CH 95

Of course, regardless of how people on the forum shout, Song Yan and Wen Li themselves cannot see it.

The achievements of [Ice City] go far beyond the box office.

In the same year, [Ice City] was nominated for six awards at the most prestigious A-class film festival in China, including Best Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Art, Best Actor, and Best Supporting Actress. It received the most nominations among all the films in the festival this year.

When Wen Li found out that she was nominated for Best Supporting Actress, she was completely stunned.

In this film with two male leads, according to the order of appearance, the senior actress Mao Ling is the female lead, so the position of the supporting actress naturally falls on Wen Li.

"A nomination is an affirmation," Qiu Ping specially called to congratulate her, sounding even more excited than she was, "Even if you don't win the award, it's still a milestone progress for you."

On the opening day of the film festival, Wen Li wore a black chiffon dress, while Song Yan wore a silver-gray suit.

The two of them stood in front of the camera, surrounded by countless flashes, facing the camera with grace and confidence, having lost the unfamiliarity and estrangement from three years ago.

It felt like a dream, reminiscent of the breakout photo taken three years ago.

The staff handed them signing pens again and both of them wrote their names on the signing board simultaneously.

At the awards ceremony in the evening, the venue looked magnificent, filled with shining stars. When the camera swept to Wen Li and Song Yan, Wen Li made a "Hi" gesture, then pushed Song Yan's shoulder, forcing him to make a somewhat awkward "Hi" gesture too.

And it turned out that the presenters for the Best Supporting Actress award were none other than the senior actors Liang Xianhua and Mao Ling.

Liang Xianhua and Mao Ling joked as usual, and finally, Liang Xianhua opened the envelope in his hand. As soon as he saw the name inside, he exclaimed.

"It's our film," Liang Xianhua looked towards the audience, "Wen Li, congratulations."

Wen Li in the audience was stunned.

She truly hadn't expected it. She had thought that she would have to struggle in the film industry for many more years, but now she had directly won the Best Supporting Actress award, taking a big step toward the threshold of Best Actress.

Many people in the audience were also surprised. But everyone had watched [Ice City] know that Wen Li's performance was truly outstanding. Winning the Best Supporting Actress award was more than deserved.

A good crew, a good director, a good partner, and a talented and hardworking actress all contributed to this lucky and fortunate result.

"Let's go," Song Yan said, sitting next to her.

Wen Li lifted her skirt and stood up. Just as she passed through the seats and reached the aisle, many people came over to congratulate her.

This included Zheng Xue.

Wen Li didn't know what she wanted to do, but Zheng Xue unexpectedly hugged her.

"Congratulations, you've taken a significant step forward," Zheng Xue said softly, "But I won't lose to you."

Wen Li patted her back to show her respect.

Tang Jiaren's position was slightly ahead of Wen Li's. As a senior, there was no need for Tang Jiaren to stand up and congratulate her. Moreover, their relationship had always been rumored to be strained in public due to Song Yan.

As Wen Li passed by her seat, she unconsciously glanced in her direction.

Coincidentally, she caught Tang Jiaren's gaze.

Tang Jiaren smiled at her and silently said, "Congratulations."

Although she had many competitors, these competitors didn't hesitate to offer their sincere congratulations.

Wen Li went up to the stage, received the trophy from Liang Xianhua, and although she hadn't prepared a thank-you speech, she had heard it hundreds of times before, so she thanked everyone from the director to her co-stars one by one.

Liang Xianhua reminded her, "Seems like you forgot someone."

"I didn't forget," Wen Li grinned, "Lastly, I want to thank Teacher Song Yan. A thousand words cannot express my love for you."

Here we go again, cheesy love words.

Song Yan chuckled and nodded towards Wen Li on stage, indicating that he had received her gratitude.

"I feel like there's someone missing from our stage," Mao Ling suddenly pretended to be puzzled, "It seems like one more person and we'll have the complete family photo of 'Ice City', right?"

The director immediately switched the camera to Song Yan in the audience.

Song Yan was only nominated for Best Actor today, but this award would be announced later, and the high probability was that Liang Xianhua, the senior actor, would win. He was not assigned the task of going on stage to present awards by the organizers, so he sat in the audience throughout the whole ceremony.

The large screen behind the stage displayed a close-up of Song Yan. He was still a bit unaware of the situation. Qiu Ping and Old Zhou, sitting beside him, also appeared on the screen. They reacted quickly and immediately pushed Song Yan, urging him to go on stage.

