Abstract Art Award Winner

Chapter 406 A Battleground!
Waiting for Su Yingxia to send the flight information.

Zhou Le glanced at it, took a deep breath, and after confirming that everything was correct, even the action of tapping the phone screen with his fingertips on the two of them carried a heavy sense of resolute determination.

He carefully considered his messages in the chat boxes with Dilraba and Gulnazar, and finally sent almost identical messages.

The core issue always revolves around the idea that "agent Xiao Su books all the flights and itineraries, the team travels together and the seats are fixed, and tickets are in short supply and cannot be changed."

The text deliberately creates a sense of being "unable to control one's own destiny."

He wanted to lay a buffer against what I didn't want for the upcoming trip together.

He had never found it so difficult to express himself when he gave a speech before.

After sending the message, Zhou Le took a deep breath before looking at his phone screen as soon as it lit up.

Dilraba's reply came quickly, with a simple "[OK]" gesture followed by "Understood, I understand, see you at the airport!"

Her tone carried her usual cheerfulness.

Naza was a little slower, sending a [sighing pig] emoji.

"Okay, okay, it's just a film crew, huh~"

Although Nazha's tone was slightly arrogant.

But Zhou Le knew that everything was actually fine now, at least the matter had been resolved.

However, Zhou Le's greatest source of confidence is still Xiao Su.

She actually arranged for Zhou Le to sit next to director Zhang Yimou, and even deliberately chose a combination where Zhou Le was by the window and director Zhang was by the aisle.

As a result, neither Dilraba nor Gulnazar dared to easily ask Zhang Yimou, an industry veteran, to change seats, even if they had their own ideas.

Three days later, the international departure hall of Terminal 3 at Beijing International Airport was bustling with activity.

The crew of "Cliff Walkers", the team of "Awakening Age", plus the crews and teams of Dilraba and Gulnazar.

As a large group of people entered one after another, the fans went wild.

Zhou Le deliberately chose a dark gray hooded tracksuit, with the hood pulled low and a black mask covering most of his face, revealing only a pair of slightly tense eyes.

He followed behind Su Yingxia, while his assistant carried their luggage on the other side. The three of them deliberately arrived half an hour early, wanting nothing more than to blend into the crowd and minimize their presence.

But things didn't go as planned. The saying "what's meant to happen will happen" hit him right in the heart the moment Dilraba's team appeared.

Dilraba was wearing a washed denim suit with a bright-colored tank top underneath and white sneakers on her feet. Zhou Le couldn't tell what brand they were.

Of course, he was also wearing a pair of black sunglasses.

It covered most of her face, but it couldn't hide the curve of her lips.

Upon seeing Zhou Le and his group from afar, she immediately quickened her pace, her clear voice calling out first: "Zhou Le! Director Zhang!"

His tone was so natural, as if he had met an old friend he hadn't seen in a long time, showing no sign of anything amiss.

Zhou Le took a deep breath, trying to make his smile less stiff, and slowly stood up: "Dilraba is here."

He could feel the gazes of the staff around him quietly focusing on him, and his hand unconsciously clenched the hem of his clothes.

Dilraba sat down next to her.

The two chatted about their recent work.

The conversation ranged from the costumes and props of the new drama to the procedures of the upcoming film festival. The topics were safe and official, and the atmosphere seemed so harmonious that there was not a single fault to be found.

However, this "harmony" did not last long.

A slight commotion came from not far away. Zhou Le looked up and saw Nazha walking towards them.

She wore a long, off-white trench coat that accentuated her slender waist.

He was also wearing a black beret and thin-rimmed sunglasses.

It is completely different from Dilraba's style.

The moment Zhou Le saw Nazha, he felt the muscles in his back tense up instantly.

Even my breathing became lighter subconsciously.

The eye of the storm is finally coming!

"Director Zhang, Brother Le~" Gulnazar's voice was a bit softer than Dilraba's.

His gaze slowly swept over everyone, lingering on Zhou Le's face for half a second before quickly moving to Dilraba, his smile unchanged: "Dilraba, you're here too?"

