IBKAWB Chapter 49

**Chapter 49: Public Screening**

Re-translated/Edited by: Namizaki

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Chi Zhongqiao lowered his gaze, his eyes sweeping over the microphone’s logo before answering in his usual measured tone: “Every film represents the collective effort of the entire crew and deserves respect. <A Sea of Falling Stars> is an exceptional youth film, distinct from <Campus Prince and Campus Belle>. The two cannot be compared.”

After all that, there wasn’t a single headline-grabbing soundbite. The “Little Cookie” reporter grew impatient and raised his microphone, only for a colleague to swiftly step on his foot. Taking advantage of his momentary distraction from the pain, the colleague deftly shoved him aside.

“Little Cookie” reporter: “???”

“This is Brother Qiao’s first leading role in a film. As the lead actor, what are your thoughts on the film and what are your expectations for it?” The reporter smoothly edged the “Little Cookie” reporter out of the way.

Are these people insane? They’re taking money from the production team and still trying to stir up trouble. Where’s their professional ethics?

Chi Zhongqiao accepted microphones from several reporters, occasionally steering the conversation toward the other actors to avoid awkward silences on stage.

Actors Yan Yiyun and Li Dou felt deeply grateful. This was their first time facing such a crowd, and without their senior’s guidance, they would have been completely overwhelmed.

Fortunately, Chi Zhongqiao had a gentle temperament.

After the premiere, Chi Zhongqiao returned to the <April in the Human World> crew to continue filming.

As soon as he arrived, Nie Rong waved him over.

“Come here, Zhongqiao.”

Nie Rong held the script, looking slightly awkward. He seemed to have something difficult to say, his brow furrowed in obvious distress.

Chi Zhongqiao: “Director Nie, what is it?”

Nie Rong: “…We revised the script yesterday. Your, your scenes have been cut and altered, so…”

Chi Zhongqiao immediately understood—there must have been significant cuts to his scenes, hence Nie Rong’s troubled expression.

Zhong Yin, who was following behind Chi Zhongqiao, hadn’t anticipated this situation and his eyes widened in surprise.

Chi Zhongqiao nodded. “Alright, Director Nie. Please give me a copy of the revised script.”

Nie Rong, surprised by his easy acceptance, quickly pulled out a newly printed script and handed it to Chi Zhongqiao. The revised version was noticeably thinner than the original.

Chi Zhongqiao took the script and flipped through it, quickly grasping the extent of the changes. “The revisions are quite extensive. Did you and the on-set writer work on these together, Director Nie?”

Nie Rong’s expression darkened as he brushed a strand of hair behind his ear.

Chi Zhongqiao smiled. “I’ll need a day to familiarize myself with the new script. Director Nie, please give me some time.”

Feeling deeply apologetic, Nie Rong said bluntly, “Since everyone’s still adjusting, I’ll give you today and tomorrow off. Go home and familiarize yourself with the revised script.”

Chi Zhongqiao tucked the script away. “Alright, thank you, Director Nie.”

He walked out with Zhong Yin. As soon as they left the set, Zhong Yin couldn’t contain himself. “What does he mean by this?!”

Chi Zhongqiao raised a finger. “Let’s talk in the car.”

Zhong Yin, seething with anger, slammed the car door open.

Chi Zhongqiao said, “Head back to the agency and find Brother Du.”

Zhong Yin: “Are we just going to let this go?!”

Chi Zhongqiao paused, then said helplessly, “Zhong Yin, as an actor, it’s not wise to clash with the crew or the investors. I’m not famous enough for that.”

He gestured for Zhong Yin to listen to his explanation. “Major script revisions are likely decided collectively by the investors, producers, and director. The Director’s influence is probably the weakest. Director Nie likely couldn’t withstand the pressure from the investors, which forced him to revise the script. So even if we confront him, it won’t change anything.”

Zhong Yin: “Then…”

Chi Zhongqiao pulled out his phone to call Du Yusheng. “Head back to the agency and discuss this with Brother Du. We need our Manager and the company to intervene.”

He knew he probably wouldn’t accept another role in Director Nie’s productions. No actor would willingly work with a Director who drastically cuts their screen time.

Du Yusheng received Chi Zhongqiao’s call in his office. After hanging up, he slammed the contract in his hand down on the desk.

“What the hell…” Du Yusheng muttered under his breath, barely suppressing his anger.

