Huayu: From charlatan to great entertainer

Chapter 398 Here! Mom, this is my girlfriend.

When Wang Xifeng appears in "Dream of the Red Chamber", Cao Xueqin describes her as "hearing her voice before seeing her".

The simple statement, "I am late and have not yet welcomed our guests from afar," silenced the entire room, revealing to everyone that this Second Madam Lian was a formidable figure.

Even before the film "The Sky of History" was released, its theme song "As You Wish" had already taken the lead, shaking the world like Wang Xifeng's laughter.

Thanks to the strong support of the Ministry of Culture's Art Department and the Film Bureau, Lu Kuan's prominent position as the chief director of the Olympic Games, and the fact that this historical film embodies and carries the nation's sorrow, almost all mainstream media outlets began to cooperate in promoting the film.

The People's Daily published a special commentary: "As You Wish" uses music to mend the wounds of history, praising the song for using the gentleness of art to overcome the rigidity of history and conveying the wish for peace.

The next day's "Lianbo" broadcast devoted 15 seconds to reporting on the press conference, with the title "Echoes of History, Powerful Voices of the Times".

The film focuses on the contrasting circumstances of children in different eras, as well as the scene of survivors embracing and weeping with Liu Yifei, who plays Iris Chang, which resonated widely with people across the country.

Popular online forums such as Blogcn, Weibo, and Alispace saw a surge of spontaneous discussions, with Weibo hashtags such as #ZhangLiangying's "As You Wish"#, #LuKuan's New Film Theme Song "As You Wish"#, and #LiuYifeiZhangChunru# quickly trending on Weibo.

The music video for "As You Wish," officially released by Wenjie Holdings and Wenjie Film & Television, has been widely shared, with Andy Lau, Jay Chou, Anita Mui, Liu Yifei, and other artists from the Wenjie group immediately forwarding and commenting on it.

Xiao Liu added a crying emoji, which drew a wave of comfort and encouragement from the fans who replied.

The comparison between "children in 1937 vs. modern children" in the music video was captured and went viral as a GIF, with the caption "What they fear is what we protect," and the single post was forwarded more than 50 times within an hour.

With the help of an international public relations team, the song quickly became popular in Europe, America and East Asia. Different versions of "Ru Yuan" in different languages ​​entered the audience's field of vision along with the movie's promotion and hype.

The BBC Culture section reported on the story with the headline "China challenges historical silence with music," quoting Martin Scorsese's comment: "This song has made the Oscar judges start to pay attention to the East's 'Schindler's List'."

The Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun reported cautiously that right-wing netizens attacked the song for "inciting anti-Japanese sentiment," but Japanese peace groups publicly supported it, saying that "music should transcend national borders to remember history."

At the same time, the single "As You Wish" quickly became the top hit on the Baidu Music chart.
It ranked second on the China Music Chart in its first week and topped the chart in its second week.

The music video on the music charts garnered over 500 million views in a single day, setting a new record.

Of course, some curious and attentive netizens left messages on the Wenjie official website, asking about the origin of the remote-controlled airplane in the video, and also expressing curiosity about the "drone shooting" label at the end of the MV.

Wenjie Holdings' official blog and Weibo account took the opportunity to tag DJI's official account, bringing this "industrial toy," which was still a niche product in 2008, into the public eye.

Having pioneered the Chinese film roadshow and marketing model with "Whiplash," he has demonstrated exceptional topic marketing capabilities and groundbreaking publicity arrangements in every subsequent film, once again breaking into the mainstream.

The publicity effect of "As You Wish" was like a hurricane, and it once again became a hot topic of discussion and learning for mainland film companies and the media industry.

Director Chen, who is currently filming "Mei Lanfang", has been quiet on the internet for a long time. He proposed to investors to increase the film's music marketing budget and invite Wang Fei to sing the theme song.

Xiao Gangpao, who is currently busy preparing for next year's "If You Are the One" extravaganza, also raised a similar idea with his partners, Ali and Wendi Deng, seeking an opportunity to imitate and surpass them.

As for "The Sky of History," which is about to be performed at the Berlin and Oscars, the song uses music to mend historical wounds. Through Jane Zhang's performance and the contrast between the past and present in the music video, it has successfully evoked the public's memory of the Nanjing Massacre and their desire for peace.

To establish a broad audience base for a film subject that is objectively not very appealing—

A music video that uses only a few clips and scenes from a movie is enough to stir the viewer's heart and soul, making them involuntarily immerse themselves in and explore that period of history.

So what about the movie?

Overall, the success of "As You Wish" and the comprehensive promotional campaign of "The Sky of History" have redefined the communication paradigm of film marketing.

