Chapter 57 "I will only love you".

The suggestion made by Jiang Jiaoming.

"...What does Jiang Jiaoming mean by his suggestion?" Liang Kongxiang didn't understand the connection between the two.

“After I broke up with Tian Lei, people who had any connection with Tian Lei didn’t want to get involved with me. I had no choice but to leave their camp and find another way. As you know, Jiang Dongshi didn’t get along with them, so of course I chose this big tree,” Cao Lengyu recalled. “That day I invited Jiang Dongshi to dinner. He came with Jiang Jiaoming. At the dinner table, I mentioned the movie I was going to make.”

She approached two film producers about making a movie, the subtext of which was obviously to attract investment. At that time, the capable producers around her kept their distance, so she could only rely on herself to climb back up step by step.

The producer of Zaiying Pictures is also a top figure in the industry. Cao Lengyu is planning to join, but Jiang Dongshi and Jiang Jiaoming have reservations. They eat and chat as usual at the dinner table, but when it comes to movies, they just pretend to be ignorant and laugh it off.

Fortunately, no one forced her to drink that day. The three of them actually drank plain water at the table. Just when Cao Lengyu thought there was no chance, Jiang Jiaoming suddenly looked at her, staring intently at her weathered, wine-red face illuminated by the lamplight. It was unclear what he was thinking about through her, but he then said, "Director Cao, the type of temperament this female lead has is not common. Actresses with professional training may not necessarily have temperament. You can try your luck at the places that actresses like this often go to. You might have an unexpected surprise."

Cao Lengyu was taken aback. Jiang Jiaoming spoke again, as if reminding her of something: "Your personal photography style is very strong, and I can also see that the type of female lead matches your personal style very well. I believe you are the kind of person who would rather have nothing than something bad. Whether or not we end up working together, I wish you all the best."

Personal photography style.

She's holding a photography exhibition in Songjin City next month. Cao Lengyu's first thought was: I can try my luck there.

That day, as she entered the photography exhibition, a spotlight in the corner illuminated the photographs hanging on the wall. Beneath a black and white photograph stood a girl in a long brown sweater and skirt, her back slender, head tilted back, arms propped up, quietly gazing at the photograph. Her loosely styled bun met Cao Lengyu's eyes. Cao Lengyu's heart skipped a beat. She stood at the entrance for a long time, as if trying to hold onto her fantasy.

After a while, she stepped forward, gently patted the girl's shoulder, and asked, "Can I buy you a cup of coffee?"

...

Liang Kongxiang listened intently as she recounted her memories from her own perspective. Occasionally, the sounds of Jiang Jiaoming picking up kitchen utensils echoed in the kitchen, striking her heart like thunder. She didn't know what she was thinking; following the steaming cup of coffee, her thoughts drifted along the white mist to the rainy day of their breakup, where she saw Jiang Jiaoming lying silently on the hospital bed.

"It's so quiet," Jiang Jiaoming said, taking off his apron and walking over with a freshly cooked dumpling in his hand. "Did you have a fight?"

"...No." Liang Kongxiang saw that he had only brought out one dumpling and asked him, "Is it ready so quickly?"

"Hmm, you try it first." Jiang Jiaoming blew on it and held it to her lips. Liang Kongxiang opened her mouth, and Jiang Jiaoming watched her chew and swallow. Only after she swallowed did he ask, "How is it? Is the meat cooked?"

Liang Kongxiang suddenly realized that the soft meat she was chewing was pink, and looked at him helplessly: "You don't even know if it's cooked or not, yet you're giving it to me?"

Jiang Jiaoming laughed so hard his shoulders shook. He patted Liang Kongxiang's head and turned to ask Cao Lengyu, "What were you two talking about? How did this silly girl turn into a drowning puppy?"

Cao Lengyu glanced at Liang Kongxiang first, and seeing that she didn't intend to speak, she didn't feel comfortable asking on her behalf, so she changed the subject: "It's cooked so quickly? I thought we'd have to wait until the shortlist was announced."

"Hmm?" Jiang Jiaoming raised his hand to check the time. It was indeed close to six o'clock. He went back to the kitchen and brought out three bowls of dumplings. He pointed to the counter and said to Cao Lengyu, "There's soy sauce and vinegar over there."

