China Entertainment’s rescue plan is hard to come by

Chapter 949 Who will win the flower?
Inside the Lumière Hall, glittering lights and elegant attire filled the air. The atmosphere was a unique blend of fine perfumes, anticipation, and anxiety—the scent that lingered before an awards ceremony.

The lights are slowly dimming, signaling the imminent start of the grand ceremony.

Liu Yifei sat in the fourth row by the aisle, wearing a moonlit silver sequined dress, like a mermaid stranded on a starlit coast.

She clasped her hands together, her fingertips unconsciously tapping lightly on the back of her hands, a polite smile on her face, but her eyes kept glancing toward the entrance to the side.

This row was reserved for the judges, but most of the other judges had already taken their seats, except for the one next to her, which was empty.

Tonight marks the final moments of this year's film festival. Sun Yi, who is responsible for the duties of a jury member, left early this morning to participate in the jury's final discussion, which is the final determination of the awards.

When she walked the red carpet, Liu Yifei only glanced at her husband briefly and didn't even get a chance to speak to him.

So, I'm a little worried.

It wasn't until five minutes before the awards ceremony began that the familiar figure strode out from the shadows of the side curtain, found her spot immediately, and walked over to meet her gaze.

Sun Yi sat down next to Liu Yifei. His hair was slightly messy, and a bead of sweat could be seen on his forehead under the light.

Seeing Sun Yi's exhausted appearance, Liu Yifei felt a pang of sympathy. She gently handed him a tissue and asked in a low voice with concern, "Why did it take you so long to get here?"

Sun Yi took the tissue and wiped his sweat, loosening his meticulously tied tie as he exhaled before replying, "I had a mission to complete. I finalized the award ceremony process and the list of winners with Spielberg, and finally got everything sorted out."

He spoke succinctly, then turned his gaze to the awards stage, which was already lit up, his profile appearing somewhat tense.

The list of winners?!
Upon hearing this, Liu Yifei's attention was instantly drawn to it. She couldn't help but lean closer, almost touching Sun Yi's earlobe. She cautiously glanced back at the direction of the camera lens, like a thief, and only after realizing that the camera wasn't in their direction did she softly ask, "Then 'A Touch of Sin'?"

She asked very softly, and didn't even finish her sentence, but the unspoken understanding between the couple clearly conveyed what she meant.

Upon hearing this, Sun Yi frowned slightly, turned to look at Liu Yifei, opened his mouth, but did not speak.

That's enough, no more words are needed.

Liu Yifei's heart sank. She saw a heavy, inky emotion in Sun Yi's eyes, which seemed to be mixed with exhaustion, helplessness, and an almost powerless compromise.

She gently bit her pink lips, saying nothing, but silently took Sun Yi's hand, holding it tightly, their fingers intertwined.

Sun Yi instinctively grasped Liu Yifei's hand, seeing a firm support in her eyes. On the other side, unseen by Liu Yifei, the corners of his mouth turned up slightly.

The awards ceremony began as scheduled.

First up is the Camera d'Or for Best First Feature, which went to the Singaporean film, Ilo Ilo.

Then came the Focus section, where the Future Award, Talent Award, and Best Director Award were announced one by one. After about 40 minutes, all the awards in this section were presented, and then came the main competition section, the highlight of the event.

Not only did the atmosphere at the scene heat up, but the number of viewers in the broadcasting studios thousands of miles away in China also skyrocketed.

"We've finally arrived at the main competition section."

"I hope to see Section Chief Jia receive an award."

"It would be best if Sun Yi presented the award; I can't even imagine the scene!"

"come on!"

Despite the various rational analyses and skepticism from domestic moviegoers beforehand, when the moment arrived, their deep-rooted sense of unity and national honor spontaneously fueled their anticipation.

The awards ceremony proceeded as scheduled.

Best Short Film, Special Jury Prize, Best Actress, Best Actor, Best Screenplay.
Another 40 minutes passed, and as moviegoers watched award after award go to other films, their initial anticipation inevitably turned into disbelief. The live stream's chat also dwindled from a screen full of comments to a few now and then.

Is "A Touch of Sin" doomed?

"It looks like things are going badly..."

"To be honest, the further you go, the lower the probability becomes. If you don't win the Jury Special Award or Best Screenplay, there's basically no hope left."

"Not necessarily. We can still fight for Best Director; it's almost here!"

At the awards ceremony, when the presenter announced that the Best Director award went to Amat Escalante for "Haley," the live stream chat was silent for a long time. Disappointment overwhelmed all the Chinese film fans watching on their screens.

Liu Yifei sat in the audience, her eyes also showing some disappointment. Although she had guessed the result from Sun Yi's reaction, she was still somewhat unwilling.

Suddenly, she was startled awake.

If this is how I feel, then I wonder if domestic film fans feel the same way—regret, disappointment, even resentment? What pressure must Sun Yi, as a judge, be under?
Liu Yifei unconsciously tightened her grip on Sun Yi's hand again, as if to express her deep emotion, her eyes filled with an unprecedented firmness.

At that moment, she made up her mind that after the awards ceremony, she would hug her husband as soon as possible and tell him that it was okay, she was there for him!
The prestigious awards are being presented.

Steven Spielberg, the heavyweight chairman of the jury, personally walked slowly onto the stage as the award presenter.

Facing the audience, he did not immediately take out the envelope. Instead, he spoke in a reminiscent tone about the intense discussions within the jury regarding a certain award and a certain work, even mentioning that "the debate continued until the last hour before the awards ceremony began."

Just then, Liu Yifei suddenly felt the hand that had been holding her tightly loosen its grip.

She turned her head in surprise.

On stage, Spielberg had already opened the envelope that would decide his fate. But then he paused, his gaze sweeping across the entire audience once more. That moment of silence gripped the hearts of everyone present.

"The 66th Cannes Film Festival, Grand Prix—" Spielberg's voice, transmitted clearly through the microphone, echoed throughout the hall, "belongs to *Touch of Sin*!"

"boom--!!!"

A tsunami of applause erupted instantly, almost lifting the dome of the Lumière Hall!

Alright?

It's still the Jury Prize, which is second only to the Palme d'Or, just like the one that director Zhang Yimou won back then!
Liu Yifei's mind went blank. She turned her head sharply and looked at Sun Yi beside her in disbelief.

But she saw him slowly and methodically adjusting the cufflinks on his other hand, his face calm and expressionless, as if the earth-shattering result just now had nothing to do with him, and as if the heavy, powerless expression he had just given her was just an illusion.

"you!"

"Honey, it hurt when you held my hand just now. Why were you squeezing so hard?"

"You lied to me?!"

Overwhelmed with surprise and shame at being deceived, Liu Yifei angrily reached out and pinched his wrist hard, leaving two clear crescent-shaped marks.

"Hiss! Mrs. Sun, let's be reasonable. When did I ever tell you personally that I didn't win an award?"

Liu Yifei:
Damn it, I was just thinking of comforting him, I'm such a mess.
Ugh, I'm so angry!!!

(End of this chapter)