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Join the ServerHaving been an intensely emotional drama, ‘The Courtyard House’ had taken Su Xuan a considerable amount of time to detach from. Yet, today marked the first instance he witnessed the completed version of the film.
Indeed, ‘The Courtyard House’ had undergone extensive cuts.
The most passionate scenes between Su Xuan and Shen Chao, where their acting clashed with palpable intensity, were fragmented beyond recognition. Only the main plotline remained intact.
The much-hyped homosexual romance, used as a promotional gimmick, was reduced to a vague, indistinct outline.
The intertwining bodies and desires of Su Xuan and Shen Chao on bedframes, by the pond, and atop golden bricks were now mere obscure silhouettes, never fully revealed.
Yet, even with these cuts, Liu Pangpang still bombarded him with oxygen-mask emojis for two hours straight.
[Liu Pangpang]: It’s actually a pure, innocent, anti-war art film!!!! [Oxygen.jpg]
[Liu Pangpang]: My dreams, my superstar dreams are shattered!! Where are your passionate scenes with Shen Chao? What about the mahjong table tremors? And the frolicking in the pond? Didn’t you guys supposedly film all eighteen positions of the Dragon-Yang style?! Where are they?! Director Liu, if you have the guts to film it, have the guts to release it for everyone to see, damn it!!!
[Su Xuan]: If it were released, would you dare watch?
[Liu Pangpang]: …No, I wouldn’t. Did you really film all that?! That’s Shen Chao… Didn’t they say he uses camera tricks even for a simple kiss in idol dramas?
[Su Xuan]: Don’t believe every piece of propaganda you hear. He doesn’t particularly enjoy filming intimate scenes, but Director Liu, as you know, is especially unscrupulous. And since it was Shen Chao’s debut film, they filmed everything. It was a fluke, I suppose. But even if it was filmed, releasing it wouldn’t do me much good. As you can tell, this film is clearly Director Liu’s bid for awards, not something that will help my career.
The likelihood of an art house film launching an artist to stardom is exceedingly slim.
Liu Pangpang sighed, gazing at his phone screen. He then looked up at Su Xuan’s profile, illuminated by the flickering lights, which appeared unsettlingly serene—like a fading film reel.
Su Xuan had worked incredibly hard. Who would have thought that a top graduate from the nation’s premier drama academy would have his debut role as the lead in Director Liu’s award-contending film, acting opposite Shen Chao, a top-tier celebrity? Even Shen Chao would politely address him as Teacher Su.
And yet, he seemed to have made no progress in the industry.
Even a plastic-surgery idol could easily step on Su Xuan. He had no screaming fans upon arrival, no one greeted him upon seating—oh, wait, there was one: Shen Chao.
Fame, or the lack thereof, truly seemed to defy all logic.
Liu Pangpang was disheartened. He lifted his gaze to the big screen, which continued to display various scenes from ‘The Courtyard House’ after its initial showing.
Wang Sanshao, portrayed by Su Xuan, stood amidst a group of women, a pipe dangling from his lips, swaying slightly. His playful, hazy eyes pierced through the gauze-like bed curtains, landing on the distressed eyes of the mute man.
The mute man reached out for him, but Wang Sanshao coughed, using his pipe to tap the mute man’s face. He then lifted the mute man’s chin with the pipe. “If you told me to leave, I’d leave. Since you deceived me, you’re someone else’s dog. Don’t even think about biting and dragging me away.”
Wang Sanshao ferociously threw down the pipe, striking the mute man’s eye. “Get lost! Go back to where you belong! Don’t touch me!”
A burn mark appeared on the mute man’s right eye, and blood trickled down.
The mute man didn’t leave. His hand, stained with blood, gripped Wang Sanshao’s wrist tightly. He used the blood from his eye to scrawl, ‘Come with me,’ on Wang Sanshao’s wrist.
Wang Sanshao scoffed, “Go with you? Nonsense. I’m taking a concubine. Get as far away from me as possible.”
Looking back now, it was a prophecy fulfilled.
After filming this movie, Shen Chao left Yezi Media, just as he had left the crumbling place in the film.
Su Xuan, however, remained rooted in the same spot, within the dilapidated Yezi Media.
As the film concluded, the lights in the venue brightened. Su Xuan’s eyes narrowed, momentarily stung by the overhead spotlights. The surrounding audience erupted in applause.
Director Liu, tears of excitement streaming down his face, ascended the stage. Shen Chao also stood up, taking a few steps forward, then suddenly turned back to look at him. “Aren’t you coming?”
Su Xuan paused, realizing he was one of the lead actors and should also go on stage. Under everyone’s gaze, he stood beside Shen Chao to face the reporters’ questions.
