Bach, who had presented Mu Weiwei with the award before, came back onto the stage.
The moment he took over the microphone, he said with a teasing smile, “Everyone must be very curious. Oh, didn’t this annoying fellow already go up on the stage once? Why is he here again?”
The audience burst into laughter and the host picked up the microphone and said, “Bach, if you don’t get down to business right now, I am going to kick you off the stage.”
Bach raised his hands in surrender and said with a smile, “Okay, let’s get back to the topic. Britney should have announced the award but the day before yesterday, she called me and told me that she was going to have a child and that she was not coming.”
The audience was amused by Bach’s expression. The atmosphere was so relaxed and joyful that there was no longer any tension or suspense.
“Childbirth?” Bach sighed with a frown and said, “When she came here to receive the award last year, she said that she was single, and now she is telling me that she is going to have a child. And the very man who made her pregnant is Robert, who has just received the trophy.”
Below the stage, Robert Durant laughed. He was indeed married to Britney.
Bach teased Robert Durant who had just won Best Actor Award and said, “Oh, I almost forgot what I was doing up on stage.”
The audience burst into laughter again. This humorous old man always made people laugh.
Bach cleared his throat and then seriously said, “I am going to present the award for Best Actress on behalf of Britney, so I need to invite someone to the stage first.”
“That is the lead actress of Dream of a Long Life 2, Miss. Ling Yan.”
The moment he finished his words, the camera and the lights swept to where Ling Yan was.
Dressed in a bright red gown, Ling Yan stood up and walked towards the stage, showing off her slim figure.
“Hello, Mr. Bach.”
Bach politely hugged Ling Yan and said, “When I was presenting the award for Dream of a Long Life, I was very sorry that I did not get to meet you. So when I found out that you were here, I wanted to meet you on this very stage, the place where you were once awarded the Best Actress Award.”
“It is my honor to meet you.” Ling Yan smiled.
When Dream of a Long Life won the awards at the film festivals, she had stayed in the hospital because of her serious illness and all the awards were received by the filmmakers.
Bach looked at her and straightforwardly said, “Please allow me to tell this legendary Movie Queen what I said about the award ceremony.”
At this point, almost everyone was sure that this legendary Movie Queen would be the Best Actress of this year’s Lugano Film Festival.
Bach thought of what he had said years ago and said the speech that had praised her, to Ling Yan’s face.
Then he sighed.
“Miss. Ling Yan’s Dream of a Long Life is a beautiful legend, and our Best Actress Award is also legendary.”
Ling Yan raised her chin and smiled.
That meant that she was going to be the Best Actress tonight.
After all, she was the only legendary Movie Queen in the industry.
Bach turned to Ling Yan and said, “Miss. Ling Yan, can you hold the trophy for me?”
Ling Yan nodded with a smile and took the trophy from the host’s hands, showing a victorious smile.
Then he thought about the speech he had prepared.
Bach opened the card and loudly announced, “The Best Actress of this year’s Lugano Film Festival, and the most dazzling female lead tonight, is… Mu Weiwei!”