They surrounded me right after the breakup.

The lights went out at exactly seven o'clock.

All the spotlights in the main venue were turned off at once, leaving only the floral lamp on the dome, which bathed the entire venue in a deep blue light.

Behind the main stage, a giant screen slowly lit up.

The host walked out from the side stage.

A man and a woman; the man is a familiar face from CCTV, and the woman is an actress who won Best Supporting Actress two years ago.

"Welcome everyone to the closing ceremony and awards ceremony of this film festival," the male host began.

The applause from the audience was loud and clear.

"This year is very special," the female host added.

"We've seen animated films break box office records, and we've also seen science fiction films go global. The word 'film' has regained its imaginative power."

A montage of the shortlisted films began playing on the big screen.

There was noticeable commotion in the seats when Jupiter's red spot appeared.

When Nezha shouted, "My fate is in my own hands, not in the hands of heaven," people in the back row applauded.

The camera panned across the guest area, and suddenly the big screen cut to Jiang Han's profile.

He merely raised his eyelids slightly, making no other movement.

"The first award tonight is the Best Visual Effects Award." The male host opened the envelope.

"To say there's little suspense would be a bit cruel."

"The winner is the visual effects team of 'The Wandering Earth'."

The stage lights shone in the direction of Guo Fan's team.

Several visual effects supervisors rose from their seats and walked onto the stage one by one.

"When we were making those two thousand-plus special effects shots, we never imagined we'd be standing here." The middle-aged man receiving the award had a dry throat.

"Thank you everyone for voting, thank you director. And a special thank you to Xingyue Media, it was President Jiang who prevented this film from being abandoned halfway through."

The camera then pans back to Jiang Han.

This time, he nodded slightly towards the stage.

Xia Yutong leaned forward from behind and whispered, "The first one has made a good start."

"Don't be so happy yet." Jiang Han didn't move.

"The ceremony has only been going on for twenty minutes."

"Best Art Design Award," the female host continued.

"The winner is—the art team of 'Nezha'."

Applause erupted again in the arena, even more frequently than in the previous round.

The art director of the Nezha team stood up from the back row and nodded all the way.

"We drew more than 6,000 concept sketches and revised the model 160 times."

His voice trembled: "Thank you, Director Jiaozi, and thank you, Xingyue, for giving an animated film the most luxurious creative space."

"Another one," Huace's vice president whispered to the person next to him in the next seat.

"Do we want both the stars and the moon tonight?"

"Impossible." The man shook his head.

"This year's election isn't his family's."

"Best Original Score Award," the male host announced.

"Nezha, music team."

As soon as he finished speaking, several cell phones lit up.

The music producer from Nezha's team walked briskly onto the stage.

He gripped the trophy tightly: "He said that a true soundtrack is one that makes the melody memorable. Now I see, he was right."

The camera pans to Shen Qingning.

She sat upright and clapped lightly a few times.

"There are already three stars and moons," Wang Jing whispered from the side.

"Putting everything else aside, these few technical awards alone are enough to make them the star of the night."

"Don't get too cocky, everyone," Jiang said calmly.

"The real battle is yet to come."

"Next, Best Screenplay." The male host unfolded the envelope.

"This is a film that makes you believe in the future from the very first page."

The female host laughed: "The Wandering Earth, Liu Cixin, Guo Fan, Jiang Han."

Jiang Han saw three names scroll across the screen, and Shen Qingning and Xia Yutong turned to look at him at the same time.

"Go ahead," Xia Yutong said in a low voice.

Jiang Han stood up, buttoned up his suit jacket, and walked along the aisle toward the stage.

He walked slowly, drawing everyone's attention upwards.

The spotlight slid from the curtain to his feet, as if paving a narrow, bright path.

The applause was even louder than in the previous rounds, and some guests in the front row stood up.

Jiang Han stopped in front of the microphone and glanced at the trophy in his palm.

"This award should go to Teacher Liu."

His voice wasn't loud, but it came through the in-ear monitor very clearly.

"I'm only responsible for starting the project and paying for it; the words are his, the universe is his."

Laughter and applause mingled together from the audience.

