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Novel
His Genius Wife Is A Superstar
Chapter 286 - Envious
HIS GENIUS WIFE IS A SUPERSTAR
C286 - Envious
Chapter 286 - Envious
"Mama? Papa? You two have a child together already?!" Jin Chonglin was almost shouting in shock and disbelief.
"I knew I wasn’t the only one who misunderstood," Lu Zihao said, sighing softly.
However, Jin Chonglin was too preoccupied with the unbelievable scene of his brother’s happy family of three in front of him that he didn’t hear Lu Zihao’s words.
His loud voice startled Little Jun. The toddler’s little face scrunched up. He began to wail in Jin Liwei’s neck.
"Mamaaaaaa! Mamaaaaaa!"
Iris immediately took the child from Jin Liwei and started rocking him and murmuring reassurances to him.
Jin Liwei swept his frosty eyes at his brother. "You made him cry," he said with a tone that could freeze hell. His arm wrapped protectively around his beloved "wife and child".
"B-big bro..." Jin Chonglin didn’t know what to do. He instinctively stepped forward to Iris and the child but his brother blocked him with a cold glare. He mumbled, "Sorry...didn’t mean to scare your son. My dear nephew, please stop crying. Your uncle was just surprised earlier. I’ll buy you lots of toys and treats. Please don’t cry anymore, okay?"
"Long Jun is MY SON!"
Long Hui stepped forward and tried to take Little Jun from Iris, but his son wouldn’t let go of her neck. Feeling a bit awkward after being rejected by his own son, he satisfied himself by glaring at the Jin brothers instead. How dare they claim his Little Jun as their son and nephew?
"Ah?" Jin Chonglin was very confused. It felt like his brain stopped working properly ever since his brother arrived with Iris Long.
"Oh! Is this the godson you were talking about?" Huang Yuyan asked Jin Liwei, breaking the confusing atmosphere with her question. She walked to Iris and peered curiously at the toddler whose cries were subsiding.
"En". Jin Liwei confirmed while ignoring his future brother-in-law’s glare.
"Little Jun, look. This is Grandmother Huang." Iris tried to coax the child.
Little Jun sniffled and peeked at the unfamiliar lady smiling at him. She looked nice, pretty and friendly so he smiled shyly at her despite his tearful eyes.
"Oh!" Huang Yuyan clutched her chest, feeling like Cupid shot a love arrow straight to her heart. "Oh, how adorable! Hello, Little Jun~ I’m your Grandma Yuyan~" She started cooing at the child.
Next came the two elders. They introduced themselves to the child as Great-Grandpa Lu and Great-Grandma Li. Surprisingly, Little Jun didn’t feel scared of his new great-grandfather’s loud, booming voice. In fact, he even reached out his cute little arms to the old man, wanting to be carried by him.
"Bahahaha! Good boy! Come to Great-Grandpa Lu! What a handsome boy! What a smart boy!" Grandpa Lu was over the moon in happiness as he carried the child in his arms.
Little Jun giggled at his Great-Grandpa Lu, finding him funny. He played with the old man’s neatly groomed grey mustache. Grinning in delight, he showed everyone his three little milky white teeth.
And just like that, everyone fell in love with Little Jun. All the grandparents fought over who was going to hold the child next. They even seemed to forget that this gathering’s celebrants were supposed to be the newly engaged couple, Iris and Jin Liwei.
Poor Long Hui had to compete with more people now for his own child’s attention.
Finally, everyone settled down in the living area. The two families exchanged presents to each other. They also gave gifts to the engaged couple.
Afterwards, Dom and Meimei played with Little Jun and the two cats on the floor while the rest chatted with each other on the sofas.
"I’m a little disappointed that we have to learn about your engagement on the news instead of you telling us first," Grandma Li told Iris and Jin Liwei.
"Sorry, Grandma Li. It’s my fault," Iris replied. "We wanted to tell you all today, but I just couldn’t lie when I was asked during the interview in ’MusicFest Tonight’."
Jin Liwei nuzzled her hair and tightened his arm around her waist.
"It’s alright, Xiulan. What’s important is that our two families are finally gathering together today in celebration of your engagement," Huang Yuyan said with a smile.
"Hah! I already knew that they’re engaged before any of you! I was the one who delivered the ring to Liwei boy! Bahahaha!" Grandpa Lu boasted to everyone. "Everything is thanks to me! If I didn’t drag Xiulan girl to Cross Academy, she probably wouldn’t recover from her depression so quickly! Then Liwei boy wouldn’t be able to follow her all the way to Switzerland and have the opportunity to propose to her! I even returned to the country ahead of them just to manage the company in Liwei boy’s place, so that the lovebirds can enjoy their premarital honeymoon in Italy! So if it wasn’t for me, we wouldn’t be sitting here together celebrating their engagement! Bahahaha! Where’s my thanks?"
