Huayu Entertainment: The Birth of a Succubus Top Star

The tumultuous atmosphere of the Beijing Hundred Flowers Awards has finally come to an end with the autumn winds.

The trending topics list gradually changed, and the four-fold deification, official media praise, and the online craze for fan creations that swept the internet gradually subsided.

That sensational event that shook the entire film and television industry, the extreme contrast between hot and cold, and the intertwined memories of regret and legendary status, have ultimately settled into a new page in the history of Chinese cinema, gently cherished by the public.

While external attention may fluctuate, the film sets in Hengdian remain consistently calm and orderly throughout the year.

Stripped of all his Best Actor aura and online fame, Gu Zhiyan completely cut off from external distractions and focused on his daily life on the film set.

The filming of "Joy of Life 3" proceeded smoothly and steadily. The heavy atmosphere of political intrigue in the imperial court and Fan Xian's shrewd and patient mind completely overshadowed the gentle brilliance of his award ceremony persona.

The moment the camera turns on, he is no longer the legendary actor who has won four Hundred Flowers Awards.

He was simply Fan Xian, a powerful minister and wanderer who carried the weight of the world's chessboard, concealed his inner thoughts and schemes, and plotted every step of the way amidst the chaos of the world.

The crew maintained a steady and regular rhythm, day after day.

Morning makeup, rehearsing lines, blocking, night shooting, debriefing—day after day of honing skills, mundane yet fulfilling.

Faced with sincere congratulations from fellow actors and staff, Gu Zhiyan remained calm and composed, never bringing her external fame onto the set or into her role.

Trophies are medals for past roles, but acting skills are the foundation for every scene in the present.

While Gu Zhiyan was immersed in historical drama and meticulously crafting the character arc of Fan Xian, the heartwarming and realistic film "Love Letters to Grandma," starring him, quietly kicked off its pre-release promotional campaign.

Unlike the explosive buzz surrounding the Hundred Flowers Awards or the grand scale of political dramas, the promotional campaign for this film was gentle, quiet, and subtle throughout. Without relying on hype or trending topics, and avoiding the noisy formula of commercial blockbusters, it focused on the themes of nostalgia for overseas Chinese letters, the deep bond between grandparents and grandchildren, and letters from home across mountains and seas, slowly, sincerely, and delicately touching the hearts of the audience.

The production company has officially launched a full-cycle promotional campaign:

The heartwarming teaser trailer was quietly released, featuring yellowed old overseas Chinese letters, mottled old Chaoshan alleys, family letters that span mountains and seas, and tender shots of grandparents and grandchildren gazing at each other in silence. Without intense plot conflicts or deliberate tear-jerking, it simply uses the simple life of ordinary people and the lingering homesickness to instantly touch the softest corner of the hearts of countless viewers.

The official poster was also released, featuring a gentle and simple background. An old letter carries half a lifetime of longing, accompanied by the minimalist text: "Though mountains and seas separate us, a letter from home conveys my feelings."

The nationwide tiered roadshow has officially begun.

For this roadshow, Gu Zhiyan specially coordinated with the production team, squeezing out time during the filming of "Joy of Life 3" to make a surprise appearance at the core stops: Chaoshan, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Quanzhou, and Beijing, personally traveling to each of these hometowns of overseas Chinese to listen face-to-face to the stories of homesickness told by ordinary people.

He didn't wear a formal haute couture suit, but rather a simple and casual outfit, without any special fuss or grand gestures.

At each stop, I would first sit quietly in the audience and watch the entire film, immersing myself in the emotions of the live audience.

As the lights came on, he slowly walked onto the stage, his demeanor humble and gentle, standing shoulder to shoulder with director Lan Hongchun and the main actors, leaving most of the time for the audience to share their thoughts.

The first stop of the roadshow in Chaoshan was packed with local villagers and families of overseas Chinese, with many elderly people with white hair making a special trip to attend.

