The wealthy military officer spoils his wife excessively

Suwen dared not look, so she nestled on the sofa and listened to the sounds from the computer, feeling a little apprehensive.

Lu Zheng calmly closed his laptop, and when he looked up again, his face was as cold as ice.

Su Wen trembled slightly. She hadn't seen the finished film beforehand, and neither had Lu Zheng. It was already showing in Taiwan and Hong Kong, and was being reviewed in mainland China, so getting a copy wouldn't be difficult for him.

After the Venice premiere, she was prepared to be scolded. Foreigners are more open-minded and don't mind in this regard, but people in China are still more conservative, especially since Lu Zheng had been jealous about this before.

He beckoned with his finger, revealing a bright smile with white teeth, but his eyes were dark and unsettling.

"come over."

The situation was like a big bad wolf trying to lure a little white rabbit. Su Wen suddenly felt like she was about to be preyed upon. She stood up hesitantly and said, "I'll go over, but you have to promise me you won't do anything to me. I'm doing this for art."

Speaking with such conviction, Lu Zheng practically gritted his teeth: "What do you think I'm going to do to you?"

"..." She was speechless, and slowly moved over with her head drooping.

Before she could even take a few small steps towards him, he stretched out his long arm and pulled her into his embrace. Then, a cold breath rushed into her nostrils and mouth. He suddenly grabbed her chin, pinned her hands and feet behind her back, and began to bite her in a punishing manner.

Suwen never expected him to suddenly attack like this, so she forgot to struggle in her haste and just nestled softly in his arms, making weak whimpering sounds like a small animal.

With her inaction and lack of resistance, the initially bloody and forceful kiss gradually changed its nature, developing into a more tender and passionate one. The temperature on his lips was noticeably rising…

"Cough..." She coughed and pushed his chest, signaling him to stop while he was ahead.

He retaliated by sucking on her lower lip again, then snapped his teeth together, instantly catching a whiff of blood. Suwen gasped and reached down to wipe it, finding beads of red blood.

"Is this how Xue Shaofeng kissed you?" he asked, still unsatisfied, his breath hot as he questioned.

Suwen sat on his lap, her heart trembling three times, and she didn't dare to answer.

"Sex scenes can be faked, but this kiss can't be faked, right?"

"Then what do you want me to do? Brush my teeth, rinse my mouth, and soak in mouthwash for a month straight to wash away his smell?" Suwen glared at him with a hint of grievance and said indignantly.

"Silly girl, how dare you say that?" His face turned even greener. "Susu, have I been too lenient with you? The bed scene was pretty good, isn't it? Practice really does make perfect. I wonder if you used all the techniques I taught you when you were on top of him. But the movements on camera were still a bit stiff. You wouldn't feel so restrained when you're with me."

His voice had a slightly feminine quality, revealing neither joy nor anger, as he breathed softly behind her earlobe.

Suwen shuddered and froze.

He finally whispered a vow in her ear: "Remember, I developed your body, and I shaped every aspect of your charm. You can only be my woman."

While Lu Zheng's announcement of his fiancée at his birthday party might have silenced the media, it couldn't be completely suppressed within the entertainment circle. Countless people witnessed and clearly heard him personally acknowledge that the woman in his arms was his fiancée. Naturally, the news reached the ears of Lu's patriarch and Lu Wenyi as well.

The old man's first reaction was definitely anger. This unfilial grandson had fallen into the hands of this woman.

Fortunately, the news hadn't been released to the public, so there was still room for reconciliation. Ultimately, the Lu family's marriage still depended on the old man's approval.

These days, Lu Wenyi sometimes accompanies the old man to the hospital for checkups, and also subtly probes to say a few good words for the young lady surnamed Nie. After all, since the incident involving the Xiao family girl caused such a stir, the old man has become somewhat disheartened. His granddaughter-in-law of over ten years has just broken up with him, and the newspaper reports were so awful that he can no longer protect Xiao Yuan.

After that, Lu Zheng fell silent. The old man was afraid that Lu Zheng wasn't planning to look for someone anymore. When it came to Lu Zheng's marriage, the old man himself was the most anxious. He knew his illness well and that he wouldn't live for more than two years. His greatest wish was to see the only male member of the Lu family get married and start a family before he died.

Perhaps it's because I'm getting old, and my mindset isn't what it used to be. Plus, with Lu Wenyi's occasional advice, sometimes I think, "That girl surnamed Nie, then." Although they're not a good match, she doesn't steal or rob; she's a clean girl. Besides, Lu Zheng likes her so much. As long as he likes her, we should get married quickly, have a healthy baby, and then he can close his eyes in peace.

Thinking about it that way really put my mind at ease.

These past few days, the newspapers have been full of news about the film starring Nie Suwen winning awards abroad. Especially her appearance in a cheongsam in front of foreigners, strongly promoting traditional Chinese culture, has made the old man even more satisfied. "Not bad," he thought, "she's quite a traditional girl." Although he didn't particularly like people from the entertainment industry as his granddaughter-in-law, if she had good character, knew how to manage a household, and retired from acting after marriage to be a devoted wife and mother, it wouldn't be a bad idea.

