The Fake Daughter is a Max-Level Green Tea [Transmigrated into a Book] - Chapter 68

Chapter 68: The Movie Release

After the premiere ceremony, Inversion officially hit theaters, riding the wave of the Lunar New Year season.

The Lunar New Year period brings massive foot traffic; pre-sale tickets for the opening shows had been snatched up long ago. Lu Chaoqing and Lin Chumu eventually settled on a midnight screening. They lived in a first-tier city filled with migrant workers, many of whom had rushed home before New Year’s Eve. Consequently, the midnight show had a sparse attendance—less than half full—while every other time slot was packed to capacity.

The star-studded cast of Inversion was enough to entice most audiences. After the first wave of reviews from the premiere, the feedback was generally positive. While it didn’t reach the exceptionally high scores of the director’s previous high-brow dramas, it held a clear lead with an 80% approval rating.

The film was a rare market find: a dual-narrative plot that, surprisingly, didn’t drag.

The story is set in an elite private school. The Female Lead (played by Fang Qiuqi) and Xiang Yunchen (played by Lu Chaoqing) are the only two students from underprivileged backgrounds.

During a break between classes, the Female Lead overhears a group of students gossiping about the school’s star figure, Xu Mulin (played by Lin Chumu), and a certain profligate playboy. The conversation eventually shifts to Xiang Yunchen, and the tone changes from admiration for Xu Mulin to vicious insults directed at the girl.

One girl complains that Xu Mulin rejected her brother’s advances only because that “big-mouthed gossip” Xiang Yunchen spoke ill of him behind his back; otherwise, the campus goddess would have already been won over by her charming brother. The Female Lead isn’t particularly interested in the drama until she sees the group cornering Xiang Yunchen, kicking and punching her.

The slender girl is outnumbered. Perhaps because she doesn’t look like she wants to fight back, she apologizes to the group over and over. When that fails, she simply curls up in silence, protecting her head. Eventually, the bullies grow tired and leave, only to spot the expressionless Female Lead standing nearby.

“Thinking of snitching?”

A tall, heavy-set girl grabs the Female Lead’s hair and yanks it back. The sharp pain on her scalp alerts the Female Lead to the danger, but she doesn’t back down. After a stern confrontation, the bullies sneer and walk away without a word. However, a few days later, when the scholarship results are announced, the Female Lead—who should have won—loses to a classmate with inferior grades.

As she watches the winner accept the award, she sees the arrogant smiles of the bullies, a clear sign of what happens when one offends them.

Furthermore, some of those students come from families with local political influence.

The Female Lead wants to take the civil service exam; she cannot afford a single blemish on her record. For these people, framing her for a crime would be all too easy. Seeing her mother’s disappointed face after losing the scholarship, the next time she sees Xiang Yunchen being bullied, the Female Lead grits her teeth and chooses to ignore it.

Sure enough, from then on, no one bothers her again.

The Female Lead finds a way to survive, but her conscience is in constant turmoil. Meanwhile, Xiang Yunchen’s life becomes increasingly unbearable.

Whenever the bullies have a bad day, Xiang Yunchen becomes their punching bag. As long as they take her somewhere out of sight, even those who suspect the truth turn a blind eye.

Repeated beatings leave Xiang Yunchen with scars that struggle to heal. The bullies are clever; they only strike where the marks are hidden. On the surface, Xiang Yunchen remains the same quiet, healthy student.

Over time, Xiang Yunchen becomes numb to the treatment. It is only when a bully grabs her hair and brings up the name “Xu Mulin,” labeling her a “freak,” that panic finally flickers in the girl’s eyes for the first time.

“So you like playing with women? Is it because no one actually wants you?” The leader of the group tilts Xiang Yunchen’s chin up dismissively. Her cold gaze meets Xiang Yunchen’s eyes in the shadows before she lets out a sneer. “Look at that face. Who gave you permission to badmouth my brother to Xu Mulin?”

“Xu Mulin is my. brother’s. girlfriend! Got it?”

Xiang Yunchen responds only with endless silence. Finally, having vented their rage, the group tosses the bruised girl aside like trash and struts away. They fail to notice the small recording pen hidden in her pocket.

The next encounter takes place during the school sports meet.

In the sweltering heat, no one wants to participate. These wealthy students aren’t exactly the hardworking type, so they fake illnesses and force Xiang Yunchen to take their place while they enjoy the air conditioning in the cafeteria.

