Chapter 115: The Age of Yuri p2
Mi Hongdou and Ji Junxin were separated by Zhang Zijing. Mi Hongdou, watching the film, noticed a flickering light beside her and, assuming it was Zhang Zijing up to something, turned around and saw Ji Junxin bent over, typing on her phone, her expression serious.
Ji Junxin’s hand blocked most of the light, but Mi Hongdou could still see her serious expression.
What could be so important? Mi Hongdou felt both curious and worried. But before she could do anything, Ji Junxin put away her phone, the light disappearing.
In her previous life, Mi Hongdou had watched “Imperial Secrets” countless times. But watching this version now, the one she had filmed with Ji Junxin, based on Pan Xiang’s revised script, she felt it was much better. Ji Junxin’s portrayal of Miao Qianye was captivating, from her initial naivete, to her later growth as a mother, to her final loneliness, a woman’s life, vividly portrayed. The final shot, Miao Qianye, lost in memories, sitting on the steps, leaning against the door frame, her eyes closed in the setting sun.
Although she knew it was just acting, Mi Hongdou couldn’t help but cry. Fortunately, she heard soft sobs from the audience, she wasn’t alone.
During the end credits, she quickly wiped her tears. Just as she finished, the lights came on.
The actors and the production team went on stage to thank the audience. The actors would leave last, after the audience.
Mi Hongdou wanted to talk to Ji Junxin, but Ji Junxin’s seat was empty!
Although she might have gone to the restroom or to touch up her makeup, Mi Hongdou instinctively felt that she had left.
Ji Junxin’s absence during the final curtain call, the host announcing that she had left due to something urgent, confirmed Mi Hongdou’s suspicion.
She felt a pang of disappointment. Ji Junxin hadn’t even stayed for the entire premiere.
Qiong Yu wouldn’t have scheduled other work for Ji Junxin on the same day as the premiere, that wasn’t Qiao Rubai’s style. Mi Hongdou, seeing Qiao Rubai and Yang Lianyi chatting, decided to ask Qiao Rubai later.
But it seemed she was destined for disappointment.
After the thank-you speeches, the audience began to leave. Bai Tang, having arranged it beforehand, brought Mi’s mother over.
Mi’s mother’s eyes were red, and she seemed a little embarrassed as she approached Mi Hongdou, sniffing and looking away. I cried watching my daughter’s film… how embarrassing!
With about half the audience gone, only the actors, the crew, and some media remained. Mi Hongdou, figuring there would be interviews later, decided to use this opportunity to ask Qiao Rubai about Ji Junxin’s early departure.
But just as she took a few steps towards Qiao Rubai, she saw two people trying to push past the security guards, towards the stage, against the flow of the departing audience.
At first, she thought they were overzealous fans, ignoring the rules. But then she recognized them… the man arguing with the security, her… father. And the beautifully dressed Mi Yu.
With her mother, who definitely didn’t want to see them, standing next to her, and the media all around, Mi Hongdou could already foresee the upcoming drama.
She quickly pulled Yang Lianyi aside and briefly explained the situation.
Yang Lianyi’s smiling expression vanished, replaced by a serious frown. She glanced at Mi Hongcai, who was still arguing with the security, and lowered her voice. “Would you mind if I… had them removed? Not very politely, I mean.”
Mi Hongdou shook her head.
Yang Lianyi nodded, satisfied. “Take your mother and leave through the side entrance, the one you came in through, go straight to the car, and wait for me there. I’ll be there soon.”
Mi Hongdou, glancing at Qiao Rubai longingly, realized that today wasn’t a good time for a conversation. She followed Yang Lianyi’s instructions and quickly led her mother, who still hadn’t noticed her father and Mi Yu, away.
Mi Hongcai and Mi Yu, stopped by the security guards, watched as Mi Hongdou left.
Mi Yu flung her hand, her carefully applied makeup unable to hide her anger. “Dad! Look what you’ve done! We were almost there, we could have talked to her in front of the media!”
“I told you, we should have contacted her beforehand, you insisted on this surprise, and now look, the security doesn’t even believe us, how are we supposed to get through?” Mi Hongcai, after arguing with the guards for so long, was also frustrated.
“Contact her beforehand? Didn’t you see her avoiding us like we were the plague? She just doesn’t want to acknowledge you, or me.” Mi Yu sneered. “She thinks she can just walk away? The media is still here. We’ll go over there, pretend to be looking for her, chat with the media, act like a concerned family, and we’ll be in the news, riding on her coattails.”
