Chapter 412 – Papa, You’re Tricking A Kid
When Yang Yi came back from outside, the coffee shop was bustling with activity. The entire production crew had gathered there. Guo Ziyi even ran over and warmly opened the door for Yang Yi, grinning as he said, “Big Brother Yang, you’re the last one here! Come on in!”
As Yang Yi unwrapped his scarf, he looked around at the group of people with confusion and asked, “What’s going on? Why is everyone here? Where’s my daughter?”
“Today is the premiere of “Fairy Tale” on Weibo! Everyone has gathered to watch it together!” Guo Ziyi called out, “Xixi, your dad is looking for you!”
“Papa?” A little girl with rosy cheeks, full of joy, emerged from the crowd of girls surrounding her and looked over curiously.
There were a lot of people in the coffee shop today, and some of the girls who had come along with their boyfriends or roommates saw the adorable Xixi and wanted to play with her. The little girl was having so much fun among the group of ‘big sisters’ that she didn’t hear her father come in.
“Papa, you’re back!” Xixi saw her father and happily jumped over, “leaping” into his arms.
Without waiting for her father to speak, Xixi eagerly introduced the big sisters she had met today: “Papa, Papa, let me tell you, they’re super, super funny…”
At this moment, Guo Ziyi and Wang Chao had already connected the large screen they had moved over, the computer was also set to the page for the First Weibo Cup Mini-Movie Competition. Amidst everyone’s cheers, Du Yuanlei, blushing slightly, stepped forward and clicked on the video.
Yang Yi and Du Yuanlei had watched this video several times before, but now, watching it together with so many people created a different feeling.
There was a lot more fun—almost every scene sparked discussions, and many behind-the-scenes stories from the filming of the mini-movie were recalled.
The most interesting part was the scene where A’Guang moved house for Xu Shishi, and the two shared a passionate kiss in Xu Shishi’s new home. Although the nosebleed they smeared on each other later were fake, the kiss between Guo Ziyi and Qin Wen was real!
Du Yuanlei couldn’t help but pause the video here. She said with a smile, “Guo Ziyi, let me ask you, did you intentionally mess up so many times when filming this scene?”
This comment stirred up a commotion among Wang Chao, Zhu Liyang, and the others, who eagerly joined in the fun.
Qin Wen, who played Xu Shishi, was also present. However, having acted in so many films and being well-experienced, she wasn’t as innocent as Guo Ziyi and could handle some playful banter. She smiled mischievously and teased, “Exactly! Director Du, you have to stand up for me. He nearly bit my lip off back then!”
“I-I-I just didn’t have any experience!” At this moment, Guo Ziyi couldn’t muster up the confidence to be thick-skinned and began defending himself with a flushed face.
But this only led to even more laughter.
Even Ding Xiang couldn’t help but smile and glanced at Guo Ziyi a few times.
Wang Chao patted Guo Ziyi’s shoulder, pretending to be a good brother, and said: “Little Guo, it’s okay. You’re still young. When you grow up and get a girlfriend, you’ll have experience.”
“Get lost! Go away!” Guo Ziyi laughed and pushed him away.
While the group was having a lively time, on Yang Yi’s side, Xixi was getting impatient. She twisted her little head, tugging at her father’s hand, and said anxiously, “Papa, is it over yet? I want to watch!”
It turned out that when the kissing scene appeared, Yang Yi had covered the little girl’s eyes. This part wasn’t suitable for children!
“No, not yet!” Yang Yi gently persuaded.
But Xixi was truly curious. Although she couldn’t understand what Uncle Guo and the others were talking about, she heard everyone laughing and thought it must be something interesting. The little girl couldn’t wait to see it.
She tugged at her father’s hand, and since Yang Yi was afraid of hurting his daughter, he didn’t use any strength at all. This allowed her to pry open a small gap. Through her father’s fingers, Xixi saw the scene of Uncle Guo and Sister Qin Wen kissing on the big screen.
So, when the video continued, Yang Yi let go of his hand covering his daughter’s eyes. However, Xixi pouted, looking sulky and unwilling to pay attention to her father.
“Hey, why are you unhappy?” Yang Yi Yang Yi chuckled and gently tapped the little girl’s delicate nose, saying, “Papa didn’t let you watch that part because some scenes aren’t suitable for someone your age!”
“Papa, you tricked me!” Xixi couldn’t keep up the act anymore. She pouted and said angrily, “That’s not true! Uncle Guo and Sister Qin Wen kissing isn’t something I can’t watch. You and Mama kiss too!”
Yang Yi was stunned, while several girls nearby covered their mouths and giggled.
……
In this world, copyright protection was well-established, so the mini-movie “Fairy Tale” also required payment to watch. Although it only cost a few cents, it was still money.
In order to promote this mini-movie competition, Weibo chose the strategy of offering the premiere for free, which indeed attracted a lot of traffic for the video. The number of viewers reached three million within 24 hours!
Of course, this was also due to Weibo’s efforts to drive traffic.
But surprisingly, the next day, when Fairy Tale started charging, many of the viewers who had watched it on the first day chose to come back and pay.
“A good work, a good song. If I don’t pay for this video, I’ll feel uneasy. If I don’t buy it now and can’t watch it again later, I’ll be restless!” One comment expressed the sentiments of many netizens.
The comments under the song were lively, with many praising “Mu Li’ang” for writing “Fairy Tale,” but there were also many people enthusiastically discussing the mini-movie, commenting on the plot, characters, actors, and so on.
“So, a movie can be made like this too. Less than ten minutes, yet a complete story, short but not simple!”
“It was so touching. When Xu Shishi collapsed, I cried!”
“The screenwriter is cruel. Why did you kill off Xu Shishi? Sob sob… She was so adorable, helping A’Guang write a song, and after moving, she acted a little spoiled but also very sweet and clingy. I really want a girlfriend like her!”
“When I was watching, I thought Xu Shishi looked familiar. Later, when I checked the cast list, it turned out to be Qin Wen, the beautiful actress who played the palace maid in ‘The Legend of Ru Fei in the Qin Palace’!”
“Why did they make the fat guy the male lead? It feels kind of awkward.”
“Is the person above stupid? Didn’t you read the plot? Fatty A’Guang was laughed at by his girlfriend because he was fat, so she said he could never be her prince!”
“After watching the video, I went and bought the theme song. The song written by Teacher Mu Li’ang is really amazing. Listening to ‘Fairy Tale,’ I cried so hard!”
The mini-movie “Fairy Tale” became an online sensation, but for now, it had yet to make waves in the real world. After all, the internet operated on a different rhythm than the current entertainment industry. Although industry professionals also paid attention to online public opinion and fan discussions on Weibo, their ingrained habit of prioritizing traditional media over online platforms meant they had yet to recognize the impact this mini-movie was having.
And so, “Fairy Tale” was quietly gaining popularity in a calm and uneventful environment. As more and more people were introduced to the mini-movie by those around them, and as more and more began humming “I wish I could become the angel you love in a fairy tale,” the day when it would be officially reported by traditional media and recognized by everyone drew closer.
When that time came, what kind of energy would it unleash?
TN: If you like my translations support me in ko-fi: Here.
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