Chapter 2 Chapter 2 More Than Just Acquaintances
In the main hall of the Palazzo Milano, sharp beams of crimson PAR lights on both sides pierced the dimness and pointed directly at the packed audience seats.
The two countries are six hours apart in time, and by the time all the guests had entered the venue, it was already 7 p.m. Italian time.
The seats inside were neatly arranged, each with a gold-embossed nameplate on the back. Wen Jia was seated in the center of the second row. She lifted her skirt, bowed slightly, and walked forward to sit down.
She opened her palm and looked down; her hands were covered in sweat.
She had thought she wouldn't be nervous.
After all the guests were seated and the noise subsided, two white hosts slowly walked out from backstage.
The host's English speech, with its slightly operatic pauses, echoed under the dome. Wen Jia barely heard the opening remarks; she couldn't deny the subtle repression and anxiety she felt inside.
About twenty minutes later, the host began to present the side awards.
These pre-event awards are just the prelude, so while the atmosphere in the venue is solemn, it hasn't yet reached the point where people are truly on edge.
After what seemed like an eternity, the female host, under the watchful eyes of the crowd, finally accepted the dark red envelope and announced, "Next up is," she paused, "the Golden Olive Award for Best Actress at this year's Silver Sail Film Festival..."
Wen Jia clenched her fingers.
In an instant, the air in the entire venue froze, and everyone held their breath.
"The winner of this year's Golden Olive Award for Best Actress is..." The female host opened the envelope with her fingertips, looking at the expectant, nervous, anxious, and uneasy faces below the stage. She loudly read out the name on the envelope, her voice suddenly piercing through the entire venue—
"Korean actress Kang Seul-ra".
One second.
Two seconds.
Three seconds.
There was a full three seconds of silence in the room, followed by a burst of applause that swept across the stage, through people's eardrums, and throughout the entire Palais des Festivals.
In an instant, all the camera flashes focused on Kang Seol-ra.
Wen Jia paused noticeably after hearing the winner's name.
Jiang Selu sat next to Wen Jia. Wen Jia turned her head and saw that she was still immersed in disbelief and shock. It wasn't until someone gently nudged her with a laugh that she woke up as if from a dream and covered her open lips, her eyes instantly filled with tears.
Wen Jia stood up on her own initiative.
"Congratulations." Wen Jia smiled appreciatively and opened her arms to hug her.
Despite her disappointment, Wen Jia felt more admiration for Jiang Selu.
Although the two had little interaction in their acting careers and only had brief, fleeting encounters at fashion events, they both knew perfectly well how difficult it was for a woman to reach the top based on her own abilities in a cutthroat world of fame and fortune.
Jiang Selu's eyes could no longer hold back the tears welling up and streaming down her cheeks.
"Thank you." Jiang Selu hugged Wen Jia tightly.
After the awards ceremony ended, Wen Jia, still in her gown, went to the dressing room and pushed open the door.
Yu Kaiqing was the only one inside, and she carefully observed Wen Jia's expression.
Wen Jia felt that her gaze was too direct: "Why are you staring at me like that?" She sat down in front of the mirror, turned her head and took off her earrings.
"I'm afraid you'll be sad if you lose."
"Whether you win or lose, it's just a prize."
The earrings were taken off and placed on the table. The perfectly round pearl spun around a few times before stopping, its luster momentarily dimming.
Yu Kaiqing pursed her lips and looked at her without saying a word.
How could she not know Wen Jia's disappointment? She knew all too well. She naturally knew that Wen Jia was pretending to be fine, because even she felt a deep sense of disappointment, let alone Wen Jia herself.
“It’s alright, we can come again next time,” Yu Kaiqing said, patting Wen Jia’s back. She immediately added, “But at least ‘Wild Path’ won the Best Film Award, which means it has gained some recognition.”
Wen Jia took a deep breath, stood up from her chair as if nothing had happened, and said, "It's just an award anyway. If I can't win it this time, I'll try again next time. I can't be discouraged."
Yu Kaiqing was comforted instead, standing to the side, feeling both amused and exasperated. As an outsider, she seemed to be the one who had lost the trophy the most.
