After the angel bids farewell to the female protagonist, the post-production team will use special effects to gradually turn his figure into points of light until he disappears. The female protagonist is naturally caught off guard by his sudden farewell. She is shocked and tries to hold him back, but she can't grasp anything and stands there in tears.
After filming this scene, Qiao Zixin squatted on the ground, burying her face in her knees, tears streaming down her face, her suppressed sobs continuing for a long time. The staff were somewhat frightened; they couldn't comprehend how important Xu Zifan was to Qiao Zixin, and therefore couldn't understand how deeply she was immersed in the role. They looked to Xu Zifan for help, hoping that this all-powerful boss could appease their goddess.
Xu Zifan waved for the others to leave, then squatted down next to Qiao Zixin, handed her a pack of tissues, and asked softly, "What's wrong? Can't get out of character?"
Qiao Zixin hugged him tightly, sobbing, "Don't go! Don't leave me!"
Xu Zifan paused for a moment, then chuckled and said, "It's just filming. It's the angel who left, not me. I'm perfectly fine right here."
Qiao Zixin shook her head, hugging him even tighter. "It's the same, it's all the same. You are my angel. You saved me and brought me back to my peak. Are you leaving? I won't let you go. Promise me you'll never leave me. I can't live without you!"
Xu Zifan had never seen her cry like this before, and he didn't know how to comfort a girl. He could only hug her and gently pat her back, telling her his thoughts, "I won't leave. Even if an angel leaves, he can still watch the heroine be happy from heaven. If I leave, I won't know anything anymore. Only by your side can I see you happy. Have you forgotten? I am your most loyal fan."
Qiao Zixin only heard the promise she wanted to hear: he wouldn't leave! She immediately stopped crying and smiled, looking up into his eyes to confirm, "Really? You'll be by my side forever, right?"
Protecting someone's happiness means protecting them until the end of their life, no doubt about it. Xu Zifan nodded firmly, and even started thinking about how to stay fit and healthy. He hadn't paid attention to this before, but now that he thought about it, how could he protect Qiao Zixin if he died before her? He had to live longer than her, even if it was just one more minute.
Qiao Zixin's anxiety finally dissipated, and her heart felt lighter. Wiping away her tears, she thought, Xu Zifan had already said twice that he was her loyal fan. Did that mean that as long as she remained active in the entertainment industry, he wouldn't leave? She had to become the best idol to deserve such a great fan; she absolutely couldn't let Xu Zifan have the chance to become a fan of other celebrities!
After the two went down the mountain, there was only one scene left to film. Qiao Zixin didn't like the original ending. She suggested cutting the part where the female lead marries a rich and handsome man and lives happily ever after. Instead, they only filmed the scene where the female lead bumps into a man at her best friend's wedding. The man had his back to her, but when he turned around, the two looked at each other and smiled. It turned out that the man was an incarnation of an angel. This ending gave the story a sense of completeness and sweetness.
This scene was unanimously approved by everyone. Xu Zifan, sitting in the director's chair, tapped his fingers lightly on the armrest, staring at the script for a long time. Finally, he said, "In the end, the man doesn't turn around; we only film the female lead seeing his back and showing an attracted expression."
He looked at the disappointed crowd and said, "The best comedy must have both laughter and tears, touching moments and regrettable scenes. We'll film the last scene as an open ending, which can be seen as a happy ending or a regretful one. It's like a hook that keeps people itching to let go, and that's how we achieve the best effect. It's much better than an ending that satisfies the audience."
Everyone fell silent upon hearing this. They had to admit he was a truly excellent director; he wasn't immersed in the plot at all, but rather, with the clarity of an observer, he had come up with the best arrangement for the film. No one objected, and in the end, they filmed the moment Qiao Zixin turned around and saw the man's back, ending with a close-up of her expression.
After filming wrapped, everyone celebrated with a big meal and karaoke, took two days off, and then began the grueling post-production work. The filming schedule was very tight this time; previously, editing was done on the fly, which greatly shortened the post-production time. Xu Zifan didn't have to go around networking and pulling strings like last time, so he had much more time, which allowed him to handle other things, such as attending the year-end awards ceremony.
"A Mother's Strength" emerged as the biggest dark horse of the year, receiving numerous award nominations. Before attending the awards ceremony, Xu Zifan, seeing the opportune moment, instructed the public relations department to release the results of Qiao Zixin's lawsuit against those online rumor-mongering accounts. Lawsuits are lengthy processes. Xu Zifan entrusted all matters to his lawyer, who appeared in court repeatedly during their two filming sessions, finally securing a resolution.
The influential marketing accounts that were most active in attacking Qiao Zixin were actually operated by two companies. After investigation, it was found that all their statements were completely fabricated and caused extremely negative impacts. They were found to have infringed on Qiao Zixin's portrait rights and reputation rights, and were ordered to immediately delete all false statements, publicly apologize to Qiao Zixin, and compensate her for economic losses and mental distress damages of 200,000 yuan.
