Director of Photography Department of Huayu

Chapter 253 The best time to meet was when we were trapped.
In the depths of night in Cannes, the wind is much gentler than during the day, blowing along the palm-lined seaside promenade and soothing the soul.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the world in China, the sun had already risen, and the homepages of major portal websites were filled with news about the Cannes opening ceremony.

[Liu Yifei makes a five-minute appearance on the Cannes red carpet in Chanel haute couture after "Black Peony" takes center stage!]

[A Shining Light for Chinese-Language Films! The Crew of "Black Peony" Makes a Grand Appearance After Clearing the Set!]

[The biggest focus on the red carpet! Liu Yifei's stunning black dress sparks heated discussion!]

[Liu Yifei's Chanel street style photos revealed.]

【.】

The comments section under the news photo gallery is flooded with messages, and fans are having a massive celebration.

The revelation has made many domestic actresses envious.

Meanwhile, in a high-end apartment building in Beijing, Fan Binbin held his phone, looking at various news reports, but there was no smile on his lips.

She couldn't help but recall the treatment Apple Daily received in Berlin this year; compared to the other party clearing the area and filming five minutes straight, it was a world of difference.

There weren't even any close-up photos, let alone any coordinated promotion with the global fashion industry.

"What a waste of attention," Fan Binbin muttered, turning his gaze away from the heated discussions sparked by domestic reports and letting out a sigh.

If this wave had hit her, she would have already crushed Gong Li, Zhang Ziyi, and Zhang Manyu.

These past few days have actually been a period of respite for the "Black Peony" production team.

Although Liu Yifei occasionally cooperated with Chanel for some photoshoots, the time was much more relaxed than on the first day.

She was in high spirits, spending her days dragging Wu Chen around, specifically choosing alleys and side streets with fewer reporters.

In the evening, I would choose to watch a movie I liked.

However, Liu Yifei prefers to watch mainly art films, and Cannes happens to have no shortage of this type of film, with the main competition, screenings, and other core sections all packed with them.

After watching for several days in a row, Wu Chen felt that his mind was filled with either a sense of pity for humanity or an overwhelming sense of despair, so he quickly shook his head: "I should watch less of this."

"Why?" Liu Yifei asked, looking at the film festival schedule, somewhat puzzled.

"Watching too many art films can damage your brain." Wu Chen rubbed his temples. "You know, your brain wasn't very sharp to begin with."

After saying that, Wu Chen quickly took half a step and ran away.

"You're the one who's not smart!" Liu Yifei angrily chased after Wu Chen to hit him.

The two looked just like a young couple eloping in the night, chasing each other, one in front of the other. Just as Wu Chen turned around and stopped, Liu Yifei rushed into his arms.

"Luckily I caught you." Wu Chen chuckled, his arm naturally around her waist. "You silly goose, you didn't even brake."

Her clean and sweet fragrance wafted towards him. Wu Chen looked down and saw her lying on his chest, looking up at him with her face slightly flushed and her breath slightly ragged.

This alluring appearance made Wu Chen somewhat uneasy.

"Hmm? Don't leave your phone here, move it somewhere else." Liu Yifei hugged Wu Chen, leaning against his chest, her voice low and soft.

"Okay, I'll move over," Wu Chen replied, while pondering whether to move to the left or the right.
Seeing that Wu Chen was still not moving, Liu Yifei suddenly realized what was happening. Her face flushed red, and she gently punched his shoulder with her small hand, whispering, "You big pervert!"

She moved even closer, her breath gently brushing against Wu Chen's chin, the warmth almost melting away the chill of the air.

"I'm neither a saint nor blind, so this is perfectly normal!"

"You're so glib." She bit her lip but didn't back away. Instead, she leaned against him and whispered, "Just stay like this for a while."

The two stood under the palm tree.

The moonlight, like a soft veil, fell upon their heads, while the sea breeze gently pushed the waves, like a soothing poem: With you by my side, the wind has direction.
"Junior brother, if only you had come to Beijing Film Academy sooner, we could have gotten to know each other sooner and maybe even gotten together sooner." Liu Yifei looked up, her eyes full of tenderness.

"If you're too early, the spring buds won't sprout; if you're too late, you'll miss the blooming of the grain. The best time is when you meet them."

Wu Chen lowered his head and gently kissed her. Everything swayed in the wind, except for them.

