the center of the front row of the audience.
—Zhuang Sheng, the most sought-after and talented female director in the entertainment industry today, an industry benchmark, and a mirror reflecting the true nature of the entertainment world.
Qi An took the microphone: "Thank you all for your support. To be honest, the filming was just average, and it only got better because of the comparison with other films."
host:"……"
Colleague: "..."
That's really... the truth.
Who can blame them for being so capable? Speaking such blunt truths is called being frank and sincere.
There was a moment of silence, followed by thunderous applause.
Afterwards, Qi An said to Fu Gui, "Zhuang Sheng is still a bit short of being a famous director. I've decided to make an epic masterpiece, the kind that no one can surpass for the next hundred years."
Fu Gui became interested: "Sister An'an, what big production is it? Let me see the script."
Qi An smiled mysteriously and pointed to his head: "The script is here. It's based on a true story, and the filming will be absolutely stunning."
"Go and invite a friend over for me first."
"Who is it?"
"Our protagonist, Ying Zheng."
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