Video Editor

Fan Lin leaned back in the folding chair in the crew's lounge, her fingertips unconsciously swiping across her phone screen.

The premiere of "The Massage Therapist" was covered by a deluge of reports, each headline like a tiny needle, gently pricking her nerves.

#Kong Sheng, Li Xue, and others jointly endorse the premiere of "The Massage Therapist," stunning the audience#
#Sun Ning's directorial debut receives high praise from the industry, Mei Ting's acting is hailed as divine#
#Next blockbuster in the making! "The Massage Therapist" sees a 35% surge in screenings on its opening day#
She remembers clearly that in late spring last year, Su Ning approached her with a script and asked her to play a role.

But how did she respond at the time?
She said casually, with her usual disdain and disgust: "You want to direct yourself? Don't be ridiculous. Be careful you don't lose all the money you made in the stock market."

Looking back now, she herself can't tell how much of those doubts were rational judgments and how much stemmed from uncertainty about the relationship.

"Sister Lin, look at this." The assistant carefully handed over the tablet computer, which was playing a video of the premiere's red carpet.

Suning, dressed in a well-tailored bespoke suit, calmly dealt with the barrage of questions from the media.

Chen Xiaojun, standing beside him in a champagne-colored dress, smiled gracefully as she linked arms with his. The two appeared perfectly in sync under the flashing lights.

Fan Lin slammed the tablet face down on the table with a thud.

Everyone else in the lounge was startled, and the assistant didn't dare to breathe.

"We're not filming today. Please ask the director for leave for me and tell him I'm not feeling well." She grabbed her bag and walked out. Her sunglasses covered most of her face, but they couldn't hide her taut jawline.

"Okay, Sister Lin."

Back in her hotel suite, she was finally free to maintain a facade of calm.

Anger burned like wildfire in my chest...

She was angry that Su Ning had actually succeeded, angry that the person standing next to him wasn't herself, and even angrier at her foolish decision to easily give up the opportunity.

The phone kept vibrating on the table, and the name "Suning" flashed on the screen.

She stared at those two words until the screen went dark and then lit up again.

She tried this three times, but ultimately failed to answer.

Immediately afterwards, WeChat notifications rang one after another: "Are you filming? Have you seen the news about 'The Massage Therapist'?"

"Sister Lin, answer the phone."

"I miss you."

Frustrated, she tossed her phone into the corner of the sofa and sank into the soft cushions.

Why should I make you think about it?
How could she have missed an opportunity that could have propelled her career to new heights?
How could she, because of her arrogance and prejudice, push the person she loved into the arms of someone else?
In the dead of night, she couldn't help but click on the trailer for "The Massage Therapist".

The look in Teacher Mei's eyes when she turned around startled her...

Three parts allure, three parts ruthlessness, and four parts indescribable sorrow.

If she participates in this drama, it will definitely elevate her status and increase her popularity in an unimaginable way.

It's laughable that she thought Su Ning was overestimating himself back then, but now she understands that he was a man fighting for his future.

The phone rang again; this time it was the agent calling.

She hesitated for a moment, but finally answered the call.

"Fan Lin, there's some news you need to know." The agent's voice was hesitant. "Shandong Film and Television's 'Like a Flowing River' has cast Su Ning as Song Yunhui. We had previously tried to get the female lead for this project, but the production company just called and said that considering your suitability for the role, they don't think you're quite right for the female lead."

"How could this be? I'm Suning's girlfriend, and Shandong Film Group won't even give me this much face?" Fan Lin was finding it hard to accept.

"Fan Lin, Shandong Film Studio has always prioritized the suitability of the role. Perhaps you really aren't suitable for the female lead."

"No! I have to get the role of Song Yunping, the female lead."

"Actually, I just called Suning. He said you could play the supporting role of Liu Qiming, which would be just as wonderful. He also said that your temperament is very suitable for the role."

"Hmph! What about Liang Sichen?" Fan Lin thought of another important character again, unwilling to give up.

"Suning said it was Liu Yifei."

"How is that possible? Would someone of Liu Yifei's status be willing to take on this role?"

"It's probably pretty close to the truth."

The phone slipped from his hand and fell to the carpet with a dull thud.

It started raining outside the window sometime earlier, and the raindrops tapped against the glass, just like the night they first met.

This time, however, Fan Lin knew that some paths, once missed, can never be retraced.

Ultimately, the distance between her and Su Ning is the film "The Massage Therapist," a role she personally gave up, and a trust she was never willing to give.

