Chapter 39 一 The movie aired, and everyone’s reaction was…
In today’s era, the film industry has long evolved into a variety of viewing methods, but there are still many people who choose the most traditional one.
Amidst great anticipation, the film opened with a vast starry sky spinning rapidly, with meteors streaking across the screen. The camera swirled, seemingly moving through various galaxies, surrounded by darkness.
The animation was remarkably realistic, and viewers felt like they were truly immersed in the universe. Some couldn’t help but gasp in amazement.
A child pointed at the starry sky and asked, “Mommy, what’s that star called?”
An adult looked in the direction of the pointing finger and saw stars gradually forming, dividing into four areas.
She murmured softly, “That… seems to be the twenty-eight constellations?”
The stars dimmed, and the lines below became more apparent. Some glowed blue, some emitted red flames, some were engulfed in water, and others sparkled with silver light. As the patterns intensified, the four mythical beasts represented by the stars leaped from the screen, their grand forms and perfect colors soaring through the air, colliding at the last moment.
“Ah!” someone screamed.
Then everything on the screen turned to dust, revealing four large characters with silver edges——
Xingsu Entertainment.
The sounds of dragon and phoenix roars still echoed in the air.
“Awesome, truly lives up to its own name. The special effects are truly amazing!” someone in the audience whispered in admiration.
“Xingsu, huh? Looks like this company’s capabilities are impressive.” Someone took note, subconsciously equating it with top entertainment companies.
Critics nodded approvingly and made checkmarks in their notebooks.
The movie transitioned to the first scene.
The warm sunlight shone through the window. The underachieving student, disliked by the teacher, had slept through several classes in a row, and no one bothered to wake him up even when it was time to go home.
Experts could tell just by looking at the scene setup and lighting that this movie was not bad.
A boyfriend leaned on his girlfriend’s shoulder, yawning in boredom.
“Tch, a school drama? So boring. How can it compare to a war film?”
The girlfriend, however, was instantly captivated by Bai Ruogu’s appearance and couldn’t help but call out “brother.”
The boyfriend, feeling jealous, found the movie even less appealing.
He decided to see just how good this movie could be.
Zhao Yaya’s1 entire family sat happily in the theater, her mother patting Zhao Yaya’s shoulder with a sigh.
“You young girls just love these school dramas.”
“Mom, it’s not a school drama!”
Her grandma laughed heartily, “Don’t say that. To me, this simple story is quite interesting.”
The movie continued, and when Hua Xingyuan entered Star Gazer, everyone’s eyes lit up.
“This theme is really new. No one has used such expensive equipment before.”
“Hahaha, it seems the money spent on this ticket was worth it!”
The grandma also exclaimed, “Oh my, this is something new. I’ve never seen such tricks from young people.”
Then the main plot began. The interactions between Hua Xingyuan and Eisley made everyone burst into laughter.
One was a battlefield veteran, the other grew up in a school, and their views were completely different.
When a blade cut Eisley’s back, Hua Xingyuan was so anxious he could cry. Eisley, however, just laughed a few times and then continued eating and drinking as usual.
The little cowardly Xingyuan dared not do anything, and Eisley couldn’t even see him, leading to many humorous moments. The plot was so engaging that laughter erupted in the hall every few minutes.
A seasoned movie enthusiast took a big sip of cola and sighed, “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen something so interesting and non-superfluous. Every scene is thought-provoking.”
Critics even abandoned their notebooks, using smart brain to record their thoughts instantly.
“This movie, aside from its lighting, editing, and special effects, has solid character development. The characters feel real.”
“The plot is excellent and not redundant. In every scene, the protagonists are growing. The actors’ performances are top-notch, adding to the film’s charm.”
“Hahaha, you all praise it so much that I can’t find any flaws. But indeed, it has no significant flaws. I must say, this is a great movie, sure to win awards.”
As the battlefield ignited with explosions, Hua Xingyuan was no longer as timid as before. Instead, he analyzed the battle situation with great caution.
His calm and composed demeanor made many in the theater scream.
“Ahhh! Oh my! Son, you’re so handsome!”
“Sob, sob, Xingyuan, mom has watched you grow up. Mom loves you!”
“Husband!!” Even some men shouted.
“Get lost! Don’t you dare target my son.”
The boyfriend, at some point, had lifted his head, watching the movie with full concentration, unwilling to blink.
Two people grew together. As Eisley’s military rank climbed higher, Xingyuan also realized his shortcomings and began to study hard.
“Wow, I love this kind of plot! Becoming stronger step by step to be worthy of the one you like. No wonder he’s the protagonist!”
“Oh my god, I love this movie. It’s both funny and sweet. I’m dying!”
