Huayu: From charlatan to great entertainer

Chapter 399 Xiao Liu Uses His Beauty to Commit Crimes; The Wide Road Shocks People

The Berlin sky after the snow was a leaden gray, and the heating in the hotel suite caused the frost flowers on the windowpane to bead up with fine water droplets.

Liu Yifei curled her toes under the down comforter, half-asleep, and felt the warmth of the person next to her. Lu Kuan was stroking the stray hairs on the back of her neck with his fingertips, as if checking the circuitry of some kind of precision instrument.

"It itches..." The girlfriend, her eyes still half-open from sleep, kicked her leg in a half-awake state.

The silk nightgown was rolled up to her knees, and the exposed skin immediately shivered slightly from the cold air.

A few red marks remained on her porcelain-white skin, like berries left behind in the snow, a testament to the young couple's oblivion last night.

"You're the one who told me to wake you up earlier, so get up quickly." Boss Lu turned to the side and smiled as he pinched her hump nose with just the right amount of force, cutting off her breathing.

The moment Liu Yifei opened her mouth instinctively, his lips covered hers, crushing her muffled "mmm" into their intertwined breaths.

The morning kiss carried the coolness of mint toothpaste, mixed with the lingering sweet scent of rose bath salts from last night.

Xiao Liu tried to prop himself up to dodge, but the back of his head bumped into the palm of the man who was already waiting, trapping him in a small space with no way to move forward or backward.

Eyelashes fluttered across the other person's cheeks, like butterflies fluttering futilely on the thin ice after a snowfall.

She suddenly gasped in terror, bracing her arm between the two of them: "You don't want it again in the morning, do you?! Please, Lu Kuan, I really can't take it anymore!"

Yesterday, neither of us adjusted to the time difference, and we tossed and turned until midnight, and then...

Lu Kuan looked at her with amusement: "Look at your lack of ambition, is this all you're going to do as an actress? How are you going to improve in the future?"

His large hand rested on her slender waist, where one could vaguely see the girl's wild and seductive movements from the previous night, which were absolutely alluring to the core.

"Ugh... I slept so soundly in the second half of the night, I'm so sleepy."

Boss Lu teased, "It's fine if you don't want to wear makeup, you're already beautiful enough anyway. How about I give you a skin-moisturizing and whitening injection?"

Xiao Liu was jolted awake. His body, honed by years of training, was bursting with explosive power. He bent his left knee and pushed off the mattress, while his right leg swung smoothly to the ground, his arch forming a sharp arc.

She wrapped herself tightly in the blanket, spat angrily at the washing machine, and then went to the bathroom to wash up in a charming manner.

The makeup team will be here at 10:30 a.m. to do the makeup and styling.

In accordance with the customs of Western film festivals and regular banquets, the red carpet ceremony is definitely held in the star-studded evening.

However, due to the severe cold wave that hit Berlin this year, the red carpet ceremony was temporarily moved to 2 pm.

When the afternoon sun is at its best, it can slightly reduce the biting cold of the wind, frost, and swords.

This is good news for female celebrities who aspire to shine on the red carpet, as they can avoid going hungry or getting too cold.

Even so, we still have to face the sorrow of beauty freezing cold.

After quickly washing up in the bathroom, Xiao Liu strode out with an unpleasant expression.

She glared angrily at her boyfriend, who was looking at the preview of the Berlin Film Festival program: "Look what you've done!"

"what?"

The washing machine turned its head innocently. Liu Yifei slightly pulled open the collar of her silk nightgown, and the morning light flowed on her porcelain-white skin, but stopped abruptly at her chest, which was covered by pink underwear.

A dark red hickey, like a red plum blossom fallen on the snow, is arrogantly blooming in a place that the V-neck dress can hardly cover, like evidence of a crime framed in a painting.

"Who... did this?"

Liu Yifei stared at the washing machine in disbelief: "Who did this? A dog did it!"

The girl grabbed his ear tightly, gritting her teeth as if she wanted to teach him a lesson, but she only twisted it slightly halfway: "You said you'd eat, so why did you have to suck... what are you doing?"

"Ah!!! I'm so angry!"

Liu Xiaolv stomped his feet in anger, while Xuezi, whose initial development was like a rabbit, was pure and beautiful, surpassing allure.

