Abstract Art Award Winner

Zhou Ye didn't react at first, subconsciously thinking it was still a game, and blinked: "Still playing? Didn't you just say you were a little tired?"

But when she looked up, she met Zhou Le's gaze, which contained a smile, as well as an unspoken expectation and hint.

She instantly understood what "starting a game" meant.

"Let's open it! Perfect, let's see how salty it is today!"

However, the tone sounded more like a shy muttering than a provocation.

Zhou Le chuckled softly, leaning back on the sofa, but her gaze remained fixed on her: "Oh? Then why does it sound like... someone's heartbeat is as fast as a drum? I can hear it even from this far away."

"Nonsense!" Zhou Ye retorted instinctively, but his hand unconsciously pressed against his chest, feeling that it was indeed beating rapidly and loudly. "Are you all ears? How could you know how fast it was from this far away?"

"Don't believe me?" Zhou Le raised an eyebrow, then suddenly leaned closer, this time moving even more slowly, turning his head towards her, pressing his ear against her heart, listening intently. "My ears are like stethoscopes, hmm... your heart rate is at least 120. It's not the first time, why are you so nervous?"

Zhou Ye froze, his ears turning bright red, from the sudden closeness and the deep voice in his ear.

She laughed and gently nudged his shoulder: "Tch! I'm just hot, the air conditioning isn't warm enough. You're not acting like you're so great."

Zhou Le took the opportunity to grab her wrist as she pushed him towards her. He didn't use force, just held it loosely, but the warmth of his fingertips was clearly transmitted to her.

He smiled and said, "Don't you know? I'm very capable. A true man can bend and stretch, be both scholarly and martial, and be able to negotiate projects..." He paused, his gaze falling on her flushed face, and slowly added meaningfully, "...and also be able to see through people's hearts."

Zhou Ye felt the skin on his wrist being held by him burning hot, and his heart was beating faster. He felt uncomfortable being stared at by him, yet he also felt a strange sense of anticipation.

She tried to pull her hand back, not too hard, and muttered, "Yes, yes, you're amazing, you can bend and stretch, but this little girl can open and close, lie down and win..."

Zhou Le chuckled and released her wrist: "I know that. You've always been very capable, haven't you? Full of energy, and your heart beats fast too."

After one time.

Zhou Ye sighed and leaned back on the sofa cushion, as if he wanted to create some distance to breathe. His tone was both tired and relaxed: "Sigh, actually I've always been very tired. Don't be fooled by my seemingly energetic appearance. I'm under a lot of pressure. Right now... being with you, chatting nonsense, and playing a game actually feels quite relaxing."

Zhou Le also relaxed his body, leaned against the other side, and looked at the other person with gentle eyes: "Yes, that's how this industry is. Sometimes you really feel overwhelmed by the pressure, and sometimes you really want to give up and do whatever you want."

He paused, his tone laced with a hint of jest and a deeper probing: "Sometimes I wish it wasn't life that was suffocating me..."

Zhou Ye subconsciously replied, his voice very soft: "What is it?"

Zhou Le looked at her, his eyes filled with a playful yet inviting gaze, and slowly said, "...It's me."

Zhou Ye instantly understood his implied meaning and became interested again: "If that's what you mean... then open it again?"

Zhou Le smiled and reached out to pull her.

Zhou Ye, following the force, half-pushed and half-willingly leaned towards Zhou Le.

The distance between them instantly shrank, and they could hear each other's breaths.

Zhou Le lowered his head, his forehead almost touching hers, his voice low and almost a whisper: "Go ahead, you know I never refuse you."

The alarm clock rang on time the next morning.

Zhou Le and Zhou Ye were awakened from their not-so-deep sleep at almost the same time. They looked at each other and saw a trace of fatigue and forced spirit in each other's eyes.

Last night's tiebreaker was indeed quite physically demanding.

"Hurry up, we can't be late for the preview screening." Zhou Le was the first to get up and rub his hair.

Zhou Ye yawned, his voice still a little hoarse: "I know... Who would dare to neglect Director Zhang's film?"

After a quick wash and changing into clothes prepared in advance by their assistant, the two of them walked out of the room one after the other, trying to appear as natural as possible.

We boarded the van heading to the preview screening cinema.

In the car, Zhou Ye was still touching up her makeup in front of a small mirror, trying to cover up the slight trace of dark circles under her eyes.

Zhou Le looked out the window at the street scenes rushing by and started chatting casually, trying to dispel the slightly awkward atmosphere in the car.

“Speaking of which, ‘Cliff Walkers’ is probably Director Zhang’s most successful work in recent years, right? He seems to value it quite a bit himself.” Zhou Le started a conversation.

