The mute woman was both his success and his downfall.
Chien Hsiao-Chun, a complete novice screenwriter with no formal training, achieved phenomenal success with her first script sale, earning 100 million yuan at the box office and winning the Best Newcomer Award, Best Editing Award, and a Best Actress nomination at the Film Awards.
For a young man in his early twenties, this is quite a glamorous situation.
Like many young people who achieve fame at a young age, Jian Xiaojun became arrogant.
"I had just graduated then, and 'The Mute Woman' was a huge success. Relatives, friends, and people from all around knew that I was a cultured person who had written a film that grossed 100 million yuan."
"A box office of 100 million! This is a number that people in our village have never even dreamed of."
"However, the script for 'The Mute Woman' was bought out by Qingping Entertainment. Although the box office reached 100 million, it actually had nothing to do with me."
"I was very resentful, and I thought to myself that I must write a better script, and this time I can't sell it cheaply again. If possible, it would be best not to buy it outright, but to split the profits..."
Jian Xiaojun recounted her situation over the past two years in fits and starts.
Shang Yechu listened quietly, her thoughts involuntarily drifting to Yang Huanyi. In just two years, Yang Huanyi had become noticeably more haggard and aged considerably. Shang Yechu liked to kiss the wrinkles around her eyes and the fine lines on her neck—Yang Huanyi's haggardness was due to the physical strain of childbirth at an advanced age, but why was Jian Xiaojun aging so quickly?
Jian Xiaojun said dejectedly, "So, after graduation, I didn't look for a job. Instead, I stayed at home writing screenplays. I wrote one after another and submitted them everywhere. Every time I submitted one, I didn't forget to attach the illustrious resume of 'The Mute Woman'."
Shang Yechu snapped out of her thoughts and patted Jian Xiaojun's hand reassuringly.
"I thought that since my script had won awards, all the big companies in the entertainment industry would be scrambling to buy my scripts."
"But I was wrong. Nobody wanted my scripts; they were rejected time and time again. Quite a few people did contact me, but not for my scripts. They asked if I could get in touch with you, Gu Wenhua, or Boss Ji."
"I stayed home and wrote a script for six months, but I didn't earn a single penny. My parents were getting more and more dissatisfied with me and were urging me to go out and find a job."
"But how could I be willing to give up? I'm the author of 'The Mute Woman'!"
Jian Xiaojun angrily tore open the snack gift bag, pulled out a packet of dried meat, tore off a piece, and stuffed it into her mouth. At this moment, she was somewhat like her old self.
"Later, Tianding Entertainment held a script competition. The first prize was 500,000 yuan. I thought I'd give it one last shot, so I wrote a script and submitted it."
"A scriptwriting competition?" Shang Yechu's expression turned somewhat unpleasant. She couldn't recall any good scripts standing out in this competition. In the past two years, Tianding Entertainment hadn't produced any particularly popular works, except for a string of scandal-ridden celebrities who were infamous far and wide.
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