Shadow of Chinese Entertainment

Chapter 266: Fighting for position
After celebrating An Xiaoqian's birthday, the group spent a few more days sightseeing in the surrounding area before finally arriving in Venice on the 29th to attend the film festival.

Unlike before, this time Hu Xiaobei brought all the student supporting actors from the "Youth" cast, including the teachers...

In other words, almost all of An Xiaoqian's classmates and homeroom teacher came to the Venice Film Festival.

This expense is not small, but it is still acceptable for Qianbeifeng Entertainment at present.

After all, all we need to do is provide them with round-trip airfare and accommodation, and also prepare some custom-made Hanfu of the same style for them.

Before setting off, Hu Xiaobei stood in the hotel lobby, his gaze sweeping over the student supporting actors of the "Youth" drama crew, a confident smile appearing on his face.

He clapped his hands to attract everyone's attention before saying, "Students, today we are going to walk the red carpet at the Venice Film Festival. This will be a great experience for you all."

Everyone, relax and try to be your best selves. Of course, don't linger on the red carpet; don't let foreigners look down on us Chinese!

The students' faces were filled with excitement and nervousness. Zhu Yawen clenched her fists and said in a slightly trembling voice, "Don't worry, Teacher Hu, we definitely won't mess things up!"

Hu Xiaobei glanced at Zhu Yawen, smiled and nodded. Although they were the same age, he had only taught them for a week.

However, in terms of status, academic achievements, and daily interactions, he is certainly worthy of the title of "teacher."

Class teacher Wang Jintu stood to the side, his eyes full of pride and encouragement.

After all, he's probably the only teacher who can lead a class of students to make a film and participate in an international film festival.

He gently patted Ma Wenlong's shoulder and comforted him, saying, "Alright, don't be nervous. Follow Director Hu and An Xiaoqian and do your best."

Ma Wenlong thought to himself: I wasn't nervous at first, but your tap on me has made me a little nervous...

On the way to the film festival venue, An Xiaoqian looked at her nervous classmates, smiled gently, and softly comforted them: "Relax, everyone. Just treat it as a fun experience and enjoy every moment on the red carpet."

Zhou Yang nervously rubbed his hands together, biting his lip slightly, and asked in a low voice, "Qianqian, are we really okay? What if we have an awkward silence as soon as we go on stage? What if the reporters don't take any pictures of us?"

An Xiaoqian reached out and gently patted the back of her hand, saying firmly, "Of course you can. You are all excellent, and you will definitely impress everyone today."

At this point, An Xiaoqian silently decided that she would take care of her classmates on the red carpet at the opening ceremony.

With her current fame, reporters and media will be scrambling to take photos; there won't be any awkward silences.

The area outside the venue was already packed with fans from all over the world, holding up light boards and posters of An Xiaoqian and shouting her name in Chinese, English and even Italian.

Suddenly, a scream erupted from the crowd: "Sissi's here! Look! It's Sissi!"

Security personnel had to link arms to form a human wall in order to barely maintain order at the scene.

Dozens of cameras, various professional cameras, and countless mobile phone lenses were all frantically pointed at the entrance to the red carpet, with flashes pouring down like a galaxy.

Upon arrival at the venue, the area had already been cleared for An Xiaoqian, and she was given unlimited time.

The students stood at the entrance to the red carpet, looking at the long red carpet in front of them, feeling both excited and apprehensive.

Hu Xiaobei walked to the front, turned around, and casually looked at everyone. He called out, "Classmates, follow behind me and Qianqian. Don't be nervous. We'll walk down this red carpet together. There won't be any awkward silences!"

The students nodded, straightened their Hanfu, and followed closely behind Hu Xiaobei and An Xiaoqian.

For students at the Beijing Film Academy, walking the red carpet at the Venice Film Festival right after graduation is a rare and wonderful experience.

What's more, their entire class walked the red carpet at an international film festival at the same time.

This is quite a gimmick.

When An Xiaoqian appeared on the red carpet, the cheers from the audience instantly reached the heavens.

Fans cried out her name, and some even wiped away tears: "Sissi is even more beautiful in person than on screen!"

Reporters, microphones and cameras in hand, pushed and shoved forward, shouts rising and falling in waves.