Zhou Ye put down the mirror and thought for a moment: "Hmm, I heard that the internal screening gave it a very high rating. The previous film, 'Shadow,' was actually quite good, with excellent visuals and concept, but in terms of box office... it seems to have fallen a little short."

It seems Director Zhang has consistently set very high standards these past few years, but his works have always received a somewhat... well... critical acclaim but not box office success?

“Yes,” Zhou Le nodded in agreement. “Films like ‘Shadow’ have reached the pinnacle of artistic achievement, but they might be a bit difficult for the average viewer to appreciate.”

"Cliff Walkers" is different. The spy genre itself is appealing, the pace is fast, the plot is tense, and the characters are alright. But I reckon this film is similar to "Shadow" back then, aiming for awards, but its box office performance should be significantly better than "Shadow."

"I hope so. Director Zhang should make a film that's both a box office and critical success soon." Zhou Ye closed the makeup box. "But just being able to get involved is worthwhile in itself."

Zhou Le smiled, unable to deny it.

He still felt this was a bit difficult.

The car arrived at the backstage entrance of the cinema, where many media and fans were already waiting.

The two quickly composed themselves, put on professional smiles, got out of the car and walked onto the red carpet, cooperating with the media taking photos and the fans shouting.

Upon entering the backstage lounge, many of the main cast and crew members had already arrived.

Zhou Le spotted Sha Yi chatting with someone at a glance.

"Brother Sha Yi!" Zhou Le greeted him with a smile as he walked over.

"Hey, Zhou Le! Long time no see, bro!" Sha Yi was also very happy to see Zhou Le and patted his arm as soon as he came up. "You're doing great, getting more and more energetic! Your acting is also good, Director Zhang has praised you a lot."

“Brother Sha Yi, please stop flattering me,” Zhou Le laughed. “I ran into your wife the other day, and we talked about the time we recorded variety shows. She said you always talk about how fun it was back then.”

Sha Yi laughed as soon as he heard this, and put on a "don't want to think about it" expression: "Hey! Don't mention it! Your sister-in-law was just being polite to me! It wasn't funny, it was exhausting for the little guy! But now that I think about it, it was actually quite interesting. Those were all real reactions. Nowadays, many variety shows are too scripted and boring."

Zhou Le chimed in, "How about this, Brother Sha Yi, come and join our variety show sometime? The one with Deng Chao, Chen He, Lu Han, and me."

Sha Yi's eyes darted around, and she asked with a hint of wariness, "Wu Ha? I heard your show is quite demanding, with all that running around. Is it really tiring?"

Zhou Le immediately waved his hand seriously: "Tired? Not at all! It's just eating, drinking, and having fun, and doing some small games along the way. It's super relaxing! The main thing is that the atmosphere is great, and Brother Chao and the others are really lively. Just treat it as a paid trip."

Sha Yi was skeptical, but seeing Zhou Le's sincerity and feeling genuinely tempted, she nodded: "Really? Don't try to fool me... Okay, if it's really as easy as you say, I'll give it a try."

"Then it's settled!" Zhou Le clapped his hands. "I'll talk to the production team and send you a notice to see when your schedule is available."

"Okay! I'll wait for your reply!" Sha Yi readily agreed.

At this moment, director Zhang Yimou also walked over, and the surroundings immediately became quieter.

He greeted the main actors, and finally his gaze fell on Zhou Le.

"Zhou Le, come here for a moment." Zhang Yi called him aside.

"Director Zhang." Zhou Le followed.

Zhang Yi lowered his voice and said in a serious tone: "Your performance in 'Cliff Walkers' was very solid, and you completed the role very well. I talked to some friends who were judges, and they all felt that you should have won a few prestigious Best Actor awards a long time ago."

Zhou Le bowed slightly: "Thank you, Director Zhang. I still have a long way to go and a lot to learn."

“I’m not just being polite,” Zhang Yi waved his hand. “With your abilities and talent, you should have received this award long ago. But these days, when it comes to judging awards, we sometimes have to consider seniority and balance. Many judges tend to choose people from serious dramas with more positive themes and greater significance.”

You have a wide range of roles; you take on all kinds of projects, whether commercial, artistic, or idol-like. While this increases your national recognition and commercial value, it might also make some conservative judges think you're too eclectic and lack focus, which is why you've been held back.

He paused for a moment, then continued, "This year, I will try my best to use this film, 'Cliff Walkers,' to help you get at least a nomination for a major award, preferably Best Actor."

Even if we don't win in the end, the nomination itself is a huge recognition. However, we might have to be selective about some smaller, less prestigious awards. We can't try to grab all the benefits; that would be counterproductive and could easily attract criticism. What do you think?