Breaking through boundaries with emotional resonance and carrying historical weight with commercial means will force the industry to shift from "hard publicity" to "soft penetration," leaving a significant mark on the history of Chinese film and marketing.

On February 4, 2008, Lu Kuan requested a long leave from Chairman Liu of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games, citing his legitimate reason of attending the Berlin Film Festival and the Oscars.

However, under the pretext of discussing promotional cooperation for "The Sky of History" with Jinling, he took Afei back to Jiangsu Province first.

Last year, because I was filming in Germany, I missed visiting Zeng Wenxiu's grave on the Lantern Festival, the anniversary of her death.

This year's Berlin Film Festival happens to open on February 7th, which is the first day of the Lunar New Year. Unable to be in two places at that time, he could only visit his mother in advance.

They arrived on the 4th, returned to Beiping the next day, and then flew to Berlin on the 6th, the day before the Berlin Film Festival opened.

This day is Chinese New Year's Eve, and the young couple who have been in a long-distance relationship for more than a month have made an appointment to reunite and celebrate the festival in advance.

"I'm going to the provincial government. Wait for me at the hotel."

"Okay." Ah Fei never interfered or asked too many questions, so he nodded in agreement.

The weather was poor today, with fine snowflakes falling in Nanjing.

Disguised, Boss Lu took a taxi and turned past the entrance to Shiao Village at the foot of Niushou Mountain. A thin layer of frost covered the car window, blurring the tightly pursed lips of the person inside.

The taxi driver spoke in a very Nanjing accent: "It's freezing cold here, handsome young man, come back soon, otherwise it won't be easy for me to keep burning gas and running the heater in the car for too long."

Hearing the familiar local accent, Boss Lu pulled his scarf up a bit, smiled, and tossed her a large red bill: "You know how to be lazy, it won't take long."

The taxi driver took the money, her eyes crinkling with laughter: "Oh my, the boss is incredibly generous! Your accent sounds familiar, are you a local?"

"That's it."

The older woman slapped the steering wheel: "I knew it! You were heading towards Niushou Mountain to sweep the tombs. In this weather, even ghosts would be shivering. It's amazing you even made it this far."

"Hey handsome young man, you're dressed so neatly, you don't look like you live in the village. Which slope is your family's ancestral grave on? If I ever bring customers to the area, I'll help you pull up a couple of weeds while I'm at it."

Lu Kuan traced a watermark on the car window with his finger: "No need, just stop here. I'll be back in half an hour."

"Okay!" The taxi driver put the hundred-yuan bill into her pocket, feeling very pleased; the trip hadn't been in vain.

The bluestone path, covered with fresh snow, creaked and groaned. He deliberately avoided the old locust tree with red lanterns hanging at the village entrance and slipped along the path by the wild lake.

The reeds by the wild lake were withered and flattened, and snowflakes pounded on the surface of Zhenghe Lake, creating fine eddies.

Lu Kuan noticed withered wildflowers in front of the grave with a puzzled look, thinking they were probably just a casual offering from the simple villagers nearby, and didn't pay much attention to them.

He pulled a multi-purpose Swiss Army knife from his bag and cut a few more wild roses that hadn't frozen over nearby.

They then used the tip of a knife to pry open the ice and dug out several drooping daisies by the roots. They rinsed the mud off the roots in Zhenghe Lake and wrapped them in newspaper to make bouquets.

He then took out a cloth and knelt down to wipe the tombstone, removing the old moss embedded in the engraving of "Tomb of Zeng Wenxiu" on the bluestone slab.

At this moment, he had no illustrious status, and he forgot his wealth, position, power, and fame; he was just an ordinary son.

After cleaning, he took out a bottle of baijiu (Chinese liquor) from the side pocket of his backpack.

He opened the bottle, took a sip, and then immediately splashed the liquid in an arc around the tomb. Dark circular spots immediately appeared on the snow, like developing solution spreading on old film.

He knelt down and kowtowed, the fourth time with a heavy thud. When he looked up again, snowflakes were landing on his eyelashes, melting into water droplets and rolling down.

Lu Kuan stood up and clapped his hands, looking at the snowflakes and ice shards mixed with mud in his palms. His thoughts suddenly drifted back to the cold winter when he was seven years old—

The cracks on the back of my mother's hands are etched in my memory; her fingers, clutching a three-cent movie ticket, had such jagged knuckles.

It seems that after sharing your deepest secret with another person, the old memories that surface in your heart become even more vivid.

He didn't say a word, just stood quietly in front of the ceramic tile photo on the tombstone, his heart at peace.

The Olympics, "The Sky of History," and the impending cataclysmic event in three months...

All the burdens weighing on his shoulders and in his heart were temporarily lifted, and the world fell silent in that instant. His breathing seemed to be in sync with the mountain breeze.