Su Xuan and Shen Chao stood at the center, holding microphones. The reporters below, their eyes gleaming, eagerly asked, “Mr. Shen Chao, what was your experience watching the film?!”
Shen Chao took the microphone. Su Xuan glanced sideways, hearing Shen Chao state with an indifferent expression, “Not very pleasant.”
Director Liu’s smile froze.
The flashbulbs below flickered strangely. Su Xuan’s mind went blank for a second. Behind him was a massive poster for ‘The Courtyard House,’ featuring Wang Sanshao’s cynical, smoke-wreathed smile.
A reporter, eager to stir up trouble, raised their microphone. “And how about you, Teacher Su Xuan? What was your experience acting in it?”
Su Xuan turned his face away, then suddenly gave a casual, roguish laugh. “I don’t know, it was so long ago, I can’t remember how I felt.”
He scratched his face, his smile utterly natural. “I probably couldn’t shake off the role for a long time after filming, everyone seemed off, and I felt like I was Wang Sanshao. But it’s fine now,” Su Xuan chuckled. “It’s good to be out of character.”
Liu Pangpang, watching from the audience, looked down at his phone. The headline ‘Shen Chao Dislikes ‘The Courtyard House” had already broken. He let out a long sigh.
As soon as this headline appeared, Su Xuan, the obscure actor, was immediately placed under strict surveillance by Shen Chao’s four anti-fan accounts, to prevent any attempts at using him for hype.
Some had even dug up Su Xuan’s entire background from his few years in the industry, and Shen Chao’s fans now each had a ‘Su Xuan black material package.’ Should Su Xuan try any antics, they were trained to launch a swift attack.
This clearly indicated prior instructions from the fan club leaders, who typically act on hints from their agency. It was all too obvious.
Shen Chao disliked Su Xuan and didn’t want Su Xuan to cling to him. Consequently, his agency, manager, and fans all disliked Su Xuan. The film was already made and couldn’t be undone, but Su Xuan was not to gain any popularity from Shen Chao.
Liu Pangpang watched Su Xuan on stage, smiling and responding to constant questions, and felt a pang of sadness.
Director Liu, slightly annoyed, raised his microphone and questioned Shen Chao. “What made you unhappy? Weren’t you quite good in ‘The Courtyard House’!”
Shen Chao replied flatly, “Because it’s incomplete. The passionate scenes with Su Xuan, which I filmed with the most dedication and immersion, were not released. I find that quite unpleasant.”
Su Xuan, who was drinking mineral water, spat it out. “Cough, cough, cough!!!!!”
Liu Pangpang, drowning in sorrow below the stage, was speechless.
Wang Shou, frantically managing comments below the stage, was speechless.
The fans, poised to decimate rival fan pages, were speechless.
The preview screening concluded, and ticket pre-sales for ‘The Courtyard House’ began.
Cinemas launched a massive marketing campaign, all using the same phrase: ‘Shen Chao contributed his best and most dedicated passionate scenes!’ followed by a tiny line of text: ‘All of them were cut.’
Pre-sales typically open a week in advance, but Director Liu, defying convention, pushed the release date forward to avoid interference from Star Culture. ‘The Courtyard House’ was set for an early release, with pre-sales running only for a short two days, from Saturday to Monday. It would be a success if it could secure even a baseline box office from Shen Chao’s fan base.
Director Liu’s internal estimate for pre-sale box office was ten million.
Unfortunately, the first hour of pre-sales brought in a meager 1.6 million, a paltry sum compared to Shen Chao’s other films, shocking even the initially pessimistic Director Liu.
Although it wasn’t a popular release period and it was an niche art film—that was still Shen Chao! 1.6 million box office was practically peanuts!
At this point, Star Culture breathed a sigh of relief.
They had already communicated with Shen Chao’s fans, instructing them to keep the film’s buzz low, as it wasn’t beneficial for Shen Chao’s career. Having followed him through thick and thin, Shen Chao’s fans possessed a basic ability to discern what was good for him and what was detrimental.
‘The Courtyard House,’ a pretentious, self-indulgent art film by an art house director, and a gay-themed one at that, was utterly toxic for a 22-year-old Shen Chao.
Not every director could make a gay-themed film as successful as ‘Brokeback Mountain.’
Only a small number of curious onlookers bought tickets; fans remained inactive, despite their intense curiosity.
…The stills of Shen Chao were incredibly alluring, a stark contrast to his usual youthful, cool image. His tattered vest, tight shorts, glistening sweat on his muscles, and eyes filled with suppressed love and desire.
The fan groups had been in a frenzy, screaming for a full day.
But Shen Chao himself had said that all the passionate scenes were cut. So the fans, maintaining their decorum, would not contribute a single ticket to the box office. They would wait for the cloud drive version.
