My Wife is a Big Star

Chapter 17 - A Bizarre Movie Plot

Chen Ran had been so busy these past few days that his head was spinning, leaving him with no time to pay attention to movies.

He only knew that Chasing Love for Thirty Days was a flop because of a news notification on his phone.

It had clearly stated that the movie's rating was very low—somewhere around a 6 or a 7.

An 8 was a barely passing grade; anything lower than that was, without a doubt, a flop.

The movie's showtime was still a while away, from 8:00 to 9:30.

As for the time until then, they naturally went to eat.

Inside the restaurant, Chen Ran fell into thought; why did this feel so much like a date?

Although he and Zhang Fanzhi were a couple, it was only in name.

This was a dangerous feeling to have.

He looked up and glanced at Zhang Fanzhi, finding her tapping away on her phone with a casual air.

Didn't she feel awkward?

Chen Ran muttered to himself and turned his attention elsewhere.

In truth, Zhang Fanzhi felt uncomfortable as well.

Despite being a star, her romantic life was a blank slate, meaning she basically had no experience eating alone with another man.

Coupled with the fact that Chen Ran was now her boyfriend in name, the feeling was even stranger.

Naturally, she didn't dislike Chen Ran, but by the same token, she didn't have any special feelings for him either.

Ding-dong.

A WeChat message arrived.

It was from her manager, Tao Lin.

"Xiyun, the boss has been asking about you. You've rested for quite a while now; it's about enough."

Zhang Fanzhi frowned.

She was quite famous now and had constant commercial performances; this was exactly the time for the company to make a killing, so how could they possibly let her rest in peace?

"We agreed on half a month's rest at the start. There are still a few days left," Zhang Fanzhi replied.

"I don't care how many days you have left; the day after tomorrow at the latest, you must return to the company." Tao Lin was quite forceful this time.

"What happened?"

Why was Tao Lin suddenly in such a hurry?

"There's a gala for Shenhua Company, and they invited you. I've already agreed to it, but Lin Hanyun is still making her moves. If you don't come back, it really might be snatched away by her."

Zhang Fanzhi knit her brows. Snatching her song was one thing, but now she was brazenly trying to snatch a commercial performance too?

"It's not convenient right now; I'll call you later."

After finishing, Zhang Fanzhi put her phone away.

Chen Ran keenly noticed that Zhang Fanzhi's mood seemed to have soured slightly.

After thinking for a moment, he felt he should show some concern.

"What's wrong?"

"It's nothing!" Zhang Fanzhi seemingly didn't want to talk, but after saying those two words, for some reason, she added an explanation.

"Work stuff."

Hearing it was work stuff, Chen Ran could only feel that there was nothing he could do to help.

He was just an ordinary junior director at a TV station; he couldn't help at all.

Zhang Fanzhi was already a woman of few words, and now that her mood was bad, she was even less willing to speak.

7:30.

It was time to enter the theater.

Chen Ran and Zhang Fanzhi went in together.

Everyone coming to see this movie were couples.

It was as if they were covered in glue; the men and women wished they could be physically joined together.

Chen Ran and Zhang Fanzhi were different; they stayed a good distance apart.

The movie seats were connected; no matter how far apart they tried to be, they still had to sit together.

Chen Ran could smell the faint fragrance on her body and couldn't help but sniff.

The movie began to play.

Chen Ran had no interest in this movie, but since he was already sitting in the theater, he might as well watch it.

The story cut straight to the chase at the beginning: it was about an ordinary worker who happened to meet a big star out for a stroll. The male lead, who usually had no interest in stars, fell in love with the female lead at first sight and launched a pursuit.

The female lead had no interest in him, but she was willing to give the male lead a chance, giving him thirty days to pursue her. If he could move her heart, she would agree to be with him.

The movie revolved around this thirty-day pact...

Chen Ran blinked. With this plot development, could it be a comedy?

Speaking of which, with the setting of the female lead being a big star, wasn't there one sitting right next to him?

