Huayu Entertainment 1995 started with hijacking.

Chapter 158: A tearjerker masterpiece that ignites summer!
When I returned to the capital, it was already early July.

Wu Yuchen had just returned when Li Xiaoran dragged him to see a rerun of "Titanic," and that night, of course, they did a few more "You jump, I jump" performances.

"The Legendary Twins" has finished filming, but "The Grand Mansion Gate" is still filming, and it's been more than four months already. To be honest, if Guo Baochang didn't have such a big reputation that even big names don't ask for payment for cameo appearances, and Jiang Wenli only charged him half price, the 2000 million yuan production budget wouldn't have been enough.

However, Zeng Li's scenes had already ended. When Wu Yuchen returned to Beijing to see her, he felt that she was still a little dazed, immersed in the role of Yang Jiuhong and unable to extricate herself. Naturally, he took the initiative to take her to see "Titanic" again, and jumped a few more times to pull her out of the role. After spending a few days together, he sent her on the train home.

As for Gao Yuanyuan, she has already jumped into a relationship with him, and is now filming in the mountains of Hunan with the crew of "Postmen in the Mountains".

Two days later, Wu Yuchen drove to the airport to pick her up. The only one who could receive such treatment was undoubtedly Jiang Qinqin.

At the airport, Jiang Qinqin was seen wearing a floral face mask and large sunglasses that covered half of her face. Dressed in a fashionable outfit, she walked out of the arrival gate with her head held high and a small suitcase in her high heels.

Jiang Qinqin's beautiful appearance naturally attracted the attention of many passersby. However, they saw another young man wearing a mask and a baseball cap walk over and put his arm around the waist of the beautiful woman. The two then chatted and laughed intimately before leaving, which aroused envy and jealousy among many men.

"Ha, you went to Taiwan and you're already bragging about it!" Wu Yuchen laughed and patted Jiang Qinqin's bottom.

"That's right, you have no idea how popular I am in Taiwan! When I walk on the streets of Taiwan, they crowd around me and cause traffic jams!"

Jiang Qinqin proudly raised her chin and said that her mental state was completely different from when she failed to be selected as the female lead in "Mr. Donkey" a few months ago.

At the end of April, Jiang Qinqin, Zhao Wei, Zhou Jie and others went to Taiwan to promote "My Fair Princess". They stayed there for about a week, but there was no particularly big reaction. After a few episodes of "My Fair Princess" were broadcast, they returned.

But a month later, things were completely different. "My Fair Princess" became a sensation in Taiwan, sweeping the entire island. At that time in Taiwan, a TV series with a viewership rating of over 2% was considered a cause for celebration, but "My Fair Princess" achieved an average viewership rating of 12% and a peak rating of 17%, causing a huge sensation. As a result, the TV station and Qiong Yao's company once again invited the cast and crew to come over.

After completing her thesis defense in early June, Jiang Qinqin, accompanied by Ouyang Changlin, the deputy director of Hunan TV, who personally led the team, went to Taiwan again. This time, it was different from the first time; the number of fans who came to greet her at the airport had increased to nearly a thousand, completely blocking the arrival gate.

After all, Jiang Qinqin's Ziwei, Zhao Wei's Xiaoyanzi, and Zhou Jie's Erkang were some of the most beloved main characters in the show. Among them, Zhao Wei and Jiang Qinqin, who played the real and fake princesses, were especially popular, receiving cheers and adoration wherever they went, from three-year-old girls to eighty-year-old grandmothers.

After spending more than half a month there, Jiang Qinqin really enjoyed the glamour and treatment of a big star in Taiwan. Naturally, her confidence has returned, and her energy and spirit have improved.

"Oh my, big star! This time, the promotion for 'The Classic' is all up to you!"

Jiang Qinqin was about to confidently say that there was no problem, but when she thought that "My Fair Princess" had not yet been released in mainland China, she became dejected again.

Seeing her like this, Wu Yuchen smiled and stopped teasing her. He took her little hand and squeezed it gently.

"Don't worry, I'll promote this with you. I guarantee you'll be a superstar all over China in two months!"

Now that Liu Ye, the male lead, has joined the cast of "Postmen in the Mountains," and since he's a newcomer with little star power, the responsibility of promotion naturally falls on the shoulders of the renowned director, Wu Yuchen. He's already discussed it with Han Sanping and China Film Group, and after the film's release, he'll take Jiang Qinqin on a tour of several major box office cities across the country to contribute to the promotion and also give Jiang Qinqin a chance to travel.

……

During her summer break after returning from university, Li Lingling couldn't wait to reunite with her good classmates and best friends from high school and share their campus life experiences.

"Hey, did you all go see Titanic?"

"Of course I saw it, it's such a popular movie!"

