The Nation's Biggest Star 1

It was quite late, but the corridor was still bustling with people drifting in and out of each other's rooms to socialize. Ji Chunhua didn't have an official quota spot for the event and stayed behind at their previous guesthouse. Chen Qi had been arranged to share a room with Tang Guoqiang. It had been a long time since he last saw Old Tang, whose skin was still just as fair. This year, Tang had filmed the renowned *The Peacock Princess*, arguably the pinnacle of his looks, making him the idol of countless middle-aged and elderly women. Having finished his visits with the two directors, Chen Qi was walking back to his room. "Xiao Chen!" A soft call came from behind to his right. He stopped in his tracks, followed by another tender murmur: "*Ganggang*~" Without even looking, Chen Qi slipped sideways and squeezed right through the door. Grabbing her by the arm, he was just about to pull a stunt when he noticed Wang Haowei was sitting inside too, wearing a look that clearly said, *You two don't even bother hiding anymore, do you?* "Director Wang, I didn't see you there!" he said sheepishly. "Oh, Xiao Chen, so young and already nearsighted—go get yourself a pair of glasses. Actually, no, glasses won't help you. You've got selective nearsightedness: you see Xiao Gong just fine, but I'm completely invisible." "Director Wang!" Gong Xue's face flushed crimson, and she stomped her foot. "You were the one who told me to call him in!" "Well, I didn't tell you to call him *Ganggang*, did I?" Seeing that Gong Xue was practically ready to crawl into a crack in the floor, Wang Haowei couldn't help marveling inwardly. Back when they were filming on Mount Lu, who could have imagined these two would end up together? Dropping the teasing, she said, "After the awards tomorrow, they're insisting that we put on performances. Xiao Gong decided to dance. Knowing you're too lazy to fuss over anything elaborate, how about we just do a poetry recitation together?" "You really are my dearest aunt! I hate dealing with that kind of fuss the most. A poetry recitation is perfect—absolutely perfect!" "Then it's settled. Here's the text—take a look. Rehearsal is tomorrow morning." "All right, I'll go back and familiarize myself with it. If there's nothing else, I'll head out." Chen Qi walked toward the door, and Gong Xue saw him out. Reaching the threshold, he whispered, "No need to be nervous. There'll definitely be a great result." "Mm. With you around, I'm not nervous." "Then I'm heading out..." Seeing no one around, he gave her nose a playful flick. Gong Xue was startled and hurriedly poked her head out to check. Only after confirming the hallway was truly empty did she breathe a sigh of relief. Touching her cheek, she returned to the room, where Wang Haowei's expression had shifted to one of *I can't bear to look*. Feeling awkward, Gong Xue sheepishly sat down. Wang Haowei said, "Xiao Gong, I treat you like family, so there's something you have to answer honestly. Between the two of you, have you... er, have you done *that*?" "No! Absolutely not!" "Young people are impetuous, so you need to think things through carefully. Of course, speaking as an outsider, it isn't my place to say too much. If you think it's worth it, then it's worth it, as long as you have no regrets... All right, it's late. Get some sleep!" The night grew deep. Gong Xue tossed and turned in bed, feeling anxious about tomorrow's award ceremony and troubled by Director Wang's words. In fact, over this recent period, she had noticed that she no longer resisted his intimacy. Sometimes she would even take the initiative to hug and cuddle, and on several occasions they had nearly crossed the line. She had a sneaking premonition that sooner or later she wouldn't be able to hold out, and she would... she would just give in to that rascal. *I don't want to give in!* *But he wants it!* *So you'd just give in?* *He's so insistent!* ……………… May 23, 7:00 PM. Tonight, starlight sparkled brilliantly, washing over the Hangzhou Gymnasium beside Xizi Lake. In those years, there was no such thing as "fans"; they were all termed "enthusiastic spectators." Thousands of enthusiastic spectators gathered on both sides of the main entrance, waiting for their idols to appear. There was no red carpet, no bouquets, and no gimmicks. Yet ever since cinema was born, it had inevitably been bound to stars; no matter how much people might disavow the concept of movie stars, its essential nature remained unchanged. The Hangzhou officials had intuitively figured it out without being taught: they specially gathered over a dozen sedans for the top award contenders to ride in. Behind them followed large passenger coaches. *Romance on Mount Lu* had a thin plot and hadn't received nominations, but Chen Qi himself