After Divorcing the Scummy Alpha Movie Queen, I Became Extremely Popular - Chapter 12

The Person Important to Me—Chen Shidong

The highly anticipated Houtu Awards ceremony began in full swing. Tan Jizhu walked the red carpet with her film crew. As her manager and assistant, Deng Mei and Zhu Li waited in the staff lounge after arranging everything. In the modest room, besides them, was a third person—Luo Jingyun.

Luo Jingyun was wearing a white fishtail floor-length gown. The light organza created a dreamlike feel, accented with hand-stitched embroidery that added a decorative touch. If paired with a veil, she would have looked almost like a bride.

What Tan Jizhu had said on the day of the fitting was correct: if Luo Jingyun appeared on the red carpet, she would undoubtedly become the focus of the entire venue.

Zhu Li and Deng Mei sat together, while Luo Jingyun sat opposite them. She wasn’t playing with her phone, nor was she speaking; she sat as still as a statue.

After their gazes remained entangled for a moment, Deng Mei was the first to break the silence in the room.

“Jingyun, how is Auntie Tan doing?”

Luo Jingyun froze for a second before saying, “Jizhu has already found a new place for her to stay.”

“As long as she’s okay.”

Deng Mei only knew that Tan Jing had been robbed by Li Deng; she didn’t know the specific details, nor did she know about the argument between Luo Jingyun and Tan Jizhu because of it.

That day, Tan Jizhu had said that the two of them were fundamentally different in their thinking. Luo Jingyun hadn’t refuted it because, recently, she had gradually begun to realize this point as well. Furthermore, there seemed to be a massive gap between her and Tan Jizhu; no matter what she did, Tan Jizhu interpreted it as her being jealous.

Luo Jingyun had simply assumed Tan Jizhu was anxious and hadn’t fully calmed down yet. She didn’t offer any rebuttal and left directly.

For the past few days, Tan Jizhu had likely been accompanying Tan Jing; Luo Jingyun hadn’t seen her at home. It wasn’t until today, at the official Houtu Awards ceremony, that she saw Tan Jizhu again.

In the dressing room, the two had been speechless toward each other. Luo Jingyun didn’t bring up the matter of Tan Jizhu mentioning her in the acceptance speech if she won, nor did she mention the mutual marking after the ceremony.

She didn’t withhold these topics because she was worried about Tan Jizhu’s mood; Luo Jingyun was simply reflecting: was it really necessary for her to do this? Why did things that were supposed to be common between partners require her to emphasize them over and over again?

Tan Jizhu’s question—”Can you buy love with money?”—had been hovering in Luo Jingyun’s mind. Money had played a significant role in her and Tan Jizhu entering the halls of marriage. If she hadn’t extended a hand when Tan Jizhu was at her most difficult moment, would Tan Jizhu really have married her?

If Tan Jizhu still hadn’t fallen in love with her even now, should she continue to force a mutual lifelong marking, or choose to let go? Just as Luo Jingyun was about to make a decision, Deng Mei’s voice interrupted her.

“Jingyun, the red carpet is over. Let’s get ready to enter.”

Luo Jingyun stood up and followed the two of them through the staff passage.

Though called a staff passage, it was actually just another door to the venue. Most reporters were stationed at the door where the stars entered and exited, so this side was much quieter.

Luo Jingyun’s skirt wasn’t overly long, so she simply gathered it up herself for convenience.

“Hey, isn’t that Luo Jingyun?”

Most of the stars at the other door had already entered, and the reporters’ tasks were largely complete. As they were packing up their equipment, one person instinctively looked back and saw someone walking toward them from a distance, finding the figure familiar. The other reporters on the periphery turned around one after another, confirming through their telephoto lenses.

“Wow, it really is Luo Jingyun.”

Their sharp sense for news made them shoulder their cameras and microphones once again, rushing toward Luo Jingyun.

“Luo Jingyun, are you here at the Houtu Awards today to accompany Tan Jizhu?”

“Since you’re attending the awards, why didn’t you walk the red carpet with Tan Jizhu? Is it because you don’t have a featured work?”

“You haven’t had any standout works broadcast in the last few years. Is it because you don’t want to act, or because the company hasn’t planned well for you since your marriage?”

“What are your thoughts on the rumors leaked a while ago about Tan Jizhu’s suspected cheating?”

“Today Tan Jizhu is competing for the Best Actor award alongside the other subject of the rumors, Chen Shidong. Who do you think will ultimately take the crown?”

“Luo Jingyun, you and Tan Jizhu have been married for so many years. Have you considered having a child?”

Luo Jingyun was blocked by the crowd. Pungent questions followed one after another; various microphones and cameras turned into aggressive “artillery.”

“I…” Luo Jingyun hadn’t expected this situation and didn’t know which question to answer first.

Before she could respond, Deng Mei stepped forward. With her professional caliber as a manager, she shouted to stop the reporters. “Everyone, please step back. Jingyun is not accepting interviews!”

The sharp-eyed reporters immediately noticed that Deng Mei and Zhu Li were Tan Jizhu’s manager and assistant, yet they were now by Luo Jingyun’s side.

“As Tan Jizhu’s manager, why are you with Luo Jingyun? Did Tan Jizhu send you, or are you currently managing both Tan Jizhu and Luo Jingyun?”

Deng Mei’s face was cold. She and Zhu Li flanked Luo Jingyun to protect her, saying coldly, “We are not accepting any interviews. Security, stop them.”