Wen Jia didn't plan to stay in Italy any longer. She rubbed her aching temples. She had a work engagement back home waiting for her, so she bought a red-eye flight in the early morning to go straight back.
Wen Jia removed her makeup and dress in the lounge, changing into a completely different sweatshirt set. Having been confined by the dress all night, she now only sought comfort.
The organizers arranged a private car to pick her up, which had been waiting at the door for a long time. It was still an Alphard minivan. As soon as Wen Jia got in the car, she curled up in the leather seat, hugged a pillow, and closed her eyes to rest.
Just as I was about to fall asleep, I heard Yu Kaiqing exclaim in surprise from beside me: "It's trending on social media!"
Wen Jia shuddered, unsure whether she was startled by Yu Kaiqing's voice or by what she said. She slowly opened her bloodshot eyes. She wasn't surprised at all that she was trending on social media; she was just curious about how the domestic media would write the entry.
Is it objective or harsh?
Should we be spectators or empathizers?
But whatever it may be, Wen Jia knew one thing for sure: the domestic media wouldn't let her off the hook easily. When she first debuted, she was hailed as a "rising star," only to be immediately criticized as a "resource-backed actress." Just when she finally gained recognition for her acting skills, some people accused her of "pretending to be high-minded." Over the years, Wen Jia had never seen a shred of pity from the media.
Otherwise, there wouldn't have been that cyberbullying incident.
They are good at giving you a slap followed by a sweet treat, praising you first and then belittling you, or belittling you first and then praising you. There is no essential difference between the two, as long as they achieve their goal of stirring up public opinion.
This is a circle where any interest can devour humanity; it's blatant and bloody.
"Let me see." Wen Jia moved, preparing to look for her phone.
"Stop looking, stop looking, it's affecting your mood." Yu Kaiqing leaned over to stop her.
Wen Jia stubbornly broke free.
She opened Weibo, and the top two trending topics in entertainment were—
Wen Jia sadly lost the Best Actress award.
South Korean actress Kang Seol-ra won the Golden Olive Award for Best Actress at the 68th Silver Sail Film Festival.
The first two points are quite objective, but let's scroll down further—
Wen Jia stole the show on the red carpet but failed to win Best Actress.
"Wen Jia's forced smile as seen through foreign media cameras"
If the first two are elegant stabbings, then the next one is barbaric dismemberment.
Wen Jia's former agent speaks out: "I told you she wasn't destined for that."
Compared to the media's mockery and laughter, the backstabbing from those around her sent chills down Wen Jia's spine. The simple words were like thumbtacks, piercing her eyes.
Wen Jia tossed her phone to Yu Kaiqing: "Keep it safe for me." Then she curled up and lay back on the chair with her back to Yu Kaiqing.
Yu Kaiqing glanced at her worriedly, and just as she reached for her phone, it rang.
Normal business collaborations are handled by companies or agents, so Wen Jia's mobile phone usually only receives private calls.
As expected, Wen Jia glanced at the caller ID and saw three words: Zhou Jingcheng.
It was already past midnight in China, and she hadn't expected Zhou Jingcheng to call.
The two looked at each other, and Wen Jia gritted her teeth, snatched the phone, swiped to answer, and picked up the call.
"Is it over?" a deep male voice asked first.
"Just finished, Mr. Zhou."
"Hmm, when are you going back to China?"
"We're on our way to the airport now," Wen Jia replied casually, playing with her nails as she looked down, her voice as soft as a feather.
"Are you in such a hurry to go back to China?" the person on the other end asked knowingly.
“I can’t help it, Mr. Zhou, I have a schedule to finish.” Wen Jia pressed further, “What’s the matter that you called, Mr. Zhou?”
The soft click of a lighter came from the other end of the phone; Zhou Jingcheng seemed to be lighting a cigarette: "The film won an award this time, and I heard from Zhuang Yansong that there will be a celebration banquet when we get back to China tomorrow. Will you go?"
The Zhuang Yansong mentioned by Zhou Jingcheng is the director of "Wild Journey," and the two are good friends.
Wen Jia knew that Zhou Jingcheng was just testing her, and didn't really want her to answer.
