Chapter 172

The award ceremony continued; after the musical performance, they presented Best Styling Design and Art Direction.

Then came Best Editing, Best Sound Effects, Best Documentary, Best Supporting Actress, Best Action, Best Visual Effects, Best Cinematography. After the musical tribute to the past, they began presenting the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.

Bao Jinjin was also nominated for this award.

At this moment, Bao Jinjin clasped her hands together in front of her chest as if praying she would win.

The award was presented by Qin Hailu and a screenwriter, too ugly to recognize.

After a few words from them, the screen displayed the nominees: *The Sword and the Smile*, *Traces of the Wokou*, *Pilgrimage*, *33 Days of Breaking Up*.

"The winner of the 48th Golden Horse Award for Best Adapted Screenplay is..." Qin Hailu paused, glancing at the audience below.

Bao Jinjin stared intently at the stage, her heart pounding so hard it felt like it was in her throat; she instinctively gripped Wang Ran's hand.

"*33 Days of Breaking Up*, Bao Jinjin!" Qin Hailu announced.

The venue erupted in "clap-clap-clap" applause.

Bao Jinjin was dazed, stunned for a moment, then leapt from her seat and excitedly hugged Wang Ran beside her.

After they separated, Bao Jinjin, like a little girl, pointed at her own face: "Do I look good?"

"Very beautiful, very pretty," Wang Ran nodded.

Others turned to look and saw a small girl running over to Fang Hong and Liu Tianxian, hugging and clinging to both, ecstatic.

Here, Bao Jinjin knew only these two.

"What an adorable girl," Qin Hailu said into the microphone.

Liu Tianxian hugged Bao Jinjin, feeling envious; they were the same age, yet Bao Jinjin had won an award while she still had a long way to go.

She patted Bao Jinjin's back and signaled: "Go on!"

"You'll win an award too!"

Bao Jinjin gave a cute fist pump of encouragement, then headed toward the stage.

Onstage, Qin Hailu handed the Trophy to Bao Jinjin; the two bowed and shook hands.

Then Bao Jinjin faced the microphone, facing the crowd of stars and spectators, and suddenly grew nervous again.

"I—I don't even know what to say. When I wrote this story, I was fighting with my boyfriend, so I wrote this story—but then I met the Principal, and he trusted me.

He helped me reconcile with my boyfriend.

While making this film, I met Liu Tianxian; she's beautiful and kind, and I met so many others, all of them wonderful. Thank you, Principal. Thank you, Yutu."

Bao Jinjin spoke in a nervous jumble, but she finally finished; she bowed and stepped down.

The applause continued; it was hard to harbor ill will toward such an adorable girl.

"What exactly did you say to make them reconcile?" Liu Tianxian whispered, lowering her head.

She was curious; back on set, this man had whispered just one thing and the two had made up.

She'd asked him then—he hadn't told her.

"I said, block her door and kiss her the moment you see her," Fang Hong whispered low.

Their relationship was out now; it didn't matter anymore.

He hadn't told her before because he feared she'd think he always came up with stupid ideas.

"You never teach her anything good," Liu Tianxian shot him a look.

"Men aren't lovable unless they're a little bad," Fang Hong said.

"Only fooling little girls," Liu Tianxian scoffed.

"If I blocked your door and kissed you, what would you do?" Fang Hong ventured.

"I'd kick you straight into orbit," Liu Tianxian replied haughtily.

"Then let's make a bet: if I block your door and kiss you, and you don't kick me, what then?" Fang Hong smiled at her.

"Whatever you say, I'll follow you," Liu Tianxian thought she wouldn't fall for a man's trick.

"Pinkie swear!" Fang Hong extended his pinky finger.

"Do we have to be this childish?" Liu Tianxian looked at him.

"It's about ceremony—words must be kept."

Fang Hong extended his pinky again.

Liu Tianxian didn't care; she hooked her pinky with his: "What if you lose?"

"Then I follow you—whatever you say, I'll do it!"

Fang Hong pulled his finger: "Pinkie swear, lifelong promise, no changing—seal it!"

He extended his thumb; Liu Tianxian extended hers; their thumbs touched—absurdly childish.

But it was kind of fun.

The awards on stage continued; Best Original Screenplay went to *Let the Bullets Fly*! Next was Best Director, presented by Zhang Aijia, Liu Ruoying, and Li Xinjie—the three master and disciples.

Zhang Aijia was the master.

*Let the Bullets Fly* was also nominated for Best Director, but Jiang Wen didn't show up, so the award went to Xu Anhua for *Tao Jie*.

There was an unwritten rule: if a winner clearly didn't attend, they wouldn't be awarded.

Maybe they'd already heard the inside scoop, so they didn't come—we dare not ask, we dare not say.

The next awards had nothing to do with Fang Hong and them, until Best Actress arrived; Liu Tianxian suddenly sat up straight, feeling anxious.

She didn't want to win—but she did want to win.

This award was presented by Liu Tianwang, a heavyweight; the onstage interaction was longer, to fill the time.

The atmosphere onstage was lively; Ceng Aizi asked: "I have a question: three of the four Best Actress nominees have worked with you. What's your impression of them?"

