Chapter 206: Miss Liu's Late Arrival and Early Departure
The morning media Premiere of “lust, caution” received a good response.
By the time Li Chen and Liu Yifei arrived, it was already the afternoon Premiere.
When the two arrived at the Cinema Palace, the film had already started.
Andy Lau, Maggie Cheung, and Deng Chao had already entered.
Li Chen led Liu Yifei, quietly entering the Cinema Palace and taking seats next to the three in the front row.
He nodded and greeted the three.
Then he accompanied Liu Yifei, sitting quietly beside her, enjoying “lust, caution.” Liu Yifei was quite an eye-opener this time.
The scale of “lust, caution” completely shattered her bottom line.
Fortunately, Li Chen firmly rejected this film on her behalf back then.
Otherwise, she really couldn't imagine if she would have the courage, like the female lead in “lust, caution,”
to still sit in the Cinema Palace as if nothing happened, appreciating her own nakedness.
No, she probably wouldn't even have the courage to film it.
Liu Yifei didn't want to watch anymore, and she really couldn't bear to watch it—it was too indecent.
She turned her head to see Li Chen beside her watching with rapt attention.
Suddenly, an unprovoked anger flared up, and she fiercely pinched Li Chen's waist.
Li Chen gasped, almost crying out.
“What is it, Xixi?” Li Chen asked in a low voice, rubbing his waist.
“I don't feel well, accompany me back to the hotel.”
Liu Yifei acted quite convincingly, and Li Chen didn't know if she was really unwell.
However, thinking about such a long flight, and then rushing to see “lust, caution” without stopping, perhaps she really was unwell.
But if she was unwell, was it necessary to pinch him so hard?
Li Chen quietly greeted Maggie Cheung and Andy Lau.
He helped Miss Liu leave early.
He also found it amusing in his heart.
It was his first time attending a Premiere both late and leaving early.
As soon as they exited the Cinema Palace, Liu Yifei pulled away from Li Chen's arm.
She immediately returned to normal, with no trace of her previous sickly appearance.
“You were faking it, Xixi?”
“It's none of your business whether I was faking it or not. I saw you were quite engrossed just now, staring intently, not even having time to blink.”
“Director Li, why don't you go back and continue watching?”
Li Chen thought, so that's how it is. Miss Liu wasn't unwell; she just didn't want him to be too comfortable.
Li Chen laughed: “I'm not watching anymore. I didn't want to watch it in the first place; you were the one who insisted on coming.”
“Tony Leung's acting is indeed good.”
Li Chen deliberately avoided mentioning Tang Wei, lest Miss Liu get angry again.
But Liu Yifei was still unhappy.
Remembering Li Chen's absorbed look just now, she felt completely out of sorts.
She walked quickly towards the hotel, head held high, like an arrogant white swan.
Back in the room, she ignored Li Chen.
She went to the bathroom to shower by herself.
Li Chen chuckled.
Let her be as strong as she may, the bright moon brushes the mountain peak.
If you don't pay attention to me, I can pay attention to you, right?
Li Chen followed closely, slipping into the bathroom.
It wasn't like they hadn't taken a lovers' bath before.
“What are you doing in here? I'm taking a shower, get out!”
Liu Yifei saw Li Chen not speaking, just staring at her chest without blinking.
She remembered the scene in the Cinema Palace just now.
She said angrily: “Haven't you seen enough just now? If not, go back to the Cinema Palace to watch! Why are you looking at me!”
As the two stood naked before each other, Li Chen laughed: “Don't be angry, don't you know me?”
“Other women, in my eyes, are like X-ray films; they're all the same.”
“Pink beauties are just skeletons; my pink beauty is only you.”
“The rest are all skeletons!”
Li Chen not only had a sweet tongue.
His hands were also busy.
He swiftly and accurately climbed Miss Liu's holy peak, caressing her.
Miss Liu was only reluctantly pulled into the bathtub by Li Chen.
In the end, she was inevitably taken advantage of by Li Chen.
The two engaged in a lovers' tryst at the hotel.
Meanwhile, the Premiere of “lust, caution” also ended.
Many people sitting in the front row had seen Li Chen's departing back earlier.
