Awards Ceremony

She didn't tidy up for long; by the time she saw the message Yunhe sent her, she had almost finished.

She moved closer and sat down next to Ou Liyao, gossiping with her about her neighbor, Yunhe.

After only a moment's thought, I knew she was referring to that painter who owned his own gallery and had been interviewed by Wenxue Chang.

"What's wrong? What's wrong?"

Xu Changjia held his phone up to her face. "He's getting engaged and invited me to be his bridesmaid."

The person who was lying on the sofa immediately sat up in shock, "Could it be that your fiancé is that Huang Qianqian who used to bully you?"

She understood immediately with just one look.

It is 100% guaranteed and absolutely certain.

"So, your neighbor's brother, besides dating Huang Qianqian, hasn't he had any contact with other girls all these years?"

She shrugged helplessly, realizing she hadn't really seen him with any other girls.

From childhood to adulthood, all I ever saw was him surrounded by a bunch of followers, with only one or two little girls occasionally following him.

One of them was her. It was only because Yunhe's mother ordered him to take good care of his younger sister that he was allowed to play with her.

"Are you going? Are you going to be her bridesmaid?"

"have no idea."

Huang Qianqian had bullied her before, but when her parents passed away, she offered help and care.

There's a thorn between them, preventing her from being completely open with her. Perhaps they'll become friends someday, but not now.

Since her fiancé doesn't mind, why should she take it to heart?

Having figured this out, she painfully agreed to Yunhe's request.

I also asked for his parents' address, since I should take some time to visit them when I get back, and give them the gifts I bought from these places.

Human relationships are about giving and receiving.

They came to her graduation ceremony last time, so she should reciprocate.

Ou Liyao rummaged through the pile of things her daughter had brought back and spotted her gift.

"Wow, these two ethnic minority dresses are beyond your aesthetic sense, they're exceptionally beautiful."

She stared at the newly transformed beauty and then put the wooden hairpin next to her into her hair.

"Good, good, let's go out like this."

She and Ou Liyao lay in bed for two whole days. Apart from going out for a meal, they were also caught by paparazzi.

She spends the rest of her time holed up in her small apartment, ordering takeout, reading comics, and playing games.

It wasn't until noon on the third day that Xu Changjia hurriedly got up; the other side of the bed was already cold.

Stepping onto the plush carpet, I entered the living room. On the table was the porridge my friend had ordered for her before leaving; it was still warm.

Attached was a note: Remember to eat breakfast after you wake up. I'm going back to work now. See you later.

Hsu Chang-Chia smiled and peeled off the sticky note, then began to organize the materials she had taken and written down.

Every day I repeat these tasks: watching videos, organizing transcripts, correcting errors, editing videos, and rewriting.

After several months of this process, the first book of 100,000-word stories about listening to the language of flowers was finally completed, and by then it was already close to the year-end awards ceremony.

Taking advantage of this break, she first went to the school to find Professor Xu and handed over the manuscript of the first volume of "The Story of Listening to the Language of Flowers" to her tutor.

Professor Xu didn't have anything else to say; she just wanted to mention that this year's bonus included an innovation award in addition to the previous profit sharing, which required her signature for confirmation. Who knew this girl would take so long to come?

However, since the professor hadn't finished class yet, she could only learn about this information from her senior, Wang Jing.

Fortunately, as soon as she entered the office, she placed a circle of little trinkets that could tell the meaning of flowers on each desk, including senior student Wang Jing, who stayed on as a teaching counselor.

She also had a few senior students with whom she had a good relationship. Knowing that her senior sister had been in contact with them, she asked her senior sister to pass on the gifts.

There were also gifts for Professor Xu and his wife, which she secretly placed under the corner of the professor's desk before they returned.

Seeing that she was still as energetic as when she was in school, the senior student was genuinely happy for her. After all, she had watched her graduate, and they were from the same school, so she naturally paid special attention to her.

After a brief chat, I learned that she had never stopped researching what she did back in school, and had even gained some new insights and understandings. My perception of her, my junior colleague, had risen to a new level.

Just as they were talking about the little girl she met while listening to the language of flowers, Professor Xu returned, followed by two students.

"Perfect timing, your senior who just graduated is here, let her answer your questions."

Xu Changjia was nudged by senior student Wang Jing, who gestured for her to go.

Even being forced into a situation didn't affect her consistent performance at all. In addition, her study tour and practical experience allowed her to add some of her own ideas to her answers.

Professor Xu's eyes lit up upon hearing this; indeed, reading ten thousand books and traveling ten thousand miles are useful.

