Director of Photography Department of Huayu

Chapter 265 The Right Person; Xingmei's Fury
As the awarding ceremony concluded, sunlight streamed onto the stone steps of the Cannes harbor, and a gentle breeze caused the medal to reflect a golden glow.

Officials from the French Ministry of Culture and Cannes came one by one to shake hands and exchange pleasantries with Wu Chen, their eyes full of admiration and sincerity.

On the other side, cultural representatives from the Chinese Embassy in France also came forward to offer their congratulations. Each person shook hands solemnly and firmly, and although their words were few, each one represented the official recognition and respect behind the scenes.

An Shaokang stood at the end of the crowd.

Normally, given his seniority and position, he shouldn't have been listed last, but he seemed to deliberately avoid the order, standing quietly until everyone had left before shaking hands with Wu Chen.

"We're not in a rush, are we? Shall we take a walk?"

Wu Chen nodded. At this point, no matter how rushed things were, they couldn't rush things.

Before they had taken more than a few steps, Liu Yifei's heart suddenly tightened, and she quickly whispered, "Dad."

An Shaokang turned around, glanced at her, and sighed helplessly: "I'll talk to Wu Chen; it won't take more than a few minutes."

Liu Yifei opened her mouth, but ultimately said nothing, her clear eyes fixed on Wu Chen's back.

Wu Chen gestured with his eyes: Don't worry.

He followed An Shaokang to the stone railing of the old port, a place far from the crowds, where only the sea breeze, carrying a slight fishy smell, swept across his temples in waves.

"Wu Chen." An Shaokang did not speak immediately, but first looked up at the distant horizon, his expression deep and thoughtful.

"I remember you were only twenty-three or twenty-four years old, and you hadn't graduated yet."

"Yeah!" Wu Chen nodded slightly.

“Being young is great!” An Shaokang smiled and then said:

“I have been working in France for several years and have seen many people come and go, including film festival winners, disillusioned people, young cultural figures, and politicians who come here to seek development.”

I've seen enough of glory, and I've seen enough of desolation.

He paused, his gaze finally returning to Wu Chen: "But this is the first time I've seen my daughter in this country, standing on the edge of such a ceremony, her eyes reddening for a man's glory."

Wu Chen remained silent for a moment.

An Shaokang's eyes held no accusation, and he let out a soft sigh: "I've seen your work over the years and followed your progress. You're clear-headed, idealistic, and capable."

But I still have to say that Sisi is a very stubborn girl, gentle, stubborn, and sometimes even obsessive. So I hope that if you're sure you're going to hold her hand, don't give up halfway.

Regardless of your values, ideals, interests, lifestyles, or personal hobbies, you two don't necessarily have to be identical, but you must at least be able to tolerate and understand each other. Minor conflicts are insignificant; as long as you maintain consistency on important and meaningful matters, and your shared goals don't drive you apart, then you're the right people for each other. Only then can your relationship last.
This is also based on my own experience!

At this point, An Shaokang let out a faint sigh, seemingly lamenting the past or perhaps his own past.

Wu Chen silently looked at the middle-aged man in front of him, who had always maintained his restraint and discipline, and suddenly whispered, "Don't worry!"

An Shaokang did not respond immediately this time.

He simply stood in the sunlight, seemingly pondering for a moment, before finally nodding slightly.

"You deserve this medal, congratulations!"

After saying that, he walked towards Liu Yifei, seemed to say something briefly, and then walked back towards the crowd with steady and powerful steps.

Liu Yifei stood there, motionless for a long time, a complex light hidden in her clear eyes. Wu Chen stepped forward and gently took her hand.

"Let's go!"

"What did my dad say to you?" she asked tentatively.

"It's nothing, I just mean you have a terrible temper, and I need to be more tolerant of your little tantrums," Wu Chen replied with a smile. Liu Yifei immediately retorted:
"Nonsense! He would never say that! He's slandering me! Tell me, tell me!"

Seeing that Wu Chen still refused to speak, Liu Yifei had no choice but to use her charm, clinging tightly to Wu Chen's arm and looking pitiful in her eyes.

"There's really nothing I can do about you."

Wu Chen couldn't help but tap the door, and then gave a brief explanation, since it wasn't anything that needed to be kept secret.

Upon hearing this, Liu Yifei's face lit up with a smile, and her voice was clear and crisp: "Did you hear that? Don't give up halfway. Remember what you promised."

She looked down at Wu Chen's large hand, squeezed her fingers between his, intertwined them, and shook them, describing what she wanted their future to look like:
"Actually, if we could wake up together every day, then laze in bed together for a while, then have breakfast together, you could write and draw storyboards on the left while I think about the characters and write character cards on the right, then we could go grocery shopping together in the evening, I would cook and you would wash the dishes, and then we could find a movie we like to watch."
This process can be repeated endlessly, for days on end, without ever getting boring.

"Are you sure you're just going to stay in bed a little longer?" Wu Chen stroked his chin with his left hand, deep in thought. "Whether I can still have breakfast after staying in bed is another question!"

"Ugh, Wu Chen, you're so annoying!"

Liu Yifei blushed and immediately punched Wu Chen's arm.

The sounds of their laughter echoed across the harbor, carried by the wind.
The following day, Wu Chen and his team returned to China. However, a series of major news reports from China and France quickly crossed the strait and the gaps in public opinion, precisely landing in the sight of countless people.

The People's Daily Culture section featured a special article as its lead story, and the China Film News published a full-page column article on the same topic.

[Following "Black Peony," a Chinese director reaches another peak of international acclaim!]

Film is a bridge, and also a banner!

Other media outlets also reported extensively on the story, and these reports combined to create another media frenzy.

Lu Xun, far away in Jinling, spat on the ground three times.

"These media outlets will praise it."

"Cannes is a fool, what kind of surprise film is this!"

He was filled with resentment at that moment. He had been rejected by all the other candidates, but he managed to get "Black Peony" selected and even won an award.

Just then, the assistant rushed over and whispered, "Director Lu, it's Chairman Qin from Xingmei on the phone."

"Hmm!" Lu Xun adopted the airs of a director, glancing at his assistant before leisurely taking the document. He then sat down, crossing his legs, and said, "What's wrong, Chairman Qin? Everything's going smoothly here."

Qin Hong almost blurted out "idiot," but he managed to suppress his anger and said through gritted teeth, "Do you know that the winner of the 1000 million yuan bidding for the Grand View project in Jinling is a relative of your producer?"

"Uh, isn't that a construction company?" Lu Xun was taken aback.

"This is a fucking rip-off, a company with no business license, no production team, and no management. How did you manage this crew? How did you find this producer?"

Qin Hong immediately started cursing. If it weren't for Lu Xun's father, he would have wanted to go to Jinling and kick him a couple of times.
(End of this chapter)