Chapter 99: Bonus – Starry Splendor
The filming for “Twins” went smoothly. Zuo Bian flawlessly portrayed both Lin Ling and Lin Zero, leaving Director Li beaming with joy, as if he had won the lottery.
Zuo Bian was also happy to receive such recognition. She was eager to see the audience’s reaction to the movie, but she had to wait.
The promotion for “Twins” had already begun during filming. Many viewers who had enjoyed “Ascending to Immortality” were looking forward to the movie, knowing that Zuo Bian was the lead actress.
Zuo Bian was a talented actress, and Director Li was renowned for his high-quality films. There hadn’t been a single bad movie from him.
Of course, there were still a few people who weren’t optimistic about “Twins.” They claimed that Director Li had lost his touch, that he couldn’t create good content anymore, and that he was resorting to using popular actors like other directors.
This group wasn’t small, and most of them were young people who had only heard of Director Li’s name but hadn’t seen his classic films.
If they were asked to watch them, they would say they weren’t interested. They believed that Director Li’s style was outdated and didn’t fit the current trends, which was why he had chosen Zuo Bian, who had become popular last year, as the female lead.
Before the movie’s release, many people online were predicting that “Twins” would flop, including many professional haters.
Coincidentally, “Twins” was scheduled to be released on the same day as a famous movie franchise, “Fleeting Time 5: Migratory Birds in the South.”
The “Fleeting Time” series was very popular and had a distinct style: The titles sounded artistic but had little to do with the actual content. The main actors were all variety show regulars who had good looks but questionable acting skills.
The movies promoted seemingly reasonable but unrealistic values, and they were popular among young audiences who hadn’t fully matured.
The target audience for “Fleeting Time” overlapped with those who looked down on Director Li’s works. Plus, the “Fleeting Time” series was known for its aggressive marketing tactics, which they considered normal. They had done it many times before without any repercussions, so they decided to do the same this time, hiring trolls and professional haters to slander “Twins” and manipulate public opinion.
“Twins” and “Fleeting Time 5” were scheduled to be released in a week, and the negative press releases were already piling up.
They praised “Fleeting Time 5” excessively, questioned the quality of “Twins,” and predicted that “Twins,” a serious and depressing movie, wouldn’t be well-received by the market.
After finishing filming for “Twins,” Zuo Bian started university. She was busy catching up on the knowledge she had missed, struggling to keep up with her classmates.
It took her a month to adjust. “Twins” was about to be released, and she would occasionally go online to check the news.
The “Twins” team and some industry insiders who had seen the preview screenings all praised the movie, predicting it would be both a critical and commercial success. However, the online sentiment was completely different.
【Host, aren’t you angry?】
Zuo Bian closed the webpage and said to 555, ‘I’m not angry. And I’ve learned how the “slapped in the face” trope works. The more they criticize “Twins” now, the more popular it will be when it’s released. People have expectations, and if the actual product exceeds their low expectations, they’ll be pleasantly surprised. But if their expectations are too high, they’ll be disappointed if the product isn’t as amazing as they imagined.’
【That’s true.】
‘So I’m not going to pay attention to these comments. Oh, I need to tell my parents and brother not to suppress these topics.’
Zuo Bian chose to major in psychology. First, she was interested in the subject. Second, she planned to continue acting, and knowledge of psychology would help her understand characters and scripts better.
As for 555, although the hidden danger had been eliminated, it hadn’t left yet. It claimed that it would stay until Zuo Bian and Qin Ai got married.
Time flew by, and the day of “Twins’” premiere arrived. Qin Ai came to pick up Zuo Bian as usual. She wasn’t flashy, but her car was too luxurious, and she was too beautiful, it was hard to be low-key.
They were already engaged, a loving couple in the public eye. Qin Ai picking up Zuo Bian wasn’t anything unusual. However, beautiful people always attracted attention, and some students couldn’t help but stare at them.
Qin Ai opened the car door for Zuo Bian, and Zuo Bian got in.
As she was fastening her seatbelt, she heard Qin Ai say, “Your movie is being released today. Do you want to watch it?”
Zuo Bian looked up and smiled. “Of course I do. I was just thinking about that.”
“I already bought the tickets, we’re just missing you.”
When they arrived at the theater, Zuo Bian realized that Qin Ai had booked the entire theater.
Zuo Bian was too popular now, and she was the lead actress in the movie. If she was recognized by fans in the theater, it would definitely cause a commotion.
They sat in the best seats in the theater. The movie had already started.
Zuo Bian had watched her own dramas before, but this was her first time watching a movie she starred in. She had been too busy to attend the preview screenings, so this was her first time seeing the finished product.
She instinctively glanced at Qin Ai, wanting to see her reaction, and their eyes met.
Qin Ai smiled and asked, “What’s wrong? Are you nervous?”
Zuo Bian pursed her lips and nodded honestly. “Mm, a little bit. What if my performance is bad and you laugh at me? I heard movies are different from dramas. Movies magnify flaws, and with such a big screen, any mistakes I made would be obvious.”