"Thank you, Grandpa Lu," Iris said to the old man. Even though she was chuckling, there was deep sincerity in her tone.
"En. I owe so much to you, Grandpa Lu. Thank you," Jin Liwei said as well.
"Bahahaha! If you want to thank this old man, go marry as soon as possible and start making great-grandbabies! Little Jun needs some playmates!"
Iris squeezed Jin Liwei’s hand, feeling a bit nervous when she heard Grandpa Lu talking about babies.
Jin Liwei noticed and understood her reaction. He leaned closer and whispered to her ear, "Don’t worry, love. There’s no rush. We’ll take our time. We’re in this together, okay?"
"Okay."
The two stared into each other’s eyes. The others could almost see red and pink flowers, hearts, bubbles and sparkles surrounding the lovebirds who were now absorbed in their own little world.
As for Jin Chonglin and Long Hui, the two still hadn’t completely recovered from their earlier shock. Jin Chonglin stared at his brother and Iris Long acting lovey-dovey to each other, while Long Hui looked star-struck whenever Grandpa Lu spoke. Then something finally registered in their stupefied brains.
"Eh? Grandpa Lu, you said that you brought Iris...I mean, Xiulan to Cross Academy?" Jin Chonglin asked. "For what reason? Did she have some business there? You and Grandpa Jin never brought any of us to the academy before."
Long Hui also wanted to know. Cross Academy was a legendary place and outsiders weren’t allowed to visit without any special permission from the academy itself. How come his sister was able to go? He felt envious of her.
"Of course she has business there! Your sister-in-law is a Cross Academy student! Even if I didn’t bring her, she has every right to go there herself!" Grandpa Lu’s voice boomed.
"Ah?!"
"What?!"
Once again, both Jin Chonglin and Long Hui were dumbfounded. If the two of them weren’t young and healthy, they would probably have already suffered multiple heart attacks from all the shocks they were experiencing today.
"Iris, y-you’re a genius?!" Jin Chonglin stood up and asked in incredulity.
Long Hui also felt incredulous. He knew his sister’s grades in school. She barely graduated from senior high school. If it wasn’t for their father, she probably would’ve failed and dropped out of school. Then he remembered challenging her to get a university diploma when she visited the Long ancestral residence.
He thought that she ignored his words because he hadn’t heard anything about her enrolling in a university. But now he was hearing that she was actually enrolled in Cross Academy? The legendary school for geniuses?! How did it happen? Did their father know?
He glanced at their father. Long Tengfei didn’t look surprised at all. It seemed that he was already aware. There was unmistakable pride in their father’s eyes for his sister.
"I was assigned to be Xiulan’s business mentor," Grandpa Lu added. "So in addition to being my beloved granddaughter, she is also my treasured student! I don’t plan on taking any more students after her!"
"Grandpa Lu." Iris’ eyes watered, feeling touched by his words. She stood up, walked to where the old man was sitting and gave him a hug. "Thank you very much, Grandpa Lu. I feel blessed to have you not only as my mentor and teacher but also as grandfather. I can’t thank you enough for all the things you’ve done for me and Liwei."
"You silly girl! Why are you being so emotional?! I want to know!" After the hug, Grandpa Lu took a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his tears. "What?! I’m not crying! My eyes are watery because it’s allergy season!"
"What allergy season? It’s almost winter, you old gorilla," Grandma Li retorted.
"Well, my allergy arrived ahead of time!"
While the two elders bickered once again, Long Hui thought deeply. He looked at his sister who returned beside her fiancé, then at Sir Lu Jianhong who considered her as his beloved granddaughter and treasured student.
Business mentor? Cross Academy student? Did his sister plan on working in the business industry? A sense of anxiety bubbled inside Long Hui, especially after seeing their father’s proud expression for his sister. His hands clenched into tight fists.
’I’m the successor of Long Industries, not her,’ he told himself.
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His Genius Wife Is A Superstar
Chapter 287 - One Family
HIS GENIUS WIFE IS A SUPERSTAR
C287 - One Family
Chapter 287 - One Family
Nobody noticed the change of expression in Long Hui. Everyone was busy chatting with each other, congratulating the newly engaged couple, and doting on cute Little Jun.
Finally, it was dinner time. They all moved to the dining hall where a lavish feast was prepared. Huang Yuyan and her staff really went all out. She even asked someone to quickly go out and buy the best cat food and treats for Ice Cream and Popcorn, so that they could also eat together with all of them.
