Chapter 124: The Aftermath
[Let me translate that simply—who do you think you are?]
[No way! Why is it always some washed-up, no-name has-been, relying on their age to boss others around? Have you ever been popular?]
[Honestly… I don’t even know who Meng Xun is. I swear I’m not just agreeing with Lu Xu—I genuinely don’t know him.]
[Same here…]
Given how countless netizens expressed this sentiment at the same time, the tag #Who Is Meng Xun triumphantly climbed onto the trending list.
[He’s a well-known film critic, an unknown screenwriter, someone whose most popular series peaked at 6,500 popularity score, and who successfully coached 15 actors to win… absolutely zero awards. That Meng Xun.]
[…With that kind of résumé, even I could string together an impressive list of titles.]
[LMAO, Lu Xu and the others actually went on Baidu to look up who Meng Xun is. So serious!]
[Diligent and eager to learn, truly admirable!]
Meng Xun: “…”
After reading Lu Xu’s chat messages, Meng Xun was so furious his hands trembled. The thing he hated most in life was being disrespected. He believed that, after years in the industry, his reputation and credibility were well-established. And yet, Lu Xu didn’t even know who he was!
Even Zhang Zhizhen had always treated him with an equal and respectful attitude!
But now, the trending #Who Is Meng Xun was like tearing off his face and stomping it into the ground.
Fuming with anger, Meng Xun fired off another post on Weibo:
[No matter who I am, it doesn’t change the fact that Feather of Youth is a trash film.]
Netizens: “…”
But scrolling back through his earlier posts, they quickly discovered that just over half a month ago, during the National Day movie season, Meng Xun had showered Song of Tears with lavish praise, hailing it as “an unbeatable masterpiece in the youth film genre” and predicting it would “lead this category into a new era.”
To this, netizens responded:
[We’ve heard of the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods, but not the ‘Pile-of-Dog-Crap’ period.]
Meng Xun was shouting loudly, but he couldn’t stop Feather of Youth from receiving genuine feedback from its audience.
Though film critics like him had a certain degree of influence, they were far from authoritative in the eyes of viewers. After all, as the film market grew more mature and promotional channels became increasingly complex, instances of critics taking money for favorable reviews were hardly rare.
For example, Meng Xun’s glowing praise for Song of Tears felt suspiciously like a paid endorsement. Of course, there was also the possibility that Meng Xun, with his outdated sense of taste, genuinely believed in supporting such stories about “a happy family living harmoniously together.”
The reality was that the majority of mainstream audiences were now young people, while so-called “authorities” like Meng Xun were typically over fifty and gradually losing touch with the market.
…
Meanwhile, Feather of Youth opened with a score of 9.5 on a certain review platform. Although the score gradually dropped to 9.4 as the days went by, the most liked review of the film was heartfelt and deeply moving.
[I was once a badminton player. I made it into the provincial team and almost into the national team. Like Yin Pei in the movie, I couldn’t make it because— I got injured. From that point on, badminton and I were destined to part ways.
[Training was grueling. I gave everything I had to climb higher, to step onto the international stage. I once described those days as endlessly dark. Yet, when I completely left the court, I realized that not being able to compete anymore was the true endless darkness.
[I can’t even bring myself to hear anything related to badminton now. Every time fans lament the lack of talent in the sport, I can’t help but wonder: if I had made it to the international stage, would I have performed better than the current players? When we were young, my teammates and I all dreamed of being the chosen star destined to shine.
[Competitive sports are incredibly cruel—far harsher than what’s portrayed in Feather of Youth. But I was genuinely inspired by Yin Pei in the film. I know very well that, with my current physical condition, it’s impossible for me to return to the provincial team, let alone join the national team. But I can still play badminton.
[Even though my body has betrayed me, my soul still loves badminton. I want to pick up my racket again, for the sake of the person I used to be who loved badminton so much.]
This review, which garnered tens of thousands of likes, came from Zhong Wei.
Although no other review had as many likes, many viewers shared how they, too, were inspired by the experiences of Yin Pei and his friends.
[For me, it’s my final year in college, and I’m at a crossroads in my life. I want to pursue a master’s degree, and after graduation, I want to go into research. But my family can’t afford it. Even though my parents love me and are willing to support me however they can, I can’t let them go into debt for the sake of my dreams.
[I’m more afraid of them feeling guilty about it. My mom once said that if we lived in the city and had better resources, I’d have been able to go to a better university and live a better life.
[But I don’t feel any resentment. I think life is already great the way it is. Feather of Youth fired me up and gave me hope. I can work while studying, and someday I’ll become someone great—someone who gets to work alongside great people! Let’s go!]
Though the storyline of Feather of Youth was far simpler than that of Deception, it surpassed Deception in emotional resonance. Moreover, Feather of Youth was more grounded in reality, which led to a flood of heartfelt reviews rooted in viewers’ own experiences.
Despite being a niche genre, the movie still managed to captivate a considerable audience.
Some movies have mainstream plots and commercialized themes. Such films typically involve significant investments and face fierce competition. Only when their quality reaches a certain standard can they outshine their rivals and draw audiences into the cinema. On the other hand, Feather of Youth belongs to a niche genre. Its success hinges on attracting the audience that loves youth sports films, and if it can do that, its box office performance won’t fall short either.
Whether a film can attract viewers ultimately depends on the skill of the director and the creative team.
For Feather of Youth, this was not a concern—because the lead actor was Lu Xu.
