The CEO's Substitute Ex-Wife-Chapter 177: An Intimate Evening and a Movie Premiere

After washing up and getting into bed, Ye Feimo still had desires, but Wen Nuan refused: "Sleep, sleep."

"I want you."

"No. It’s past 2 AM, let’s just go to sleep. Besides, I’m a bit uncomfortable and still hurting a little. You’re not allowed to touch me for the next few days," Wen Nuan said. *It was his fault for being so beastly and hurting her.*

"..." Ye Feimo was very frustrated, but he was still obedient, holding Wen Nuan peacefully as they slept.

The preview screening was held at Anning’s MBS Cinema. The lead actors, Wen Nuan and Zhou Chenggo, were present, along with many internal staff, some fans, numerous media personnel, and film critics, who were given priority viewing.

The audience in the cinema wasn’t large, with only about a hundred people invited. Thirty fan tickets were snatched up from the official website, while the rest of the media, critics, and internal staff were arranged by the planning and marketing departments.

Ye Feimo and Tang Shuwen both arrived. Tang Shuwen came with a very beautiful woman, who looked delicate and fragile, dressed in a pure white dress, utterly captivating and making one want to protect her, to never harm her. Wen Nuan wondered if that was Zhao Yuning, Gu Rui’s cousin and the woman Tang Shuwen loved. *What about Sister Xueru then?*

*No wonder Sister Xueru said she wouldn’t come to the preview. She must have known Tang Shuwen would bring Zhao Yuning.*

Cai Xiaojing sensed her discomfort and asked worriedly, "What’s wrong?"

Wen Nuan shook her head. "Nothing."

People are emotional beings. She wasn’t familiar with Zhao Yuning, but she deeply sympathized with Chen Xueru’s plight. It wasn’t easy for her to raise a child alone, having endured such painful past events and experiencing such ups and downs in her career. Yet, she persevered resiliently for her child. She was truly an admirable woman—strong yet tender, utterly heart-wrenching.

Wen Nuan privately hoped that Tang Shuwen could fall in love with Chen Xueru and that their family could be reunited, otherwise, it would be detrimental to the child.

Seeing Zhao Yuning smiling so brightly beside Tang Shuwen, and remembering Chen Xueru’s exhaustion and pain, Wen Nuan felt a pang in her heart.

Behind Wen Nuan sat a row of distinctive film critics. The movie hadn’t even started playing yet, and they had just finished interviews. Everyone was very much looking forward to the film. Wen Nuan’s mood didn’t improve until the movie actually began.

It was her first time watching a movie she starred in.

And it was her first time seeing Lin Ning’s final edited version.

The 115-minute film flowed seamlessly, with rising climaxes. Lin Ning’s editing was superb: one large segment, three smaller sections, and two calm scenes. The entire film maintained this tone until the last 30 minutes.

The final 30 minutes were the climax of the entire film, featuring intimate scenes between the male and female leads, quite daring in their scope, expressing their farewell and passionate entanglement through vivid body language.

The male lead was sent to the battlefield, and the female lead was confined in the palace by the emperor, waiting forlornly. Finally, to possess the female lead, the emperor tricked her into believing the male lead had died in battle. Devastated, the female lead was declared an imperial concubine, and a grand wedding ceremony was about to take place.

Dressed in a blood-red wedding gown, the female lead leaped from the city wall, preferring to shatter beautifully for love rather than remain intact as something less.

The triumphant male lead, hearing the news that his beloved was to marry the emperor, rushed back on horseback, only to witness the female lead’s desperate leap from the city wall... ƒree𝑤ebnσvel-com

The film ended with the male lead rebelling, overthrowing the tyranny, ascending the throne, and standing alone in the sunset...

Zhou Chenggo and Wen Nuan exquisitely portrayed this poignant and vibrant love story, bringing tears to the audience’s eyes. The film featured the beauty of captivating women, the grandeur of battle, and the exciting palace intrigues among brothers...

Especially the ending: the male lead standing in the sunset, the afterglow stretching his shadow long, long, lonely, desolate, while in the background, the female lead danced gracefully...

This technique of depicting longing between two realms seemed to offer the audience a sense of remembrance while also intensifying the film’s tragic overtones.

Wen Nuan watched the entire film almost holding her breath, her eyes slightly red with emotion. As an objective observer, she thought the film was truly excellent. From the plot and visuals to the actors’ performances, everything was outstanding—a nearly flawless work.

"So touching..." a film critic commented. "It’s been a long time since a movie brought tears to my eyes like this. Worth it!"

"It’s incredible that Lin Ning could produce such a work."

...

"This movie is definitely going to be a hit."

...

The critics behind Wen Nuan began discussing, and the media personnel in front of her also started lively discussions. The atmosphere felt different from watching *King Without a Crown* yesterday. *King Without a Crown* brought laughter, but this film brought tears.

*King Without a Crown* left the audience feeling satisfied, while *Beauty’s Allure* left them with a sense of shock, a shock of incomplete beauty.

Cai Xiaojing tightly gripped Wen Nuan’s hand: "Wen Nuan, it’s a success, it’s a success!"

Based on the live reaction, Cai Xiaojing could predict that there would be many excellent reviews online, in newspapers, and in magazines tomorrow. This film was sure to have the best reputation among this year’s New Year’s films.

A New Year’s film being a tragedy didn’t align with audience expectations, so its box office might not be as strong as *King Without a Crown*. However, it would undoubtedly be the most critically acclaimed film, and what Wen Nuan needed most right now was critical acclaim.

Box office success would merely be the icing on the cake.

She had successfully demonstrated her excellence and potential, which was more important than anything else.

This film was surely going to be a breakout hit.

Wen Nuan was delighted. Besides being a great film, she was also surprised that Chen Xueru’s screen time had significantly increased. In Lin Ning’s original script, Chen Xueru only had fragmented scenes and one or two major shots, but the final film was different. It was evident that Lin Ning had re-edited it. Originally, Chen Xueru’s role was perhaps seventh or eighth in terms of importance, but after the re-edit, her screen time was almost as substantial as the male lead’s, second only to Wen Nuan. And Chen Xueru performed exceptionally well; she was not overshadowed by Wen Nuan’s brilliance at all.

*Beauty’s Allure* was originally a female-centric film, so it was perfectly normal for two women to carry the entire movie. It was clear that Lin Ning had a strong preference for both of them. Cai Xiaojing had a premonition that this was Chen Xueru’s comeback.

Moreover, she had heard from an agent over tea yesterday that Chen Xueru’s ban had been lifted, and she might even get a new agent—Anning’s other star agent, Hu Lisha, would manage her.

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