Xu Zifan said one sentence and then walked off the stage. The host was almost caught off guard, but fortunately, she was experienced and quickly invited the next award presenter.
Xu Zifan sat back down in his seat, showed the trophy to Qiao Zixin, and asked, "Are you happy?"
Qiao Zixin nodded and smiled at him: "Congratulations."
"Whatever makes you happy, I won't let him win any more awards in the future," Xu Zifan whispered in her ear.
Qiao Zixin was stunned. She was happy that Xu Zifan had won such a prestigious award in his first acting role. As for Lin Yan... she shifted her gaze to the side and saw Lin Yan looking down, trying his best to hide his unpleasant expression. However, she felt nothing. She no longer cared about Lin Yan. Her memories of him had faded to the point of being colorless. Now, her heart was filled with someone else.
The presenter awarded the Best Actor prize to the actor in an art film, and then presented the Best Actress prize. Qiao Zixin, snapping out of her reverie, smiled and looked at the big screen as the presenter announced, "This year's Best Actress award goes to—Qiao Zixin for 'A Mother's Strength'! Please welcome Qiao Zixin!"
Qiao Zixin's smile remained unchanged. She hugged Xu Zifan tightly, then embraced everyone else before gracefully walking onto the stage to accept her award. She showed no outward signs of emotion, as if she had already received so many awards that she was no longer overwhelmed with excitement—the true demeanor of a seasoned actress. After exchanging a few pleasantries with the presenters, she smiled and addressed the audience, saying, "I am very grateful to the organizers for their recognition and to everyone for liking this film. As you all know, before making this film, I was at the lowest point in my life. I was lost and didn't know what to do. Then one day, Zifan said, 'Let's make a movie.' He found a script, sold his house, and gathered many of my fans to form a team, and that's how we started filming."
"Thankfully, we succeeded! This award isn't just my honor, it belongs to our team," Qiao Zixin raised the trophy towards her team, "It belongs to you, my dearest fans! I love you all!" She was still smiling, but everyone could see her eyes were moist on the big screen. Only then did they finally see a slight emotional fluctuation in her expression.
Two young women in the team couldn't hold back their tears, and several men also had tears in their eyes. They truly loved Qiao Zixin, this sincere and kind idol. Seeing her stand on the award stage again made all their efforts worthwhile!
The cameraman gave the team a close-up, and everyone present applauded. Whether they knew Qiao Zixin well or not, they all praised her for her impressive comeback, especially envying her fan base. In their eyes, it didn't matter how long she remained famous; having such a group of genuinely devoted fans made her career worthwhile, leaving a significant mark on entertainment history!
Before leaving the stage, Qiao Zixin smiled at Xu Zifan and said, "Finally, I would like to thank my agent, my boss, who is also the director and supporting actor of this film. Thank you for always being by my side."
Upon hearing this, the fans immediately screamed. Qiao Zixin smiled, bowed slightly, and walked off the stage. Before she even returned to her seat, the guest on stage announced, "In this exciting atmosphere, I have another surprise for you. This year's Best Director Award goes to Xu Zifan for 'A Mother's Strength'! Xu Zifan is only 25 years old, a self-taught talent, and his first film has achieved such a perfect result, completely on par with experienced directors. He has delivered a flawless performance, and this award is well-deserved. Let's welcome Xu Zifan!"
The fans' screams grew even louder. Xu Zifan hugged Qiao Zixin halfway down the aisle, and the cameraman followed, capturing Qiao Zixin's wide smile and tears. It was clear she was much more excited to hear Xu Zifan win than she was to win herself. Fans snapped photos incessantly, sharing them as soon as the awards ceremony ended, calling it the sweetest moment ever officially announced!
Of course, Xu Zifan didn't say much when he went on stage, only saying, "My new film, 'Life is Beautiful,' will be released during the Spring Festival. Everyone is welcome to come and see it."
Such a refreshing and unconventional promotional advertisement was truly a first at an awards ceremony. Everyone was amused by it. Later, when other awards were presented, the winners also cracked a couple of jokes on stage, bringing the awards ceremony to a close amidst laughter.
On that day, the terms "A Mother's Strength" and Xu Zifan, Qiao Zixin, fan team, and Gemini couple were all trending online, with everyone discussing them. Meanwhile, they once again chartered a cruise ship to celebrate for three days and three nights!
After netizens learned about this, they jokingly said that if you're looking for a job, you should definitely apply to Xu Zifan's company. The benefits are unbelievably good, and the hiring process is incredibly difficult. These days, you can't be a good fan without some specialized skill. Xu Zifan and Qiao Zixin's fans are the most interesting; they've all made vows online to study hard and improve their skills so they can join the team during the next company recruitment drive and become members of the fan club!
This awards ceremony brought fame to Xu Zifan and Qiao Zixin, and also officially introduced Zifan Entertainment to the public eye. Qiao Zixin's statement, "He's my boss," made everyone realize for the first time that Xu Zifan is now not only a director and agent, but also the boss of an entertainment company, making a strong entry into the entertainment industry. He truly is a CEO!
