A Night Together and the Premiere

In the hotel room, Gao Yuanyuan's pretty face was flushed, her eyes shimmering as she looked around. She was utterly enchanting.

Gao Yuanyuan gazed at the handsome man before her through half-closed eyes. Her heart pounded like a startled fawn, and her body felt as though it were on fire.

Ever since she had gotten drunk last time, Gao Yuanyuan had found herself following news about Wei Jin. She knew he was a bestselling author back home and that the songs he wrote were hits across the country. He was a remarkable man, handsome and brimming with talent.

After Wei Jin had talked things through with her last time, Gao Yuanyuan had broken up with Zhang Yadong.

But the scumbag seemed unwilling to let her go. He kept pestering her, even following her to the set of The Divine Doctor and the Chivalrous Couple.

After filming wrapped, Gao Yuanyuan hid at her parents' house. To her surprise, shortly after the New Year, Zhang Yadong appeared downstairs and hounded her relentlessly.

So Gao Yuanyuan quietly went abroad to escape the scumbag and clear her head. Who would have thought she would run into Wei Jin in an unfamiliar city?

It seemed like a fateful encounter arranged by heaven. To an artsy young woman like Gao Yuanyuan, the very word "fate" was an addictive poison.

That night, the moonlight over Berlin was so enchanting...

When Wei Jin woke in the morning, his arm felt a little sore. He turned his head and saw that the great beauty Yuanyuan was sleeping soundly.

But they had fooled around after drinking, after all. There was no telling what would happen when she woke up. The thought gave Wei Jin a headache.

Gao Yuanyuan woke up close to noon. She neither questioned nor reproached him as Wei Jin had imagined, nor did she insist that he take responsibility without regard for anything else. She simply asked for a room key card and left.

Wei Jin didn't know what was going on with her, but on second thought, it made sense. They were both adults, and it had been consensual. What was there to agonize over? This sort of thing was perfectly normal in the entertainment industry.

Before long, Gao Yuanyuan returned with her luggage. She put it away without ceremony, then glanced at Wei Jin and said:

"You don't mind if I stay here for the next few days, do you?"

Things had already come to this; he couldn't very well refuse to acknowledge it. Wei Jin was even a little excited when he heard her.

"Of course not. Sister Yuanyuan, I'd worry about you being here alone. It's best if you move in."

"Don't get the wrong idea. I just think of you as a younger brother."

Gao Yuanyuan added this as she arranged her luggage, seemingly afraid the man would look down on her.

In truth, Gao Yuanyuan didn't know what was going on with her either. She couldn't deny that she liked the man before her.

But as for deeper feelings, those weren't quite there. At most, it was admiration and longing for a talented, handsome man with a great body.

Besides, she knew a little about Wei Jin and Zeng Li, and really didn't want to be branded a "mistress" again.

She decided not to dwell on it and simply enjoy her time in Berlin.

You've already moved in. How could I not know what you're thinking? Wei Jin saw through her but said nothing. In any case, he wasn't losing out.

That afternoon, Howard invited Wei Jin to a reception, saying he would introduce him to some people. It looked as though the Berlin International Film Festival intended to nurture him as one of its own, so Wei Jin gladly accepted.

In fact, all three major film festivals had their own favored directors and placed great importance on nurturing them. Being one of those directors came with tremendous benefits: they had an easier time getting selected and winning awards than other directors.

Among Chinese-language filmmakers, Old Mouzi was one of Berlin's own, while the Sunglasses King belonged to Cannes.

For several days in a row, aside from attending the opening ceremony, Wei Jin spent most of his days shuttling between receptions.

The attendees included film distributors from around the world and crews whose films had been selected for the festival. Naturally, he also met the members of this year's jury.

With his handsome looks, tall, upright figure, fluent English and German, and frequent flashes of humor in conversation, Wei Jin won considerable goodwill at the receptions. Most people said they would be sure to come support him on the day of his film's premiere.

Every evening, he engaged in in-depth exchanges with the great beauty Yuanyuan. Once Gao Yuanyuan had completely let herself go, she developed a taste for it and was passionate as fire. She knew that once they left Berlin, the two of them would return to their normal relationship, so she made endless demands. Even after being "beaten" several times a night, she still clamored for revenge.

This year's Berlin International Film Festival ran from February 5 to February 15.

The festival organizers had invited quite a few Hollywood films, so the event was star-studded, and the number of moviegoers rose considerably as well.

Of course, the Berlin International Film Festival also drew the largest local audience of the three major European festivals. Even in the cold of winter, the people of the city showed no less enthusiasm for film. It was something the other festivals couldn't match.

Today was February 10, the day Buried Alive premiered. The screening was scheduled for seven in the evening.

It was an excellent time slot. After all, many people still had work during the day and would have more time in the evening, so the audience would be larger.

The premiere was being held in the main venue of the Berlin Film Palace, where films selected for the main competition usually premiered.

Before six, more than a thousand people had gathered outside the Film Palace. Aside from several hundred reporters from around the world, almost all of them were film fans.

Once the red carpet began, the stars and directors who had come to lend their support today made their way onto it one after another, mostly under the staff's direction.

Wei Jin had limited connections, so most of the people he had invited were filmmakers he had met over the past few days. Of course, Wei Jin had also attended their premieres to support them.

Wei Jin and the other principal creators appeared last, dressed to the nines. The reporters on site were quite obliging, calling them over for plenty of photos. Qin Hao was a little nervous along the way; after all, it was his first time.

The group continued inside, meeting quite a few people who had come to support them along the way. Wei Jin thanked each of them in turn.

Seeing that it was almost time, everyone filed into the screening hall. Its more than two thousand seats were already mostly occupied.

The group found their seats and waited for the film to begin.

"Haozi, how are you feeling?"

Wei Jin put the question quietly to Qin Hao, who was a little nervous. After spending the past few days together, and with Zeng Li as a bridge between them, the two had gotten along fairly well.

"Not bad. It's my first time watching my own work at a film festival. It feels a little new, and I'm a little nervous..."

"Much the same here, haha..."

The lights in the screening hall soon went out, the screen lit up, and the film began.

Time passed quickly. As the film ended, enthusiastic applause rang out in the screening hall for a full minute. The film received unanimous praise from the media and film fans in attendance.

Several of the principal creators went onstage to thank the guests and audience. Qin Hao looked especially excited, as though he could already see the Best Actor award waving to him...