Hollywood, I became a legend with special effects.

Chapter 186 A Sensational Extravaganza

At the same time, Beijing time, twenty minutes ago.

Xiao Li, an operations engineer at Sina, was making tea from an enamel mug.

He had just graduated that year, and his hair wasn't as thin as it is now.

My girlfriend is now my wife.

Jasmine tea, Monkey King brand, costs three yuan a pack. Just add hot water, and the aroma can turn the entire computer room into springtime.

Xiao Li took a deep breath and felt that this shift was worthwhile.

The green monitoring data on the screen jumped around like an electrocardiogram, one beat after another, very orderly.

CPU usage was 28%, memory usage was 41%, and bandwidth was as stable as the blood pressure of a retired cadre.

everything is normal.

He took a sip with great relish.

hot.

He grimaced and gasped for breath, still unwilling to vomit.

then.

Beep.

A yellow warning message popped up in the bottom right corner of the screen.

A curve begins to climb upwards.

Xiao Li didn't pay attention.

He glanced at the date: January 19th, during the live broadcast of the Golden Globe Awards ceremony.

The Golden Globe Awards are a normal event, so fluctuations in viewership are expected.

It's the same every year.

He swallowed the tea and casually clicked "confirm".

Splash.

Two curves.

Whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh.

Yellow turns orange, orange turns red, and the red is so deep it looks like it's about to bleed.

The entire screen began to turn red.

Xiao Li spilled jasmine tea all over his pants.

He didn't feel the heat at all.

"Boss!!!!" His voice cracked, like a middle school student going through puberty for the first time, "The server is going to crash!!!!"

In the break room, Technical Director Lao Zhou was munching on a steamed bun.

The pork and scallion filling was freshly made by my wife this morning. It got cold, but he couldn't bear to heat it up in the microwave, afraid that it would become too soggy and taste bad.

He sipped his Pu'er tea from his thermos, taking a bite of a steamed bun and a sip of tea, pondering which tutoring class to take his daughter to that evening.

Xiao Li's voice lashed out from the corridor.

Old Zhou's steamed bun got stuck in his throat.

He pounded his chest three times before swallowing.

"What the hell?!"

Three minutes later.

Old Zhou stood in front of the monitor screen.

The flow curve was still climbing, with a slope steeper than he had ever seen in his life.

It's not going up stairs, it's riding a rocket.

His face went from rosy to pale, and from pale to ashen.

"What keywords?!"

Intern Xiao Zhang stared at the screen, his voice trembling, his fingers shaking on the keyboard: "Liu... Liu Yifei!"

Old Zhou's mind went blank.

"Golden Globe Award! Best Actress!" Xiao Zhang took a deep breath.

The server room was silent for a second.

In that instant, many images flashed through Lao Zhou's mind.

Ten years ago, when he first entered the industry, he worked as a forum administrator at Sohu.

The most popular star at that time was Zhao Wei, and the biggest incident was that the server crashed for half an hour during the finale of "My Fair Princess", and his boss scolded him for a week.

Four years ago, he switched jobs to Sina, and his employee number was four digits.

That year, Liu Yifei had just finished playing Xiaolongnu, and a single still from the show could go viral for three days. It was the first time he knew what "Fairy Sister" meant.

He was promoted to director five years ago.

He thought he had seen everything.

He never imagined this day would come.

"Expand the capacity," he said.

The sound was very steady.

"Immediately! Right now! Now!"

"How much expansion?" The shift leader had already placed his hands on the keyboard.

Old Zhou looked at the curve that was still rising.

The number of new requests per second jumped from 80,000 to 120,000, 150,000, 190,000, and it's still jumping.

He has been in the industry for ten years.

I've never seen anything so steep.

"—Depend on it three times first," he said, his throat dry. "Add more if it's not enough."

He paused, and the server room erupted in chaos.

The keyboard clattered, the phone rang incessantly, and three maintenance engineers rushed to the server room at the same time, their slippers slapping loudly on the floor.

Because a push notification popped up in his window, a push notification from a portal website.

[Breaking News: Liu Yifei wins Best Actress in a Drama at the 67th Golden Globe Awards, becoming the first Asian to win!]

He stared at the line of text for three seconds.

Wang Jie, the editor on duty at Sohu, has already finished her third cigarette.

A thin layer of condensation formed on the windowpane. Outside, the January sky in Beijing was a hazy gray, as gray as an unwashed rag.

Sister Wang stubbed out her cigarette and lit another one.

Inside the window were eight colleagues, all simultaneously watching the live stream, international news updates, Weibo's real-time rankings, and photos from three different angles.

One photo came from Reuters, another from an audience member's Instagram account, and a blurry photo taken by an unknown account, with resolution roughly equivalent to a 2008 Motorola camera phone.

You can see the pinkish-purple dress.

And that crown.

The smoke and mist created a scene resembling a fairyland.

Intern Xiao Liu was experiencing this for the first time, and he was so nervous that his fingers slipped on the keyboard, and three hangnails appeared on the edge of his nails, but he didn't even notice.

"Reuters has published it!" he shouted, his voice cracking. "The headline is Chinese Actress Liu Yifei."

Makes History at Golden Globes「!"

