[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-academic-director-reborn-in-the-film-industr":3,"chapter-the-academic-director-reborn-in-the-film-industr-the-academic-director-reborn-in-the-film-industr-chapter-18":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Academic Director: Reborn in the Film Industry",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2297018,4493,"Chapter 18: An Unexpected Joy","the-academic-director-reborn-in-the-film-industr-chapter-18",18,"\u003Cp>Li Xiaoran’s mouth was slightly agape as she stared blankly at the big screen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, the screen on stage began playing the very footage of Li Xiaoran drawing portraits on the beach.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the screen, Li Xiaoran gazed into the distance, her expression gradually becoming hazy, murmuring as if in a trance, \"I wonder, does he miss me as much as I miss him?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Clap, clap, clap...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Accompanied by the applause, Cao Yang gently removed the prompter earpiece from Li Xiaoran. Only then did she snap back to reality; she covered her mouth and stood up stiffly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few months ago, she was still a minor supporting actress playing bit parts in TV dramas, and even landing a slightly more important supporting role required recommendations from friends.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, she stood in one of the highest halls of art cinema, the Berlin International Film Festival, having become the Best Actress, a Berlin Film Queen. Could there be anything more unbelievable than this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xiaoran hugged Cao Yang and said excitedly, \"Thank you, Cao Yang.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Afterward, she hugged Zhao Tiantian, who had stood up beside her, gave a perfunctory one-armed hug to Old Tian, and walked toward the stage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Over at Wang Xiaoshuai’s crew, Gao Yuanyuan widened her eyes and said in surprise to Xun Ge'er beside her, \"She really won Best Actress? The first Berlin Film Queen from the mainland, the second Film Queen from the three major film festivals—truly amazing.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although she had expected it, Xun Ge'er was still incredibly envious. Staring at Li Xiaoran, who was accepting congratulations from the award presenter, she corrected Da Meiyuan, \"Counting Xiangjiang and Wanwan, this is the second Berlin Film Queen and the fourth Film Queen from the three major film festivals. The mainland is indeed the first for Berlin.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That’s still amazing.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xun Ge'er just stared at the stage and didn't respond to Da Meiyuan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course it was amazing. International Zhang spent all day issuing press releases saying she had broken into Hollywood and was an international superstar, but what significant awards had she ever won? Didn't she just rise to prominence thanks to the National Master’s *The Road Home*?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Last year, *The Road Home* won the Jury Grand Prix at the Berlin Film Festival. It originally had nothing to do with International Zhang, but unexpectedly, she squeezed her way in, went on stage with the National Master, and wore a big red bellyband, triggering a huge wave of public opinion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that kind of drive, it’s no wonder she could be more successful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Taking the Silver Bear from the presenter’s hands, Li Xiaoran couldn't help but look at it. It was quite heavy; it was said to be made of pure silver and handcrafted, though she didn't know if that was true.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A flurry of chaotic thoughts crossed her mind for a moment, then Li Xiaoran took a deep breath and arrived at the microphone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Thanks! I... I...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oh no, she had forgotten her lines. She had memorized them perfectly yesterday; it was all Cao Yang’s fault.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She decided to listen to Cao Yang—Chinese it is.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was all Cao Yang’s fault.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Thank you. Thank you to the Berlin International Film Festival, thank you to the jury, thank you to all the crew members and actors, and thank you to my parents. A special thanks to the director, Cao Yang; thank you for giving me this opportunity. And thank you to my past self—your hard work was not in vain!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After finishing, she raised the Silver Bear in her hand and glanced back at the screen frozen behind her, where she was looking into the distance with a hazy expression, the subtitle below reading, \"I wonder, does he miss me as much as I miss him?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, she lowered her head to the microphone and added one more line, \"I am still thinking of you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She raised the Silver Bear once more and walked off the stage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was she hoping to win Best Actress again? Many people couldn't help but wonder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Such great ambition,\" Xun Ge'er muttered softly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After another round of applause, the Best Actor award was given to Benicio del Toro for *Traffic*. The director of this film was Steven Soderbergh, who had previously won the Palme d'Or, the highest award at Cannes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the Best Actor award was presented, theoretically, three awards remained: Best Director, the Jury Grand Prix, and the Golden Bear for Best Film.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By comparison, the Golden Bear was the highest award, followed by the Jury Grand Prix, also known as the second-best film; its weight was slightly higher than Best Director, though in reality, they were about the same.