Director of Photography Department of Huayu

Chapter 249 Not So Smart

There was no press conference, no prior announcement, the official website was updated too early, and even the official news channels did not synchronize immediately. Just quietly, two new names were added below the familiar competition list.

There were no accompanying pictures, no synopsis, and even the runtime and stills were missing.

And so, without warning, the news was caught by the earliest users on the French local film forum "Le Film Franais" and then spread rapidly.

Within half an hour, French professional publications such as *Libération* and *Cahiers du Cinéma* published brief reports, their language restrained yet revealing their excitement:
[Last submitted, yet ultimately selected: Chinese-language films bring a delightful surprise to Cannes.]

[A long-awaited surprise has finally arrived! The mystery film Cannes reserved for its 60th anniversary has been officially revealed, and Chinese-language films are among them! "Black Peony" has been officially selected for the main competition!]

[An Eastern-style poetic psychological thriller: Following "Get Out," this young Chinese director once again steps onto the Palme d'Or stage, reigniting the excitement of Cannes after 60 years.]

At almost the same time, Variety and Screen Daily also published English news briefs calling it "Asia's most anticipated non-Japanese and non-Korean entry."

The information was immediately relayed to mainland media by several Chinese film critics based in Europe.

The NetEase editorial team was the first to react, and the title was finalized in less than thirty seconds.

Sohu, Tencent, and Sina all reposted and followed suit, with their homepages almost entirely dominated by the same image:
Breaking News! Wu Chen's "Black Peony" Enters the Main Competition at Cannes!

[Cannes Film Festival closing film lineup announced, "Black Peony" makes a stunning comeback!]

[Surprise Video Released! Another Twist in Chinese-Language Films, "Black Peony" Leads the Way!]

The news' popularity skyrocketed, causing an uproar on platforms such as Baidu Tieba, Douban, Mop, and Tianya.

"Holy crap!! This is amazing! Black Peony got in!"

"The grand finale featured two Chinese-language films, but unfortunately one was an entry in a film festival."

"The sun rose as usual, but it wasn't the same sun. Poor Jiang Wen."

"."

Even faster than the internet was the "silent shock" experienced by actresses in the industry.

Many actresses of the same age in China felt not surprise, but pain after seeing the list.

Liu Yifei had already "sweeped the field" in the TV drama industry, and now she has stepped into the main competition of the three major film festivals.

What does this mean?
This means that her film resources, brand endorsements, and fashion status will likely be completely different in the next few years.

Meanwhile, Wu Chen's phone was ringing like a small speaker, with congratulatory calls and text messages pouring in.

"Director Wu, congratulations! I've never had a film I starred in go to the Cannes main competition before!" Zhou Xun said on the other end of the phone, congratulating him while exaggeratingly crying.

"You're not mentioning Berlin or Venice at all?" Wu Chen teased. "There will be opportunities in the future!"

"Okay," Zhou Xun said with a grin.

After hanging up the phone, Wu Chen put his phone away. Many people had already called or sent congratulatory text messages.

At that moment, Wu Chen and Liu Yifei were strolling around when the sudden news forced them to stop halfway through their shopping trip.

"Have you replied to all the messages?" the girl next to me asked softly.

Wu Chen looked up and saw Liu Yifei wearing a white fitted T-shirt with a light sun-protective jacket and high-waisted jeans. Her long hair was casually tied back, and she wore a baseball cap and light brown sunglasses. A mask covered the lower half of her face, but it still couldn't hide her light figure and otherworldly temperament.

"I don't want to keep you waiting. It's okay if I reply to some messages later," Wu Chen said with a light laugh, gently taking Liu Yifei's hand.

Liu Yifei had also received congratulatory calls and messages, but far fewer than Wu Chen. Liu Yifei's eyes flickered, a smile curved her lips behind her mask, and her fingers obediently hooked around his fingertips.

Couples in the throes of new love always have endless topics to discuss: tomorrow, music, memories, poetry, movies, and the meaning of life.
When people with similar interests get together, their imaginations run wild.

As you walk into the mall's atrium, the first-floor rest area is softly lit, and the air is filled with the scent of perfume and coffee.

Liu Yifei suddenly stopped in her tracks, her eyes lighting up as she looked into the distance: "Junior brother, look!"

She raised her chin and pointed to the claw machine area ahead. Right in the center, a newly installed claw machine was flashing neon lights, and inside were rows of Doraemon figures, neatly arranged in blue and white.

"Want to grab one?" Wu Chen asked with a smile. Although both of them were wearing masks, Wu Chen could clearly see a hint of a smile in Liu Yifei's eyes.

"I tried playing claw machines with Changchang before, and they're really hard to win from."

As Liu Yifei spoke, Wu Chen, who had already inserted the coin, said, "There's actually a trick to this, and there's a guaranteed minimum."

He understood the theory and said it, but he was completely clueless about how to actually do it. After inserting coins several times, they were still stuck in mid-air. Wu Chen was completely at odds with this thing.

Liu Yifei tilted her head slightly as she watched Wu Chen bending over and struggling with the claw machine, then cheered him on from the side: "A little to the left! A little higher! Higher!"

The two acted like college students sneaking out on a date, completely forgetting the news that had just swept through the Chinese film industry.

After inserting nearly fifty coins, I don't know if it triggered the guaranteed drop mechanism, but the grappling hook finally brought out a Doraemon figure steadily. The chubby body crashed into the exit barrier and rolled down into the entrance/exit box with a gurgling sound.

"Wow, so fast!" Liu Yifei exclaimed in surprise as she took the doll and poked Doraemon's belly. "Amazing!"

"Are you deliberately mocking me?"

"It cost over fifty yuan to catch him, what a joke!" Wu Chen couldn't help but lightly tap Liu Yifei's head.

"That's pretty impressive. Last time, it took over a hundred attempts to catch them in the singing competition," Liu Yifei said with certainty.

"That Shu Chang is too bad; she looks like she's not very bright." Wu Chen felt much better after that.

It's not a big deal to spend a lot of money; the most important thing is that someone else spends even more than you.

“They’re really not very smart.” Liu Yifei nodded seriously, her stance firm. “They’re too incompetent.”

Later that evening, when Shu Chang returned to the villa, she saw Liu Yifei holding a Doraemon doll and spinning around in the living room, poking her belly and pinching her head with her fingers.

"Were they captured? Or were they bought?"

"He was caught!"

"Why didn't you ask me to go catch them with you? How much did it cost?"

"Around fifty."

Upon hearing this, Shu Chang couldn't help but slap her thigh and laugh wildly: "What a noob! You actually spent over fifty yuan? You must have already covered the minimum. And you even managed to catch Wu Chen?"

"Wu Chen!"

"He's so clumsy, doesn't he have any skills? Last time I gave you that pink pig, I only spent a dozen coins to get it, wasn't I amazing?" Shu Chang proudly raised her head.

Liu Yifei smiled, her eyes crinkling: "You're the best."

"Hmph, I knew it."

(End of this chapter)