"Ruying, look there." A woman spoke softly, her hand pointing through the floor-to-ceiling glass of the cafe to a huge TV wall outside the square opposite. At this time, a movie trailer was playing in the middle of the commercial.
It is a silhouette of a woman in a long skirt that reaches the ground and long hair that falls to her waist, who is bending over a desk and writing a letter. In the candlelight, half of her profile is as white as jade. The candlelight is bright white, and the halo around the edge is colorful and beautiful, creating a hazy feeling.
A tear rolled down her cheek and finally hung on her chin, reflecting the light of the rainbow, instantly attracting passers-by.
There were many people stopping to watch under the TV wall. In this short clip, the acting skills improved layer by layer, and finally a tear fell on the letter and spread out.
As the camera changed, the male protagonist played by Cui Xing hurried over, and the piece of letter in his hand gradually turned into golden powder and slowly dissipated.
A trailer of about twenty seconds, even without sound, is enough to catch people's attention.
"Is this Jiang Se's new movie?"
The woman called 'Ru Ying' asked, and the woman who spoke earlier said: "Yes, this is Jiang Se's new movie 'Xian Yuan'. It has just been released and there is a lot of discussion on the Internet. Most of her works have good reputations and reviews. This year, she won the 'Best Actress' award at the French Film Festival. This 'Xian Yuan' has received rave reviews since its release." The woman who spoke paused, and seemed to lower her head to take a sip of coffee: "I went to see it when 'Criminal Suspect' was filmed. It was a collaboration with Tao Cen. Unfortunately, you were pregnant and not in good health at that time. You have been bedridden and missed it. Why don't we go to see 'Xian Yuan' this afternoon? Watching the trailer is also very interesting."
Ruying responded, and the two of them paid the bill and left.
In another corner of the coffee shop, Lin Xiwen and Jiang Se also agreed to meet here. He happened to sit at the table next to the two women and heard their previous discussion.
A decorated Christmas tree in the store blocked the two people's figures, so that the two women who had been talking before did not even notice that Jiang Se, whom they had been talking about and praising before, was sitting not far from them.
"'Xianyuan' has been submitted to the Huaxia International Film Festival."
The movie "Xianyuan" has been released for half a month and the box office has exceeded 2 billion. As the box office of Lin Xiwen's previous works were not ideal, the box office of the movie almost entirely relied on Jiang Se's personal appeal.
This is Lin Xiwen's second work after "Beijing Events" that has been praised both for its reputation and box office. He intends to use this film to win a trophy at the China International Film Festival and add another achievement to his resume.
At this time, Lin Xiwen has swept away the decadence of a few years ago. The success of "Xianyuan" will undoubtedly once again establish his position in this circle.
Jiang Se's two collaborations with him brought huge rewards both times, which made Lin Xiwen feel unusually grateful to her, especially when she agreed to take on "Xianyuan", which happened to be when she was at the peak of her career and he was at the bottom of his career.
At that time, everyone was trying to avoid him, fearing that his bad reputation would affect the box office results. Only Jiang Se remembered their old friendship and took on the role after reading the script.
The current success of "Xianyuan" is almost entirely due to her fame and strength. Due to the outstanding box office performance, many investors who were previously unwilling to invest in his films for fear of losses took the initiative to contact him and discuss the filming of his next film.
"Sese, thank you so much." Lin Xiwen himself had never expected that this girl who was introduced by Gu Jiaer and whom he had not taken seriously would bring him so many surprises a few years later: "I won't say more. If you need my help in the future, just ask! I will keep all the good scripts for you and wait for you to choose first."
This circle is neither big nor small. There are many friends who come to eat and drink together, but truly deep friendships are rare.
Jiang Se said: "Director Lin, you are too polite. If I hadn't had your support back then, I might not be where I am today."
She is a person who knows how to be grateful. Lin Xiwen knows this very well. Although the role of "Doukou" in "Beijing Sacrifice" made her stand out, it was also because of her participation that the character of "Doukou" seemed to be injected with soul. After many years, it still makes many fans reminisce.
At the end of September, "Xianyuan" was released with a final box office of 2.8 billion. This figure represents Jiang Se's huge personal influence and appeal on the box office. Although there are many factors for the success of "Xianyuan", in addition to Jiang Se's progressive acting skills enriching the role, increasing the watchability of the movie, and raising the quality of the entire movie by herself, it also happened that Jiang Se won the "Best Actress" trophy at the French Film Festival, and she had a grand wedding earlier, married into the Pei family, and won the endorsement of Melovin, and the shadow of "God's Redemption" the previous year...