was immensely famous and managed to secure a spot in a sedan as well. The car glided forward and pulled up in the square before the gymnasium, where lush green lawns met dazzling lights. The crowd on both sides instantly surged forward, shouting everyone's names with an enthusiasm for celebrity-chasing that was still somewhat unpolished. "Tang Guoqiang! Tang Guoqiang!" "Zhang Yu!" "Gong Xue! Gong Xue! Gong Xue!" The cheers crested to a crescendo the moment Gong Xue stepped out of her car, having captivated audiences nationwide with both *Romance on Mount Lu* and *Tai Chi*. Having been to Berlin, a scene like this was child's play to her. She waved and smiled, her every step graceful and poised. Following behind, Chen Qi glanced over toward Zhang Yu not far away. Truth be told, Zhang Yu had truly been the hottest actress of the early 1980s; Liu Xiaoqing's turn came only after Zhang went abroad. Now, Zhang Yu had missed out on the breakout role that launched her original stardom, having only *Evening Rain* to her name. Replicating the glory of her past life would be difficult. The attendees filed into the gymnasium in an informal, dispersed manner, taking their seats one by one under the guidance of ushers. In the enclosed venue, a stage had been erected at the front. Cultural and arts figures were seated in the front rows, while the rear seats were reserved for the public. There was nothing on stage, let alone any LED screens—only a large banner hung across: "Award Ceremony of the 1st Golden Rooster Awards and the 4th Hundred Flowers Awards!" The overall atmosphere was quite solemn. In his past life, the Hong Kong Film Awards had become an insular echo chamber, while the Golden Horse Awards had courted separatism and ended up boycotted. To project mainland cinema's strength against Taiwan, authorities had specifically moved the Golden Rooster Awards to Xiamen, just across the strait. And what a complete flop that had been! It wasn't even worth wasting breath to criticize. Chen Qi sat beside Gong Xue, waiting in the audience for a while. The ceremony kicked off with the customary leadership speeches. Zhejiang's top official personally attended, showing how much importance was placed on the event. After he concluded, Xia Yan spoke as well: "...It is my hope that our film workers will guard against arrogance and rashness, rise early with the rooster to train diligently, scale new heights with courage, and create even finer works to serve the people and serve socialism!" Then the awards presentation began. At such ceremonies, modern audiences were used to presenting awards one by one, featuring award presenters, witty banter, interludes of performances, and sentimental appeals. None of that existed here. A ministry official from the Ministry of Culture walked onstage holding a piece of paper and rattled off the entire list of Hundred Flowers Awards winners in one go: "Best Feature Film: *Romance on Mount Lu*, *Legend of Tianyun Mountain*, *Seventh-Rank Sesame Official*!" "Best Actor: Da Shichang, *Return of the Swallows*!" With every announcement, applause resonated across the entire hall, creating a lively atmosphere. Then came the final award: "Best Actress..." Gong Xue suddenly gripped her trousers so tightly she pinched a fold of flesh on her thigh. She stared fixedly at the stage with wide, anxious eyes. Chen Qi gave her hand a stealthy squeeze, brimming with confidence. All they heard was: "Gong Xue, *Romance on Mount Lu*!" *Clap, clap, clap!* Thunderous applause rocked the gymnasium. This was the most predictable award of the evening. *Romance on Mount Lu* had been wildly popular the previous year, and the Hundred Flowers Awards were decided by audience ballots. If she hadn't won this, it could only mean the fix was in. "Will all award winners please come up to the stage!" "Go on, don't be nervous!" "Mm!" Biting her lip, her eyes shining with brilliant light, Gong Xue nodded to Chen Qi and stood up alongside Wang Haowei to head onstage, where she received a Hundred Flowers trophy and certificate. Standing onstage and facing the audience under the glow of overhead stage lights, it felt just like a dream. Her vision was hazy and unfocused, and a chaotic buzz filled her ears. What seemed like an eternity—or perhaps only a few brief seconds—passed before her sight cleared, settling precisely upon where Chen Qi sat. She knew that he would surely know she was looking at him. *Clap, clap, clap!* The applause went on unabated amid the fervent cheers of the audience. At a time when the Golden Rooster Awards had yet to build its reputation, the Hundred Flowers Awards remained the most influential film honors in China, and this result was thoroughly convincing to the public. Except, of course, to a few stubborn reactionaries down in the audience.