At this rate, it was inevitable that Ice Cream would only get fatter after this. Dom was already scolded by the veterinarian when he brought the cats for their latest check-up. The vet ordered for Ice Cream to start losing weight. However, Iris couldn’t bear to deprive Ice Cream today’s feast.
"Today’s a special day. Let her eat whatever she wants, but only for today. Restart her diet and exercise tomorrow," she instructed Dom.
And indeed, Ice Cream started eating like there was no tomorrow. She wolfed down all the cat food and treats, demanding the staff for continued refills. If Popcorn had endless energy for play, then Ice Cream had endless appetite for food.
While the cats were feasting, the humans were also enjoying the many different delectable dishes. They continued their conversations as they ate on the dining table.
After dinner, the group moved to another lounge area for some digestive tea. The atmosphere was light and cheerful.
Sometime later, Jin Liwei and Grandpa Lu went to another room to discuss some important business matters regarding Jin Corporation. Iris and Lu Zihao were chatting when Jin Chonglin sat beside Iris. He took this chance to talk to her while his brother was gone.
"So Iris...it looks like you’re really my sister-in-law."
"Senior, it’s ’future’ sister-in-law," Iris corrected him.
"I’ll just call you Sister Iris then, I mean Xiulan."
She nodded.
"Sister Xiulan, you should call me Brother Chonglin from now on too, not Senior."
"Alright, Brother Chonglin."
Lu Zihao sipped his tea in silence while listening to their conversation.
"Are you working on some new music? Or are you just focusing on promoting your upcoming soundtrack album?" Jin Chonglin asked. "By the way, congratulations on composing an entire film score. That’s a big achievement, something that even I haven’t tried before yet."
"Thank you. Yes, I’m working on something right now that I plan on releasing sometime in the near future. How about you?"
Jin Chonglin’s eyes twitched when he heard that she would be releasing something soon. It had only been a few months and she already had two, almost three albums under her belt ever since her first comeback. How could she create quality music so quickly like it was nothing?
He was supposed to be the superstar, and yet he was struggling to single-handedly complete his planned album. Letting others write and compose songs for him over the years had taken a toll on his own creativity. He remembered the time when he just debuted as a musician. He only needed a few hours to complete writing and recording an entire song. But now, it felt like trying to make a rusty engine run again. It was a struggle to start and keep it going.
"I see. That’s good," he replied. "I’m also working on something new. Once it’s complete, I’ll make a comeback and release it."
"Good luck, Brother Chonglin."
"Thanks. You too."
He wanted to tell her something but hesitated. He opened and closed his mouth a few times, but it seemed that he couldn’t say it.
"Spit it out. How annoying," Lu Zihao muttered when he lost patience watching the younger man’s repeated hesitations.
"I...I want to apologize for what you went through because of Fan...that woman. Because of her obsession with me, you and those other women had to suffer from her evil schemes," he finally told her in a low tone.
Iris shuddered. She couldn’t stop the memory of the torture from popping in her mind. But she was much stronger now and wouldn’t break down anymore remembering what the remnant within her did. She was already starting to accept that the torture was something that she could never get rid herself of. She took a few deep breaths to calm herself.
The two men beside her saw her reaction.
Jin Chonglin apologized to her again. He mentally scolded himself for reminding her of such a horrible, traumatizing memory. However, he needed to say sorry to get closure from what happened.
"It’s not your fault. You weren’t the one who harmed us," she replied. "Let’s put the past where it belongs and move forward."
"Yes, you’re right."
Lu Zihao’s eyes darkened. Danger lurked within their depths, but he tightly controlled it. He could see that his sister was still affected by the memory of the torture. He wanted to protect her from everything, but he was also glad that she growing stronger from these bad experiences. Fan Luo and the Alarm Girls needed to be thankful that his sister was recovering from the trauma well. If she failed to recover, he would’ve ended those b*tches with his own hands once and for all.
While Lu Zihao restrained his murderous intent, Jin Chonglin changed the unpleasant topic.
"Since you’re my future sister-in-law, we’re like family now. When both of us have some free time, how about working on something together? Maybe a single or two. I’d love to work with you, you know. And it’s also easier to work together now especially after...after what happened. What do you think?"
She tilted her head to the side, thinking about his suggestion carefully.
"Sure," she finally said.
He flashed her his best smile. "Cool! I’ll take that as a promise then."
It was at this moment that Jin Liwei returned with Grandpa Lu. He saw his baby girl and brother sitting together. All he could see was his brother flirting with his baby girl, trying to seduce her with his smile. With a dark expression, he marched towards them.