But no matter what, the box office of this movie, which was Jiang Se's first starring role, far exceeded that of the movies starring Tao Cen.
Jiang Se has become the undisputed number one female star in the country, she deserves the title and there is no longer any controversy about it.
At the China International Film Festival in December, the media broadcast this event live.
At the film festival, many fans had already learned that Jiang Se would attend the film festival, and arrived at the scene early, surrounding the place with a crowd.
The organizers had to temporarily dispatch more security guards to maintain order on the scene.
The stars walked onto the red carpet one by one. The scene was star-studded and each star showed off their charm.
Jiang Se's vehicle was parked on one side, with many security guards on both sides. Xia Chaoqun had gone abroad a month ago to expand Jiang Se's career, and she handed over the domestic business to Mo Anqi.
Mo Anqi was not in the car at this time. She was communicating with the organizers of the China International Film Festival. Chen Shan's two assistants and makeup artists, stylists and other staff were left in the car to accompany Jiang Se.
Chen Shan looked out through the car window and saw many fans who had rushed over from other places after hearing the news standing on both sides of the red carpet. Many of them were holding light signs with Jiang Se's name on them, waiting for Jiang Se to appear.
"The organizer arranged for us to perform last."
The assistant had memorized Jiang Se's schedule long ago. She glanced at the time:
"Sister Anqi said it would take about half an hour."
There were many stars coming tonight and there were many people on the red carpet. Many crew members who came with their works walked across the red carpet at the same time, stopping on the carpet in twos and threes to be photographed by reporters on both sides.
Yu Zilin from Huaxia Information checked the time. She had been shooting for more than half an hour tonight and had photographed many celebrities. She asked her colleague:
"How long will it take to walk down the red carpet?" she wondered.
"Didn't Jiang Se also want to attend tonight?"
The colleague was also a little surprised. "Jiang Se should be coming. I have confirmed with Century Galaxy and also sent a message to her assistant. According to the itinerary sent by the organizer, the red carpet show starts at seven o'clock and should end at half past eight." The colleague looked around. The scene was crowded with people. The cars of the celebrities in the distance were guarded by layers of guards. It was impossible to tell which one was Jiang Se's car.
"But when we arrived at the venue tonight, didn't the organizer give us a last-minute notice to move up the red carpet time by half an hour?"
It is already 7:45. According to the original schedule, the red carpet walk was supposed to end at 8:00, half an hour earlier than expected.
There was still a quarter of an hour before eight o'clock. No matter what, even if Jiang Se didn't walk the red carpet, she shouldn't have been late to show up at this time.
"I heard that some fans who came for Jiang Se were a little anxious, and some tried to contact the organizer to ask for details."
While Yu Zilin from China Information was whispering about this matter with her colleagues, the security guards had already started to clear the red carpet.
Such a scene was somewhat beyond everyone's expectations. Most of the stars had already entered the venue, but Jiang Se, the most eye-catching person at the China International Film Festival, had not yet appeared. Wasn't it too early for the security to clear out the crowd at this time
Yu Zilin's eyes widened, somewhat surprised by the situation. Some people could not hold back and wanted to ask the organizer for an explanation, but were all rejected by the organizer.
Some fans were very angry. Jiang Se had not arrived yet, but judging from the situation, it seemed that the red carpet of the China International Film Festival no longer allowed stars to stay on the red carpet. Several stars who stood there waiting for the studio, reporters and media to take pictures were politely invited into the hall by the security guards.
"What's going on?"
"Is Jiang Se coming tonight?"
"Jiang Se hasn't arrived yet, so the plot of the stars walking on the red carpet is over?"
"Shouldn't the organizer give an explanation..."
"… "
The scene was noisy and everyone was very confused. Chen Shan in the car was also a little restless and kept looking outside.
Soon there were no people on the red carpet. The on-site staff adjusted the position of the red carpet. The long red carpet extended from the auditorium, went down the many stairs, and went straight to the car where Jiang Se was.
Those who saw this scene vaguely understood the organizer's plan. At the location of Longxing Studio, the new reporter who came with Tao Cen couldn't help but scream in a low voice:
"No way, no way!"
The China International Film Festival has been in existence for nearly fifty years. When it is held, the red carpet is filled with stars in groups of three or five, and the scene is dazzling. It has become a familiar scene to everyone.
However, the organizer cleared the red carpet and reserved a seat for only one person. This has never happened since the China International Film Festival!