While Cao Lengyu was preparing the ingredients, Jiang Jiaoming leaned over and kissed Liang Kongxiang's lips. "What's wrong? Not in a good mood? Are you worried about the nomination?" He guessed that Cao Lengyu and Liang Kongxiang were probably talking about the movie.

“Hmm,” Liang Kongxiang looked at him, and after a few seconds, nodded under his concerned gaze, “a little.”

“Your expression is more than just a little,” Jiang Jiaoming pinched her cheek, stretching her left cheek wide. Liang Kongxiang frowned and brushed his hand away, so Jiang Jiaoming mischievously pinched her collar, laughing as he said, “That’s more like it. If you have a temper, take it out on your husband. Why keep it bottled up inside? Hmm?”

He kissed her cheek: "Don't worry about things that haven't happened yet."

Regarding the film's nomination, Liang Kongxiang wasn't too worried. But after Jiang Jiaoming said that, she leaned against his chest and gently bumped her forehead against his, sighing, "I'm not anxious. I have you here. You'll always be with me."

"Why are you sighing instead of being anxious?" Jiang Jiaoming gently pinched her chin, tilting her head back, and narrowed his eyes. "What's wrong?"

"Why are you two acting like this?" Cao Lengyu brought out the condiments, sat down at the table, poked a dumpling with her chopsticks, leaned back in her chair, looked at the two embracing each other, took a bite, and said, "Stop being affectionate, pamper the dumpling instead."

Jiang Jiaoming released Liang Kongxiang, pulled out a chair, and sat down by pressing her shoulder. Just as he sat down, his phone suddenly rang. He raised an eyebrow when he saw the caller's name. "Wang Jianbo is calling."

Liang Kongxiang and Cao Lengyu exchanged a glance, and their hearts felt at ease, as they looked at the phone that Jiang Jiaoming had spread out on the table and put on speakerphone.

"Hey, Happy New Year, Mr. Jiang," Wang Jianbo said in a cheerful tone.

"Hmm." Jiang Jiaoming blew on the dumplings, dipped them in vinegar, and placed them on Liang Kongxiang's empty plate, replying, "How is it?"

"Although it was expected, I still want to congratulate you." Wang Jianbai laughed heartily, clearly overjoyed.

"We'll have to trouble Mr. Wang again with the work related to the film festival later."

After Wang Jianbai offered a few compliments, Jiang Jiaoming hung up the phone, smiled, and shrugged at them: "Can you rest assured now?"

Before going to bed that night, Zhuo Qiyun sent me a message saying that Zhuang Yexue's film had also been nominated, and also congratulated her on going to Berlin.

To be honest, the inclusion of the film "The Parade" in the competition was indeed within her expectations. However, she still has a question: since the film is star-studded, who will be the lead actor at the Berlin Film Festival?

Zhuang Yexue and Geng Jiali are probably going to have another big fight. I heard that the male lead didn't attend the last movie night because he was unwell, so this time they'll have something to fight over.

Jiang Jiaoming turned off the light and hugged her from behind: "Time flies."

Liang Kongxiang was still lost in thought about the movie when she uttered a soft "Hmm?"

“Last time at this time, you were still filming the tail end of Group A,” he hummed twice, biting her ear, “saying you didn’t regret breaking up…”

"Are you jealous?" Jiang Jiaoming asked.

"No," Liang Kongxiang said decisively. The person behind her indeed raised his voice and hummed in response, then reached out and pressed hard on her chest as punishment. Liang Kongxiang quickly covered herself with the blanket, then turned over with a smile to face Jiang Jiaoming. Her eyes crinkled as she kissed Jiang Jiaoming's eyes: "I'm not jealous because I'm smart enough to know that even though you're a bit silly, you'll only love me."

"Mmm." Jiang Jiaoming gazed intently at her in the dim light. "I will only love you."

No one else is Liang Kongxiang, and he will not fall in love with anyone but Liang Kongxiang. She symbolizes gentleness and composure, bringing Jiang Jiaoming an abundance of love and beauty he had never experienced before, allowing his love to land smoothly on the planet named Liang Kongxiang, spinning and spinning, never stopping.

Liang Kongxiang already knew that Jiang Jiaoming loved her.

As night deepened outside the window, Liang Kongxiang lay in Jiang Jiaoming's arms, gazing up at the dark ceiling. It was the same city of Gongtai, and she was facing her first award. Compared to the sleepless night she had spent years ago, she felt more anticipation now. Like a mermaid on a reef, she quietly climbed ashore as darkness fell, looking towards the distant inland.

