This director is vindictive.

Chapter 225 Others only have one pair of fathers-in-law and mothers-in-law, but he has a whole bunch!
Chen Mo had a premonition that the "take you mountain climbing" meme would probably be associated with him by netizens.

After all, the director's father-in-law in his previous life, after watching the play, immediately asked him, "What does he mean? Does he have a problem with us?"

The director from the previous life was not as famous as Chen Mo, nor were his affairs as widely known!

Even so, it still provided everyone with a lot of gossip back then.

Not to mention Chen Mo, a popular director, his gossip is bound to be sweet!
As Chen Mo had predicted, the topic gradually veered off course.

It all started when some clueless netizen suddenly realized something profound and posted: "Holy crap, the saying 'appearance reflects the heart' and 'art originates from life' has come to mind.' I suddenly realized that Chen Mo's choice to film this drama was definitely not a coincidence!"

"Suddenly I can picture it!"

"I had a strange feeling before, and now that you mention it, it seems to be true!"

"Elaborate!"

That idiot netizen quickly came up with a long analysis.

"As we all know, our director with billions in assets is great in every way, except that he's a bit too generous. Well, actually, he's a bit of a scumbag! Although he's very generous, giving away billions without a second thought, which makes countless people sigh that even if he's a scumbag, he's a model of scumbag.

He's practically the epitome of a scumbag!
This actually enhanced his reputation as a romantic and talented man.

So here's the question! For those of you with daughters, put yourself in their shoes. If your beloved daughter, whom you've raised for so many years, suddenly falls into the arms of some scumbag, how would you feel?
From this perspective, Chen Mo is just like that blond guy to his parents-in-law!

Their beloved daughter was actually tricked away by a blond-haired man. Even though this blond-haired man was rich, powerful, and talented, it didn't change the fact that he was a blond-haired man!
So you can imagine that the hardest hurdle for Chen Mo was not public opinion or moral condemnation, but his in-laws!

Other people only have one in-law, but he has a whole bunch!
So, no matter that Chen Mo is a billionaire, a director with billions in assets, and a charming and talented man, he still has to kneel when meeting the parents!

So here's the question: Is it possible—just a possibility—that Chen Mo might feel particularly uncomfortable when he meets his future in-laws?
I can't help but imagine how hilarious it must have been when Chen Mo met his future in-laws, haha, please forgive my schadenfreude as I write this.

After all, when faced with something like this, it's impossible for parents-in-law to be all smiles and pleasantries, right?
He deserved it! It's truly enviable, makes me so jealous and resentful!

Closer to home.

In reality, he couldn't really do anything to his in-laws, since he couldn't really be like Zhang Dongsheng—that would be too cruel. But he must have felt really resentful!

To think that I, a tycoon with billions in assets, a director with billions in assets, a genius in publicity, a marketing genius, a master of the Midas touch, and a god of investment, would have to humble myself in front of so many fathers-in-law and mothers-in-law. Since I can't vent or express it in real life, I can only vent it in my film and television works.

So, Zhang Dongsheng isn't Yu Huanshui at all; this is just a smokescreen. Could Zhang Dongsheng actually be Chen Mo's stand-in?

The one who really wanted to take his parents-in-law hiking wasn't Zhang Dongsheng, but Chen Mo! (Sarcasm intended)

@YangMi @ZhangYuqi @JingTian @GaoYuanyuan @ZhaoLiying @FanBinbin Hurry back and remind your parents, whatever you do, whatever you do, don't go hiking with Chen Mo!

Chen Mo had expected to get caught up in the drama himself, but he was still left speechless by the stupid netizens' antics.

However, this idiotic netizen's analysis instantly shifted the attention of onlookers from the mountain climbing meme to the gossip about Chen Mo.

"Holy crap, this is some serious reality! You don't realize it until you think about it, and it actually is quite possible!"

"I heard Yang Mi's dad used to be known as 'Uncle Hat,' tsk tsk, are you scared yet, @ChenMo!"

"This analysis is absolutely flawless! Zhang Dongsheng is Chen Mo's double; this is truly incredible!"

"Look what my in-laws will think when they see this show! Would Chen Mo dare to ask them to go mountain climbing with him? Would they dare to agree? Hahaha!"

"Hahaha, Chen Mo, you've finally met your match! I'm inexplicably amused!"

Of course, everyone is just watching the drama unfold. The main thing is that this drama involves Chen Mo and a group of female celebrities, which is quite amusing in itself.