From the moment he arrived at the wild lake, his unhurried movements over the next ten minutes seemed to blend harmoniously with the surrounding landscape, much like a single, continuous shot directed by himself.

A single, continuous take filled with poetic tranquility and restrained dramatic tension.

If it were to appear in a film, it would be a divine moment about a film reel of memories developing spontaneously between heaven and earth.

Boss Lu stammered, opening his mouth, "Mom..."

"Ring ring ring!"

The abrupt ringing of the bell interrupted his monologue, which was tinged with redness in his eyes.

Lu Kuan pressed the answer button, and Liu Yifei's cheerful voice came from the other end: "Why aren't you replying to my messages? What time are you arriving in Berlin? Have you booked your plane ticket?"

My girlfriend, with whom I've been dating for six months and still feel the same way, is getting impatient.

"Around 4 or 5 pm on the 6th, just wait for me at the hotel."

Xiao Liu seemed to sense his unusual emotional state and said gently, "I'll arrive tomorrow. It would be great if you could come a day earlier."

"I'm in Nanjing, discussing some matters with Mayor Jiang."

"Nanjing? Okay! Then I'll check out what good Chinese restaurants there are in Berlin and make a reservation for New Year's Eve!"

Missing her husband dearly, Liu Yifei rambled on for a couple more minutes before hanging up the phone.

The dial tone came through, interrupting his lyrical musing. Boss Lu, somewhat speechless, put his hands in his pockets, feeling a little embarrassed and unsure of what to say next.

This isn't a movie; it's about a person quietly reuniting with their adoptive mother. There's no need for so much sentimental talk.

Lu Kuan thought for a moment and then took out his phone again, found a photo of the two of them in Italy, and plopped down next to Zeng Wenxiu's tombstone.

"Here, my new girlfriend. Let me show her to you."

He smiled and pointed his phone at Zeng Wenxiu's photo, as if he were talking to a real person.

In the photo, Lu Kuan and Liu Yifei are sitting side by side on the wooden railing of a sea-view house in Sicily.

The afterglow of the setting sun gilded the two of them. Liu Yifei wore a textured light purple cardigan with a short tank top underneath. Her hair was being tossed by the sea breeze as she turned her head and smiled at the camera with her eyes crinkling.

She held a half-eaten cactus fruit in one hand, and rested the other hand naturally on Lu Kuan's knee, her fingertips still stained with fruit, exuding a charming and lively air.

Mr. Lu leaned slightly towards her, his shirt collar open, his jawline relaxed with a smile, and the contentment in his eyes almost overflowed the picture.

"Her full name is Liu Yifei, her nickname is Liu Qianqian, and her alias is Liu Xiaolv."

"My hometown is Jiangcheng. It's about 800 kilometers upstream from Nanjing along the Yangtze River. It's not that far."

Boss Lu flipped the photo over and looked at it himself, then laughed and joked, "Well, he's alright looking, with big eyes, a high nose, fair skin, and long legs."

"Of course, there's still a difference compared to when you were young."

"But my temper is a bit like yours. Once I've made up my mind about something, nothing can change it. I'm very stubborn."

"She forced me to quit my smoking habit of so many years."

Lu Kuan scratched his head sheepishly, then touched his nose: "We'll see... If possible, I'll bring her to sweep your grave sometime."

He smacked his lips, unsure of what else to say, so he simply flipped through a few more photos and showed them to the tombstone.

As the sunlight gradually dimmed, the mountain wind, carrying the chill of early spring, swept through the wild chrysanthemums in front of the grave, making a soft rustling sound.

He flicked away a withered leaf that had fallen in front of the monument, patted his bottom, and got up.

"It's getting late. I'll come see you again next year. Goodbye."

She rearranged the offerings in front of the tombstone: "This time I brought you candied plums from Jiangning. If there's anything else you want to eat, remember to tell me in a dream, otherwise it's always the same old things."

Before he could finish speaking, a gust of wind suddenly swept up a few petals, which swirled and landed on the tips of his shoes, as if in gentle response.

The distant calls of birds returning to their nests made the valley seem even more tranquil.

Like a child, he lovingly stroked the mottled carvings on the bluestone tombstone, and finally pressed his forehead against the cold photograph. The earthy scent mixed with the bitter fragrance of wild chrysanthemums evoked a memory of his childhood, the smell of his mother drying bedsheets.

As he stood up, a wild chrysanthemum seed stuck to his sleeve. He paused, but ultimately didn't brush it off, letting the tiny bit of life follow him away.

The pine branches along the mountain path swayed gently, casting shadows that resembled hands reluctantly parting.

