Huayu Chunqiu, starting from being adopted by a fairy mother

Chapter 419 Holding an Umbrella for You on the Red Carpet

On April 19, the 28th Hong Kong Film Awards were held as scheduled at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Grand Theatre.

Coinciding with the centenary of Hong Kong cinema and the last edition of the Hong Kong Film Awards before its reform, this event was very grand.

Many big names in the Hong Kong film industry made a special appearance, and there were also heavyweight figures from the mainland.

The Hong Kong Film Awards Association also remade Hong Kong's first film, "Stealing Roast Duck," and adapted four short films based on exciting plots from four classic films: "Heroic Duck," "Days of Being Wild," "No Duck Way," and "Seeing the Duck."

This year's awards ceremony was quite a spectacle, with a large number of celebrities in attendance. In addition to the invited guests, there were also some uninvited guests who showed up as audience members.

In the waiting area of ​​the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the male celebrities' outfits were mostly similar, while the female celebrities' outfits were all different.

Carol Cheng's silver sequined dress was eye-catching; Tang Wei wore a bright red off-shoulder dress that resembled flames; Paw Hee-ching wore a red cheongsam with Chinese knot buttons paired with a jade necklace; Sandra Ng's green feather dress looked like a peacock spreading its tail; Lin Chi-ling wore an elegant gold dress that made her look like a Greek goddess; and Prudence Liew's black see-through outfit exuded allure...

In April, when the flowers are in full bloom, female celebrities are blossoming in all their glory. Each one vying for attention, their vibrant colors creating a dazzling display.

Dozens of people were waiting in the waiting area to walk the red carpet. Some were fixing their makeup, some were waiting quietly, and some were chatting.

A staff member rushed in, looking somewhat flustered. "It's raining!"

As soon as the words were spoken, everyone panicked even more than the messenger, rushing out one by one to confirm the news.

The Walk of Fame is open-air, and the red carpet ceremony had just begun.

If it rains, what a joke! We can't afford for it to rain right now. Everyone wants to look their best on the red carpet; nobody wants to be soaked to the bone.

"Why is it raining?" Sisi didn't want to get soaked, so she was a little confused.

"The weather forecast was pretty accurate." Liu Jing frowned. He didn't care about himself, but he glanced at the person next to him. This person shouldn't get wet.

Amidst the myriad colors, Sisi resembles a yellow rose.

A long, gold velvet dress, adorned with champagne gold jacquard details, features an off-the-shoulder, asymmetrical cut. The flowing design subtly conceals any slight sloping shoulders, highlighting the delicate collarbone. The skirt slits to mid-thigh, and a velvet belt cinches the waist. The flowing train sways gracefully with every movement, creating a captivating and radiant effect.

If it's raining heavily outside, what's the point of looking beautiful? The train would turn into a mop.

"If I had known this would happen, we should have walked the red carpet first and been the first to go up," Sisi said, full of regret.

"What are you thinking? How could the organizers let you go early? You'll definitely be at the back." Liu Jing gloated. The mop was nothing compared to those ladies in thin skirts.

This year's Hong Kong Film Awards red carpet is sure to generate some new buzz.

"Tch! As if you're not getting wet. I really envy Tangtang; she's already walked the red carpet." Sisi sighed.

Tang Yan is the female lead in "Ip Man," a film nominated for Best Picture. Although she was not nominated for Best Actress, she was also present at the event.

After all, appearing on the film festival red carpet is a great form of publicity for an artist. She deserves to walk the red carpet, which is much better than those who weren't invited but just crash the event.

Tang Yan is wearing a purple fitted dress today, highlighting her long legs and exuding a mature and sophisticated vibe.

"Director, Sisi, it's raining quite heavily outside." Tang Wei walked over with a pained expression, her skirt also quite long.

Before it rained, Tang Wei was chatting with Liu Meijun. She wasn't nominated this time, but was invited to be an award presenter.

The staff said it was raining, and Tang Wei was one of the people who went out to confirm the news.

"How about we use an umbrella?" Sisi's face looked even more miserable. Her umbrella's train was made of velvet, and it became very heavy after absorbing water.

"This..." Tang Wei was a little confused. What was she thinking? How could she use an umbrella at such a good time? Rain is a good thing; it would provide plenty of topics for conversation.

Some more outgoing female celebrities might deliberately get soaked in the rain, hoping for more exposure. This would both demonstrate their professionalism and give them more exposure through wardrobe malfunctions.

For female celebrities, exposure means popularity, and popularity symbolizes commercial value. They are willing to do anything for these.

However, Tang Wei had already decided to move behind the scenes and didn't need these topics, so she paused for a moment before replying directly, "Okay, I'll go borrow an umbrella."

"Sis, forget it."

Tang Wei is very decisive; before she even finished speaking, she turned and left.