"Screenshot! Quickly, take a screenshot!" Sister Wang, with a cigarette in her mouth, typed rapidly, opening three windows simultaneously to edit the manuscript.

「微博热搜榜刷新了！第1、2、3、4、5————」

Sister Wang stubbed out her cigarette in a disposable paper cup, burning a black hole in the bottom of the cup, from which tea seeped out.

She ignored it.

"Front-page headline!" she roared. "Take down that bubble tea franchise ad! Change it to a full-page banner!"

"Where's the title?!"

Sister Wang took a deep breath of the remaining smoke, which made her squint.

"Just write—" she paused, "a historic moment."

She has been in the industry for seventeen years, starting as an intern proofreader at the Beijing Evening News, then becoming a social news editor for a portal website, and finally the chief editor of the entertainment channel.

She edited the tragic news of Zhang Guorong's death in 2003. That day, she cried while typed the document, and her tears dripped onto the keyboard. The F5 key still malfunctions from time to time.

She wrote about the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, when people across the country refreshed their web pages at the same time. She smoked four packs of Zhongnanhai cigarettes in a row, and the next day her voice was so hoarse she couldn't speak.

She thought she wouldn't get excited anymore; the pack of Zhongnanhai cigarettes in her hand, with the words "Smoking is harmful to your health" printed on the box, was empty.

She didn't count how many cigarettes she smoked.

"What about the subtitle?"

Sister Wang thought about it.

"China's first actress to win the Golden Globe for Best Actress, 22-year-old Liu Yifei creates a miracle."

"Isn't it too long?"

"Then..." Sister Wang thought for a moment, twirling the cigarette butt halfway between her fingers, "Forget it, I won't write anymore. The title itself is long enough."

The intern typed rapidly on the keyboard.

In the preview box on the screen, the headline layout gradually took shape.

Three seconds later.

He stopped again.

"Sister Wang."

"What is it now!" Sister Wang's patience was like a cup of tea that had been steeped eight times, almost gone.

"Sina next door," Xiao Liu swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing, "the headline on the front page is 'The Light of Asia.'"

""

Sister Wang was silent for a second.

In that instant, seven alternative titles flashed through her mind, which she then rejected entirely.

"—Then let's change it to Oriental Pearl Tower."

"Won't it look a bit old-fashioned?"

Sister Wang glared at him, her eyes like her mother's glare at her father; "You go out wearing these long johns, aren't you ashamed of yourself? I'm embarrassed for you."

The intern immediately lowered his head and started typing.

While tapping, he muttered under his breath, "The Oriental Pearl Tower would be fine too, at least it's a landmark building—"

Sister Wang heard it.

BJ, Zhou Xun turned off the TV.

The remote control was gently placed on the mahogany coffee table without making a sound.

She walked to the window and looked at the gray sky outside.

There was no snow in Beijing. The sycamore leaves had all fallen, leaving the branches bare and stiff, as if they had left the house without combing their hair.

She crossed her arms, and two small balls were worn out on the cuffs of her cashmere cardigan.

Assistant Xiao Chen stood beside him, barely daring to breathe, his palms sweating as he gripped his phone so tightly that the screen remained locked.

Zhou Xun is 36 years old this year and has been in the industry for 19 years.

She has won the Hong Kong Film Awards, the Golden Horse Awards, the Golden Rooster Awards, the Hundred Flowers Awards, the Best Actress Award at the Paris International Film Festival, and the Best Actress Award at the Asian Film Festival.

She has played Princess Taiping, Xiuhe, Li Mi, and Gu Xiaomeng...

She has played a sixteen-year-old girl, an eighty-year-old woman, a courtesan forced into a life of her own making, and a revolutionary who remained steadfast until death.

She has portrayed love, hate, madness, and silence.

She has never won an American award.

That girl was only twenty-two years old.

Zhou Xun did a quick mental calculation: born in 1987, the Year of the Rabbit.

He's a full twelve years younger than her.

she thinks.

What was I doing when I was 22?

How many awards did you win?

Can not remember.

She remained silent for a long time.

My face was reflected in the windowpane; the outline was still the same as before, but a few fine lines had appeared at the corners of my eyes.

It's not wrinkles, it's time.

She spoke.

"Please post this on Weibo for me."

Assistant Xiao Chen immediately took out his phone, unlocked it, and opened the app.

"Write what?"

Zhou Xun thought for a moment.

"Congratulations," she said. "Just those two words."

Xiao Chen waited for three seconds.

"Is that all?"

Zhou Xun did not turn around.

That's all.

Xiao Chen lowered his head and typed.

Halfway through the fight, she looked up again.

"Sis, should we add an emoji?"

Zhou Xun finally turned around.

"—What kind of expression is that?"

"It's the clapping game." Xiao Chen held up his palm and gestured twice. "The two little hands clapping back and forth is so festive."

"

Zhou Xun remained silent for three seconds.

She was thinking that she had been posting on Weibo for half a year, and it seemed that she had never added any emojis.

Should we add it now?

"—Let's add it," she said.

Xiao Chen quickly typed it out and clicked send.

Three seconds later.

Posted on Weibo.

[Zhou Xun V: Congratulations]

The accompanying image is a blank white background.

The emoji is two little yellow hands clapping, clapping.

