Director of Photography Department of Huayu

Chapter 321: Very ill
"teacher"

Wu Chen cleared his throat. He had already returned quite a few calls, but he definitely couldn't ignore Mu Deyuan's call.

"I really didn't expect that. You've taught us a lesson."

On the other end of the phone, Mu Deyuan's voice betrayed a hint of suppressed laughter, "The Golden Globe Awards, you, a nominated director... you actually fell asleep, hahaha!"

On the other side, Ning Hao and Xing Aina were also completely bewildered upon seeing the report, but Xing Aina reacted a little faster.

"See, I told you so. I didn't expect Director Wu really wouldn't wake up. You still didn't believe me."

Xing Aina remarked lightly.

That's spot on!

Ning Hao's eyelids twitched, and he couldn't help but purse his lips: "Who would have thought he could fall asleep during an awards ceremony?"

If it were him, he'd be so excited he couldn't sleep, and he'd probably want to give out the award in the middle of the night.

"That's the real difference. Look at Director Wu, he's still writing scripts in the middle of the night."

"I really don't believe he'd write a script in the middle of the night."

Ning Hao muttered to himself.

And at this time.

On the Zhoushan film set, the wind made the apron flutter loudly.

Shu Chang had just finished flirting with the crew when she quietly slipped aside to make a phone call. Covering her ear with one hand to shield it from the wind, she chuckled and teased, "Wu Chen writing a script in the middle of the night? Really?"

Inside a villa on the outskirts of Beijing, Liu Yifei sat on the edge of the bed, wearing pajamas and holding her phone. She gave a nonchalant "hmm" without batting an eye.

"Oh?" Shu Chang gave a long "oh," then immediately launched into a surprise question, "By the way, what time was he writing? What script was he writing?"

"Write it down." Liu Yifei paused subconsciously, hesitated for a moment, and realized she needed to think about both of these questions. Her eyes darted around.

"Look, this isn't a script at all."

Shu Chang couldn't help but burst into laughter, and then the phone rang with a "beep beep beep" sound as the call ended. She couldn't help but complain, "I'm so thin-skinned now, I can't stand being teased anymore."

After putting down their phones and returning to the film set, everyone was still discussing the report about "Wu Chen receiving an award while lying down".

The Golden Globe Awards generated a tremendous amount of buzz in the media that day, almost reaching the highest point in recent years for Chinese-language films in North American media.

"Black Peony" won Best Foreign Language Film, and Wu Chen won the Golden Globe for Best Director for the second time, tying Li An's record, causing a stir in the industry.

Major portal websites took turns changing their header images, and the comment sections refreshed at lightning speed, as if we had returned to the nationwide participation during the "Heroes" Oscar campaign.

Although many viewers were disappointed that Liu Yifei did not win the Best Actress award, the overall success of "Black Peony" has turned all regrets into hope.

All eyes are now focused on the upcoming January 16th.

On this day, the Oscars will officially announce the nine shortlisted films for "Best Foreign Language Film".

Only those who make it into the top nine are eligible to compete for the final nomination.

Even before the official announcement, speculation was already rampant and brimming with confidence due to the overwhelming victory at the Ballon d'Or.

"I heard that France's main production this year is 'The Diving Bell and the Butterfly,' which has received good reviews. But theoretically, Romania's 'April, 3 Weeks and 2 Days' should be a better fit. We might have to give up one of our slots here, and then..."

"Israel's 'Beaufort' won the Silver Bear at last year's Berlin Film Festival. With another politically charged film like 'Zodiac,' the US will probably retain one Latin American film. The competition for the nominations is fierce." "All the films are award-winning, so the pressure this year is considerable, with almost all of them being top three award winners."

"Wu Chen won the Golden Globe this time, and with such a huge buzz in North America, it would be unreasonable for him not to make the top nine, right? The probability of an upset is not high, much higher than that of 'Hero'."

"If we make it to the finals, will it end up like 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon' did for Li An that year? It's a pity about 'Farewell My Concubine' from back then."

"."

Film companies, producers, film critics, directors, and even film clubs on university forums all transformed into "prediction groups" on this day. Some researched information, some dug up award history, and some directly started posts to place bets.

Just like the nationwide attention when "Farewell My Concubine" and "Hero" were vying for the Oscars, that rare moment of shared focus from officials to the public, from creators to audiences, has arrived once again.

But this time, "Black Peony" is different.

It doesn't rely on martial arts, period costumes, or even any display of national wonders. Instead, it's a realistic work deeply rooted in Chinese theatrical tradition, blending psychological thriller language with stage structure.

In addition, it has the added boost of two Cannes awards and the Golden Globe Award, which is a bellwether for the awards.

This is why many people in the industry have turned their attention to it.

Amidst the clamor and speculation, the second wave of tweets from China Film News went online.

This time, it's an exclusive interview with Liu Yifei.

If Wu Chen's interview was a dramatic success, with her saying "winning awards while lying down" and "working hard is one thing, but if you can lie down, don't force yourself," then Liu Yifei's interview was gentle and refined, just like her own temperament, calm yet firm.

[Exclusive Interview | Liu Yifei Responds Calmly to Losing the Ballon d'Or: Awards are Just Part of the Process, the Story is What Matters]

The crowd was buzzing with discussion, but Wu Chen was in real trouble at this moment.

Sunlight streamed into the bedroom, filtering through the half-open curtains and landing on the headboard, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere.

Liu Yifei hugged her knees angrily, her cheeks slightly puffed out. Her silk nightgown hung down to her knees, revealing a section of her smooth, jade-like legs, which gleamed faintly in the morning light.

"Hmph, it's all your fault," she muttered, her voice soft and slightly childish, "I didn't even see how I lost. I missed the awards ceremony. You have to watch the replay with me later, the whole thing, from beginning to end."

Wu Chen leaned against the headboard, nodding vigorously: "Yes, yes, yes."

As he spoke, his hand involuntarily fell on her calf, his fingertips slowly sliding along the warm curve, as if it were an unconscious movement.

Liu Yifei was taken aback, looked down at his restless hands, and blushed.

"You big pervert!" She suddenly grabbed the teddy bear from the bedside table and threw it at him. "I'm talking to you about something serious, and you're still touching me like that."

Wu Chen quickly covered his head and dodged, "I'm just calming people down! It's physical therapy!"

"You're seriously ill with your foot fetish, no, you're terminally ill!"

Liu Yifei threw off the covers and jumped out of bed, standing barefoot on the carpet. The soft plush carpet was wrinkled under her feet as she chased Wu Chen around the bed.

"Don't run!"

"Am I trying to clear my name?"

"You're just trying to commit another crime!"

"That's not right. Food and sex are basic human needs; how can that be considered a crime?"

The two chased each other around the bed, laughing and dodging, sunlight falling on them, their clothes fluttering, their shadows intertwining.
(End of this chapter)