Lu Zihao noticed his arrival and smirked. He swirled the tea in his cup and watched the show.
Jin Chonglin was oblivious of the approaching danger. He continued to chat with Iris, subconsciously exuding his sex appeal in front of a beautiful lady.
Iris noticed Jin Liwei a few beats slower than Lu Zihao. She turned her head. Her lovely smile turned into a confused expression when she saw the dark and ugly expression on his face.
"Darling?" She asked when he arrived in front of them.
He didn’t answer. Instead, he carelessly pushed his brother to the side and squeezed himself between them on the couch.
"Ow! What the hell, Big Bro?" Jin Chonglin complained but unsurprisingly, his brother ignored him.
Jin Liwei looked at his baby girl. His expression softened seeing her beautiful eyes blinking in confusion at him. Before he realized what he was doing, he was already kissing her on the mouth in front of everyone. Iris was only startled for a few seconds before responding to his kiss. The two of them were quickly consumed by their own passion and had forgotten that there were other people around them.
"Quick! Someone cover Little Jun’s eyes!" Grandpa Lu’s voiced boomed amidst the gasps and giggles. "Hai! Kids these days can’t control themselves! You two! If you can’t hold it in, is it that hard to excuse yourselves and find an empty room? This house has lots of rooms, you know!"
Surprisingly, it was Jin Liwei who stopped the kiss first. Iris flopped like jelly on his chest. She hid her face against his neck while desperately trying to calm her own arousal. He stroked her back to soothe her.
Sitting beside them, Lu Zihao closed his eyes and thought about other things to prevent himself from punching the bastard Jin Liwei’s face.
Jin Chonglin, on the other hand, was once again a picture of utter shock. He was still finding it hard to believe that this passionate man was his own brother. Did his brother die and another soul transmigrated into his body? He laughed at his absurd thoughts.
The teasing and conversations continued until late into the night. The family gathering drew to a close. They dispersed and returned to their own homes.
Although the two families weren’t officially connected by marriage yet, the Jins and the Longs already considered themselves as one family.
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Chapter 288 - Lucky Charm
HIS GENIUS WIFE IS A SUPERSTAR
C288 - Lucky Charm
Chapter 288 - Lucky Charm
As the seasons started to transition from autumn to winter, the film "Strong Yet Broken" finally premiered. Although its premiere couldn’t compare to the huge blockbuster-intended movies, it was still leagues better than most indie films. There was even a small red carpet event and select media representatives were also invited.
The majority of the people who waited behind the barricades to watch the red carpet event were the Black Stars. Their suits couldn’t be seen beneath their coats, but they still wore them nonetheless. It was like their uniform whenever they went out to support their Boss Iris. Joining their ranks were their new comrades, the Pandemonium fans. They also wore suits but their metal rock background was still apparent in their accessories, piercings and make-up.
Another distinctive group who attended the premiere consisted of the supporters of Guan Jintao, the famous blind Paralympian gold-medalist. The film was based on his late mother’s story. About half of them were persons with disabilities.
LX Productions already expected this, so they reserved the best place behind the barricades for the group. It was more spacious and even had portable heaters to make them comfortable in the cold weather.
The actors and actresses starring in the film weren’t really popular. In fact, most of them were total newbies. It was only Iris Long and Guan Jintao’s connections to the film that garnered interest for it. The anticipation for the film waned after Iris’ abrupt disappearance. Then the interest reignited once again when she returned and began promoting it.
Finally, the film’s production team and the stars began arriving. The crowd began to chatter in excitement. The media also started snapping photos.
First to arrive were the director, the executive producers (including the person Jin Liwei appointed to run LX Productions), and all the other members of the production team.
Then Paralympian Guan Jintao also arrived accompanied by his beloved wife. His fans cheered when they saw him. His wife led him to them. He took some time signing autographs and posing for photos with his fans. As a famous figure in the sports world, he learned to sign his name despite his blindness. After interacting with his fans, he answered some questions from the media.
Moments later, deafening screams and shrieks arose from the crowd. They saw JJ arriving together with a beautiful woman. The woman looked familiar. People gasped when they realized who it was.
It was Iris Long!
She looked so gorgeous that everyone had to take a closer look to make sure that it was really her. Her hair was styled in flawless waves behind her. Her make-up was striking and more dramatic than usual. She was wearing a long, white mermaid dress with colourful embroidered leaves, vines, flowers and birds on the entire upper body and the hem of the dress. Her natural poise and elegance together with the stunning dress only enhanced her beauty.
The diamond ring on her finger and the LX bangle around her wrist sparkled under the nonstop camera flashes.
"Boss Iris!"
"I love you, Boss Iris!"
