At a time when fantasy dramas were all the rage, a fantasy movie with little background was quietly released.
The most powerful selling point is the female lead, Yang Shuyan.
As a veteran actress with superb acting skills, Yang Shuyan's acting skills are widely recognized in the industry. She entered the public eye with the movie "The Wind Stops", and her powerful acting skills and the charm of the character in the movie earned her a large number of fans.
All the dramas he has filmed over the years have never disappointed his fans.
Even so, the film's producers were too poor to buy any promotional materials.
The film's box office performance was dismal for the first two days after its release. However, two days later, a well-known film blogger wrote a heartfelt review of "Changbai Mountain" and even spontaneously gave away 100 movie tickets, confidently telling the audience that not going to the cinema to see "Changbai Mountain" would be a loss for everyone.
As a result, "Changbai" became a box office dark horse thanks to word-of-mouth viewers, and the number of screenings increased day by day.
Xu Qingzhu learned about this movie because of Yang Shuyan.
During that period, there were frequent reports about this movie online.
They were both very quiet while watching the movie.
Liang Shi was busy observing Yang Shuyan's acting skills, while Xu Qingzhu was just watching the fun. That's just her personality. She never expresses her opinions halfway through reading or watching movies. If she really has a deep understanding of something, she will write a review after watching it.
The most talked-about aspect of this movie is Yang Shuyan's red dress look.
The female lead, after her transformation, becomes a fearsome female demon, but when Yang Shuyan puts on red, she exudes a powerful aura and is incredibly cool, portraying a villainous character in a way that is both righteous and evil, making it impossible for viewers to hate her.
In the latter half of the movie, Yang Shuyan's every appearance was stunning.
Her makeup and styling were unbelievably beautiful, and her acting skills were indeed remarkable, even surpassing Zhao Ying's by a few points.
She completely draws the audience into her performance.
Liang Shih recalled the Yang Shuyan he had seen during the audition that day. Although she was also a cool and capable woman, she was completely different from the character she portrayed in the movie.
It's even hard to connect her with the person in the movie.
All fantasy dramas have a grand theme, encompassing the nation, the world, and all living beings.
But "Changbai" abandons this point and focuses everything on personal ideals.
Love and hate intertwined, the world's suffering far outweighed her personal ideals.
She is a person who is both righteous and wicked.
She did not abandon the common people, nor did she abandon her lover, but in the end, she chose her personal ideals.
Faced with all the choices, she could only say three words: "I want them all."
How domineering!
This kind of domineering aura is hard to find in the entertainment industry, and few people can portray it so vividly.
Yang Shuyan delivered a convincing performance.
When Liang Shi watched movies, he would usually put himself in the position of an observer. Because it was for learning, he would not see himself as a spectator and would easily be drawn into the story.
So she always imagines herself as the director, thinking about which shot looks better, which plot is more touching, and whether the turning point of the script will be abrupt.
Unexpectedly, she felt the same excitement as the protagonist while watching the second half of the film.
Yang Shuyan's acting skills are astonishing.
There are behind-the-scenes clips at the end of the movie, in which Yang Shuyan appears as a cheerful, girl-next-door type.
Liang Shi was amazed by what he saw.
Even Xu Qingzhu, who is usually quiet during movies, couldn't help but say, "She's so beautiful."
Liang Shi: "..."
"What?" Liang Shi suddenly snapped out of his reverie.
Xu Qingzhu said objectively, "I didn't realize how beautiful she was in the movie when I saw her pictures before."
Liang Shi: "..."
The comments she saw that day suddenly flooded back into her mind—
"A dazzlingly beautiful villainous Alpha X a wealthy heiress, a seemingly innocent but actually cunning Omega!"
And that picture that everyone who sees it exclaims in amazement.
The Photoshop work looks completely natural.
The two were only inches apart, a cool and collected woman versus a charming and suave one.
Anyone who watches this will fall into the CP (couple) fandom pit and never be able to get out.
Liang Shi coughed softly, suppressing all his praise for Yang Shuyan in his heart, and said casually, "Really? It's nothing special."