Mr. Lu smiled and hugged his girlfriend, who looked embarrassed and indignant. He tried to kiss her stubbled chin to brush it off, but she bit his lower lip hard.

The washing machine smugly dodged away, still flirting with her: "How about I take another bite and we make them symmetrical?"

"Screw you!"

Xiao Liu pushed his face away with a look of disgust, took the dress that Wang Daren had sent last night from the hotel room's dressing room, held it up to her chest, and looked mournful.

"It would be terrible if we couldn't cover it up. Wouldn't we become a laughingstock of the world?"

She could almost see the overwhelming mockery on Weibo and blogs.

Especially those professional paparazzi like Fengxing Studio, who are omnipresent and can detect even the slightest clue.

Liu Yifei spoke with Zhou Xun on the phone before the Lunar New Year, and the latter poured his heart out to her.

The reason was that the makeup artist boyfriend of this three-time Golden Horse Award winner, Li Daqi, was caught cheating by Zhuo Wei. Zhuo Wei caught him by subtle clues in his appearance and clothing, and the two broke up immediately.

If I walk the red carpet looking like this, and I can't hide the hickeys, then I'll be shameless and have to accept it myself!
Boss Lu said righteously, "What are you afraid of? You can still act like a thug even in that tattered red down jacket."

She picked up the phone on the table and said, "I'll talk to Wang Daren and see if he has any extra dresses. As long as they're not strapless or deep V-neck, they're fine. Anyway, they're not your strong suits."

Do people say it?
When all patience is no longer possible, the savage girlfriend punched and kicked Lu Kuan as a form of morning exercise, which finally made her breasts feel a little clearer.

The young couple, separated for a short time, were filled with passionate lovemaking late into the night. By the time they woke up and finished washing up in the morning, it was almost nine o'clock.

Mr. Lu, who had consumed a lot of energy, was starving and called to order breakfast.

The Kempinski Hotel's service was very responsive; the food was served in less than ten minutes.

Liu Yifei's calorie expenditure was actually no less than his, since the calorie expenditure of horseback riding is equivalent to low-to-moderate intensity aerobic exercise.

But now she can only watch her boyfriend devour his food with envy.

She sat pitifully wrapped in her bathrobe, curled up at the dining table, her fingertips unconsciously fiddling with the edge of the porcelain plate.

Half a boiled egg lay forlornly on a slice of cucumber, the edge of the egg white gleaming coldly, looking utterly unappetizing.

Especially when looking at the wretched washing machine across the way, the oil from the smoked salmon bagel in my hand glistened enticingly in the morning light.

Seemingly in retaliation for the beating she had just received, Lu Kuan cut off another piece of sausage and put it in her mouth. The cracking sound between her teeth made the girl's throat bob involuntarily.

The black coffee in Xiao Liu's cup, meant to reduce swelling, reflected her fine, pearly teeth: "Hey, go eat in the bathroom! Don't let me see!"

The washing machine, as always, was vulgar: "You just took a dump, didn't you? I'm not going to go."

However, the beautiful girl didn't care about all that. With the temptation of delicious food in front of her, she didn't even have the will or strength to beat him up: "Then let me have a bite of bagel."

Liu Yifei confidently stated, "The bagels at this restaurant are made with whole wheat, which is considered a whole grain, and the salmon is a source of high-quality protein and fat. It's fine for me to eat a little."

The washing machine, protective of its food, said: "I can't bear to see you craving it like this, but letting you eat it would be bad for you, and you'll blame me later."

Xiao Liu repeatedly said, "It's absolutely not your fault! I only ate one bite, and you told me to stop!"

Mr. Lu shook his head helplessly. Seeing how pitiful she was, he decided to give the child a bite to satisfy her craving.

It would be too cruel to not give someone something palatable to chew on when they wake up in the morning.

Liu Yifei snatched the bagel from his hand with shining eyes. Lu Kuan swore he had never seen her mouth open so wide before, tearing into the food without any regard for her image.

He chuckled for a couple of seconds, then realized they were about to be eaten, and hurriedly waved his hands, shouting, "Stop! Stop! Stop!"

Language is pale and powerless.

Boss Lu scoffed, "I told you to stop! But you wouldn't stop!"

Liu Yifei licked the sauce from the corner of her mouth and said confidently, "You think I'll just stop when you tell me to?"