In fact, she met Zhuang Yansong right after the awards ceremony ended, and Zhuang Yansong happened to mention this matter. As the female lead of the film, she would naturally be there.
"I will go."
"See you tomorrow," the person on the other end of the phone chuckled contentedly. "What time are you landing? Do you need me to pick you up?"
Wen Jia unconsciously clenched her fists around the phone: "No need."
"Or should I send someone to pick them up?"
"No need, Mr. Zhou, a driver is coming to pick me up." Her voice grew softer and softer.
There was a few seconds of silence on the other end, then Wen Jia preemptively said, "Mr. Zhou, I'll hang up now," she even had the mind to joke, "International roaming is expensive."
Wen Jia naturally wouldn't be so impolite as to hang up the phone directly. Finally, after hearing a "hmm" from the other end, she breathed a sigh of relief and hung up the call.
*
When the plane landed, it was morning in China.
The VIP lane was spacious and quiet, and the driver arrived just in time for the two of them to come out.
The sun was blazing, but the temperature wasn't high. Wen Jia, fully armed with a hat, sunglasses, and a mask, climbed into the car.
She prefers quiet and lives in a villa area far from the city center, just for comfort. The villa and the airport are in opposite directions, and it takes her just over an hour and a half to get to her place.
The pansies by the fence in front of the gate shone brightly after being washed by the rain. Wen Jia lightly stepped over the fallen flowers and leaves on the stone path and went through the gate first.
She dropped her bag and rushed upstairs to her bedroom. Then she stood at the door, half-dead, and told Yu Kaiqing, "Wake me up at five o'clock this afternoon." After that, she collapsed into bed and fell fast asleep.
She slept very restlessly, having several dreams, or rather, memories.
In her dream, she returned to a few years ago and became a newcomer to the industry. She was humiliated by the director on set. The scene then shifted to a conflict with her former manager, who slammed the door and left after saying "useless thing".
"Wen Jia? Wen Jia!"
The person whose name was being called had a deeply furrowed brow, her forehead covered in fine beads of sweat that dampened her hair at the temples. No matter how Yu Kaiqing called her, she couldn't wake her up. Finally, she could only gently pat her face, and Wen Jia opened her eyes, which were filled with fear.
"Did you have a nightmare?" Yu Kaiqing handed her a glass of warm water.
Wen Jia stared at the ceiling for a long time before her thoughts gradually returned. She nodded and said, "I dreamt about what happened before."
Yu Kaiqing was a little worried about her: "Why don't you tell Director Zhuang that you won't be going to the celebration party?"
Wen Jia pondered for a moment, then rolled out of bed and said, "I'd better go. I'm afraid I'll offend someone if I don't."
Although the celebration banquet was a private gathering, most of the attendees were from the industry, so she didn't slack off. She put on light makeup and wore a white halter-neck dress that fell above her knees.
Yu Kaiqing took her to the Park Hyatt Hotel.
The waiter pushed open the heavy European-style solid wood door, revealing a banquet hall filled with clinking glasses and elegantly dressed people.
Wen Jia stepped into the banquet hall in her high heels and glanced around at the people inside. Apart from the film's cast and crew, she didn't recognize most of the other guests. They were probably Zhuang Yansong's friends or had been invited out of courtesy.
The guests were chatting in small groups, occasionally exchanging business cards, and occasionally letting out a few insincere laughs.
Someone in the crowd was the first to notice Wen Jia's appearance. They stared at her for two seconds, then turned to whisper to the person next to them.
Wen Jia seemed to be used to these commotions and did not cast too many glances at them.
Besides these trivial and noisy sounds, many guests naturally came up to greet her, and Wen Jia politely returned their greetings one by one.
Zhou Jingcheng arrived early and was standing with his back to the door, holding a wine glass in his hand. He would occasionally take a sip of wine and chat with people until the person next to him gave him a meaningful look. Only then did he turn his head to look at Wen Jia.
Wen Jia took a wine glass from a passing waiter's tray and walked towards Zhou Jingcheng.
"Congratulations! Although you didn't win an award personally, you've still had a good time thanks to the crew." A female voice suddenly appeared out of nowhere, blocking Wen Jia's way, and then deliberately clinked her wine glass against Wen Jia's.