Under the protection of security, Deng Mei, and Zhu Li, Luo Jingyun finally got away from the group of frantic reporters.

After settling into her seat inside the ceremony hall, Zhu Li comforted her. “Jingyun, don’t mind them. To get headline news, those reporters will always ask bizarre questions.”

“Mm, it’s okay.” Luo Jingyun felt that perhaps she really had been away from the entertainment industry for too long; she was caught off guard by such a sudden situation.

Luo Jingyun asked, “Is Jizhu asked these kinds of questions too?”

“What?”

“Do the reporters ask Jizhu if she’s getting a divorce? Do they ask if she plans to have children?”

Deng Mei pursed her lips and said, “Before an interview, we usually coordinate with the reporters to make sure they only ask about her career.”

“Then what does she do if she encounters a sudden situation like this?”

“We talk to the reporters and make sure they don’t release the material.”

Luo Jingyun nodded noncommittally. “I see.”

It seemed that Tan Jizhu was truly on high alert to avoid mentioning her.

The ceremony officially began. Tan Jizhu sat in the front row with the rest of the film crew, not with them. Luo Jingyun didn’t insist; after all, as someone without a work to show, being able to attend the ceremony was already preferential treatment from the organizers.

The opening of the ceremony featured a few artists warming up the stage, followed by the host emerging from backstage to bridge the segments. Once the introductory remarks were finished, the official award presentations began.

The first few awards were mainly for behind-the-scenes workers like lighting and costume design. Luo Jingyun had seen several of the winning films, and they were indeed a cut above the competitors. Among them, a film starring Tan Jizhu won Best Screenplay, indicating the judges thought very highly of the movie.

Luo Jingyun watched intermittently. Even though she was bored, she didn’t dare play with her phone, fearing she would be caught by the venue cameras. If the media exaggerated it, they might portray her as unprofessional, which would be very detrimental to her future work.

She counted the lights on the ceiling and looked at how many celebrities were wearing red dresses, trying to distract herself with external factors.

After an unknown amount of time, the ceremony finally reached the most heavyweight award of the day.

The presenter walked onto the stage with an envelope and showed it to the audience.

“We have finally arrived at the most anticipated award—the Best Actor award. Who will receive this honor today?”

Luo Jingyun sat up straight. She looked at Tan Jizhu in the front row. From her angle, she could only see Tan Jizhu’s back. Her shoulder-length hair was coiled into a sharp bun, revealing her swan-like neck. A gland patch close to her skin tone was applied to the back of her neck. There were no overly flamboyant ornaments in her hair, only a bamboo hairpin inserted horizontally.

“I know everyone is very excited. So, without further ado, let’s see who the winner of the Best Actor award is.” The presenter opened the envelope containing the winner’s name and made an exaggerated expression the moment they saw it.

The audience looked at the big screen. The frame was split into several sections, showing the faces of the nominees.

Whether it was Tan Jizhu, Chen Shidong, or the other three nominees, they were all veteran actors. They didn’t let their nervousness show before the camera at all, all smiling very appropriately—as if they would sincerely congratulate the winner even if they didn’t take the award today.

“The winner of the Best Actor award is…”

The presenter looked at the thin piece of paper again, then at the audience, intentionally pausing to heighten the tension.

She didn’t know if Tan Jizhu was nervous, but Luo Jingyun was currently nervous to the extreme. She grabbed Zhu Li’s hand next to her, trembling with anxiety.

“Jingyun, don’t… don’t be nervous.” Zhu Li tried to comfort her, but her own shaky tone betrayed her unease.

The presenter said word for word: “Tan! Ji! Zhu! Let us congratulate her on winning the Best Actor award at this year’s Houtu Awards!”

The camera on the big screen cut to its largest view of Tan Jizhu. The people around her stood up to clap and congratulate her.

A flash of surprise crossed the face of the woman whose name had been called, but she quickly returned to normal. Tan Jizhu stood up, smoothed the wrinkles on her gown, hugged the film crew members, and then walked steadily onto the stage.

Taking the trophy from the host, Tan Jizhu stood before the microphone. She took a few deep breaths and finally calmed her excited heart. After a brief pause, she began her acceptance speech.

“First, I am very grateful to the Houtu Awards for granting me the Best Actor award. This is not only a recognition of my past work but also an inspiration for my future works. In the future, I will bring even more wonderful performances to the audience.”

“Next, I want to thank all the staff members of the film crew. This award doesn’t just belong to me; it belongs to everyone in the crew. It is only because of everyone’s hard work that such a wonderful piece of work could be created.”

“I also want to thank my mother, my friends and family, and the fans who have always supported me. With you as my strong support, I can continue to explore this journey.”

After finishing a section of her speech, Tan Jizhu looked at the trophy in her hand and choked up. The audience, thinking she was too overwhelmed with emotion, erupted into warm applause in support.

As the applause gradually faded, Tan Jizhu looked up toward a position in the audience and continued: “Finally, I want to thank one more person. She has always been the goal I pursue, and she is someone very important to me.”

Hearing this, Luo Jingyun grew nervous. Her grip on Zhu Li’s hand tightened, causing the person beside her to gasp.

Was this moment—the moment she had looked forward to for countless days and nights—finally here?

“Sister Shidong, thank you.”

This time, the audience didn’t just break into applause; there were also sounds of surprise and cheering. The camera appropriately cut to Chen Shidong’s seat, and the latter nodded and smiled toward the stage.