"I told you to stop last night, why didn't you stop? You hypocrite!"

The usually eloquent and cunning Washing Machine was speechless with emotion.

The dopamine from Xiao Liu's breakfast this time was more than the sweet and astringent pleasure from last night, which is the difference between the first loaf of bread and the tenth loaf of bread that Roosevelt mentioned.

The young couple were laughing and joking as usual when the Hollywood makeup team arrived.

The original makeup artists from Hongxingwu now work for Wenjie Films. For international film festivals and various events, a more international team is still needed.

To be realistic, it's true that aesthetics these days need to have their own characteristics, but the West has temporarily seized the power of fashion discourse.

“Beautiful Crystal, if you can always be in love, all of us will be out of a job.”

Makeup artist Elena entered the room with a smile and instructed her staff to prepare all sorts of props.

She graduated from the Makeup Department of the Paris Higher School of Art, where she studied under the legendary makeup artist Pat McGrath. She served as the chief makeup artist for European films such as "Perfume" and "Downfall".

From the very first sentence spoken upon entering the door, emotional value is already being conveyed to the employer.

Liu Yifei smiled confidently and said, "Thank you! I hope I haven't caused you too much trouble."

"How could that be? Your skin looks amazing!"

Elena didn't know that Xiao Liu was referring to how to cover up the hickeys on her chest. Even though it looked like they could be covered up, she still managed to do it perfectly.

Boss Lu walked over and looked at his girlfriend in the mirror: "Harvey called, I'm going to meet a few people with him, I'll be back in a bit."

Xiao Liu smiled gently: "I understand, go ahead."

"Director, bring tissues when you come back. I'm afraid you'll drool when you see Ms. Crystal again," Elena joked.

"It's okay, Berlin is cold, my saliva will freeze on my chin, I don't need a tissue."

The makeup team members inside burst into unrestrained laughter; they loved the director's sense of humor.

Liu Yifei rolled her eyes at the talkative washing machine, while Elena said enviously, "Crystal, you must be the envy of many people in China, right? Lu is so young and so outstanding."

"Is this what you mean by excellent?" Seeing that the door was closed and the room was full of women, Xiao Liu gently tucked the hem of her dress in.

Elena chuckled, a common occurrence for Western women: "I'd like to offer a word in his defense."

"Perhaps you are too charming, madam?"

"Don't worry, we'll handle it."

Her assistants took over her work, and Elena focused on providing emotional value to high-net-worth clients, which she enjoyed serving such generous and easy-going employers.

"I haven't done makeup for Li and Ziyi. I don't know if all Chinese women have such good skin."

"However, I read a paper when I was in school that showed that melanin is more evenly distributed in East Asian skin, and they have almost no problem with telangiectasia."

"Europeans at higher latitudes need to synthesize vitamin D through their lighter skin tone, which unfortunately means our beauty doesn't last very long."

"Stop!" Elena stopped her assistant from applying powder: "The translucency and evenness of this skin are like painting on silk. Only the thinnest layer is needed. You've used too much."

Xiao Liu was overjoyed by the praise, but he knew in his heart that this slightly exaggerated rhetoric was the work of the US dollar. He just took it as someone making him happy, which was better than being teased by the washing machine.

The makeup process took a long time, until Boss Lu came back, just in time for the final step of spraying setting spray.

"Is it ready yet? My saliva is about to freeze."

Eager to show off, Elena personally explained to her assistant, "Setting Crystal's makeup is like sprinkling frost on a rose; too much will only ruin the original base."

"Great, mission accomplished!" The famous Hollywood makeup artist smiled at the big spender. "Lu, what do you think of your girlfriend?"

Liu Yifei stood up, looked at herself in the mirror, and gazed expectantly at the washing machine.

With outsiders present, shouldn't it be possible to flatter them a bit?
Boss Lu's gaze fell on Xiao Liu, as if admiring a fine-brush painting moistened by morning dew.

Unlike the Western beauties that can be seen everywhere on foreign streets and in movies, her beauty has a distinctly Eastern classical charm.

Her eyebrows are like distant mountains shrouded in mist, and her eyes are like autumn waters rippling across the surface.

When it comes to flattery, the washing machine is unbeatable. He looked at Elena and the others with a stern face and said, "I'm starting to regret inviting you."