Qin Ai held Zuo Bian’s hand, gently stroking the back of it. “Don’t worry, and believe in yourself. If Director Li, who’s so picky, praised you, then you’re fine. Let’s watch the movie.”
The opening credits ended, and the movie began.
Zuo Bian turned her attention back to the screen, her breathing unconsciously shallowing. Soon, she forgot about her nervousness, her focus entirely on the movie.
The visuals and music in “Twins” were perfectly synchronized, quickly drawing the audience into the story.
The first character to appear wasn’t Zuo Bian, but Xia Ruyun, who played the rich heiress.
Xia Ruyun flawlessly portrayed the spoiled, arrogant, and condescending character. She might have some flaws in her personality, but her acting skills were undeniable.
At first, Zuo Bian’s character, Lin Ling, seemed like an innocent victim who had been caught up in a murder case. She was almost raped and was even suspected of being the murderer by the police.
Lin Ling’s past was gradually revealed, and the audience felt both pity and frustration for this weak and beautiful woman.
By the middle of the movie, most viewers were cursing the police in their minds. Lin Ling was clearly innocent, why were they still harassing her and disrupting her life?
But soon, their attitude changed. The police found a crucial clue, and everything seemed to point to the middle-aged man. Lin Ling’s smile as she walked out of the police station sent chills down everyone’s spines, making them gasp.
However, the second personality wasn’t fully revealed yet. The movie continued to mislead the audience, making them think that Lin Ling was a complex and mysterious character.
But her actions were contradictory. She still seemed like a timid and introverted woman.
Then a crucial character, the orphanage director, appeared, and the plot took another turn.
There were two young police officers who didn’t believe that the middle-aged man was the murderer. Although the evidence was solid, and the man had no alibi, everything felt off.
From the orphanage director, they learned a crucial piece of information: Lin Ling sometimes experienced personality changes, becoming gloomy and even torturing small animals. But these incidents were rare, and they had stopped after the director intervened.
And most children in the orphanage had some psychological issues, so the director hadn’t thought much of it.
In the movie, the young police officers had only found a clue, but the audience, with their omniscient perspective, knew more. If they still didn’t understand the meaning of “Twins” at this point, they had wasted their time watching the movie.
Previous questions were answered, and new ones were raised: How did Lin Ling perfectly frame the middle-aged man?
The plot was tight, the pacing fast, keeping the audience engaged throughout.
“Twins” and “Fleeting Time 5” were released on the same day, with an equal number of screenings. At first, there was no significant difference in their box office performance, but problems started to emerge from the second day onwards.
The attendance rate for “Twins” was at least 80%, while “Fleeting Time 5” only had 50%.
Even without any manipulation, the theaters could see which movie was more profitable. It was inevitable that “Twins” would get more screenings.
The audience who had watched the premiere couldn’t wait to discuss the movie online. Their discussions resonated with those who weren’t initially interested in this genre, piquing their curiosity.
That night, “Twins” trended on Weibo. “Fleeting Time 5” tried to compete, but one was organically trending, while the other was relying on paid promotion.
With good marketing, there would always be people following the trend. That was how the “Fleeting Time” series had always operated. But this time, they had met their match. The trending topic for “Twins” remained firmly above “Fleeting Time 5.”
This wasn’t a coincidence, it was intentional. Zuo Bian had told her family not to interfere with the haters and trolls who were trying to sabotage “Twins,” but they weren’t happy about it. Now that “Twins” was officially released, they were retaliating, slapping “Fleeting Time 5” in the face.
The marketing for “Fleeting Time 5” hadn’t stopped. It was fine to hype up the movie before its release, since no one knew what the content was like. But now that the movie was out, and its quality was average at best, the excessive praise became problematic.
They had boasted about surpassing “Twins” in every aspect, but now their movie was inferior in both quality and popularity. Many people who had high expectations for “Fleeting Time 5” were disappointed, feeling like they had wasted their money.
By the third day, the gap widened even further. “Twins,” with its quality and popularity, had already earned 1.43 billion yuan at the box office. Many viewers watched it multiple times and recommended it to their friends and family.
Those who watched it again weren’t disappointed. Instead, they discovered details they had missed the first time.
【OMG, this movie is amazing! Every character’s every expression is worth analyzing!】
【Don’t even get me started, it’s so creepy! I think the original personality, Lin Ling, is already dead. The one in that body now is Lin Zero, right?】
【I wonder if Lin Ling even knew that there was another person inside her. If it weren’t for that seemingly coincidental clue, would those two young police officers have been able to arrest Lin Zero?】
【And the music and cinematography are incredible! I hope they release the soundtrack, I’m willing to pay for it!】
Most of the online reviews for “Twins” were positive. Everyone who had seen it praised it.
Of course, those who had predicted its failure hadn’t given up, especially those who were fans of “Fleeting Time.”