His two apprentices exchanged bewildered glances, unsure why a single phone call had sent Du Yusheng into such a rage.

“You two go back to your work,” Du Yusheng said sternly.

The apprentices quietly left, just as Chi Zhongqiao stepped out of the elevator.

“Hey, Brother Qiao, Brother Du’s fuming inside. Maybe you should wait a bit before going in?” one of the apprentices quickly pulled Chi Zhongqiao aside.

Chi Zhongqiao smiled faintly. “It’s fine.”

The apprentice scratched his head. “Alright then, Brother Qiao. Just be careful.”

Chi Zhongqiao walked to the office, knocked, and entered.

Du Yusheng’s icy expression twisted into a forced smile when he saw Chi Zhongqiao.

Chi Zhongqiao didn’t stand on ceremony and immediately took a seat.

“You’re angry?” Du Yusheng asked.

Chi Zhongqiao shook his head. “Not worth it.” How important was an actor’s reputation? If he had lost his temper with Nie Rong on set today, the hashtag “Washed-Up Newcomer Throws Tantrum” would have been trending by evening.

Chi Zhongqiao spread the revised script across Du Yusheng’s desk. “I haven’t seen the full script, but based on these revisions, they’ve significantly increased the male and female leads’ scenes together.”

Many of his lines had already been reassigned to Li Jinghong, reducing him to little more than a decorative prop in the scenes.

Du Yusheng suppressed his anger. “What does Nie Rong think he’s doing? Doesn’t he care about his reputation in the industry? Or does he not want to finish this drama?”

Chi Zhongqiao walked to the small refrigerator to grab a drink. “Director Nie probably didn’t want to make these changes, but he had no choice. Starbright fully funded this project, didn’t they?”

Starbright was one of the entertainment industry’s leading giants.

Therefore, <April in the Human World>, like <Campus Prince and Campus Belle>, was essentially a vehicle for the company to promote its new talents.

Du Yusheng stood for a moment. “Li Jinghong and Fei Xi are both with Starbright. <A Sea of Falling Stars> got good reviews. They probably think Li Jinghong’s momentum is strong and want to strike while the iron’s hot.”

Du Yusheng narrowed his eyes, almost laughing in exasperation. “Haven’t these people even noticed you’re in a new film too?”

Chi Zhongqiao smiled faintly.

Du Yusheng sat down. “What do you want to do?”

“I’ll follow Brother Du’s and the company’s arrangements,” Chi Zhongqiao replied. “With these cuts, I might finish filming in the next couple of days. As for the future, I’d rather not work with Director Nie again.”

Du Yusheng nodded. “Alright, I’m sorry you had to endure this. But it’s fine—we don’t need this drama anyway. Take a look at this.”

Chi Zhongqiao asked curiously, “A new script?”

Du Yusheng grinned. “A reality show!”

Reality shows had become a popular way to gain exposure and boost popularity. Of course, a poor performance could also attract negative attention.

Chi Zhongqiao understood this well. Before transmigrating into the novel, he had participated in a reality show. Though he was relatively unknown at the time and received little screen time, he still managed to gain a considerable following.

Du Yusheng smiled slyly. “I was hesitant to recommend you for this due to scheduling conflicts. But now it’s perfect. You don’t need to worry about that third male lead role. Once <Campus Prince and Campus Belle> is released, your popularity will naturally skyrocket.”

Nie Rong has probably given up on his drama by now. Whatever. Our Zhongqiao doesn’t need that one third male lead role.

Du Yusheng continued, “The original singer for this reality show had to withdraw due to illness. I lobbied for you, and fortunately, Ge Fangyu is also participating. His recommendation helped us secure the spot.”

Chi Zhongqiao was surprised. “I’ll have to thank Brother Fang properly when I get back.”

Du Yusheng nodded. “You should. The show is called <The Secret to Getting Rich Quick>. It’s an original domestic production, so there are no copyright issues.”

Chi Zhongqiao nodded, accepting the documents and began reviewing them carefully.

<The Secret to Getting Rich Quick> was a rather unique reality show. Each episode provided participants with seed money and task keywords, challenging them to accumulate wealth during filming. Those who earned money based on the keywords received a multiplier to their final total. However, the wealth earned didn’t belong to the participants or the show; instead, it was donated to schools in mountainous regions.

Each episode featured five regular cast members, with occasional guest appearances by one or two special guests.

Chi Zhongqiao and Ge Fangyu were both regular cast members.