Yu Zilin was very excited, and Jiang Se's fans at the scene were also very nervous when they saw this scene.
As everyone waited anxiously, around 8:25, everything was finally ready. Jiang Se had already put on her makeup in the car, and Mo Anqi straightened her skirt for her. Through the headphones, she heard the organizer's staff reminding Jiang Se to get out of the car.
Chen Shan opened the car door, and everyone was paying attention. When they saw Chen Shan appear, those who were already familiar with the faces of the staff around Jiang Se saw this scene, and burst into excited screams and applause, welcoming Jiang Se in the car!
On the news live broadcast page of Longxing Studio, Tao Tao, who was holding the microphone, was so excited that her cheeks flushed. Because of the enthusiastic calls from the fans at the scene, she had to raise her voice when hosting:
"Behind me now is a red carpet laid by the China International Film Festival." It stretches from the square directly to the award ceremony site, with a length of nearly 50 meters. The floor on both sides of the red carpet is tiled to look like stars, representing the 'Avenue of Stars' that celebrities have walked on.
"This red carpet has always been walked by stars who are attending the China International Film Festival, but at this moment, you can see that there are no other stars on this red carpet!" Her voice was a little excited, as if she was trying hard to hold back her joy:
"Later, Jiang Se will walk from here to the award ceremony. The organizers have cleared the red carpet for her to walk through alone. This is a unique treatment since the China International Film Festival was held!"
Tao Cen, who was in France and had just finished work, took advantage of the break to surf the Internet with his mobile phone and saw this news that occupied the front pages of all domestic entertainment media:
The China Film Festival cleared the venue for Jiang Se, and the 100-meter red carpet only accommodated the 'Queen of Film'!
The China Film Festival cleared the field for Jiang Se. Following "Beijing Events", Jiang Se won the Best Actress trophy for "Xianyuan"!
For the first time in the 50 years since the establishment of the China Film Festival, Jiang Se was the only one on the red carpet.
Jiang Se wore a pearl-colored long dress, with a graceful figure and cool temperament. She was a unique scenery on the red carpet. Under the flash, her smile was captured by the camera.
This is the unique treatment given to her by the China International Film Festival to show respect for her!
The assistant who was holding a towel and a water bottle nearby also saw this scene out of the corner of his eye and was extremely surprised.
Although I knew Jiang Se's current status in the country, when I actually saw this rare scene, I still couldn't recover for a long time.
The assistant was afraid that Tao Cen would feel depressed, so she wanted to comfort her. However, she saw Tao Cen lowering her head and clicking on a video clip from the scene. Jiang Se was standing on the podium of the China International Film Festival, holding the trophy for "Best Actress". The host smiled and asked her:
"At this moment, Sese has won the title of 'Best Actress', which is well deserved. You are the idol of many people in our hearts. Your performance has made us all your loyal fans. In our hearts, every role you have created and your efforts are worthy of our admiration. Then I would like to ask on behalf of everyone, in your heart, are there any people or things worth learning from?"
Such a segment is just a routine without any originality. Most people's answers are nothing more than thanking their mentor for discovering them, thanking their parents for giving them birth, thanking the director for giving them the opportunity, or saying the name of a classic star who has passed away long ago. It is a safe and appropriate way to avoid mistakes. Tao Cen has also walked this way. In this industry, everyone looks down on each other, so how could they really name someone who is "worthy of admiration?"
Tao Cen smiled and was about to hand the phone back to the assistant, but he didn't expect Jiang Se to hold the microphone and ponder for a moment:
"There are so many people and things worth learning from. There is no end to learning." She paused here, and the host asked again: "Can you give an example?"
"Senior Tao Cen, please."
She said such a name that was incredible to everyone present. Even Tao Cen was stunned. He took back his extended hand and looked at Jiang Se on the phone screen.
The camera was pointed at the host at the scene. She also looked stunned. She obviously did not expect to get such an answer from Jiang Se.
“She’s someone I respect a lot and she taught me humility.”
Tao Cen's assistant obviously didn't expect to hear such a sentence from Jiang Se. He subconsciously looked down and saw that in the video, Jiang Se was holding the trophy in one hand and the microphone in the other, and said seriously:
"I have worked with her before. She became famous very early, has a unique status, and has superb acting skills, but she is still very serious when working." She did not disrespect the crew or the script because of her fame. "When filming started, whether she had a role or not, she would arrive at the scene very early and leave very late. Her spirit is worth learning from."
