She hoped she was just overthinking.
Yan Weiyang followed an international route and was accustomed to being adored by everyone, rarely accommodating others; thus, she wasn’t very adept at enlivening the atmosphere.
Therefore, this responsibility fell upon Bai Ze.
She, on the other hand, stood there with ease most of the time, occasionally making a few incisive remarks that drew a round of applause.
Everyone was praising Yan Weiyang for her high EQ and cultivation; she didn’t talk much but always hit the nail on the head.
The award ceremony was being broadcast live, and at that moment, the streaming platform was already flooded with messages.
"Oh my God, my Goddess Weiyang is so beautiful!"
"And she speaks so gracefully, just like a lady from a noble family."
"Exactly, such a talented woman, her words are always so meaningful..."
"Social media my Sister Yan, beautiful and not overly talkative..."
Yan Weiyang’s fame was indeed too great; as long as she was present, everyone else was eclipsed.
As a result, Bai Ze, who was also the host, seemed quite inconsequential by comparison.
In reality, however, it was he who was the most energetic in livening up the atmosphere.
Seeing that the ambiance was almost at its peak, they started to move into the award presentation segment.
The first category was for Best Screenplay nominations, comprising five films: "Republic of China Graceful Hero," "Despair," "War Machine," "Three Kingdoms Chaos," and "Bodyguard."
Main clips from these five films appeared on the big screen, accompanied by a narrator.
Xia Weibao’s mind was somewhat scattered and didn’t pay much attention.
It wasn’t until Yan Weiyang announced that this year’s Golden Ying for Best Screenplay was "Despair," and Xu Jiayang hugged her, that she came back to her senses.
Then she went to embrace the other crew members.
The award for Best Screenplay was to be received by the screenwriter; the others didn’t need to come up on stage.
Xia Weibao sat down below, glancing at the "Republic of China Graceful Hero" crew beside her, noticing Wan Ke’s face had darkened...
It was understandable, after all, as "Republic of China Graceful Hero" was a screenplay Wan Ke had worked on for over a year, and yet it hadn’t won the Best Screenplay award—how could he not be angry!
Next up were other awards, such as Best Action and Best Special Effects.
"Republic of China Graceful Hero" won the Best Action award, and Wan Ke’s expression eased somewhat.
Xia Weibao felt rather listless about all these awards.
It was not until the Best Director award began to be presented that she sat up slightly.
Because this was a contest between Xu Jiayang and Wan Ke!
The big screen began to showcase the camera’s footage, capturing the faces of all five nominated directors.
Xu Jiayang looked mature and composed, nodding towards the camera as it panned to him.
Wan Ke maintained a calm and easy smile as well.
As directors, who were used to watching others act, they themselves were skilled performers.
Subsequently, the big screen started showing clips from the nominated films one after another, with introductions echoing through the vast venue from the machinery.
"Wan Ke’s ’Republic of China Graceful Hero,’ Zhang Dahuai’s ’Three Kingdoms Chaos,’ Wu Liancong’s ’Bodyguard,’ Xu Jiayang’s ’Despair,’ Zhao Qihang’s ’Our Youth’..."
After the clips played, Bai Ze opened the card in his hand, "Dear friends, now let us unveil the winner of tonight’s Best Director award is..."
At this point, the camera swiftly switched angles, speeding up, and the speakers erupted with a rapid and exciting piece of music.
Wan Ke’s heart was in his throat.
This Best Director award, he vowed to win!
After all, this was his first work since returning from further studies abroad; failing to make an immediate name for himself would make future progress as difficult as reaching the heavens!
He was dying of anxiety inside, but he had to maintain a calm and dignified exterior, an excruciating struggle.