The comment section was flooded with hundreds of comments instantly.

Thirty seconds later, five hundred messages.

One minute, a thousand comments.

Top comment:

[Zhou Gongzi: That's it?? That's it??? Have you been kidnapped? If so, blink twice!!]

Second most popular comment:

[Xun Ge, has your account been hacked?! If so, post a selfie to prove your innocence!!!]

Third most popular comment:

[This is the first time I've ever added an emoji! My first time!! I'm making an exception for Liu Yifei!!! I cried, are you guys?!]

Fourth most popular comment:

[Am I the only one who noticed the picture is blank? Sis, did you want to post a photo but didn't know how? If so, blink twice 2.0]

Zhou Xun's lips twitched slightly when he saw these comments.

Xiao Chen didn't dare ask if she was laughing; at that moment, the fine lines at the corners of Zhou Xun's eyes seemed to deepen a little.

The director of the publicity department of the Film Bureau hung up the phone.

He is fifty-four years old this year, with gray hair, neatly parted in a three-seven ratio, and his sideburns are fixed with hair gel, without a single stray hair.

He worked in propaganda for thirty years, rising from propaganda section clerk to section chief and department head, and handled official congratulatory letters for numerous "major cultural events" at the factory...

The congratulatory message for Xu Haifeng's first gold medal at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics was personally drafted by his mentor.

When Beijing won the bid to host the 2001 Olympics, he stayed up for three consecutive nights in his office.

The message from that phone call still left him stunned for three seconds.

"The wording of the congratulatory telegram has been finalized," he told his secretary.

The secretary bowed, the pen scratching across the notebook: "Congratulations to Comrade Liu Yifei for winning the 67th Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Drama Series —"

"Wait a moment," the section chief said.

The secretary looked up, the pen tip hovering over the paper.

The section chief thought for a moment.

"Remove the 'comrade'," he said. "This is an international award, so the wording can be a little more flexible."

The secretary lowered her head and made the changes.

"And also," the section chief paused, tapping his fingers lightly on the edge of the table twice, "add the phrase 'first in Asia' to the wording."

He leaned back in his chair, as if he had breathed a sigh of relief.

"This record deserves to be written down clearly."

The secretary typed quickly, and when she finished, she looked up.

"Director, should the signature be 'Bingjia Film Bureau' or 'Bingjia State Administration of Radio, Film and Television Film Bureau'?"

The section chief thought for a moment.

"Just write 'Bingjia Film Bureau'," he said, taking a sip from his teacup. The water temperature was just right. "A shorter name looks better in the layout."

secretary:

She didn't dare say that it wasn't a layout issue at all.

She silently revised it in her mind, and then silently added the word "craftsman":

[Note: Title: Song font, size 2, bold; Body text: Fangsong font, size 3; Spacing: 25 points.]

The section chief put down his teacup. Sunlight streamed in through the blinds, casting long, slanted rays across the deep red desk.

He suddenly remembered what happened more than ten years ago.

In 1997, when "Titanic Command" was introduced to China, Na Zier was still the deputy head of the publicity department.

A meeting was held in the hall to discuss how to report on the cultural impact of this film.

Someone suggested sending a congratulatory telegram to James Cameron.

It was rejected.

The reason is: it's a foreign commercial film, it shouldn't be that serious.

Ten years later.

He personally signed a congratulatory telegram to a 22-year-old Chinese actress.

Li Binbin placed his phone face down on the table.

With a "snap," the screen flipped face down, completely obscuring the trending topic.

She is 37 years old this year and has been in the industry for 15 years.

A frequent nominee for the three major film awards, she has been nominated eight times and won once.

She has acted in art films, commercial films, folk dramas, period dramas, and modern dramas.

Assistant Xiao Wu spoke cautiously, her voice as soft as if afraid of waking a sleeping cat: "Sister, what about Liu Yifei—"

"I saw it."

Xiao Wu dared not speak.

Li Binbin looked out the window.

The sixteenth floor has floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Chaoyang Park.

She thought back to two years ago, the year she and Liu Yifei had just finished filming "The Forbidden Kingdom".

People in the industry talk about her privately, and their tone always carries a subtle undertone.

"Isn't it just because she's pretty? No matter what role she plays, she'll always be Little Dragon Girl."

"Acting skills? You're still young, take your time."

"Do you believe that she has those resources without someone pushing her forward?"

"I heard her mother is very strict; actors like that don't go far."

Two years later, she stood on the Golden Globe stage and said, "I am Liu Yifei, a Chinese actress."

She remained silent for a long time, so long that even a piece of the cloud outside the window drifted away.

"Help me make an appointment with a talent agency in Meiping," she said.

Xiao Wu was stunned for a moment.

"Which one?"

"CAA." She paused. "Isn't there a group at Williams that specifically promotes Asian actors?"

Xiao Wu quickly drew his bow.

"And another thing," Li Binbin said, "I'll dig out that Hollywood script of mine."

"Which one?"

She said, "The second female lead."

The TV was muted, but the subtitles still played.

"67th Golden Globe Awards — Best Actress in a Drama Series — Liu Yi."

Beijing time, 10:41 AM on January 19th.

Seoul, KBS Headquarters, Newsroom.

