How To Deal With Being Transmigrated As The Scumbag Ex-Wife - Chapter 15

15: Movie Premiere

Star Making Plan quickly passed censorship and secured a public release permit, but Yu Qingjia and the distributor clashed over the release date.

Yu Qingjia wanted February 4, so they could catch the tail end of the Lunar New Year holiday. Despite positive test screenings, the distributor believed more pre-release promotion and a late March release—after the holiday, would boost box office.

Yu Qingjia understood their reasoning for avoiding the crowded Lunar New Year slot. This year’s holiday featured three comedies: Life’s Adventures, Back to High School, and Me and My Family. Back to High School was a sequel to a film that, two years prior, turned a 5 million yuan investment into 500 million yuan at the box office—a stunning achievement that made competitors wary.

How often could a 5 million yuan investment yield 500 million yuan?

But what if it happened again? No one could be sure.

Beyond these, the Lunar New Year’s biggest contender was Beacon Beauty, directed by Yuan Jing, set for February 1. Yuan Jing, one of three directors poached by Huayue from Tianyue, was low-key but more skilled than Zhou Jin.

When Zhou Jin mocked Yu Qingjia and Tianyue, it reflected the stance of these three directors. If Star Making Plan released during the holiday, it would directly compete with Beacon Beauty. This unspoken rivalry would draw massive attention, pitting Yu Qingjia, a transitioning director, against Yuan Jing, a near-A-list director, and Tianyue against Huayue.

In the end, Yu Qingjia won the negotiation.

With the full release of Star Making Plan’s trailer, news spread that the film would hit theaters nationwide on February 4.

This bold scheduling drew intense attention. Reporters, eager for a juicy rivalry, rushed to interview Beacon Beauty’s director Yuan Jing and producer Yu Xing. Yuan Jing stayed out of verbal spats, but Yu Xing was blunt: “Star Making Plan’s move is suicidal. Tianyue’s clearly desperate.”

As a Tianyue subsidiary, Xinghui’s actions were seen as Tianyue’s directives. To outsiders, Star Making Plan’s release date was a direct challenge to Beacon Beauty.

Yu Xing’s remarks sparked heated debate. Some supported him, calling his bluntness justified—people climb upward, water flows downward, who could blame Tianyue for losing talent? Others criticized his tactlessness, accusing him of ingratitude.

“WTF, this is wild. Yu Xing’s harsh, but he’s right—this is a suicide attack. Tianyue’s out of options.”

“Why assume Tianyue’s desperate? The director’s Yu Qingjia, Tianyue’s second princess. If she wants it, Tianyue makes it happen.”

“Let’s bet. I’ll say ‘Star Making Plan’ flops /husky.”

“Bet? It’s obvious. I say Star Making Plan won’t hit 500 million yuan. If it does, I’ll livestream eating sh1t.”

“I’m grabbing a Star Making Plan ticket, not for the movie, but to see Mr. Grumpy livestream eating sh1t.”

“Don’t be rash, dude. Wait for the first three days’ box office before talking big (though I’d love to see it).”

“I got a premiere ticket for Star Making Plan. I’ll let you guys know how it is.”

Online buzz surged. As the director, Yu Qingjia received countless interview requests but declined them all, citing the upcoming premiere.

Reporters scrambled to secure Star Making Plan premiere tickets through connections.

To build hype, Tianyue invited major stars under its banner to the premiere. Confident in the film, the organizers also invited notorious sharp-tongued critics alongside the media.

Premiere Day for Star Making Plan

Backstage, Yu Qingjia rejected the stylist’s attempt to touch her hair. Unable to sway her, the stylist designed her makeup around the quirky haircut.

Pan Xing, in a light-colored suit, came backstage to find her. Seeing Yu Qingjia’s striking, glamorous face in the mirror, Pan Xing’s eyes lit up with undisguised awe. But noticing the bold hairstyle, she chuckled. “New haircut again?”

Hearing the familiar voice, Yu Qingjia, scribbling notes, glanced up casually and nodded. “Yeah, doesn’t it look great?”

“It’s great, but…” Pan Xing, stifling laughter, looked amused. “You’re fine until you open your mouth, then the vibe’s ruined.” It looked a bit silly.

Yu Qingjia put on decorative gold-rimmed glasses, raising an eyebrow. “How about now?”

Pan Xing gave an unhesitating thumbs-up. “Gorgeous, absolute stunner.”

No joke, the glasses added a restrained allure, especially when she glanced up or down, utterly captivating.

“Even with the flattery, no pay raise,” Yu Qingjia teased. Pan Xing’s eyes sparkled. “You’re already planning another movie?”

This one hadn’t even been released, and she was prepping a new project?

