Chapter 183

Fang Hong had already returned to China and had been busy with Tupticket's investment and fundraising efforts.

With "Big Shot" becoming a huge hit and generating high heat, Tupticket's nationwide promotion of ticket vending machines never stopped, long ago expanding beyond Beijing.

Over fifty thousand online movie tickets for "Big Shot" had been sold, equivalent to hundreds of thousands in sales.

Add another 3% distribution share, and based on current domestic box office performance, it's another few million in distribution revenue.

If you took all the share allocated to China Film Group, one movie could earn tens of millions.

Of course, this assumes Fang Hong always wins, or that Tupticket's distribution channels are comparable to China Film Group's.

Without channels, Tupticket is just an empty shell.

Overall, the current situation looks promising—Wanda, Tencent, Meituan, and Light Chaser have all shown interest and expressed willingness to invest.

After so much effort, he's finally ready to bring in these capital investors; this matter has consumed much of his energy, and as long as it's dragging him down, nothing else can move forward.

If he sorts out the movie distribution channels, he can devote himself entirely to building the video platform.

Achieving self-production and self-distribution in the future isn't impossible! Fang Hong called several investors and scheduled a meeting for December 31 to finalize the investment and equity arrangements.

He then called Liu Tianxian; they hadn't spoken in half a month and he missed her terribly.

"Dong Dongdong"

The phone was ringing normally when suddenly it was hung up.

"Could she be angry?" Fang Hong tossed his phone onto the desk, knowing it was probably about South Korea.

But Liu Tianxian shouldn't be that petty.

She used to not be that petty; now she is. If she weren't petty, she wouldn't be complaining about Fang Hong to her friends.

She just hides it well; hardly anyone notices.

Just after complaining to her friends, she went home and started complaining to her mother.

"That little Fang hasn't shown up in a long time!" Liu Xiaoli casually said just that.

Liu Tianxian hung up the phone, tossed it on the coffee table, and launched in: "Of course not—he's really big now, kissed someone in South Korea."

"Really?"

Liu Xiaoli was startled; she didn't think Fang Hong would do something like that.

He hadn't even won his daughter yet, and he was fooling around outside—unwise. In her view, Fang Hong was deeply calculating.

But then she remembered that time he spanked her daughter—so impulsive—he might actually do it.

Men, after all, can't always control themselves.

She didn't know her daughter was just complaining for the sake of complaining, without thinking that deeply.

"Really? There's even a photo." Liu Tianxian pulled up the photo for her mother to see.

Liu Xiaoli glanced at it—it was just a kiss on the cheek, in public. She thought it was no big deal.

She'd actually heard about it too; she read the news regularly.

She said: "You're upset about this?"

"Isn't this enough?!" Liu Tianxian widened her eyes dramatically.

"If you can't accept it, break up then," Liu Xiaoli said casually.

She didn't particularly like the guy anyway—his background didn't match her daughter's—but since her daughter liked him, she didn't interfere.

After all, her daughter was grown up and had her own mind.

"We're still seeing each other. Despite his flaws, he's still a good guy!"

Liu Tianxian couldn't bear to let go, picked up her phone, scrolled through it—the man had called once and then stopped.

He didn't even send a message; her mood soured again. She complained: "He didn't even call me for Christmas, didn't give me a gift—this guy really has no sense of romance."

"That does sound dull," Liu Xiaoli agreed; she thought Fang Hong had no charm.

"Right? Stingy as hell, didn't even give a gift," Liu Tianxian sighed in disappointment.

"Then break up. There are plenty of men out there," Liu Xiaoli encouraged.

"Oh come on, let's keep seeing each other—he still has a lot of good qualities," Liu Tianxian defended Fang Hong again.

"Hey, I'm confused—you keep complaining to me, but when I say break up, you turn right around and defend him."

Liu Xiaoli slapped her daughter's leg playfully: "Are you teasing me?!"

"Oh Mom, I'm not! How could I tease you?!" Liu Tianxian hugged her mother's arm and pouted.

Liu Xiaoli gave her daughter a sidelong glance: "Look at you, so dramatic—who could possibly put up with you?"

"How can you say that about me? I'm not talking to you anymore," Liu Tianxian pouted, turning and walking off.

Liu Xiaoli watched her daughter's theatrics, her body trembling slightly, as if chilled.

Too dramatic—she's truly been poisoned! Christmas was still lively; in Beijing, people occasionally set off fireworks, and even heavy snowfall and howling winds couldn't dampen young couples' enthusiasm.

The hotel tonight should be exploding with fireworks.

Fang Hong was one of those wanting to set them off—but his target was Liu Tianxian.

Sigh, the little guy has no outlet! Late at night, Fang Hong shaped snow into a circular ring, leaving just enough space in the center for one person.

When the pile reached half his height, he stepped into it, blew warm air onto his hands, then crouched and covered himself entirely with surrounding snow.

Snow continued falling from the sky, blanketing Fang Hong's head.

