novellhall Chapter 92 Explosion
Chapter 92 Explosion
Chapter 98 Explosion
At midnight, "Better Days" was released nationwide.
Chen Nianbei didn't go to any cinemas to watch midnight screenings. He stayed in his apartment, turning off his phone, the TV, and all other devices that might receive outside information.
He simply sat by the floor-to-ceiling window in his study, looking at the winter night sky over Beijing, where occasionally a night-flying plane would flash its lights as it flew by.
This wasn't tension. It was a strange calm.
Everything that needed to be done has been done. More than two hundred days and nights of filming, countless revisions, and the tears and applause of five hundred pairs of eyes at the premiere.
Now, this film is truly handed over to the audience.
At two o'clock in the morning, he turned on his phone.
He had 999+ unread messages and 99+ missed calls. He ignored them and opened Weibo directly.
The top trending topic: #BetterDays# is trending.
The second trending topic: #XiaoBei# is trending.
The third trending topic: #Chen Nianbei's acting skills# are amazing.
The fourth trending topic: #ZhouDongyuChenNian# is trending.
The fifth trending topic: #BetterDaysICrySoMuch# is trending.
Of the top ten trending topics, seven were related to "Better Days".
He clicked on the #BetterDays# topic, and the first post was a film critic's real-time feedback from the midnight screening: "Just came out of the theater. 2:17 AM. I sat in the car for ten minutes before I calmed down. Xiao Bei, played by Chen Nianbei, isn't just a character; he's a living, breathing person."
His eyes, his silence, the softness hidden beneath his hard exterior, and his final words through the glass, "You protect the world, I protect you"—I don't know how to describe them.
All I want to say is that Chinese-language cinema has produced another iconic young character who will go down in history.
It was forwarded 200,000 times and received 80,000 comments.
The comments were full of crying emojis: "I cried through a whole pack of tissues, and the girl next to me handed me a second pack."
"In the last shot, when Xiao Bei was standing across the street, I completely broke down."
"Is Chen Nianbei a devil? How did he manage to act that way?"
"I was just watching it with my girlfriend, but now I'm secretly wiping away tears in the bathroom."
"Xiao Bei, you must come out—you must walk in the sunshine."
He read them one by one, without crying, but his eyes welled up with tears.
The box office figures were released the next day.
Box office on opening day: 1.24 million.
This figure shocked the industry. A youth film with realistic themes, no big budgets, and a sensitive subject matter, broke 100 million yuan on its opening day?
This was almost unimaginable in the market environment at the time.
Even more astonishing is the average attendance of 65 people per screening, far exceeding that of other films released during the same period.
Zhang Lei sent him a message at 3 a.m., consisting of only a string of exclamation marks.
At 7 a.m., he posted another message: "Brother Bei, things have exploded at Enlight Media. They say this trend might push it to 1 billion."
Chen Nianbei didn't reply. He was waiting for another set of data.
The rating was released on Douban at noon.
9.2 points.
Chen Nianbei stared at that number and remained silent for a long time.
9.2. For a domestic youth film, this is an almost mythical score.
This signifies a rare consensus among audiences and film critics: this is not just a good movie, but a movie worth remembering.
Below the rating, there are already over 50,000 short reviews.
"Five stars. Not for anything else, but for the look in Chen Nianbei's eyes."
"Xiao Bei reminds me of Léon from 'Léon: The Professional.' The same silence, the same protection, the same gentleness."
"Zhou Dongyu is a genius, and so is Chen Nianbei. When two geniuses come together, this movie comes to be."
"I don't want to discuss acting, directing, or cinematography. I just want to ask: Did Xiao Bei finally come out? Did he walk in the sunlight?"
"After watching the movie, I called my mom. I didn't say anything, I just cried."
The box office reached 1.56 million yuan on the second day. 1.83 million yuan on the third day. 4.63 million yuan at the end of the opening weekend.
The industry was in an uproar.
The headline in *Film Report* was: "The 'Better Days' Phenomenon: How Did Realistic Themes Ignite the Prelude to the Spring Festival Film Season?"
China Film News analyzed it from an industry perspective: "When young actors like Chen Nianbei choose to immerse themselves in their roles, the market's response is that audiences are willing to pay for good acting."
The Beijing News' commentary was more emotional: "Why do we need Xiao Bei? Because he showed us that even in the deepest darkness, there are people willing to be the light for others."
On the fifth day, the box office exceeded 8 million.
On the seventh day, it surpassed 10 billion.
Zhang Lei was completely bewildered. He messaged Chen Nianbei every day, the messages changing from "Brother Bei, are we dreaming?" to "Brother Bei, Guangxian said we're having a celebration party" to "Brother Bei, my mom said she's really popular in the neighborhood now." Chen Nianbei would only reply with an emoji or a simple "Stay calm."
