Cheng Yanxin's fingers gently touched the half-pack of cigarettes.
She remembered Zhou Hanchen smoking. He leaned against a streetlamp, smoke curling between his fingers. His glasses obscured his eyes, but when he looked up and saw her, the joy that burst forth in his eyes was greater than any star in the sky.
Cheng Yanxin lowered her head, as if she had sunk into darkness.
She opened the cigarette pack with trembling hands, took out a cigarette, and put it between her lips. However, she couldn't light it after several attempts. The faint glow of the match swept across her face, as if one could glimpse the fear and regret that this legendary beauty had never shown before.
She was, after all, just a mortal. As death approached, she couldn't help but show the emotions of a mortal, but these emotions were too fleeting, like the instant a match lights up and goes out, so fast that one might think it was an illusion.
But astute film critics noticed the strong sense of disbelief that arose in their hearts.
This scene wasn't edited; the camera was fixed on Cheng Yanxin's face without even changing the angle. These complex and difficult emotional changes were all accomplished by the actress herself—what incredible acting skills!
She didn't say a word, yet she drew all the audience members into that somber atmosphere, and low sobs could be heard from the audience seats.
Finally, a match lit the cigarette, and the faint light fell on Cheng Yanxin's face.
She didn't smoke, but stared blankly into space, lost in thought. Suddenly, a smile appeared in her eyes. She took the cigarette from her lips, leaving a smudge of rouge on the cigarette holder.
She smiled gently and placed the cigarette on the inkstone.
The camera pans, and through the firelight, she can be vaguely seen walking out of the room. Outside, the sound of military boots clashing on the ground and the clanging of guns can be heard.
And that little spark of light gradually dimmed.
Cheng Yanxin's death was filmed with extreme restraint, as if the director couldn't bear to see such a beautiful woman die under the guns of the Japanese army. However, this ambiguity allowed the audience to better appreciate the profound sorrow behind this history.
When the darkness receded again, it was Zhou Hanchen, now aged, sitting in a courtyard bathed in the bright spring sunshine, where the sounds of children laughing and playing could be faintly heard.
His expression was serene, even carrying a hint of a smile. He murmured, "Finally, we're liberated. I don't know if you saw it, but it's alright, I saw this day for you..."
The camera zooms out, and the intense sunlight falls on the spot next to him, seemingly converging into a graceful figure.
At the same time, the end credits began to play, and the cast and crew credits appeared on the screen.
The audience then came to their senses, many wiping away tears in a daze. Then, the entire theater erupted in thunderous applause.
The applause lasted for a full minute.
This is the highest praise for the entire cast and crew.
Director Xie wiped his eyes and led the main cast and crew onto the stage to be interviewed by reporters.
Reporters eagerly thrust their microphones forward. Both the quality of the film and the audience's reaction have proven its success. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, this will be the best film in China this year.
Besides the reporters, the film critics at the scene were also very excited. Many of them had already posted brief reviews on their Weibo accounts, all of which were positive.
Some film critics have already boldly predicted that "Red Singer" will gross over four billion yuan, becoming another representative work of director Xie.
The cast and crew on stage finally breathed a sigh of relief, especially Wei Siyong, who looked radiant. Although he had been confident about "Red Diva" during filming, the audience's response far exceeded his expectations, which excited him even more. If "Red Diva" lives up to the critics' predictions, he is very likely to win the Best Actor award at next year's Golden Eagle Awards, firmly establishing himself as a top-tier actor.
This anticipation spurred Wesley to promote the film with even greater enthusiasm, delivering powerful and memorable lines, and stealing the show at the premiere.
Wei Siyong was smug and self-satisfied, but Fu Cheng, sitting in the audience, was very unhappy.
Fu Cheng's smile was stiff as he endured the various gazes around him. He could guess what these people were thinking; they were all mocking his poor judgment, that he had let such a big opportunity slip by and that Wei Siyong had gotten it for free.
Fu Cheng's eyes were filled with hatred as he looked at Guo Wenyuan, who was standing next to Wei Siyong. He gritted his teeth in hatred. He never thought that he was kicked out of the "Red Actress" crew because of his own reasons. Instead, he blamed it all on Guo Wenyuan.
If Guo Wenyuan hadn't complained to Chairman Sheng, he wouldn't have left the "Red Actress" production team. Now, standing on the stage, receiving compliments from reporters and being worshipped by the audience, he is the one being worshipped.
Thinking of this, he quickly turned to look at Daoist Yixin sitting to the side: "Daoist Master, I'm entrusting this to you today... Daoist Master, why are you crying too?"
Master Yixin stared at the stage with a stiff expression and tears streaming down his face.
In fact, Master Yixin was quite capable. As soon as he entered, he noticed Guo Wenyuan and found that his appearance had indeed changed. The violent death look he used to have was gone, replaced by a look of wealth and good fortune.
When I first saw the photo, it wasn't so obvious. But now that I've seen the person in person, I'm increasingly puzzled. This doesn't look like someone possessed by a vengeful ghost at all. With such a beautiful face, it's no exaggeration to say that this person is the reincarnation of a virtuous person from ten lifetimes.
He was completely baffled and could only reluctantly take out a talisman.
This was left to him by his master, and it allowed him to see through all falsehoods.
But when Daoist Yixin lit the talisman with a hand seal and opened his eyes again to look at Guo Wenyuan, he was almost blinded by the dazzling golden light.
The main cast members in the front row were completely covered by a thick layer of golden light, making it impossible to see them clearly.
Even the Taoist Master Yixin was about to swear.
That's an incredible amount of merit!
So, throughout the movie screening, everyone else was moved to tears by the film, but Yixin Daoren was stimulated by the golden light and couldn't even close his eyes.
Daoist Yixin was already filled with regret. He knew that Guo Wenyuan's identity was definitely not simple, so he decided to give up.
Thinking of this, Daoist Yixin began to consider how to terminate the deal with Fu Cheng.
Seeing his uncertain expression, Fu Cheng became anxious and lowered his voice, saying, "Daoist Master, what's wrong with you? Quickly perform a ritual to get that possessing evil spirit out!"
Master Yixin frowned: "No."
Fu Cheng was stunned, then blurted out, "What did you say?!"
He didn't control his volume, which immediately attracted the attention of the audience next to him. Fu Cheng quickly shut his mouth and looked at Yixin Daoist with an unfriendly gaze.
Knowing that he harbored deep hatred for Guo Wenyuan, Yixin Daoren probably couldn't explain it clearly in a short time. Moreover, the golden light was too dazzling, making him feel dizzy. So he simply stood up and prepared to leave, intending to explain to Fu Cheng later.
Just then, the host mentioned that they would select audience members to ask questions to the creators. He noticed that Yixin Daoren had stood up. He didn't pay attention to Fu Cheng sitting next to him, but he noticed that the audience member was still crying even though the movie had ended long ago. He assumed that the audience member must be a loyal fan of the movie, so he said enthusiastically, "Sir, yes, it's you. You're still crying. You must have been deeply moved by the movie. Do you have any questions for our creators?"