No one cheers for her. The few people remaining are only there to see her make a fool of herself. Xiang Yunchen is filling in for an archer, though she has never claimed to know how to use a bow. But just as the crowd prepares to mock her for missing every shot, they are stunned by the referee’s ecstatic shout.

Xiang Yunchen hits the bullseye.

The crowd erupts. However, the cheers come from other classes. In her own class, where she is socially isolated, Xiang Yunchen is treated like a loser. She silently accepts the ticket for the finals from the coach and retreats. Even the class volunteers responsible for bringing water remain lazily under the shade. Accustomed to this treatment, the girl wipes her own sweat, only to feel a sudden tap on her shoulder.

She looks up and sees that familiar, yet now slightly distant, face.

Then comes the classic “Cinderella and the Prince” scene.

Even away from the filming set, the light, melodious background music makes the emotions more immersive. As Xiang Yunchen gazes at Xu Mulin with eyes full of love and longing, most of the audience finally realizes that their relationship is destined to be more than just “friends.”

With Xu Mulin’s permission, the “Princess” carefully takes the hand of the “Prince” (played by the girl in male attire) and begins to dance a dazzling waltz. It’s a difficult dance to execute beautifully. Guided by Lu Chaoqing, Lin Chumu’s movements are initially stiff, but she quickly grasps the rhythm and takes the lead.

Amidst the soft gasps of awe in the cinema, the scene cuts directly from the end of the ball to a scene in a bedroom. In the split second of the transition, Lu Chaoqing even hears a girl in the row in front of her whisper a clear: “Holy crap.”

On screen, after hearing Xu Mulin say she might go abroad to study, Xiang Yunchen’s eyes turn red. She closes her eyes and can’t help but lean in for a kiss.

She thinks back to the days she was bullied in middle school. It was back then, when most people chose silence, that Xu Mulin—visiting the school for a speech—spotted the girl being harassed. Though she could have walked away, Xu Mulin pushed through the crowd of people taller and stronger than her and pulled the girl up from the ground.

Xu Mulin told her that silence only makes resistance harder and encourages the bullies. The best way is to use your own strength to fight back. If it doesn’t work once, try twice. The tough fear the aggressive, and the aggressive fear those who don’t care about their lives. Unless the bullies have the courage and malice to kill her on the spot, resistance should be never-ending.

That was the beam of light that shone into her life. Xu Mulin was the first person to teach her how to fight back, rather than simply asking her why she was the only one being picked on.

She had only tested into this school for Xu Mulin. And now, her light was about to leave her.

Unlike what Xiang Yunchen expected, Xu Mulin doesn’t push her away. Instead, she accepts the sudden kiss with a dazed expression, showing no sense of being offended. A girl raised in warmth, it is her first time experiencing such an intimate touch from someone of the same sex. For a moment, she can’t tell what kind of emotion is making her heart race.

Xiang Yunchen gives her a weary smile. “Sorry, I was a bit impulsive. Just consider it a farewell for Senior. Compared to anything else, Senior’s studies are most important. I hope you succeed and have a bright future.”

“I won’t be immature… and I definitely won’t get bullied again. Don’t worry, Senior.”

However, just as Xu Mulin is preparing her paperwork to leave, she sees the group cornering Xiang Yunchen again, raining down insults and blows. The girl buries her head deep in her knees, appearing as though she has grown used to it. As Xu Mulin drives the bullies away, she looks down and sees a glint of tears in the corner of the girl’s eye, causing her heart to constrict painfully.

Xu Mulin takes Xiang Yunchen to the infirmary for medicine.

While the school doctor is away fetching supplies, Xu Mulin scolds her in a low, frustrated voice for not standing up for herself. “How can I be at ease leaving you like this?” she asks. But as the words leave her mouth, the girl looks up like a wounded kitten, whimpering softly. Her beautiful, moist eyes are brimming with tears that refuse to fall.

“I’m fine now, Senior doesn’t need to worry about me. If you stay and delay your studies because of me, I would be very sad.”

She lifts her arm and winces. Xu Mulin is immediately distracted: “What’s wrong? Did you hurt a bone?”

Xiang Yunchen suddenly looks up at the female school doctor walking back with the medicine and says hazily, “Maybe… it’s a bit inconvenient here. Senior, can you help me check once we get back?”