My Fortune-Blessed Leading Lady
Chapter 428: "Emperor Shun of Tang" is Released, Receiving Continuous Acclaim

Chapter 428: Chapter 428: "Emperor Shun of Tang" is Released, Receiving Continuous Acclaim

"Emperor Shun of Tang," after a long period of promotion, was all set to premiere the day before Yuran and Bo Yan each received a call from Lin Zhan.

Lin Zhan was very emotional over the phone.

"Initially, I never imagined that we could find someone as perfectly aligned with the original work as you. I had been focusing on the box office revenue, but when it actually came to the premiere,

it wasn’t the box office that I was thinking about.

Rather, it was about what unexpected paths your acting careers would take after ’Emperor Shun of Tang’;

I’m getting old, and this film is my swan song. I’m so grateful to have met you, and it’s quite moving."

Yuran and Bo Yan received similar messages from him, but since Lin Zhan knew about their relationship, they were both aware of the content of each other’s calls.

When Lin Zhan hung up the phone with Bo Yan, he added, "Later, bring your son to Xiashang Dynasty to visit me."

Xiashang Dynasty, a renowned upscale retirement estate in the imperial capital, features courtyards and fish ponds with buildings designed in the style of the Qin and Han dynasties; it looks very prestigious and offers great privacy.

However, most young people dislike that style, so it’s predominantly inhabited by the elderly.

Upon hearing this, Bo Yan laughed, "Director Lin, if you don’t mind, of course we’ll come."

Lin Zhan hummed over the phone, "I know you well enough; if you can avoid going out, you absolutely will. It’s okay if you don’t come, just let your son and Yuran visit."

Bo Yan: "..."

...

On October 1st, the long-awaited "Emperor Shun of Tang" premiered, and tickets were incredibly hard to come by for three reasons:

First, it was another collaboration between Yuran and Bo Yan.

Second, it was Director Lin’s retirement work.

Third, it was the work criticized by fans of the original.

No matter the reason, every screening was worth the price of admission and packed to capacity.

Annan also went to see a screening with classmates. When buying the tickets, he sent Yuran a screenshot of his seat selection with a message:

"Didn’t realize until I bought them, but what a shock. I should have asked you to get me two tickets; it’s really crowded. I got this seat. Did you see it? It’s right on the edge, not the best viewing spot at all. There are so many people."

Yuran and Bo Yan were at home and didn’t join the crowd; they had the original version at home, a gift from Lin Zhan.

Yuran was pondering Annan’s message and went to the study to find Bo Yan, carrying the excitedly dancing Zhizhi in his arms.

Zhizhi was now at a weight that Yuran couldn’t hold for long without his hands aching.

As soon as he entered the study, he went straight to Bo Yan and placed their son in his arms. Whenever Zhizhi saw Bo Yan, he always smiled coyly and acted coy,

just like a Bichon Frise wagging its tail.

An unexpected sense of humor.

Bo Yan weighed it in his hands and looked at Yuran, "Hands sore?"

Yuran nodded, gently touched Zhizhi’s little head, "He’s getting heavier. Really, why do children have to grow so fat."

Bo Yan chuckled, "In the future, don’t carry him. Call me instead."

Yuran laughed, "That won’t do. Zhizhi is already this clingy to you. Won’t he just compete with me for you later? Seventh Brother, you mentioned having a little sister for him to play with. Wouldn’t that stop him from being so clingy?"

Bo Yan’s eyes, which had been smiling, suddenly turned solemn. He stretched out his arm and grasped Yuran’s hand, "Baby, we agreed before that just having Zhizhi would be enough."

Thinking back to when Yuran had her child still left him feeling uneasy; he felt he couldn’t bear such a burden.

Yuran didn’t continue the topic. She could roughly guess that maybe her childbirth had left him quite traumatized. This matter couldn’t be rushed—she had no plans to have children within the next two or three years anyway.

She walked behind him and wrapped her arms around his neck, "Let’s not talk about this. Annan just told me that ’Emperor Shun of Tang’ is doing really well at the box office, full house every show. Qi, how about we set up a meeting?"

Bo Yan raised an eyebrow, "Sure, where shall we meet?"

Yuran also raised her eyebrows slightly, with a faint smile, "Our home’s media room."

Zhizhi’s large, sparkling eyes roved back and forth between his parents, then he cheered. Yuran leaned closer and kissed him on his chubby face, "Zhizhi will also cheer for mommy and daddy, right?"

Zhizhi grinned, his dimples shallow.

Yuran smiled at Bo Yan, her eyes curving into crescents, "Qi, look at your son, he’s so adorable."

...

The opening day box office for ’Emperor Shun of Tang’ broke five billion, which was unexpected and astonished everyone.

Many viewers said that they didn’t expect to be part of the five billion crowd; it was truly remarkable.

It had been a long time since such brilliance was seen, and although Bo Yan was always a major box office draw, not many of his films had managed a five billion premiere.

All the film critics also praised the minor changes in ’Emperor Shun of Tang’ to the skies.

Lin Zhan was truly a genius director.

No matter the genre, any film that came into his hands always felt fresh, always bearing Lin Zhan’s unique bold strokes.

Unmissable and unforgettable.

Even as his farewell work, it was astonishingly beautiful.

’Emperor Shun of Tang’ was deeper than any of Lin Zhan’s previous films.

This depth wasn’t just a reflection on relationships but also on people’s helplessness in the grand scheme of things, which was heart-wrenching.

The original author of ’Emperor Shun of Tang’ stated that he never thought the film could be made this way. When he had sold the rights, he had worried about significant modifications.

But after finding out that Lin Zhan would be directing, there was a slight improvement in outlook, yet when works are adapted into movies, drastic modifications are a major drawback. Many excellent works lose their soul after being adapted.

Those that were true to the book were becoming rarer, and some adaptations made it feel as though it wasn’t the same work anymore.

However, ’Emperor Shun of Tang’ gave many authors hope for the future of their original works in film adaptations.

Perhaps going forward, adaptations could generate more anticipation and less dismay.

’Emperor Shun of Tang,’ whether in its film adaptation, character selection, or plot setting, was refreshing and because of that, Yuran’s popularity soared even higher.

Compared to the scene during ’Glory,’ the atmosphere now was even more exhilarating since more journalists at Diwai and reporters chasing Yuran were swelling in numbers. Yuran’s private life had never been exposed online, so the hype remained undiminished.

Yuran even joked, "What if I reveal a little of your privacy? I could make quite a lot of money. Look, there’s even a bounty online; it’s so infuriating."

Yuran didn’t really care about these issues. Her studio had already issued a press release once for ’Glory.’ This time, Yuran directly told Qi Younian that before graduation, she wouldn’t take on any work and she did not need the exposure, hoping the media would leave her alone.

That evening at six, many reporters’ studios received notifications and announcements from Ran Studio.

Like most reporters’ studios, Huo Nan’s studio also received this email, leaving his assistant utterly confused.

"This Yuran is different from many other artists. Is this self-reliance or just overconfidence?"