When I Woke Up, I Had Three Romantic Partners - Chapter 64

The film’s reception was so positive that it was immediately submitted to film festivals. It proceeded all the way to the final round, and the director was rubbing his hands in anticipation.

“We might win this time. Xiao He, please pass a message to Jinqing. Tell her to set aside some time to walk the red carpet with us at the ‘Little Red Pagoda’ festival.”

“She has a great chance. This year, there aren’t many domestic films shortlisted, only two, and the other one doesn’t have as high a chance as ours. The buzz around our film is much stronger.”

The director emphatically instructed Xiao He that this event would be very beneficial for raising Chi Jinqing’s status and value, and that she, as the female lead, absolutely needed to attend.

Xiao He was stunned, unable to close her mouth, her voice brimming with excitement: “Yes, yes, yes. I’ll tell her as soon as I change clothes, and then I’ll set the schedule.”

As Chi Jinqing finished changing and was preparing for an advertisement shoot, Xiao He immediately shared the good news. Xiao He excitedly gripped Chi Jinqing’s hand: “We might even win the award outright! We could have the Best Actress award!”

Xiao He’s eyes were sparkling, even holding back tears.

She had accompanied Chi Jinqing every step of the way and was finally seeing Chi Jinqing’s hard work pay off.

Chi Jinqing, however, remained calm: “Alright, let’s shoot the ad first. Regarding the red carpet, inform the company about it first.”

Xiao He: “Okay, sis.”

“You look very happy. Is there good news, Qing?”

D.A.’s photographer, seeing Chi Jinqing with a smile on her face, walked over and said, “Your current condition is truly excellent. Much better than the first time I met you years ago. Qing, we are finally working together.”

He had on glamorous eyeliner, and his manicure wasn’t long but was very refined. His floral shirt accentuated his curves, and he was wearing pink high heels. He exuded a captivating mix of flamboyance and charm.

Chi Jinqing was slightly surprised: “I’m honored that Mr. Saiwen still remembers me.”

Saiwen covered his mouth with his pinky finger and chuckled lightly: “It’s only been five years. I remember every actress who catches my eye.”

Five years ago, when he saw Chi Jinqing, she had just become popular. Although she wasn’t qualified for D.A. at the time, he had seen her twice during other shoots.

Saiwen had wanted to shoot a pictorial with Chi Jinqing back then, but since she wasn’t the hired talent, he reluctantly had to give up the idea.

“You’ve changed quite a bit in five years.”

Chi Jinqing: “Five years can change many people.”

Saiwen nodded: “But the one thing about you that I appreciate the most hasn’t changed. I’m very relieved.”

“Let’s begin. Let me see the changes of the past five years.”

Saiwen raised the camera. Chi Jinqing was wearing the outfit sent by the brand—a figure-hugging, backless, flowery, sky-blue long dress. Dense clusters of petals were embroidered at the waist, and one blossom after another, blue tinged with white, trailed down the waistline, giving a weighty drape to the sheer fabric.

She held a white lily in her hand, appearing like a fairy who didn’t belong to the mortal world. Simply standing there, she was already integrated into the scene.

“Wonderful.”

Having captured the long-awaited photos, Saiwen nodded with satisfaction: “It was worth me thinking about this for so many years.”

“Your sense of the camera is excellent. You must have practiced a lot, haven’t you?”

He recalled that five years ago, Chi Jinqing didn’t know how to find the lens or express herself yet.

Chi Jinqing blinked and nodded. Her 26-year-old self must have practiced for a long time, to the point where her body had developed muscle memory.

“Truly great. It will be very difficult to select the material this time.”

There were a total of three outfits. The first was a high-fashion luxury style, the second a vibrant, youthful casual look, and the third a business style. Except for the first set, which wasn’t everyday wear, the others were suitable for daily outings, so three completely different styles were shot.

By the time the advertisement was released, Chi Jinqing was already on her way to the film festival red carpet.

Fans were surprised to find that in the past two years, Chi Jinqing not only had numerous popular works but her high-end luxury resources had also caught up. In contrast, Si Jiamo had been very low-profile, barely acting in the past two years. It seemed that Siyi Media was pouring all its resources into Chi Jinqing.

Both fans and industry insiders were speculating whether Si yi Media was preparing to give up on Si Jiamo and shift its focus to promoting Chi Jinqing.

However, since the Si family had not collapsed and Si yi was still controlled by them, people didn’t dare to openly discuss much. They could only secretly guess whether Si Jiamo was preparing to retire behind the scenes and repay Chi Jinqing for what she had once been deprived of.

I heard that ‘The God Thief’ was sent abroad for a competition, and the chances seem quite good.

No wonder the custom luxury resources are catching up. I remember in the past, she rarely appeared on the red carpet, and her gowns were borrowed from previous years’ collections. It makes me feel sad.

Things are looking up now. I finally endured until the day my Qingqing soared high.

In the foreign country, Chi Jinqing experienced a bustling film festival for the first time. The camera shutters clicked non-stop, sounding almost lethal, contrasted by the blinding flashlights.