In the twilight, the old pine tree beside the tombstone nodded slightly, shaking off a drop of dew that fell onto the tile photo, like a tear that Zeng Wenxiu quietly wiped away.
-
In early 2008, filmmakers from both the United States and China who wanted to fly to Berlin to attend the film festival were forced to choose connecting flights due to the lack of direct flights.

Although Berlin is the capital of Germany, it is only the center in a political sense.

In terms of economy and culture, it stands alongside many other illustrious cities such as Munich and Frankfurt.

For those who watch the game, the strength of the Berlin teams is evident – ​​Hertha Berlin and Union Berlin are hardly considered strong teams.

In addition, the division of East and West Germany during the Cold War affected aviation infrastructure, and Berlin's geographical location in eastern Germany, far from the center of Europe, meant that filmmakers from China and the United States participating in the exhibition generally chose to fly directly to Frankfurt and then travel to Berlin.

Frankfurt is home to the headquarters of the renowned Lufthansa Airlines, and is Germany's financial center and an important commercial city.

The public relations team for "The Sky of History" in North America arrived in Berlin in early February to conduct preliminary publicity preparations.

Subsequently, Liu Yifei, Hanks, Moore and their entourage also boarded a Lufthansa Boeing 747-8 from Los Angeles on the 5th, soaring at an altitude of 10,000 meters with anticipation and longing.

In a semi-enclosed suite in Lufthansa's first class, Liu Yifei was preparing for an interview. After a month of intense preview screenings and Oscar public relations activities, she was already quite adept at it.

The cabin features warm gray leather seats paired with walnut wood trim. The seats can be laid flat 180 degrees to form a two-meter-long bed, and the cashmere blankets are embroidered with Lufthansa's iconic yellow crane emblem.

She lay on her side in the window seat, the sea of ​​clouds outside the porthole filtered into a soft amber color by the dimmable glass.

The mother, Liu Xiaoli, sat in the adjacent seat. The partition between them had been lowered, forming a small reception area. Different kinds of fruit were laid out on the solid wood table, and fine water droplets still clung to the rim of the champagne glasses.

Liu Xiaoli forked a piece of fruit and fed it to her eldest daughter: "Are we on a side street in Frankfurt or Berlin?"

Xiao Liu smiled as he enjoyed being fed: "When we get to Berlin, we'll check into a hotel and find a restaurant to wait for him."

He paused for a moment, then hesitated before saying, "He made a last-minute trip to Nanjing yesterday. It seems that some government officials wanted to talk to him about the cultural industry. He should arrive an hour or two later than us."

"Okay, let's find a Chinese restaurant. We still need to have a proper New Year's Eve."

Speaking of which, since they met in 2001, Mr. Lu and his friends have almost always spent the Spring Festival together.

After attending the Sundance Film Festival in 2003, he helped Liu Yifei renounce her citizenship and had a meal together at his home on Long Island, New York.
In 2004, after participating in the live broadcast of the Spring Festival Gala, we had dinner in a courtyard to celebrate the New Year, with Anita Mui and Jay Chou both there.
In 2005, they took "A Home Too Far" to the Oscars; in 2006, they reunited after the Fox live broadcast incident.

Last year's Spring Festival was also in Berlin, Germany, where the crew filmed Tom Hanks' character, John Rabe, struggling to make ends meet after returning to his home country. The filming wrapped up shortly afterward.

This year, in addition to the year after the relationship was officially confirmed.

From the perspective of the significance of the Spring Festival, the most important festival for Chinese people, it seems that they have long been no different from one family.

Liu Yifei has been doing publicity and public relations work in the United States recently, and she seems quite exhausted.

She chatted with her elderly mother for a while, looked at some documents, and then felt sleepy. With anticipation of reuniting with her sweetheart, she covered herself with a blanket and fell into a deep sleep.

The semi-enclosed cabin provided ample psychological security, leaving only the soft white noise of the first-class ventilation system.

She curled up on the 180-degree flat bed, her Frette linen pillowcase pressed against her fair, flawless cheeks, while the reading lamp, left untouched, cast dappled light on her eyelashes.

My soul is captivated by it, and I feel as if I've entered a dream.

My spirit wanders through the vast emptiness, as if drifting among clouds and mist.

Liu Yifei's consciousness in her dream was as diffuse as a thin mist, and in a daze, she seemed to be standing in the pine breeze of Jinling.

The photo on the tombstone gradually blurred in my vision, and the outline of the road and my own smiling face intertwined and overlapped in my dream.

The mountain breeze brushing against her skin carried the warmth of his palm from her memory, causing her to curl up unconsciously in her sleep, as if wrapped in a gentle cocoon.

Why am I here?

She was surprised to find herself standing in front of the Yehu Tombstone, which she had inadvertently entered while experiencing life in Nanjing and visiting survivors of the Niushoushan Massacre.