"Uh..."

Liu Tianwang thought for a moment: "Of these four, I've only kissed one. The other three—I haven't kissed them, but I really want to."

"Want to come up and give you a kiss?" said Ceng Aizi.

"Of course!" Liu Tianwang smiled, then added: "Among all of them, I've never worked with Liu Tianxian—no objections, right?"

Liu Tianxian laughed below the stage, knowing he was joking.

"You evaluate Miss Qin Hailu first!" said Ceng Baoyi, steering the topic.

This guy's more serious than her father—Ceng Aizi is just vulgar! "Qin Hailu can work at my company—she can act, write, direct, and she's cheap," Liu Tianwang counted off on his fingers.

Qin Hailu smiled below the stage.

Hearing the last line, Ceng Aizi chimed in: "So which one in your house is free, right?"

These words instantly changed Liu Tianwang's expression; the room fell silent for a moment.

Seeing things turn sour, Ceng Aizi quickly patched it up with "Hahaha!"

Liu Tianwang didn't hold it against him—he just talks without thinking!

"Then tell us about Shu Qi," Ceng Baoyi timely steered the topic.

"She's the best woman to hug," said Liu Tianwang.

"Ah! How's it feel?" Ceng Aizi seemed deeply interested in this topic and perked up again.

"Easy to hug—you try it and you'll know," Liu Tianwang shoved him, genuinely wanting to push him off.

"Me? That'd be awkward!"

Ceng Aizi would never go down—it was too lewd.

The audience just laughed; Shu Qi smiled too, taking it in stride.

Ceng Baoyi shifted the topic again: "What about Ms. Ye Dexian?"

"She played my mother in my first movie. The first time I saw her, I thought, how can this little girl play my mother?"

Liu Tianwang's emotional intelligence was high—sending the audience into roaring laughter.

This man—Ceng Aizi dared not be reckless around him!

"Then tell us about Liu Tianxian—the goddess, the fairy in everyone's heart," said Ceng Baoyi.

"She? The moment I first saw her, she looked exactly like this. Now I'm old, but she still looks exactly like this," Liu Tianwang joked.

"Hahaha!" Laughter never stopped in the room.

Liu Tianxian couldn't help giggling.

"But I've never worked with her—only met her—so I don't know her well. But I'm curious: how did the Principal train such a beautiful fairy in movies? So pleasing to the eye. Could he come and give his evaluation?" Liu Tianwang pointed below the stage.

"Shall I go ask him?" said Ceng Aizi.

"Sure!" Liu Tianwang nodded.

"Then I'm really going!"

Ceng Aizi was eager—he turned to the audience: "You all want to know, right?"

"Yes!" the audience shouted.

Ceng Aizi, emboldened, stepped down the stage and squatted beside Fang Hong's seat: "Principal, hello!"

"Hello!"

Fang Hong shook his hand.

"Can you evaluate Liu Tianxian for everyone? Just one sentence," Ceng Aizi held up one finger.

"She's a female loser," Fang Hong said offhand.

Laughter erupted in the room; Liu Tianwang burst into "Hahaha!"

Liu Tianxian pressed her palm to her forehead, her smile unmistakable.

Ceng Aizi handed the microphone to Liu Tianxian: "He says you're a female loser—do you agree?"

"Yes, he's right," Liu Tianxian laughed.

"Then how do you evaluate the Principal? You know him best," Liu Tianwang said from the stage.

"He's a male loser," Liu Tianxian said.

Laughter erupted again—this felt less like roasting and more like flirting!

"Let me ask one final question—this one's serious," said Ceng Aizi.

Liu Tianxian straightened her expression, wondering what he'd ask: "Are you a lesbian?"

"Hey!"

Fang Hong roared and snatched the microphone away.

The situation changed instantly—the audience fell silent; the lively atmosphere froze and dipped sharply.

Only because the Principal's roar was loud, clearly angry—every artist present heard it, and their expressions varied. Ceng Baoyi gasped, hand over her mouth—her father was too reckless; this was something you couldn't ask.

Liu Tianwang on stage was also stunned.

He knew Ceng Aizi sometimes spoke without thinking—but never this badly.

Liu Tianxian's gaze was sharp, fixed on Ceng Aizi with a look that could kill him—obvious to all.

How did this guy become a host? "Sorry, sorry."

Seeing Liu Tianxian's murderous stare and Fang Hong's furious face, Ceng Aizi quickly laughed nervously and bowed to apologize.

He knew he'd angered them—the Principal snatching his microphone made him lose face.

"Let's reveal the nominees—please look at the big screen," Liu Tianwang snapped back to his role, shifting the topic and reviving the mood.

Fang Hong couldn't make a scene here—he turned off the microphone, tossed it back to Ceng Aizi, grabbed his throat, shoved him, and hissed: "Get the hell out, idiot."

Fuck, talk without your brain.

This guy even said at a dinner party how he felt about Zhou Dongyu—he's clearly mentally ill.

Having talent but never rising above mediocrity? That's a brain problem.

(End of Chapter)