Chi Jinqing almost wanted to raise her hand to shield her eyes, but seeing that everyone else was walking naturally, she couldn’t afford to act more of a diva than others.

The director sensed Chi Jinqing’s nervousness, patted her shoulder, and comforted her: “Don’t be afraid. Just stay by my side when the time comes, and we’ll walk together. Your status isn’t high enough yet, so you won’t need to walk twice.”

“If you’re afraid of the flash, try to avoid it as much as possible, and just bear with it in the early stages. This is all standard procedure.”

Chi Jinqing nodded, enduring the discomfort: “I understand, Director.”

“Next up, walking the red carpet, is the crew of our film, ‘The God Thief.’ Please welcome them!”

Hearing the film’s title, the director quickly pulled the leading man and woman onto the stage.

Chi Jinqing wore a slight smile and quietly followed behind the director. They didn’t linger on the red carpet, walking straight toward their assigned seats.

Their seats were very central, which made everyone a little puzzled. Wasn’t this too much?

Could they have been set up?

Even the director hesitated. Just as he was about to ask someone, the film festival began.

They had no choice but to take their seats. Whatever happened was the organizer’s business.

Among the crowd of foreigners, the fair-skinned, elegantly dressed Chi Jinqing, sitting there silently lost in thought, stood out noticeably. Suddenly, the camera turned to ‘The God Thief’ crew, and to everyone’s surprise, the host spoke in fluent Chinese: “The winner of this year’s Best Film Award is—’The God Thief’ from Huaxia! Congratulations!”

The director was stunned: “?”

“Is it us?”

He pointed to himself. He hadn’t even thought they would win right away!

“Yes, it’s us.”

The male lead recovered; his excitement barely contained: “It’s us!”

In recent years, no Chinese film had won an award here. It was unexpected that they succeeded this time.

His resume also gained a valuable achievement.

Chi Jinqing grinned, looking a little silly, but no one laughed at her at that moment. After all, anyone would react this way when such a thing happened.

After returning home with the award, the news spread domestically. The film was immediately submitted to the Golden Pineapple Awards. Everyone offered congratulations, but Chi Jinqing herself hadn’t quite figured out what had happened.

She felt confused and lost while accepting the award, still not fully comprehending it.

“Do we still have a chance to enter the Golden Pineapple Awards?”

“Yes, the number of films shortlisted this time isn’t high, but each one is very strong.”

Xiao He clutched Chi Jinqing’s hand and sincerely said: “Sis, but I have the most faith in you. You will definitely succeed!”

Chi Jinqing gently tapped her forehead, both amused and exasperated: “How could I be so lucky? With so many talented people, how could I get it?”

She had only been the female lead in two dramas. Although she put in a lot of effort for this one, winning the Golden Pineapple Award was quite difficult. It wasn’t that easy; she figured she would just be nominated without winning.

Xiao He had blind confidence in Chi Jinqing: “No, no, no. I think Sis has the greatest chance. Believe me.”

“Then I’ll take your auspicious words.”

Chi Jinqing didn’t take it seriously, and she was still secretly yawning while sitting beneath the stage at the awards ceremony.

“The winner of the Best Actress Award is—”

The female host opened the envelope, looked at the name, and smiled knowingly: “‘The God Thief’—Chi Jinqing! Congratulations.”

“Congratulations.”

“Congratulations, congratulations!”

Chi Jinqing didn’t react immediately. The sudden award drops left her mind completely blank.

Only after the director nudged her did Chi Jinqing come to her senses. She looked confusedly at the two people waiting for her on the stage, and quickly stood up.

“Hurry up and go receive the award!”

“Huh?”

Chi Jinqing went up to the stage feeling light-headed and took the trophy from the host’s hand. Chi Jinqing looked at the audience of actors, her lips parting, momentarily unable to speak.

After adjusting her emotions, she slowly said: “I am very honored to receive this award. Thank you to all the judges, and I must thank the director for giving me this opportunity, and the tireless efforts of all the staff behind the scenes. It’s everyone’s hard work that has earned this award. I feel truly humbled.”

“I will definitely work harder in the future to bring you all more and better works. Please look forward to it.”

Si Jiamo was also present, and she led the applause.

She seemed very busy for the past six months, rarely appearing, and was seldom seen even at the company. This was the first time Chi Jinqing had seen her in half a year.

After speaking, she nodded and stepped off the stage, holding the trophy.

Since this was a live broadcast, there was no possibility of faking it. Everyone’s expressions were very sincere. They had seen the movie and knew the difficulties of its production.

Everyone affirmed Chi Jinqing’s hard work.

In contrast to the restraint on-site, the online comments were much more unrestrained.

Wuwuwu, after seven years, no one is holding my Qingqing back anymore. She finally achieved the glory she deserves.

My Qingqing, I’m no longer worthy of you.

It’s so hard-won. This is the first time I’ve cried watching an awards ceremony. This doesn’t fit my image!

Qin Song watched the live stream in the car, wiping tears. Over the years, she was the clearest about Chi Jinqing’s situation. This truly was the end of suffering and the beginning of sweet rewards.

“It wasn’t easy. It wasn’t easy at all.”