Sisi tried to pull him away, but couldn't.

"Using an umbrella is useless. I should have listened to you and worn the other outfit without a skirt." Sisi smiled wryly. With such a long skirt, how big of an umbrella would you need? Besides, the main problem is the water on the ground; using an umbrella is really pointless.

She had just said it casually, but she had already decided to be professional and let it rain. Anyway, the journey wasn't long, and she could go back and change if she got wet; she had two spare outfits.

"I told you it would rain, but you wouldn't listen," Liu Jing muttered.

"You jinx! If you hadn't said anything, things might not have gotten better." Sisi can be reasonable sometimes, but she's absolutely unreasonable when she's wrong.

"Don't worry, it won't matter if it rains," Liu Jing comforted her, then changed the subject, "The red carpet absorbs water more than your dress."

Sisi was speechless. She thought Liu Jing would say, "Don't worry, I'll shield you from the rain when we walk the red carpet later."

She was about to say something sarcastic when she heard what she wanted to hear: "We'll walk the red carpet together later. Walk slowly, and I'll protect you."

Liu Jing had already decided; she'd just lift up her skirt later. It's raining; what's the point of looking pretty?

"Everyone else is a married couple, what are we?" Sisi muttered softly.

The organizers arranged for six real couples to walk the red carpet together, and they included the two of them.

Nick Cheung was there with his wife Esther Kwan, who was nominated for Best Actor for her role in "The Witness." His wife, who had just returned to work after giving birth, was there to support him.

Donnie Yen was accompanied by his wife, Cecilia Wang, and he was nominated for Best Actor for his role in "Ip Man".

Anita Yuen was accompanied by her husband Julian Cheung; she was a presenter at the awards ceremony.

Paw Hee-ching brought her husband Fong Ping along, and she was nominated for Best Actress for her role in "The Way We Are".

The last couple was Tony Leung and Carina Lau, one nominated for Best Actor for his role in Red Cliff, and the other a presenter.

However, before Liu Jialing arrived at the scene, Liang Chaowei sat in the corner waiting quietly, looking like he was trying to keep his distance from her, which made him seem very socially awkward.

“We’ve counted too many things: partners, childhood friends, alumni, siblings, boyfriends and girlfriends, and... husband and wife.”

As Liu Jing continued speaking, Qianqian's face gradually darkened, her gaze murderous, and her teeth grinding as if she wanted to devour someone.

As she uttered the last two words, Sisi's serious face brightened, and she even joked, "And there's also aunt and niece."

Liu Jing's smile froze, and he growled viciously, "Liu Yifei, you're asking for it."

"Tch! You owed me first." Sisi looked at her with disdain.

The flirting was interrupted by a commotion as Liu Jialing finally arrived at the scene. Many people went up to greet her and exchanged pleasantries.

She wore a black, deep-V satin gown that was captivating; once you looked at her, you wanted to look again.

"What are you looking at? Haven't you had enough of Yang Mi?" Qianqian looked down at herself, feeling inferior, when she caught Liu Jing's gaze.

"Men wear Guanyin and women wear Buddha; she's wearing the wrong one," Liu Jing responded, revealing a jade Guanyin hidden among the white skin.

He was studying this; he definitely wasn't looking at either side, much less at the face.

Liu Jialing was quite beautiful more than ten years ago. If he had met her during his visit to the set, he would definitely have asked for a photo.

As for now, let's forget about it. Her and Ada Choi's transformations made Liu Jing realize that time may not defeat a beauty, but it will certainly ravage her.

"Go and pray then." Sisi pouted. That guy has a good eye, but he didn't use it in the right place.

"I thought she wasn't coming," Liu Jing muttered.

"Why don't they come? This is Hong Kong, not the mainland. It's only a short distance away." Sisi asked, puzzled.

Following Liu Jing's gaze, Liang Chaowei did not get up, still maintaining a "do not disturb" attitude.

Sisi suddenly realized that she had talked a lot with Tang Wei, and how could she have forgotten about these two people?

After the release of "Lust, Caution," Tang Wei became a sensation but was also banned. It is said that this person stepped on her coattails.

At the premiere, Carina Lau lost control of her facial expressions and later admitted, "It would be a lie to say I didn't mind, but it was his job."

From then on, there were many different versions of the entanglement between these three people, none of which were harmonious.

"His eyes are just average, not as pretty as Bai Bing's." Xixi couldn't help but take another look, but still couldn't find anything good about them.

It wasn't just Sissi who was watching; ever since Liu Jialing came in, many people had been stealing glances at Leung Chiu-wai.

As she was looking around, Liu Jing tugged at her. It wasn't that Liang Chaowei was feeling uneasy because everyone was staring at her, but rather that Liu Jialing had come over to exchange pleasantries.

"Yifei, you look so beautiful today."