"I've seen it three times already, Jack and Rose's love story is so touching!"

"Me too, I cried buckets both times I watched it. Jack is so handsome and touching!"

Upon hearing this, Li Lingling couldn't help but ask curiously:

"Have you all seen it? Isn't this movie supposed to be for couples? Are you all dating?"

As soon as she said that, several girls around her focused their attention on her.

"Lingling, are you stupid? Why don't you go with your roommate?"

Li Lingling shook her head: "My roommates all went with their boyfriends, and I felt embarrassed to ask them to go with me."

"Then you should find one too, find a guy to watch it with, then you'll have a boyfriend!" After another girl said that, several girls around her started to laugh and tease her.

Then a girl said, "But Lingling, you should still go see it, it's really good, I've never seen such a good romance movie."

“Yes, yes, after watching Titanic, I wanted to find other romance movies, but there aren’t any in China. I had to rent foreign films like Ghost.” Another girl chimed in with her complaint.

At this moment, a girl interjected, "Hey, that's not necessarily true. I just saw a report yesterday saying that the famous director Wu Yuchen will be releasing a romance movie next week, and it's said to be no worse than 'Titanic'!"

"seriously?"

"Can it compare to Titanic?"

"Maybe. Wu Yuchen is a great director who has conquered America. Don't you know that Leonardo DiCaprio, who plays Jack, is his go-to actor in America?"

"Yes, yes, that's what it says on the poster. Now that Director Wu has made a romance movie, it's bound to be good!"

"Let's go see one together next week! I really want to see a romance movie right now!"

A group of girls chattered excitedly and quickly made plans to go see "The Classic" together next week.

On the other side, a few boys gathered together. One of them held up a movie magazine, pointed to the cover, and said:
"Hey, hey, hey, Wu Yuchen is filming a new movie, and it's a romance movie!"

A few boys nearby were looking at the cover, which read: "Wu Yuchen's epic romance film is coming, 'If Love Has a Destiny'!"

Below the title is a photo of Liu Ye and Jiang Qinqin gazing lovingly at each other.

"The female lead is so beautiful!" a boy exclaimed, looking at Jiang Qinqin's pure and stunning face.

Actually, Jiang Qinqin also filmed "The Night the Comet Came" a few years ago, but firstly, the film was not promoted enough, and secondly, her style in the film was more about creating a capable and independent temperament rather than highlighting her beauty.

However, "The Classic" is different. This time, they really filmed her as beautifully as possible, making her look her most beautiful ever. As a result, the promotional photos immediately attracted the attention of male viewers.

"Hey, do you guys think she has any scenes like that in this movie?" another boy chuckled.

Upon hearing this, the boys exchanged glances and understood at the same time, because they had also seen "Titanic," and in "Titanic," the female lead Rose appeared completely nude!
"Isn't this possible?"

"Why not? Titanic is a romance movie too, and they can show it, so maybe our romance movie can too!"

"It's an American movie, it's different!"

"Are American movies superior? Didn't Wu Yuchen still go to America and conquer them?"

"Alright, alright, stop arguing. Shall we go see it together next week?"

One of the boys chuckled and said, "I'm not going with you guys, I'm taking my girlfriend."

Another boy chimed in, "Exactly! Who goes to see a romantic movie with a guy?"

"Damn it, if it weren't for the holiday and my girlfriend not being around, I wouldn't have called you guys!" the first boy to ask shouted angrily, then turned around and asked:

"Li Qian, are you going or not?"

Li Qian glanced at the group. He was a local student, and if he went with them, wouldn't that be admitting that he couldn't get girls to go with him?
Li Qian waved his hand dismissively, "I'm not going with you. I'll bring a girl to see it!"

"Qian'er, when did you start dating? I've never heard you mention it before."

"Do I need to report to you guys about dating?" Li Qian retorted, sticking out his neck.

"Damn it, a bunch of heartless bastards who only care about the opposite sex. Whoever hasn't seen it yet is a dog!" the boy who initially suggested watching it together cursed.

Li Qian's heart skipped a beat. To avoid being a dog (a derogatory term for someone who is cheated on), it seemed he would have to go to the cinema alone this time.

……

"If Love Has a Destiny, a love journey through time!" "A love masterpiece personally produced by Wu Yuchen, comparable to Titanic!"

"If Love Has a Destiny: A tender love story spanning two generations, Wu Yuchen composes the most beautiful love poem."

Major newspapers such as China Film News, Film Weekly, Yangcheng Evening News, Xinmin Evening News, and West China City Daily all began reporting on the upcoming release of "If Love Has a Destiny".

With the support of China Film Group and Wu Yuchen's current fame, major newspapers naturally gave him face and made his entertainment section the headline.

Of course, this continuous stream of reports couldn't have been achieved solely through personal connections. Miracle Films directly provided 500 million yuan for publicity, and they can add more if needed.

