Chapter 411 (Combined with Chapter 411)
411:
"That's right!" Tao Tao said. "The movie's already finished filming, so there's not much we can do to help. All we can do is try to maximize its box office success."
He Lei agreed, saying, "Okay, okay, I agree."
Yang Shu said, "I can too."
Zhang Ning: [Then I can do it even better.]
Tao Tao: [Then let's discuss this. Let's not let Ye Qingxi and Huo Zinan know yet.]
"Mmm," He Lei echoed.
On July 6th, "Midsummer" was officially released amidst the sweltering summer heat.
The movie quickly went viral on social media upon its release.
Summer vacation is a great time for students to have a break.
Youth films are one of the most popular film genres among students.
Therefore, the first audience for the film "Midsummer" was students.
These high school and college students all gave the film extremely high praise after watching it.
The reason is simple: Huo Zinan is just too handsome in this drama, his character is just too good, and Ye Qingxi filmed the whole story so beautifully and heartwarmingly.
Wow! It's been so long since I've seen such a refreshing and natural coming-of-age film!
[Ahhhhh, Huo Zinan is so handsome! Was he this handsome before? How come he's so handsome in this drama?!]
[I have to say, the male lead's character is really great! After watching it, I even want a boyfriend like him!]
[Wow, it's so good! It makes me want to fall in love!]
Ye Qingxi really knows how to direct! The atmosphere, the camera work—I'm falling for the male lead, let alone the female lead!
The overall color tone of the movie is so refreshing, it feels so summery!
I already want to watch it a second time!
Ye Qingxi breathed a sigh of relief as she read the comments from netizens.
The reviews from this group of moviegoers are the most important, because their feedback will greatly influence viewers who haven't seen the film yet.
Positive reviews can pique the curiosity of viewers who were previously uninterested.
However, a terrible reputation can deter viewers who were initially interested.
Fortunately, so far the reviews are mostly positive.
As Ye Qingxi was looking at it, she saw that Tao Tao had posted a Weibo post.
Escape is inevitable: [What to watch in the height of summer? Of course, you have to watch "Midsummer"! I watched it this morning, and director @YeQingxi did a fantastic job! The cinematography is simply superb. No wonder he's the man who's always left me far behind since childhood!]
The accompanying images are his movie ticket stub and a photo of him at the cinema.
Ye Qingxi was somewhat surprised when he saw Tao Tao's Weibo post. He wasn't surprised that Tao Tao went to the movies—after all, Tao Tao had said before that he would go—but he was surprised that Tao Tao had actually posted about it on Weibo.
It's worth noting that Tao Tao and his group have basically faded from the public eye since filming the variety show.
Although all of them except He Lei and Huo Zinan are second-generation stars, Tao Tao, Zhang Ning, and Yang Shu clearly have no interest in this field, so they did not expose their private lives during their upbringing.
Now, Tao Tao has actually posted his own photo on Weibo, which will undoubtedly spark discussion among netizens.
Sure enough, it didn't take long for netizens to find him there.
Looking at his photo, everyone exclaimed in surprise: "Tao Tao???"
【Holy crap! It's Tao Tao?!】
[Tao Tao himself.]
Tao Tao replied: 【Mm.】
Netizens: !!!
You actually went to see Ye Qingxi's movie?!
[My God, it's the premiere!]
[Waaaa, Tao Tao, I watched you when you were little.]
Tao Tao, you've actually lost weight! You haven't gotten any less attractive! My goodness!
Tao Tao: ? ? ? How can you talk like that?!
Why did he have to grow up to be ugly?!
Seeing that he interacted naturally with netizens and didn't seem to care that they had discovered his ordinary Weibo account was actually run by Tao Tao himself, Ye Qingxi replied: 【Thank you.】
Tao Tao: [You're welcome, Director Ye, you're amazing!]
Upon seeing this, netizens were once again moved.
[After all these years, you two have actually interacted again!]
[Ahhh, the variety show I watched before has received a follow-up update!]
[Does anyone understand, family? It feels like I've been transported back to that summer all over again.]