"You’re so beautiful!"
She waved at her fans, making them scream even louder.
"Mr. JJ, you’re so handsome!"
"Marry me, Mr. JJ!"
JJ straightened his back and puffed out his chest after hearing some people screaming his name. He was pleased that they recognized him, the famous and award-winning music producer, JJ. Haha!
Like Guan Jintao, Iris spent some time interacting with her fans. She signed autographs and posed for pictures. She also saw some familiar people among the Black Stars such as Zhou Mei’er (CaptainBlackStar) and Ming Li (Little Phoenix). She thanked them for coming and even gave them hugs. Ming Li was so happy that she almost fainted.
Afterwards, she posed for the media beside JJ. She granted a couple of short interviews on the red carpet.
"Iris, wow! You look so beautiful tonight! That dress is to die for! Who are you wearing?" The interviewer asked her.
"Thank you," she replied before saying the name of the designer of her dress.
"There are so many reasons to congratulate you tonight. First and the most obvious of all is for the premiere of this movie ’Strong Yet Broken’ which you’re actively involved in given that you composed its entire film score. So big congratulations for that! What a great achievement! How do you feel right now?"
"This is actually my first time attending a film premiere. There’s so much going on but I’m just enjoying myself and savouring this experience. I’m so excited to watch the film and of course to hear the music that I specially composed for it."
"What’s it like to compose a film score? Was it hard? Easy?"
"Both," Iris answered. "There were times that the music just flowed and it was very easy. Then there were also times that I had to struggle imagining what kind of music fits a certain scene the most. Those were the hard times. But regardless of the difficulties I experienced during the composition process, the excitement and the passion were strong inside me and they kept me going until I completed everything. This is a dream come true for me, so I was determined to do my best."
"Impressive. Moving on to the second reason to congratulate you, today is also the release day of your soundtrack album. This is the third album you released since your first comeback a few months ago. Wow, Iris. You’re on a roll!"
"Thank you."
After asking Iris a few more questions about her album and other future projects, the interview moved on to more personal topics. Of course, her engagement was the primary subject but Iris kept mum about her fiancé’s identity. The interviewer was unsatisfied by her answers, but he didn’t force the issue because the scary Mr. JJ was standing behind Iris.
When the short interview was done, Iris and JJ joined the director, the producers, production team members, and Guan Jintao and his wife.
The head of LX Productions greeted Iris with great respect. He was aware of her relationship with his real boss, Jin Liwei. After all, the production company was created solely to support her showbiz career.
The actors and actresses arrived next. Since most of them weren’t that popular, the attention showered upon them by the crowd and the media couldn’t compare to what Guan Jintao and Iris received earlier. Nevertheless, they still enjoyed the moment because they never expected that the indie film they decided to partake in would receive this kind of reception in the first place.
When everyone had arrived, they all posed together in a group photo. They didn’t really have any high expectations. "Strong Yet Broken" was still an indie film, after all. They were already happy receiving this much attention.
Before getting Iris Long involved in this movie project, the original producer never imagined that his film would have such a grand premiere night like this, complete with screaming fans and various media representatives attending.
He treated Iris as his lucky charm because after she joined the film production, they not only received overwhelming attention and interest for the movie but also financial assistance from LX Productions. Not to mention that Guan Jintao himself started showing his support for the film after listening to the cinematic version of "Phantom of Your Love" and the other soundtracks from the film score.
The producer asked Guan Jintao why he was suddenly showing interest in the film when the Paralympian ignored his previous attempts of communication.
"It’s because of the music you sent me," Guan Jintao answered. "I could almost hear my mother’s anguish again when I listened to the music. With that kind of music, I think that you’ll do a good job in depicting my mother’s story."
So in short, all the blessings raining down upon the film was because of Iris Long. This was what the producer thought. He could never thank her enough. Even if his film flopped in the box office, he would still be proud.
"Thank you for everything, Iris," he made sure to tell her before they entered the movie theatre after the red carpet event.
"Sir, this is your film. I should be the one thanking you for giving me this opportunity," she told him instead.
He smiled, still feeling grateful to her.
As they entered the movie theatre, they had no idea that this moment was the start of their legend.
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His Genius Wife Is A Superstar
Chapter 289 - Dead When Awake, Alive When Asleep
HIS GENIUS WIFE IS A SUPERSTAR
C289 - Dead When Awake, Alive When Asleep
Chapter 289 - Dead When Awake, Alive When Asleep
After the film finished playing on the big screen, there wasn’t a dry eye in the theatre. "Strong Yet Broken" was, in simple terms, a very depressing movie.