Just like that stupid netizen said, watching the gossip about a "big shot" like Chen Mo gives you a strange feeling of schadenfreude.

Who can blame him? He's just too enviable, enough to make anyone jealous and resentful.
Then, to everyone's surprise, all of Chen Mo's female confidantes responded.

First, Jing Tian @Chen Mo: "During the lockdown, hiking is prohibited!"

Then Zhang Yuqi tagged Chen Mo: "You're not allowed to go mountain climbing!"

Then the others were not to be outdone, and they all started interacting with Chen Mo using the "mountain climbing meme"!

Yang Mi, in particular, posted it right in front of Chen Mo!

Chen Mo felt a little embarrassed and scratched his toes when he thought about Yang Mi's father's reaction when he called last time!
After these Weibo posts were published, netizens were instantly in stitches.

"So, from now on, not only will Qin Hao be banned from climbing mountains, but Chen Mo will also be banned, right?"

"I'm thinking, if Chen Mo really wants to climb a mountain, does he expect to bring a whole bunch of people with him? He can't possibly manage to do what Zhang Dongsheng did! After all, two fists can't fight four hands!"

"I inexplicably projected myself onto Chen Mo going to meet his parents, only to be separated from his girlfriend, and then asking, 'Do you think I still have a chance?'"

"No chance, absolutely no chance! You damn blondie!"

The internet suddenly became incredibly joyful.

Chen Mo certainly wouldn't take the joke seriously; it was just for fun! As long as everyone's happy!
He even felt it wasn't enough, so he joined in for a game himself.

He posted a picture of Liufeng Mountain from the drama, along with the caption: "If you keep talking nonsense, believe me, I'll take you hiking?"

"Go ahead and try if you dare! We don't have a famous celebrity daughter, so, hahaha, are you still going to bring her?"

"Believe it or not, I'll take you hiking. Your chicken feet are showing, aren't they?"

"So, since they've started making threats, then that netizen's analysis from before is probably true, hahaha!"

"Hey, I want to go hiking too, Chen Mo, do you think I still have a chance?"

"Actually, I wanted to take Chen Mo hiking!"

"Holy crap, that's a really suggestive comment from you upstairs! You = Zhang Dongsheng, Chen Mo = father-in-law! So, you're dreaming, aren't you? You want to be someone's son-in-law?"

"You're already making reservations? You're really something! But why do I suddenly feel like taking Chen Mo hiking too, hahaha!"

Chen Mo's influence is naturally far greater than that of the director of this drama in his previous life. His involvement directly caused the topic to become explosively popular again.

His own quote, "Believe it or not, I'll take you mountain climbing," quickly became a trending topic.

The Hidden Corner has become a huge hit.

Of course, if it's just about playing with memes, then only the memes will become popular. That's just igniting a fire, but whether it can truly ignite a fire depends on the work itself.

Even without these plot points, "The Hidden Corner" would still be a superb drama.

Within just a few days of its release, "The Hidden Corner" has already garnered a high rating of 9.0!
It can be said to be the highest-rated drama of the year so far!
The content, themes, details, and so on involved are also topics that netizens are discussing.

For example, the character Zhang Dongsheng, the three children in the story, and so on, have all sparked considerable discussion.

First of all, it "hides" a lot of details that are left unsaid!
"This drama has so many details. What impressed me most was when Zhang Dongsheng was chatting with his wife, and she left and slammed the door. He had a very natural reaction of being 'startled'."

Another example is the gesture of handing out red envelopes at the full moon celebration.

These are all so relatable to everyday life, and so full of detail!

Did Zhu Chaoyang's mother discover the three cups left on the table? The ending, which doesn't provide a definite answer, suggests that the murderer is the real culprit.

"The death of Zhu Jingjing is chilling to think about, because in my opinion, there are almost only two possibilities!"
Either Zhu Jingjing was hanging there and Zhu Chaoyang didn't save her, or Zhu Chaoyang pushed Zhu Jingjing.

In the final episode's flashback, Popo says, "She's going to fall." But in the third episode, it's "She fell."

Think about it, doesn't Zhu Jingjing still have a chance to survive?