The ad-libbed speeches during the award presentation segment were usually impromptu, but now that the two presenters cued Song Yan to come on stage, all eyes in the audience turned to him, urging him to go on stage as if they were watching a show.

Amidst the cheers, Song Yan went on stage.

As soon as he stepped onto the stage, Liang Xianhua teased him, "Come on, come stand next to your wife."

Wen Li was still holding the trophy in her hand, looking very bewildered.

She was receiving the award, so why did he also come up?

Both Song Yan and Wen Li were clearly forced into this situation. They hadn't expected to be pushed onto the stage during the awards ceremony.

In the close-up shot, their slightly awkward yet forced smiles appeared.

Compared to the guest seats, the fans in the back were visibly more excited. As soon as they saw the two of them standing on stage together, screams pierced through the entire ceremony venue.

"Wow, the fans are so excited," the host on the side stage smiled and said, "Let's switch the camera to the fan seats, I'll interview why the fans are so thrilled."

The director immediately switched to the camera capturing the audience seats. Many fans didn't want to appear on camera, so they covered their faces with their support lightsticks. There was a young girl chatting and laughing with the person next to her, unaware of the situation. The camera caught her, and it was only when the person next to her realized it first and excitedly tapped her arm, signaling that she was on screen.

"Hello, little sister," the host asked with a smile, "I see you're very happy. May I ask whose fan you are?"

The girl took the microphone handed to her by a staff member and said softly, "I'm a CP fan."

At this moment, the person next to the girl snatched the microphone, speaking loudly, "She's very famous!"

The host was startled.

On stage, Wen Li and Song Yan were also taken aback, but they quickly recognized the familiar voice.

"What? She's famous?" the host became interested and asked, "What's her name then?"

The girl snatched the microphone back from the person next to her and said apologetically, "Beauty Cao Sanli."

Because she was facing the camera, she still maintained some decorum and pronounced "cao" correctly with the third tone.

The actors present, who weren't very active on the internet or in the entertainment circle, didn't react much. However, the live chat viewers were shocked.

「Oh, this is Mrs. Green?!」

「Mrs. Green is actually so petite and cute!!」

Wen Li: "..."

Song Yan was also stunned. He hadn't expected that behind such a wild name was a young girl.

"He's also famous," the girl felt that she couldn't expose herself alone and immediately pointed to the person sitting next to her, selling him out, "This is Iron-Lung Brother."

If it wasn't for the host's spur-of-the-moment decision to cue the fan seats today, neither of the main leads would have expected that the other famous fan, Iron-Lung Brother, was a thin and weak-looking young man.

「Iron-Lung Brother?!!」

「Iron-Lung Brother looks like he's only 120 pounds at most, but his lungs must weigh 220 pounds, right?!」

「Hahaha, Iron-Lung Brother and Mrs. Green actually look quite compatible, hahaha!」

「I'm laughing so hard, the fans of my CP.」

"Then I'd like to ask, what are your evaluations of Song Yan and Wen Li's performances in 'Ice City'?"

Both of them said in unison, "They acted superbly."

"And for their possible future collaborations, do the fans have any suggestions?"

The girl hesitated and nudged the person next to her with her arm. Iron-Lung Brother also hesitated for several seconds.

"It's not a professional suggestion, just the selfishness of fans, can I say it?"

The host nodded, "Of course, interviewing fans is about hearing your genuine thoughts."

Iron-Lung Brother took a deep breath, mustered up his courage, and shouted, "Then, can you two collaborate in more projects with kissing and bed scenes?!"

The girl next to him and the fans in this area all turned their heads shamefully, covering their faces.

「Hahaha, Iron-Lung Brother, you truly live up to your name!!」

「Iron-Lung Brother is my role model!!!」

「Thanks to Iron-Lung Brother for speaking out our demands with a straight face!」

Laughter filled the venue with a significant meaning.

"For bed scenes, let's look forward to that in the future. But for kissing scenes, if they want to kiss each other, they don't necessarily have to wait for specific scenes, right?" The host burst into laughter, "After all, you're a couple now. Can you grace us by kissing each other?"

In the star-studded film festival award ceremony, the front row of the guest seats was occupied by industry veterans, all of them senior figures. However, when these respectful seniors heard the host's words, they also immediately started clamoring from the audience.

"Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!"

"Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!"

Facing the uproar from these unruly senior industry figures, Wen Li didn't know how to refuse and appeared flustered. She sought help by looking at Song Yan.