"Sister Nazha!" Dilraba immediately put on an even brighter smile, took a small step forward, and naturally reached out to give Nazha a gentle hug, her tone sincere: "Yes, I just arrived a little while ago. You look so good today, especially slim. Looking at you now, you have much more poise than me!"

“You too,” Naza hugged Dilraba back, and after letting go, her eyes were full of admiration. “I’ve seen this denim outfit before, and I’m glad I didn’t buy it, otherwise I would definitely be outshone by you.”

The two actresses stood in the VIP lounge, praising each other's outfits and demeanor.

Her smile was so bright that she seemed like a close best friend, and even the intimacy in her tone of voice felt incredibly natural.

The staff around them also smiled knowingly, as if to say, "Look how good our artists are together," and some even whispered, "The two beauties together are such a sight for sore eyes."

Let the show begin, from top to bottom!
Only Zhou Le, who was right in the eye of the storm, could clearly perceive the faint low pressure permeating the seemingly harmonious air.

He noticed that Dilraba's smile was even brighter than usual.
He spoke a little faster than usual, as if he was deliberately maintaining a positive attitude.

While speaking gently, Naza's eyes always held a subtle scrutiny whenever they glanced at him, as if she were quietly observing his reaction.

Although their conversation was polite and friendly, it always carried an invisible tension.

This is a contest without gunfire, a competition of who is more poised and who is more composed!
It's a competition of who can maintain the most perfect image in public, and even more so, who can interact with Zhou Le in a way that appears normal and natural, while subtly gaining a slight advantage.

Zhou Le felt like a duck being slowly roasted over a low flame, feeling extremely uncomfortable, yet still having to force himself to maintain his dignity.

He could only occasionally chime in with a couple of innocuous remarks during the gaps in their conversation: "Yeah, they're all pretty good-looking."

"The weather is really nice today, perfect for going out."

They were afraid that they might say something wrong and break this fragile harmony.

Director Zhang Yimou sat upright in a chair, holding a film magazine in his hand, seemingly engrossed in reading it. However, Zhou Le caught a glimpse of his lips twitching slightly out of the corner of his eye, as if he was trying his best to suppress a laugh.

Clearly, this well-informed director had already seen through the undercurrents beneath the surface of this seemingly peaceful situation.

Su Yingxia, on the other hand, seemed to have been prepared all along. From the very beginning, she was busy communicating with the staff of both teams about the details of boarding procedures and baggage check-in. She kept moving and perfectly avoided the confrontation in the core battle zone, without even glancing in their direction.

The moment the boarding announcement came over the loudspeaker, Zhou Le almost instinctively moved closer to Zhang Yimou.

The group marched in a grand procession toward the first-class corridor, and he followed closely behind Director Zhang, as if grasping at a lifeline, his steps seeming particularly dependent.

The moment Zhou Le found his seat, he had already decided that he would send Xiao Su a big red envelope later.

His seat was by the window, right next to Zhang Yimou, while Director Zhang was by the aisle.

Dilraba's seat was two rows behind.

Naza was in the first two rows, also in an aisle position, so she could catch a glimpse of Zhou Le's direction with just a slight turn of her head.

This arrangement not only prevented him from being alone next to any other party, but also created a natural barrier with the help of Director Zhang.

Zhou Le quickly sat down, fastened his seatbelt, and immediately pulled his hat down so that it almost covered his eyes. He also adjusted his posture, pretending that he was going to close his eyes and rest.

He just wanted to quickly enter "stealth mode" and get through the more than ten hours of flight.

However, the plan was disrupted less than a minute after it was implemented.

Dilraba's voice came from the aisle, tinged with concern: "Le'er, I brought my own backrest, and my assistant brought one for me too. We have an extra one that we don't need. Do you want it? It'll be more comfortable to lean on your neck on a long flight, otherwise you'll get tired easily."