The premiere of "Black Peony" is just two days away, but the influence of Chinese-language films is growing stronger.

Sixteen film companies, including China Film Group, Shanghai Film Group, August First Film Studio, Changchun Film Studio, Huayi Brothers, Bona Film Group, and Forbidden City Film Studio, came to Cannes to participate in the Sino-foreign film exchange forum hosted by Cannes.

The forum's content revolved around Sino-foreign co-productions, the distribution of foreign-language films, and how Chinese films can reach a global audience.
"What are your plans regarding the copyright of 'Black Peony'?" Han Sanping asked Wu Chen, sitting in the front row with his legs crossed.

"Let's wait until the film is released. But I've collected quite a few business cards from overseas distributors these past few days. China Film Group's overseas team can coordinate with them then. There's no rush. I've looked at them, and many of them are old acquaintances; we've done business with them before."

Hearing Wu Chen's nonchalant words, Wang Zhonglei, who was standing to the side, suddenly felt a toothache.

He came not only to participate in the forum and discuss cooperation, but also to promote the film "Assembly" with Feng Xiaogang.

Last night, Feng Xiaogang complained that the 60th anniversary Cannes Film Festival was poorly organized, and that his film was treated badly, resulting in few film distributors coming to see the trailers. It was even worse than his previous film, "The Banquet."

After the forum discussion ended, Wu Chen was about to have dinner with Liu Yifei when several film studios, including Shanghai Film Studio and Changchun Film Studio, immediately extended invitations: "Director Wu, would you like to have dinner together later?"

"Chairman Ren, President Liu, I'm sorry, I have an appointment," Wu Chen said with a wry smile, politely declining.

Han Sanping immediately realized what was going on and then joked, "What's the point of eating with a bunch of roughnecks like you?"

"Next time! Next time!" Wu Chen waved to the group with a smile.

"It looks like Director Wu is trapped." Ren Zhonglun sighed and joked with the others.

"Even heroes can't resist the charms of a beautiful woman, it's perfectly normal!"

"."

Time flies, and soon it was time for the Cannes premiere of "Black Peony".

In fact, since walking the red carpet at the opening ceremony, the crew of "Black Peony" seemed to have entered a kind of calm and low-pressure atmosphere, with not many high-profile activities or media exposure.

But quiet doesn't mean deserted.

The French film magazine Cahiers du Cinéma had already listed the premiere date of "Black Peony" in its latest preview issue, along with the intriguing French phrase: "A black peony, as beautiful as a poem."

At the same time, Screen Daily also released a list of the most anticipated films in the main competition. Although Black Peony has not yet been released, it has quietly entered the top three of the "most anticipated" films.

At 2:30 p.m. on May 23, the red carpet for the premiere of "Black Peony" officially began in the Lumière Hall of the Palais des Festivals.

On the red carpet, Wu Chen, Liu Yifei, and Li Qin waved to the fans on both sides, causing a sensation.

"There are quite a few people here!"

"Nonsense, Wu Chen is already well-known overseas!"
"Zhang Yi actually came."

Domestic media outlets took photos and expressed their amazement.

Wu Chen was also a little surprised. When he entered the hall, he made a point of greeting Zhang Yi, "Senior brother, when did you arrive?"

"I just arrived at noon today, and I didn't expect to run into your movie premiere this afternoon," Zhang Yi said with a smile.

Chen Kai, who was not far away, looked rather unhappy upon seeing this. Wu Chen hadn't given him this treatment when he arrived; on the contrary, Zhang Yi seemed to have a more imposing air about him.

The hall was packed, with a large portion of the audience representing Chinese-language film production companies such as China Film Group, Shanghai Film Group, and Changchun Film Group. Even those who weren't in charge sent representatives.

Wong Kar-wai, Tsui Hark, Jia Zhangke, Gong Li, Zhang Ziyi, Feng Xiaogang, and others were also present.

Then, the chairman of the judging panel, Stephen Frears, led the judges into the hall.

As the screening of "Black Peony" was about to begin, the audience suddenly burst into enthusiastic applause, and Wu Chen and the others stood up to enjoy this unique Cannes ceremony.

This is Cannes' respect for film; every film, good or bad, deserves applause from the audience at its beginning and end.

At exactly 3:00 PM, the lights in the Lumière Hall of the Palais des Festivals dimmed instantly, and the true form of "Black Peony" slowly emerged.
(End of this chapter)