Chapter 37

The two walked while exchanging jokes.

Fang Hong smiled and got down to business: "Read this script carefully when you get back—it's a definite female-led film, a challenge for you."

"Rare indeed—you used to praise my acting all the time, now you don't." Liu Tianxian glanced at him.

"Every actor fits a role differently. Before, you just matched the character perfectly—you didn't need to act, just stand in front of the camera and you were the character itself. This time, it's different," Fang Hong said.

"Oh come on, finally I hear some honesty from you," Liu Tianxian teased with a laugh.

He'd always praised her acting before; now he didn't—perhaps he truly felt pressure facing an actress like her.

"Yifei, if you keep this up, we can't communicate properly," Fang Hong spread his hands.

"Alright, alright, I'm not teasing you anymore!"

Liu Tianxian lifted the script: "I'll study it carefully, but I'm still shooting—I don't have much time, so don't rush me."

With this promotion over, Liu Tianxian had to rush back to finish shooting A Chinese Ghost Story—it had already been delayed too long.

In that film, Heigu is the absolute lead; everyone else also has substantial roles, which is why she had time to come out.

To be honest, A Chinese Ghost Story being mocked and flooded with criticism isn't Liu Tianxian's fault—this girl may not match Wang Zuxian's acting, but she still has presence and looks.

The behind-the-scenes team was all Hong Kong veterans, with solid technical skill and funding.

Logically, even at its worst, it should still be above passing grade.

But no one noticed the screenwriter—this was the same writer behind The Promise, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny, New Shaolin Temple, and The Sorcerer and the White Snake—epic films all.

How could it not flop!

Just think of the dialogue he wrote—could any human actually say those lines?

By now they'd reached the chauffeur-driven car. Fang Hong said: "Fine, move quickly—I'll start assembling the crew and begin pre-production."

"Aren't you going to rest at all? You're shooting one film after another like your life's on the line," Liu Tianxian looked at the man—others took one or two years off between films.

He, on the other hand, was like death chasing him.

"Resting is wasting life—we must cherish life," Fang Hong spouted more nonsense.

Liu Tianxian couldn't stand his rambling—every famous quote became twisted nonsense in his mouth.

She waved: "I'm leaving."

"Hey!" Fang Hong called out.

Liu Tianxian paused getting into the car and turned back, puzzled.

"You said you'd give me money!" Fang Hong said.

"See what you're made of!"

Liu Tianxian winked playfully at him!

She wanted to see what trick he'd pull now to convince her.

Was money that easy to get?

Fang Hong stared at the departing car, utterly speechless—women were truly inexplicable!

"The pain of youth is this: girls always mature faster than boys their age." — Jianshen Xiaoxiao

"This is my first time seeing a light, fresh film. I regret not having such memories in high school, but I believe whoever watches this movie will recall someone who once entered their life—the person who made their heart flutter." — An Guaiguai

"At the wedding scene, tears streamed down my face. Though beautiful, I wished so much that kiss had been real." — Yue Wangshu

"What a heartbreaking yet romantic story—life always teaches us to move forward despite helplessness." — Da Yuanshi Tianzun

"Five stars! But not for the kiss at the end—the movie wouldn't deserve five stars without it." — This Killer Is Not Cold

"Thank you for loving me—I loved the version of myself who loved you so much back then. Director, you've turned so many people's youth into film: all the girls we once chased." — You Fu

"We've all experienced this kind of love—it's not profound, even shallow and childish, but that childishness carries no taint. It's frozen in the frame of time, offered as sacrifice to youth, though at the time we were already lost." — Beijing Times Review

"."

The next day, forums, Douban, Weibo, QQ groups—all social platforms—were flooded with positive posts about Those Years.

These posts also included photos of audience members crying during screenings, sparking intense curiosity: Could it really be this good?

Additionally, video platforms like Tudou, Youku, and Jiufangfang had clips from the premiere.

The videos included interactive segments and footage of someone sobbing on-site.

The music was also spreading across music and video platforms—effectively serving as a trailer, helping viewers who hadn't seen the film understand its story.

This wasn't Chen Zhixi's doing—it was simply rampant piracy in this era.

Their "emotional response" was fermenting across the entire internet!

From now on, promotion would shift toward the film's quality, no longer using Liu Tianxian as a gimmick.

These posts, photos, and videos were either spontaneously created or posted by viewers who'd seen the film and shared them online.

But media outlets gave only minimal coverage—they weren't paid, so who'd give them front-page headlines?

At this point, the film had some buzz, but no major controversy, limited reach, and narrow spread.

Because many netizens weren't cinema-goers—they were just spectators, waiting for pirated copies to appear.

So don't assume Love in the City was a hit—its opening day box office was only 5.7 million.

That result? Only fans loved it—it was made for fans, a fixed audience.

That audience doesn't apply to Those Years—hence why Fang Hong wanted Chen Zhixi to immediately pivot to promoting the film itself.

That's also why they needed the premiere!

Relying on those fans to pull box office? They'd eventually crash.

With Love in the City's box office out, audience complaints and insults followed—and Wang Laoer didn't stay silent; he responded.

Audiences criticized his film as unimaginative and childish in plot.

He replied: "It's my sincere work."

Audiences called it a soap opera, a Baodao idol drama copycat, utterly unworthy of being called a film.

He replied: "This is a romantic comedy."

The audience criticized him for too many product placements.

He replied: "It's not that forced."

He even responded to the rumors that the male lead in the film was gay, with the audience asking if it was him.

He hurried to deny it, saying he had seen too much in the entertainment circle, so he filmed it to entertain the public.

The fact that someone in the entertainment circle is gay made the netizens' imaginations run wild.

Some even called out to Wang Laoer, telling him to go back to singing!

He couldn't respond to that — it hit a nerve!

Of course, there was criticism as well as praise; fans said the visuals and filters were good, and there were plenty of laughs.

Fans are still the best, giving Wang Laoer some comfort in his heart!

Actually, it's quite normal for Wang Laoer to feel this way — after all, it was his first time filming a movie, and he did it to compete with Zhou Naicha, so it's inevitable that he cares about how the outside world perceives him.

And he is someone who cares about his image and likes to show off, so he pays a lot of attention to the audience's feedback.

It's just hard on Liu Tianxian — as the female lead she got badly scolded, but she was able to take it in stride.

Fang Hong, that old fox, is different. With the release of "Those Years," the media raised cries of plagiarism, but the main creators just played dumb and refused to come out and respond.

Let you all guess, let you all argue!

Go ahead and curse, the fiercer the better — that's how you get buzz!

This is the correct way a film merchant faces public opinion: controversy is a good thing; what you fear is no controversy at all.

Once you respond, others can't be bothered to say anything about you.

For example, that person who used weight loss as a publicity stunt!

Please help cast your vote, thank you!!!

(End of chapter)