Zhou Le's heart jumped instantly. Just as he was about to refuse, Naza in the front row seemed to have eyes in the back of her head. She suddenly turned around, holding a small bag in her hand, and said gently, "Brother Le, I have some disposable eye masks and earplugs here. I brought extras. Do you need them? The flight lights are bright at night, and wearing an eye mask will help you sleep more soundly."

Two warm gazes simultaneously focused on Zhou Le, making him feel extremely uncomfortable. He quickly waved his hand and said rapidly, "Ah, no need, no need, thank you Dilraba, thank you Gulnazar, I brought my own." To prove he wasn't lying, he quickly pulled out his U-shaped pillow and eye mask from his backpack and even held them up to show them off.

Dilraba's tone carried a hint of barely perceptible regret. She gave a soft "oh" before turning away.

Naza smiled at him, her eyes revealing little emotion, and simply said that Xiao Su had prepared very thoughtfully before turning back to sit down.

Zhou Le let out a long sigh of relief, leaned back in his chair, and felt a thin layer of sweat on his back.

It's only just begun, and it's already this exciting.

After the plane reached a stable flight, the cabin lights gradually dimmed, and many passengers began to rest.

Zhou Le finally found an opportunity, turned his head to the side, lowered his voice and complained to Zhang Yimou next to him: "Director Zhang...you've seen my situation, it's really...sigh."

Zhang Yi didn't even look up, still looking at the book in his hands, turning the pages gently, and said in a voice that only the two of them could hear: "Playing with fire, aren't you? Young man, it's good to have plenty of energy, but when it comes to matters of the heart, you have to know how to control the heat, otherwise you can easily get burned."

His tone was clearly sarcastic, and he deliberately emphasized the words "playing with fire."

Zhou Le, with a bitter face, quickly explained, "Director Zhang, this is completely undeserved trouble for me."

"An undeserved disaster?" Zhang Yi finally put down his book, turned his head and glanced at him, his eyes full of knowing "I don't believe you for a second."

"You have a happy kind of trouble. Many people wish they had this kind of trouble but don't. Enjoy it while you can, this is just the beginning."

One sentence instantly made Zhou Le feel even more desperate.

Even Director Zhang doesn't believe in me, I can't live like this anymore.

During the rest of the voyage, Zhou Le completely ingrained a low profile into his very being.

I wore headphones the whole time, either pretending to watch a movie or closing my eyes to sleep, and even tried to drink water as little as possible.

Going to the toilet requires careful planning, specifically choosing times when Dilraba is watching a movie with headphones on and Gulnazar is resting with her eyes closed. I would run there quickly and return just as fast as I could, afraid that lingering for even a second longer would cause a new problem.

Even so, accidents still happen.

Once, when he returned from the restroom and passed by Reba's seat, Reba had just taken off her blindfold. Upon seeing him, she immediately smiled and asked naturally, "Teacher Zhou, would you like some juice? I just asked the flight attendant for a glass of orange juice, which hasn't been opened yet. If you'd like some, I can ask the flight attendant to get you another one."

Zhou Le was so frightened that she quickly shook her head and practically fled: "No, no, I just drank some water. Thank you, Reba. You can drink it yourself."

After saying that, he quickly walked back to his seat, and after sitting down, he patted his chest with lingering fear.

Not long after, Zhang Yi went to the toilet. Nazha wanted to drink water, and the lid of her water cup accidentally fell to the ground, landing right under Zhang Yi's feet.

It rolled down to the side in front of Zhou Le's seat.

Zhou Le instinctively bent down, wanting to help pick it up.

After all, it's a public place, and it's instinctive to lend a helping hand when you see something fall.

But just as he reached halfway out, he heard Naza say softly, "It's okay, I can do it myself."

Her tone remained gentle, but her movements were swift. Almost as soon as she finished speaking, she had already come over, bent down, and picked up the cup lid, as if afraid of troubling him.

Zhou Le's hand froze in mid-air, extremely embarrassed. He could only awkwardly withdraw it, pretending to straighten his pants to cover up his discomfort.