From the beginning to the end, a great sense of desolation permeated the entire film. Despite its almost unbearable atmosphere, the viewers could still feel the hope weaved seamlessly within the agony.
This kept them engaged and emotionally invested for the whole duration of the movie. The background music in every scene only intensified their already high-strung emotional states. Even when it ended in a tragic manner, it was still a form of release and relief from all of the anguish. A good portion of the audience wailed loudly during the ending, as the theme song "Phantom of Your Love" played.
Everyone needed some time to get a hold of themselves. Their emotions were so intense that they could almost touch and taste them in the air like a big viscous cloud floating all over them.
When they calmed down enough, the film’s production crew and cast gathered at the front facing all of the viewers. Of course, Iris was included in the line-up. They all spoke one by one, talking about their experiences working for the film and thanking everyone for coming to watch.
The premiere night successfully ended. Iris, JJ and the others headed to the private after-party celebration. It wasn’t lavish. Just a simple buffet meal in a private room at a restaurant. Tears of happiness were shed as everyone reminisced about their memories working together.
During the party, Guan Jintao’s wife led him to speak to Iris. Iris greeted the sports legend with great respect. After learning about his life story, she admired him not only for his accomplishments as an athlete but also as a person. He was truly inspiring, even more so because of his disability.
"Miss Long, I want to thank you for your contribution in bringing my mother’s story to life," Guan Jintao told Iris. "To tell you the truth, I was unhappy at first when I discovered that people wanted to make a film based on my mother’s life. I felt that creating this film would only disturb her eternal rest because it would reopen painful memories. However, when the producer sent me the theme song ’Phantom of Your Love’ and some of the music from the film score, I swear I felt my mother’s presence again. At that moment, I knew that this film isn’t a disturbance to her eternal rest but a respectful memorial to the life she lived instead. So thank you for bringing back a piece of my mother with your music."
Even though Guan Jintao had his eyes closed as he talked to her, Iris felt like he could see her and everything around him. There was a sharpness and intensity in his invisible gaze.
"Sir Guan, please, it’s an honour," she replied. "Thank you for giving us your blessings for this film. Your mother was a very strong woman. Despite her tragic fate, I’m sure that she’ll inspire a lot of people like me through this film."
"Indeed. Just like the film title, my mother was strong yet broken at the same time. Although the end she chose causes me pain for as long as I live, she’s the strongest woman that I know. Her broken strength will forever live through this film."
The night drew to a close. Everyone in the after-party went home with a giddy feeling of accomplishment for completing the film they had worked on for so long.
However, they all knew that this wasn’t the end. It was just the beginning.
###
Although the films released around this time were fewer than during the summer season, "Strong Yet Broken" still had plenty of competition. There were other indie and less popular films, not to mention the highly popular big budget films that drew most of the moviegoers.
The competition at the cinemas were extremely fierce.
Compared to the big budget films, the line ups for "Strong Yet Broken" were pitiful. Their opening day and week was just a drop in the ocean compared to the massive crowds the big films were drawing in.
But as word of mouth started spreading and critic reviews were published, more and more people decided to watch "Strong Yet Broken". Both the star powers of Iris Long and Guan Jintao were also a big help in promoting the film to the general public.
LX Productions were also closely monitoring the growth rate of the film’s viewership. As the viewership gradually increased, the production company was able to negotiate with movie theatres to increase showtimes for "Strong Yet Broken".
This was another unprecedented instance for an indie film. Many film industry insiders began paying close attention to the mysterious LX Productions. How could a newly created production company have such financial resources, connections and influence? Who was the person behind it? They didn’t believe that the CEO running it was actually the person pulling the strings.
The Black Stars and their comrades, the Pandemonium fans, watched in droves to support their Boss Iris. Even though Iris herself didn’t appear in the movie at all, her film score was still the biggest star for them.
In all honesty, they didn’t have that much expectations for the film at all. They had this misconception that all indie films were boring. They only watched because of their Boss Iris.
However, when they finally watched the movie, it was as if they were swept away by a tsunami of overwhelming emotions. It was so painful that it felt like they were drowning in their own grief. All of them were sobbing and wailing in the film theatres. It came to a point that the Black Stars allocated part of its funds to buy boxes of facial tissues to distribute to moviegoers watching "Strong Yet Broken".
Whenever a batch of viewers came out of the movie theatre, they were a sight to see with their teary eyes, snotty noses and red, swollen faces.
"What happened to all of you?" A curious passerby asked them.
"We watched a movie and it was so SAAAAAAAAD!" The person who was asked started sobbing again as she remembered what she just watched.
"What? A movie? I thought you all came from a funeral! What movie was it that made you look like that?"