The rain poured down harder and harder, as if trying to wash away all the regrets of the city.

Fan Lin sat in the darkness, letting regret and jealousy gnaw at her heart.

This is the price she has to pay for her arrogance.

……

The applause at the premiere at Hangzhou Star Cinema still echoes in my ears.

When the end credits of "The Massage Therapist" first lit up in this theater,
No one could have predicted the surging cultural wave that this debut film by a new director would unleash over the next sixty days and nights.

It transformed from a box office dark horse into a social phenomenon, eventually transcending national borders. Its influence is like a boulder thrown into the center of a lake, creating ripples that are profound and enduring.

It grossed 1800 million yuan on its opening day, taking the top spot for the day.

This is not just a victory in numbers.

On weekday afternoon screenings, audience members who had temporarily added seats in the back rows of the theater forgot to eat their popcorn, their eyes glued to the screen. Many major cinemas in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou experienced the long-awaited phenomenon of being completely sold out.

A cinema manager in Beijing posted on his WeChat Moments, lamenting: "Even after the movie ended, the audience was still blocking the exit, discussing the film heatedly. No one left even during the smallest post-credits scene. I haven't seen this kind of scene in years!"

The word-of-mouth spread like wildfire: 9.4 on Maoyan, 9.3 on Taopiaopiao, and 8.7 on Douban, directly breaking the record for the highest opening score of a domestic suspense film this year.

Meanwhile, on social media platforms, a nationwide "details-deciphering frenzy" has quietly begun.

Weibo hashtag #HiddenForeshadowingbyMassageTherapist#
Overnight, the video garnered over 100 million views, with netizens turning into detectives and analyzing it frame by frame: "At the beginning, when Amin was counting money, his sunglasses were always placed next to that small Buddha statue!"

The Buddha's light represents 'redemption,' the sunglasses represent 'disguise,' and his final act of throwing the sunglasses into the Chao Phraya River symbolizes 'abandoning pretense and embracing redemption.' The ending is foreshadowed from the very beginning!"

"Did you notice the scene where the lady of the house applies lipstick? The lipstick color gradually changes from a gentle mauve to a very aggressive bright red, perfectly corresponding to her psychological transformation from a reserved noblewoman to a cold-blooded murderer. Teacher Mei Ting is truly a perfectionist when it comes to details!"

Bilibili's film and television content creators worked overnight to produce analysis videos.

One content creator specializing in micro-expression analysis repeatedly played and slowed down the moment when Liu Yijun (playing the adulterer) saw through Amin's disguise, showing a slight upturn at the corner of his mouth: "Look, everyone, this smile, the muscle movement is extremely subtle. It's not a hearty laugh, but a mixture of contempt, a sense of control, and the cruelty of discovering prey. This smile sent chills down my spine even more than when he pointed a gun at someone later. The whole performance was on his face!"

In the cinema, viewers who watched the film two or three times formed a unique "atmosphere group".

Whenever a hidden detail or foreshadowing appears, a few "Oh~" sounds of sudden realization always echo from the darkness, as if a mystery that had never been solved before has been solved.

Even more impressively, some viewers brought notebooks and pens, using the light from the screen to diligently record newly discovered clues, and then took photos to share on social media after the movie: "The first time I watched it, I was so focused on the tense plot that I only realized on the second viewing that there were 'pitfalls' carefully dug by the director everywhere. This movie-watching experience was amazing!"

Entering the second week, a Hollywood superhero blockbuster made a strong debut, significantly squeezing out theater screenings.

Many people thought that the popularity of "The Massage Therapist" would be diverted.

However, the market gave the opposite answer...

Over the weekend, the daily box office of "The Massage Therapist" rose instead of falling, breaking through 5000 million yuan and setting a new record for the highest daily box office for a domestic suspense film. The occupancy rate remained stable at a terrifying 85%.

The cinemas reacted quickly, immediately adjusting the schedule and increasing the proportion of screenings from 35% to 38%, and even adding screenings after midnight, which were still sold out.

What truly enabled the film to "break out of its niche" and spread was an unexpected group: massage therapists across the country.

First, the experienced massage therapists at a blind massage parlor in Chengdu spontaneously organized a private screening of the film. Subsequently, massage therapists in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and other cities responded one after another, and the topic of "massage therapist movie viewing group" quickly rose to the top of the Douyin trending list.