Du Yusheng said, “After this, I’m not taking on any more projects. After filming so many dramas, I need a proper break. President Lu even told me off last time.”

Chi Zhongqiao didn’t even look up. “Don’t badmouth Yuzhou to me. He has a good temper. What could he possibly say to you?”

Good temper, my ass.

Du Yusheng recalled Lu Yuzhou’s businesslike demeanor and his eye twitched.

Since Lu Yuzhou took over the main company’s affairs, he had spent much less time at Zhaohui. Yet whenever Chi Zhongqiao visited the company, Lu Yuzhou would always come to pick him up after work. Du Yusheng occasionally ran into him and couldn’t help but feel that Lu Yuzhou, despite his young age, exuded an increasingly imposing presence.

A single glance from him sent a crowd of young women scurrying away.

Only Chi Zhongqiao, viewing Lu Yuzhou through rose-tinted glasses, dared to claim he had a good temper.

Chi Zhongqiao finished reviewing the documents and set them down. “Oh, by the way, I’ll be familiarizing myself with the new script these next few days, so I won’t be going to the crew.”

When Chi Zhongqiao mentioned <April in the Human World>, Du Yusheng’s smile faded slightly. “It’s only right. But there weren’t many scenes to begin with. Just finish filming and be done with it. <The Secret to Getting Rich Quick> starts filming next month. Focus on promoting your work and get some rest in the meantime.”

Chi Zhongqiao gathered his materials. “I’ll be going now, Brother Du. See you later.”

Du Yusheng waved him off. “Tell the driver to take it easy on the road.”

Chi Zhongqiao nodded in acknowledgment.

As soon as the door closed, Du Yusheng’s expression turned cold. He was eagerly awaiting the public release of <Campus Prince and Campus Belle> to slap Starbright in the face.

He opened a spreadsheet listing films scheduled for release in June. Besides <Campus Prince and Campus Belle>, <Across the Water> was also highlighted in red. This film had initially received little attention, but its word-of-mouth buzz had been steadily growing. It was now poised to explode with just the right catalyst.

They think <A Sea of Falling Stars> is so good? Du Yusheng wondered. I’m curious to see if Starbright will still be so smug after a while.

**********

After the premiere of <Campus Prince and Campus Belle>, numerous film critics published their reviews, giving the film surprisingly high scores. This significantly boosted public anticipation. Moreover, the lingering popularity of the “goofy classmates” meme had allowed <Campus Prince and Campus Belle> to make a splash despite the pressure from <A Sea of Falling Stars>.

After all, among these film critics were many notoriously harsh and difficult-to-please voices. The overwhelmingly positive reviews for <Campus Prince and Campus Belle> inevitably piqued public curiosity.

Amidst widespread anticipation, <Campus Prince and Campus Belle> was finally released.

The late June release coincided perfectly with graduation season, highlighting the film’s thematic strengths. Many recent graduates and those who had just attended class reunions flocked to theaters for this youth-themed drama.

However, <Campus Prince and Campus Belle> received only a standard number of screenings, similar to <Across the Water>.

Yet its promotional campaign was far more effective.

Du Yusheng rubbed his hands together, eagerly awaiting the film’s release so he could deliver a crushing blow to Starbright.

On the opening day, Chi Zhongqiao chose a nearby theater, bought two tickets, ditched Zhong Yin, and secretly took Lu Yuzhou to see the movie.

The line was long. Chi Zhongqiao, being tall, looked over the crowd and saw only heads in front of him. He murmured to Lu Yuzhou, “Quite a crowd.”

“Yeah, the promotion worked well. Want some snacks, Brother Qiao?” Lu Yuzhou asked softly, casually smoothing down a stray strand of Chi Zhongqiao’s hair.

Chi Zhongqiao, wearing a mask and hat, didn’t remove them even inside the theater. He shook his head when asked, “Not hungry.”

The strand of hair sprang up again as he moved his head.

Lu Yuzhou stared at it for a moment, lightly twirled his fingers, and refrained from touching it again.

After their tickets were checked, they followed the crowd into the screening hall.

Chi Zhongqiao had booked seats in the back row. As the lights dimmed, plunging the hall into darkness, his face was perfectly concealed, allowing him to confidently remove his hat.

Lu Yuzhou took the hat and placed it on his lap, then handed Chi Zhongqiao the slightly chilled sour plum drink.