Privately, he held up a newspaper and said to Feng Zhan, "These days, young people's stuff is something we old folks, who are practically in our graves, really don't understand. Back in our day, we didn't even know what a movie was. Watching a shadow puppet show at the village entrance was enough to keep us entertained for days. The first time I saw a movie was after Liberation, when Chairman Mao called on us to receive advanced education, and then the Party Committee organized everyone to watch 'Sanmao the Vagabond.' I still remember the plot to this day."

The old man laughed as he spoke, shaking his head repeatedly.

Feng Zhan chimed in, saying, "A few years ago when I was filming 'The Founding of a Republic,' I wanted to show it to you, but you said it was all just gimmicks by actors and not interesting. Actually, what we're looking for in a movie is the excitement, not whether it's gimmicks or not."

The old man laughed too: "I'm old, I don't understand anymore. Is the Golden Lion Award a very prestigious award?"

Having been by the old man's side for so many years, Feng Zhan had long since become a shrewd man. As soon as he saw the old man paying attention to this news, he figured out what the old man meant and immediately followed up by saying, "Of course, think about it, all the films in the world are put together, and this is the only award given out. And it was won by a Chinese person. Little Nie has brought glory to the Chinese people this time."

He didn't quite know how to flatter her properly; he was being too obvious. The old man glared at him, snorted, and after a long pause said, "Find her in this movie; I want to see it."

"Hey—" Feng Zhan drawled out, then left excitedly. If the conflict between the old man and Lu Zheng could be resolved, the whole family could breathe a sigh of relief.

As the year draws to a close, award ceremonies fill the public's attention. People in the industry, whether famous or not, who have worked hard all year, always want to show their talents at this time, hoping to appear on television and in the newspapers to increase their exposure and prove that they haven't just coasted through the year.

"Lust, Caution" broke its year-end box office record in Hong Kong within 30 days of its release and enjoyed great success in other regions as well. Its release in mainland China on Christmas Day, December 25th, offered couples on dates another option. Reportedly, long queues formed at cinemas in major cities that night, with even late-night screenings sold out. Many non-customers complained about not having booked tickets in advance, resulting in disappointment.

This fervor continued for a week without any sign of abating, with the most frequent inquiries being about screening times. Within ten days of its release, the film had already grossed over ten million yuan at the Beijing New Film Union and over ninety million yuan nationwide, making a total box office exceeding one hundred million yuan a certainty.

With impressive box office results, promotional activities have become increasingly frequent. Besides rushing to premieres across the country, Suwen has been receiving so many invitations to award ceremonies, including several nominations.

Xiao Ai is busy every day getting clothes from various designer stores for her and altering sizes. One dress after another passes through her hands like an assembly line. She's busy, but she's happy with her busy schedule. Her newcomer is really popular now. Several of her assistants from the same period would make a few sarcastic remarks when they bumped into each other at work.

Jealousy, raw jealousy back then. Who wouldn't want to be a big star's assistant? I've heard that some assistants of superstars walk around acting all high and mighty, bossing everyone around, even more confident than minor celebrities.

In contrast, Su Wen was much calmer. The honors came too quickly, and aside from the initial overwhelming flattery, she had slowly come to terms with reality. Take her trip from Venice to Chicago and New York, for example. Their film had won numerous awards, mostly for Best Foreign Language Film, Best Original Score, and Best Feature Film—frankly, those were technical awards, irrelevant to her as the lead actress.

Let's turn back to China. If you can catch the last train at the end of the year, there's the Taiwan Golden Horse Awards, and closer to home, there's the Asian Film Walker Awards, which will be held in Busan, South Korea this year.

Suwen was genuinely surprised that their film was quite popular in South Korea. Koreans' understanding of Chinese-language films is still stuck in the 1990s with Leslie Cheung. They don't know anything about the 1997 Hong Kong handover, just like we're unwilling to delve into the North-South Korean conflict. Their impression of Chinese-language films is still rooted in 1990s Hong Kong cinema. Fortunately, Xue Shaofeng's previous film, *Infernal Affairs*, had a significant international impact and still holds some influence in the eyes of Koreans. Plus, Koreans are quick to embrace new things, so word spread, and quite a few people came to see it in theaters.

The night of the Walker Awards ceremony could be called the night of "Lust, Caution," or perhaps the night of Nie Suwen.

She received nominations for both Best Actress and Best Newcomer at the awards ceremony. Before she left, Ye Zi, Xiao Ai, and several staff members prepared a celebratory banquet for her. Su Wen had just returned from a busy day out; it was already past nine o'clock, and she hadn't had dinner yet. As a complete newcomer, she couldn't refuse any magazine interviews. Later, after work, the editor-in-chief invited her to dinner, which she politely declined. Su Wen always dared not have too much contact with people who made a living from journalism, for fear of revealing her secrets and having them published in the news.