The wild grass and flowers that I casually placed in front of the grave two years ago seem to have turned into wild roses and daisies that have just been picked and placed there, covered with the moist morning dew.

Xiao Liu felt a slight chill run down his spine. Anyone whose subconscious was suddenly pulled to the solemn tombstone in the wilderness would feel a sense of unknown fear.

It's unclear who heard her innermost thoughts, or if it was someone who felt heartache for the girl's slightly furrowed brows.

A mountain breeze suddenly swept through the gaps in the trees and brushed against her neck, carrying the damp coolness unique to early spring, but turning into a familiar warmth the moment it touched her skin.

Just like...

Just like the soothing warmth that Lu Kuan felt through her clothes every time he hugged her.

She subconsciously tilted her head back, and the wind gently caressed her fingertips and then her hair, as if someone were lovingly combing her long hair.

"Sissi, are you Sissi?"

In her dream, Liu Yifei heard an inquiry, the voice clearly belonging to her beloved Lu Kuan, but upon closer listening, it became a woman's voice. Yifei...

Sissi...

Following the gentle female voice, Liu Yifei looked up and saw Zeng Wenxiu gazing at her with a smile in the black and white photograph embedded in the tombstone.

The affection in her eyes was exactly the same as when she handed her adopted son, Lu Kuan, a three-cent movie ticket in 1988.

Liu Yifei was so engrossed in her dream that she had lost the ability to think for herself.

Lu Kuan, Jinling, the name Zeng Wenxiu she had heard with her own ears, and the secret of past lives she had overheard in Sicily...

Filled with intense anticipation of meeting her boyfriend, these fragmented memories intertwined and collided deep within her mind, ultimately giving birth to a scene that blended reality and illusion.

Life is like a dream, seemingly real yet illusory.

Past events and old shadows have all transformed into fleeting moments.

"Sissi..."

In her dream, Liu Yifei felt the same peace and tranquility as when she was visiting the grave, and heard a woman's voice gently calling her nickname, each syllable wrapped in honey-like warmth.

Liu Yifei vaguely saw a pale white hand stroking the top of her head, the fingers with the delicate joints of a calligrapher or painter, but the palm with thin calluses from years of hard work.

The mountain breeze gently enveloped her, carrying flower petals, as if she were being pulled into the embrace of someone she had never met but with whom she had established a spiritual connection.

"Sissi!"

The call was particularly urgent, waking Xiao Liu from her dream. When she opened her eyes, she saw Liu Xiaoli's puzzled expression.

"You've been sleeping too long; you're even talking in your sleep."

Liu Yifei subconsciously curled up in the leather seat, the cashmere blanket slipping off her shoulders, revealing half of her cheek with red sleep marks.

"Hoo..." Liu Yifei seemed to still be immersed in a hazy dream: "Mom, how long have I been asleep?"

Liu Xiaoli reached out and pushed the porthole next to her to the top. Liu Yifei looked up with trembling eyelashes. The sea of ​​clouds was being dyed pale gold by the morning light.

"We still have 5 hours to go to Frankfurt. You've slept for 7 or 8 hours."

The elderly mother teased, "You young people are really something, still chanting 'Where's the road?' even in your dreams."

Xiao Liu's lips curved into a smile, the faint image of the tombstone still lingering in her pupils, her fingertips unconsciously tracing the walnut wood grain of the chair armrest: "Mom, would you like some food? I'm so hungry."

Liu Xiaoli nodded: "That's how it is when you dream; you feel extremely tired when you wake up."

"You've been working too hard this month, you need to take a break."

Liu Yifei nodded with her lips pursed. The plane pierced through the clouds, and a burst of rosy light rushed in, blending the lingering echo of "Xixi" from her dream into the steady roar of the engine.

The girl stared blankly out the window, gradually piecing together the unbelievable dream and the short-haired woman on the tombstone in her mind.

Was she speaking to me?
-
Berlin is located deep inland in Central Europe and is less affected by the North Atlantic Current. Cold air tends to accumulate in winter, resulting in large temperature differences between day and night and prolonged periods of low temperatures.

The 2008 edition of the Berlin Film Festival, in particular, was dubbed the coldest Berlin Film Festival ever.

When Boss Lu and his entourage arrived at the Frankfurt-Berlin intercity train, the real-time temperature displayed on the platform's electronic screen was -18 degrees Celsius.

The white mist exhaled instantly condensed into ice crystals on the scarf, and the eyelashes seemed to be adorned with fine ice shards by an invisible hand.

In the distance, the Brandenburg Gate's outline was blurred into a gray silhouette by the blizzard, while nearby, Deutsche Bahn employees on the platform were using blowtorches to melt the ice on the switches, demonstrating the immense power of the extreme cold wave.