His words seemed to transport everyone back to their childhood.
Immediately, netizens began reminiscing again.
#TaoTaoYeQingxi# has once again become a trending topic.
Over the years, Ye Qingxi has remained relatively active in the public eye, but Tao Tao has hardly made any appearances since.
Therefore, upon seeing this, everyone exclaimed in surprise: "Tao Tao, you've gotten so thin!"
【Tao Tao, how did you lose weight?!】
Wow! No wonder they say fat people are all diamonds in the rough! Tao Tao, you're amazing!
Tao Tao: ...Is it possible that I posted on Weibo not to ask you guys to praise me for losing weight?
Tao Tao helplessly posted another Weibo message: "How I lost weight isn't important. What's important is that @YeQingxi and @HuoZinan's movie is currently showing. Retweet this post, and 150 people will be randomly selected to go see the movie."
Ye Qingxi: !!
Everyone: !!!
[President Tao is so generous!]
[As expected of Tao Tao, of course I think you and Xiao Xi are the cutest among all the children!]
【Me too! 】
Tao Tao and Ye Qingxi were also the best of friends back then.
"That's right, Tao Tao used to always hang out with Ye Qingxi!"
[Waaaaah, I knew our first season of "Look the Daddy" had great team spirit! Ye Qingxi and Huo Zinan were filming a movie, and Tao Tao helped them promote it. What else could this be but friendship?]
That's true, this is Tao Tao's first public appearance in so many years.
[Stop talking, I'll watch, I'll watch, okay?!]
I want to go see it too.
Netizens discussed it extensively, and #YeQingxi'sSummer# naturally became a trending topic again.
Many netizens were suddenly reminded of what they were like as children, and also of the time they spent watching variety shows back then.
As netizens were still reflecting, they noticed that He Lei had also posted a Weibo post.
When He Lei was young, she wanted to enter the entertainment industry as a child star and child model. However, after experiencing He Yao's situation on a variety show, He's parents realized that people like them, who had no power, influence, or background, were powerless when faced with a star like He Yao, let alone other situations.
If He Yao hadn't been forced to leave the show, they would have continued to watch their daughter record variety shows with him, and continue to watch their daughter feel wronged, but they were powerless to do anything about it.
He Lei's parents wanted her to become a child star simply because they thought their daughter was cute.
Essentially, they love He Lei.
So after some thought, they decided to retire gracefully.
After participating in variety shows and reaching the peak of her fame and popularity, He Lei filmed several TV dramas before giving up her career as a celebrity and returning to a normal life.
He Lei didn't feel any regret about it.
For her, being a celebrity has its advantages, and not being a celebrity has its advantages, and she can accept either.
Therefore, He Lei has not appeared in public much over the years.
Now, He Lei suddenly posted on Weibo to promote Ye Qingxi, which surprised everyone.
She clearly wanted to protect her privacy, so she used her own Weibo side account.
This alternate account usually only posts photos of cats, dogs, flowers, and plants. Suddenly, it posted her photos, and it was immediately noticed by people who had been following her.
It immediately became a trending topic.
Netizens commented, "Leilei has grown so much!"
[Ahhh, so cute! Leilei is just as adorable as she was when she was little!]
[Leilei even promoted Xiaoxi's product! Waaaaah, does anyone understand? Oh my god!]
I understand, I understand! My heart is melting!
【That's right, our Leilei really liked Xiaoxi when she was little!】
When they were little, Xiaoxi often helped Leilei!
【Leilei, come back, Mommy misses you!】
[Yeah, Leilei is so cute, why doesn't she continue acting?]
Ye Qingxi was surprised that she had also posted on Weibo, and quickly replied: 【Thank you.】
He Lei said: "You're welcome, the movie was really well made! I loved it!"
Netizens quickly commented: "Leilei, haven't you considered collaborating with Xiaoxi?"
[Exactly! Huo Zinan filmed with Xiao Xi, Leilei, you can too!]
He Lei replied: 【Let's watch this movie first ^_^】
[Watch this carefully!] A former internet celebrity mom commented: [Mom's going to buy tickets right now!]
