Huayu: I was immediately ensnared by Jing Tian as soon as I entered the industry.

"The cast and crew of 'Chinese Paladin 3' visited the set of 'The Hunting'..."

"Liu Shishi, a performer specializing in sugar figurines, has a mentor-student relationship with director Wang Xuan, and they will have more collaborations in the future..."

"..."

···

The Hunting crew.

Wang Xuan was on the phone with Liu Shishi. Hearing her tearful voice, he felt helpless and angry.

Cai Yinong is good at creating hype and will stop at nothing to gain popularity.

She is known as the female version of Zhang Jizhong.

"Tell Cai Yinong not to use her self-promotion tactics on me. It will only disgust me. As for dinner..."

Wang Xuan paused, hesitated for a moment, and said, "I don't have time now. Let's talk about it after filming is finished."

Out of respect for Liu Shishi, being allowed to meet with Cai Yinong would ensure the former receives sufficient attention.

He was nominally her master, though she strongly resisted the title.

"Master, you're really not angry with me?"

Liu Shishi asked cautiously. When she saw the news, she was also shocked. She didn't need to guess who was behind it.

Trying to use the mentor-student relationship to morally blackmail someone into coercing them into cooperation is utterly shameless.

She immediately called to explain that it was not her intention and that she was unaware of it.

"It's not your fault, why are you angry?"

Wang Xuan knew very well what kind of person Cai Yinong was.

She was adept at utilizing media resources and was an early leader of online trolls. Liu Yifei was targeted with malicious attacks for so many years, and she definitely deserves credit for that.

"That's good. I will convey your words verbatim."

Liu Shishi breathed a sigh of relief, fearing that Wang Xuan would think she was a mercenary woman who approached him for resources.

···

Beijing Film Academy, girls' dormitory.

Chai Biyun sat cross-legged on the bed, scrolling through various gossip news online, occasionally sharing it with Jing Tian in the lower bunk.

He made the young lady very happy.

"Tian Tian, ​​there's news about Wang Xuan."

"What are you saying?"

Jing Tian asked immediately, her ears already perked up.

Hearing her best friend's excitement, Chai Biyun was momentarily at a loss as to whether or not to say anything.

"Tell me, what news article was it?"

Jing Tian urged him in a sweet, soft voice, tossing aside the script she was reading and finding her phone under her pillow.

"I read the newspaper report myself."

"Let me tell you. The news says that an actress named Liu Shishi has a very special relationship with Wang Xuan; they are both teacher and friend."

"This is a rumor, right? Wang Xuan, he..."

Jing Tian was speechless for a moment.

She suddenly realized that she and Wang Xuan were just classmates, and she had no right to comment on the people and things around him.

Chai Biyun continued:

"The news also said that the cast and crew of the Legend of Sword and Fairy visited the set of the Hunting crew, and there are even photos."

Not hearing Jing Tian's response, she leaned out halfway and noticed that her best friend seemed a little distracted.

After discovering Wang Xuan's special treatment of Jing Tian, ​​she chose to respect his wishes and quietly withdrew from the competition.

"It's probably all fake news. Maybe they're just trying to ride on Wang Xuan's popularity. I've never even heard of this newspaper."

"Whether it's true or not is none of our business."

Jing Tian, ​​with a calm expression, flipped through the script of "The Great Biography of Sun Tzu," but couldn't concentrate on reading it.

"Yes, it's none of our business."

Chai Biyun, always eager for drama, jokingly remarked, "The next time we see news about Wang Xuan, it'll probably be an official announcement with someone else."

"Biyun, you're distracting me from reading the script."

Jing Tian suddenly felt a little irritated.

How can you make it official with someone else?

Chai Biyun climbed down from the upper bunk, sat on the edge of the bed, and said in a carefree manner:

"If you don't have feelings for Wang Xuan, then I'll go for it, just don't say I'm stealing your man."

"What nonsense are you talking about? That's so rude!"

Jing Tian rushed over and covered Chai Biyun's mouth to prevent her from saying anything outrageous.

With a loud "bang".

Shuangzi pushed open the door and came in, sitting on her bed, looking sullen.

She harbored great hostility towards Liu Shishi, who had suddenly appeared, believing that she would divert Wang Xuan's attention away from her.

She should be the only one to be pampered.

Jing Tian and Chai Biyun stopped playing around and looked at Shuangzi, who was angry, wondering who had provoked her.

···

When the media learned that "The Hunt" was going to the Berlin Film Festival, their reaction, to put it mildly, was remarkably consistent: they reported on it in whatever way could attract attention.

"It is reported that Wang Xuan, the newly minted director with a film budget exceeding 100 million yuan, will compete with Chen Kaige, the Palme d'Or winner. The domestic film industry is brimming with talent..."

"The competition between the two directors will very likely resemble the Golden Bear competition..."

"..."

···

When the assistant handed the news to Wang Xuan, the latter was startled.

Although director Chen's reputation was affected by "The Promise", his golden reputation in art films has not yet been broken.

【Mei Lanfang】is another biographical film, a genre he excels at, and is highly regarded in the industry.

As for Wang Xuan, a rookie director vying for an award for the first time, comparing the two implies that he is being elevated while belittling Director Chen.

Director Chen responded to the media reports in an interview.

"It's a good thing that young people are energetic. Back then, I also made the movie 'Farewell My Concubine' with a lot of passion, which won me the Palme d'Or."

This time in Berlin, it's a competition between my past self and my present self; there are no real rivals...

Director Chen was as arrogant and confident as ever, unconsciously exuding a sense of superiority.

On set, several of the lead actors were gathered together, discussing this matter.

"This great director is still basking in his past glories; our film will give him a pleasant surprise."

During the filming period, Ge You was deeply moved. When interpreting the character, he could feel the silent oppression and despair.

Only by being there in person can you truly appreciate how amazing this book is.

"We're speeding up the process and aiming to finish by the end of the month."

Wang Xuan didn't seem to mind Director Chen's disregard; words are useless, film festivals let the works speak for themselves.

Filming continues.

In the footage, Wei Jianguo, who has already been dismissed, is making dinner, glancing occasionally at his son who is doing his homework at the table, his eyes full of doting and affection.

With a "bang," the kitchen glass shattered, and a stone flew in, nearly hitting him in the face.

The male protagonist first looked at his son to make sure he was safe before chasing after him.

"Cut, this one's passed."

···

In the outside world, "Painted Skin" has been released.

The film received rave reviews and performed exceptionally well at the box office, grossing 1520 million yuan on its opening day, breaking the record for the highest-grossing opening day for a domestic film.

With overwhelming force, it crushed all other films released at the same time, leaving them unable to even raise their heads.

It has given a much-needed boost to the sluggish film market.

During the 7-day National Day holiday, the film grossed over 100 million yuan in 6 days and 150 million yuan in 10 days, showing a very strong box office trend.

Seeing such outstanding results, the National Day holiday period has gained attention within the industry and is now known as the National Day film season.

China Film Group announced the films it will invest in next year, including a big-budget sci-fi film called "Future Police" with a budget of 1.5 million yuan, which caught Wang Xuan's attention.

Liu Dehua and Barbie Hsu have been confirmed to join the cast, and the second female lead will be selected from mainland China.