Li, a blind massage therapist with 20 years of experience, posted a video on Douyin. Wearing sunglasses and with slightly red eyes, he said emotionally, "In the movie, Amin's act of pretending to be blind was fake, but his focus and dedication when massaging customers were real. In our line of work, we rely on our hands and our hearts. The line in the movie, 'If you press the acupoints accurately, your heart won't go wrong,' really touched the hearts of all of us massage therapists."

This heartfelt video quickly garnered over a million likes, resonating with a wider audience.

Countless massage therapists posted photos of their work IDs and professional qualification certificates, captioning them, "After watching the movie, I want to hone my skills even more." Some shared screenshots of thank-you messages or positive reviews from customers, calling them "our career highlights."

Some shrewd massage parlor owners even launched a promotion offering a 20% discount to customers who present their movie ticket stub for "The Massage Therapist".

For a time, "watching 'The Massage Therapist' and then getting a massage" became a novel consumer trend.

In the third week, the popularity of "The Massage Therapist" completely transcended the realm of film and television, becoming a public topic.

In a television psychology interview program, experts deeply analyzed "Amin's disguised personality": "Su Ning's 'performance' is not innate, but a stress protection mechanism under high-pressure living conditions. This deeply resonates with the collective unconscious of many people in modern society who wear different 'personality masks' in different situations, triggering strong empathy."

Legal bloggers engaged in a professional discussion of the evidence chain in the film: "Can Amin's use of Morse code to pass clues at the police station be considered valid evidence in real judicial practice? There is some artistic embellishment involved, but the overall logical framework is rigorous and self-consistent."

The response was particularly enthusiastic in the Chinese community in Thailand.

A restaurant owner who has run a business in Bangkok's Chinatown for many years posted an old photo of his shop's entrance at an angle similar to that of a movie scene, proving that the setting of "a massage parlor hidden next to a bustling market" is extremely realistic.

Another netizen who had dealt with the Thai police shared their experience: "The adulterous police chief played by Liu Yijun in the movie, with his real power and the arrogance and bureaucratic air in his eyes, is exactly the same as the superior I dealt with back then!"

Good news is also pouring in from overseas markets.

The film grossed over $100 million in its opening week in Thailand, setting a new record for the highest-grossing Chinese-language film in the country.

Local travel agencies in Bangkok, quick to seize the opportunity, swiftly designed and launched a "One-Day Tour to Visit Filming Locations of 'The Massage Therapist'"...

From the massage parlor where Amin works to the exterior of the luxurious apartment where the female protagonist lives, and then to the Chao Phraya River pier where the final battle takes place, the area attracts a large number of Chinese tourists every day in tour groups.

A local tour guide told reporters with a smile, "In the past, tourists would come up and ask about the Grand Palace and the Erawan Shrine. Now, eight out of ten people will ask, 'Where is the pier where Amin threw his sunglasses?'"

……

On its 18th day of release, Maoyan Professional Edition sent a major message to all users: The total box office of "The Massage Therapist" has exceeded 10 billion RMB, making it the fastest suspense film in Chinese film history to achieve this milestone.

When the news broke, Suning was in a studio reshooting a promotional video.

A staff member rushed over with a phone to share the good news, but Su Ning smiled broadly and said into the phone, "Really?... Thank you so much! This is all thanks to all the viewers who were willing to watch it two or three times and help us uncover the details!"

On the 25th day, the film's producers officially announced that the release of "The Massage Therapist" would be extended for the first time, with the screening period extended from the original one month to two months.

Cinema managers across the country breathed a sigh of relief.

An executive at a top Shanghai cinema stated, "Market demand remains strong, and many viewers have reported difficulty purchasing tickets. With the postponement, we plan to further increase screenings; perhaps... we can indeed expect an even greater box office miracle."

An even greater honor arrived on the 28th day...

"The Massage Therapist" has been officially confirmed to be selected for the main competition at the Tokyo International Film Festival.

When Suning received the call from producer Chen Xiaojun, they were discussing streaming media copyright matters.

On the other end of the phone, Chen Xiaojun's voice couldn't hide her exhaustion and excitement: "Five mainstream platforms have already made offers, the highest being 8000 million! Now, with the added boost of being nominated for the Tokyo International Film Festival, the price will definitely go up even further!"

After a moment's thought, Su Ning made a decision: "Jun Jun, let's put the copyright issue aside for now and talk about it after we get back from Tokyo. Letting this film be tested on the international stage and let more overseas audiences see it is more important than selling more copyright fees."

"it is good."

On its 60th day of release, "The Massage Therapist" reached a final box office of 26.8 billion yuan in mainland China, unsurprisingly topping the all-time box office charts for domestic suspense films.

...(End of chapter)