Mi Hongcai frowned. “Isn’t it a bit inappropriate to approach them without even greeting her?”
“Dad!” Mi Yu whined. “After everything you said to her, did she show any sign of wanting to reconcile? I’m not even going to say anything bad about her, I just want some screen time, some media exposure, what’s wrong with that?”
“…” Mi Hongcai couldn’t argue with Mi Yu. Since he had promised to help her get into the industry, she had been pestering him constantly. But investing in a production was expensive, and Mi Hongcai, a self-made man, was reluctant. And then, with “Divorce, So Be It” becoming a hit, and seeing that Mi Hongdou was about to become famous, with the sequel filming and the movie about to be released, Mi Yu had become even more insistent, urging him to try the “family affection” card again. But Mi Hongdou hadn’t been swayed, she wouldn’t even answer his calls. He had even called her landline, which… was disconnected.
Mi Hongdou’s resolute rejection made Mi Hongcai want to give up. But Mi Yu wouldn’t let it go. If he didn’t help her use Mi Hongdou’s connections, she wanted him to fund her acting career. Faced with this choice, he chose to deal with Mi Hongdou. He had spent a fortune to get two tickets to the premiere, hoping that in front of the media, as her father and sister, showing their affection, Mi Hongdou wouldn’t be as ruthless. But… the security had stopped them, and Mi Hongdou had left.
Just as Mi Yu was insisting on using the media, and Mi Hongcai was still hesitating, two large security guards appeared, claiming to be from the organizers, suspecting that their tickets were fake, and asking them to come to the office.
They said this loudly, in front of everyone, and without giving Mi Hongcai and Mi Yu a chance to speak, dragged them away. The two imposing guards, after asserting their authority, quickly and efficiently apprehended them, covering their mouths before they could protest, half-dragging, half-carrying them away.
Yang Lianyi, seeing that the crisis was averted, left with the little girl. The rest, naturally, was left to Qiao Rubai.
Back in the car, Mi Hongdou was uneasy. Since the premiere of “Divorce, So Be It,” Mi Hongcai, as if having forgotten her warning, had been constantly contacting her, impossible to shake off. Mi Hongdou had decided that after establishing herself with a few successful projects and a solid fan base, and with her mother’s consent, she would publicly sever ties with them. Until then, she would just have to endure the occasional calls. But she hadn’t expected them to show up here, in person. Couldn’t he see her mother was also present? How shameless!
Mi Hongdou glanced at her mother, who was trying the pudding. In this life, after “Divorce, So Be It” aired, her mother had also asked her if she regretted the divorce. This time, Mi Hongdou, no longer swayed by any lingering longing for a father, had reassured her mother and praised her for her decisive action!
And so, she hadn’t seen the guilt and regret she had seen in her mother in her previous life. With her encouragement, Mi’s mother had quickly recovered and seemed much happier. Their relationship had also improved considerably.
One’s words and actions could truly change so many things.
Mi Hongdou sincerely hoped to give her mother a better, happier life than in her previous life. But… on certain matters, she might… disappoint her again.
Just as Mi Hongdou was thinking about her love for Ji Junxin, the impossibility of marriage and children, of giving her mother grandchildren, her mother, after finishing a jar of pudding, said, “This pudding is quite good, I think Ji Junxin would like it. Did you give her some?”
Mi Hongdou touched the cooler, feeling frustrated. Perhaps, having Ji Junxin over, her mother wouldn’t be so disappointed after all.
The premiere ended, and as she had hoped, Mi Hongdou saw both Ji Junxin and Qiao Rubai. But she hadn’t had a chance to talk to either of them… Ji Junxin had left early, and she hadn’t even been able to give her the pudding, which Yang Lianyi had taken.
Well, a box of pudding for some peace and quiet was a good trade.
Back at the hotel, Mi Hongdou texted Ji Junxin, asking why she left early. But… Ji Junxin didn’t reply. Two hours later, she texted Qiao Rubai, who did reply, but said the matter was complicated and she would explain in person when she visited Shudian.
“Complicated” worried Mi Hongdou. But Qiao Rubai’s response wasn’t a rejection, and Mi Hongdou was looking forward to their meeting, so she didn’t press further.
She waited for days, restless and anxious. But before Qiao Rubai contacted her, she received a message from Ji Junxin.
Ji Junxin said she was in Japan, a work-vacation trip, and would be there for a while. Mi Hongdou asked about her leaving the premiere early, and Ji Junxin simply said she had something to do.