Public figures like Xu Zifan, who don't talk much and exude extraordinary confidence, are prone to attracting negative attention. However, Xu Zifan is tall and handsome, with a model-like physique. He always exudes charisma, has acting skills and talent, and is a real CEO. Therefore, everything he does is described as "unique," which attracts a large number of fans who frantically leave comments on his Weibo saying they want to have his babies.
In contrast, "Double Agent" suffered a major setback, losing several important awards to competitors, and Lin Yan was even photographed looking sullen, leading to questions about his character. This series of events meant that Starry Sky's investment in the film was completely wasted, and several other investors also expressed dissatisfaction, wanting to reconsider their investment in their next film.
The boss's wife at Xingchen was furious. She gave Lin Yan a sarcastic and sarcastic scolding. Lin Yan smiled apologetically at the company, not daring to say a word. But when he got home, he vented all his anger on Liu Jie. Liu Jie wasn't one to back down either. After half a year of lowering herself to please him, she hadn't gained anything and had even ruined her reputation. Naturally, she wouldn't give in to him anymore. The two of them got into a huge fight at home, throwing ashtrays and vases at each other, hurling the most offensive insults at each other. In the end, they were too afraid to go to the hospital and could only apply ice to their bruises. Their relationship had completely deteriorated to rock bottom.
Having been reborn and living such a miserable life, Liu Jie felt more resentful than anyone else. She had noticed Lin Yan's decline and finally realized something she had overlooked before. In her previous life, she and Lin Yan had separated early on, and she didn't know how Lin Yan had become famous. She only secretly regretted it when she saw the news of Lin Yan becoming a movie star and doting on his wife. So, upon being reborn, she immediately hooked up with Lin Yan and even used some underhanded methods to expose them as a couple, binding herself to Lin Yan.
After being married to Lin Yan and living together for so long, she realized that Lin Yan's success in his previous life was inseparable from Qiao Zixin's support. Lin Yan's acting skills weren't that great at all; his becoming a movie star in his past life was definitely due to Qiao Zixin honing his acting skills at home or finding him acting teachers. And Qiao Zixin, having been a movie star for several years, still had connections even after marriage and leaving the entertainment industry, and maintained good relationships with companies, giving Lin Yan preferential treatment. Qiao Zixin had sacrificed so much for Lin Yan; naturally, Lin Yan had to appear as a doting husband on the surface, but who knows what he was really like behind the scenes!
It's infuriating that she was fooled by those superficial news reports and fell headfirst into Lin Yan's trap, only to regret it now. Without Qiao Zixin, Lin Yan is nothing, and now he's even taking his anger out on her at home—what does he take her for?!
Lying on the bed in the guest room, Liu Jie couldn't shake the feeling that she shouldn't waste any more time on Lin Yan. Whether Xu Zifan was a reincarnated person was still unclear, and Lin Yan's popularity had plummeted. She was currently being sidelined by her company, with no way out in sight, and her quality of life was declining drastically. She couldn't let things continue like this. But if she were to divorce, it couldn't be done so easily. Her reputation was already bad; she couldn't afford any more stains. If she wanted to marry well in the future, she couldn't afford any more shameful past. A divorce, if orchestrated properly, could be a chance for her to turn her life around. Lin Yan had to be the one at fault.
Liu Jie didn't get away with much against Xu Zifan, but having lived an extra lifetime, dealing with Lin Yan was a piece of cake. Every time Lin Yan went out, she would hire a private investigator to take photos. Regardless of whether there was any intimacy involved, as long as there was a woman present, she would take photos that looked like Lin Yan and that woman were having an intimate encounter. At the same time, she secretly transferred all the family's assets, changed the ownership of the property, and transferred the savings to her overseas account, leaving only a few tens of thousands of yuan in Lin Yan's account, which he didn't even notice.
Lin Yan had always assumed Liu Jie loved him deeply and didn't take her seriously, never keeping his guard up, which allowed Liu Jie to take advantage of him. However, he himself was no pushover; behind Liu Jie's back, he secretly slept with a secret stash of money while having a passionate affair with a nobody model. Now, Liu Jie no longer needed to falsely accuse him—she had stacks of photos ready to prove it! With his infidelity photos in hand, Liu Jie was naturally fearless and began frequently attending various parties, playing the role of a heartbroken woman, while looking for her next suitor.
Xu Zifan had been keeping an eye on them, checking on them periodically. This time, it was just routine, but he hadn't expected to discover something so interesting. Looking at the evidence and photos of their betrayal in the email, he stroked his chin and chuckled. Sharing the joy was better than keeping it to himself; he might as well be the mastermind behind it all and let them have their moment in the spotlight. Didn't they always want to be in the headlines? This time, it had to be even more sensational than when Qiao Zixin was framed by them.