Tao Cen's expression changed from disbelief at first to shock later. She was silent for a long time, pursed her lips, and finally smiled slightly.
"Sister Tao..."
The assistant looked at her complicated expression. There was some relief and joy in her eyes. There was a hint of sincerity and tears in her eyes. She raised her head and sighed deeply:
"Sometimes having an opponent isn't such an embarrassing thing, right?"
The assistant was timid, not knowing whether she was angry or happy at the moment, and did not dare to speak.
After a long time, the assistant called her softly:
"Sister Tao..."
Tao Cen laughed, put the water bottle in his hand on the ground beside him, and asked, "Where is the script?"
The assistant took out the script from his bag and handed it over. Tao Cen turned a page and the assistant said:
"Aren't you angry?"
"I don't have time to be angry." Tao Cen knew what the assistant was referring to and replied, "She won the 'Best Actress' award at the French Film Festival, but I haven't gotten it yet."
Perhaps it was because she had stood too high in recent years and was too accustomed to being the red flower that was praised by others, and was not used to being the green leaf. Therefore, when there was competition, she did not adjust her mentality in time, which led to her losing her sense of proportion in the past two years.
Tao Cen thought back to the past and began to reflect on herself. She would always catch up with Jiang Se through her works and achievements, instead of competing with her for endorsements, space, news, resources and other things.
Jiang Se was able to get over the disappointment of being nominated for Best Actress for "The Devil" but unfortunately not winning the award. Now she has successfully received the trophy that belongs to her. Tao Cen doesn't believe that she can't do it!
At this moment, the assistant vaguely felt that the haze in her heart was swept away, as if her whole person was revitalized, and her eyes showed the brilliance that everyone was familiar with. She turned back into the Tao Cen who had booming ambitions and longed for success and recognition!
At the foot of Hong Kong's Victoria Eye, Jiang Se is waiting for someone.
When a car approached on the distant road and stopped at the foot of the mountain, the door opened and Jiang Zhiyuan got out with a small bag on his back.
He saw Jiang Se in the distance, his lips trembled, and he pulled the strap of his backpack, looking a little uneasy.
His daughter was not far away from him, but he felt that the short distance was too far.
"I just realized what it looks like when I stand here and watch the person waiting get off the bus and walk towards me." Jiang Se saw him coming over and smiled at him.
They still took the same road up the mountain. Jiang Zhiyuan was still not good at speaking. After reaching the top of the mountain, it was almost eight o'clock in the evening. Jiang Se took him to the cable car going down the mountain. He held the backpack tightly with some force in his fingers.
The night view at the foot of the mountain is picturesque. The two of them got into the cable car and through the glass, they could see the entire night view of Hong Kong and the bay.
When Jiang Zhiyuan arrived at this time, the cable cars were moving, but he was still a little dazed and had not yet come to his senses.
"How have you been doing in prison this year?"
Jiang Se saw him sitting in a corner in silence, his hands tightly grasping the straps of his backpack, his eyes fixed on her, as if he was afraid that after this glance, he would never see her again in the future.
He nodded, but was afraid that Jiang Se would think his attitude was too unfamiliar, so he added a word stiffly: "Okay."
Although his reputation in prison was not so terrifying, no one dared to provoke him. For Jiang Zhiyuan, the one-year imprisonment was far less of a blow than the day when Jiang Se refused to "recognize" him in the "Victoria Eye".
At that time, his daughter was afraid of him and didn't even want to call him "father". For him, this was the greatest retribution.
Jiang Se pursed her lips and smiled, took out a new mobile phone from her bag and handed it to Jiang Zhiyuan:
"This is a mobile phone. It has my and Ayi's phone numbers saved in it, as well as the people around me. When they miss me, they can call us."
He moved his lips, raised his head and looked at Jiang Se. His eyes were surprisingly bright, hope and hesitation intertwined in his eyes, and finally the light slowly dimmed.
Jiang Zhiyuan subconsciously leaned his upper body towards Jiang Se, and the hand that he instinctively stretched out slowly retracted as the look in his eyes darkened.
He did not reach out to take it, as if he was afraid that he had done something wrong. He held his trousers tightly, and the already old trousers were almost torn by his strength. He twisted them into a ball and squeezed them into wrinkles.
"No..." His voice was a little hoarse, and he was trying hard to suppress his excitement. He still remembered his daughter's career and Jiang Se's reputation, and he couldn't implicate her.
It was already very unfortunate for her to have a father like her. He couldn't help her, but at least he shouldn't hold her back.
