Chapter 104: I'll Come Again Next Time

Chapter 104: Next Time

Lin Yun’s pregnancy instantly made her the center of attention at home; everyone orbited around her. Zhang Le and Yang Xin’er, both of whom had hurried back amid their busy schedules to celebrate the Lantern Festival, were utterly overwhelmed.

Yet, neither of them felt the slightest jealousy, for it was Yang Xin’er who fussed over Lin Yun the most.

The Lantern Festival was a time of reunion and joy, and with such wonderful news, Zhang Le's family was filled with celebration.

When *Flirting Scholar* first premiered, it was the height of the promotional frenzy. Zhang Le and Yang Xin’er stayed home only briefly before rushing across the country to build buzz for the film.

The movie polarized mainstream media and online audiences, and the root cause was generational. Young people adored the film, hailing it as a classic, while many older viewers rejected this portrayal of Tang Bohu, condemning it as unprecedentedly poor.

Still, younger viewers consistently outnumbered the older crowd, and the box office rose steadily. The stark division in reviews piqued the curiosity of many, drawing them into theaters.

Within one week, the film grossed nearly 200 million yuan; two weeks in, it reached 400 million. The attendance rate remained strong. Before the Golden Dragon Awards ceremony, surpassing 400 million meant it was certain to outdo Zhang Le’s previous hit, *Crazy Stone*. A 500 million yuan box office no longer seemed a dream.

By all measures, the film was a success.

Zhang Le was indisputably a successful director, at least in terms of box office revenue. Two films nearing a billion yuan collectively, with one hitting 400 million alone — was that not success?

Though *Flirting Scholar* received its share of criticism, *Crazy Stone*, Zhang Le’s debut, had already earned a nomination at the Golden Dragon Awards, proving his achievements went beyond mere numbers.

The Golden Dragon Awards ceremony was a major event in Chinese-language cinema. Unlike last year's Golden Melody Awards, where Zhang Le was absent, this time he was present. Though he missed last year’s event, he was the biggest winner, with several songs he wrote and composed among the top ten, and he took home the Best Composer award.

Whether he would be the biggest winner this time remained to be seen.

On the red carpet, amidst dazzling starlight, Zhang Le and Yang Xin’er appeared hand in hand, their combined presence instantly drawing all eyes. The moniker "Star Sniper" once again demonstrated its power.

“Director Zhang, *Crazy Stone* has been nominated for several awards, and you’ve been nominated again for Best Original Song for the theme of *Dragon Inn*. What are your expectations? How many awards would satisfy you?” the red carpet host asked Zhang Le.

“Just being nominated is satisfying enough. If I don’t leave empty-handed, that would be a pleasant surprise. But if I do, well, I’ll just come back next time,” Zhang Le replied with a smile.

Among the nominations, Zhang Le was most confident about winning Best Original Screenplay, and least confident about Best Director and Best Picture.

He still lacked confidence in his directing skills and believed *Crazy Stone* had many areas needing improvement.

“Congratulations!” Yue Yang smiled at Zhang Le.

“Thank you!” Zhang Le didn’t know much about Yang Xin’er’s childhood friend and didn’t care to speculate on his mood. Still, with that friendly smile, it was unlikely he was harboring ill will. Although this guy might still be interested in Xin’er, he was no real rival—at most, a potential interloper aiming to become a mistress. Sadly for him, there was no chance.

“You’re even better than I imagined,” Yue Yang said.

“So, you’re out of luck,” Zhang Le smiled.

“In this industry, anything can happen. Maybe I won’t even have to fight for a chance; you might just slip up and give me one,” Yue Yang laughed. “But I want Xin’er to be happy, so hopefully you won’t give me that chance.”

“What are you two talking about?” Yang Xin’er approached, curious.

“Heh, nothing much—just telling your boyfriend that I want to invite you to star in my new film,” Yue Yang joked.

“I told him you have no openings, but he didn’t believe me,” Zhang Le chuckled.

Yang Xin’er paused, then smiled at Zhang Le before turning to Yue Yang: “His new film is our company’s big project this year. Not only will I star in it, I’ll also be the producer.”

“I can wait until you’re free!” Yue Yang grinned. “It’s only March; there are nine months left. Filming two movies is totally doable!”

Hearing this, Zhang Le said, “The world is vast, and Xin’er and I plan to travel around. Apart from my new film, I have no other plans for work this year.”

Yue Yang glanced at Yang Xin’er and saw a flicker of disappointment in her eyes, but she smiled and didn’t press the matter. Instead, they chatted a bit before he moved on.

“You want me to star in your new film?” Yang Xin’er looked at Zhang Le, teasing.

Zhang Le’s face thickened as he said, “Yeah!”

“I had no idea,” she rolled her eyes. “Which role do you want me to play? The landlady, the mute girl, or Bucktooth Jane?”

Zhang Le smiled awkwardly. His plan to shoot *Kung Fu*, based on Zhou Dashen’s story, offered no suitable role for Yang Xin’er.

The landlady was out of the question due to her appearance, figure, and age. The mute girl role lacked the innocence Yang Xin’er once had and required a different aura—besides, the character had little screen time, making it a poor fit for her now.

As for Bucktooth Jane, Zhang Le shuddered at the thought. The original Bucktooth Jane, played by Chen Kaishi, was unforgettable. If Yang Xin’er looked like that, he couldn’t bear to imagine it. Moreover, Zhang Le had no interest in turning his beautiful girlfriend into an ugly caricature.

“I’m planning to postpone that film,” Zhang Le said, turning to Yang Xin’er. “The visual effects company hasn’t been secured yet, and the technology isn’t mature enough, so I’m going to shoot another movie first.”

“What kind of movie?” she asked.

“I’m making a martial arts film. I want your childhood friend to see just how much better my wuxia film will be compared to his *Dragon Inn*. I want him to understand the gap between us and to give up his foolish hopes about you,” Zhang Le said with a smile.

With a world classic behind him, Zhang Le was confident. Was it possible he couldn’t outshine that guy in cinema? He would make films so superior that the other would be left eating his dust, utterly hopeless. Then, he wondered how that guy would dare invite Xin’er to star in his movies.

Just the thought made Zhang Le feel triumphant.

He might be proud that his woman was adored by so many, even fanatically, but he wouldn’t tolerate her being coveted by others.

That thought alone was enough to rile him.