I never dreamed that a variety show I followed more than ten years ago would have so many after-sales issues now!
Following He Lei, netizens discovered that Yang Shu had booked a whole theater for Ye Qingxi's movie, and Zhang Ning even recorded a video to support Ye Qingxi.
【Oh my god, what day is it today?! They've all shown up!】
[Of course, it's the day "Midsummer" is released! Our "Look the Daddy" Season 1 was just that harmonious! So full of team spirit!]
[So touching! It's so sweet that they're still friends!]
[Enough said, everyone, I'm giving it my all just for this team spirit!]
[I'm going too! I really loved them when they were little!]
Although I lost touch with my friend, the child I watched grow up is doing well with his friends! That's wonderful!
Wishing everyone well, eternal youth, and everlasting friendship!
That's right, may our friendship last forever!
And so, with the help of Tao Tao, He Lei, Yang Shu, and Zhang Ning, netizens successfully reminisced about the past, and clips from "Look the Daddy" were unearthed again. Everyone watched and laughed while buying tickets.
Some netizens who were not interested in "Midsummer" before couldn't help but catch up on the variety show after watching the clips of Ye Qingxi and the others when they were young. They then became fans of Ye Qingxi and started buying tickets.
Some netizens who didn't know what movie to watch bought tickets for Ye Qingxi's movie after seeing everyone discussing her.
Some netizens, who are completely out of touch with reality, were curious to see Ye Qingxi's movie, which has actually been released, and wanted to check it out.
And so, "Midsummer" ushered in its first peak in ticket sales.
After this group of viewers entered the theater, the word-of-mouth for "Midsummer" really took off!
Unlike the typical "good girl x school bully" trope found in most youth films, Ye Qingxi made a change in the scriptwriting of "Midsummer".
He transformed the rebellious youth into the female lead, while the male lead was portrayed as a seemingly aloof but actually gentle academic genius.
However, as the story unfolds, everyone discovers that the reason the female protagonist is rebellious is because she has no one to rely on and can only pretend to be rebellious in appearance and personality to protect herself.
It wasn't that she didn't want to sit in the classroom and study like everyone else; she simply had no choice, she wasn't entitled to.
The male protagonist helps her time and time again, leading her out of the mire.
"Why did you help me?" the female protagonist asked him.
The male protagonist was silent for a moment, then said to her, "Because you are not like that."
The female lead was stunned for a moment.
The male protagonist didn't say anything more and turned to leave.
Much later, the female protagonist discovered that they actually knew each other.
They've known each other since elementary school.
Back then, the male protagonist liked reading but didn't like talking. A man he disliked would deliberately ask, "Are you mute?"
The male protagonist ignored him.
The female protagonist angrily shouted back at the other person, "You're not mute, you're a loudspeaker, a megaphone!"
She angrily argued with the other person, and after she finished, she went to the male protagonist and said to him, "Don't pay attention to him. That's how you read. My mother said you can't talk while reading. But reading is very good. My mother loves reading, and she tells me to read more books too."
After she finished speaking, she waved the "Selected Essays by Elementary School Students" in her hand, "I'm going to read this today."
Back then, she was bright, cute, brave, confident, and had excellent grades. Her teachers and classmates all liked her very much.
Now, she has become a troublesome rebellious teenager.
He had long forgotten about this elementary school classmate who had only been in the same class with him for a year before transferring schools.
But the male protagonist remembers her.
I don't think she should live such a hopeless life.
So he reached out his hand time and time again, pulling her back to the original path of her life.
At the end of the movie, the female lead still didn't do well on the exam. She had neglected her studies for too long and couldn't catch up quickly. However, she was not discouraged. She said firmly, "Wait for me. I will repeat a year and I will definitely come to find you next year. Even if we don't go to the same university, we will be in the same university town."
"Okay," the male protagonist replied.
The female lead looked at him, her eyes sparkling.
She tiptoed and kissed the male lead on the cheek, saying shyly, "Then it's settled, it's a deal."
After saying that, she turned and ran away, feeling a little embarrassed.