But he himself knew how heavy all of this was.
Discussions on social media have long transcended the film itself, evolving into a social phenomenon.
The hashtag #XiaoBeiStyleGuardianship# has become a trending topic, with countless people sharing the "XiaoBei" in their lives—perhaps a friend, a family member, or simply a stranger's kindness.
The hashtag #YouProtectTheWorldIProtectYou# has been made into various versions of posters, wallpapers, and short videos, flooding social media feeds.
#ChenNianbei'sEyeActing# trended on social media, with tech-savvy netizens analyzing every frame of his eye expressions in the film, creating a 20-minute video that has garnered over 10 million views.
The original novel, "You Are So Beautiful When You Were Young," has once again topped various book charts, prompting the publisher to urgently print an additional 500,000 copies.
Some media outlets have even begun discussing the social issue of "school bullying," and the Ministry of Education's official Weibo account unusually reposted a film review with the caption: "Film is art, reality is responsibility. May every child be treated with kindness."
The reactions from industry peers have also become increasingly enthusiastic over time.
Xu Zheng posted a long article on Weibo titled "Why I Recommend..."
He wrote: "After watching the movie, I sent Xu Xiaoduo a WeChat message saying, 'Dad hopes you can meet someone like Xiao Bei in the future.'"
But more importantly, Dad hopes you will become someone like Xiao Bei.
Chen Nianbei's performance reminded me of a young Tony Leung—not of his looks, but of his ability to act with silence.
When asked about his recent good films in an interview, Peter Chan directly named "Better Days" as the best Chinese youth film I've seen in recent years. I'll remember the actor who played Chen Nianbei.
Jia Zhangke's commentary is more academic: "The value of this film lies in the fact that it uses the narrative shell of a commercial film to carry the social concerns of an art film. The character Xiao Bei is a rare young figure in contemporary Chinese cinema who possesses the temperament of a classical tragedy."
Reactions from abroad came quickly as well.
Variety magazine's film review: "Chinese young actor Chen Nianbei delivers a heartbreaking performance in 'Better Days,' his eyes telling the whole story."
The Hollywood Reporter: "A brutal coming-of-age story about protection and sacrifice, the chemistry between Chen Nianbei and Zhou Dongyu is a cinematic surprise of the year."
The Toronto International Film Festival's official Twitter account tweeted: "We can't wait to invite this film to the festival."
A programmer from the Tokyo International Film Festival sent a private message to Enlight Media: "Is it possible to secure a spot in the main competition in advance?"
The box office momentum continued into the second week.
Day 8, 12 billion. Day 10, 13 billion. Day 15, surpassed 1.5 billion.
This figure has exceeded everyone's initial expectations. A realistic film with an investment of only tens of millions has ultimately grossed over 15 billion—what does this mean?
This means it has become a phenomenal cultural event, and it means it will be written into the history of Chinese cinema.
Enlight Media's stock price hit the daily limit for several consecutive days. The boss personally called Chen Nianbei, his voice brimming with undisguised excitement: "Nianbei, from now on, Enlight Media will be the first to invest in any projects!"
Liu Haocun's reaction was the most complex.
In the film, she plays Wei Lai, who is the perpetrator and the villain.
After the movie was released, she received many private messages from viewers.
Some people criticized her, some praised her acting, and some asked her how she dared to take on such a role.
She was somewhat at a loss and called Chen Nianbei.
"Brother Bei, someone is insulting me—saying that Wei Lai is too bad, and they want to jump into the screen and beat me up."
Chen Nianbei laughed on the other end of the phone: "That's a compliment on your acting."
"Really?"
"Really. The fact that you can make the audience hate you means you brought Wei Lai to life."
Liu Haocun was silent for a moment, then his voice suddenly became softer: "But—some people also sent me private messages saying that they were Wei Lai's victims, and that they cried for a long time after watching the movie. They thanked me for portraying that kind of evil so realistically, making them feel seen."
Chen Nianbei also fell silent.
After a long silence, he said, "Haocun, this is the meaning of what we are doing."
Wang Hao didn't have many scenes, but his portrayal of "Zheng Yi" received a lot of praise.
Some film critics have written articles analyzing his character, saying that he is "the only person in the adult world who tries to understand teenagers."
Upon seeing the article, Wang Hao was so excited that he took screenshots and posted them on several WeChat Moments.
Chen Nianbei commented with a thumbs up below.
Zhang Lei, as a director, became a sought-after new director in the industry overnight.
He was bombarded with interview requests, invitations, and project offers; his phone was practically ringing off the hook. He called Chen Nianbei every day to complain, "Brother Bei, I'm just an ordinary person who's made two low-budget films, why do they treat me like a god?" Chen Nianbei laughed and said, "Then you are a god."
