When it was Yan Huan’s turn, she merely waved lightly at the press as she crossed the red carpet, unkeen on hogging the spotlight and lifting her skirts so that it wouldn’t touch the ground. She was smiling, but distant, and the contrast made her stand out in the limelight.
Under normal circumstances, it takes one around five minutes to cross the red carpet.
Yan Huan took five minutes, no more and no less, to finish her round.
Su Muran, on the other hand, had been on the red carpet before Yan Huan made her appearance, and was still not done posing for pictures. She had been up there for at least ten minutes, which had put the staff in a tough spot, unsure as to whether they should remind her.
Yan Huan appeared again in a black gown. Yue Ran had styled her hair into a natural wave, accented her lips, and added an iridescent sheen to her eyeshadows.
Under the lighting, her eyeshadow had multiple colors, and it was beautiful.
Yan Huan always had full faith in Yue Ran’s skills. Under his hands, a woman can only become prettier, never the other way round.
By the time they found their seats, the award ceremony had already begun.
As Yan Huan expected, the Best Director Award had gone to Huang Ming, as it did during her previous life. This was the most prestigious award in the world, the dream of every director.
And who would have believed the man on the grand stage was the same man as the recluse from years back? He was young, not even thirty, but he managed to deliver a masterpiece that lived up to everyone’s expectations with his unique views and techniques.
Director Jin was happy enough to be nominated. Even if he didn’t win the award, the trip had been well worth it. This nomination would no doubt propel his career further.
Westerners had always been taking the International Awards home, which made every Asian all-the-more proud and excited about the emergence of an Asian winner, as well the increase in Asian nominees.
Hearing that Huang Ming had received the Best Director Award, Su Muran was confident that the Best Actress Award was in the bag.
She straightened, her lips curving upwards. Her heart thumped madly as the host was about to announce the winner of the Best Actress Award.
Su Muran, it has to be Su Muran… she told herself. The host raised his voice in excitement.
His announcement was followed a deafening applause, so loud that Su Muran couldn’t hear anything but her internal chants of Su Muran. She made it. She had won, hadn’t she?
Su Muran stood up, but a hand pulled her back.
“What are you doing?” asked Su Muran, turning around to find Lu Qin pulling her back to her seat.
“Sit down. You are making a fool of yourself,” warned Lu Qin.
Making a fool of myself? Su Muran scowled. She was going up to receive her award; how was that making a fool of herself? She had no time to explain, or to sit back down. The award was waiting for her. However, just as she put on her best smile again, she glimpsed a person walking towards the stage.
It was a young woman in a black gown, her black hair loosely draped across her shoulders in a wave. She wore little accessories, but her hourglass silhouette was graceful and dreamy.
Su Muran drew up short. It didn’t make sense to her. What was going on here?
Lu Qin quickly dragged her back to her seat. There were many eyes on them by now. One misstep and there would be rumors all over the place by the next morning.
Meanwhile, the black-clad woman with a mermaid-like grace ascended the stage, and received the beautiful statuette that symbolized glory and honor, something that could represent a person’s entire life.
She extended her hand and brought the trophy high above her head. Her eyes were like the finest black pearls, and her skin, though not as white as Caucasians, had a natural, youthful tint that made it look almost fragile.
Why her?
Until now, Su Muran could not believe what she was seeing. It should have been her. The host had said her name, right? It should have been her. Should have been her. This wasn’t right.
She was meant to receive that award.
Yet, why wasn’t she the one receiving the award? Somebody needs to explain it to her. What happened? Why wasn’t it her? Why…
Yan Huan?
Yan Huan kissed the statuette in her hand. Finally. Her career has finally ended, on the highest note possible. She could step away from the screens and spend all her time with her family now, like Liang Chen.
There were more meaningful things than awards and honors; things like spending time with her family, and living out the rest of their simple days in peace.
Before the Beginning turned out to be the biggest winner; despite losing the Best Director Award, it was nominated for Best Visual Effects, Best Story, Best Adapted Screenplay, and four other awards. In the end, it took home two.
The first was Yan Huan’s Best Actress Award, and the second the Best Adapted Screenplay Award. It was a full harvest.
Sitting before the mirror, Yan Huan began removing her makeup. The blush and foundation had made her skin look clear and pretty, and her eyes bright and sparkly. She was beautiful, indeed.
But what use did that have?
Bit by bit, she removed her makeup, until her original skin color showed. Her skin wasn’t dull, but slightly pale. Even so, she was extremely beautiful.
Beside her stood the golden statuette. From this day onwards, she would be known as the Best Actress in the world. She had taken what Su Muran had hankered sorely.
The statuette, the title, they all belonged to her now. Su Muran’s fate was about to change too.
She wouldn’t kick her when she’s down, but neither would she sacrifice herself for others. Not for Su Muran, at least. She won’t give her the blood she needed this time.
That’s why only Lu Yi and a couple others were privy to the fact that she had RH negative AB blood. Lu Yi wasn’t around anymore, and He Yibin and Lei Qingyi’s lips were sealed. She wanted to see how Su Muran was going to go about saving herself, without an innocent child at her disposal.