Liu Cixin sat on the left side of the stage, pushed up his glasses, and smiled shyly.

Jiang Han raised the trophy in his direction and paused.

"Don't give us all the remaining awards, otherwise the reporters outside will say tomorrow that Xingyue has booked the entire venue."

The audience burst into laughter, and even the host couldn't hold back.

The camera pans to the guest area.

Wang Jing is patting his knee.

Yang Mi smiled, her small square bag trembling in her hand.

"President Jiang is too joking," the female host said, trying to smooth things over.

"Everyone in this audience would love to joke around like him."

The male host waved his hand: "Don't rush, we still have a few of the most anticipated awards to come."

"Best Director—" he drawled.

"Dumplings, congratulations!"

The camera cuts, and Dumpling seems to bounce up from his seat, his tie flying off.

He tripped on the steps when he went on stage, but was caught by a staff member next to him.

"Everything I wanted to say is in the film."

Dumpling stood on the stage, her eyes red, speaking very quickly.

"I'm not good with words. I'll just say one thing—when President Jiang invested in me, he didn't ask me if I could break even."

The large screen was switched to Jianghan.

Jiang Han leaned back in his chair, his expression as indifferent as if he were waiting for the next step.

The applause from the audience came in waves, like ocean waves crashing from the back row to the front.

Wang Jing cupped his hands to his mouth and whispered towards Jianghan, "Did Xingyue take the wrong medicine today?"

Jiang Han turned his head away, only smiling and not answering.

"Best Actor." The female host opened the envelope.

She smiled slightly before reading aloud: "Wu Jing, The Wandering Earth."

Wu Jing stood up from the side, first clasped his hands in a fist salute, and then bowed to the audience.

"I'm not cut out for science fiction, but The Wandering Earth cured my lifelong adolescent delusions."

"Thank you, President Jiang, for letting me wear this exoskeleton and entrust my life to the film."

He spoke in the same tone, but with a deeper tone than during the promotional period.

The audience erupted in applause, and someone shouted "Wu Jingniu!"

When Wu Jing stepped down, he deliberately went around to Jianghan's side and patted him heavily on the shoulder.

"Brother, call me again next time you have a movie. You can name your fee." He lowered his voice.

Jiang Han nodded: "It's settled."

"The last solo award," the male host said.

"The winner of Best Actress is Yang Mi from 'Eternal Love'."

Yang Mi stood up from her seat.

The light gold dress seemed to be illuminated by the spotlight.

She slowly walked up the steps, turned around and smiled at the audience.

"I owe my standing here to one person."

Yang Mi glanced at the guest area.

"President Jiang, thank you for protecting our industry."

The pronunciation of "General Manager Jiang" was neither too loud nor too soft, yet it shone brighter than any expression of gratitude.

The applause rose again.

The screen swept across Jiang Han's face.

He barely moved, only slightly curling the corners of his mouth, as if he had casually accepted all the heavy blows of the night.

The female host smiled as she summarized the event on stage.

"Best Film - The Wandering Earth"

The entire audience stood up.

Guo Fan led his team onto the stage.

The group huddled together, and even the cameraman was knocked back half a step.

"This award is for all those who trusted us," Guo Fan said.

"Especially for President Jiang. He has always known that domestic science fiction can succeed."

Fireworks exploded on the stage, and golden confetti rained down on people's heads and faces.

Jiang Han remained seated.

Shen Qingning is in the back, and Xia Yutong is on the right.

The two women had leaned over at some point, like two silent guardians.

"You stole the show tonight more than you won the award," Shen Qingning said.

"Our company has two films, and they've won four out of six awards," Xia Yutong added in a low voice.

"The person who should have been on stage didn't say a word."

Jiang Han looked at the chaotic photo area on the stage.

"Tonight is not my time."

"It's time for them to shine," he said.

"Your comment about 'the entire theater being booked by Starry Night' will definitely be on the front page tomorrow," Shen Qingning said, turning her head away.

"Let's go then. The words 'Star and Moon' should be seen now."

Jiang Han straightened his sleeves, turned around, and walked towards the exit.

The sound of the shutter seemed to make way for him.