After she stopped, she found an unread message on her phone.
The female protagonist clicked on it with a puzzled look; it was sent by the male protagonist.
He said: "It's a deal."
After that, Ye Qingxi skillfully used poetic shots to quickly flash through her year.
Another summer has arrived, and another year's college entrance examination has come to an end.
The female protagonist received her university acceptance letter.
She happily ran downstairs to the male protagonist's house and told him the good news.
The summer breeze blew by, making her smile bloom like a flower, and even making the person she liked smile unconsciously.
They walked side by side under the shade of the trees.
Towards their bright and sunny future.
There wasn't much melodrama or painful plot twists. From beginning to end, the male lead trusted the female lead and kept trying to get her back on track.
The female protagonist, despite experiencing family upheavals and feeling the pain from her family, has always faced life with great strength and tried her best to protect herself.
She built a thick shell when she knew she had no one to rely on, but when she felt warmth, she slowly revealed her soft heart layer by layer.
Their relationship was always warm and gentle.
Netizens have had enough of the angst of youth, so seeing a movie that is not only not painful but also quite healing makes them feel warm.
Shang Song is so good! He's definitely the best male lead I've ever seen in all the youth films I've watched!
[That's right, that's right, he saw Yang Yao fall asleep in the middle of the night, and wanted to kiss her but couldn't quite manage it! It's just too much!]
Shang Song is the male lead played by Huo Zinan.
Yang Yao is the female lead played by Du Xiang.
[Ahhh, that scene is absolutely stunning! Ye Qingxi is such a great photographer!]
[Absolutely! The lighting, the atmosphere, the ambiance—I can't take it anymore, I want to watch it again!]
I've watched it three times already, I can't stop watching, it's so addictive!
[Who can argue with that! This screenwriter is absolutely brilliant, simply amazing!]
So who is the screenwriter?
Who else could it be? Of course, it's Ye Qingxi!
Netizens: !!!
Netizens took a closer look at the cast and crew list after the movie ended.
Well, the director is Ye Qingxi, the screenwriter is Ye Qingxi, the music director is Ye Qingxi, and even the theme song is Ye Qingxi!
Is Ye Qingxi taking on too much?
[Wow! I was shocked when I saw this! Ye Qingxi, why didn't you play the male lead too?]
Although Huo Zinan acted quite well, I'm also curious how Ye Qingxi would have acted.
Needless to say, with his acting skills, there's absolutely no problem.
But Huo Zinan acted very well too!
Huo Zinan did act well, but Ye Qingxi's performance was more impressive. I don't usually see him this handsome.
[Yes, yes, yes! Although Huo Zinan is quite handsome, he's absolutely stunning in the movie!! A total heartthrob! An absolute heartthrob!]
Ye Qingxi is really good at filming! Du Xiang is also prettier than her previous roles!
[I have to say, Director Ye is awesome! Director Ye, you're really suited to be a director!]
Ye Qingxi laughed as she looked at the endless stream of comments from netizens.
With such positive word-of-mouth, the box office of "Midsummer" continued to rise.
As the film's box office soared, the number of viewers surged, and word-of-mouth and reviews soared, two songs sung by Ye Qingxi and Mu Shaoting also topped the charts on various music platforms.
As more and more people listened, some gradually began to appreciate its meaning.
[This...this style...it's so similar to Murong Qing's!]
[Holy crap, now that you mention it, it does look somewhat similar!]
"Doesn't seem like it?" someone asked doubtfully.
[They look alike! As a die-hard fan of Murong Qing, I can say they really do.]
Indeed, especially their lyric-writing styles, they are almost identical.
But the lyrics and music are by Ye Qingxi, right?
[Ye Qingxi can also write lyrics and compose music?] Netizens who don't follow him are shocked. [He's not only an actor, singer, director, screenwriter, and music director, but he can also write lyrics and compose music?]
Netizens: ...Wow, without us even realizing it, he already has so many identities!
They all thrived! Very well done!
That's really impressive!
[Ye Qingxi is truly an all-rounder!] Netizens exclaimed.