Chen Ran turned his head. The theater was pitch black, but by the light from the movie, he could see a pair of clear eyes looking back at him.

"Uh..."

Chen Ran paused, his face feeling a bit awkward. He slowly turned back, feeling like he had been caught peeking.

Zhang Fanzhi actually felt a bit uneasy as well. She had also thought of Chen Ran because of the plot and turned her head to take a look, not expecting their gazes to collide.

The two continued watching the movie.

By the middle of it, Chen Ran realized he truly hadn't seen through this film.

The beginning was fairly standard; although the plot was a bit cliché and bizarre, at least the story was complete.

But what the hell was this now?

A younger sister of the female lead suddenly popped out, acting like a female "licking dog," and began pursuing the male lead.

The male lead was deeply devoted to the female lead and remained unmoved.

But once thirty days passed, the female lead rejected the male lead on the spot, saying her life was just too boring and she was just looking for someone to amuse her.

The male lead was heartbroken, and the younger sister took the opportunity to swoop in.

But here came the magical part.

The female lead, who had a face full of pleasure when she rejected the male lead, found her life empty and lonely in the following days without him there to "lick" her. She suddenly saw her heart clearly and discovered that she actually loved him!

Thus, the second half of the plot became a battle between sisters over a husband...

"This plot..."

Chen Ran felt like he was being struck by lightning.

He finally understood why the rating for this movie was so low.

If it were up to him to rate it, he'd give it two points at most—no more!

Many audience members nearby left midway through, completely unable to watch any further.

Chen Ran wanted to leave, but Zhang Fanzhi was actually watching with great interest...

From her appearance, she wasn't faking it; it seemed she was seriously watching.

?

?

One could even watch this movie?

Was it because she and the female lead were both stars, so she had a sense of immersion?

Chen Ran originally wanted to suggest leaving, but seeing her interest, he endured it.

All sorts of "dog-blood" cliché plots came one after another.

The car crash trope appeared. When the female lead was leaving her concert, she was chased by a crazed fan in a car who wanted to confess their love, resulting in a car accident that landed her in the hospital.

Upon hearing the news, the male lead rushed over to see her.

The female lead thought the male lead had had a change of heart and was feeling happy, only to hear the male lead announce the news of his wedding to her younger sister.

The movie ended with the female lead sitting on her hospital bed, howling in regretful tears.

There was also a voice-over: "Don't wait until you've missed it to regret. This film is dedicated to all couples; I hope everyone cherishes the person in front of them."

Chen Ran’s mouth twitched.

So, after all that trouble, this movie was just for that one line?

Then what was the point of your Chasing Love for Thirty Days?

By now, he was certain that Director Zhang hadn't looked at the online reviews at all before booking the tickets.

He probably saw Chasing Love for Thirty Days and assumed it was a romance drama.

Who could have known this movie would be this bizarre?

……

“It’s truly a miracle that a movie like this could even be released!”

After leaving the cinema, Chen Ran lamented. What kind of company would be willing to distribute a film like that?

Zhang Fanzhi said from the side, “I think it was okay.”

Chen Ran turned and asked, “Are you serious?”

Zhang Fanzhi nodded.

“Mm. The female lead wasn't a good person to begin with, so I knew she would end up with a conclusion like that.”

Chen Ran understood what she meant; because the ending and the story's development matched her expectations, she had watched it with such gusto...

“But the story of this movie is a bit too bizarre; there are too many fatal flaws!” Chen Ran curled his lip.

Zhang Fanzhi shot a glance at Chen Ran and said flatly, “Reality is even more bizarre than this.”

Chen Ran chuckled. “In reality, I’ve never heard of any ordinary person pursuing a big star to be his wife, let alone a scene where a big star and her sister fight over a boyfriend.”

“It only shows that you haven't seen much of the world.”

After Zhang Fanzhi finished, she ignored Chen Ran, opened the car door, and got in.

The corner of Chen Ran’s mouth twitched. I haven't seen much of the world...

Do you have any idea? I’ve lived two lives; don’t I have more experience than someone with hair as long as yours?