After being dumped by the diva, I was picked up by her arch-enemy.

Jiang Yichen held her hand.

"thank you."

Elizabeth smiled. She released her grip and slowly walked towards the side stage.

Jiang Yichen turned around.

Facing more than two thousand audience members.

Facing the live stream cameras of hundreds of millions of people worldwide.

The trophy weighed heavily in my palm.

He walked up to the microphone.

The theater fell silent.

.....

Domestically, in the early morning.

Countless people were staring at the screen.

The live chat stopped.

Everyone was waiting for him to speak.

Jiang Yichen glanced down at the trophy base.

His name is engraved on it.

English spelling.

He switched the trophy to his left hand.

Hold the microphone with your right hand.

"Thank you to the academy. Thank you to the judges."

He speaks fluent English with standard pronunciation.

But after saying those two sentences, he switched to Chinese.

"Next, I'd like to speak in Chinese. Because Cheng Dieyi only speaks Chinese."

A translator was on-site to provide simultaneous updates via earpiece.

However, many viewers simply took off their headphones.

They don't understand Chinese.

But they want to hear the sound itself.

"When I was six years old, I was sent to a theatrical troupe."

Jiang Yichen's voice was very steady.

"When my master told me to stretch my legs, I cried. When he told me to practice my singing, I cried too."

"I stopped crying later. Because even after crying, I still had to practice."

Some people in the audience laughed.

"Cheng Dieyi is worse off than me."

The laughter subsided.

"He had his fingers cut off before he was allowed into the Peking Opera world."

"He sang a wrong line and was beaten until his mouth was full of blood."

"He loved one person his whole life, but that person never understood."

Jiang Yichen paused for a moment.

"When I was playing him, I often couldn't tell which pain was his and which was mine."

"On the day filming wrapped, someone told me—'The movie's over, come back now.'"

He looked up. His gaze swept across the audience.

"I'm back."

But Cheng Dieyi never came back.

"Because in this story, no one told him—you don't have to be Yu Ji. You can just be yourself."

"So I want to use this trophy to tell everyone like Cheng Dieyi."

You deserve to be seen.

"It's not because you sing well."

"Because you are you."

Jiang Yichen raised the trophy.

"at last."

His voice suddenly carried a hint of amusement.

"Thank you to my two girlfriends."

The entire audience was stunned for a second.

"They made me remember one thing."

No matter how good the show is, someone has to wait for you to leave.

Applause erupted again.

The domestic live streaming rooms completely exploded.

"Two people??? He said two people???"

"Jiang Shen, wake up! This is a global live broadcast!!!"

"Oh no, oh no, Mr. Gu and Miss Xu are about to explode with jealousy."

"Wait, why was I suddenly forced to eat dog food (a Chinese slang term for witnessing public displays of affection) while I was crying?"

In a hotel suite.

The video call is still on.

Xu Zhiyou hugged the popcorn bucket, curling up into a ball.

His face was buried in the bucket.

Her ears turned bright red.

Gu Ruanxing sat upright on the sofa.

His expression didn't change much.

But she unconsciously closed and reopened the notebook on her lap three times.

"He's gone mad," Gu Ruanxing said.

"Hmm." Xu Zhiyou poked half her face out of the bucket. "But he's so handsome."

Gu Ruanxing did not respond.

She stared at the screen.

Jiang Yichen is walking down from the stage.

As he passed the fifth row, the chairman of the jury stood up and shook hands with him.

Gu Ruanxing's lips moved slightly.

It's very light.

No sound.

But Xu Zhiyou turned her head and saw it.

That was the mouth shape of "Welcome back".

The awards ceremony continues.

Best director.

Chen Ge.

Farewell My Concubine.

When the old man walked onto the stage, his steps were two beats slower than usual.

He stood in front of the microphone and remained silent for five seconds.

"I've been making movies for forty years."

"For the past forty years, I have been searching for something."

"Found it."

He looked at Jiang Yichen below the stage.

"In a twenty-three-year-old young man."

Chen Ge raised the trophy.

"I'll give him half of this award."

The applause of the audience was thunderous.

Best Picture.

Everyone stood up.

The moment the name "Farewell My Concubine" was read from the envelope.

Chen Hao slumped into his seat.

He didn't jump up.

There was no screaming.

I just looked up at the dome of the Dolby Theatre.

Tears streamed silently down her face.

Tan Yunxiao stood in the aisle, hands on his hips, and took a few deep breaths.

"Hold."

He only uttered this one word.

Jiang Yichen and Chen Ge walked onto the stage together.

Little Golden Man.

Three.

Best Actor. Best Director. Best Picture.

In addition to the previous best photography and best costume design.

Five seats.

Farewell My Concubine became the most awarded non-English language film in Oscar history.

Jiang Yichen stood on the stage.

He was holding the Best Picture award trophy in his hands.

Standing beside him were Chen Ge and the production team.

More than two thousand people in the audience stood up and applauded.

He looked at the camera.

Domestically, countless people are glued to their screens.

It's 3 a.m.

Nobody is sleeping.

Qilin Opera Troupe.

Hou Fei squatted in front of the TV, crying like a dog.

Butler Zhang stood to the side, holding his teacup for a long time without taking a sip.

Several elderly gentlemen sat in the hall.

没有电视。

They only listen to the radio.

The narrator's trembling voice came from the radio.

"Chinese cinema has made history."

The oldest gentleman slowly stood up.

He walked up to the statue of Guan Yu.

Three incense sticks were lit.

The cigarette smoke curled upwards.

The old man did not speak.

He simply closed his eyes and his lips moved slightly.

It's like they're telling this news to someone.

This is for those who have never stepped out of the backstage area in their entire lives.

At the press conference after the awards ceremony.

All the questions point to Jiang Yichen.

An American journalist asked the question that became the most widely discussed that night.

"Mr. Jiang, you are twenty-three years old this year. A Cannes Film Festival Best Actor, an Oscar Best Actor, and before that, an Asian Music Award winner. Who exactly are you?"

Jiang Yichen held the microphone.

"I am a Peking Opera singer."

He said.

"Coincidentally, I also wrote a song."

"And coincidentally, I acted in a movie."

The reporter pressed further, "What are your plans next?"

Jiang Yichen put the microphone back on the table.

"go home."

He stood up.

"I promised someone I would go back after the performance."

The reporters wanted to ask more questions.

Security has begun clearing the area.

Jiang Yichen walked out of the press room.

At the end of the corridor.

A woman in a dark coat leaned against the wall.

Gu Ruanxing.

She didn't know when she came from the hotel.

She was wearing pajamas under her coat.

Her hair was casually held in place with a black hair clip.

Jiang Yichen stopped in his tracks.

Gu Ruanxing looked at him.

No congratulations.

There was no hug.

She simply reached out her hand.

"Let's go."

"go home."

Jiang Yichen looked at that hand.

He stuffed all three golden statuettes into Chen Hao's arms.

Then he took her hand.

My palms are warm.

(End of the article)