CHAPTER 329: CHAPTER 325 GOURMET (REQUESTING MONTHLY TICKETS)

An Feng sometimes seems very brave, but she actually doesn’t have much confidence.

Like when she took the initiative to hold Qi Hao’s hand.

And when she brought up the topic of confessing.

She did all these things because she wanted to.

However, she had never really thought about the consequences of these actions.

If she actively held Qi Hao’s hand, what if Qi Hao thought she was too casual?

What if she brought up the confession, and Qi Hao said it was all a misunderstanding? That he just wanted to have fun and wasn’t looking for a real girlfriend?

Now, if she brought up the idea of "cooking," would Qi Hao find her annoying?

She had no idea.

She didn’t even think about it carefully.

In a sense, she’s a risk-taker.

Looking at Qi Hao, who seemed hungry for something, An Feng suddenly had a bad feeling about what might happen next.

Wasn’t this too sudden?

During the day, her mom warned her to behave until she got engaged.

It’d be better to wait until after the wedding to do what’s necessary.

And here she was, turning into a dish the same day.

However, she couldn’t bring herself to say anything to back down.

Because in their repeated entanglements, she actually felt hungry too.

It was a kind of craving for food.

"Why don’t you wait a bit before cooking..."

An Feng gently wrapped her arms around Qi Hao’s neck and bravely gave him a smile.

"Do you want to wash the vegetables first?"

Qi Hao looked at the big bed and then at the bathroom.

This was their first meal.

It had to be done with full ceremony.

"You really are something!"

What else could An Feng say? She had never seen someone wash vegetables and end up cleaning themselves too.

After washing the vegetables, he started prepping and stir-frying them.

Qi Hao wasn’t a total stranger to this; he had acted for over a decade, with some roles involving warm scenes and emotional depictions.

Whether it was washing, prepping vegetables, or stir-frying, he had decent theoretical knowledge.

Thanks to his washing and prepping, the already exquisite dishes looked even more appetizing.

In fact, the process of stir-frying was quite enjoyable.

The first time stir-frying was a bit rushed.

Most people trying to stir-fry for the first time probably face this.

No matter how much theoretical knowledge you’ve learned or how much imagination you’ve used, it can’t beat actually cooking a dish.

The heat of the oil, the level of fire, the taste...

So, Qi Hao couldn’t help but fry a few more dishes.

Stir-fry and turn them over again and again.

The entire August following that, Qi Hao was mostly free.

In the morning, the two of them would jog along the Shichahai Riverfront with their dog and have breakfast outside.

If there was nothing else, they’d read books and pet cats together.

Qi Hao would cook lunch.

They’d fry a dish together and take a nap.

In the afternoon, they’d go shopping, watch a movie, or catch a play...

Before bed, they’d go back to stir-frying.

"As close as glue" was more than just an idiom now.

The training space couldn’t keep up anymore.

Had it not been for "Those Years" finally premiering, the two might have continued to be lost in their own world.

On the day of the film’s premiere, Qi Hao and An Feng attended the premiere ceremony.

A lot of media came.

Practically everyone who could come was there, even more impressive than Zhang Yimou’s premiere.

Zhang Yimou’s new film "Love Under the Hawthorn Tree" was scheduled for September, same as Qi Hao’s "Uncle."

Currently, Zhang Yimou is already touring around with the male and female leads for promotion.

No one knows how his aesthetics have gradually downgraded.

Initially, you could say Emperor Gong wasn’t pretty, but at least she had grandeur and character.

Her successor Zhang Ziyi was a step down.

The new Zhang Yimou’s Girl was even harder to describe.

Some harsh internet users compared her to "two screws tightened on an iron board."

Facing the National Preceptor, Qi Hao didn’t expect to win, but he felt he could afford to lose.

After all, he was still under thirty, with endless possibilities in the future.

Whereas the National Preceptor was gradually aging, and his creative passion seemed to be shifting towards cash-grabbing, evident from his rather perfunctory "Three Guns."

Competing with "Those Years" was "Dragon and Phoenix Inn," which premiered on August 19th with Ren Xianqi and Big S as leads.

Earlier, Chen Musheng’s "Citywide Alert" released on August 2nd; it was still showing, but the outcome of flopping had been preordained, posing no threat to "Those Years."

Likewise were "Jade Pearl" and "High School Musical," both disaster at the box office.

Huang Xiaoming’s "Tang Bohu Points Autumn Fragrance 2: Four Great Scholars" released in July was eclipsed by Feng Xiaogang’s "Great Earthquake."

Xiaoming has been persistently moving into films, losing multiple times.

In other words, consistently losing battles.

The gap between him and Qi Hao was thought to be widening.

Feng Xiaogang’s "Great Earthquake" premiered on July 22nd and was still hot, with total box office exceeding 500 million. Currently, Feng Xiaogang was spurring buzz online, boosting the film’s hype.

"Great Earthquake" had confirmed an extension of its screening period, meaning it was sharing the same release window as "Those Years."

In other words, Qi Hao’s "Those Years" was pitted against Feng Xiaogang.

The next "Uncle" would go head-to-head with Zhang Yimou’s "Love Under the Hawthorn Tree" and Xu Ke’s "Heaven-Reaching Empire."

Following that, "Heartbreak 33 Days" would compete with Chen Kaige’s "The Orphan of Zhao."

If "Heartbreak 33 Days" got delayed, it could even face Jiang Wen’s "Let the Bullets Fly" and Feng Xiaogang’s "If You Are the One 2."

For the latter half of the year, Qi Hao was pretty much set for bouts with super directors.

Industry insiders felt his good fortune was depleted by "First Love, This Little Thing" and "Lost on Journey."

All his releases in the second half of the year were up against big directors.

The box office was bound to be affected.

However, some people were quite optimistic about "Those Years."

Although it seemed like a confrontation with Feng Xiaogang, "Great Earthquake" premiered in July, and its peak had already passed.

As for "Dragon and Phoenix Inn," Ren Xianqi and Big S couldn’t anchor the box office in the mainland.

The market for these Hong Kong film comedies was concerning.

Additionally, "Those Years" had the national level rumor buzz of Qi Hao and An Feng boosting it.

A box office explosion was foreseeable.

Since Qi Hao and An Feng announced their relationship, they’ve stayed out of the public eye.

Yet, their rumored romance remained hot over the past month or more.

Besides, typical promotional budgets didn’t need to be spent on the movie anymore.

Fueling the curiosity were everyday moments caught on camera, like the two leading actors holding hands with the backdrop of Tian’anmen.

The brightly fluttering red flags made people wonder what time they had to get up to watch the flag-raising ceremony and bask in the love they expressed.

There was also a photo of them sitting in a park, clearly looking as though they were deeply in love.

Fake relationship?

Saying that would be turning a blind eye to their romance.

Now, seeing them on screen break up in the movie and the leading lady marrying someone else in "Those Years," audience interest was piqued immediately.

No, it’s not because we lack compassion; we just want to see if you two break up in real life too.

If the movie doesn’t show you such moments, we will act them out in reality for you.

The premiere night, Qi Hao and An Feng walked the red carpet in a laid-back manner for the first time.

This casualness was only in comparison to custom high fashion outfits.

This time, their style was an extension of their everyday lives.

Now Zhonghao Entertainment had bought out the full IP rights.

They were handling these kinds of movie merch, too.

When they arrived at the venue, they were nearly swamped by the media.

Luckily, precautions were taken, and a large security team was there to protect Qi Hao.

The aim was to steer today’s hype towards the movie.

Damn it!

We all just want to get an in-depth interview about you and Qi Hao’s relationship and ask when you plan to break up.

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