Outside the window is the Han River, its grey-blue waters flowing slowly, with a few seagulls circling the shore.

Inside the window were thirty-seven monitors, their screen light casting a bluish glow on everyone's faces.

"Is it confirmed?" Chai Bian Jin Chengjun stared at the screen, his reading glasses slipping down to the tip of his nose without him even bothering to push them up.

"Confirmed." The intern, Park Ji-ho, turned his notebook around and swiped his finger three times on the touchpad. "The Golden Globe Awards website has been updated, and Wikipedia has also been synchronized."

On the screen, in the category of Best Actress in a Drama at the 67th Golden Globe Awards, a name that was difficult for Koreans to pronounce was prominently displayed.

Yifei Liu

Kim Sung-joon took off his glasses and rubbed his temples.

He is fifty-two years old this year and has been a craftsman for thirty years.

He has covered six Olympic Games, four World Cups, and several of the three major film festivals, including Cannes, Berlin, and Venice, a total of seventeen times.

He has interviewed Jeon Do-yeon, Lee Byung-hun, Song Kang-ho, Ha Jung-woo, Kim Hye-soo, and Son Ye-jin.

He has written over a thousand film reviews and published three books.

He thought he had seen everything.

But at this moment, he fell silent.

Three seconds later.

"A cut-off," he said. "Thirty seconds will be reserved for the midday news."

What should the title be?

Kim Sung-joon paused for a moment.

Chinese actress Liu Yifei won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress, becoming the first Asian to do so.

Park Ji-ho paused for a moment while typing.

"—Should I just write it like this?"

"Just write it like that." Kim Sung-joon put his glasses back on, the temples tucked into his white hair behind his ear. "The truth can't be hidden forever."

He paused.

"After finishing writing, contact the Los Angeles archer station..."

'

[Seoul · NAVER Trending Search · 11:45]

The number one trending topic at the time: Liu Yifei's Golden Globe Award.

The third most searched topic was: Chinese actress who won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress.

The 7th most searched topic was: Asia's number one.

The 12th most searched topic was: When will the Korean actor get his award?

The 19th most searched topic was: Liu Yifei's crown at the Golden Globe Awards.

The 23rd most searched topic was: Liu Yifei as Little Dragon Girl.

The 27th most searched topic was Liu Yifei in Venice.

Comment area:

User A (3.2k likes): Honestly, her acting has always been very good, we just didn't know it. I just looked up her filmography; she started her Hollywood career in 2008 with "The Forbidden Kingdom," a decade of honing her skills.

User B (2.8k likes): The Golden Globe Awards website states that she debuted in 2002, acted in her first Hollywood film in 2008, won the Venice Film Festival Best Actress award in 2009, and the Golden Globe Best Actress award in 2010. Eight years. What have our actors been doing for the past ten years? Dating? Creating scandals? Serving in the military?

User C (2.1k likes): Our actresses are still acting in idol dramas at this age, right?

User D (1.9k likes): Don't even mention it, we can't even secure Berlin. Last month, Jeon Do-yeon's film had such good reviews, but what happened?

User E (1.7k likes): I heard that she speaks English, French, and Japanese, and also plays the piano and dances ballet. Is she even human?

User G (1.4k likes): Background? Her fiancé is the richest man in China, didn't you know?

User l (1.2k likes) — This is even more terrifying.

User K (1 like, 0k): Our family's chaebol only makes actresses accompany them for drinks.jpg

User L (987 likes): Stop talking, I'm breaking down. My daughter is also 22 years old this year, and she's still asking me for pocket money and albums.

User M (876 likes): Who taught her English? Are there any courses you would recommend?

User N (765 likes): Replying to M: She studied in the US when she was young, and later returned to the US. This is a combination of talent and environment; enrolling in classes won't help.

User 0 (654 likes): What I admire most about her isn't winning the award, but the way she walked in that dress, her face red and swollen. It wasn't nervousness, it wasn't being cautious, it was a sense of "I belong here." That kind of aura is so rare.

User P (543 likes): Stop praising me, I'm so jealous.

In Shibuya, Tokyo, the television is mounted on the wall at a diagonal angle, ensuring that everyone in the room can see it.

They were originally showing a baseball game.

The Giants and Hanshin Tigers, bottom of the seventh inning, two innings, bases loaded.

A middle-aged man wearing a Hanshin Tigers jersey, his face flushed red, was arguing with a Yomiuri Giants fan at the next table, holding a beer mug.

"Your pitcher is 34 years old this year, he should have retired long ago!"

"Retire? His ERA was 2.98 last year. Who on your team is better than him?"

.

"Our team isn't good enough, but neither are yours!"

"Where are we not craftsmen?"

Then the scene suddenly changed.

The baseball field disappeared.

Instead, a huge red curtain was erected, with gold English letters printed on it.

"Breaking news—" Shiba's voice was drowned out by the noise of the izakaya.

Nobody noticed.

Until the woman in the pinkish-purple dress appeared on the screen.

An office worker wearing a plaid shirt looked up.

His name is Kenta Tanaka. He is 29 years old and has worked at GG Company for seven years. He was just promoted to section chief.

The beer glass stopped in mid-air.

The rim of the cup was still covered with white foam.