The news shocked everyone. They only knew Qiao Zixin had sent a lawyer's letter, but they never expected her to actually sue and win! Seeing those marketing accounts obediently posting apologies, netizens cheered, and Qiao Zixin's fans were especially elated. This lawsuit completely cleared Qiao Zixin of all her stains, and no one dared to use those past scandals to make snide remarks anymore. The trolls fell silent, and the online trolls were also hesitant to take on the job of smearing Qiao Zixin again, otherwise they might end up being sued themselves one day.
The news of the successful wrap-up of "Life is Beautiful" and the news of Qiao Zixin's victory in the lawsuit both became trending topics. That same night, Qiao Zixin was seen arm-in-arm with Xu Zi.
Fan walked the red carpet at the awards ceremony.
She wore a custom-made haute couture gown and simple diamond jewelry, exuding elegance and poise with every gesture, radiating the aura of a movie queen. Standing beside her, Xu Zifan was also tall and handsome, wearing a well-fitting black haute couture suit. His face was expressionless, radiating charisma, making him appear even more like a cool and aloof CEO, not at all like a director.
One is handsome and the other is beautiful. Their appearance caused fans to scream wildly. No matter where you go, good looks are more popular, let alone their talent.
The host asked them to linger at the autograph wall for a moment and asked, "Actress Qiao has also been nominated for Best Actress this time. Are you confident of winning?"
Qiao Zixin raised her hand to smooth her hair behind her ear and smiled, "I'm happy whether I win an award or not. I'm already very satisfied to have acted in this movie, and everyone's liking is the best affirmation for me."
With the box office success of "A Mother's Love" and Qiao Zixin's explosive acting skills trending on social media for several days, there's really no need to worry about winning awards. Audience recognition is the true measure of success. However, she remains the most popular candidate for the award.
The host then asked Xu Zifan, "Director Xu, is it because you really enjoy acting that you've chosen such a significant role in your first film?"
Xu Zifan said calmly, "No, it's because I want to win the Best Supporting Actor award."
The host laughed and said, "Director Xu is really good at joking. I heard that he plays the most important male role again in this new film."
"Yes, that saves time."
People around him laughed good-naturedly, thinking Xu Zifan was just joking, and they even seemed to have found a new endearing trait in him. Only Qiao Zixin knew he was serious; he always nailed his scenes in one take, which would be a waste of time for anyone else. This movie was even scheduled for release during the Spring Festival—he was truly an incredibly confident person.
The host exchanged a few more pleasantries before letting them leave. The two sat in a row with A-list celebrities. After they took their seats, everyone greeted them with smiles, but no one could tell who was genuinely close and who secretly wanted to smear each other. Lin Yan was two people away from them; Liu Jie, not being of high enough status, sat in the back row. From the moment he sat down, Lin Yan kept glancing at Qiao Zixin out of the corner of his eye, feeling both regret and resentment. He regretted not choosing such a beautiful woman over someone like Liu Jie, who seemed so ordinary. He resented Qiao Zixin for not being sincere towards him; Liu Jie could still think about him years after their breakup, so why did Qiao Zixin treat him like an enemy after their separation? He couldn't even find a chance to get back together.
Xu Zifan raised his arm and placed it on the armrest, blocking his view. He gave Lin Yan a warning glance, and Lin Yan immediately looked away, not daring to look again. He felt his wrist, which had been bruised from being pinched last time, begin to throb again. Then he became angry and embarrassed. Why was he afraid of Xu Zifan? He was just a director, wasn't he? Where did he get such a strong aura? But in the end, he didn't dare to look again. For some reason, he had a premonition that he would regret it for the rest of his life if he offended Xu Zifan, so it was best to stay away.
The awards ceremony officially began. "A Mother's Strength" won Best Editing, an edited film directed by Xu Zifan and featuring several other editors. "Double Agent" won Best Action Choreography, while other behind-the-scenes awards were given out to other films. Soon it was time for the Best Supporting Actor award. Lin Yan immediately straightened his back; this was an award he and Starry Entertainment had been eagerly anticipating, and it was also his ultimate goal in making "Double Agent." This award was very important to him; recognition would lead to more directors offering him lead roles, significantly boosting his market value. He smiled, confident that his formal training and two years of honing his acting skills would earn him the award.
The presenter opened the card and said with a smile, "This year's Best Supporting Actor award goes to Xu Zifan for 'A Mother's Strength'! Congratulations to Xu Zifan!"
Lin Yan's frozen expression was clearly displayed on the big screen. The other nominees smiled politely. Xu Zifan straightened his suit, stood up and hugged the excited Qiao Zixin, then shook hands with everyone around him before walking calmly onto the stage to receive his award.
He accepted the trophy, glanced at Lin Yan, and said meaningfully, "What I said on the red carpet just now was true. I took this role to win the Best Supporting Actor award, and tonight, I have won it. Thank you for this recognition. I will continue to work hard."