As dusk approached six o'clock, the group left Berlin Central Station and headed to the Old Friends Chinese Restaurant.

This is a modernized Chinese restaurant featured in Der Spiegel and quite famous locally. Today, the crew of the TV series "The Sky of History" has booked the place to celebrate Lunar New Year's Eve.

Now only his directorship remains uncertain.

The door to the Chinese restaurant was suddenly pushed open, and Lu Kuan strode in, his dark gray coat still covered with unmelted ice crystals.

Liu Yifei suddenly stood up from the main table, her crimson cashmere dress resembling a dancing flame in the warm light.

Just as she was about to step forward, the obese Jewish An Lushan stepped forward laughing: "Lu! You've arrived!"

The girlfriend, who was usually a little reserved in public, was still a bit slow. She glanced at Harvey with annoyance, then looked sweetly at her travel-worn boyfriend.

Harvey, still oblivious, exclaimed, "Lou! I have some good news for you!"

"We won two of the three Oscar-winning trio! The DGA and the PGA!"

Mr. Lu looked at Harvey, who was eagerly taking credit, and nodded and smiled at Hanks, Moore and others, while slightly unbuttoning his dark gray double-breasted Chesterfield long coat.

"This is good news, and it's bad news."

Harvey laughed and said, "That's right, we also lost the SAG and the Golden Globe, which isn't very optimistic."

Everyone laughed after hearing this.

As mentioned earlier, the Directors Guild, Screen Actors Guild, and Producers Guild awards, known as the "golden triangle" of the Oscars, are important indicators of the Oscars, just like the Golden Globes.

However, as of yesterday, the final PGA Awards were announced, and "The Sky of History" won both the Directors Guild Award and the Producers Guild Award.

The competitor "There Will Be Blood" won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Ensemble Cast and Best Actor thanks to the outstanding performance of Oscar-winning actor Lewis, while "No Country for Old Men" won the Golden Globe Award.

Judging from the results of the PR Sentinel Awards, it's a mixed bag.

Liu Yifei walked over and took the scarf he had untied. Hearing this, she smiled and said, "There are four important indicator awards in total. We got half of them, so we can call it a success."

“That’s right, we still have the honor of the Berlin Film Festival to strive for, only ‘There Will Be Blood’ has entered the main competition.”

Boss Lu laughed and said, "Today is Lunar New Year's Eve, and the Berlin Film Festival, which opens tomorrow, coincides with the Spring Festival. This time, it is undoubtedly our home turf."

The entire floor of the Chinese restaurant that was booked on-site was occupied by the film crew.

The restaurant staff looked on with envy and admiration at the various celebrities, especially Tom Hanks who is of German descent, while serving the dishes. Soon, several tables of modified Chinese banquets were ready.

"Come on, friends, thank you all for your hard work." Lu Kuan stood at the main table, raising his glass to the more than thirty crew members in the room: "Berlin is cold, but our crew's boxed lunches are hot enough today!"

Everyone laughed heartily, and Zhao Fei took a few pictures with his camera. They ate and chatted as they went.

Hanks awkwardly poked at the pickled ginger shreds in the bowl with the tip of his chopsticks, then dipped a dumpling in the sauce and ate it: "It's a shame it's not as authentic as what we had in Nanjing."

"To be honest, I kind of miss the film crew's cafeteria at Wenli High School."

Moore used a fork to hold the slippery shrimp dumpling in place, glancing towards the kitchen upon hearing this.

Through the frosted glass, you can see three Cantonese chefs wearing tall hats moving about in the steaming basket, the sound of chopping meat like rapid drumbeats.

She smiled and said to Liu Yifei, "I agree with what the movie star said, especially after having Crystal's Chinese food in Los Angeles. We're already looking forward to our next trip to China."

Harvey chimed in jokingly, "I agree with what the actress said. Now I know why the road ended up in Crystal's hands."

Tom Hanks delivered the final callback: "I agree with the Miramax boss; it reminds me of a line from Casablanca—"

He mimicked Humphrey Bogart's classic tone, raising his champagne glass and laughing, "In all the bars of all the cities, in all the gin... she just happened to walk into his."

Liu Yifei spent almost every day with the crew during filming for over a year, and this past month has also been a period of intense collaboration in promoting the film.

She didn't mind the teasing from others, and just smiled as she watched her boyfriend serve him food.

She herself didn't dare to eat it, after all, she still had to walk the red carpet tomorrow.

In reality, it's just the staff who can eat and drink to their heart's content, while the actors, including Hanks, only have a few bites. Tomorrow is the opening ceremony and red carpet event, and the award-winning actors and actresses will not lose their professionalism.