“Of course.” Yu Qingjia tossed her sketchbook onto the table. Pan Xing leaned over, seeing stick figures from different angles—a storyboard draft. Surprised, she said, “You’re already this far along?”

Standing as an assistant adjusted her outfit, Yu Qingjia glanced at the sketchbook. “Nah, just doodling. Nothing else to do.”

Pan Xing nearly rolled her eyes, laughing. “They said you were busy reviewing scripts, but you’re slacking off here?”

“What’s to prepare?” Yu Qingjia adjusted her glasses nonchalantly. “The media just wants me to trade barbs with Yu Xing. I’ll give them a show, it’s a win-win publicity.”

Anyone with sense wouldn’t call a truce now. People wanted directors or producers to clash, fueling hype. Yu Xing might not truly think Yu Qingjia was unfit to direct, he didn’t care who the director was. Her bold scheduling was a golden opportunity for him.

It was simple: buzz equaled money. Who’d say no to that?

Now, online chatter ignores films like Life’s Adventures or Back to High School. All eyes were on Beacon Beauty and Star Making Plan.

No matter how fierce the online fights, industry insiders remained friendly offstage—an unspoken rule.

As expected, during the Q&A, the first reporter to grab the mic eagerly asked, “Is Star Making Plan’s February 4 release meant to challenge Director Yuan Jing’s Beacon Beauty?”

Yu Qingjia’s expression didn’t waver. She glanced up, her cool, glamorous aura nearly piercing the lens. “Isn’t that obvious?”

The room fell silent, but camera flashes intensified.

The reporter, barely containing excitement, pressed, “What do you think of Producer Yu Xing’s claim that Star Making Plan is suicidal?”

Yu Qingjia smiled faintly, her gaze calm and composed. “I’ve heard plenty of big talk. Once Star Making Plan releases, he’ll see whose time is up.”

Before the reporter could respond, she took the mic. “I’ll be clear: this film will hit at least 1 billion yuan at the box office. If it doesn’t, I’ll quit the industry.”

The crowd erupted. They’d expected a spat with Yu Xing, but not Yu Qingjia throwing down such a bold gauntlet—1 billion yuan or she’d retire!

1 billion!

Last year, only five films crossed 1 billion yuan, four being foreign blockbusters. The sole domestic film, The City, got a boost from winning a Kyoto A-Class Film Festival Crystal Award.

A transitioning director claiming 1 billion yuan? Who was talking big now?

The reporters weren’t the only ones stunned, the cast and crew onstage were floored. Pan Xing stared at her in disbelief.

The distributor estimated 800 million yuan conservatively, and she casually bet her career on 1 billion yuan?

Fearing more bombshells, the host rushed to end the Q&A and start the screening.

But after that, who could focus on the movie? Reporters and critics were already drafting headlines for maximum clicks, assuming the film couldn’t possibly live up to the hype.

Five minutes in, however, the movie captivated them. The audience rode the protagonist’s emotional waves, laughing when Pan Xing’s character, Zhang Xing, was pressured to get plastic surgery, only to spot Yu Qingjia as the hospital’s ad model—a surprise cameo that cracked everyone up.

Yu Qingjia often made brief appearances in her films, as a passerby or in ads, just enough to leave an impression.

By the end, spontaneous applause thundered, nearly lifting the venue’s roof.

No wonder Yu Qingjia had the guts to make that claim, she had the goods to back it up. The movie was good.

As the premiere ended, reporters and critics rushed to publish their reviews.

Within ten minutes, articles about Star Making Plan’s premiere flooded the internet—

“Yu Qingjia: If Star Making Plan Doesn’t Hit 1 Billion Yuan, I’ll Quit the Industry—Big Talk or Confidence?”

“Yu Qingjia’s Directorial Debut: What Is Star Making Plan About?”

“Douzi’s 1.2 Rating: The Underestimated Yu Qingjia and Star Making Plan”

“Star Making Plan: One Word, Great!”

…

Netizens eating popcorn: ???

The overwhelming praise was expected yet stung. “Shameless money-grabbing!” some spat.

…

Since Yu Qingjia got the same haircut as Zhizhi, Ming Yin considered her a friend, occasionally checking her Weibo and news.

After reading “Yu Qingjia: If Star-Making Doesn’t Hit 1 Billion Yuan, I’ll Quit the Industry—Big Talk or Confidence?”, Ming Yin frowned, then summoned Assistant Lin. “Tell HR to add movie tickets to this year’s employee benefits, including for families.”

Assistant Lin had a hunch but asked for confirmation. “Any specific movie?”

Ming Yin glanced at her. “Yes, Star Making Plan.”