Before they could even react to the show's effect, they exclaimed, "Using makeup to fix this face is such a waste!"

"It's like casting a spotlight on the moonlight or sprinkling glitter on the first snow—it's superfluous, utterly superfluous."

Seeing the girl's eyes overflowing with joy and love, the makeup team, who had been force-fed a mouthful of dog food (a Chinese slang term for witnessing public displays of affection), retreated in fear.

A great director is a great director; he can actually talk nonsense.

The door was closed, and Xiao Liu, seeing the washing machine looking eager to start, quickly waved his hand to refuse, saying, "Don't touch it. We have to leave in a little over an hour, don't make a mess of it."

"It took me three hours to put on makeup, I was exhausted."

Boss Lu laughed and said, "Don't move around. You ate a lot yesterday. You covered your chest very well; it's basically invisible."

"I used concealer and silicone breast pads, so it's covered up." Xiao Liu glared at him resentfully: "If you keep messing around, you'll be sleeping on the sofa by yourself!"

You're the one who's enjoying it, but I'm the one who's embarrassed!

Washing Machine awkwardly touched his nose, too embarrassed to say who was actually having the better time, and casually sat down on the sofa to continue flipping through his Berlin Film Festival program.

“I just went to see Shu Qi with Harvey, and Luc Besson was there too.”

"What was her attitude?"

Boss Lu smiled and said, "Very good, no problem."

Just like when they first attended the Venice Film Festival in 2002, the first thing they did was to go to Gong Li with Tian Zhuangzhuang. Public relations among Chinese people also require prior communication.

This year, in particular, in addition to "The Sky of History", Wang Xiaoshuai, one of the "Seven Gentlemen" who had a heated debate with Lu Yi at the Beijing Film Academy, participated with "Left Right", and Johnnie To from Hong Kong participated with "Sparrow".

All of them are films from the main competition section.

Of course, the publicity in mainland China and North America, the director's personal reputation and status, the star power of the other main and supporting actors in the film, and its alignment with the politically charged selection of films at the Berlin Film Festival all contributed to the success.

"The Sky of History" is undoubtedly superior to the latter two.

In addition, there's Mr. Lu's relationship with the president of the Berlin Film Festival, and the latter's persistent efforts to secure an invitation to participate.

Therefore, although Shu Qi is one of the members of this year's judging committee, given Boss Lu's current status and position, coupled with Luc Besson's accompaniment, the public relations challenge is not significant.

The two had previously collaborated on "The Transporter" in 2002, an action-thriller starring Jason Statham, making him arguably Statham's benefactor.

The pre-film promotion and public relations work for this year's Berlin Film Festival has been largely completed, giving the film a relatively high status. After all, Koslick helped the crew contact German anti-war organizations such as the White Rose during filming, indicating a close relationship.

In addition, before filming wrapped up in August, he made a special trip to New York to invite the film to be made. During the interview, he said frankly that this is not China's "Schindler's List". It can leave its own name in the long history of film.

While the awards may not favor "Sky" by much, at least a fair and just competitive environment can be guaranteed. Now we just have to wait and see.

The 58th Berlin International Film Festival officially opened at 1 p.m.

A red carpet about 300 meters long has been laid out in the square where the famous Potsdam Declaration was signed, with live broadcast cameras of German television channel ZDF set up on both sides, and other national television stations obtain rebroadcast signals from ZDF.

Film media outlets from around the world, all authorized to participate, have gathered, including Variety and The Hollywood Reporter from the US, Sight & Sound and Empire from the UK, Cahiers du Cinéma and Feature Film from France, China's China Film Report and CCTV-6 from China, Kinema Junpo from Japan, and JoongAng Ilbo from South Korea. This comprehensive coverage of film media from the West, Hollywood, and Europe, representing diverse regions and styles, suggests that this year's festival publication ratings will be exceptionally competitive.

Although Koslick is stubborn in his selection criteria, this political thriller enthusiast, who has been in charge of the Berlin Film Festival since 2001, still has a wide network of connections.

The judges of the main competition departed from the Grand Hyatt Berlin and "coincidentally" met Lu Kuan, Liu Yifei, and others from the "Sky of History" crew, who had just gotten off their car in front of the cordon. The two groups greeted each other and exchanged pleasantries before the red carpet ceremony.

