Entertainment Industry: I am a top-tier movie star

Chapter 96, "Like a Flowing River," is airing.

The news of the approval spread within a small circle of people in the industry.

The first to call was Yang Mi. Her voice carried its usual shrewdness: "Have you heard about it? Congratulations. I've heard some rumors about this film; the subject matter is sensitive, so it won't be easy for it to pass censorship."

Then came Kong Sheng.

He didn't ask anything, only saying, "That's good. When will it be shown? I'll have the studio arrange a private screening."

Hu Ge sent me a WeChat message: "Congratulations. Remember to invite me to the premiere."

Sun Honglei directly tagged him in the group chat, sending a voice message: "Kid! The film got approved? Great! You have to bring your brothers to support you at the Beijing premiere!"

Naza called, her voice trembling with tears: "Nianbei! I heard! That's wonderful, that's wonderful, waaaaah—"

'

Dilraba's message consisted of a series of fireworks and cheering emojis, ending with the line: "Nianbei! I knew you could do it! I'll definitely be at the premiere!"

Chen Nianbei replied to each message one by one. He didn't mention how lightly he had slept for the past month, the precarious silence of waiting, or how he sat alone in his car for a long time after Han Jianu hung up the phone.

He simply said, "Thank you. Soon. See you then."

The official announcement of the approval was made at the end of October.

The official Weibo account for "Better Days" quietly updated with a simple poster.

The silhouettes of Chen Nianbei and Zhou Dongyu in profile, separated by rain-like streaks, gaze at each other in opposite directions, yet seem to be tightly bound together by some invisible force.

Below the poster, a line of small print reads: "You protect the world, I protect you."

The movie "Better Days" is about to be released.

There was no release date, no trailer, and no fancy promotional material.

But this short line of text was enough to make the long-waiting fans excited.

The number of reposts reached an astonishing level. The comments were full of "Finally," "Looking forward to it," and "We've been waiting for you for so long."

Wang Churan immediately pinned the poster to the top of the super topic, with only four words in the caption: "He did it."

The industry also reacted to the news.

Major cinema chains began negotiating film scheduling, and media outlets vied for interviews, making the choice of release date the focus of competition among all parties.

Old Zhao's desk was piled high with marketing plans, publicity strategies, and scheduling analysis reports.

Amidst the hustle and bustle, Chen Nianbei sat by the window of her studio, looking at the bare ginkgo branches outside.

Zhang Lei was opposite him, holding an unlit cigarette in his hand.

"Brother Bei,"

Zhang Lei said, "Regarding the scheduling, Enlight Media suggested April next year."

Chen Nianbei didn't answer immediately. He looked out the window for a long time, then said, "April is too far away."

"That----"

Zhang Lei thought for a moment, "The year-end holiday season? But the competition is too fierce, and the tone of our film—"

Before the Spring Festival.

Chen Nianbei turned around and said, "Early February. Winter break."

Zhang Lei was stunned for a moment, then understood what he meant.

Winter break, students. They were the same age as Chen Nian and Xiao Bei.

"I'll talk to Lao Zhao." Zhang Lei stood up, walked to the door, then turned back, "Brother Bei."

"Um."

"I actually never thought this film would actually go this far."

Zhang Lei's voice was very low, as if he were talking to himself, "When you first came to me to talk about this project, I thought you were crazy."

The subject matter is sensitive, the investment is substantial, and you still insist on playing Xiao Bei yourself —

Which popular actor would play a street thug after winning the Best Actor award?

He paused, his eyes slightly red.

"Now I believe you. You are right."

Chen Nianbei did not respond.

He just smiled slightly, a faint smile, like the last rays of autumn sunlight outside the window.

That night, Chen Nianbei sat alone in the study.

He didn't turn on the light.

He deliberately adjusted the floor lamp to the lowest setting, where the light was dim and only illuminated a small area of ​​the desk.

On the table lay the well-worn novel, "You Are So Beautiful in Your Youth."

