Chapter66

At her first international film festival, Cen Zhen's red carpet appearance unexpectedly received unanimous praise from domestic netizens. Even those fashion bloggers who usually scrutinize every little mistake had to admit that this time, they were all in agreement. Many praised Cen Zhen’s choice to wear a single antique gemstone brooch.

"This HRGri gemstone brooch is simply genius! It’s not gaudy at all, the minimalist sense of luxury is just on point!"

"I also think this brooch was a brilliant choice. Any other colorful jewelry would have been too much, but this brooch is a perfect 100% MAX!"

"Give the styling team extra praise, the concept is both fresh and elegant!"

"LOL, sisters, do you really not know where this brooch came from?"

"Give Cen Zhen a round of applause, hahaha!"

"After the red carpet, Cen Zhen said in an interview that the brooch is her husband’s! Her husband’s! And that this brooch holds special meaning for them. We don’t know exactly what the meaning is, but it's so heartwarming!"

"Ahhh, you two are so sweet, bringing your husband along on the red carpet?"

"Probably because, in all the days I shine, I want you to be by my side, sob sob."

After the red carpet, while handling media duties, Cen Zhen messaged Meng Fanchuan: "Did you see it?"

At that moment, Meng Fanchuan was still replaying the short few minutes of Cen Zhen on the red carpet. He never imagined that Cen Zhen would use this way to let him see her “red carpet debut.”

He completely understood her intentions and was deeply touched by her thoughtfulness.

"You’ve made me speechless," he said.

Cen Zhen was puzzled. "Huh?"

Meng Fanchuan truly didn’t know how to respond. He suddenly didn’t know how to love her well enough; it felt like nothing he did could match her passionate and sincere love for him. Drowned in the waves of endless happiness, Meng Fanchuan couldn’t express his surprise and emotion when he saw her wearing that brooch.

And then, out of nowhere, he found himself silently thankful—

Such a wonderful person was his.

"I want to see you," Meng Fanchuan couldn’t wait any longer.

"No!" Cen Zhen quickly replied, "The competition is the day after tomorrow, don’t come just because of me!"

Perhaps worried about Meng Fanchuan acting impulsively, Cen Zhen added, "Xiang Jie has arranged a lot of work for me. In the next few days, I need to attend a few more movie premieres, several interviews, meet with a few directors, and take photos... I won’t have time to be with you if you come."

Cen Zhen described how busy she was, and Meng Fanchuan understood her intention—if she neglected her work, she would probably feel guilty.

So, he compromised: "Okay, we’ll talk after you're done."

He said that, but he couldn’t stop counting down the days until the competition was over. He was busy in Spain, and Cen Zhen was equally tied up in Cannes.

After the opening ceremony, the next nearly 10 days were filled with screenings of the films featured in the festival.

"Falling" was scheduled for the fifth day. On the day of its screening, the venue was packed, with Chinese fans and film lovers from around the world in attendance, along with actors, celebrities, directors, and critics from other film crews. All the film industry professionals gathered together to scrutinize this lone Chinese film nominated for the main competition.

The overall tone of "Falling" was undoubtedly oppressive, but within this oppression was a powerful force that was shocking. Perhaps it was Li Tao’s final desperate counterattack, or maybe it was her smile when she knelt and told her adopted sister—who had no blood relation to her—that she would protect her. Everything in the film slowly revealed the extremes of human nature, both the good and the evil, within this silent oppression.

At the end of the film, the venue was silent for a long time, as everyone seemed to be absorbed in the image of the young girl falling in the cold snow. Her clean white dress stained with glaring, mocking blood.

Who could save her from the cold? Who could save countless others like her from this cold?

Until all the credits were finished, someone started clapping, and soon, the applause filled the entire venue. Nearly 2,000 viewers stood and applauded the creative team for several minutes, genuinely moved.

After the screening, the Cannes festival’s official publication, "Screen," quickly rated "Falling" with four stars in multiple categories, giving it an overall score of 3.7, breaking the record for the highest score in the festival's history—surpassing the previous year’s German film record of 3.6.

This result and feedback were undoubtedly the greatest recognition for Xie Qingzong and Cen Zhen.

After nearly ten days of screenings, the closing ceremony and highly anticipated award ceremony arrived. Although both the audience and international media had given the film positive reviews over the past days, no one knew if it would win any awards at this Western-hosted film festival.

The night before the award ceremony, Cen Zhen and Meng Fanchuan had a long video call.

"Are you nervous?" Meng Fanchuan asked.

Of course, it would be impossible not to be nervous. Standing at such a high pedestal with her first film, Cen Zhen’s competition was from people she had never dared to imagine before.

"Do you know the national treasure actress from Germany, Ramona? I watched her act when I was little, she’s really amazing."