The actors in “Fleeting Time” were all young and popular idols, relying on their fanbase for success. Now that their movie’s popularity was lower than a movie released on the same day, they started posting vague Weibo messages, playing the victim.
This tactic of manipulating fans’ emotions was common in the entertainment industry. The fans who were easily swayed were either young or deeply invested in their idols, seeing them as gods.
When their idols were sad, they would fight for them, driven by their collective emotions, not realizing that they were being manipulated.
By the fifth day of “Twins’” release, its rating had dropped to 7.9, thanks to the fans of “Fleeting Time 5.”
Not satisfied with lowering the rating, they started attacking Zuo Bian.
A bunch of “neutral bystanders” emerged, claiming that they had watched both “Twins” and “Fleeting Time 5” and that “Fleeting Time 5” was clearly better. They said “Twins” was confusing and poorly made.
These fans were too much. At first, no one paid attention to them, but then they started causing trouble in Zuo Bian’s forum, escalating the conflict.
They had come to their doorstep and pissed on their territory, it would be cowardly not to fight back.
Zuo Bian’s fans, having learned from the Ma Songxue incident, were now battle-hardened. They attacked every troll who dared to show their face.
Many ordinary moviegoers who had genuinely enjoyed “Twins” and wanted to rate it and read other people’s reviews were shocked to see the low rating.
“Twins” had been out for almost a week and had already earned 4 billion yuan at the box office. Many people had seen it, and there were many positive reviews. “Fleeting Time 5” wasn’t that good, they had released so many negative press releases, and now they were trying to lower its rating?
Not only were Zuo Bian’s fans angry, but ordinary people were also angry. If they could lower the rating, then they could raise it. Within half a day, “Twins’” rating climbed to 8.8.
Ordinary people didn’t understand the intricacies of fandom culture. They only knew one simple logic: You’re criticizing “Twins” and saying it’s inferior to “Fleeting Time 5”? Then let the data speak for itself.
By the time “Twins” was taken off the screens, its rating was 9.0, and its box office revenue was 6.57 billion yuan. “Fleeting Time 5” had a rating of 6.9 and a box office revenue of 1.03 billion yuan. It was a complete flop.
“Twins” had crushed “Fleeting Time 5” with its quality. Times had changed. A few years ago, popular idols could still rely on marketing and packaging to attract fans.
But now, the market was more mature, and people weren’t easily fooled. They could tell the difference between a good movie and a bad one. So it was only natural that “Twins” was a success.
After watching her own movie, Zuo Bian finally felt confident. She was happy with its success. The little incident with “Fleeting Time 5” hadn’t affected her mood at all.
She had already received the script for her next project, but filming wouldn’t start until next year. This was actually good for Zuo Bian. She wasn’t pursuing fame, she wanted to be known for her work. She didn’t need to constantly promote herself and maintain her popularity. And she was in university now, she wanted to focus on her studies in her first year.
Three months after “Twins’” release, as expected, it was nominated for Best Picture of the Year, and Zuo Bian was nominated for Best Actress of the Year.
She hadn’t attended the awards ceremony last year to receive the Best Newcomer Award, but this year, she was determined to receive the award from Qin Ai.
On the day of the awards ceremony, Zuo Bian put on her dress and rode with Qin Ai to the venue.
“Qin Ai, I’m definitely going to win the award from you this year.”
Qin Ai was also dressed in a gown, a deep V-neck purple velvet dress that accentuated her figure perfectly. She tapped her cheek with her slender finger, a playful smile in her eyes.
“You’re so confident. What if you don’t win?”
Zuo Bian was stunned. She hadn’t even considered the possibility of losing.
Seeing her reaction, Qin Ai chuckled. “It’s okay if you don’t win at the ceremony, I can give you a special award on behalf of myself.”
“Qin Ai, I’m starting to feel nervous now.” Zuo Bian had lost her confidence. “Qin Ai, can you tell me, am I the Best Actress of the Year?”
Qin Ai pretended to think for a moment. “Hmm… I don’t know.”
But she didn’t look like she didn’t know. Zuo Bian tried everything she could in the car, but she couldn’t get an answer from Qin Ai.
When they arrived at the venue, Zuo Bian felt even more nervous. Her palms were sweating as the host announced the nominees for Best Actress.
“Who will be our Best Actress this year? That’s right, it’s the talented actress who debuted last year, with few works but each one a masterpiece—”
“Zuo Bian!”
The moment she heard her name, Zuo Bian looked at Qin Ai with joy. Qin Ai patted her hand, signaling her to go on stage.
Zuo Bian, snapping out of her daze, walked onto the stage, Qin Ai following closely behind.
The golden trophy was in Qin Ai’s hand, but Zuo Bian’s eyes were fixed on her face.
She took the trophy and was speechless for a moment. Then she said into the microphone, “Qin Ai, I’m so happy to be able to share this joy with you.”
Her gaze met Qin Ai’s, their smiles mirroring each other.
There were many days, many years ahead of them. They would be together, year after year.
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