Next to it is Han Jianu's final draft of the script, with a sentence she signed on the title page: "Dedicated to all those who have protected others in the darkness."

He picked up his phone, opened his photo album, and flipped to a photo he had secretly taken while filming in Chongqing.

These aren't stills from the show; they're photos of Zhou Dongyu wrapped in a down jacket, squatting by the monitor watching the playback after work; Liu Haochun practicing Wei Lai's smile repeatedly in front of the mirror in a corner; Wang Hao chasing after Zhang Lei with the script, asking him questions; and himself, wearing Xiao Bei's faded hoodie, gesturing with cinematographer Cao Yu about the next shot's positioning.

It was an ordinary late night when fog rolled in over Chongqing, making the entire film set look like an isolated island floating in the sea.

But everyone in the photo is focused on their work, looking tired, attentive, and quiet.

Chen Nianbei stared at it for a long time.

Then he turned off his phone, closed the script, and put the novel back on the bookshelf.

I got up, walked to the living room, and turned on the light.

Xiao Bei, who lived in the darkness, had completed his mission and was carefully placed in the film reel.

Standing under the bright lights at this moment is actress Chen Nianbei, who is about to bring this work to countless audiences.

2017年11月，《少年的你》正式定档：2018年2月2日，全国公映。

There are less than 100 days left until the boy who said "You protect the world, I will protect you" on a rainy night in Chongqing meets millions of viewers.

On December 18, 2017, "Like a Flowing River" premiered on Dragon TV and Beijing TV during prime time, and was simultaneously released on Tencent Video.

On the night of the premiere, Chen Nianbei was in Shenzhen filming the annual GG (Golden Got Talent) for a mobile phone brand.

After finishing work and returning to the hotel, he took a shower, tuned the TV, and then opened his tablet to log into a video website, placing the two devices side by side in front of him.

As the opening theme song begins, the scene shifts to that dusty era.

He watched two episodes quietly.

My phone started vibrating wildly as the end credits for the third episode rolled.

Old Zhao called immediately, his voice excited: "Nianbei! The ratings are out! It's broken 1 on both channels! Number one in online popularity! It's already trending on three different search terms!"

Chen Nianbei hung up the phone and opened Weibo.

#LikeALikeARiverPremiere# is the number one trending topic.

#YangXun# is the third most searched topic.

#Chen Nianbei's acting skills# is the fifth most searched topic.

He clicked on the hashtag #YangXun#, and the first post was a long article by a drama critic, titled:

From "Best Actor" to "Steamed Bun Vendor": Chen Nianbei Broke Himself Apart in "Like a Flowing River"

The article provides a detailed analysis of Yang Xun's appearances in the first two episodes.

That young vendor who timidly called out his wares at the factory gate, bowed and scraped when chased away by the administrator, and whose eyes gleamed as he counted his small bills.

The last paragraph reads: "When Chen Nianbei appears as Yang Xun, you can hardly associate this face with the Magnolia Award for Best Actor three months ago, with Prince Jing, and with Mingtai."

It's not about making oneself look ugly or deliberately trying to be down-to-earth; rather, it's a kind of humility and resilience that comes from the very core of the people at the bottom of society in that era.

He hunched over, rubbing his hands together, speaking with a fawning smile, but a burning fire always lingered in his eyes.

This is the ultimate level of "chameleon-like" acting—you don't remember Chen Nianbei, but Yang Xun.

The comments section was flooded with comments from viewers: "I admit I was a bit loud before, Chen Nianbei is really amazing!"

From Prince Jing to Mingtai to Yang Xun, how many more surprises does this man have in store?

My mom said, "This young man acted really well; he can tell he's been through a lot."

Me: Mom, he's the Magnolia Award-winning actor! — My mom: That's how a Best Actor should be!

"I cried watching the scene where Yang Xun was selling steamed buns. His cautious yet desperate attempt to survive was so real."

"Midday Sunshine is awesome! Chen Nianbei is awesome!"

The ratings continued to climb on the second day. On the third day, they surpassed 2.