On the other side of the screen, Meng Fanchuan casually responded, mimicking her, "Do you know the national treasure actress from China, Cen Zhen? I watched her debut, she’s really amazing."

Cen Zhen was stunned for a moment, then laughed, her eyes filling with a sweet blush, "You’re so annoying, who’s blowing me up like that?""This is a fact," Meng Fanchuan said confidently. "Isn't it already decided that Miss Cen is the most stunning beauty on both sides of the Taiwan Strait?"

No girl would reject sweet words, and for a moment, Cen Zhen forgot her anxious waiting, pursing her lips as she looked at him. "When did you get so good at comforting people?"

Meng Fanchuan smiled. "Do you want to hear more?"

Cen Zhen, lying on the soft bed with her chin propped up by her hand, nodded. "Then tell me."

...

They talked for almost an hour on video call that day, covering everything from the southern to the northern corners of the world. Meng Fanchuan patiently helped ease Cen Zhen's nerves before the awards ceremony, until finally, on the other side of the screen, Cen Zhen relaxed and naturally drifted to sleep during their conversation.

Once he confirmed she was asleep, Meng Fanchuan ended the video call and sat in the room for a while, exhaling gently.

Perhaps he couldn’t believe it—he, who was so accustomed to being laid-back, and who never felt nervous even when facing challenges on complex snow-capped mountains, was now feeling a sense of urgency on the eve of Cen Zhen’s award ceremony.

The next day, the highly anticipated closing ceremony and award ceremony of this year's Cannes Film Festival finally arrived.

Although it was deep into the night in China, countless media outlets and netizens were online, waiting for the results. The Meng family was nearly lit up all night, with Meng Songnian and his wife staying up until 2 AM for the first time in years, all for their son and daughter-in-law.

Cen Zhen's mentor, senior, friends, and even her ex-boyfriend, Song Wang, who had long become a stranger, all silently watched the live broadcast.

Occasionally, when the camera passed over Cen Zhen, Song Wang might even feel a fleeting thought—if only he had treasured her more back then, perhaps it would have been him by her side at Cannes tonight?

But there were no more "ifs."

Now, she was already the young mistress of the Meng family, and perhaps after tonight, she would be the first Chinese actress to win the Best Actress award at Cannes. He wasn't even worthy of looking up to her.

The stairs of the Cannes Film Palace were covered in red carpet tonight. The best filmmakers from all around the world gathered here, the venue sparkling with stars and packed with a full house.

There were very few Chinese faces, with the only nominated film from the Chinese-speaking world being Falling. Xie Qingzong and Cen Zhen sat in the audience, neither of them speaking. Under the spotlight, they skillfully applauded and smiled after each award announcement.

Would they win an award? Which one? Or would they, like other Chinese filmmakers before them, leave empty-handed?

No one could give an answer before the ceremony ended.

There were only about 10 awards in total, so the ceremony moved quickly.

After the Best Screenplay award, they began announcing the Best Actor award. Xie Qingzong reminded Cen Zhen, "Next is Best Actress."

Cen Zhen took a deep breath. "I know."

Her gaze remained fixed on the stage. Of course, she wanted to step onto that prestigious podium, take the Golden Palm trophy, and smile at the world, saying, "I am Chinese actress Cen Zhen."

On stage, the French male actor, holding the Golden Palm trophy, was tearfully excited, reflecting on his 31 years in the industry and how, at the age of 55, he had finally fulfilled his dream. Cen Zhen’s English wasn’t perfect, so she didn’t fully understand what he was saying, but she could feel his love and sincerity for film from his tear-filled eyes.

When he kissed his trophy and exited the stage, Cen Zhen clapped for him from the bottom of her heart. It wasn’t until the next presenter came on stage to announce the Best Actress award that her heartbeat suddenly quickened, though her face still maintained controlled composure.

At the same time, at a flower shop on a street corner in Cannes, the TV was playing the award ceremony live. The shop owner, who had been about to close, stayed open after a customer paid double the price. After wrapping up a bouquet of blue flowers, she handed it to the Asian man standing in front of her. "Enjoy your date, young man."

The award was announced, and the sound of applause washed over the TV screen. As the camera panned, Meng Fanchuan's gaze landed on Cen Zhen's still stunning face. He paused for several seconds before regaining his composure, saying, "Thank you," in French.

After the Best Actor and Actress awards were given, there were only three more awards left, with the most prestigious ones being saved for last. A quarter of an hour later, this grand ceremony finally concluded in the Film Palace before an audience of over 10,000.

Though it was already late at night in China, major media outlets immediately released breaking news, with the official film channel receiving the most attention.

@Movie Channel: "The 77th Cannes Film Festival has concluded. The full list of winners is as follows! Director Xie Qingzong and actress Cen Zhen, though not winning Best Actress or Best Director, saw their film Falling win the Jury Prize. Xie Qingzong took the stage to thank all the staff and gave special recognition to Cen Zhen’s performance, stating that Chinese faces have infinite possibilities in the future and encouraging all Chinese filmmakers to continue working hard."