Would she kick him out if he blocked her door like this? He remembered the bet he made with Liu Tianxian at the Golden Horse Awards—when he'd wagered that if he blocked her door, she'd kick him away.

If she didn't kick him out, he could do whatever he wanted! Fang Hong pulled out his phone, his fingers stiff with cold, barely able to grip it: "Lu Dabo, are the fireworks set?"

"All set, Principal."

Lu Dabo's voice came through the phone.

He'd originally planned to spend the evening with a girl, but the Principal had dragged him out to set off fireworks—what a drag. Am I really just a fireworks guy? "Light them now."

Fang Hong didn't care how Lu Dabo was silently cursing him inside—he hung up after giving the order.

Then he called Liu Tianxian again.

At that moment, Liu Tianxian was in her warm bedroom, leaning against the headboard in a pink pajama, reading a book. She flipped a page, then glanced at her phone on the nightstand.

Her gaze returned to the book, but she forgot what the previous passage had said, so she flipped back.

She repeated this cycle for half a day, still stuck on the same page.

"Ding-ding-ding!"

Her phone suddenly rang.

Liu Tianxian picked it up, saw the familiar number, and coughed lightly, speaking in a serious tone: "Why are you calling me? I'm about to sleep."

"Look outside!" Fang Hong said.

"Why should I look outside?"

Liu Tianxian leaned over to glance out the window—outside, snow fell heavily, and only distant lights glimmered.

Then came two sounds—"Shoo—Boom!"—a brilliant firework exploded in the sky, stunningly beautiful.

Liu Tianxian unconsciously got out of bed and walked to the window, standing still.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Fireworks burst continuously in the sky, instantly illuminating the entire heavens, dazzlingly beautiful.

In this era, fireworks were allowed—but not in front of Liu Tianxian's house, rather in the suburbs nearby.

If they were set off in front of her house, the security guards would drive them away.

Liu Tianxian tilted her head slightly, her eyes reflecting the brilliant fireworks above, her voice soft: "Did you do this?"

"I don't understand romance, and I don't know what you like. I just heard girls enjoy watching fireworks, so I wanted to set some off for you," Fang Hong said softly.

In the snow, if you open your mouth too wide, it fills with snow.

"Girls enjoy watching fireworks not because they like the fireworks themselves, but because they want someone to watch them with."

Though Liu Tianxian felt a touch of emotion inside, disappointment outweighed it.

She didn't dislike fireworks—she wanted this man to watch them with her. Without "love" beside her, no matter how dazzling the fireworks, they meant nothing.

"I'm right here watching with you—in front of your building," Fang Hong said.

Hearing this, Liu Tianxian froze, her gaze turning toward the door—but she saw nothing but a vast white expanse of snow.

"Don't tease me!" Her tone was sharp, yet carried a glimmer of hope, longing for this man to truly be there.

"I'm not teasing you. The snowman sticking out in front of your door? That's me." Fang Hong said.

"You turned yourself into a snowman?"

Liu Tianxian stared in shock, bewildered by how this man thought—how cold must that be!

She rushed downstairs.

"I don't know how to build a snowman. You said you liked snow, so I could only turn myself into one."

Fang Hong heard no reply from the other end of the call.

Only the rustling wind, then the rapid "Tap-tap-tap" of footsteps racing downstairs.

Clearly, Liu Tianxian was running fast, her steps hurried.

Liu Tianxian, still in her pajamas and fluffy slippers, ran downstairs.

"Hey hey, Xixi, where are you going?" Liu Xiaoli shouted.

"Mom, I'll be right back," Liu Tianxian said without turning around.

"Put on your coat!" Liu Xiaoli chased after her.

But Liu Tianxian had already opened the front door and rushed out, leaving her mother's words behind.

Liu Tianxian ran out into the snowstorm, opened the big iron gate, and saw a snow pile half her height in front of the door.

It couldn't be called a snowman—just a pile of snow.

She quickly dug through the snow in front of her, revealing a head completely covered in snow—luckily, he was wearing a hat.

But Fang Hong's face was bright red from the cold, frozen in place, still holding the phone.

His eyes, bright and fixed, stared at Liu Tianxian before him.

"You idiot!"

Liu Tianxian said, ignoring the cold, shoved aside the snow beside him, and pulled him up.

The moment Fang Hong was pulled up, he collapsed onto her.

His legs had gone numb from squatting too long—truly!

Liu Tianxian hugged him, bearing his full weight, scolding: "How stupid are you? I've never met anyone like you—burying yourself in snow."

"I just wanted to make you happy," Fang Hong said, holding her soft body.

These words made Liu Tianxian's nose suddenly ache, leaving her speechless, unable to scold him anymore.

All her unhappiness, all her grievances, vanished in this moment—nothing remained but overwhelming emotion.

The two on the ground embraced, while fireworks still burst "Boom! Boom! Boom!" in the sky.

Liu Tianxian looked up at the sky, murmuring: "Fireworks are truly beautiful."

The night ended.

(End of Chapter)