On the screen is a Chinese woman wearing a pinkish-purple dress.

Subtitle: Liu Yifei won the 67th Golden Dessou Award for Best Actress (Doma Division).

Another drunken man came over and his breath reeked of alcohol on Tanaka's neck.

"Who is this?"

"Zhongbingrenba————"

"Are Chinese people getting awards from Americans?"

The izakaya was quiet for a few seconds.

The only sound was the sizzling of the skewers on the hot plate.

The TV started replaying clips of Liu Yifei from "The Return of the Condor Heroes," where she was dressed in white with long hair, flying down from the top of an ancient tomb as light as a cloud.

"Aaaaaah!" A girl in a high school uniform suddenly screamed from the corner, dropping her chopsticks without even picking them up. "Little Dragon Girl! It's Little Dragon Girl!"

Her name is Mayumi Sasaki. She is seventeen years old and a third-year student at a private high school in Shibuya.

She pulled out her phone and started typing furiously, her fingernails tapping loudly on the screen.

Three seconds later.

Her tweet read:

[Liu Yifei won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress! She was my goddess back in middle school!!! I knew I was right!!!]

The accompanying picture was one she found after scrolling through her phone's photo album for three minutes. In 2007, when she was in the first year of junior high school, she used her allowance to buy her first original DVD, the Japanese version of "The Return of the Condor Heroes," with Liu Yifei's Little Dragon Girl on the cover.

Three minutes later.

Forwarded: 47

Ten minutes later.

Forwarded: 892

One hour later.

Forwarded: 1.7

First comment:

[When she acted in "The Forbidden Kingdom," I said she was destined for stardom. Finally, I've seen something truly amazing.]

Second comment:

[It wasn't that Mei Bing had any special insight; she got in herself.]

[Tokyo Twitter Trending Ranks - 12:00]

趋势第2位：刘艺菲趋势第4位：金球奖趋势第7位：亚洲首位趋势第15位：黑天鹅趋势第23位：神鵰侠侣趋势第27位：刘亦菲日语专辑评论区：

@hanamaru—movie (3.4k likes): I watched "The Return of the Condor Heroes" in high school and thought this actress was incredibly beautiful, but I never expected her to be so amazing. I've never been a fan of any celebrity before, but this time I finally decided to bet on her.

@yifei—suki (2.9k likes): She speaks Japanese very well. In a previous interview, she mentioned that she had studied Japanese and had watched "Tokyo Love Story" many times. Honami Suzuki tweeted congratulations to her today. What kind of Dream Jade collaboration is this?

@tokyo—cine (2.3k likes): Which Japanese actresses are currently working in Hollywood? It seems like none of them are—would Rinko Kikuchi count? But she hasn't made much of a splash in recent years.

@sakura—chan (1.8k likes): No problem, we can just admire her! She's a beauty! I just ordered her "Black Swan" Blu-ray!

@akira—0512 (1.6k likes): To be honest, I'm a little jealous, but mostly envious. I hope our actors can go this far too.

@mikio—film (1.4k likes): I just checked, she was only 22 when she won the Venice Film Festival. What was I doing at 22? I was working at an izakaya.

@kenji—0314 (1.2k likes): Don't even mention it, I was 22 and still having to retake exams with my professor.

@yuki—desu (1.1k likes): I'm 22 and just started learning how to make porcelain omelets.

@tarofilm (987 likes): Wait a minute, she was in *Lucy*? The one with Luc Besson?

@taro—film (1065 likes): ————Terrible.

Liu Yifei finally escaped from the crowd. She hid behind a huge Roman column, her skirt trailing on the ground, smeared with champagne that someone had spilled.

She didn't bother wiping it; she was still holding the trophy in her hand.

A small golden globe, engraved with her name.

CrystalLiu.

It was heavy, heavier than I had imagined.

Jiang Yu produced a bottle of mineral water from who-knows-where.

"Have a drink."

Liu Yifei took the water and gulped down half a bottle.

"My hands are still shaking." She shoved the empty bottle back into his hand.

Jiang Yu took the bottle and gave her a sweet smile.

"normal."

"Have you ever won an award?" Liu Yifei asked him, looking up at him.

Jiang Yu thought for a moment.

"I received it," he said. "The Communication University of China Outstanding Graduate Award in 2006."

"Huh?" Liu Yifei exclaimed in surprise, her mouth agape.

The two of them smiled at the same time, and Liu Yifei looked down at the words engraved on the bottom of the trophy.

Under the crystal chandelier in the hotel's banquet hall, shimmering light reflected off the surface.

Like fragments of stars.

"Jiang Yu".

"Um."

"You said that now—" she paused, "what's the situation?"

Jiang Yu took out his phone, glanced at it, and then put it back.

"Would you like to hear the good news or the bad news first?"

Liu Yifei was stunned for a moment.

"—Is there more bad news?"

"No news on the blanket," Jiang Yu said calmly. "There's too much good news; we need to categorize it."

Liu Yifei glared at him; when she glared, her eyes narrowed to a point, like a cat's.

Are you kidding me?

"Yes." Jiang Yu pursed her lips and smiled secretly. Sometimes she was really cute, like a little goofball.

Liu Yifei gently tapped him with the trophy.

"Then you can categorize them."