"Sister Jialing, don't praise me. Everyone is looking at you. You're the one who's beautiful." Qianqian said with a smile.

"Haha, Xiao Wei acted well, I wish you win Best Actress." Liu Jialing laughed heartily. As she laughed, Liu Jing couldn't help but glance at the jade Guanyin again.

"Thank you for your kind words, but my chances aren't high. Several of my seniors performed better than me." Sisi smiled slightly; she genuinely felt her chances were slim. The organizing committee's invitation to be an award presenter meant that the award was not for her.

"Haha, that's hard to say." Liu Jialing laughed, then asked Liu Jing, "Liu Jing, I wish you all the best in winning the award. If there's a chance, let's collaborate." "Okay." Liu Jing readily agreed, thinking they'd see if there was an opportunity, since he hadn't seen one yet.

Tang Wei walked in briskly, carrying an umbrella, but her pace slowed down.

Liu Jialing saw it all and sneered, "Liu Jing, some people can't even stand a little rain or hardship. They're really not suited for this industry. They should just leave as soon as possible."

Liu Jing was speechless. You're implying that people can say whatever they want, but why mention my name?

Many people are unaware that Tang Wei participated in the filming of "The Message." Even fewer people know that she became a contracted director with Spring and Autumn and placed her agency contract with Yan Hui.

The production of "The Message" is nearing completion, but promotion has not yet begun, and everything is being kept secret.

"It's better than forcing yourself to endure hardship." Liu Jing said calmly.

Liu Jialing hadn't quite grasped the meaning when she saw Tang Wei's apologetic expression. "Qianqian, I only found one umbrella, and this umbrella suits you quite well."

She handed the umbrella to Sisi, but Sisi declined, saying, "You can use it yourself, I'm fine."

"Go ahead and hit it. This little bit of rain is nothing. It'll save people from saying I can't take hardship." Tang Wei pushed it over again.

You push, I yield; I push, you yield.

Liu Jialing scoffed. "So good at flattering, all she's good for is flattery. She doesn't follow the right path; she'll never amount to anything."

She realized it now, and the idea that she was forcing herself to suffer seemed to be a veiled criticism of her.

Liu Jialing has been in the entertainment industry for so many years, she has some tricks up her sleeve and is also very emotionally intelligent.

When she first came to the Hong Kong entertainment industry, she was bullied by many people from Hong Kong and Taiwan. She understands the principles of survival better than most artists.

If Liu Yifei were just Liu Yifei, she wouldn't have taken the initiative to make small talk.

She dared to mock Tang Wei and even sabotage her, but she wouldn't dare treat Liu Jing and Liu Yifei the same way.

Liu Jing said she was just going through the motions, but she pretended not to understand and moved on to the next conversation.

"If you two won't fight, I will." Liu Jing said impatiently, snatching the weapon away.

The way everyone was eyeing Leung Chiu-wai just now is how they're eyeing Tang Wei now.

Sisi and he were standing to the side, and everyone's gazes held a different meaning.

The "melon-eating crowd" is not just ordinary people; those who are frequently the subject of gossip are no less interested in gossip than the average person.

These strange looks only disappeared as Tang Wei walked onto the red carpet.

Short skirts also have their troubles. Looking at Tang Wei's disheveled appearance, Sisi was overjoyed.

After Tang Wei's skirt got wet, it clung tightly to her calves, forcing her to walk forward on tiptoe.

Lin Jiaxin wore a royal blue gown and a diamond crown, looking like a princess attending a banquet. Her tousled hair, wet from the rain, made it seem as if she were wearing a tattered felt hat.

That wasn't even the worst of it. Barbie Hsu was wearing a tiered skirt, and Gu Tianle stepped on it multiple times. Not only did she almost fall, but her skirt nearly came off.

As they walked down the red carpet, the waiting area gradually became deserted.

"Wood, Yifei, if you're not leaving tomorrow, come to my house for dinner. We're heading out now."

Donnie Yen walked the red carpet with his wife, Cecilia Wang, followed by Nick Cheung and Esther Kwan.

Kwan Wing-ho and Lau King have known each other for over a decade, but their relationship truly blossomed during the filming of "The Book and the Sword".

Esther Kwan plays Huo Qingtong, and Lau King is the action choreographer. The atmosphere on set is very cheerful.

"Okay," Liu Jing replied.

"Goodbye, Sister Yonghe. We should get ready too." Qianqian waved goodbye and went inside. There was no chance to talk. Her flight was tomorrow, so it was goodbye.

There wasn't much to prepare. The makeup artist came over to check, and there were no oversights.

The red carpet host brought up the movie "Painted Skin," a subtle reminder that it was their turn to go on stage.

"Oh my god, the rain is really heavy." Sisi first stretched out her hand to feel the spring rain, "Wood, protect me."