When Xingyuan was accidentally kissed a few times by Eisley, many young girls covered their mouths, too excited to speak.
The grandma put on her reading glasses and squinted hard to watch.
“This movie is really good, very interesting.”
The girlfriend was eating popcorn, but when she reached out for more, it was gone.
She turned her head in surprise, only to find her boyfriend biting his shirt sleeve, looking extremely excited.
“Hey, what are you doing?”
The boyfriend slapped the seat excitedly and said, “Did you see that? They kissed!”
Girlfriend: …
Ha, who was the one who didn’t want to come at first? Now you’re hooked.
The plot further escalated. Xingyuan successfully got into the military academy, and many in the theater cheered for him.
“Way to go, son!”
“As expected of SS-level mental strength, he’s awesome!”
The two became more and more in sync. If you ignored the fact that Eisley couldn’t see him, they really seemed like an old married couple.
Someone even sighed, “I’m really curious about how they met.”
“I heard it’s BE…”
“Shut up! No way!!” A bunch of people were shocked.
“No! Impossible! Didn’t Eisley say earlier that his ideal type was someone like Xingyuan? Maybe when Xingyuan saves enough money to get to Eisley, Eisley will definitely love him to death!”
“Exactly…”
“But if it really BE, does that mean some vicious character shows up when Xingyuan gets there? Could it be a car accident, amnesia, or cancer?”
“Damn! It can’t be that cliché, right? If it is, that would be a terrible ending.”
The grandma coughed and asked her granddaughter haltingly, “What is a BE?”
Zhao Yaya’s face fell, “It means a tragedy.”
The grandma got all worked up when she heard this, tapping her cane on the ground. “It can’t be a tragedy, it can’t be! Such good kids…”
This also shocked the boyfriend. “BE?!! No way! I don’t believe it! It must be HE!” He shoved his hands into his pockets and continued watching the movie, fuming.
Girlfriend: …
The plot progressed further. It was dusk, the sunset painting the sky. Xingyuan chased after Eisley, comforting him, saying it was okay, he would soon save enough money, and they would meet soon!
At this point, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
“Great! They’re about to meet!”
“Eisley, don’t be sad. The cutie will come to find you soon.”
“Can’t wait to see their reunion, haha.”
When the graduation ceremony took place, a call came through saying that the shuttle was ready. The theater erupted in cheers. They had no idea what was about to happen as they watched Xingyuan run all the way, excitedly heading towards the castle. When the bloody scene appeared, their smiles gradually faded.
No one was eating popcorn anymore, and the theater fell silent.
“Please be okay, hang in there,” a girl whispered.
As Xingyuan entered the shuttle and the explanation of light-years reached everyone’s ears, everyone’s brains exploded with a ‘boom’.
Some people couldn’t help but cover their mouths, their eyes turning red.
“How did I not think of this…”
Some still held on to a sliver of hope, waiting for a twist, until the tombstone appeared. Xingyuan couldn’t even get the ashes, and the whole theater burst into tears.
“Damn it! What’s going on?”
When security started dragging Xingyuan outside, several big men couldn’t help but shout, “Get lost! Don’t touch him! Get lost!”
Under the sunset, a tombstone, a person, a bottle of liquor, and a list that flew away… just like that, it ended.
No one in the theater moved, quietly watching the screen go dark as the credits rolled.
Silence engulfed the theater.
Finally, someone let out a sob. It ignited something within the crowd, and soon, someone couldn’t hold back and burst into loud tears.
“Ahhhhh!”
“Why did it end like this? I feel like I’m going crazy!”
The girlfriend couldn’t even sit steadily. She slumped to the side, choking back sobs, tears streaming down her face, her nose turning red.
Someone tore dozens of tissues, the sound of nose-blowing echoing loudly throughout the theater.
In this atmosphere, nobody felt ashamed anymore. They all cried out in pain.
Even the film critics threw their pens aside, their eyes reddened. One turned to his old friend and said, “I’ve watched movies for so many years, but I never guessed this ending.”
His friend wiped his tears, gasping for breath. “Stop talking. Let me catch my breath first. This movie is really something.”
The grandma froze in place at the final scene, her toothless mouth gaping wide.
After half a minute, she tapped her son’s shoulder. “I feel a bit uncomfortable in my heart. Take me to the hospital when we leave.”
After she finished speaking, she couldn’t help but tears streaming down her face. “Two good children, it’s such a pity. Why did Eisley have to be gone?! This shouldn’t have happened.”
Zhao Yaya didn’t care about much. She just covered her face and collapsed onto her chair, sobbing uncontrollably.
“Gone! It’s all gone! Wuwuwu… I’m so upset, I don’t want this! I don’t want this ending wuwuwu!”