After the two students left, he waved and said succinctly, "Come over and fill out the form and sign it."

Xu Changjia took it with a smile, filled it out quickly, and handed it back to the professor.

I also gave him the first book I had printed out from my backpack, along with some other reports and analyses that I had written.

Since there were no classes in the afternoon, she sat and chatted with the professor for a while longer.

When doing research, you can't work in isolation. Communicating with senior researchers is also a way to improve yourself.

Professor Xu, her mentor, had always been aware of her progress, but had never had the time to personally guide her face-to-face like this.

This afternoon's conversation made her realize what it meant to say, "A single conversation with a wise man is worth more than ten years of study."

Sure enough, you'll always be the boss.

Xu Changjia suddenly felt that she could take back the booklet about listening to the language of flowers that she had just finished compiling and revise it again.

The hand had just been extended when Professor Xu pressed it down.

"Alright, let me take a look first. It's getting late, you should go back first, and come back after I've finished reading it."

Well, she could only awkwardly pull her hand back and head home.

Professor Xu is usually very busy at South Bank University, and he also has to deal with countless students, so his reading speed is naturally slower.

Before his reply arrived, the awards ceremony she had been looking forward to for so long did.

A week in advance, her assistant Wen Yi, who hadn't been seen for a long time, took her to familiarize herself with some basic etiquette for attending parties, and they also tried on many evening gowns in the villa area on the south bank.

She was puzzled. As far as she knew, the Xu family had never owned any property here, so how could...?

Assistant Wen seemed to see through her thoughts. "Miss, the villa is registered in your name. You can live there, but you can't be without it."

The implication is that since you live on the south bank, it's only right that you own some property.

Since that was the case, she gladly accepted it.

With Wen's guidance, Xu Changjia attracted a lot of attention as soon as he appeared at the awards ceremony.

Many first- and second-tier celebrities even took the initiative to approach her and try to find out about her background, such as which famous director or investor she was affiliated with.

However, she came with her senior from the Literature Department, and most of her questions were deflected.

With staff from the front desk stopping them, many people who had just started thinking about it gave up.

But their eyes still kept lingering on her. Seeing that her seat was even further forward than the receptionist's, their gaze shifted from curiosity and inquiry to respect and admiration.

The awards ceremony was hosted by two semi-retired actors who used a short video to get straight to the point before announcing the awards one by one.

Xu Changjia sat in the third row, sitting so upright for the first time. Her elaborate evening gown and jewelry weighed her down, forcing her to be dignified and elegant, and she couldn't even look freely to the left or right.

He stared intently at the stage, even more attentively than when he was in class.

People nearby whispered among themselves and secretly asked about her background, but no one knew anything except the name on her seat—Xu Changjia.

But the people sitting in the first three or four rows are all heads of companies or groups, and they dare not underestimate them.

She received business cards from leaders in various industries. With a smile, she accepted each card and handed over her own gilded business card with the words "Tianhe Group, Xu Changjia" on it.

Tianhe Group, no wonder the seats are so close to the front. I didn't expect that industry pioneers in the Internet and construction fields would also have plans to invest in the entertainment industry. They all nodded and greeted her.

Fortunately, before she came, her assistant Wen had helped her get to know celebrities and bigwigs from all walks of life. Now she was able to handle them with ease, nodding and responding, giving them plenty of face.

Sure enough, the party was the most grueling. She sat there for more than an hour before finally feeling that the main event of the night had begun, and she heard what she wanted to hear.

"Next, we will focus on the invisible bridge that connects us and the audience on the stage. It is also the one who, throughout the entire process, uses their warmth, sincerity, and words to light up a lamp in everyone's heart. Now, let's take a look at the nominees for the Huayi Golden Goblet Award for Best Host."

A video was released showing the five candidates for host, one of whom was Wen Xuanyi, who walked in hand in hand with her today. His regular program, "Xiaofa Time: Essential Life Lessons," was also released at the same time.

She sat in the audience, smiling as she watched every detail being projected onto the big screen. It was the path her senior had walked step by step, and everyone had seen it.

Zheng Ruoqian and Ou Liyao, who were familiar with her, were also sitting in the audience, about seven or eight rows behind her. They were also staring intently at the big screen, even slowing their breathing.

They knew that another strong contender for the Best Host award was Lan Xiao, who had recorded a program with Zheng Ruoqian, had a very stable stage presence, and was also very adaptable.

The presenter had everyone in suspense before slowly announcing, "Now, let us unveil the name of this composed and charismatic host who commands the stage with wisdom—"