"It’s called ’Strong Yet Broken’. Wuwuwu! Go watch it. You’re gonna cry so HAAAAAAARD!"
"What’s it about?"
"The movie tells the life story of the mother of Paralympian Guan Jintao..."
"Strong Yet Broken" was about a pregnant young woman who was completely in love with her equally young husband. She grew up an orphan. That was why she was very excited to build a loving family with her husband. However, just months after she got pregnant with their child, she lost her husband due to terminal illness. It came so suddenly. Her husband didn’t tell her until he was already dying. In the end, he died before she gave birth to their child.
Alone and depressed, she wanted to take her own life and follow her husband. However, he made her promise before he died to take care of their child. A few months later, she gave birth to a normal, healthy baby boy she named Guan Jintao.
Her depression only worsened after the birth. What she suffered back then was called postpartum depression in today’s terms. But back then, nobody diagnosed her. They just told her to deal with it, suck it up and fulfill her responsibility as a mother.
When her son was about five years old, he began losing his vision, eventually becoming completely blind within two years. Not only was she a single mother, but she also now had to raise a blind child in times when the disabled were ostracized by most of society.
Public schools rejected her son, so she had to enroll him to a private school which catered to children with special needs. It was expensive. She worked multiple jobs while raising her blind son. It didn’t help that Little Jintao was always being bullied. She did her best to comfort and protect him, even when she couldn’t even protect herself.
Throughout all of these struggles, she was desperately trying to stay strong and deal with her depression by herself even though all she wanted was to give up and follow her husband.
It was during her son’s puberty age that he showed signs of talent in swimming. She supported him with all she had. She would borrow money from her coworkers and neighbours just to support his training and competitions. She didn’t really have any big dreams for him. All she wanted was for him to have some respite from all the bullying outside the pool.
In public, she was the most supportive mother but in private, she attempted to kill herself many times. Each time, however, her husband’s dying words would play in her mind.
"Take care of our child for me."
She would cry herself to sleep after her failed suicide attempts, dreaming of happy times with her beloved husband until she had to wake up to reality the next day again.
Dead when awake, alive when asleep.
This was how she felt for the rest of her life.
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Novel
His Genius Wife Is A Superstar
Chapter 290 - The Power Of Mothers
HIS GENIUS WIFE IS A SUPERSTAR
C290 - The Power Of Mothers
Chapter 290 - The Power Of Mothers
The rare cheerful parts of the film was when the young Guan Jintao started winning some minor competitions in his teenage years. His proud mother was happy, but deep inside she was hurting because her beloved husband couldn’t celebrate their son’s achievements together with them.
She continued to work hard to support her son’s increasing expenses. Guan Jintao wanted to help earn some money, suggesting that he work part-time but she rejected his idea. She wanted him to focus on his training and leave all the money worries to her.
This was also around the time Guan Jintao finally noticed that his mother was suffering from depression, though she tried hard to keep it to herself. However, she just dismissed his concerns, telling him not to worry about her.
"It’s a mother’s job to worry about her child, not the other way around," she told him.
After winning a major swimming competition, a coach noticed Guan Jintao’s talent. Many already knew about this part of the story from Guan Jintao’s own biopics. The coach and athlete would create history together.
The coach took the teenager under his tutelage, greatly easing off most of the financial burdens from Guan Jintao’s mother.
Guan Jintao started to dominate swimming competitions nationally and internationally. He gradually became a well-known figure in both parasports [1] and unified sports [2].
Knowing that his mother was cheering for him among the stands, he thought that perhaps she was already recovering from her depression. He was wrong.
Her depression continued to fester within her, killing her slowly day by day.
Finally, Guan Jintao’s biggest dream came true. He participated in the Paralympics held in another country and took home multiple gold medals. When he returned to the country, he received a hero’s welcome and was even awarded recognition by the country’s president for his achievements.
He promised his mother that he would make life easier for her from now on. Although he couldn’t see her smiling because of his blindness, he still felt it. It warmed his heart and made him hopeful that his mother was finally alright.
Throughout his rise as a Paralympian star in the country in the next few years, his mother appeared to become more serene. He took this as good sign and continued to work hard in his sports career. He eventually met and fell in love with a woman. They married and lived together with his mother.
Everything was perfect. Despite his disability, he felt like the happiest man in the world.
Or so he thought.
One day, they found his mother dead on her bed clutching a framed picture of her beloved husband. People who saw her observed that she looked like she was just sleeping peacefully. There was even a soft smile on her face.
An empty packet with traces of an unidentified powder was found on her bedside table beside a sealed enveloped labelled "To My Son". It contained her last words before she ended her own life.