He gritted his teeth, trying to control the wavering thoughts in his heart, and closed his eyes and shook his head:
"no."
Jiang Zhiyuan seemed to be trying to convince himself, and the next moment he felt the cable car shaking. Jiang Se sat closer, and she reached out to pull him, and the cell phone with her body temperature was stuffed into his palm.
He knew very well that this was wrong. People like him were suited to living in darkness and should not be close to the light. But maybe it was because the night wind was particularly strong tonight, and he was wearing only thin clothes and had been freezing for a long time. He longed for a little warmth and wanted to be close to his daughter again, so when she reached out her hand, he knew he should stay away from her, which would be a good thing for Jiang Se.
He shouldn't have picked up the phone. He was used to having no fixed place to live, used to being cautious and leaving no trace. He rejected everything, isolated himself from society, and lived outside the rules.
He understood the reason, and his reason even reminded him not to reach out to take it.
But when Jiang Se handed him the phone, his reaction was to hold it tightly. This phone carried his daughter's body temperature, and he didn't want to give up even if there was only a little bit of residual warmth.
He didn't care whether the phone had positioning or not, or whether it could track him. He didn't care whether in the future when he did whatever he wanted, someone would easily find clues through the phone.
"In my life, the role of 'father' has always been absent. I haven't learned how to be a daughter yet, and I don't know what to do to be right." She smiled, but Jiang Zhiyuan's eyes began to feel hot and burning: "Having a father is still a little strange to me. I will try to accept and learn how to be a good daughter. It may take some time to adapt. I hope you don't mind."
The cable car swayed as it passed over a hill. Her face turned a little pale, but she smiled brightly and lovely, overlapping the face in his memory.
His lips were pressed into a straight line and the skin around his eyes trembled slightly, revealing his excitement.
"I… "
He was choked with sobs and couldn't speak. He never believed in fate or karma, but now he had to thank fate for giving him such a surprise.
"In the middle of her life, Feng Nan married the heir of the Zhao family of Jianghua Group." She lowered her eyelids and said softly, "From now on, there will be no connection between us and Feng Nan, okay?"
"Yeah!" He nodded desperately.
"Don't hurt others casually in the future." She requested in a low voice. Jiang Zhiyuan's eyes were hot and tears were almost coming out. He had shed blood and sweat over the years, but had never shed tears. This was his weak spot. Not to mention that she just asked him not to hurt others in the future, even if she asked him to jump from this height at this moment, he would not hesitate.
"Yeah!" he responded softly.
The night view of Hong Kong tonight is so beautiful that it completely washes away the single impression he had over the years.
The first time he came to Hong Kong, he saw money everywhere and opportunities everywhere.
The good times that followed were all wasted in prison, and the only impression he had of Hong Kong was the cramped cell with high walls on all sides.
When I came back again, I came with the full understanding that I was going to die, and I never thought about going back alive.
The morning when he met Jiang Se and walked all the way to the "Victoria Eye", he didn't care to look at the scenery. Almost all his attention was on his daughter. He was uneasy because of Feng Nan's words. He was afraid that she would hate him, resist, be afraid, and suffer retribution. He did not leave peacefully.
And at this moment, he felt that this was the best scenery in the world!
His simple bag no longer contains just two old clothes and some toiletries. He has a new cell phone. His daughter said that in the future, his bag will gradually add more things.
There might be her photos and more things about their daughter. Maybe there will be so many things that he can no longer easily wander around with this bag on his back. Maybe he will find a new job, settle down again, and put away these extra luggage.
He doesn't know how to be a good father yet. No one is born to adapt to a role, and he has a lot to learn in the future.
He regretted that he could not hear the first word "Dad" uttered by his daughter when she was just learning to speak. Perhaps in the future, he would hear it.
The cable car slowly stopped at the downhill entrance. When the door opened, Jiang Se came out and saw Pei Yi standing outside the door.
He was like a pine tree on the top of a mountain, tall and straight. Her figure was reflected in his eyes. When he saw Jiang Se, his cold expression broke in an instant, revealing a hint of warmth.
He is always like this, he will always be there when you need him.
Jiang Se rushed towards him, and he held her body firmly with both hands.
"Ayi! Husband!"
He still had the coolness of the evening breeze on him. He smiled faintly as he listened to her coquettish words. He first looked up at Jiang Zhiyuan, and after making sure that this dangerous man was no longer a threat to Jiang Se, he lowered his head and kissed her hair. A man like him could also show a watery look in his eyes, and he responded gently, "Yeah." (To be continued)