Besides newspapers, television stations are naturally indispensable.

On CCTV's movie channel, Wu Yuchen personally brought Jiang Qinqin on the show for a special interview. Half of the program discussed Wu Yuchen's past film career and the various films he had made, while the other half naturally focused on "If Love Has a Destiny," which was for promotional purposes.

"The initial inspiration for making this film came from some stories my dad told me about his comrades-in-arms, which sparked my creativity."

"Another point is that I've always felt there are too few romance movies in China. For many years, we Chinese have been ashamed to talk about love, which has resulted in very few movies on this subject. Love itself is pure and beautiful, but the attitude of film and television towards love is too conservative now."

"Compared to Titanic? No, Titanic shows a Western-style romantic love, while The Classic is our Eastern-style beautiful love story. Of course, the love in my film is just as touching as the love in Titanic."

Princess TV is a nationally popular channel, so this was a huge publicity boost. In the US, getting on a channel of this caliber would cost at least seven or eight million dollars, but Wu Yuchen's appearance was completely free. Princess TV should even thank Wu Yuchen for the high ratings brought by his special program!
Following the sixth princess, other media outlets, such as Beijing TV, which had collaborated with Miracle Films, also mentioned "If Love Has a Destiny" in their entertainment news reports.

Therefore, news about "If Love Has a Destiny" flooded the internet. Although it didn't have a big star like Wang Zuxian, the presence of Wu Yuchen's name, coupled with the full cooperation of China Film Group and Beijing Film Studio, elevated the promotional efforts to a new level.

Friday, July 7th.

Li Lingling and several of her close friends walked into the movie theater together.

"Luckily we bought our tickets in advance. When we came in, the ticket window said they were sold out for today!"

"Not only today, but I just heard the ticket seller say that tickets for tomorrow afternoon are also sold out. If you want to see it tomorrow, you can only buy tickets for the morning. I didn't expect it to be so popular!"

"That's right, look who filmed this! By the way, this is the first time I've seen Director Wu in person on a TV show, he's so handsome! Good-looking and talented!" exclaimed a fan of Wu Yuchen.

Meanwhile, Li Qian was also alone, holding his movie ticket as he sat down. He looked around and saw couples all around him, and he couldn't help but feel envious, but he held back so as not to be a dog!

A moment later, the theater lights went out, the dragon logo appeared, and the movie began.

At the very beginning of the movie, Jiang Qinqin, dressed in a fresh and elegant outfit, immediately caught Li Qian's eye and dispelled most of his bad mood. He thought to himself that looking at beautiful women really does help one live longer!

When the sun shines on the sea, I miss you;

When the hazy moonlight falls on the spring, I miss you.

As Jiang Qinqin unearthed her mother's diary and letters, a love story buried for 20 years was revealed, and time seemed to rewind to 20 years ago.

The yellowed black and white photo in Jiang Qinqin's hand turned into a colorful reality: a gentle breeze blew, and Liu Ye, dressed in a white shirt, leaned against the windowsill, appearing and disappearing behind the white curtains. The clean eyes of the handsome young man made Li Lingling's heart tremble.

Wu Yuchen emphasized that this movie should be romantic and beautiful. Combined with the stunning good looks of the male and female leads, almost every scene could be used as wallpaper, leaving a deep impression on the audience and making them want to relive the experience.

The simple-minded Liu Ye unexpectedly meets his goddess Jiang Qinqin in the countryside. The romantic scenes, such as their first meeting, breaking into a haunted house, and taking shelter from the rain, are all beautiful and touching amidst the rural scenery and fireflies dancing in the sky.

Even Li Qian was completely immersed in the movie's plot, watching with a maternal smile on his face.

However, as the film's plot unfolds, viewers discover a stark difference in family background between Liu Ye and Jiang Qinqin, and the presence of the male lead's friend, with whom the female lead is betrothed since childhood. These obstacles force the two to carefully and bitterly protect their beautiful first love, causing Li Qian to worry about them and feel a sense of foreboding.

Sure enough, after Liu Ye's friend was rescued from suicide, the pressure from his family background, the pangs of conscience, and the guilt he felt towards his friend led Liu Ye to keep the necklace Jiang Qinqin had given him, enlist in the army, and leave the campus.

The film employs a dual narrative structure, combining flashbacks and intercuts. In the modern era, 20 years later, Jiang Qinqin and Wu Yanzu share a single garment during a downpour and run in the rain to the accompaniment of music, a romantic scene that allows the audience to breathe a sigh of relief from the previous heavy and sorrowful atmosphere and feel sweet for the couple who have come together.