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sometimes there was also a Jury Prize, which was more of a consolation, with less weight than Best Director.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This year there was a Jury Prize, given to *Italian for Beginners*, a work by the Danish female director Lone Scherfig. It had more of a symbolic meaning—after all, she was a female director. Cao Yang didn't have huge ambitions; winning Best Actress had achieved his goal. From now on, he would no longer be unknown and could boast of being a \"famous director.\" Filming his next movie wouldn't be so difficult.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Therefore, he didn't pay much attention to the remaining awards, fiddling with Li Xiaoran’s Silver Bear in his hands while thinking about the investment and casting for his next film.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Xiaoshuai was a bit nervous; the remaining awards were all major ones, and his anxiety was inevitable. He secretly guessed which of the remaining ones would be his, while also coveting the Golden Bear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Coming to the Berlin Film Festival, who wouldn't want to win the one and only Golden Bear?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Until he heard the guest on stage read out, \"Wang Xiaoshuai, *Beijing Bicycle*.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Xiaoshuai was dazed for a moment, feeling both regret and relief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Regret for not winning the Golden Bear, regret that the film hadn't passed censorship, but relief that Teacher Xie had helped, relief that Sister Jiao had provided support—the Best Director award was in his hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Yang applauded along with the others, feeling puzzled. He remembered that in the past, Wang Xiaoshuai had won the Jury Grand Prix; his own butterfly effect had flapped it into a Best Director award.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Actually, that was fine. Although it was slightly less prestigious than the Jury Grand Prix, to those who didn't know much about the domestic scene, Best Director sounded more impressive than Jury Grand Prix.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Xiaoshuai was very excited; this was also his first time winning a major award. He thanked many people on stage, rambling on, which was a bit out of character for his reserved persona.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Yang felt that Wang Xiaoshuai should be satisfied. Risking a ban on directing to win Best Director in Berlin was worth it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With this Silver Bear for Best Director, Wang Xiaoshuai had also entered the ranks of famous directors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as Cao Yang was lost in thought, Old Tian poked him and asked in a low voice, \"You’re not nervous at all?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What do I have to be nervous about?\" Cao Yang was somewhat stunned. He had already won what he needed to win; what else was there to be nervous about?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I was bored just now and counted; only *Intimacy* hasn't won an award yet, but there are still two major awards left.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hmm?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A strong premonition suddenly arose in Cao Yang’s heart. The themes of *Intimacy* and *On the Beach at Night Alone* were both love and extramarital affairs, both using these to express human loneliness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Same theme, different methods of expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>*Intimacy* was about two strangers having a silent affair—actually, it wasn't even an affair, as the female lead’s husband sent her over every time... achieving the goal by turning sex into love.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whereas in Cao Yang’s hands, it was Li Xiaoran’s transcendent acting that carried the entire film. There were no erotic scenes, yet it perfectly achieved the goal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By comparison, it seemed much more \"sophisticated\" than *Intimacy*. In fact, the word-of-mouth was indeed much better than *Intimacy*, and the festival daily ratings were far ahead of *Intimacy*.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although the plot was very simple, it couldn't withstand the comparison.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could it be that the two films had been locked in a fierce battle for the Golden Bear?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And with yesterday’s compensation of a prime-time screening, then...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The winner of the Jury Grand Prix is: Wow, this year’s youngest and most handsome director—I believe he is also the youngest director and major award winner in the history of the Berlin International Film Festival—Cao Yang, *On the Beach at Night Alone*. Congratulations.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The big screen on stage began playing a clip from *On the Beach at Night Alone*. This time, it played the scene where Li Xiaoran was singing while smoking outside the café.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just a few lines of a cappella, as if believing time would wash everything away, yet the longing remained undiminished, growing more intense, impossible to stop; the inner sorrow and loneliness leaped out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What a pity,\" Tian Zhuangzhuang muttered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Please vote for the monthly ticket, brothers, I beg you, thank you.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1526,"2026-06-20T05:36:32.009Z",1,"Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite","e6913540f9e8266723649f1023d02f3c358edd7bb79278ba6a5d1c5f50b2c16c","the-academic-director-reborn-in-the-film-industr-chapter-19","the-academic-director-reborn-in-the-film-industr-chapter-17",411,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-academic-director-reborn-in-the-film-industr-cover.jpg"]