Lu Ban Who Warmed the Heart
Bai Qiquan can't remember how he finished watching the movie.
During this final scene, the entire set fell silent, everyone staring at the image on the big screen with wide eyes.
Upon seeing Amber's remains, someone in the movie theater suddenly made a vomiting sound.
Bai Qiquan's stomach churned violently, and a sour and bitter gastric juice surged into his throat. He covered his mouth, feeling a sharp pain in his stomach.
This is stomach cramps caused by psychological factors. It usually occurs after excessive stress, tension, or strong stimulation.
As the dialogue from the story reached his ears, Bai Qiquan felt that he understood it, yet also felt that he didn't.
His vision was blurry, and he had an unreal feeling.
In the scenes I was responsible for, Amber was clearly such a beautiful girl, with such a happy smile, so full of hope, and so pure and innocent.
Why did she have to suffer like this?
What's wrong with this world?
These clips that I made for her myself
Bai Qiquan's brain buzzed, and he felt blood rushing to his eardrums, as if three buzzing sounds were exploding in his brain like a nuclear bomb alarm.
His breathing became rapid, and a warm sensation flowed from his nose.
Bai Qiquan discovered that he had a nosebleed.
He hurriedly stuffed his nostrils with tissues, looked up, and saw Amber struggling desperately in the flames.
He glanced at his girlfriend beside him. Pang Zhen was completely stunned, her mouth agape as she stared at the scene of the raging fire, utterly unresponsive.
For a moment, Affliction screams echoed through the movie theater.
It was like a sharp knife piercing my heart, and it kept spinning, tearing the wound open.
Bai Qiquan felt short of breath. The plot on the big screen was relentlessly twisting, leaving him unable to react. It was as if he had truly experienced that journey with a young girl, truly witnessed her growth, her choices, and her death.
The film ended amidst cherry blossoms, and not a single audience member got up to leave.
There was no applause, no cheers, and no condemnation or angry shouting.
Everyone wore an extremely complex expression.
It's like being punched hard by the person you're closest to, and when the pain is at its peak, the other person gently touches the wound with utmost tenderness and care, showing concern and warmth with the most sincere attitude.
It's like someone who, filled with boundless rage, has found their most hated enemy and is about to exact revenge, only to discover that this enemy has saved countless children from suffering over the years and has become a pillar of support for many people. If they kill him, even more people will fall into greater misfortune.
Is Lu Ban's movie healing?
If you say that Lu Ban's movies heal people's hearts, then these viewers will definitely curse and yell, "You call this healing people's hearts?!"
This is clearly a case of luring a dog in to kill it. If this is considered heartwarming, healing, or a coming-of-age story, then "The Crying" would definitely win Best Comedy.
He used every means to showcase the beauty of Amber to the audience, portraying this journey as a delicate and heartwarming tale of growth. He spent a hundred minutes weaving a somewhat thrilling, but mostly tender, journey, and then, in less than ten minutes, shattered it all in the most unacceptable way.
However, getting the audience to voice their anger doesn't seem so easy.
Whose fault was Amber's death? Was it the protagonist's? The priestesses'? Her own talent? Or the Divine Cherry Tree that had protected humanity for thousands of years? In their confused state of mind, people realized that the world was at fault.
If the world could be even a little bit better, then no one would have to get hurt.
But it was just a tiny bit off.
If they hurl insults and make indiscriminate personal attacks against Lu Ban because of Amber's death, or offer vicious comments and try to find flaws in Lu Ban, then it means that the despair of this world has been successfully conveyed to the audience's perception.
Lu Ban achieved what he wanted to achieve while making the movie.
This means that it is a perfect movie.
Many films, whether commercial or art films, primarily present a story to the audience, aiming to evoke resonance and emotional responses.
But in Lu Ban's film, he created hope out of thin air, and then created despair by completely crushing that hope, making the audience truly feel it all.
After experiencing such a desperate world, Bai Qiquan suddenly felt that nothing was a big deal anymore.
Although the world has all sorts of problems—environment, war, ethnicity, religion, poverty, hunger—it's not like the world in the movies, where death is inevitable no matter what. In the visible realm, human civilization is being gradually eroded, and humanity itself is pushing itself into the abyss. The most outstanding individuals are only fit to be used as firewood, dying in Affliction and despair.
Thinking about it this way, my current life seems a little too blissful.
Bai Qiquan felt that he couldn't be so decadent in the future and had to work harder. He felt that everything in the world was so beautiful and full of hope, and that the sun would still rise tomorrow was a kind of happiness.
As Bai Qiquan stepped out of the screening room, he saw the audience waiting outside for the next showing.
Their faces were full of anticipation, their eyes full of envy; they had no idea what they were waiting for.
The moment Bai Qiquan saw them, and felt the bright moonlight, the azure sky, and the pure air outside, he suddenly understood everything.
He understood why the people at the premiere had those expressions, why the harsh critic suddenly changed his attitude after watching Lu Ban's film, praising Lu Ban Lu Ban recommending his movies, and why all the audience members gave it unanimous praise and didn't mention the final plot at all.
Because no one wants to ruin this opportunity for others to be healed.
If viewers know the plot in advance, the impact of the movie will be much smaller. They will watch it with a preconceived notion, unable to fully feel and immerse themselves in the story, and thus unable to experience the strong impact or the true despair.
Therefore, they would not be able to enjoy this healing effect.
Now, in Bai Qiquan's eyes, everyone exudes hope, and the whole world is thriving. He thinks it's wonderful.
He, being so gentle, certainly couldn't take away such an experience.
Everyone is too kind.
Bai Qiquan glanced at his girlfriend Pang Zhen beside him.
She had recovered from her blank expression. Her brows were furrowed, but when she saw the people outside, the expectant audience, and Bai Qiquan's gentle smile, she understood everything.
Then, Pang Zhen gave the audience a healing smile.
Thank you so much to "Maple Breeze" for the generous 100,000 coins reward!
Bonus chapter this weekend!