The Movie Queen's Beloved Crybaby Alpha - Chapter 81

Another heavy snowfall blanketed the ground as Ye Qinglan hurried across the creaking snow, tightening the fluffy scarf around her neck before darting into her waiting van.

She had just finished a brand collaboration event and was so exhausted that she collapsed into the seat without a care for her appearance.

“Ye-jie, are we heading home or to the company?” Zhou Tiantian asked from the driver’s seat.

Ye Qinglan checked her phone, Ning Yunshu had texted that Lin Xuesong wanted them to return to the family compound for dinner tonight, so she could go straight there after the event.

“Take me to the compound,” Ye Qinglan said.

“Got it.”

The van pulled out of the parking lot and headed toward the compound.

Ye Qinglan had already notified Ning Yunshu on the way, so when they arrived, she spotted her waiting at the gate. The moment she stepped out of the car, she rushed toward Ning Yunshu, who steadied her with an amused smile.

Ye Qinglan grinned back before turning to the van. “Tiantian, you can head back now. Drive safe.”

“Will do, Ye-jie.”

Zhou Tiantian rolled up the window and drove off.

Once the car was gone, Ning Yunshu took Ye Qinglan’s hand. “Alright, it’s freezing out here. Let’s go inside.”

“Mm.”

The moment they entered, they found both families gathered around a table laden with a lavish dinner.

“Lanlan, you’re back! You must be exhausted,” Yun Xi said warmly.

“Aunt Yun, sorry to keep you waiting,” Ye Qinglan replied, unwinding her scarf with a smile.

“Enough chitchat, go wash up so we can eat!” Lin Xuesong called out, carrying a steaming pot of soup. “We’ve been holding dinner just for you.”

Ye Qinglan chuckled. “Alright, alright, I’m going.”

She handed her coat to Ning Yunshu and headed to the bathroom to wash her hands. Ning Yunshu hung up the coat before following suit. When they returned, the whole family was already seated, chatting and laughing.

Ye Wentao uncorked a bottle of wine and raised his glass. “A toast to Qinglan’s Golden Award nomination!”

“Cheers! Congratulations, Lanlan!” Yun Xi beamed. “And it won’t just be a nomination this time, you’re definitely bringing home another Best Actress trophy!”

Ye Qinglan flushed slightly. “It’s not certain yet. There are plenty of veteran actresses in the running.”

“Pfft, your Aunt Yun just has faith in you. Besides, ask Xiaoshu, she thinks the same,” Lin Xuesong chimed in.

Ye Qinglan turned to see Ning Yunshu gazing at her with a soft smile.

“I’ve always believed in you, jiejie.”

Her cheeks warmed, and she shot Ning Yunshu a playful glare. “Drink up.”

The others laughed and downed their glasses.

After several rounds of drinks and a hearty meal, Ning Yunshu helped Lin Xuesong and Ye Wentao clean up before calling Qin Yun to drive everyone home.

Back at their place, the slightly tipsy couple freshened up, cuddled for a while, and drifted off to sleep early.

The next morning, Ke Ying called at the crack of dawn, rousing Ye Qinglan before personally picking her up to get ready, tonight was the Crescent Moon Awards ceremony, and as a nominee, she had to be perfectly prepared.

After returning the dress and applying makeup, Ke Ying checked the time and gestured grandly, preparing to take Ye Qinglan to the venue.

The site was already lined with rows of parked cars. They received their entry passes from the staff, and since they were scheduled for the grand finale, they still had plenty of time. As Ke Ying went over the key points with Ye Qinglan, she noticed the latter zoning out, mindlessly nodding along without actually absorbing a word.

Ke Ying felt a vein throb at her temple and suddenly said, “President Ning is calling.”

“Huh? Where?” Ye Qinglan snapped to attention, only to see Ke Ying’s unamused expression.

With an awkward chuckle, Ye Qinglan quickly soothed her: “Don’t be mad, Sister Ke. It’s not my first time walking the red carpet. Relax, I know what to do.”

Ke Ying rolled her eyes. “Ungrateful brat. I’m just worried something might go wrong.”

“Come on, Sister Ke, trust me. Instead of stressing over this, you should think about what comes after the awards ceremony,” Ye Qinglan coaxed.

Ke Ying’s lips twitched. “Well, thank you for that.”

The thought of what Ye Qinglan planned to do after the ceremony gave Ke Ying a headache.

Still, after laying the groundwork for over half a year, announcing their relationship shouldn’t cause too much trouble. Besides, at least she wouldn’t be the only one stuck working overtime, Qin Yun would be right there with her, cleaning up after these two troublemakers. The thought made her feel slightly better.

