The wealthy military officer spoils his wife excessively

A European journalist commented: "Although Nie doesn't possess Zhang's dazzling beauty, her elegance and intellect equally represent the beauty of Asian women." Even director Wei, when asked about her, said: "Nie is a very ordinary woman. She can be plain, or she can be stunningly beautiful. She can blend into a crowd and disappear, or she can be so breathtaking that everyone can't take their eyes off her—it's all up to her."

In the backstage dressing room, the stylist was giving Suwen's hair a final touch-up. Tonight, her hair was styled in an elegant updo, a simple yet sophisticated floral bun secured at the back of her head, making her appear more intellectual and gentle. Paired with her cheongsam, it added a touch of classical charm. With this look, no one would guess that she was only about twenty-three years old.

Xiao Ai brought her a shawl. Her cheongsam had a high slit, and she was worried that it would expose her when she sat down, so the shawl was meant to cover her legs.

She had been preparing since morning, and had finished giving all the necessary instructions. Now that she suddenly had some free time, Suwen leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes to rest. She was having trouble sleeping in a new place, and this was her first time abroad. She had been tense ever since she got off the plane yesterday, knowing she had to be careful in front of foreign media; one wrong word back home would be a disgrace to her country. Besides, her English wasn't good; she had practiced intensively before leaving to be able to handle basic conversations, so she figured it was best to say as little as possible. Therefore, whenever reporters took photos or asked questions, she smiled—a smile couldn't hurt. As a result, some foreign reporters gave her the nickname "Smiling Angel," which she dared not accept.

She closed her eyes, but her mind was still a jumbled mess. She slowly comforted herself and tried to clear her thoughts. In the quiet space, she could only hear the beating of her own heart, thump, thump, thump, so clear.

In half an hour, it will be her international debut.

Sensing someone standing in front of her, she suddenly opened her eyes and was nearly scared to death.

"Don't you walk without making a sound?" she asked Xue Shaofeng, patting her chest.

When she suddenly opened her eyes, Xue Shaofeng was startled: "So tired, and you've already fallen asleep."

She wasn't tired; she just wanted to be alone to calm herself down. She was afraid he'd laugh at her if she told him. So she stood up, tidied her makeup in front of the mirror, and asked him, "May I come in now?"

Her male companion on the red carpet tonight was Xue Shaofeng. To match her cheongsam, Xue Shaofeng specially commissioned a retro-designed wool suit with a touch of Zhongshan suit style. He wore a long beige scarf around his neck, looking like a gentleman who had studied abroad in the 1930s or 40s. It had more design sense than a meticulously tailored suit, with a unique Chinese style, while also being formal enough for the occasion tonight.

Suwen walked over and stood next to him; the two of them looked like a golden couple straight out of old Shanghai.

Xue Shaofeng said, "Wait a moment, until Director Wei and Teacher Chen arrive."

Before she could finish speaking, Teacher Chen entered. She was wearing a black embroidered, semi-sheer evening gown, exuding a noble elegance with a hint of mysterious sexiness. Upon seeing Suwen in her cheongsam, her eyes lit up: "Oh my, young girls are so lovely, just like we were back then..."

“Oh, you were even more famous back then.” Suwen went up and took Teacher Chen’s hand. Lately, she and Teacher Chen had become increasingly familiar with each other, often discussing acting and such. She wasn’t flattering her; she was telling the truth. In the 1980s, Teacher Chen was a representative of Chinese film stars and the highest-paid actress in the country. She was undoubtedly a top-tier actress back then, and the level of popularity she enjoyed was no less than that of today’s superstars.

"Sigh, I'm getting old," Teacher Chen waved her hand, shook her head and sighed, "Young girls are so beautiful!" Teacher Chen herself had taken many photos in cheongsams for magazines, but the young girl in front of her was truly beautiful. She hadn't noticed it before when they were together every day, but now, seeing her every move, she was like a painting.

"All done? That's good." Director Wei also came in, dressed in a simple black tuxedo. During this trip to the water city, he was accompanied by a graceful and beautiful woman, whom outsiders speculated to be his wife, but Director Wei did not give a direct explanation. However, Su Wen had seen this beauty before; she was the cheongsam-clad beauty who ran crying from Director Wei's room when Su Wen first went to De Nei Hutong in Beijing for her audition.

Sometimes I wonder if Director Wei's repeated use of Teacher Chen and her is because of his personal fondness for cheongsams.

That was before the filming of this movie, right? The beauty even slapped Director Wei, crying and making a scene until they parted on bad terms, but a little while later they were all lovey-dovey again. The beauty in the cheongsam clearly recognized Suwen, greeted everyone, and then came over alone to take Suwen's hand and look her up and down.

"What a pretty little girl. Do you remember me?"

Suwen nodded blankly.

Director Wei said from the side, "Isn't it good? The acting is also good. If you didn't know, you wouldn't be able to tell that she doesn't have much acting experience."