"Director Lu, Consort Yi!" Shu Qi waved to them, then stepped forward to give them a warm hug, and introduced her compatriots to the other judges.

Xiao Liu laughed and said, "Sister Shu Qi! It's great to see you again. The last time was in Cannes in 2005."

Liu Yifei had clearly done her homework; she wasn't like an ordinary person who couldn't make small talk and instead seemed distant.

Of course, we only met again after more than two years, and we weren't particularly close.

"Yifei, you look so beautiful today! I couldn't take my eyes off you even in the car!"

"Thank you, Sister Shu Qi, you're beautiful too!"

Andy Lau and Shu Qi are also familiar with each other. After exchanging pleasantries, they both felt a sense of kinship, like meeting an old friend in a foreign land, on this most important Chinese holiday.

Before the two could exchange more than a few words, reporters swarmed over from the red carpet, only to be firmly blocked by security guards.

Most of these journalists are from East Asia and North America. Over the past year, whether it's Fox News broadcasts or the filming of Holocaust movies, she has indeed become a topic of discussion.

While the two Chinese actresses exchanged pleasantries, Mr. Lu took the opportunity to shake hands with several members of the film festival jury.

Private contact is not appropriate, but face-to-face, open communication in front of the camera shows more candor.

(Left: Martin Scorsese; Right: Rolling Stones frontman Jagger)
“Road!” A familiar voice called out; it was Martin Scorsese and the “Rolling Stones.”

The opening ceremony film for this year's event was originally Martin Scorsese's documentary "Shine Light," which tells the story of the Rolling Stones' two concerts at the Beacon Theatre in New York at the end of 2006.

However, after watching the preview screening of "The Sky of History" in North America, Mr. Lu's close friend was amazed and contacted Koslik, suggesting that the opening film be changed to the latter. This suggestion was approved by the organizing committee.

In the words of this "film sociologist" who originated in New York—

Berlin, where temperatures are -15 degrees Celsius, needs some vibrant red energy from the East to warm things up!
Mr. Lu embraced Martin, a true friend who was passionate about film, with a full head of silver hair.

"Let me show you the way..."

"No need! Don't you recognize the famous Rolling Stones?"

Lu Kuan shook hands with several true veterans of world rock with an air of elegance, and pretentiously uttered a politically correct slogan of support from die-hard Rolling Stones fans: "The Rolling Stones will surpass Beethoven!"

Everyone burst into laughter. Jagger, Keith, Charlie, and Lonnie, the four old men, took turns hugging him. Who wouldn't like to be flattered by this young talent of the world film industry?
His youth, in particular, further testifies to the enduring success of the Rolling Stones.

In 2008, the Rolling Stones had been around for over 40 years and were universally recognized as the greatest rock band in the world, bar none.

Boss Lu fully embraced his socialite persona, speaking eloquently: "I love your 'Gimme Shelter' the most."

"Keith's open-tuned harmonica and Jagger's blues harmonica perfectly exemplified what it means to be 'a chorus of angels in hell.' Unfortunately, I didn't bring the 72 America tour videotape I had in my collection, so I couldn't get an autograph!"

Old man Jagger was overjoyed: "Oh, buddy! That's easy. We can send you a master tape with some impromptu footage!"

"Okay! It's a deal!" Boss Lu's eyes lit up, and he secretly wondered if he could lure these four old men to the Beijing Olympics.

So he first set off the tripwire, then said with a beaming smile, "I am really happy today, especially since Martin gave us the opening ceremony film. I would like to invite you to come to Beiping to watch the Olympics this August. I wonder if we have the honor?"

Keith admires Eastern culture and immediately agreed. The pre-red carpet greetings ended happily.

Rock veterans never follow the beaten path. They hit it off with the Eastern director and, ignoring the organizing committee's arrangements, walked side by side toward the red carpet.

Looking at the handsome mainland director from behind, Shu Qi's long-held impression of him came true. She looked down at Liu Yifei and said, "Director Lu is truly knowledgeable about everything. He can chat so well with Rock Records."

"Yes! Directors generally have a wide range of interests."

Xiao Liu outwardly agreed with a sense of pride, but inwardly he felt somewhat embarrassed.

He spent over ten minutes last night staring at the faces of four people on his computer, trying to recognize their names from the 1972 America tour.