The whole family wiped their tears, their noses running, unable to recover for a while.
Meanwhile, the boyfriend.
The girlfriend looked at her boyfriend, who was crying until his voice became hoarse, with a red nose, speechless.
“Damn it! Who’s the director? Which crew? I’ll send them razor blades!”
As he spoke, he pounded the chair forcefully, his veins bulging, while his other arm covered his chest as he burst into tears.
“So heartbreaking, it’s killing me! Damn it! Ahhhh!!”
The theater’s entrance and exit were not in the same place, and outside viewers waited a long time without seeing the previous audience leaving.
Someone expressed curiosity, “How good could this movie be? It’s been quite a while since it ended, and they’re still not leaving.”
As the next screening was about to begin, staff cleared the theater, and the previous audience reluctantly left, covering their mouths.
As the next audience took their seats, someone checked the reviews, and unsurprisingly, many appeared.
On the other hand, Xingsu was monitoring the situation, projecting the reviews onto the big screen as soon as they came out.
The crew members perked up, eyes glued to the screen, reading the evaluations.
[JiJiRabbit: Alright, I’m not going to say anything more. Dog production team, this perfect score is for Xingyuan, it has nothing to do with you guys, hmph!]
Viewers who hadn’t seen the movie immediately asked for more details.
[How was it? Is it good?]
The person who left the comment was a girl. When she saw the replies below, she thought of the ending again, and her nose immediately turned red.
She wiped her tears and was about to say it was too heartbreaking, but then she thought:
If someone saw her comment and decided not to watch the movie, or if they were prepared for the ending, they wouldn’t understand her feelings.
So, she made a tough decision and intentionally blurred the topic.
[JiJiRabbit: Of course, it’s good! The love between the two characters is so sweet! And the plot is very funny! Highly recommended.]
People below breathed a sigh of relief, letting down their guard when watching the movie. As expected, the ending stabbed them in the heart, leaving them dumbfounded.
They cried uncontrollably, about to warn others in the comments, but then they thought.
Hey! This suffering shouldn’t be mine alone, right? If others were prepared when they watched, how could they understand my feelings?!
As a result, there were a few more movie reviews in the comments section.
[Wow! Amazing, amazing! Haven’t seen such a good movie in a long time.]
[A movie with a conscience, worth recommending.]
[Super sweet! The interaction is so sweet, you’ll regret not watching it!]
Viewers who had watched the movie also chimed in, casually leaving comments below.
[So good, I was in the premiere group. Really worth recommending! It’s already 4 a.m. now, and I still can’t sleep because the movie plot was so shocking.]
In his blanket, a guy chuckled, sniffing.
Look, look! How can I suffer through this alone?
After he finished posting, he lay back in bed, his eyes turning red again, a few tears wetting his blanket. Damn it, it’s already 4 a.m., I’m so emotionally abused that I can’t sleep now.
The Xingsu PR team watched helplessly as the comments flooded in, even more similar ones joining later.
Damn! They even doubted whether they were watching the same movie.
After one night, the ratings were unexpectedly excellent, fluctuating around 9.5 points.
This was a rare high score in many years.
The whole crew was relieved.
At the same time, the box office soared!
Viewers who had watched the movie recommended it to their friends and family due to various psychological reasons. More and more people joined the discussion on StarNet, making <Light Years> the hottest movie of the moment.
The 51% screening allocation in the entire galaxy was more than sufficient, but due to the explosive word of mouth, tickets became scarce.
The theaters realized the potential profit and immediately increased the number of screenings. <Light Years> thus became a phenomenon, sweeping across the entire galaxy.
Bai Ruogu’s fans on Everyday soared, and he himself directly squeezed into the top ranks, becoming the hottest male actor at the moment.
Now his fans, apart from being fans of his looks and technology, also included many “mom fans,” “girlfriend fans,” and even “CP fans”?!
The fans have established various topics of discussion. They even refer to themselves as “grains,2” and have set up experimental fields numbered 1, 2, 3, etc., based on different attributes.
No. 1 was visual fans, No. 2 was movie fans, No. 3 was girlfriend fans… No. 9 was toxic fans3.
- 赵雅雅 (Zhào Yǎyǎ) is same person with the very first person who registered as a member in Bai Ruogu’s fansite 张雅雅 (Zhāng Yǎyǎ) from chapter 13. ↩︎
- 谷粒 (gǔ lì) ↩︎
- 毒唯 (dú wéi) In the early days, toxic fans referred to fans who only liked one member of an idol group and hated other members. Now, it generally refers to irrational fans who only like their idol group and hate and harm other artists around the idol group. It is often seen in content related to various CPs . Generally speaking, the more popular the CP, the more fiercely the toxic fans will fight. ↩︎