Instead of sharing her panic and shyness, the man raised an eyebrow at her, his eyes filled with a playful smile. He didn't smile often, but every time he looked at her, there was an irresistible tenderness and gentleness in his eyes and at the corners of his mouth.

No matter how skilled an actor was, some emotions couldn't be hidden.

That was the yearning affection and tenderness he couldn't conceal when he looked at his beloved.

In this moment, Song Yan, as usual, was a man of few words but resolute actions. He reached out and lifted Wen Li's chin, lowering his head to kiss her.

The audience erupted with cheers and their kiss reverberated amidst the clamor.

"Wow, wow, wow!!!"

The host shouted into the microphone, while the senior figures in the audience cast enthusiastic gazes towards the stage.

Even the senior figures Liang Xianhua and Mao Ling, who were still standing on stage, were taken aback by Song Yan's boldness today. Instinctively, they turned their heads, their expressions filled with hidden delight and the need to avert their gaze.

The live chat barrage went wild along with all the guests and audience members at the venue.

「Ahhh!!! Ahhh!!! Ahhh!!! Ahhh!!! Ahhh!!!」

「The entire venue is full of Salt Grain CP fans, ahhh!!!」

「A wife and a husband just kissed in public, but I'm so happy, ahhh!!!」

「Brother-in-law, why are you so bold today, hahaha!」

「Hahaha, my sister-in-law won an award, but my brother is happier than if he had won one himself. He couldn't hold back anymore!!!」

「Tonight, we are all Salt Grain CP fans!!!」

As the award ceremony reached its conclusion, Liang Xianhua won the Best Actor award, and the [Ice City] crew, with six nominations, took home five awards, making them the biggest winners of today's film festival.

The audience below the stage was filled with actors who were specialized in their craft. Naturally, a prestigious ceremony like this would invite professional singers to liven up the event.

Xu Li, a newcomer who had only debuted a year ago, was able to be invited as a guest to the stage of this authoritative film festival, mostly thanks to his sister's influence.

"It's a new song, yet to be released. Today is its debut," the new singer was a bit shy in such a grand gathering of industry giants, "I hope you will like it."

In such a solemn award ceremony, Xu Li finally put down his guitar temporarily. He had a sound system accompaniment, as well as misty dry ice and stage lighting effects.

[A Letter from the Moon to You]

Lyrics: Song Yan, Xu Li

Composition: Xu Li

Arrangement: Xu Li

"Your bright eyes

Disturb his tranquility a little

The noisy and arrogant lion

Makes the Taurus deviate from his controllable constellation's path

Do you know that in his heart, you come and go freely like a shooting star?

Causing him distress and sadness

Yet he still can't bear to completely forget you from his mind

He lacks the courage

Clearly, he wanted to get closer countless times

...

"He hides all his confusion and nervousness

Pretending to have a calm heart

And in the pen that suddenly ran out of ink in his hand

He wants to tell you

That in the moment when you turned back

All his waiting had meaning.

Finally, the moon has waited for you."

The clean and gentle voice ended with a joyful whisper.

The venue of the ceremony fell into complete silence, still immersed in the serene atmosphere of the song.

However, the fans in the live chat had already understood every word in the song.

「Ahhh, the song he dedicated to Sanli, wuwuwu.」

「Regret not having been a part of your past, but in the future, we will accompany your glory.」

「Song Yan!! I love you!! Wen Li!! I love you!! Can you hear me? The Salt Grain fans will always love you!!」

The award ceremony concluded successfully amidst endless applause.

The live broadcast of the award ceremony attracted numerous passersby to click on the "Salt Grain CP" trending topic.

Upon entering, one could see that the fans had already updated the introduction of the trending topic.

Hi~ Hello.

Welcome to the Salt Grain trending topic, join the Salt Grain fan army.

Song Yan @Song Yan x Wen Li @Wen Li Litchi

They are our beloved Beauty and Sanli.

They are Senior Ah Yan and Junior Ah Li to each other.

They are the ink boy and the warm sister in their parents' eyes.

They are the midsummer moonlight and the wine-stained rose in the fairy tale.

My well-known big fan Weibo recommends→ @Director Yan Zhengkui @Director Qiu Ping @Writing is Everything to Me @Beauty x Sanli @Iron Lung Brother.

On a midsummer night, the cicadas chirped incessantly; that touch of silver moonlight gently fell on his beloved rose.

The sensitive Taurus also found the lion who was willing to forever cherish him.

Do you ship this CP? The kind that will never sink!

―― The world's sweetest, Salt Grain for ten thousand years.