She knew her boyfriend wasn't very interested in music, and she really didn't know how those popular songs came to be.

As Lu Kuan walked and talked with Martin Scorsese, he said, "Martin, thank you for your generosity. The opening ceremony premiere is a great exposure."

Films that are the opening ceremony of major film festivals tend to receive more publicity than other films.

Because the film festival organizers will add screenings for certain films based on the popularity of the event, as well as the requests from professional journalists and film fans through the official website, voting boxes, and other channels.

"The Sky of History" premiered immediately after the star-studded opening ceremony red carpet. If the film becomes a huge hit as expected, subsequent screenings are to be expected.

Martin, a rather pure film director, laughed upon hearing this, saying, "Shining Light has been in theaters for eight months, but it's just a game."

“But masterpieces like Sky deserve better opportunities to be shown; I haven’t seen such a magnificent epic in a long time.”

"Lu, you've improved again. The scene direction in the movie amazed me. Is this because of the Olympics?"

"That's right. The cultural performances at the Olympics are more complex than movies. In addition, my consultations and learning with director Zhang Yimou have yielded many benefits."

Film festival officials arranged the order of appearances, and the group separated before reaching the red carpet.

Then Johnnie To and Wang Xiaoshuai arrived with all their actors, and everyone exchanged pleasantries.

Wang Xiaoshuai was previously challenged by Boss Lu during the debate at Beijing Film Academy after the ban was lifted, but looking at the development trends of mainland and world films over the past few years, it is indeed as he said.

After all, the mainland film industry is a tempting pie that is getting bigger and bigger, attracting countless off-market funds that are eyeing it covetously, with everyone wanting a piece of the pie.

A gentleman seeks harmony without uniformity, and Director Xiao Shuai felt he should also change his mindset.

So when we met again today, he had less of that aloof and detached air about him, like an underground director from the 1980s.

"Director Lu, Happy New Year! Wishing 'The Sky of History' all the best!"

"Happy New Year, Director Xiaoshuai!" Boss Lu smiled and shook hands with him and Johnnie To, and then exchanged greetings with Zhang Jiayi, Simon Yam, and "first love" Kelly Lin and other members of their crew.

Liu Dehua became even more familiar with Simon Yam and the others. After exchanging pleasantries, he turned to Lu Kuan and said, "Director Lu, today is such a great day. Shall we find a place to get together tonight?"

Lu Kuan: "Great! Let's celebrate the holiday together!"

Lin Chi-ling and Liu Yifei, two female compatriots, were cheek to cheek and embraced, along with Shu Qi on the side, making it truly a feast of beauties in Chinese-language cinema today.

The red carpet ceremony officially began at 2 p.m.

The Berlin red carpet has never been known for its star-studded lineup due to the subject matter of the films, as politically charged films generally don't attract many big names.

Thanks to Koslik's preliminary work, this year's Berlin had a more star-studded atmosphere.

Natalie Portman, in the first batch of "The House That Never Dies," was bombarded with a barrage of cameras, followed by Scarlett Johansson, who played her sister in the period drama.

Before walking the red carpet, Johnson chatted cheek-to-cheek with his former basketball friend, Mr. Lu, which resulted in Mr. Washing Machine getting a bruise on his arm.

There is a legal principle called "the law is not retroactive," which means that current laws cannot be used to judge a criminal's past actions.

In other words, the washing machine's adherence to male virtues after reforming his ways is unrelated to his past dissolute behavior.

But Liu Yifei, who only established a relationship with him last August, was clearly ignorant of the law. She remembered every single crime of the scoundrel and was ready to settle accounts at any time.

World-renowned stars vie for attention on the red carpet, with "The Sky of History" making a grand finale appearance—an official courtesy from the film festival.

Because of the film's excellence and the presence of award-winning actors Tom Hanks, Moore, Hong Kong superstar Andy Lau, and mainland China's top actress Liu Yifei.

Today, the title of "top-tier" is truly well-deserved.

A blonde female staff member wearing a name tag came over and announced, "Everyone, please prepare to walk the red carpet."

"it is good."

There were five people in total, and the cast of "The Sky of History" did not pair up again.

Led by Mr. Lu, everyone strolled leisurely down the red carpet, each taking their own relaxed steps.