A few years ago, perhaps she was just starting out, with a touch of naive impetuosity, and didn't have such a strong competitive spirit, taking a laissez-faire attitude towards the outcome. But now it's different. She knows very well what she wants, what benefits this award will bring her, and where it will place her in society—these are all things she had considered long ago.

She glanced at Jiang Jiaoming sleeping beside her. No matter the outcome, he would be by her side. He was like the sea, always able to envelop her when she was on the verge of suffocation.

As the film festival drew closer, Liang Kongxiang became more relaxed, occasionally wearing a mask and hat to feed the cats downstairs. Jiang Jiaoming recently took a liking to taking pictures of her, sometimes filming her washing her face early in the morning, joking, "The best actress is brushing her teeth." A while later, he would chase after her with the video, saying, "The best actress is shy."

Even before bed, I open the lid of the computer, kiss her, and ask, "What does the leading lady want to eat tomorrow?"

Liang Kongxiang covered her face, preventing him from taking pictures, and said helplessly, "It's still far from certain, but the matter has already been secretly accomplished."

“This is called wish fulfillment, understand?” Jiang Jiaoming turned off the camera. “No matter who the finalists are, I’m betting on you.”

Although she knew Jiang Jiaoming was talking nonsense again, Liang Kongxiang was inspired by him and felt as if she had already stepped onto the podium.

There has been a lot of news about "The Parade" lately, with the most discussion revolving around the fact that both "The Parade" and "The Brilliant Past" have been nominated for awards at the Berlin Film Festival. Some people are also focusing on the lead actors of "The Parade," speculating about who they will send.

Liang Kongxiang secretly hoped that Zhuang Yexue and Geng Jiali would go. Perhaps part of the reason was that the moonlit night with the chirping of insects in Xisa Port was too distant and dreamlike, giving her the illusion that "they seem to be friends as well." At such a precious moment, hatred seemed insignificant.

The online uproar over the presence of the main creators of "The Parade" is quite strange, but what's odd is that the fight wasn't between Zhuang Yexue and Geng Jiali. It seems they reached some kind of tacit agreement not to buy articles smearing each other, while the male lead of the same film was subjected to a barrage of attacks.

Jiang Jiaoming glanced at the public opinion and said, "It's obvious that they're united against a common enemy first."

"So that means there's a high probability they went with Tian Lei, right?" Liang Kongxiang asked.

"Hmm." Jiang Jiaoming said, "Don't worry, they'll have a long time to fight it out. Just watch the show."

On the day they flew to Berlin, the sky was clear and the air was crisp. As soon as Liang Kongxiang landed, she took Jiang Jiaoming for a walk in a small park near the square. Jiang Jiaoming held her hand with one hand, while still holding the camera in the other, recording Liang Kongxiang.

Liang Kongxiang turned her face away from the camera, "...Why is it starting again?"

"The opening ceremony is tomorrow, are you nervous?" Jiang Jiaoming took a picture of the back of her head.

"I'm not nervous."

"real?"

"Hmm." Liang Kongxiang turned around, her five fingers outstretched to grasp the camera lens, but Jiang Jiaoming lifted it up, leaving her hand empty. Seeing that she couldn't win the argument, she simply gave up and looked at him helplessly.

Jiang Jiaoming pointed the camera downwards, capturing every expression on her face. Seeing her completely helpless, he smiled and suddenly asked, "Ready?"

"What?" Liang Kongxiang subconsciously looked at Jiang Jiaoming.

Jiang Jiaoming spoke with certainty, his gaze passing over the camera screen and fixed on her.

"Get ready, now you're on the world stage, ready to claim your award."

-----------------------

Author's note: It should be finished by Sunday.

But actually, the part about the box office battle in "The Glory of the Glory" will be written after the series ends. There are also many slice-of-life side stories. Because we need to follow the plot, there are some sweet slice-of-life side stories, such as the funny things that happened when Jiang Jiaoming visited Kong Xiang's house, and the shocking things that happened when Zhang San, Li Si, Zhao Wu, and Qian Liu met their sister-in-law, hahaha. There's also Kong Xiang's friendship line (Ruan Jiayan), and Kong Xiang's path to becoming a director, as well as her subsequent relationship with Zhuang Yexue and the others. I actually want to write about all of these. Are there any other side stories or pre-release episodes you'd like to see?