It's truly a matter of a single word, yet they represent two worlds apart. This subtle rift in the dialogue is like a rewritten film in Pu Pu's memory—was it Zhu Jingjing's cry for help as she teetered on the brink of death, or a cold statement after falling into the abyss? And when the camera cuts back to Zhang Dongsheng and Zhu Chaoyang's mirror-like downward gaze, it's as if the gears of fate have quietly meshed: the way the two stare into the abyss makes it impossible to tell who is the mastermind and who is the prey.

In her letter to Chaoyang, Pu Pu said she hadn't told anyone their secret, but in the fourth episode, Pu Pu told Yan Liang what had happened, indicating that Yan Liang didn't know the truth.

Furthermore, "My Fair Princess" appears twice in the drama. Once is in episode 3 at 25:13, when policeman Ye Jun returns home at night to find his daughter already asleep.

In the background, on the television, Ziwei is pleading with Xiaoyanzi: "Xiaoyanzi, come down quickly! Don't climb so high, it's dangerous!"

This creates a jarring harmony with Zhu Chaoyang's warning to Zhu Jingjing about the "danger." This seemingly casual background noise is actually a dark allegory planted by the screenwriter—just as Xiao Yanzi ultimately escapes unscathed, Zhu Jingjing falls into the abyss. The two appearances of "Princess Pearl" are like the cruel smile of fate in parallel universes: one story features fictional thrills, while the other depicts real killing.

"Didn't anyone notice 'The Story of the Three Little Chickens and the Fox' in the trailer?"

The opening sequence of episode 10 features the story of three chicks and a fox, which everyone knows corresponds to three children and Zhang Dongsheng.

but!

The three skulls on the ground are chicken skulls on the two sides and a fox skull in the middle.

This means that the fox originally wanted to eat the chickens, but was killed by one of the chickens instead.

It's clear that Zhu Chaoyang turned the tables.

In fact, the foreshadowing was already laid in the eighth episode.

When Pupu was in the bookstore, "The Three Little Chicks" was displayed next to the bookshelf.

"Actually, you can tell from their names. Zhu Chaoyang and Zhang Dongsheng, one facing the sun and the other rising in the east, it's obvious!"

Zhu Chaoyang and Zhang Dongsheng are indeed strikingly similar.

Zhu Chaoyang was the "good kid from someone else's family" at school, but in reality, he was just a pale and perfect specimen in the morning light of the campus. He was ostracized and bullied by his classmates, his father's heart was tied to his new family, and his mother always left him alone at home. His shadow curled up on the sofa was like a plant forgotten in a dark room, its roots soaked in a preservative called "being sensible".

Zhang Dongsheng is the "perfect husband" at the children's palace, but the truth is, he's just a model of gentleness! At home, he's always greeted with the coldness of his wife's family. His wife pressures him to divorce her, and relatives look down on his poor job and low income. Even the steamed fish in the center of the table seems to be giving him a deathly look!
Look, Zhu Chaoyang is the younger version of Zhang Dongsheng, and Zhang Dongsheng is the adult version of Zhu Chaoyang!

When Zhu Chaoyang and Zhang Dongsheng encountered similar situations, their reactions were almost identical!
When his classmates provoked him with foul language, Zhu Chaoyang was like a puppet whose emotions had been ripped away, silently turning away; when he found shredded rubber floating in his water glass, he simply scooped it out with his fingertips, as if the malice was nothing more than insignificant duckweed on the water's surface.

When it was his turn to clean, the girl who ranked second in the overall exam threw a crumpled piece of paper at the ground he had just swept clean, her shoe tip grazing his shadow. The girl's father awkwardly picked up the trash for him, but he preemptively flashed a perfectly smooth smile: "It's okay, she didn't do it on purpose." That smile was like a welded iron door, the cracks seeping out the bitterness of pressed sugar cubes, and he had long since learned to use the perfect scores on his report card to build an icy shell that isolated him from the world.

What about Zhang Dongsheng?
At a family gathering, his uncle sized him up with eyes like those of someone stained with red wine: "A teacher at the Children's Palace? You call that a teacher?"

He lowered his eyelashes, his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed all the syllables, but a gentle curve appeared at the corner of his mouth, as if even humiliation could be pickled into a decent side dish.

When his brother-in-law apologized on behalf of his uncle, he even bowed slightly, bending his humility even lower than the other man's: "It's okay, we're all family."

This practiced act of feigning weakness is like the classroom blackboard he wipes every day—all the humiliating words will be erased, leaving only a self-deceiving blank.