Among them, Andy Lau has relatively little experience appearing at international film festivals, which is why he took the initiative to request to join the team for promotional activities in Berlin.

Who wouldn't want to be an international X?

"Tom! Over here!"

"Moore! Smile!"

The most popular one is undoubtedly Tom Hanks, who spent the longest time on the red carpet.

To pay tribute to Chinese filmmakers, the film festival organizers used a modified version of "Jasmine Flower" as the background music for the red carpet on this special day.

Xiao Liu walked gracefully to the side, her fingertips lightly lifting her skirt, the slight upturn of her chin allowing her snow-white skin to receive all the flashes of light.

As she walked, the glint of light from her hair and the diamond tassels at her ears complemented each other.

A bright and beautiful twenty-year-old girl pierced through the snow and fog of Berlin like a ray of early sunlight from the East. Her velvet skirt flowed with her steps, and the jasmine-colored hem shimmered under the spotlight.

A reporter from the German newspaper Bild suddenly shouted in broken Chinese, "Crystal! Look here!", startling Liu Yifei so much that she covered her mouth and chuckled.

She then turned gracefully to the bold reporter, displaying the charm of a classic Eastern beauty.

The Chinese they had secretly learned paid off. When a reporter from Kyodo News tried to imitate them, his clumsy accent made Lu Kuan take a second look.

The Japanese soldier exclaimed as he took pictures, "She's practically a snow fairy!"

Unfortunately, because the Berlin Film Festival's selections involved sensitive international issues such as the abuse of prisoners by the US military, mainland video websites did not obtain broadcasting rights from the State Administration of Radio and Television, so film fans could only enjoy the film through text and image live streams.

Even so, the heat maps sent back by the on-site team have already built up to a towering height.

Sina Entertainment's Berlin Film Festival Red Carpet Special: "Liu Yifei Takes Over the Red Carpet Mantle from Gong Li, Replicating the Latter's God-like Moment at Venice in 92!"

Fengxing Studio: "Liu Yifei, with her fair skin and red lips, is using her beauty to commit crimes! A German Railway employee is suspected of throwing down snow shovels to take photos at the scene!"

Blog.com Official: "Chinese jasmine blooming in the Berlin snow: the aesthetic hegemony of Chinese filmmakers!"

CCTV's Sixth Princess: "From Empress Sissi to the icon of classical Eastern beauty, Liu Yifei, one of the three Chinese actresses on the red carpet today, together showcase the charm of China!"

The German anti-war organizations, such as the Red Roses, outside the cordon loudly voiced their support for the film, which naturally became an asset to Liu Yifei. This was the slowest she had ever walked the red carpet.

Because of the current popularity of the young actress in the Chinese entertainment industry and the film's promotion in North America a month earlier, Xiao Liu was stopped by various languages ​​along the way, and only then did she manage to reach the autograph wall, accept a brief interview with the host, and then climb the steps of the cinema palace.

As Lu Kuan stepped back half a step to adjust her trailing skirt, she suddenly turned around and gave the camera a radiant smile—

This moment, described by foreign media as a "fleeting glimpse of the Venus of the East," caused a reporter from Der Spiegel to knock over his colleague's tripod.

The cinema was packed with people as Chairman Koslik took the stage to give a speech.

"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming. Welcome to the 58th Berlin International Film Festival."

"Today is an inspiring day; the heavy snowfall cannot dampen our love for film."

After a round of routine pleasantries, the film festival chairman paused for a moment before beginning to introduce today's opening film, "The Sky of History":
"In addition, I would like to extend my special greetings to our Chinese friends, the Chinese community in Berlin, and the international students. Today is your most important traditional festival, and I wish you a happy festival!"

"Since its inception, the Berlin Film Festival has been committed to breaking down barriers and connecting East and West through film."

"In the post-Cold War era, Berlin was the first to award the Golden Bear to Chinese director Xie Fei's 'Woman Sesame Oil Maker' in 1993, because true art is never blocked by the Iron Curtain."

"Chinese filmmakers, like filmmakers in Europe, North America, and around the world, have always been Berlin's most valued partners."

"From Zhang Yimou's 'Red Sorghum' which shocked the West in 1988, to Ang Lee's 'The Wedding Banquet' which shared the Golden Bear with us, and now to director Lu Kuan's 'The Sky of History', these masterpieces prove that when stories from different ethnic groups are based on common human emotions, they can transcend all cultural barriers."