Li An and Zhang Yimou also curiously asked Andy Lau.
Andy Lau explained on Li Chen's behalf.
The next day, “pieta” held its Premiere.
Li Chen had been to Venice several times already.
He was more than familiar with the whole process.
A media conference in the morning, followed by a media Premiere before noon.
Consecutive Premieres in the afternoon.
Afterward, Li Chen and Liu Yifei rushed back to China.
They rejoined the cast and crew of “the thieves” to prepare for the Premiere at the Great Hall of the People on the fourth.
“pieta” was left to Andy Lau, its producer.
Jiang Wen called Li Chen, saying he was truly uncool.
He had just arrived in Venice, and Li Chen had already returned to Beijing.
Jiang Wen's “the sun also rises” and “the thieves” were holding their Premieres on the same day.
Li Chen would certainly be too busy, so Jiang Wen was just saying it.
Andy Lau called to tell Li Chen that the reviews for “pieta” were surprisingly good.
Compared to “lust, caution,” the plot and theme of “pieta” received unanimous praise from most film critics.
From current observations, the scores given by the festival newspaper and other media.
“pieta” scored significantly higher than “lust, caution.”
Li Chen definitely couldn't attend the closing ceremony.
This caused Markel to complain endlessly, and Brad Pitt had also informed him in advance that he couldn't make it.
Now with Li Chen also absent, the red carpet at the closing ceremony would be even dimmer.
Markel also knew in his heart that film crews who hadn't received an invitation from the organizing committee would most likely not appear on the closing ceremony red carpet.
But for Li Chen and Pitt, he couldn't tell them, “Your two films are definitely winning awards, hurry up and walk the red carpet.”
If word of that got out, Venice would be ruined in his hands.
Moreover, from his understanding of Li Chen, Li Chen genuinely didn't care much about awards.
Beijing Morning Post News
“Li Chen and Liu Yifei leave the ‘lust, caution’ Premiere early, reason unknown.”
“The ‘pieta’ Premiere was packed, Italian National Television reported that ‘pieta’ and ‘lust, caution’ are a showdown between top Chinese film masters.”
“Zhang Yimou stated in an interview that both films are currently well-received, but regarding the internal workings of the jury, Zhang Yimou chuckled, saying it was not yet time to announce the results.”
At this time, the domestic industry's attention was dominated by the Premiere of “the thieves.”
Rongchen Film and Television, in conjunction with China Film Group Corporation, Enlight Media, and Shanghai Film Group, had made the promotion pervasive.
It was no less impressive than “Hero” back in the day.
The hype of being the first Sino-American co-production blockbuster, along with Six Princess's week-long coverage,
made film fans and audiences even more eager to see the true face of this Sino-American co-production.
Han Sanping and Ren Zhonglun arrived first.
Li Chen led the cast and crew of “the thieves” to make the final appearance.
On this red carpet, Liu Yifei's main theme was heroic and dashing.
She wasn't competing for sexiness with Charlize Theron and the other two actresses.
She wore a rose gold silk shirt on top and high-waisted pure white straight-leg trousers on the bottom.
Paired with Liu Yifei's fair skin and neat, shoulder-length short hair, it added a layer of mature charm to her usual youthful sweetness.
The moment she stepped onto the red carpet, Charlize Theron smiled brightly: “Li, I feel like I've entered the White House.”
“No, it has an even greater sense of solemnity than the White House.”
Li Chen laughed heartily: “Charlize, we are an ancient civilization with five thousand years of history.”
“The weight and accumulation of history are not something that Americans, with only a few hundred years, can compare to.”
“You are the first Hollywood actress to walk into the Great Hall of the People.”
Charlize Theron smiled: “It is indeed something to be proud of.”
Inside the Great Hall of the People, most of the domestic filmmakers who hadn't gone to Venice had gathered.
Even Lu Taro came, but seeing Li Chen walking towards Han Sanping, he turned his head and went to talk to Guan Hu nearby.
Li Chen ignored him; the Great Hall of the People was star-studded tonight.
Six Princess broadcasted the entire Premiere live.
At seven o'clock sharp, the Premiere began on time.