The more I think about it, the more terrifying it becomes!
Their "It's okay" is like two keys to the same lock: Zhu Chaoyang uses it to lock away the boiling hatred of his youth, while Zhang Dongsheng uses it to seal away the decaying self-esteem of his middle age.

The discussion of these plot details is one aspect, but at the same time, many people who watched the show specifically went to find the animated version of "The Story of the Three Little Chickens and the Fox".

But the result could not be found at all.

"I don't know where the director got the animated film 'The Three Little Chickens and the Fox' from? I can't find it online!"

"Hey, me too! I immediately searched for it to see what the full version of the anime was like, but I couldn't find it either!"

"That's to be expected, the animation was made by someone else! Besides, if such an animation actually existed, who would dare to watch it?"

Another particularly strange thing is...

That is, the character Zhang Dongsheng.

Zhang Dongsheng is undoubtedly a bad guy; he killed so many people in the show.

What's puzzling is that many people actually sympathize with this "bad guy".

"Zhang Dongsheng is undoubtedly a heinous murderer, but why do I strangely feel some sympathy for him?"

"He was like a plant growing in the cracks of frozen soil, his roots penetrating into the ice cellar called 'home,' absorbing only the cold glint of knives and forks clashing on the dining table and the desolate moonlight leaking from under the bedroom door."

In those years, he would rather smash the illusion in the mirror with his own hands than watch the false perfection flow in the eyes of others—he chewed up the sugar coating of fairy tales between his teeth, choosing to swallow the shards of reality, letting his throat split into an abyss.

Until three teenagers stumbled into his darkness, their breath hot and damp with sweat. When Pupu looked up at him, the flickering candlelight in her pupils seemed to tear a thin crack in his chest, pierced by icicles. When she uttered "your wish," he heard a roar from the depths of his soul, like a glacier shattering—those four words, as light as the weight of the last snowflake before an avalanche: "Start over."

"It's probably because he genuinely always wanted to be a good person!"

"So what is the truth?" Yang Mi was also watching the show, but after finishing it, she was even more confused, so she couldn't help but ask the director, Chen Mo.

"The truth is, whatever you want it to be, that's what it is!" Chen Mo gave an ambiguous answer.

"Do you remember the story of 'The Three Little Chickens'?" Chen Mo asked again.

"Hmm, I saw the online discussion. Are there really fox bones inside those bones?" Yang Mi asked curiously.

"This is a fairy tale! It's fictional, and as for whether it's fox bones or not, I don't know!" Chen Mo laughed again.

Chen Mo was not joking; he genuinely didn't know, or rather, he really didn't need to know!

Whether it's chicken bones or fox bones, it all depends on what the audience thinks!

"Ugh! I hate riddle-solving people like you! Can't you just tell me directly?" Yang Mi said, somewhat exasperated.

"You'll know if you read the original novel yourself. Just like I wrote in the trailer, is this story true? Different people will have different opinions. Even if I say it, do you think everyone will agree with what I say?"

No, I'm just a director. What do I know about Zhang Dongsheng or Zhu Chaoyang?

The show has already aired, so what I think is no longer important! Everyone has their own thoughts, which no one else can influence.

See, why is there controversy? It's because everyone is expressing their own opinions, trying to persuade others to accept their ideas!

"So even if I told you that what you saw was actually just the version written in Zhu Chaoyang's diary, what then?" Chen Mo said, smiling at Yang Mi.

"Huh? Really? But Zhu Chaoyang is still so young." Yang Mi subconsciously tried to refute.

Chen Mo shrugged and said, "See, you're about to refute me, so what the truth I'm telling you is completely unimportant, because you already have your own ideas. What I'm saying is actually no different from what other netizens are saying!"

Just like Chen Mo said, if you don't want to accept someone else's answer, you can always find a reason to refute it.

For example, Chen Mo, others have plenty of reasons.

You, Chen Mo, live a life of luxury, where you are surrounded by learned scholars and have no dealings with the uncultured. What do you know about Zhang Dongsheng or Yu Huanshui?

See, their reasons are quite convincing!
So, what's the fun in being a director?

The fun lies in being able to influence the audience's emotions through the lens and through film and television works.

When you start discussing the plot and the truth, Chen Mo, as the director, has already succeeded.

As for the outcome of the discussion? No outcome is probably the best outcome!
If no one discusses it and everyone unanimously gives the same answer, where does the controversy come from? Without controversy, where does the buzz come from?

(End of this chapter)