Xu Qingzhu asked in surprise, "Weren't you watching it with great interest just now?"
"That's because the plot is good," Liang Shi insisted. "I was immersed in the plot."
Xu Qingzhu: "...Really?"
She clearly didn't believe her, raising an eyebrow and saying, "Don't you think Yang Shuyan is pretty?"
Liang Shi avoided her slightly amused gaze and replied, "She's alright, just average-looking. I think Sister Ying is prettier."
Xu Qingzhu clicked her tongue. "I knew it. So everyone says Alphas are repulsive, right?"
Liang Shi: "...No, she's just average, her acting is so-so."
Yes, not really.
Although she seems to be a tiny bit better than she is now, it's only a tiny bit.
Given time, she will surely surpass Yang Shuyan.
Liang Shi used to be very laid-back in the entertainment industry. She was able to maintain good relationships with many people on the surface because of her laid-back attitude. People who don't compete or fight are especially precious in the entire entertainment industry.
If there are suitable scripts, take them; otherwise, take a break.
They would not use underhanded methods to frame others.
This was the first time she had felt a burning competitive spirit.
It's just because she's a good actress, right?
She can too.
She's quite pretty too.
Upon closer inspection, her features are no less striking than Yang Shuyan's, and in some subtle details, she even surpasses her.
Of course, Liang Shi is still a little hesitant to say such things now.
So after saying that, he coughed lightly and added, trying to cover up the truth, "Really."
Xu Qingzhu glanced over lightly, her eyes seemingly saying—I have already seen through everything.
She shrugged. "I didn't lie."
She then added, "I haven't seen Yingjie's dramas, so I won't comment. But everyone's aesthetic is different, and in terms of looks, I still prefer Yang Shuyan's type."
Liang Shi: "...?"
"Isn't it that I prefer..." Liang Shi suddenly stopped mid-sentence, then awkwardly pursed his lips.
This seems to be due to her subconscious competitive spirit.
Legally speaking, she is his wife.
So... it seems... she does have a bit of a possessive streak.
Living together day and night, many things seem to be changing quietly.
Liang Shi felt that his mindset was somewhat dangerous.
Xu Qingzhu raised an eyebrow, a hint of teasing in her smile, "Like who? You?"
Liang Shi: "..."
She turned her face away from Xu Qingzhu, her tone slightly arrogant, "It's not that it's impossible."
As soon as she finished speaking, she heard Xu Qingzhu chuckle softly.
Liang Shi: "...?"
Is it mockery?
What's so funny about that?
Liang Shi coughed lightly, feigning composure and self-righteousness, "Then I'm no less beautiful than Yang Shuyan, right? Last time I was trending on social media, a lot of people said I was good-looking."
"Really?" Xu Qingzhu asked in surprise. "I didn't see it. I was too busy watching everyone mocking Chen Liuying, saying that even a dog on the street could act better than her."
“Just because Chen Liuying acted badly doesn’t mean I acted badly either,” Liang Shi retorted. “Besides…”
The conversation abruptly ended halfway through.
She slowly turned her head and looked at Xu Qingzhu in surprise, only to find that Xu Qingzhu had a smile on her face.
...
She casually grabbed a cushion and tossed it over, which Xu Qingzhu caught.
Xu Qingzhu, hugging a cushion, nestled on the sofa, laughing uncontrollably, her head buried in the cushion, her voice muffled.
“You’re swearing at me,” Liang Shi muttered in complaint.
Xu Qingzhu laughed so hard she could barely speak, "How come you only realized it now?"
Liang Shi: "..."
She leaned back on the sofa helplessly, waiting for Xu Qingzhu to finish laughing.
Laughter seems to be contagious.
She hadn't intended to laugh, but upon hearing Xu Qingzhu laugh, she soon joined in.
Xu Qingzhu finally looked up after laughing enough, wiped away the tears that had come out of her eyes, and said, "You're really slow to react."
"You're implying something," Liang Shi said. "Who could possibly understand that?"
Xu Qingzhu rested her chin on her hand and suddenly asked very seriously, "Do you have any videos of the scenes you filmed that day?"
Liang Shi shook his head: "No."