One said it was complicated, the other said it was just “something,” Mi Hongdou instinctively felt that Qiao Rubai’s version was probably closer to the truth.
But with Ji Junxin in another country, there was no way to ask.
Strangely, with Ji Junxin abroad, their contact actually increased. They chatted about scenery, food, weather… although just superficial topics, it was still better than the previous months of silence.
Much better.
Perhaps because of the distance, the longing intensified. Ji Junxin could no longer maintain her aloofness, waiting for Mi Hongdou to contact her first. And she felt she had detached from the role, so there was no need to avoid Mi Hongdou. So, during her time in Japan, she texted Mi Hongdou frequently. And when Mi Hongdou wasn’t filming, she spent most of her time exchanging messages with Ji Junxin.
Mi Hongdou was grateful that she had already filmed “Divorce, So Be It 2” in her previous life, the lines somewhat familiar. Otherwise, with all her free time spent on her phone, she wouldn’t have had time to learn new lines.
As their long-distance communication intensified, “Imperial Secrets” premiered at the end of August.
The premiere audience, all invited guests, their reviews, whether from media or individuals, were mostly… neutral and predictable. The fans, avoiding spoilers, were also cautious in their praise. The focus was on positive publicity.
But after the official release, the general audience, unrestricted, could say whatever they wanted.
“Imperial Secrets” premiered at midnight in cinemas nationwide.
The midnight box office exceeded six million yuan…
After the first screenings, reviews flooded the internet.
Because of the demanding filming schedule, Mi Hongdou usually collapsed after a few texts with Ji Junxin. Even on the day of the premiere, she had fallen asleep around eleven. But with the film on her mind, she woke up around four in the morning and saw a text from Yang Lianyi about the box office numbers.
Over six million, two million more than the four million in her previous life…
This news made it impossible to sleep.
Mi Hongdou, who now had a Weibo account, decided to check the online reviews.
And then… her phone crashed.
After rebooting, she was surprised to find that she had over ten million followers!
And she only had three posts! A generic greeting message, a repost of Ji Junxin’s Weibo, and the trailer…
She had already gained millions of followers from Ji Junxin’s repost, this sudden surge to over ten million in just a few hours, what had happened?
She texted Yang Lianyi.
[Did you buy me fake followers?]
Yang Lianyi, having waited up for the box office numbers, had just fallen asleep when she was woken up by the message.
Seeing Mi Hongdou’s name, she opened the message, then, after reading it, immediately went back to sleep, muttering “idiot” before drifting off.
Mi Hongdou, not receiving a reply, opened Weibo.
So, could someone explain the comments flooding her three meager posts, all variations of “The Empress and the Noble Consort should be together!” “The Empress and the Noble Consort forever!” “They’re true love!” “Empress, don’t die, the Noble Consort loves you!” “Empress, just hold on, you can be happy with the Noble Consort!” “The little prince is actually their child!” “The Empress is heartless, poor Noble Consort!” “Empress, you’re so stupid, the Noble Consort can never be happy now!” What was going on?
Well… those comments related to the plot were one thing, but those like, “Yuri is supreme! Yuri is the best!” “Who’s the top and who’s the bottom between the Empress and the Noble Consort?” “The year’s best yuri film, the age of yuri has arrived!” “Let yuri be our companion, live freely and unrestrainedly~~” “Galloping across the plains, sharing the glory of the Ji circle~~” what were those even about…
Pan Xiang probably wouldn’t survive the night…
And that comment, “Empress, walk slowly on the path to the underworld, the Noble Consort is right behind you, wait for her, wait for her…” why did it make her shiver, then feel a little like crying!
Mi Hongdou refreshed the page, and even more comments appeared.
“This film is so yuri! I’m definitely watching it again tomorrow, already bought my tickets!” “Wait for me, I’m going too! I think I can watch it three more times!” “Fourth viewing, fourth viewing, must support this yuri masterpiece!”
She felt… strangely touched.
Mi Hongdou checked the most liked comments on her latest post. The top comment read: “The Empress is too cowardly, she’s definitely the uke! My Noble Consort is full of tachi energy!”
Full of tachi energy? Have you seen that person, curled up on a sofa, looking all cute and pitiful, waiting to be fed? Mi Hongdou, annoyed, started typing a reply, then stopped, breaking out in a cold sweat.
What… was she about to do with her official Weibo account?
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