As the screening ended, a septuagenarian stood up shakily, holding a laminated old document in his hands—an original copy of overseas Chinese remittance letters that had been treasured in his family for decades.

The yellowed pages are worn at the edges, and the ink has faded, but they are the letters of peace that our fathers sent back to their homeland when they went to Southeast Asia.

The old man slowly recounted his family's history, how his relatives had crossed the ocean to make a living, relying on letters to sustain the family, sending their longing and the money they needed to support their family back to their hometown across the vast sea. When he got emotional, the old man's voice choked up and his eyes reddened.

The audience was silent.

Gu Zhiyan stood on the stage, leaning slightly forward, his gaze focused, listening intently to the old man's complete narration. When the old man finished speaking, he bowed slightly, his tone earnest and gentle: "Thank you for sharing such precious family memories with us. The film tells a fictional story, but behind it are the lives of countless real families. To be able to portray such a story is an honor for me, and even more so, a source of reverence."

A round of applause erupted from the audience.

Afterwards, they went to Quanzhou, a hometown of overseas Chinese, for a roadshow, where many young people who were studying away from home came to the event.

A girl stood up and said that she never understood her grandparents' stubbornness and concerns before, but she understood after watching the movie. In the days before cell phones, a letter from home was a hope that transcended mountains and seas.

During the interactive session, Gu Zhiyan rarely spoke at length; he mostly listened and responded truthfully to audience questions.

Some people asked Gu Zhiyan why she was willing to take on such a small-scale rural family drama without strong commercial gimmicks.

With a calm expression, he said frankly, "Honor and popularity are temporary, but family affection and the memories left by the times are lasting. I have played the spirit of family and country in turbulent times, and I also hope to portray the ordinary deep affection in the everyday world that is not loudly proclaimed."

After traveling through many cities, they arrived in the capital.

Representatives from the Overseas Chinese Federation, scholars of literature and history, veteran overseas Chinese, and senior figures in the arts gathered at the event.

As the film ended, there was no immediate cheering in the theater, only soft sobs. After a long while, applause slowly rose.

Gu Zhiyan took the stage and, facing a room full of guests and media, said in a calm tone: "Su Liuchang in 'Nanjing Photo Studio' showed me the integrity of ordinary people in a chaotic world."

"Letters to Grandma" showed me the gentle perseverance of ordinary people across mountains and seas amidst the torrents of time. An actor's mission is to portray these people and stories from different eras well.

The entire roadshow did not involve any deliberate buying of trending topics or using fancy marketing rhetoric. Instead, it relied on genuine audience feedback to gradually build word-of-mouth.

Short video platforms have been continuously releasing clips of the roadshow: scenes of elderly people displaying old overseas Chinese letters, audience members recounting their family stories, and Gu Zhiyan listening attentively are constantly being edited and spread by netizens, sparking heated discussions.

"After winning the Hundred Flowers Award for Best Actor four times, he put aside his accolades and went to a small town for a promotional tour, quietly listening to ordinary people tell their family stories. This sincerity is truly rare."

"Without dazzling special effects or melodramatic conflicts, there is only a letter from an overseas Chinese, a longing, and the forbearance of a generation. This is the truly touching and heartwarming domestic film."

"Gu Zhiyan has an amazing eye for choosing scripts. She can portray the spirit of a chaotic world as well as the tenderness of everyday life. Her versatility in portraying characters is astonishing."

"It's not the film itself that brings tears to our eyes, but the film that captures the homesickness hidden deep in the hearts of every ordinary person."

"Other roadshows pursue grandeur and popularity, but his roadshows are heartfelt, emotional, and touching."

Topics such as "[The love letter to Grandma breaks everyone's heart]", "[Gu Zhiyan's gentle roadshow]", and "[A letter from overseas Chinese conveys a century of homesickness]" quietly climbed to the top of the trending searches. They did not dominate the charts or flood the screen, but they firmly took root in the hearts of the public, accumulating solid pre-sale word-of-mouth for the film's release.