Time ticked by as night fell, and the awards ceremony began. One by one, cars arrived, and celebrities and directors walked the red carpet until it was finally their crew’s turn.

Xu Su walked ahead of them. After one last round of reminders to Ye Qinglan, Ke Ying had Zhou Tiantian drive them to the red carpet entrance at the staff’s signal.

The car door opened, and instantly, camera flashes lit up the surroundings like daylight.

Ye Qinglan stepped out in a black evening gown, bathed in the glow of the flashes, a poised and elegant smile gracing her lips.

Sharp-eyed reporters immediately recognized the dress, the same one she had worn for the J.S endorsement shoot. Even the jewelry she wore, the priceless “Deep Blue Memories,” had been gifted to her by Ning Yunshu.

In an instant, countless headline ideas raced through the reporters’ minds.

But before they could settle on one, Ye Qinglan was already gliding down the red carpet, smiling for the cameras from all directions. She reached the signing board, where she gracefully penned her signature before joining Xu Su under the staff’s guidance. Once the rest of their group arrived, they took their seats together.

After everyone was seated, the host delivered the usual pleasantries before finally announcing the awards.

“Ten-Day Operation” had been nominated in multiple categories. As one of the lead actors, Ye Qinglan was incredibly nervous until Xu Su leaned over and reassured her, “Don’t stress. Just relax and stay calm.”

Ye Qinglan took a deep breath. “I know, Director Xu.”

Unsurprisingly, “Ten-Day Operation” won Best Picture, while Xu Su and Jiang Ying took home Best Director and Best Screenplay, respectively. With three major awards in hand, even Xu Su couldn’t contain her delight.

Yet Ye Qinglan didn’t dare relax, because what came next was the main event, the Best Actress award ceremony.

“The next award to be presented is this year’s Best Actress. The nominated actresses are Ye Qinglan for Ten-Day Operation, Xue Yuwei for Mother’s Letter, Song Xin’an for The Prime Minister.”

As the host announced the nominees, posters of the five actresses appeared on the big screen. Then, as if deliberately building suspense, the host added, “Next, let us welcome Ning Yunshu, chairman of J.S., to announce the winner of Best Actress!”

Thunderous applause erupted in the venue as Ning Yunshu, dressed in a white gown, walked toward the stage. Meanwhile, Ye Qinglan sat frozen in her seat, bewildered.

Xu Su was equally surprised and couldn’t help asking, “What’s going on?”

Ye Qinglan shook her head blankly. “I don’t know.”

She truly didn’t. She had no idea who would present her award, let alone that Ning Yunshu would be the one, especially since Yunshu hadn’t dropped a single hint about it in the past few days.

Before Ye Qinglan could process it, Ning Yunshu had already stepped up to the microphone. She opened the envelope, and upon seeing the name inside, her smile bloomed warm and radiant, her gaze unwaveringly fixed on Ye Qinglan.

Meeting those eyes, Ye Qinglan felt her heart pound wildly.

“I hereby announce that this year’s Best Actress award goes to.”

As she spoke, more and more eyes turned toward Ye Qinglan.

“Ye Qinglan, for her portrayal of Captain Song Yan in Ten-Day Operation!”

Congratulatory applause followed, but Ye Qinglan remained motionless in her seat until Xu Su nudged her. Only then did she snap out of it, rising to her feet and walking onto the stage amid the applause, stopping before Ning Yunshu.

Holding the trophy, Ning Yunshu beamed.

“Congratulations, jie.”

With that, she handed the award to Ye Qinglan.

Ye Qinglan’s lips trembled slightly, but in the end, only two words escaped.

“Thank you.”

Noticing her stunned state, the host quickly joked, “It seems our Best Actress is still in shock! Now, let’s invite her to share her acceptance speech.”

Ye Qinglan glanced at Ning Yunshu, then took a deep breath and stepped up to the microphone. She bowed deeply before speaking.

“It’s an incredible honor to stand here today, holding this hard-earned trophy. I want to thank the entire crew for giving me such a wonderful role and for working tirelessly alongside me to perfect it. I also want to thank my family for their unwavering support. And finally…” She paused. “I want to thank one person in particular, thank you for loving me with your whole heart.”

Though her gaze didn’t linger on Ning Yunshu, who in that room didn’t know of their relationship?

Amidst the applause, the host invited them both back to their seats.

The ceremony continued, but Ye Qinglan’s open acknowledgment of being loved had already stormed social media. Though she hadn’t named names, the Ning Yunshu x Ye Qinglan shippers were already celebrating.

And their celebration was far from over.

After the awards, a single Weibo post shot straight to the top of the trending list.

Ye Qinglan V: Ning Yunshu, dating takes too much time. Let’s just get married.

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