…
Hu Yan and Guo Yingyu were attending their first roadshow.
Though both had acted before, their previous roles were minor and unremarkable, so they’d never had the opportunity to participate in a promotional tour as part of the main cast. This time, Feather of Youth gave them that chance, and they were so nervous they could barely contain themselves, worried that the audience wouldn’t recognize them.
However, the moment they entered the screening hall, a wave of enthusiasm hit them head-on, catching them completely off guard.
According to the entry order, the director walked in first, followed by Lu Xu, and then the two of them. The moment Lu Xu stepped into the hall, the crowd erupted into thunderous cheers.
It felt like the roof was about to be blown off.
Guo Yingyu was almost frozen in place.
Although she had known during her time with Lu Xu that he was extremely popular, it was only at this kind of live event that she truly realized how overwhelming his star power was.
It was… enviable, and awe-inspiring.
Looking at the opening-day box office for Feather of Youth, it was clear that out of the 130 million yuan earned, over 30 million could be directly attributed to Lu Xu’s presence.
Guo Yingyu and Hu Yan had no doubt about this fact.
Even after working with him on set for so long, Guo Yingyu couldn’t help but marvel at how outrageously handsome Lu Xu looked with just a little grooming. It was the kind of striking appearance that created immense pressure on those around him.
So, she discreetly shot Hu Yan a look, signaling for him to stand next to Lu Xu.
Hu Yan blinked innocently. “You’re not standing next to him, so I have to?”
“Who else?” Guo Yingyu continued her silent gesturing.
Hu Yan: “…”
Resigned, he quietly maneuvered around to stand on the far side of Director Feng Rui, while Guo Yingyu positioned herself even farther out, next to him.
The director didn’t mind—he didn’t need to worry about maintaining an image.
Both Hu Yan and Guo Yingyu were deeply moved by the brilliance of their tactical positioning.
The roadshow turned out to be much more entertaining than they had imagined. During the event, Lu Xu even played two quick rounds of badminton with the audience. Meanwhile, Feng Rui and Hu Yan, as if on cue, tugged up the hem of Lu Xu’s long T-shirt, revealing his lean, toned abdominal muscles.
The crowd’s screams became deafening.
[Am I even allowed to see this?]
[Bonus! This is an absolute bonus!!]
[Quick, take pictures! Director, hold it steady, hold it steady!]
By this point, Feather of Youth had already held several roadshow events, but the audience at this one was by far the most enthusiastic. The GIFs of Lu Xu showing off his physique spread like wildfire online.
[?????]
[…What the hell is this!]
[@FengRui @HuYan, next time you plan something like this, give me a heads-up, okay? Thanks!]
[I’ve given up complaining. I just want more… just more… And honestly, I object to this—why doesn’t Lu Puppy Lu take more photos?! No need to Photoshop in extra pecs or stick on fake muscles. The natural look is already perfect.]
[As someone who has seen that Z-brand ad about a million times, I demand photos right now! Motto, motto!]
[Shocking! A famous actor shamelessly uses his looks to boost ticket sales!]
[Lu Puppy, you wouldn’t want to lose box office revenue, would you?]
[…Wow, you guys are so bold with your phrasing. Don’t forget, this is Jinjiang!]
GIFs of Lu Xu showing off his abs went viral, and freshly bumped off the #Who Is Meng Xun # trending topic, Meng Xun couldn’t help but rant about the “decline of morals” and how “selling meat doesn’t last.” After holding back for a while, fans finally let loose in the comments.
[But you can’t.]
[But you can’t.]
[[Clown][Clown][Clown][Clown][Clown]]
[[Clown].]
[When the tide goes out, you see who’s the real clown.]
[I like watching it, so what? Mind your own business.]
The clown emoji spammed Meng Xun’s comment section non-stop. No matter what he posted, his replies were awash in colorful clown faces.
Meng Xun: […Can’t the platform just delete the clown emoji?]
In response, fans commented: [That just makes you look even more like one.]
…
All in all, after this round of the roadshow, the box office for Feather of Youth saw another small uptick. The film’s performance showed an unusual pattern:
Its daily earnings dropped slightly but then rebounded just as subtly, consistently hovering around 50 million yuan per day. On weekends, the box office saw a minor boost, while weekdays dipped a bit. Yet, overall, the numbers remained robust.
With this steady momentum, Feather of Youth cruised past the 400 million yuan milestone, then slowly reached 500 million, 600 million… and eventually, when its total box office surpassed 1 billion yuan, the industry was collectively stunned.
“Was Feather of Youth projected to hit this figure when it first came out?”
“Another 1-billion-yuan movie? Seriously?”
“???”
However, the film’s box office earnings didn’t stop at 1 billion.
Objectively speaking, the production team’s decision to release Feather of Youth during the relatively quiet late-October window was indeed very wise. From its premiere date to the Christmas and New Year periods, no other highly competitive films hit the market.
As a result, Feather of Youth managed to maintain its screenings.
When the total box office reached 1.5 billion yuan, the industry fell silent.
Feather of Youth was merely a low-budget youth film, yet it had managed to rake in 1.5 billion yuan. In terms of box office performance for films starring him, Lu Xu had undeniably solidified his position as one of the top actors of his generation.
The critical point was—
“Every single project of his makes tens of millions in profit off of investments of just a few million. So, what would happen if he starred in a film with a budget of over 100 million?”
Even before inviting Lu Xu to such a project, producers could already savor the sweet scent of money.