"An Xiaoqian, look this way!" "Xiaoqian, please stop for a moment!"

One of the reporters, her voice trembling with excitement, exclaimed, "Siguoyi! This is the first time I've been this close to Xixi! She looks absolutely stunning in this Hanfu! Why isn't she wearing a kimono? Xixi would look so beautiful in a kimono!"

Countless flashes focused on An Xiaoqian, and reporters frantically pressed the shutter while calling out her name.

A reporter looked at their Hanfu (traditional Han clothing), raised an eyebrow slightly, and whispered to her colleague, "Who are those people wearing Hanfu next to Xixi? They look quite unique."

Another reporter raised his camera and started taking pictures, muttering, "Let's take the pictures first, who cares who they are? Anyway, with Sisi here, that's enough hype."

Amidst the flashes of cameras, an Italian journalist put down his camera and exclaimed to his companion with a look of amazement, "Look at these clothes, I heard they're called 'Hanfu,' their collars and cuffs are very unique."

Every design element seems to tell an ancient story; this Eastern aesthetic is truly breathtaking!

The audience members not far away also began to whisper among themselves. What was originally just a discussion about celebrities gradually turned into an appreciation for traditional Chinese clothing culture.

With Hu Xiaobei and An Xiaoqian leading the team, even though the number of people was a bit larger, the Venice Film Festival was very pleased.

Just then, Jiang Da, the architect in the crowd, suddenly quickened his pace, trying to squeeze closer to Hu Xiaobei.

As she pushed aside the students in front of her, she stretched out her arm, attempting to reach out and link arms with Hu Xiaobei in order to increase her own visibility.

Hu Xiaobei sensed the disturbance in advance, turned his head and gave it a cold glance, his eyes carrying a clear warning.

Jiang, the architect, was only half an inch away from Hu Xiaobei's sleeve when he was startled by that gaze, his steps faltered, and he awkwardly withdrew his hand, his fingertips twitching slightly in embarrassment.

Unwilling to give up, she turned her gaze to An Xiaoqian again, but An Xiaoqian was already surrounded by other female classmates, and there was no room to squeeze in.

In an instant, she missed out on the two best exposure spots.

Hu Xiaobei was too lazy to deal with these trivial matters, but he also didn't want to be taken advantage of.

He stood tall and walked with a steady gait, smiling and waving to those around him as he went.

An Xiaoqian wore an elegant and confident smile, occasionally turning to chat with her classmates and encouraging them to relax.

The students were a little nervous at first, but under the guidance of Hu Xiaobei and An Xiaoqian, they gradually relaxed and began to wave to the audience.

With Hu Xiaobei around, the group moved quickly.

Jiangda architect, unwilling to give up, suddenly slowed down and stopped following the group, instead striking various poses by himself in an attempt to attract the camera's attention.

However, the cameras of the surrounding reporters were only focused on An Xiaoqian, and few people paid attention to her.

Finally, a cameraman spotted her, but he impatiently yelled at her, "Make way! You bitch, don't block Sisi's shot!"

When Wang Jinsong, the homeroom teacher who was at the back of the line, noticed the situation, he quickly stepped forward, grabbed her arm with a smile, and said half-jokingly and half-seriously, "Come on, come on, don't fall behind!"

Although the architects from Jiangnan University were unwilling, they could only drag their feet and catch up with the rest of the group.

As everyone walked to the end of the red carpet, enthusiastic applause erupted.

Luo Jin clenched his fist excitedly, his face beaming with a smile of excitement. He turned to Qi Kui beside him and exclaimed, "We've walked the red carpet at an international film festival! Oh my... a mere red carpet is nothing special!"

Lu Fangsheng chimed in, "That's right. We've achieved so much at such a young age. It's terrifying. What will we be like in the future?"

Class monitor Wang Jia let out a long sigh of relief and excitedly told his classmates, "This was truly an unforgettable experience! I hope I can do it again someday, relying on my own abilities!"

Seeing her classmates' happy faces, An Xiaoqian couldn't help but smile and said softly, "Yes, you're right. This is just the beginning. Everyone will definitely have a chance to win awards in the future."

Hu Xiaobei just smiled when he heard this, but didn't say anything more.

(End of this chapter)