Jiang Yu took out his phone again.

"Category 1," he swiped the screen, his fingers moving as steadily as if he were giving a work report, "official congratulatory telegram."

He turned his phone around to show her.

The screen shows a screenshot.

[Bingjia Film Bureau: Warmest congratulations to Comrade Liu Yifei for winning the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Drama Series, becoming the first Asian actress to receive this honor.]

Liu Yifei opened her mouth.

"—Film Bureau?"

'

"Um.

""

"Send a congratulatory telegram?"

"Um.

""

She was silent for three seconds.

"Should I call and thank them?"

"No need," Jiang Yu said. "They understand; you're jet-lagged."

Liu Yifei glared at him again, but she couldn't suppress the smile on her face.

She continued scrolling down.

[China Film Association: We are delighted to learn that Ms. Liu Yifei has won the Best Actress in a Drama Series award at the 67th Golden Globe Awards. This is an honor for Chinese filmmakers.]

[China Film Directors Association: Congratulations to Liu Yifei! A source of pride for Chinese actors!]

[China Screenwriters Association: Liu Yifei's success is a vivid example of Chinese culture going global —]

She swiped through three screens, and she still wasn't done.

"Why are there so many—" she muttered softly.

"There are still some that haven't been released yet," Jiang Yu said. "The State Administration of Radio, Film and Television is drafting the wording, so it might be a little later."

Liu Yifei didn't say anything. She handed the phone back to him and lowered her head.

After a moment, she said softly, "I think... I'm not so nervous anymore."

Jiang Yu looked at her.

Were you nervous just now?

"Yes," she said, "my legs were shaking when I was on stage."

Jiang Yu tightened the screws on the mineral water bottle and placed it on the round table next to him.

"The second category," he said, continuing to swipe the screen, "is the same as the craftsman."

He handed me the phone; a long list of names was displayed on the screen.

Zhou Xun, Xu Ke, Chen Kaige, Feng Xiaogang, Li Binbin, Huang Xiaoming, Sun Li, Deng Chao, Liu Ye, Tong Dawei, Fan Binbin Studio, Huayi Brothers, Bona Film Group, Enlight Media, Wanda Pictures, Hairun Media... and many more.

The celebration banquet wasn't completely over yet, but Zhang Ziyi didn't want to wait any longer.

Assistant Xiao Zhou handed over the coat, a black MaMara, with the hotel's coat hanger tag still on it.

"Sister Ziyi, the car is on B2."

"Um."

She took two steps, then stopped.

Looking back, Liu Yifei was still standing next to that table.

Holding the trophy in his hand, he was pampered by a group of people.

Darren Aronofsky was embracing her, his eyes red-rimmed. This director, known for his ruthlessness, looked like an old father who had just sent his daughter off on her wedding.

Mila Kunis was wiping away tears, her mascara smudged even more, and two thin black lines appeared at the corners of her eyes.

Morgan Freeman patted her on the shoulder, laughing and saying something, his full head of silver hair glittering under the crystal chandelier.

Jiang Yu stood half a step behind her, not blocking her way.

No one answered the questions for her, and no one took her hand.

It just stood there, like a mountain that never moved.

Zhang Ziyi looked at it for two seconds.

Turn around.

Step into the elevator.

The elevator doors slowly closed, shutting out the hustle and bustle.

The crack in the door narrowed, and Liu Yifei's smile shrank to a thin line before disappearing.

The elevator began to descend, and the floor numbers jumped up and down.

Liu Yifei had been pulled into a group photo countless times, and the smile on her face was starting to look a little stiff.

She had maintained the smile on her lips for two hours.

But she persisted, smiling at the camera with every phone handed to her.

With each "Congratulations," she nodded and said "Thank you."

Jiang Yu stood outside the crowd, holding her bag in her hand.

That was the only thing she hadn't had time to give to her assistant that night—a nude pink box containing a tube of lipstick, a pack of tissues, and a room key.

David leaned closer.

"Boss, the Film Bureau sent a congratulatory telegram over there."

"Yes, I saw it."

"General Chiang said that production companies from both sides of the Taiwan Strait and Hong Kong have sent 53 congratulatory letters, and the number is still increasing."

"Um."

"General Manager Jiang from the artists' side said that there are still more than sixty people left, and the public security department is still counting them."

"Um.

""

David paused.

"Also, Zhang Ziyi posted a Weibo post with a photo of Crystal."

Jiang Yu glanced at him, and David immediately changed his tune.

"It included a photo of the proprietress."

Jiang Yu withdrew his gaze.

"Um.

""

David waited three seconds.

"Boss, don't you have anything else to say?"

Jiang Yu thought for a moment.

"have."

David stood up like a fly.

"Get Crystal a glass of hot water," he said. "Her voice is a little hoarse."

David: "————"

He turned and walked toward the food court, but after a couple of steps, he turned back.

"Boss," he said, "how many photos do you think your wife must have taken of you together in her lifetime?"

Jiang Yu didn't answer; he looked at Liu Yifei in the crowd.

She was talking to Viola Davis, the two-time Oscar nominee, who was shaking her hand and nodding with a smile.

Liu Yifei's expression was serious, without any attempt to please or stage fright; it was like two craftsmen exchanging ideas.