It took a few months after his mother’s funeral before Guan Jintao gathered enough courage to open her suicide note. His wife read it for him.
The suicide note was several pages long. It was through the letter that Guan Jintao finally learned the whole story of his mother’s struggles and sufferings throughout her whole life, especially after his father died before his birth.
His mother fought her inner demons by herself. She must’ve felt so alone, yet she tried to be strong for his sake.
At the end of the letter, she wrote:
"I’m tired. I’ve been tired for a long time, but I couldn’t leave you just yet. Now that you have a loving family of your own and a successful career, I’ve fulfilled my promise to your father. I can finally rest in peace after so many years of yearning for my other half. Never forget that I love you so much and that I’ll always be proud of you. Now I’m off to meet up with my lover, my husband, your father. I’m happy so please be happy for me too. Farewell, my beloved son. Your father and I will continue to watch over you and your family."
Guan Jintao continued to grieve for his mother. But at the same time, he was also relieved that she was finally free from all her living sufferings in this cruel world.
###
The film’s exposure during the first weeks since it premiered was excellent for an indie film but nowhere near the level of the big budget blockbuster movies.
A large part of its publicity was attributed to Iris Long’s continued promotion of both the film and her accompanying soundtrack album.
Paralympian Guan Jintao also took a break from his job to help promote the film, guesting in radio and TV shows and granting interviews for newspapers and magazines. After he retired from his sports career, he began travelling around the world as a motivational speaker. He was also serving as an active ambassador for the country’s sports association for persons with disabilities.
Despite the effort of these two, they still couldn’t compare to the promotional prowess of the blockbuster movies’ superstar actors and actresses. Most people in the country preferred to watch these popular superstars over some unknown actors and actresses in an indie film.
The viewership growth rate of "Strong Yet Broken" was slow and mostly depended from word of mouth and the fans of both Iris Long and Guan Jintao. Although the majority of critic reviews being published praised and raved about the film, the general public avoided it because they heard it was a tragedy. They preferred the usual comedy, romance or action over a serious, true to life tragic movie.
This continued for almost a month until an unexpected development occurred. A leading non-profit organization advocating for mental healthcare in the country suddenly started a vocal support for "Strong Yet Broken".
Some days later, other organizations followed suit. First was a support network of mothers with postpartum depression. Next was an association of parents with children with disabilities. Finally, a women’s issues society joined in supporting the film.
The support from all of these groups was like putting the movie on a rocket and launching it high up the sky for everyone to see. Suddenly, everyone was talking about it.
Using the film as reference, TV programs started featuring serious conversations about motherhood, mental health issues and parenting children with special needs. A few university professors teaching psychology across the country even began making it mandatory for their students to watch the movie.
Before the production crew and cast realized what was happening, "Strong Yet Broken" suddenly became a catalyst for serious conversations about important issues throughout the country. It wasn’t just the film industry that was paying attention to it anymore. Even experts from several other fields such as mental health were lauding its raw and unromanticized depiction of depression.
Finally, the general public started to take notice. Groups of mothers started lining up at the theatres because they heard that the film was about the struggles of motherhood. After watching the film, they all came out of the theatres feeling like they were all squeezed dry of their emotions. They went home to their families and used the film as an example to remind their husbands and children to treasure them, the mothers.
The film wasn’t the only one that benefited from this. A horde of mothers suddenly became freshly minted Black Stars.
With the purchasing power of these mothers, Iris’ soundtrack album which debuted at an underwhelming number 13 in the music charts suddenly skyrocketed up to sit securely at number 2. The cinematic version of "Phantom of Your Love" also reached number 2 in the singles ranking.
Number 1 was taken by a duet of much-loved veteran singers who finally released a love song together after more than a decade. Kicking them off from their top spot would be very difficult even for Iris.
"I can’t believe that the entire film score was composed by a twenty-year old kid!" A mother exclaimed to her fellow new Black Stars who were also mothers.
"I know, right? My eldest son is older than Iris Long, but compared to her achievements, my son still has no idea what to do with his life."
"Iris Long, I want to hate you because every time I hear ’Phantom of Your Love’, I start remembering the film and cry. You don’t understand how embarrassing it is to suddenly start bawling in the middle of shopping for groceries when the song plays inside the store!"
Iris welcomed her new fans and thanked them for their support. Although she never experienced the warmth and love of a mother, she still commended these mothers for all of their sacrifices.
While all of these were happening, LX Productions called the film’s original producer and the director for a meeting.
The topic?
Award submissions.
###
Notes:
[1] Sports played by people with a disabilities, including physical and intellectual disabilities
[2] Sports involving teams made up of athletes with or without disabilities.
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