Director Liu was fuming, checking the pre-sale box office figures more than a dozen times a day.
Even art house films needed a solid box office foundation!
Meanwhile, Su Xuan, one of the lead actors, seemed utterly oblivious to having starred in a film with Shen Chao. He was busy operating excavators and selling ducks. Liu Pangpang’s dream of a massive breakout finally shattered at 6 PM on Sunday.
As of Sunday afternoon, the pre-sale box office stood at a pathetic four million.
A tiered decline in future screenings was already foreseeable.
Liu Pangpang wept profusely in Su Xuan’s rented apartment. “It’s too low, only four million! This movie has Shen Chao in it! What went wrong?”
“Even if you can’t become a sensation with this, you should at least get a little popular!” Liu Pangpang cried, on the verge of tears. “How on earth can you get popular with this?!”
Su Xuan thought for a moment. “Perhaps it’s because of me.”
Liu Pangpang’s eyes widened. “What does that have to do with you?!”
Su Xuan spread his hands helplessly. “Haven’t you figured it out yet? Shen Chao’s fans aren’t willing to buy into a film starring both of us. They don’t want Shen Chao to be labeled as gay, and I have ‘I am gay’ written all over me.”
Liu Pangpang looked at the ‘I am gay’ on Su Xuan’s jacket. “…”
Well, there was no need to be quite so direct.
Liu Pangpang didn’t want to give up. “Then what can we do to make them support you two?”
Su Xuan rolled his eyes at Liu Pangpang. “Impossible. They’re not ‘gay wives,’ you know. Think about it, if your husband turned gay, would you still spend money on him and his boyfriend? How could you? Unless…”
Liu Pangpang pressed, “Unless what?”
Su Xuan stroked his chin. “Unless they are the interlopers, and Shen Chao and I are true love.”
Liu Pangpang felt a little dizzy. “Speak like a normal person!”
Su Xuan sighed. “Meaning, they discover that when we filmed, back when Shen Chao hadn’t even entered the industry, our relationship was already very good. In other words, I was the first one to like Shen Chao.”
Su Xuan lifted his chin, raising an eyebrow. “Anyone who liked him after me is a third party between Shen Chao and me. Shouldn’t the third party, who likes my handsome and dashing husband, spend some money to appease me, his rightful, abandoned wife?”
Liu Pangpang: “…”
He knew this guy was spouting nonsense, but damn, why did it sound so logical?
Meanwhile, ‘The Courtyard House’ official Weibo account and Su Xuan’s thoughts unexpectedly aligned. They released a long-ago behind-the-scenes clip titled, ‘Shen Chao’s First On-Screen Kiss.’
The subtitle below read, ‘Everything Shen Chao said was cut is here!’
Su Xuan leaned back on a soft couch, a maid trimming his toenails at his feet. He pulled Shen Chao’s collar, kissing him. Their lips met, and Shen Chao suddenly turned his head, closing his eyes to regulate his breathing.
Su Xuan made a ‘cut’ gesture, looking up to ask him, “What’s wrong? Is it a bit uncomfortable? It’s fine, do you want a sip of water to rinse your mouth, or something? Do I need to rinse my mouth too?”
He thought Shen Chao was disgusted. Su Xuan leaned in to ask, his clothes loose and disheveled. Four years ago, Su Xuan was very thin, his face covered in overly pale powder, giving him a sickly, fragile appearance. Yet, his eyes were focused and clear, completely different from the hazy, confused look he had in the scene.
Su Xuan was quick to get out of character; usually, the director’s ‘cut’ would snap him out of it in a second.
Su Xuan considerately offered, “Why don’t you take a break? We can shoot the next scene first.”
Shen Chao inquired, “Are we supposed to be French kissing here? You didn’t use your tongue just now.”
Su Xuan also felt a little awkward. “It’s not necessary, I don’t mind, but you might not be able to accept it. And Director Liu said it’s okay not to. You go rest…”
Su Xuan’s eyes widened. He was lifted entirely from the couch. Shen Chao’s tongue, clumsy and green, brazenly thrust into his mouth, wildly pushing against his upper palate and aggressively towards his throat. Su Xuan abruptly slapped Shen Chao’s face away.
Su Xuan had never experienced such a situation; he was utterly stunned.
After a few seconds, Su Xuan took a deep breath and apologized. “Sorry, I’m so sorry, are you okay?”
Shen Chao expressionlessly pushed his tongue against the cheek Su Xuan had slapped. “I can accept it. Can’t you?”
Su Xuan paused for two seconds. “I can accept it. Let’s do it again.”
Shen Chao looked up at him, stating concisely, “Good.”
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