Haters who disliked him immediately jumped up and down, saying: "Is he really that good? Impossible! Being a director is one thing, but writing his own lyrics and music? Did he really write all that himself?"
Long before, after someone pointed out that Ye Qingxi's songwriting style resembled Murong Qing, some people had this question. However, since they had watched her grow up, they didn't say anything despite their doubts.
Now that someone has suddenly spoken up for them, many people are eagerly awaiting the answer.
To be honest, it's true. Who can direct, act, write lyrics, and compose music all at the same time? Directing is one thing—many actors turn to directing—but what actor writes lyrics and composes music all at the same time?
But Ye Qingxi is also a singer, and a disciple of Master Kang.
[That's not usually Ke Kang's style.] Someone said, [Besides, there aren't many singers who can compose songs, yet he can write both songs and lyrics?]
[The main issue is that his style is just too similar; even if Murong Qing himself wrote it, it would be about the same.]
But he couldn't have plagiarized, could he? I don't believe he's that kind of person!
I also think that given the relationship between Murong Qing and Mu Shaoting, Ye Qingxi wouldn't plagiarize.
What happened? Murong Qing gave Ye Qingxi the lyrics and music he had written and asked him to sign them?
【But Ye Qingxi can't really sign it! That's inappropriate!】
[The main issue is that he was already the director of the film, so there was absolutely no need for him to plagiarize the songs or credit them. What good would it do besides causing himself trouble?]
[It increases attention, look at how the discussion has gone up again.]
Mu Shaoting: ...
Mu Shaoting felt that these haters were everywhere.
Mu Shaoting has been following this matter ever since Ye Qingxi's movie was released.
Initially, she wanted to help promote Ye Qingxi.
Ye Qingxi objected: "Auntie, you've already sung the theme song for me, that's the best publicity."
Mu Shaoting: ? ? ?
"What kind of advertising is this?"
Mu Shaoting: "I definitely have to help you post on Weibo, retweet for a giveaway, book out a venue, and get my friends to promote it for you too. That's what promotion is all about."
Ye Qingxi: ...
This is what Ye Qingxi is afraid of.
He asked, "Auntie, haven't you noticed that my dad hasn't posted on Weibo?"
Mu Shaoting: ? ? ?
Mu Shaoting: !!!
To Mu Shaoting's surprise, it was true!
What's going on?!
Mu Shaoting asked, puzzled, "What happened to your dad? Did he forget?"
That shouldn't be the case.
"Of course not," Ye Qingxi said. "I told him not to promote it for me."
He said, "I want to see what kind of results I can achieve on my own."
His father was once a top celebrity and later a movie star. Even though he has faded out of the entertainment industry, he still has his own fans and connections.
Once he posts on Weibo, many people will forward and promote it.
That's no problem, of course, but Ye Qingxi still wanted to see his own strength.
So he specifically prevented Mu Shaowu from posting on Weibo.
Mu Shaowu was extremely depressed about this.
What is this?!
The son finally got to make a movie, but he won't let his dad help promote it?!
Is this appropriate?!
But what could Mu Shaowu say?
He didn't want his precious son to be accused of relying on his father's fame when the movie was successful.
So Mu Shaowu smiled and said, "No problem."
Behind the scenes, he gave each employee at the Mu Group headquarters four movie tickets, saying that single people could watch it four times, couples could watch it twice, and if their families didn't mind, a family of four could also watch it.
Employee: ...That doesn't seem like a good idea.
The employee silently accepted the movie ticket, deciding to watch it with his partner/friend.
"So, Aunt, please don't help me promote this yet. Let me see what kind of achievements I can make on my own," Ye Qingxi said.
Looking at him, Mu Shaoting felt as if she were seeing her former self, so she didn't insist anymore and agreed.
But things are different now! Mu Shaoting thought that she could choose not to help with the publicity, but she certainly couldn't ignore the rumors about Ye Qingxi!
So Mu Shaoting directly emailed Murong Qing, asking: "Can I tell everyone that Xiao Xi is your unofficial disciple? Your precious apprentice is being smeared!"
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