Jiang Yu glanced at Zi'er.

"No matter how many craftsmen you keep," he said.

After half an hour of battle, the Weibo hot search list finally dominated the screen.

Liu Yifei, winner of the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress, is ranked #1. [Boiling]

The second Asian to win a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Drama – [Boiling]

3rd place: Zhang Ziyi and Liu Yifei in the same frame [Boiling Point]

Liu Yifei, who came in 4th, gave her acceptance speech [Boiling Point]

How much does Liu Yifei's crown cost? [Hot Topic]

6th place: Dior Haute Couture [Boiling]

7th place: Jiang Yu, Liu Yifei [Boiling Point]

8th place: Light Chaser Animation [Boiling]

The 9th Black Swan [Boiling Point]

Liu Yifei, ranked 10th, is also a member of the [Boiling Point] group.

Weibo's technical director, Lao Zhou, stood in front of the monitoring screen. The expansion was complete, and the server was temporarily stable.

He wiped the sweat from his forehead; his palms were wet.

"How many of the top ten trending topics haven't been promoted?"

The intern, Xiao Zhang, quickly scanned the data, his glasses reflecting the blue light from the screen.

"All of them," she said.

The director was silent for two seconds.

"Is it all natural heat?"

"All of them." Xiao Zhang swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down. "Liu Yifei alone, without relying on any marketing accounts for pre-promotion, without any annual subscription to trending searches, just pure casual viewers."

Old Zhou looked at the soaring popularity curve; he had worked in the internet industry for fifteen years.

On Weibo, the top comment in the trending topics section (4.7 likes)

I've compiled a timeline of Liu Yifei's career from her debut to today: 1997, age 10, went to the United States to study.

In 2002, at the age of 15, he returned to Beijing and was admitted to the Beijing Film Academy (he was admitted through special admission and became the youngest undergraduate student that year).

In 2002, at the age of 14, she made her debut in "The Story of a Noble Family", playing the role of Bai Xiuzhu.

In 2003, at the age of 16, she played Zhao Ling'er in "Chinese Paladin".

In 2005, at the age of 17, she played Xiaolongnu in "The Return of the Condor Heroes".

In 2007, at the age of 20, he starred in "The Forbidden Kingdom" and entered Hollywood.

In 2008, at the age of 21, she starred in "Black Swan".

In 2009, at the age of 22, she starred in "Lucy".

In 2009, at the age of 22, she won the Best Actress award at the Venice Film Festival (for "Black Swan").

In 2010, at the age of 23, she won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress.

She is 23 years old this year.

I am 27 years old this year.

I was yelled at by my boss yesterday and cried because I made a mistake on one page of a PowerPoint presentation.

I don't mean anything by it, I just want to ask: how exactly does the gap between people widen?

Reply 1 (1.7 likes): Don't even mention it, I'm 27 and still paying off my mortgage.

Reply 2 (1.4 likes): She won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress at 23, while I was 27 and didn't even know where the Golden Globe Awards were being broadcast.

Reply 3 (1.2 likes): She was 23 and had a billionaire as her fiancé, while I was 27 and had a mobile phone company as a debt collector.

回复4（赞1.1万）：她23岁戴370万美金的皇冠，我27岁戴370度的眼镜。

Reply 5 (9 likes): Stop scolding, stop scolding. The child knows he's useless.

Reply 6 (8 likes): Am I the only one who noticed that she got into Beijing Film Academy at the age of 15? I was still copying homework when I was 15.

回复7（赞7千）：回复6：15岁我已经姿抄作业了，她14岁已经姿演戏了。

Reply 8 (6,000 likes): The scariest thing is that she didn't become famous overnight; it took her eight years to achieve that.

Reply 9 (5 likes): 8 years — I can't even stick to the gym for three months.

Reply 10 (4,000 likes): The thing I've persisted in the longest is living; it's been 27 years.

Reply 11 (3 likes): What is the secret to her success?

Reply 12 (2 likes): Reply 11: Beauty + hard work + luck + perseverance, all are indispensable.

Reply 13 (1 likes): Reply 12: What you said is as good as nothing.

Reply 14 (876 likes): Only by dumping her could she meet the richest man.

Reply 15 (765 likes): Reply 14: Shut up, this is an inspirational post, don't turn it into a Mary Sue story.

In Wuhan, at Liu Yifei's uncle's house, Liu Xiaoli turned on her phone.

The screen was filled with push notifications: Weibo, NetEase News, Tencent News... Each app icon had a red number in the upper right corner, some with two digits, some with three digits.

She looked at it for three seconds, then put her phone down.

Turning around, I went into the kitchen, where a pot of lotus root and pork rib soup was simmering.

Yi, a drink that Wuhan locals always have in winter, she scooped up a little with a spoon and tasted it; it was bland.

She added a little salt.

My daughter loves this drink the most; she drinks three bowls every time she goes back to Wuhan.

After finishing his drink, he asked, "Mom, is there any more?"

She said: Yes, plenty.

She looked down at the bubbling soup in the pot. The lotus root was stewed until it was soft and tender, and the pork ribs were falling off the bone. The soup was a light off-white color.

She wiped her hands; her skirt was printed with small floral patterns.