Chi Zhongqiao cradled the cup, relishing the cool sensation. After two days of rest at home, his complexion had improved significantly, and he settled into his seat with the same relaxed ease he felt at home.

“Enjoy the movie,” Lu Yuzhou said.

Chi Zhongqiao reached out a paw and patted Lu Yuzhou reassuringly.

Only then did Lu Yuzhou shift his gaze from Chi Zhongqiao to the screen, where the film had already begun.

Having already seen the movie, Chi Zhongqiao was more interested in observing the audience’s reactions. However, their seats were too far back, and the dim lighting made it difficult to discern facial expressions. After a brief attempt, he gave up and turned his attention to Lu Yuzhou.

Lu Yuzhou had initially been able to focus on the film, but Chi Zhongqiao’s intense gaze gradually distracted him. His thoughts drifted away from the movie.

With a sigh, Lu Yuzhou reached out to cover Chi Zhongqiao’s eyes. Afraid to actually touch him, he blocked Chi Zhongqiao’s line of sight and said helplessly, “Brother Qiao, please stop staring at me.”

Chi Zhongqiao brushed away Lu Yuzhou’s hand. “Alright, alright, I won’t look at you.”

Having watched his own movie multiple times, Chi Zhongqiao quickly lost interest and began scrolling through his phone.

The hour-and-a-half film wasn’t long. As he played on his phone, listening to the constant laughter, he suddenly heard a soft sob.

He looked up in surprise. The movie was nearing its end, and the screen showed Chi Zhongqiao’s silent scene.

The sobbing came from a girl in the front row.

Chi Zhongqiao felt a bit awkward—the girl’s tear threshold was as low as Yan Yiyun’s laughter threshold.

With a few minutes left in the film, Chi Zhongqiao searched online for reviews of <Campus Prince and Campus belle>.

Since it was already afternoon, some viewers had already seen the film at other theaters, making reviews available.

He clicked on a popular, objective forum and found a thread about the movie.

The original poster was live-blogging their viewing experience, with a line of movie fans waiting for their post-viewing thoughts.

*1st Commenter (OP):*

[ Got my ticket. Every time I see the title, it screams “trash movie.” I wouldn’t be watching this if my girlfriend wasn’t a fan of that guy. ]

*2nd Commenter:*

[ Same… The title is so cringey, and it’s categorized as a comedy. Are they seriously going to pull the early pregnancy/abortion/expulsion trifecta? ]

*3rd Commenter:*

[ But there aren’t any good movies out in June. <Across the Water> was decent, but for some reason, it’s not getting any buzz. ]

*6L OP:*

[ I’m in the theater now. It’s pretty crowded. I’ll stop typing and watch first. I’ll share my thoughts after. ]

*****

*56L OP:*

[ I was wrong! I’m eating my words! It’s actually amazing! For the first hour, I was laughing so hard I nearly lost my head. But in the last ten minutes, I was actually tearing up? What the hell? Isn’t this supposed to be a comedy? ]

*57L:*

[ I just finished watching too. I don’t know why, but it made me feel so fired up! I almost want to rush back to school and ace all my Five-Three Huanggang practice exams(“5-3- chinese exam” most likely refers to HSK Level 5, the fifth level of the Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi (HSK), which is a Chinese language proficiency test for non-native speakers that assesses advanced language skills. To pass this intermediate-to-advanced level, learners typically need to understand a significant vocabulary of around 2,500 Chinese words and demonstrate proficiency in listening, reading, and writing.)… What happened to the comedy we were promised? ]

*59L:*

[ It was genuinely moving! The Campus Prince’s expression, the homeroom teacher running into the school too late—I burst into tears right there in the theater! ]

*112L:*

[ After watching it, my mind was filled with thoughts of our youth, the boundless possibilities of the future. It was truly moving. I’m so glad I saw it; missing it would have been a real loss. ]

*****

*159L:*

[ This is indeed an outstanding slapstick comedy, grounded in reality. Every joke feels authentic, the kind that makes any student smile. But as the film progresses, you realize it’s more than just a comedy. In its hour and a half runtime, it silently etches the word “youth” into every scene and line of dialogue. The slightly reckless, passionate, yet ultimately harmless vitality—that raw, youthful energy—is something I haven’t seen in any other coming-of-age film. ]

[ It’s about our youth, the boundless hope for a future brimming with possibilities.—Excerpt from a review of <Campus Prince and Campus Belle> by a certain Jiang. ]