Zhou Le understood; this was Director Zhang's advice and honest advice.

He immediately responded solemnly: "I understand, Director Zhang. Thank you for considering so much for me. I will follow your arrangements. It is already a great honor to be nominated."

“Good, it’s good that you have this mindset.” Zhang Yi nodded with satisfaction. “The main thing is that we are all getting old. We don’t have that much motivation to make money or gain fame now. We don’t even know how many more years we can work. But you are different. You are young, so we still want to push you up a bit before we retire.”

"Understood!" Zhou Le nodded emphatically. "I will not let you down."

Not long after, the preview screening officially began, and the creators went on stage to meet with the audience and film critics.

The host asked questions, the audience interacted, and the process proceeded smoothly.

Zhang Yimou explained the creative concept, and the lead actors shared interesting anecdotes from filming.

Zhou Le and Zhou Ye also answered questions about their understanding of the roles appropriately.

The entire process was smooth and enthusiastic, the film was of excellent quality, and the audience response was outstanding.

On their way back to the hotel after the preview screening, Zhou Le and Zhou Ye were scrolling through their phones when they saw the official police report that Kris had been formally arrested.

The internet was in an uproar, but the dust has finally settled.

"He's in for good now," Zhou Ye sighed. "I guess they'll have to appeal, right?"

Zhou Le swiped the screen, his tone calm: "It's his right to appeal, but with such a solid chain of evidence, the chances of overturning the verdict are extremely slim. It's basically a done deal; the only question is how many years he'll be sentenced to."

Just then, Zhou Le's phone rang, and the caller ID showed Wang Sicong.

Zhou Le raised an eyebrow and answered the phone: "Hello, Principal Wang?"

"Hey, Zhou Le, what's up?" Wang Sicong's voice sounded a bit lazy, but with a hint of gossip. "You saw the news, right? That top celebrity went in."

"I just saw it," Zhou Le replied. "It's quite sudden, yet it doesn't seem so sudden."

"Yeah, it's quite a pity." Wang Sicong seemed to click his tongue on the other end. "He ruined a promising future himself. Luckily, I didn't have much contact with him afterward, otherwise I would have gotten involved in some trouble."

Not to mention you, I was glad you two didn't get along before, but now it seems this is actually to your advantage, you haven't been implicated.

Zhou Le smiled and said, "There's nothing wrong with us, we're just not on the same wavelength, we don't get along, we're in different circles, and we can't force ourselves to be together."

“That’s true.” Wang Sicong agreed, then changed the subject, “Hey, do you have any reliable projects lately? I might need to adjust my investment direction. I might not be involved in film and television much in the future. While I still have some spare cash, I’d like to see if there’s anything worth investing in.”

Zhou Le's mind raced, and he immediately thought of Wang Baoqiang's project: "There really is one. Brother Baoqiang, you know Wang Baoqiang, right? He put together a movie called 'In the Octagon,' which is about grassroots fighting."

I've read the script; it's very solid. He's directing and acting himself, and he's invested a lot of money. I also got a piece of the pie. It has great potential, but it lacks funding and promotion. If you're interested, you can look into it.

“Wang Baoqiang? 'In the Octagonal Cage'?” Wang Sicong pondered for a moment. “Okay, I’ve noted down the name. I’ll have my people contact him later to get a feel for the script and budget.”

However, on the other hand, I'll probably have to gradually shift my focus to projects in cooperation with government agencies, like cultural tourism and e-sports industrial parks. The film and television industry is too complex and unpredictable; I'm finding it too difficult to navigate now, and also…”

He seemed to have a complaint on the tip of his tongue, but he swallowed it back and just mumbled, "...Anyway, there are a lot of things going on now, the overall environment isn't very good, making money has become harder, tsk, it's hard to say."

Zhou Le immediately became alert and advised, "Principal Wang, some things are better left unsaid; it's best to keep them to yourself."

There's no need, really. Saying those things won't solve the problem; it might just cause trouble. Our current environment is tough for everyone. I came from the bottom, so I don't know about higher levels and can't comment on them, but ordinary people at the bottom are definitely having a hard time.

Instead of wasting time complaining, why not actually donate some money or goods? Even if people say it's just for show or to gain fame, at least the goods will have been genuinely donated, a good deed will have been done, and it will also serve as publicity. What do you think?

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone: "That does make some sense. I'll think about it again."

Zhou Le's tone softened somewhat after hearing this, but his stance remained unchanged: "We have a good relationship, that's why I said that. If you actually posted something inappropriate, even if we're on good terms, I'll still scold you if I see it." (End of Chapter)