Chapter Sixty-One: The Film Premiere

Chapter Sixty-One: The Film Premiere

The scene where Zhang Le and Yang Xin'er embraced and kissed atop Mount Fuji, aired in the episode of "With You All the Way," mesmerized countless viewers. That moment was hailed by many as "the most beautiful kiss."

Images from that scene became the wallpaper of choice for countless young people's computers and phones—not only were the scenery and the couple beautiful, but the feeling itself was even more enchanting.

The recording of the show wrapped up amidst laughter. Zhang Le and Yang Xin'er also performed "Little Dimples," which was, of course, slated to air at the end of the episode.

Lately, Yang Xin'er had been accompanying Zhang Le, working tirelessly to promote "Crazy Stone," declining numerous other engagements. Now, with everything done and only waiting for the film’s release, the two finally had time to relax.

"Once the show airs, you can upload the two songs," Yang Xin'er suggested to Zhang Le.

Zhang Le nodded in agreement. After returning from the recording of "Joyful Evening," he made time to record full versions of "Ugly Duckling" and "I’m Ugly, But I’m Gentle," preparing to release them online.

However, since the show wouldn’t air until Saturday night, posting them beforehand would clearly affect the program's impact.

Zhang Le’s presence on variety shows was nothing short of surprising for many. In "With You All the Way," he was undoubtedly the standout, even surpassing Yang Xin'er in some regards.

After the episode aired, numerous reality TV shows from various networks invited Zhang Le to participate, but he declined them all.

Following the broadcast of "Joyful Evening," the invitations only increased, along with the offered fees.

Yet Zhang Le understood that frequent appearances on such shows would do him little good. He might earn money, but he'd waste time and risk exhausting his popularity. Too much of anything only makes it ordinary.

Besides, making a film offers the same opportunity for profit, and at the same time, elevates one’s standing in the industry.

He was popular now, his star rising high. Yet, to many, it was all thanks to Yang Xin'er—without her, his current fame would not exist. But what of it? What does popularity alone mean?

Zhang Le’s position in the industry was awkward. He still carried the labels of "kept man" and "pretty boy," despite his talents being widely acknowledged.

Even when his talents shone, it was invariably attributed to Yang Xin'er. No matter how accomplished he became, Yang Xin’er’s contribution was always part of the equation.

To change his awkward status in the industry, simply singing a few songs or joining a couple of reality shows—even if it raised his popularity—wouldn’t suffice.

True change required solid achievements.

Between a renowned lyricist-composer and a famous director, who garners more respect? For Zhang Le, the answer was self-evident.

Raising his profile through reality shows and songwriting couldn’t match the impact of directing a highly influential film—nor the speed and intensity. Besides, he was more interested in filmmaking.

His fame, gained through Yang Xin'er, had persisted for some time. He had often stated his preference for directing. Now, his first feature film was about to hit theaters.

The moment of truth was approaching, and Zhang Le couldn’t help feeling both excited and nervous.

"Joyful Evening" boasted impressive ratings, and promoting "Crazy Stone" through it had a marked effect. But what people talked about most from that episode were the few lines Zhang Le sang offhand.

There was no doubt—those few lines brought the notion of "ugly" to new heights.

As the episode aired, countless fans urged Zhang Le to complete the two songs. They never expected he had already prepared them.

He uploaded both songs online, and unsurprisingly, they exploded in popularity. The messages conveyed by the full versions were entirely different from the snippets shown on the program.

These songs were not insults.

Many online joked: "We're all chubby, so why is the treatment different?"

To many, Zhang Le’s decision to compose the songs as he did was clearly because the subject was Wei Hai, not Lin Xiaofan, the fat one. He even changed the second song’s lyric from "you" to "I."

He wasn’t mocking ugliness; he was celebrating it.

"I’m Ugly, But I’m Gentle"—even the title seemed ill-suited for someone as handsome as Zhang Le. His looks had nothing to do with "ugly." Many netizens even suggested that a less attractive singer should perform it, to better convey its emotional impact.

After this suggestion surfaced, quite a few less attractive singers expressed, both on microblogs and in front of the media, their eagerness to cover the song. Whether their admiration was genuine or merely an attempt to stir up attention and bask in the media spotlight was anyone’s guess.

Zhang Le had anticipated the songs would be popular, especially "I’m Ugly, But I’m Gentle," but he hadn’t expected them to become so wildly successful that he worried they might overshadow the film itself. Still, his goal—to use "Joyful Evening" to promote "Crazy Stone"—was achieved.

The film’s promotion, limited by its modest budget and scarce funds, focused primarily on the internet.

With such constrained publicity, there was no extravagant premiere like big-budget movies. As the trailer had promised, "Crazy Stone" quietly opened on February 2.

"You seem unsettled today," Yang Xin'er said, embracing Zhang Le from behind as he gazed out from the balcony.

"Mmm," Zhang Le nodded. The film’s release had indeed left him restless. In his previous life, this movie had caused quite a stir; here, he wasn’t sure if it would receive the same recognition.

He was usually confident, but at the threshold of this moment, nerves inevitably crept in. Held by Yang Xin'er, his mind quieted considerably.

"Is it about the film?" Yang Xin'er asked.

"Yes," Zhang Le turned to her and replied, "I’m not afraid of failure—I’m still young. But I know, if the film isn’t well received, the pressure we’ve managed to shed could come crashing back instantly."

"Believe in yourself," Yang Xin'er said. "I believe in you."

"You’re wonderful," Zhang Le replied with a smile.

"Because we care, we fear losing," Yang Xin'er said softly. "No matter what comes, we’ll face it together."

Yang Xin'er understood Zhang Le—he was a confident man. This anxiety came only because he cared. What he cared about wasn’t his own success or failure, but her—Yang Xin'er.

"I asked Xiao Li to book us two movie tickets. How about we go see the film together?" Yang Xin'er suggested.

Xiao Li was Yang Xin’er’s assistant.

"Sure! Which movie do you want to see?" Zhang Le laughed, but as he asked, he realized Yang Xin’er must be planning to accompany him to see "Crazy Stone."

They weren’t there to watch the film itself, but to observe its release.

How was the attendance? What was the audience’s reaction?

Yang Xin’er clearly wanted to ease Zhang Le’s anxiety this way.

It was a low-budget film; even though it was granted some screenings, they were limited. The two donned disguises and entered the cinema at the scheduled time.

What Zhang Le hadn’t expected was that the theater was nearly packed to capacity.