The Douban score for "Like a Flowing River" was 8.9 at the beginning and then stabilized at 9.1.

In the comments section, "Yang Xun" was repeatedly mentioned, and he was listed alongside Song Yunhui and Lei Dongbao as "three characters of the era who were brought to life".

The media has begun a new round of in-depth reporting.

The Beijing News interview titled: "Chen Nianbei: Only after Yang Xun did I dare to call myself an actor."

The article quoted his own words: "The roles I played in the past all had a certain aura about them."

Prince Jing has one, and so does Mingtai.

But Yang Xun didn't. He was just an ordinary little man, struggling, falling, and getting back up in the tides of time.

Fall down again.

After playing Yang Xun, I truly understood what an actor's self-cultivation means.

"

Southern Weekly's commentary was even more scathing: "While popular celebrities are still vying for the male lead role in ancient costume dramas, Chen Nianbei has already buried himself in the soil of the 1980s."

This isn't a matter of diminishing returns; this is a matter of being on completely different levels.

The industry response was equally enthusiastic.

When Kong Sheng was interviewed and asked about Chen Nianbei's performance, he rarely smiled: "He has done better than I expected in every step."

When I gave him the script for the role of Yang Xun, I told him that if he played it well, he would shine brightly, but if he played it badly, he would be completely ruined.

He accepted it, and then completely transformed himself into that person.

As a director, it's a blessing to encounter actors like these.

When asked about his collaboration with Chen Nianbei at the event, Wang Kai said, "We've collaborated twice."

In "The Disguiser," he is Mingtai, and I am Mingcheng; in "Like a Flowing River," he is Yang Xun, and I am Song Yunhui.

He always manages to surprise me.

During the filming of "Like a Flowing River," there was a scene where we were rehearsing our lines in a dilapidated warehouse. His demeanor made me genuinely believe for a moment that he wasn't Nian Bei, but Yang Xun.

Hu Ge reposted the official Weibo post, writing, "You acted really well."

Sun Honglei sent a voice message in the "Go Fighting!" group chat: "Nianbei! You're amazing! My wife is binge-watching the show every day now!"

On the third day of the series' broadcast, Naza suddenly appeared downstairs at Chen Nianbei's apartment building, carrying a thermos and with red eyes.

"I saw it."

She stood at the door, her voice a little muffled, "I cried all night during the scene where Yang Xun was bullied."

Chen Nianbei was taken aback for a moment, then stepped aside to let her in.

Naza placed the thermos on the dining table and opened it.

With her head down, she ladled soup as she said, "Your performance was too tragic. Yang Xun suffered too much. I—I felt uncomfortable watching it."

He took the soup bowl and took a sip.

"It's not tough," he said. "That's how actors are supposed to be."

Naza looked up, her eyes still red, but with an unprecedented seriousness in them: "Nianbei, I used to like you because you were good-looking, because the characters you played were handsome. Now—"

She paused, then said, "Now I realize you're really amazing. Not the kind of amazing that celebrities are, but the kind of amazing that makes me proud."

Chen Nianbei remained silent.

He took another sip of soup, then put the bowl down and gently ruffled her hair.

Reba's reaction was much more enthusiastic.

She posted a Weibo post with a screenshot of herself watching "Like a Flowing River" on her tablet, showing Yang Xun counting money in the snow. The caption read: "Watching the show until 3 AM, Chen's acting is so good, waaaaah ———— #LikeAFlowingRiver #YangXun"

Fans in the comments section were laughing hysterically: "Dilraba, wake up!" "I'm totally sold on this recommendation!" "Yang Xun deserves it!"

Liu Haochun, Wang Hao, Tian Xiwei, Wang Churan, and others also expressed their excitement in their own ways.

Liu Haochun posted a long article in the super topic, recalling Chen Nianbei's encouragement to her when filming "Take My Brother Away". She wrote at the end: "From Shi Miao to Yang Xun, Brother Nianbei showed me how a real actor walks step by step."

I will continue to work towards this goal.