"It's all thanks to the director and teachers for their excellent teaching." Suwen didn't forget to pull Teacher Chen aside and praise Director Wei.

I still think that scene from last time was too embarrassing.

However, the woman in the cheongsam didn't care at all and shook hands with her in a friendly manner: "Let me introduce myself, my name is He Saichong."

Su Wen was stunned, her hand frozen in mid-air, forgetting to pull it back. Even Xue Shaofeng was a little surprised.

This name is instantly recognizable to anyone who has studied acting, especially those specializing in traditional opera. He Saichong is a national first-class actor, the leading lady of the Xiaobaihua Yue Opera Troupe, and a veteran performer of the highest caliber.

However, as a traditional opera actress from the 1980s, it's understandable that Suwen had heard of her name but couldn't recognize her face.

Suwen immediately became shy, unsure of what to do with her little hands. She clenched her palms shyly and called out, "Teacher He."

"Let's have tea sometime. Wei Liao always praises you," Teacher He said affectionately to her.

Suwen could only nod and smile again. She really didn't expect to get to know so many national treasure-level actors.

"Xue, Nie, get ready!"

Urged by the stagehands, Xue Shaofeng smiled and turned his head, propping up his right arm. Su Wen made a funny face at him, then obediently put her left hand into his arm and took his arm as they walked down the red carpet.

Several internationally renowned directors and big names had already walked ahead of them, with flashbulbs popping incessantly on both sides of the red carpet. Although Suwen had already experienced a television festival, this was a film festival, a higher level of art hall, and an international one at that, so the scale was obviously different.

While flashing his irresistible smile, Xue Shaofeng slightly moved his lips, reminding her, "Relax, don't be so tense, just act naturally."

Suwen's lips twitched slightly as she tried to maintain her most elegant smile: "All you do is make sarcastic remarks, aren't you nervous?"

Over there, in the media area, people were calling Xue Shaofeng's English name. Xue, who was already somewhat famous abroad, immediately stopped, posing for photos. Su Wen, his female companion, had no choice but to stop as well, smiling and posing along, occasionally waving to fans and asking questions. After walking the short red carpet, her back ached, her arms hurt, and especially her face; the muscles seemed stiff. She felt more tired than running 5,000 meters at a school sports meet.

At the end of the red carpet, the emcee dutifully asked the couple questions. Su Wen, whose English wasn't good, could only strain her ears in the noisy environment to avoid missing her question and creating an awkward silence.

Fortunately, Xue Shaofeng was more famous than her, and he answered most of the questions for her until the emcee pointed the microphone directly at her. Suwen knew she couldn't avoid it anymore.

"Ms. Nie, are you the newcomer that R-Wei strongly recommended for the film? You are truly beautiful. Your dress is also very special. Are you wearing clothing representing China today? What are your personal views on evening fashion?"

After listening to her explanation, Suwen only grasped a few key words. Fortunately, the question was not difficult to answer. She breathed a slight sigh of relief and calmly said, "China's clothing culture is profound and extensive, and the cheongsam is just one of its essences. As for fashion, I believe that what suits you best is the best."

Her words were simple, clear, and full of personality. Even the emcee applauded, saying, "Thank you, Ms. Nie, please enter. I look forward to your excellent performance later."

"Thank you." Su Wen bowed several times to the audience and the emcee before entering the venue with Xue Shaofeng.

The interviews finally ended, and Suwen and the crew were seated in a central location to watch the premiere together. Actually, this was the first time she had seen the finished film. Her performance in the previous camera playbacks always seemed somewhat different from how it was portrayed in the final cut.

Not only her, but Director Wei was also very excited. In the dim light, you could see his hands were tightly clasped together.

After the movie started, the entire venue fell silent. It was Suwen's first time watching a movie under such circumstances; it was so different from a traditional movie theater. Not only was the character in the film herself, but the people around her were all international celebrities and renowned film critics. As soon as she appeared on screen, she nervously looked around, trying to glean some kind of reaction from the others. However, everyone was simply focused intently on the screen, so she gave up and continued watching the movie.

In such an environment, it's impossible to enjoy the leisurely pace of eating popcorn and drinking cola.

The film appears slow-paced, with a methodical rhythm, yet the emotions are silently wound up and tightly wound. Even Su Wen herself was drawn in, forgetting where she was and her anxieties.

It wasn't until the first sex scene played that Suwen awkwardly looked away. Turning her head, she saw Xue Shaofeng also turning to look at her. They exchanged a glance and both laughed. This scene had taken them a long time to get right; they were so embarrassed back then that they didn't even dare look at each other. Now, however, they were excitedly anticipating the audience's reaction. Perhaps once they got past that hurdle, they wouldn't feel anything for sex scenes anymore. At this point, it would be like watching child's play; the two people wrestling in the scene wouldn't seem like them at all.