"Okay, before today's opening ceremony video, let's invite Director Lu Kuan to share his joy with everyone."

The audience erupted in applause, and international media reporters quickly adjusted their cameras, with flashes focusing intensely on the stage.

On stage, the usually composed Mr. Lu was now somewhat impassioned: "Thank you, Chairman Koslik, thank you, organizing committee, thank you, my friend Martin. It is your kindness that has made 'The Sky of History' possible today—"

"To meet the world on this most important festival for us Chinese."

"We Chinese value relationships and fate, and it has to be said that this film and the Berlin Film Festival are destined to be together."

Lu Kuan's gaze was focused on Iris Chang sitting in the audience: "In 2003, my film 'Blind Shaft' was screened in Berlin, and I met Ms. Iris Chang by chance at the film festival."

“We talked for a long time, and she said that for history, forgetting is more terrible than death.”

"Until I saw this sentence in her journal—"

"In those chaotic years, may you have a bright future in your next life, but what is particularly disgusting about this stain is that history did not write a proper ending for this story."

"From that moment on, I resolved to use my small strength to do my best to respond to Iris Chang's lifelong belief."

His eyes were a little red, but Liu Yifei, who knew him best in the audience, knew the pure heart he was holding at this moment. This was the side of her lover that captivated her.

Zhang Chunru, standing next to Xiao Liu, was already sobbing uncontrollably, tightly holding the little girl's hand, drawing warmth and strength from each other.

The real-life inspiration for the biopic and the actress who portrayed her found common ground in this moment.

Mr. Lu, who was on stage, composed himself:
“There is a line in ‘The Sky of History’: ‘The truth doesn’t kill, but silence does.’ We made this film not to perpetuate hatred, but to let the world hear the buried cries.”

"A German journalist just asked me why I chose Berlin for the premiere. I would say it's because there was a group of people like Rabe here who used their diaries to fight against atrocities. History always repeats itself, but humanity can always shine with the same brilliance."

The camera panned across the Jewish judges' moist eyes, and the German film festival president, Koslik, was also visibly moved, marveling at the Eastern director's ability to evoke emotion.

He is somewhat similar to another German politician who was also a part-time painter many years ago.

Boss Lu's gaze then turned to the film crew area at the front of the audience: "Thank you to the entire crew for their hard work, and thank you to Tom for dragging his weak body to complete every scene. His dedication showed me what a true actor is."

"Thanks to Moore for studying Chinese day and night and contributing the most realistic original voice to the film."

"We also want to thank Liu Yifei—"

Lu Kuan began to promote and empower his girlfriend after she won the Best Actress award: "It is no exaggeration to say that her performance captured the weight of the role of Iris Chang. Her trembling fingers and tearful bitter smile on set were not acting, but a young actress's reverence for history."

His speech brought the audience to a climax, with film festival president Koslik, Martin Scorsese, and the Rolling Stones' four elders standing up in the front row to pay their respects, followed by thunderous applause.

Mr. Lu responded with a smile to the audience and guests for their support, and gave his final concluding remarks, which also served to build up the emotions of the film and encourage viewers to immerse themselves in the story.

"At this moment, snow is falling outside the Berlin Film Palace, just as it did in Nanjing seventy years ago. The difference is that today's snow falls on peaceful land, and I think that's the meaning of our perseverance!"

“Dear friends, the Spring Festival is a time for Chinese people to reunite. Today, I would like to use this film to pay tribute to our compatriots who perished in 1937, and to celebrate the festival with them across the boundaries of time and life and death.”

May all departed souls find peace in the truth, and may all of us who are alive forever remember where we came from.

The young director on stage burst into tears and bowed deeply to everyone present.

The camera on German television channel ZDF panned across Liu Yifei as tears silently streamed down her face.
Clutching a tissue tightly in her hand, Iris Chang was overwhelmed with emotion.
Tom Hanks, with red-rimmed eyes and the sign of the prayer cross on his chest, along with Ursula Rabe's granddaughter and Kent Vautrin's grandson.

The lights dimmed abruptly, the dragon emblem flashed by, and the background music of the movie's original soundtrack, "Jasmine Flower," began to play.

(End of this chapter)