Harvey, of course, thoroughly enjoyed the meal. Having grown up in Queens, New York, he was no stranger to Chinese food: "Martin Scorsese will be here tomorrow. The festival originally wanted to use his film 'The Rolling Stones' as the opening film, but he later recommended us to Koslick."

Martin Scorsese's other submission to the main competition was "Standard Procedure," which he co-produced and financed. It is extremely rare for a documentary to be included in the main competition.

After winning an Oscar two years ago and ending his reign as an uncrowned king, this Hollywood film sociologist has delved deeper into the exploration of film themes, language, and form.

The modified Chinese food wasn't to my liking, and after eating some dumplings, Mr. Lu stopped eating: "Before I came, I looked at the list and details of this year's main competition films, and Koslick certainly has guts."

"Including our film, the political implications of the films selected for the main competition at this year's Berlin Film Festival have almost reached their peak."

The Berlin Film Festival is nicknamed the "Political Correctional Institution," as is widely known.

The film festival's presentation is as rigid and dull as the German character itself, making it difficult for the festival to be innovative and outstanding in its packaging.

But the most important reason lies in the crucial film selection process. Due to well-known historical reasons, when the Berlin Film Festival was founded in 1961, the political conflict between East and West Germany was very intense, which led it to establish the primary purpose of "understanding the world through film from a political perspective" and to place great emphasis on its "political correctness".

In other words, it deliberately combines film, a simple art form that originally did not need to have any bias, with hot political topics and cultural orientations, so that the selected films, especially the award-winning films, become too political, serious and lack vitality.

However, in an era where Venice and Cannes are increasingly becoming Hollywoodized, the Berlin Film Festival's long-serving president, Koslik, remains stubborn and uncompromising in his film selection.

Liu Yifei sipped her red wine, recalling the interview materials she had read on the plane, and nodded to herself.

In this year's main competition, "Standard Procedure," produced by Martin Scorsese, a close friend of Lu Xun, tells the story of the abuse of prisoners by the US military during the 2003 Iraq War.

This hit the right spot for the Berlin Film Festival officials. Anti-war and anti-Hollywood sentiments are innate to them, which is why they unusually selected a documentary for the main competition.

It's somewhat similar to Fahrenheit 9/11.

In addition, "There Will Be Blood" criticizes the disillusionment with the American Dream;
The Brazilian film "Elite Force," which later won the Golden Bear, deals with the corruption, bloodshed, and depravity within the Brazilian police system.

Katyn Massacre tells the story of the atrocities committed by the Soviet army after occupying Poland during World War II.

There's also "The Sky of History," which focuses on a painful historical truth and has been the subject of much public discussion since its inception, filming, and promotion.

While Cannes and Venice, under Koslick's insistence, have been eagerly awaiting Hollywood's takeover bids, the Berlin Film Festival has maintained its consistent taste.

On the other hand, it also relatively ensures the fairness and purity of the film festival awards, without colluding with the overwhelming public relations-style awards of Hollywood.

After a period of eating and drinking, the New Year's Eve in this foreign land came to an end. The crew returned to the hotel to rest and prepare for the film festival opening the next day.
-
The film crew and stars stayed at the Delon Kempinski Hotel, a landmark building in Berlin.

This neo-Baroque palace-style hotel, located next to the Brandenburg Gate, is renowned for its extreme luxury.

Inside the lobby, crystal chandeliers cascade like a galaxy, marble floors reflect Renaissance-era murals on the dome, and antique furniture and oriental silk screens are displayed.

Liu Yifei waved goodbye to her mother, who had a mocking expression, in the lobby, and then openly took the elevator back to her room with her boyfriend.

As night fell, the snowflakes of Berlin's winter gently drifted down, and the lights of Paris Square cast a hazy golden glow through the snow.

The suite was warm and cozy, but it couldn't keep up with the rising temperature when the two were close together.

Liu Yifei walked barefoot on the wool carpet, her porcelain-white skin peeking out from under her thick clothes, contrasting beautifully with the snow-covered landscape outside the window.

Lu Kuan wrapped his arms around her from behind, his palms resting on Xiao Liu's slender, firm waist, his fingertips unconsciously caressing the undulations beneath the silk.

The young couple, who had been separated for nearly a month, were deeply in love and passionately sought solace in each other's affections.

Until Xiao Liu's elegant, fair neck and the area behind her ears were covered in a blush.

She clutched tightly to Yukiko's clothes, stammering as she tried to block the washing machine's clumsy hands: "No... I need to take a shower first."

Mr. Lu gestured speechlessly, indicating that Pinocchio's nose was on the string and he had no choice but to fire, only to be met with a coquettish refusal from his girlfriend.