In the third week, the box office exceeded 18 billion.
In the fourth week, it surpassed 20 billion.
Ultimately, "Better Days" grossed a total of 22.8 billion yuan.
This figure made it the strongest dark horse before the 2018 Spring Festival, the highest-grossing realistic youth film in Chinese film history, and the most dazzling achievement in Chen Nianbei's resume.
But more important than box office success is the impression it leaves on the audience.
On Weibo, the story of an ordinary girl was forwarded 300,000 times.
She wrote: "I was bullied when I was in high school. It wasn't very serious, but it was enough to make me want to disappear every day."
Later, a boy would follow me after school every day, not too far away, not too close, just following me. I never spoke to him, nor did I ever ask him why.
I haven't seen him since after the college entrance exam. After watching "Better Days," I frantically searched for him, wanting to ask if he was my "Xiao Bei."
I didn't find him. But I suddenly realized that whether he was Xiao Bei or not wasn't important; what mattered was that Xiao Bei truly existed in this world.
Chen Nianbei saw this Weibo post and reposted it.
He didn't comment, he just forwarded it.
But the girl later posted a new message: "Chen Nianbei retweeted my Weibo post! I cried! Xiaobei, thank you!"
There was another one written by a boy: "I'm the kind of 'Little North' from legend. Nobody cared about me growing up, I just drifted through life, got into fights, and thought that's how my life would be."
Later, I met someone who inspired me to become a better person. Although we didn't end up together, I've now been admitted to university and am studying law, hoping to help those who have no one else to help them in the future.
I cried after watching the movie. Thank you, Chen Nianbei, for letting me see myself in you.
Chen Nianbei also reposted it. This time he added an emoji: hands clasped together.
At the end of its one-month run, "Better Days" broke several records:
Top 10 domestic films at the box office this year;
The highest-grossing realistic youth film in Chinese film history;
It received a Douban rating of 8.9 (after stabilizing) and was selected as one of Douban's Top 10 of the Year.
The acting skills of lead actors Chen Nianbei and Zhou Dongyu have been hailed as god-like;
Director Zhang Lei rose to fame overnight;
Supporting actors such as Liu Haocun and Wang Hao have garnered widespread attention;
The theme song "We Are Fine" became a hit single of the year;
"You protect the world, I protect you" became a popular phrase of the year.
Three celebration banquets were held.
The first event was held inside Enlight Media, but Chen Nianbei didn't attend. He had Lao Zhao attend in his place, explaining that he was "studying a new script."
The second scene was for the film crew in Chongqing. Chen Nianbei went. That night, he drank a lot with Zhang Lei, talked for a long time about cinematography with Cao Yu, discussed art direction details with Li Miao, and toasted with every staff member. Zhou Dongyu also came; the two smiled at each other without saying a word, but their eyes were both red. Liu Haocun and Wang Hao cried their eyes out, clinging to Chen Nianbei and refusing to let go.
The third event was a fan meeting in Beijing. Chen Nianbei, Zhou Dongyu, Zhang Lei, Liu Haocun, and Wang Hao were all present. More than 3,000 people came, filling the entire venue. When Chen Nianbei went on stage, the screams almost lifted the roof off.
He stood on the stage, looking at the densely packed light boards, banners, and glow sticks below, at the old fans who had been supporting him since 2013, and at the light board held up by Wang Churan, Liu Haocun (super topic administrator Liu Haocun, not actor Liu Haocun), and Tian Xiwei that read "Five years have passed, and we are still here."
He held the microphone and remained silent for a long time.
Then he said, "Five years ago, I was a sophomore at the Beijing Film Academy. At that time, I told myself that I wanted to become a real actor."
He paused.
"Five years later, because of you, because of these characters, because of 'Better Days,' I feel that I am a little closer to that goal."
The audience erupted in the loudest applause and screams.
He waited for the applause to subside before continuing, "Xiao Bei will always be in my heart. And she will always be in your hearts. But Xiao Bei's story has ended. Chen Nianbei's story will continue."
He bowed deeply to the audience.
That night, Chen Nianbei returned to her apartment, stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, and looked at the myriad lights of Beijing.
His phone still had countless unread messages. Naza said, "I sneaked into the fan meeting today and stood in the last row. You're awesome!" Dilraba said, "Teacher Chen! I treated everyone on set to milk tea today to celebrate your movie! They all said you're amazing!"
Kong Sheng said, "22.8 billion. Not bad."
He read them one by one and replied to them one by one.
Finally, he put down his phone and looked out the window.
22.8 billion views, 8.9 rating on Douban, countless tears and resonance.
This is the answer sheet that "Better Days" gave him.
But Chen Nianbei knew that this was not the end.
His next role is still waiting for him.
Outside the window, stars twinkle in the night sky above B.