He could feel Naza's gaze linger on his hand for a second as she stood up, but he didn't dare look up and could only stare blankly at the tips of his shoes.

Throughout the entire flight, there were no direct verbal conflicts between Dilraba and Gulnazar; they even occasionally exchanged a few words in hushed tones across their seats.

The two acted very harmoniously, like close friends.

But Zhou Le knew in his heart that this harmony was more like a tacit performance.

It is their tacit understanding in maintaining their composure in public, and their professional ethics as public figures.

All the undercurrents and subtle struggles pointed precisely at himself, sitting in the middle, unable to move.

He dared not show even the slightest bit of closeness to either side, for fear of provoking the other's dissatisfaction.

They dared not be too cold to either side, for fear of appearing arrogant.

When answering their questions, he always tried to be brief, neutral, and unbiased. For example, when Dilraba asked him, "Is this song good?", he would only say, "It's pretty good." When Gulnazar asked him, "Do you want to cover yourself with a blanket?", he would only say, "No, thank you."

He couldn't take it anymore halfway through, and even prayed silently in his heart.

Either the plane lands quickly, or there's a slight turbulence to distract us.

After more than ten hours of agonizing ordeal, it finally came to an end.

As the plane began to circle over Los Angeles and Zhou Le looked out the window at the rows of buildings below, he felt as if all his strength had been drained away.

There's really no other way.

As the plane landed smoothly, taxied, and finally came to a complete stop, a slight creaking sound was heard in the cabin.

Zhou Le also breathed a sigh of relief, his tense nerves finally relaxing a bit.

"Dear passengers, the aircraft has safely landed at Los Angeles International Airport. Thank you for your journey..."

The flight attendant's gentle voice came over the loudspeaker, and when Zhou Le heard it, a huge sense of relief welled up inside him, and he almost couldn't control his emotions.

Everyone started packing their carry-on luggage, preparing to disembark.

Dilraba and Gulnazar also stood up one after the other, tidying their coats and bags.

The two even made a point of reminding each other.

Don't forget to take your passport.

"Put your bag away carefully, don't forget anything."

"Thank you, you're so thoughtful."

Zhou Le followed behind Zhang Yimou, keeping his head down to minimize his visibility. He even pulled his hat down further, afraid of being noticed.

While packing his luggage, Zhang Yi said in a low voice that only Zhou Le could hear, "Well, I passed the first test. My performance was alright, but I was a bit stiff and couldn't relax."

Zhou Le was both amused and exasperated, and said with a bitter face, "Director Zhang, your requirements are too high... I'm already thankful that I was able to get off the plane intact without any problems, how could I possibly care about whether I can let loose or not?"

The process of clearing customs and collecting luggage went more smoothly than I had imagined.

Although many local media outlets and a small number of overseas fans were waiting at the airport with cameras and support signs, and cheered softly when they saw the group come out, the airport was orderly and there was no crowding thanks to the staff and security personnel.

Dilraba and Gulnazar have always maintained a perfect public image.

When facing the camera, they will show a standard smile and occasionally wave at the camera.

When the media asked the two to take a photo together, they would cooperate by standing together, their shoulders lightly touching, with bright smiles.

Finally, the group boarded the van heading to their hotel.

Perhaps due to the fatigue of the long flight, or perhaps because they needed time to readjust, Dilraba and Gulnazar tacitly chose different seats this time.

Dilraba sat in the front row by the window, put on her headphones, and looked at the scenery outside.

Naza sat in the back row, leaning back in her chair, resting with her eyes closed.

The two stopped their intense friendly interaction, and the carriage finally quieted down.

Zhou Le slumped down in the seat next to Zhang Yi, letting out a long, silent sigh of relief, feeling all the muscles in his body relax.

Outside the car window, Los Angeles was bathed in sunshine, with a few white clouds drifting in the azure sky, and palm trees swaying in the breeze along the streets—a truly pleasant setting.

Zhou Le, however, was exhausted and just wanted to get back to the hotel and get some sleep.

too difficult.

(End of this chapter)