The extremely impolite person neither addressed Wen Jia with a title nor looked her in the eye when speaking, but instead scrutinized her from head to toe with an ambiguous gaze.
Wen Jia turned to look at her. The latter was not only sharp-tongued but also had a mocking expression. She gave a generous smile, but her eyes showed pity for her: "So you also know the art of 'riding on someone else's coattails'?" Wen Jia paused and looked her up and down, mimicking her expression. "That's normal. After all, you always said on set that being able to act with an actor who has been nominated three times is the closest you've ever been to an award."
Jiang Zhao played a minor supporting role in "Wild Journey," with a total screen time of less than seven minutes. She was quite dissatisfied with her script and kept adding scenes on set, making life miserable for the extras. Wen Jia only offered a few kind words of advice, but Jiang Zhao happened to be someone who couldn't stand the truth. As a result, Wen Jia was labeled as "hypocritical" and held a grudge.
The two stood in the crowd. Wen Jia did not provoke her, and her voice was naturally loud. Upon hearing this, the guests around them all looked in their direction.
Surrounded by prominent figures in the industry, and knowing that Jiang Zhao might need to rely on others in the future, she couldn't afford to show disrespect. So she glanced at the people around her and smiled calmly.
"Don't mention it. It's just my sincere blessing."
Just then, Zhou Jingcheng walked up to Wen Jia, his gaze probing.
"You're here? I was just talking about you with someone," he glanced casually at Jiang Zhao beside him, then returned his gaze to Wen Jia, "Come with me, I'll introduce you to a producer."
Wen Jia followed in Zhou Jingcheng's footsteps.
*
The jet-black Aston Martin glides smoothly through the fountain directly in front of the lobby to the main entrance of the Park Hyatt Hotel.
Since it was a private gathering, Xu Shaoting deliberately didn't bring a driver. Instead, he drove himself. He stepped on the brake with his black leather shoes and brought the car to a steady stop. He got out of the car and tossed the car keys to the concierge from a distance.
From behind, the tailor-made dark suit jacket fits the man's broad and straight shoulders perfectly, and half an inch of snow-white shirt is revealed at the cuff when he raises his hand, with the tourbillon dial appearing and disappearing with the movement.
Inside the hall, Zhuang Yansong, the host of the banquet, was absentmindedly exchanging pleasantries with others. His inattentiveness was quite obvious—he would occasionally say a few words, occasionally take a sip of wine, and take the opportunity to glance at the entrance of the banquet hall while drinking.
Finally, after Zhuang Yansong had drunk countless sips of wine, the heavy solid wood door was pushed open again by the waiter. Upon seeing who it was, Zhuang Yansong sighed inwardly, put down his wine glass, said "Excuse me" to the person next to him, and then walked towards the door.
A person worthy of being personally greeted by the host naturally deserves the attention of everyone else present.
All the guests' eyes were fixed on Xu Shaoting.
Even from a distance, one can see the superior quality of the suit with its peak lapel, the handsome demeanor, and the outstanding physique; from the moment he enters, he is destined to be superior to others.
Whispers arose again from the surroundings.
"This must be Chairman Xu, right?" Jiang Zhao squinted at Xu Shaoting, who was whispering to the person next to him with his hands clasped together.
"I think so. How did you know?"
"I heard about it on set."
"What gossip does he have?" The person next to him was clearly intrigued.
"Even if there's gossip about him, we wouldn't hear it. If something happens, the hush money he gets is enough to keep him happy for the rest of his life. He's just good at keeping quiet," Jiang Zhao said calmly.
The person next to her pursed their lips and nodded in agreement: "That's true."
Wen Jia was chatting with the producer when she heard a commotion at the door. Her gaze involuntarily turned to the person who had entered.
However, after seeing the person's face clearly, he almost spilled the wine in his glass.
Fortunately, Zhou Jingcheng reacted quickly and steadied Wen Jia's hand: "What, do you know her?"
Wen Jia felt a little uncomfortable and didn't answer him, instead looking away.
It's more than just knowing each other.
A note from the author:
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