I am a historical film director in the entertainment industry.

After marrying Chen Kaige, Chen Hong made an unexpected decision at the peak of her career: to step back from the limelight. What was the reason behind this?
In 1998, Chen Kaige's film "The Emperor and the Assassin" went over budget by $100 million, and Chen Hong chose to use her own savings to help Chen Kaige fill the gap.

At that time, Chen Hong discovered that Chen Kaige was an excellent director, but he was very idealistic and seriously out of touch with reality in business, which led to the financial deficit problem.

Therefore, she decided to step back from the limelight, begin systematically studying EMBA courses, and then began to assist Chen Kaige in every detail, becoming his right-hand woman.

This is where Chen Hong's brilliance lies. She understands that a man may like a woman's beauty, but this is not a long-term solution. To keep a man in her grasp, she must be a woman who can help him.

Later, Chen Kaige became a director, while she became a producer.

The behind-the-scenes work is trivial and meticulous, involving almost every aspect. Chen Hong's brain starts working at high speed as soon as she opens her eyes every day.

From manpower and venues to actor management, lighting, and sound, Chen Hong had to coordinate everything.

Before she turned thirty, she conquered the world with her beauty.

After turning thirty, she used the power she held to seize control of the country.

She is the most beautiful Diao Chan in film history, the most beautiful woman in Qiong Yao dramas, and the most unforgettable fox fairy in Liaozhai.

No matter how beautiful a woman is, she can't stay beautiful forever.

Just as Gu Cheng wrote in "The Rose": "The rose wears sharp thorns, but it does not become a thorn because of this. It only protects its spring blossoms from being trampled by wild beasts."

Therefore, if a woman wants to win, she must proceed cautiously, focusing on both career and love, and taking each step in life steadily.

Chen Hong's beauty is both intelligent and thorny; she uses the blood of others to protect her youth and love.

She collaborated with her director husband on the film "Together," where she was both the lead actress and the film's producer.

This film helped Chen Kaige win three awards, including the Best Director Award at the Golden Rooster Awards.

Chen Hong has also received many award nominations for Best Actress.

Then, Chen Hong realized something.

A 40-year-old woman is no longer a beautiful young actress, nor can she stay on set and stare at her director husband.

Only by changing our approach, making ourselves stronger and more powerful, can we control Chen Kaige both at home and outside more firmly and tightly.

In later blockbuster films such as "The Promise", "Forever Enthralled", "Sacrifice", "My People, My Country" and "Caught in the Web", Chen Hong rarely played the leading role again, or she played a supporting role that made a brief appearance.

More often than not, she is the film's producer.

Therefore, while Chen Hong was building up Chen Kaige's film empire, she was also paving the way for herself and her son.

The one who strategizes behind the scenes, directs the affairs of the country, and commands from behind the scenes is the ultimate winner.

Without a doubt, Chen Hong succeeded.

Many actresses marry directors, and some of these relationships are long-lasting, leading the directors to recognize her as their leading lady both on and off screen.

This is the skill of being a wife.

Some actresses, however, became stepping stones for their directors to remarry.

After all, there are plenty of young and beautiful actresses everywhere.

Chen Hong has managed to remain the empress for thirty years, from being the most beautiful woman in mainland China to "aging and losing her beauty".

Her husband makes movies one after another, wins awards one after another, and changes leading ladies one after another, but Chen Hong is the only leading lady by his side.

This is a woman's skill and wisdom.

In their youth, women may rely on their beauty to win a man's love. However, after entering marriage, beauty becomes merely an added bonus, not the foundation for a stable married life.

A two-way approach and intelligent management are the keys to a woman becoming a winner in life.

Sometimes, being an ambitious woman makes it easier to seize and hold onto happiness than being a beautiful woman.

"Sister Hong, you can tell me now!"

Cheng Sheng took a sip of red wine and put down his glass. Chen Hong looked at Cheng Sheng's youthful face and felt a pang of emotion.

When Chen Kaige was the same age as Cheng Sheng, he was just an unknown nobody.

On the contrary, Cheng Sheng achieved what others could never achieve in a lifetime at such a young age.

Chen Hong was shocked by what Cheng Sheng had done.

To date, despite the phenomenal box office success of Cheng Sheng's films, only a handful of directors in China have reached the 100 million yuan mark: Zhang Yimou, Stephen Chow, Feng Xiaogang, Ning Hao (from Cheng Sheng's company), and her husband Chen Kaige.

In 2002, Zhang Yimou's film "Hero" grossed 250 million yuan at the box office, making him the first director in China to achieve a box office of over 100 million yuan.

In 2004, he further solidified his position in the film industry by earning 1.56 million yuan at the box office with "House of Flying Daggers".

In the same year, Feng Xiaogang achieved a box office of 120 million yuan with "A World Without Thieves", becoming the second director in China to join the 100 million yuan box office club.

Stephen Chow's "Kung Fu Hustle" in 2004 grossed 1.7 million yuan, making him the third director to join the box office club.

That year, Cheng Sheng suddenly burst into the entertainment industry.

Cheng Sheng used the money he swindled from coal mine owners in Xishan to make the film "The Great Tang Dynasty".

The sudden emergence of "The Great Tang Dynasty" overshadowed all other films in the entertainment industry.

First, in Venice, Fu Dalong and Zheng Guolin were both crowned emperors.

This also earned Su Chang the Best Newcomer award.

They also won Venice's biggest award—the Golden Lion.

Cheng Sheng, who won the award, is only 22 years old.

He is also the youngest director to win the Golden Lion Award.

It can be said that Cheng Sheng broke countless records with his masterpiece "The Great Tang Dynasty".

Before Cheng Sheng came out, if someone had told Chen Hong that historical films could make a lot of money and win the three major European awards, she would have just laughed it off and secretly cursed the person as a fool.

But Cheng Sheng's "The Great Tang Dynasty" tells all domestic directors that historical films really can be successful.

Then, Cheng Sheng started a company and wrote a screenplay that won Ning Hao numerous awards.

Then he clashed with Wu Baige online.

The two started arguing online, and then "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" and "Red Cliff" started competing against each other.

When everyone thought Wu Baige would win, unexpectedly, Wu Baige's "Red Cliff" was completely crushed by "Three Kingdoms".

"Three Kingdoms" also won the Best Actor and Best Director awards at the Cannes Film Festival.

Subsequently, Cheng Sheng filmed a political film called "Ten Red Army Soldiers Sent Off".

Cheng Sheng also took "Ten Red Army Soldiers Sent Off" to the Venice Film Festival.

This year's Venice Film Festival is hailed by Chinese people as China's Venice Film Festival.

This year's Venice Film Festival is a highlight for Chinese-language films.

Zeng Li won the Best Actress award at the Venice Film Festival for her performance in "Ten Red Army Soldiers".

Ning Hao won Best Director for "Crazy Racer".

Cheng Sheng's "Ten Red Army Soldiers Sent Off" and Jia Zhangke's "Good People of the Three Gorges" both won the Golden Lion Award.

Apart from Best Actor, all the major awards were given to Chinese actors.

Would you say this year's Venice Film Festival was a triumph for Chinese-language films? (End of Chapter)