When Wang Hao was asked in a short interview "How do you view Chen Nianbei?", he said seriously, "He is my roommate, my brother, and my role model for life."

He prepared for the role of Yang Xun for more than half a year, completely breaking himself down and rebuilding himself.

I witnessed it firsthand; that kind of ruthlessness is something I'll probably never be able to learn in my entire life.

As the administrator of the super topic, Tian Xiwei organized fans to start the topic #LearnActingWithYangXun#, calling on everyone to analyze Chen Nianbei's performance details frame by frame in the drama, and the number of views exceeded 100 million in a few days.

Wang Churan wrote a lengthy article of over 10,000 words titled "From Prince Jing to Yang Xun: Chen Nianbei's Performance Evolution," which analyzed in detail the evolution of his acting skills from more than a dozen dimensions, including body language, dialogue delivery, and changes in his eyes.

When "Like a Flowing River" was halfway through its run, the character Yang Xun had become a household name.

On the streets and in the alleys, the aunties in the vegetable market would talk about how "Yang Xun, who sells steamed buns, is so pitiful";

Office workers in the building would discuss during their lunch break, "When will Yang Xun be able to turn things around?"

Even some older viewers would point at the TV and say, "This young man acts just like people from our time."

According to media statistics, during the broadcast of "Like a Flowing River", Chen Nianbei's Baidu Index soared by 400%, WeChat Index rose by 500%, and Weibo followers increased by 600 million.

His commercial value was reassessed once again, and his endorsement fees doubled.

But what Chen Nianbei cared about most was a comment from a stranger in the audience.

He was an ordinary Weibo user whose homepage was full of everyday life stories.

She wrote: "My father was a small business owner in that era, just like Yang Xun. He sold steamed buns, squatted at the factory gate, and was chased away by people."

He passed away last year. I cried the whole time I watched "Like a Flowing River" because my father looked just like that when he was young—hunched over, smiling apologetically, but with a light in his eyes. Thank you, Chen Nianbei, for letting me see my father again.

This Weibo post was forwarded over 200,000 times. Chen Nianbei saw it and remained silent for a long time.

He neither retweeted nor commented. He simply liked the Weibo post late at night.

On the day "Like a Flowing River" concluded, its viewership ratings set a new record for TV dramas that year, and its Douban score remained stable at 9.1.

In the final episode, Yang Xun stands in front of his finally opened shop, looking into the distance with a mixture of weariness, pride, and uncertainty about the future in his eyes.

The camera zooms out, music starts, and the subtitles scroll slowly.

Chen Nianbei watched the last ten minutes in her apartment.

He didn't review his performance as usual; he just sat quietly until the end credits rolled and the screen went black.

His phone was overflowing with congratulatory messages. He read them one by one and replied to them one by one.

Naza asked him, "Have you finished watching?"

He replied, "I've finished reading it."

Naza asked, "Did you cry?"

He paused, his finger hovering above the screen. Finally, he typed: "No. But Yang Xun has lived in my heart for a long time."

That's why Naza sent back a hugging emoji.

Dilraba followed suit with her own message: "Teacher Chen!! I cried during the last episode!! Yang Xun went through so much!"

He smiled and replied, "It's good that I didn't disappoint you."

Dilraba replied instantly with three firework emojis.

As night deepened, Chen Nianbei stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing at the myriad lights of Beijing.

Yang Xun's story has come to an end.

The young man who sold steamed buns at the factory gate, pushed a tricycle in the snow, and counted money in a dilapidated warehouse has been properly placed in the long river of history and in the hearts of countless viewers.

My phone vibrated again. This time it was Kong Sheng.

There was only one sentence: "Yang Xun succeeded. Next, it's Xiao Bei's turn."

Chen Nianbei looked at the message and a smile appeared on his lips.

Yes, Yang Xun succeeded.

But Xiao Bei is still waiting.

He turned around, his gaze falling on the book on the bookshelf, "You Are So Beautiful in Your Youth".

The next battlefield is already ahead.