She picked up her cell phone and sent a text message to her daughter:

The soup is ready. We're waiting for you and Xiao Jiang to come back and drink it.

send.

She put her phone back in her skirt pocket and continued stirring her food.

The flames on the stove were a deep blue, licking the bottom of the pot.

She thought back to 1987, the year her daughter was born, weighing 6.8 pounds, crying loudly in the delivery room.

The nurse showed it to her and said, "It's a beautiful girl."

She glanced at it; it was a small, wrinkled, bright red blob—not pretty at all.

Later, when she grew up, she became really beautiful.

She scooped up another spoonful of the sauce, blew on it, and took a bite.

The celebration banquet finally ended, and Liu Yifei kicked off her high heels, stepping barefoot onto the soft floor.

Two patches of skin on my heels were rubbed raw and broken, with faint traces of blood seeping out.

She glanced down, but didn't pay any attention.

She walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, where the night view of Los Angeles in the early morning was visible.

The city lights are sparse, unlike Beijing, where it's still brightly lit at 2 a.m.

The distant Pacific Ocean was a silent darkness, with only the occasional cargo ship passing by displaying its faint navigation lights.

The Hilton Hotel was reflected in the glass window, along with her own shadow.

She looked at herself in the mirror; her hair was messy, and a few strands of her hair, which had been styled in a bun all night, had come loose and were sticking to her cheeks.

My makeup is smudged; the eyeliner has smudged a bit, and the mascara is also a little smudged.

The $3.7 million crown had long been taken down and carefully stored in a velvet box on the bedside table.

But she felt she was at her most beautiful that night when she heard footsteps behind her.

It was very light; the ground absorbed most of the sound.

Jiang Yu walked to her side, holding a cup of hot milk in his hand.

"Drinking this before bed helps you sleep."

Liu Yifei took the milk but didn't drink it; she just held it in her hands.

The warmth of the cup's walls seeped through the porcelain and into my palm.

"Jiang Yu".

"Um.

""

"Was I stupid tonight?" she asked, "crying like that on stage."

Seeing her serious expression, Jiang Yu's teasing tone from when she returned vanished.

"It's not that I'm stupid. It's that I really lost out."

He paused.

"You were too tense before the award presentation."

Liu Yifei remained silent, seemingly considering Jiang Yu's words. Jiang Yu glanced at her and continued speaking.

"Today is fine as it is. Cry if you want to cry, laugh if you want to laugh. No need to act."

Liu Yifei looked down at the milk glass in her hand, which shimmered softly in the glow of the floor lamp.

"I'm afraid people will think I'm not qualified," she said softly.

The voice was very soft, as if afraid of waking the night.

"I'm afraid they'll think I relied on you, on public office, or on luck."

"Then write it down?"

"And then—" she paused.

The Los Angeles outside the window was so quiet that I could hear my own breathing.

"And then tonight I stood on the stage, watching the people below applaud."

She looked up.

"It has Cameron, it has Penny Law, it has Meryl Streep, it has Morgan Freeman."

She smiled, her eyes sparkling.

"The way they looked at me wasn't the same as how they looked at Jiang Yu's girlfriend."

'

Jiang Yu looked at his reflection in the windowpane and replied.

"It's about watching Liu Yifei."

He reached out and gently tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

Liu Yifei looked at him, the warm light from the floor lamp shining from the side, casting a half-light, half-dark shadow on his face.

She thought of flies 3 years ago.

In 2007, she was twenty years old and filming "The Forbidden Kingdom".

She first saw him on set that year; he was standing in the center of the crowd.

Lionsgate Production Introduction: This is Jiang Yu, the owner of Light Chaser Pictures.

She nodded and politely said hello.

He didn't say much, just looked at her and smiled, replying: Hello.

I later learned that he never said polite words.

"Jiang Yu".

"Um.

""

"Thank you."

"What are you thanking me for?"

"Thank you for never letting me become 'your' appendage," she said. "Thank you for letting me always be 'me.'"

Jiang Yu was silent for a few seconds, then gently kissed her forehead.

"Yifei," he said.

"Um."

"You were never an accessory," he said. "You are mine—"

He paused, and Liu Yifei waited.

The glow of the floor lamp slowly flowed between the two people.

"You are my pride," he said.

Liu Yifei paused for a moment, then she smiled.

"You," she said, "are clearly not good at saying sweet nothings."

"Um.

""

"But he always gets it right."

"Um.

""

She put the milk glass down on the windowsill, turned around and hugged him, releasing a passionate kiss...

Los Angeles outside the window quieted down, and Liu Yifei unbuttoned his shirt; one button at a time, very steadily.

"Jiang Yu".

"Um."

"Next time I come to the Golden Globes," she said, "I want to win another award."

"it is good."

"Win the Golden Globe, then the Oscar."

"it is good."

"Jiang Yu, carry me to my room."

"it is good."

She lifted her head from his arms and looked at him.

"Why do you say everything is good?"

Jiang Yu looked at her, the light from the floor lamp reflecting in his eyes, making them appear as two small, warm yellow clusters.

"Because I'm standing behind you..."

""

Liu Yifei paused for a moment, then rubbed her face against his chest and said stubbornly, "I want to take a fly bath—"

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