"boom……"

Liu Jing opened the umbrella, bent down, lifted the hem of her skirt, and held it in her hand. The skirt didn't touch the ground, and Qianqian wasn't exposed.

"Let's go."

"Aren't you going to let me hold it up?" Sisi was dumbfounded. This guy actually held an umbrella over her skirt, and then not only did he get soaked in the rain, he also made her get soaked.

"Weren't you worried about the hem of your skirt absorbing water?" Liu Jingzhen retorted.

"They are Yang Guo and Xiaolongnu from 'The Return of the Condor Heroes,' Zhang Wuji and the woman in yellow from 'The Sacred Flame,' the general and Xiaowei from 'Painted Skin,' and they are Liu Jing and Liu Yifei. They're here, they're here, they... they're here with umbrellas..."

The host paused, almost forgetting what to say next. Walking the red carpet with an umbrella—you're the first, and probably the only ones, to do so today.

Sisi walked ahead holding an umbrella, while Liu Jing followed behind, lifting her skirt.

That's right, just before going on stage, Sisi took the umbrella away.

She hadn't originally intended to use an umbrella, but seeing Liu Jing's reaction, she suddenly thought that using an umbrella in the rain was quite nice.

"You know what, Tang Wei has good taste. This oil-paper umbrella suits your outfit quite well. If you didn't know better, you'd think that was the design all along," Liu Jing muttered.

Sisi didn't hear anything—not only the pouring rain, but also the shouts of the audience, the clicking of camera shutters, and the host's introduction.

In fact, she couldn't understand the host's introduction at all. She was only fluent in six out of seven parts of Cantonese, and could only understand her own name and Liu Jing's name.

Sisi held an umbrella in one hand and waved to everyone in response to their shouts.

Regardless of whether they could understand or hear it, they made a very good show of it.

The rain continued to fall, but it did not dampen the audience's enthusiasm; on the contrary, it made them even more passionate.

"Please wait, you two."

Liu Jing scribbled his name, his handwriting so illegible it was impossible to read what he wrote.

Sisi was even more impressive; she signed her name directly over Liu Jing's, making it even harder to read what she wrote.

Liu Jing was distracted and didn't hear the host's call.

Sisi didn't understand; she was in a hurry to go offstage and change. She herself hadn't gotten much wet, but Mu Tou had gotten quite soaked—she was worried he might catch a cold.

"Please wait a moment, gentlemen." The host switched to Mandarin, and the two stopped.

"Yifei, you look beautiful all over. Does the rain spoil the mood today?" the host asked.

Sisi muttered to herself, "There's something wrong with your question. Do you think I'd dare to answer something that would spoil the fun?"

"The rain falling from the sky is a good omen, indicating that our Hong Kong Film Awards will get better and better." As a frequent interviewee, Sisi neither said it was a downer nor answered that it wasn't.

"Haha, now for a personal question. I heard you're not going to be making TV dramas anymore?" the host continued.

"No, I just do more filming." Sisi smiled.

"Don't you like TV dramas?" the host pressed.

"Movies and TV series are the same; they're all dramas. When I make movies, there are fewer lines, and more emphasis is placed on eye contact and inner monologues, which makes filming easier," Sisi explained patiently.

Liu Jing glanced at it. Which company was this host from? The questions were rigged; he seemed to have ulterior motives.

Perhaps noticing Liu Jing's gaze, the host asked him, "Liu Jing, when you were standing silently in the rain just now, were you thinking about whether you could win an award?"

"I'm thinking of a poem." Liu Jing wouldn't fall into the trap.

"..." The host was stunned. Liu Yifei didn't respond according to the usual script. This is not how you do things.

"What poem?" Sisi was very curious. Had she gotten so drunk that she went crazy, or was she deliberately teasing the host?
"Holding an oil-paper umbrella, I wander alone in the long, long, and desolate rain-soaked alley. I hope to meet a girl like a lilac, bearing sorrow and resentment. She has the color of a lilac, the fragrance of a lilac..."

The host was even more dumbfounded. This was a live broadcast, so why was he reciting poetry? I've heard that mainland directors are good at reciting poetry, and it seems that's true.

Liu Jing's eyes were unfocused, and the scene from earlier resurfaced in his mind.

Along the short red carpet, Sissi walked in front, her eyes taking in the whole world. He followed behind, his eyes fixed only on that girl.

Along the way of life, he suddenly understood. The stirring of the heart wasn't just a fleeting moment; it had been there all along, unnoticed. A feeling, unspoken, had already filled his heart.

[An Feng's favorability rating is perfect...]

Liu Jing's recitation abruptly stopped, like a clap of thunder in spring, echoing in my mind.

Wasn't the favorability rating already maxed out? Isn't 100 the maximum?
(End of this chapter)