However, just as things were starting to calm down, the situation took a sharp turn 20 years later. Liu Ye, who had only recently joined the army, was about to face the Sino-Vietnamese War. At the train station where he was about to depart for the battlefield, Jiang Qinqin and Liu Ye looked at each other through the glass and wept.

Watching Jiang Qinqin chase after the already departing train and hand the necklace back to Liu Ye, the heart-wrenching farewell left Li Qian speechless, tears streaming down his face.

However, this is not the most heartbreaking part.

Liu Ye, neatly dressed and with his hair styled like an adult, emerged from the battlefield with a radiant smile and cheerful tone, announcing his marriage and showing no trace of the damage the war had inflicted upon him. However, when Jiang Qinqin revealed his blindness, Liu Ye's composure crumbled, and his panicked, disheveled appearance as he tried to escape but tripped and fell to the ground broke the hearts of all the viewers, bringing tears to their eyes.

When Liu Ye forced a smile again and said, "I thought everything was perfect. I practiced here for a long time last night..." Li Lingling could no longer control herself and burst into loud sobs. But no one blamed her at that moment, because everyone in the theater was staring intently at the big screen, wiping away tears, and some even amplified their crying along with her.

Even after the movie ended, Li Lingling was still in shock until the staff started urging them to leave the theater.

After leaving the movie theater, Li Lingling rubbed her swollen eyes and said sadly, "Why did this happen? Director Wu is too cruel!"

"Yes, they clearly love each other so much..."

Another girl comforted her, saying, "I think the ending is better than 'Titanic.' At least their children ended up together, which really lives up to the movie's title, 'If Love Has a Destiny!'"

"It's so touching, it's just as good as Titanic, and the songs are amazing too!"

After hearing this, Li Lingling immediately emphasized, "It's definitely better than Titanic!"

Although she hasn't seen "Titanic" yet, after watching "The Classic," she firmly believes that it is the best movie she has ever seen, and it is definitely better than "Titanic"!
At this moment, Wu Yuchen stood in the middle, with Jiang Qinqin on his left and Wu Yanzu on his right, waving goodbye to the audience.

After stepping down, Wu Yanzu breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Director Wu, I really didn't expect to be so popular."

Wu Yanzu had previously traveled around China for half a year, and then went back to Hong Kong Island to visit his sister. This time, he was called over to promote the film together, and it was also the first time he had seen the finished film of "If Love Has a Destiny".

Wu Yuchen patted him on the shoulder and said with a smile, "Ah Zu, be careful when you're out on the street in the future, or you might get surrounded by fans and won't be able to leave!"

Wu Yanzu smiled and said, "It shouldn't be that bad. Liu Ye and Sister Qinqin are the main characters. I feel like I'm just a minor supporting character at best."

"Absolutely! Just because I made you look this handsome in the photos, you're bound to become famous overnight!" Wu Yuchen laughed heartily.

……

Reviews of "If Love Has a Destiny" have also begun to appear in major newspapers:
"The Classic is igniting the summer, and cinemas are packed!"

"The Classic is receiving rave reviews; Wu Yuchen has once again created a tear-jerking masterpiece of romance!"

"Destined, the cycle of love!"

If love remains, the bond will never die.

"The Classic: All the beauty and sorrow of love you can imagine is in this movie!"

"Chinese-style love, 'If Love Has a Destiny' is shaking up 'Titanic'!"

If Miracle Films had to spend money on publicity and public relations before the film's release, now it's completely unnecessary. Once the film's reputation and box office success explode, many media outlets seeking buzz will spontaneously follow up with reports.

The viewing frenzy sparked by "The Classic" is now snowballing, causing its momentum to continue to grow.

Many viewers who saw "My Brothers and Sisters" last year, upon hearing or seeing that Wu Yuchen had released "If Love Has a Destiny," which is even better, more exciting, and more tear-jerking than last year's film, were also eager to go to the cinema to see it. However, having learned from last year's experience, these people were wiser this time, bringing enough tissues with them to avoid coming out in tears and making a fool of themselves.

Wu Yuchen took Jiang Qinqin and Wu Yanzu to Beijing for their first promotional tour. In three days, they visited all the major cinemas in the city and also accepted interviews from many reporters who came up to them. During the promotion, they basically welcomed all reporters.

To be honest, even though the schedule wasn't too rushed, running around doing promotions was still quite tiring. When Wu Yuchen told the two of them to take a day off on Monday, he also received a call from Han Sanping.

As soon as the call connected, Han Sanping's excited voice came through: "Brother Wu, the box office is a smash hit!"

Before Wu Yuchen could even ask, Han Sanping announced the figure: "2500 million! 2500 million in 3 days!"

Yesterday's new game rules completely stunned me, Ma Huateng, Ding Sanshi, and others. The stocks are all down, and I'm still typing away, feeling dizzy...

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(End of this chapter)