By the grave.
Zhang Xincheng finally let go of Liu Yue's hand.
He expressionlessly placed his father's box on the ground, then slowly opened it.
He took out two cups from inside.
The intact one was placed before his father's grave.
Then, he opened his backpack.
He took out the incense and candles for sweeping the tomb, lit them, and inserted them.
After completing these.
Zhang Xincheng sat cross-legged before his father's grave.
He unscrewed the cap of the wine bottle and poured a cup for his father.
Then, holding his own cup, he poured a cup of wine and drained it.
From beginning to end, apart from his bloodshot eyes and trembling hands, he remained relatively calm.
"Dad… you can't drink now, so your son will finish this half bottle of wine for you."
After a cup of wine, his throat burned with pain.
Zhang Xincheng coughed twice and reached out to stop Liu Yue from approaching.
He continuously poured wine from the bottle into his cup and then drank it.
Gradually, the wine bottle neared empty.
Zhang Xincheng's eyes became hazy, and a drunken flush appeared on his face.
His lips curved slightly.
It was as if he had returned to a few years ago, to that night when he drank with his father.
"Come, son, finish this bottle with Dad!"
"Dad, didn't you not let me drink?"
"It was because you still had to go to school. Now that you've graduated from university, you can drink."
"Dad, isn't there any beer? This wine is so bitter and burns my throat!"
"Beer is boring. Men should drink hard liquor!"
Memories flashed through his mind.
Zhang Xincheng's face had already turned red from the alcohol, and his breathing became rapid.
Bloodshot veins filled his eyes, and tears welled up, about to fall.
"Son, you've graduated from university. I've met an aunt recently, and she's quite nice. I want to get married."
It was as if he was back in that time.
Zhang Xincheng heard his father's voice in his ears.
He propped himself up with his hands on the ground, his eyes red as he looked at his father's grave.
I want to get married.
These words kept echoing in his mind.
To others, this was a very normal thing.
His father had raised him alone for so many years. Now that he was grown, his father wanted to find a companion, and as a son, he should support him.
However, Zhang Xincheng, at that time, had fallen into a stubborn obsession.
Because his father had always told him since he was young that he would only love his mother his entire life. He had always admired his father, his handsomeness and bravery, his loyalty and unwavering love.
He had also always taken his father as a role model and vowed to love only one person his entire life, just like his father.
At that moment, Zhang Xincheng's beliefs collapsed, causing him to lose his reason and rush out the door.
And now, he regretted it immensely!
Regretted his impulsiveness!
Regretted why he didn't ask for clarification back then!
The son of his comrade, like his own son!
He was not his biological father, but he never married his entire life and raised him.
When he grew up, his father could finally marry and have children with peace of mind, but his foolish actions prevented him from ever marrying until his death!
Zhang Xincheng stared blankly at his father's grave, his mouth opening.
Finally, he uttered the word with a trembling voice: "Okay."
His voice was hoarse and dry.
After speaking, Zhang Xincheng stood up from the ground, poured the last bit of wine from the bottle into his cup.
Then, he drank it down in one go, facing his father's grave.
After finishing, he staggered a couple of steps and walked to the center.
Bang!
With a crisp sound, Zhang Xincheng knelt before his father's grave.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
After completing three kowtows.
The tears in his eyes could no longer be held back, and they flowed out one by one, down his red cheeks, dripping onto the ground and soaking into the soil.
"Dad, I'm sorry…"
This apology was filled with pain and helplessness.
Zhang Xincheng knew that no matter how much he apologized, his father could no longer hear him.
As the alcohol took effect, he took one last effort to look at his father's grave, then collapsed drunk before it.
"Cheng Ge!"
Seeing this, Liu Yue wiped the tears from her face and quickly stepped forward, helping him up and leaning him into her embrace. Looking at his drunken face, Liu Yue felt a sense of relief.
She knew that Zhang Xincheng's inner turmoil had been resolved.
Although he would still feel guilty about this matter in the future.
Liu Yue believed that she could definitely help him regain his strength.
…
"The Path of Seeking" was released on its third day.
It had already caused a huge stir online.
#How to Make a Movie Popular with a Song#
#Never thought I'd buy movie tickets just to listen to a song in the cinema#
#"Father," if you cried after listening to this song, it means you've grown up.#
The trending topics had even climbed into the top ten.
With Zhang Li's financial resources, he certainly didn't have enough money to buy trending topics.
These were all genuine popularity!
As popularity soared.
Various cinemas found themselves in an awkward situation.
Lines formed at the ticket counters.
This should have been a happy occasion for the cinemas, as such scenes only appeared when films starring Best Actor or Actress nominees were released.
However, the reality gave the cinemas a significant headache.
These people were all here to see "The Path of Seeking."
And their intentions were very clear!
"Give me five tickets for 'The Path of Seeking'."
"I'm sorry, there are only two showings of 'The Path of Seeking' today, and the tickets are sold out."
"Are you kidding me? For such a popular movie, so few screenings?"
"We sincerely apologize. How about we switch you to another movie? What do you think of this one, 'Era'? It's a big director's work, starring the popular celebrity Zheng Shuang, and it's a big production!"
"No, no, no. Do you think I came here to watch a movie?"
"What else would you come to the cinema for if not to watch a movie?"
"Can't I just come to listen to a song? Does 'Era' have the song 'Father'? If it does, I might consider watching it."
"Uh… I'm sorry, it doesn't."
"Damn it, if it doesn't, why did you waste my time talking so much? Guys, let's go somewhere else."
The ticket seller watched the long queue disappear in an instant.
She was somewhat bewildered.
In her many years at the cinema, this was the first time she had encountered such a situation.
Coming to the cinema just to listen to a song?
Were these people crazy?
When she came to her senses, she quickly picked up the phone and reported the situation to the cinema management.
…
Online, the discussion about the screening of "The Path of Seeking" had erupted into a heated debate.
Meanwhile, in his hotel, Zhang Li was laughing uncontrollably while looking at the Douban movie reviews.
"Believe me, this movie ticket will definitely be worth the money!"
"On the matter of listening to songs in the cinema…"
"Damn it, the movie didn't make me cry, but the song 'Father' brought me to tears."
"If you want to cry but are afraid of being laughed at, go to the cinema to listen to 'Father.' You can cry as much as you want, and no one will laugh at you because the entire cinema is crying!"
"Such a good
Moreover, he was considering whether to bring Tingyu into the fold, have him write theme songs for his future films, and then split the profits.
"Holy crap, I'm a genius!"
As he thought about this, he became increasingly excited, as if he had found a clear path to success.