"We need to be hygienic! Can't we do it together?"

You could be lifted up in a horizontal embrace at any moment with a cry of "Ah!", the Kempinski's top-tier suite brimming with laughter and conversation.

Warm steam rippled above the bathtub, and the hygiene sign indicating that it had been disinfected that day was casually torn off and tossed aside by Boss Lu.

A few rose petals floated by, creating a charming and romantic atmosphere with a subtle fragrance.

Lu Kuan clicked his tongue regretfully and said, "I forgot to bring the wine."

"I can't drink too much with you. I need to get up early tomorrow morning to do my makeup and prepare my dress."

Alcohol is somewhat irritating and can cause skin blood vessels to dilate, affecting makeup details.

"Makeup? I'll do your makeup right now, and I guarantee you'll have a rosy complexion and flawless skin when you go out tomorrow."

Xiao Liu was tickled and leaned her head back against the edge of the pool, her wet hair sticking to her snow-white shoulders and neck.

The washing machine traveled down from the straight collarbone, while the tip of the tongue, curled with water droplets, swept across the snow-capped mountains, seemingly having been piled up higher over the past six months.

The female star, who was about to appear on the red carpet of the Berlin Film Festival in full makeup tomorrow, couldn't contain her emotions. Her toes curled up underwater, and her nails unconsciously scratched several red marks on his back.

"You bastard..."

Liu Xiaolu called out to him breathlessly, her voice sticky and watery: "Even the long takes in your movies... aren't this torturous."

Boss Lu said righteously, "You lying woman! Where on your face is the word 'torture' written?"

"Deserved punishment!"

His harsh words and actions caused water to splash all over the ground, and rose petals were crushed into bright red marks on his fair skin.

The cold wave outside Berlin hadn't subsided, but the bathroom was as hot and humid as in the middle of summer.

As Xiao Liu sobbed, biting her boyfriend's shoulder, she vaguely heard church bells ringing in the distance.

Like the chirping of cicadas on Bad Ischl's first night, like the fleeting moment when fireworks burst open in Wenyu River Town, all the misplaced time and space melt into eternity in this vat of spring water.

. . .

The Berlin night was quiet after the snow, and only a bedside lamp cast a warm yellow light in the suite of the Kempinski Hotel.

Liu Yifei nestled in Lu Kuan's arms, her hair still damp with moisture, scattered in his arms like a pool of melted ink.

Unconsciously, she traced circles on Lu Kuan's chest with her fingertips, the blush from her earlier passion still lingering, and her eyes still glistening with a faint moisture.

"Does it hurt?"

The washing machine frowned: "Reversed Heavenly Gang, shouldn't I be asking you if it hurts?"

"Hehe, I've almost left a tattoo on your shoulder from biting you." Liu Yifei gently pressed the bite mark with her slender, white fingers.

Boss Lu was speechless: "Your sexual fetish is quite strange."

The unfamiliar words that suddenly popped out startled Liu Yifei for a few seconds, but she instantly understood. She giggled and playfully punched him: "It's no wonder you acted like an animal. How could I control myself back then!"

She then smiled gently and said, "It's good to leave you a mark, so you can find your way back in the next life."

"Ha! So you're just going to keep tearing men's clothes off to look at them? You deserve a beating!"

The washing machine lightly slapped his girlfriend's small buttocks, then gently and lovingly pinched and kneaded them in his hands, playing with them with great interest.

Feeling a bit tired afterward, Liu Yifei reached out and turned off the light, squinting as she muttered, "I... had a really strange dream on the plane today."

"What dream?" Boss Lu was also a little sleepy. The two hugged each other tightly in the quilt, feeling each other's body temperature and heartbeat.

Xiao Liu opened her eyes and looked at Zeng Wenxiu's high nose bridge in the moonlight streaming in from the window. She wanted to ask him directly about Zeng Wenxiu, but she stopped herself from speaking.

At this point, she had an advantage in terms of information over Lu Kuan.

The latter was unaware that she had called out that name while unconscious, nor did she know that she had seen her adoptive mother's tombstone by mistake.

But Liu Yifei's sixth sense told her that it was best not to easily reveal the facts that she couldn't yet see clearly.

She suddenly felt a little scared.

Fear of the unknown.

"Asleep? What were you dreaming about? Let this master interpret it for you."

Boss Lu turned over and looked back at her. He saw the girl staring at him with bright, unfocused eyes, looking rather ethereal, as if she were lost in thought.

"Of course I dreamt about you." Liu Yifei's voice trailed off with a sweet, sticky tone, her toes already rubbing against his calf, and she closed her eyes to murmur:
"The road is wide, hold me tight, and go to sleep."

(End of this chapter)