By the late night, countless netizens exploded with comments:

".................."

"How should I put it, expected and unexpected at the same time."

"Sob sob sob, a bit sad tonight."

"Sisters, what are you sad about? Just being nominated is already incredible!! Cen Zhen is only 23, don’t put pressure on her!"

"Why don’t you check out who Cen Zhen’s competitors were before you get sad? There’s a European Grand Slam winner, a German national treasure actor—you want a 20-something girl to fight for the award with them?"

"Hahaha, the wealthy lady fans trying to salvage their reputation look so pathetic. She should quit acting and go home to have kids."

"LOL, the ‘wealthy film queen’ persona is falling apart. What’s next? A ‘wealthy mom’ persona?"

"Are you crazy upstairs? Do you even know the significance of the Jury Prize? I never expected Falling to win it!"

"Can the haters go do their research before talking? Are you not embarrassed? Let me copy this for you—Jury Prize is second only to the Best Film Palme d'Or, basically the runner-up in the main competition!"

"So what? That award was given to the film, not to Cen Zhen."

"Who doesn’t know Falling is a female-lead movie? The original title is The Life of Li Tao. If Cen Zhen didn’t perform well, do you think the jury would’ve given this award?""Before I clicked in, I thought everyone was happy for Chinese films winning awards, but why are you all arguing now? Can you all wait until you’re nominated for a main competition unit before you complain? Thanks."

"Huh? Is anyone still expecting this Western 'game of dividing the spoils'?"

"Zhen Zhen, keep going! Director Xie, keep going! Chinese cinema, keep going!"

...

When Cen Zhen walked out of the Film Palace, she didn’t know that her name was already trending on China’s hot search list late at night, with #CenZhenKeepGoing# topping the rankings. Everyone was full of tolerance and encouragement for this young actress.

She was still wearing the dress she had worn for the closing ceremony, her hairstyle and posture impeccably maintained. Even when someone passed by and greeted her, she still smiled gracefully in return.

But she was feeling disheartened.

Her mind felt a bit empty, her thoughts scattered, as she aimlessly walked down the steps, until she saw a figure standing at the bottom of the stairs.

A glimmer of light suddenly appeared in Cen Zhen’s eyes as she looked up—

The man she loved, looking worn out, holding a bouquet of beautiful flowers, was standing there at the bottom of the steps, seemingly waiting for her for a long time.

Cen Zhen froze for two seconds, and those unresolved emotions suddenly overwhelmed her chest. She quickly walked up to him and threw herself into his arms.

Without saying anything, she simply called out, "Husband."

All the disappointment and sadness were poured into that word filled with dependence, making Meng Fanchuan feel a pang of heartache. He gently patted her back, "You were amazing."

Cen Zhen, of course, knew that.

After missing out on both Best Actress and Best Director, neither Cen Zhen nor Xie Qingzong had any expectations left. But unexpectedly, the second-to-last award—the Jury Prize—was announced, and Falling was the winner.

At that moment, Cen Zhen slightly opened her eyes, shocked and disbelieving, but...

She quickly clapped excitedly for her film.

Yet, deep in her heart, there was still a sense of regret—this time, she didn’t stand on that stage to say, "I am Chinese actress Cen Zhen."

But at this moment, her disappointment was somewhat eased by Meng Fanchuan’s sudden appearance. Without caring about the crowd around them, she hugged him and asked, "How did you get here?"

Of course, Meng Fanchuan had to come. It was his first time not walking the red carpet with her, but this time, he had prepared to come early. Although he got caught up with work and couldn’t accompany her into the venue, he managed to catch up and wait for her to come out.

Meng Fanchuan handed her the flowers. "How could someone who won an award not have flowers to greet them?"

The flowers were beautiful, all in Cen Zhen's favorite shades of blue.

She looked down at them, and somehow, the sad emotions she had been feeling just disappeared. She took a deep breath and silently said, "Actually, I just have a tiny bit of regret."

The Film Palace was located near a beach, and the two of them walked hand-in-hand, quietly chatting along the sand.

"I understand," Meng Fanchuan said, pausing briefly. "Everyone has regrets."

Cen Zhen turned to look at him, not believing that this carefree young master would have any regrets. Meng Fanchuan noticed her curious expression and smiled as he raised his lips. "Of course I have regrets. I regret not finding you earlier. I regret that the first man you liked wasn’t me."

"..."

"But in the end, we’re together now," Meng Fanchuan continued nonchalantly. "This regret only makes me cherish and look forward to our future more."

Cen Zhen stared at him, half-understanding, feeling like this man was subtly trying to comfort her.

She blinked, "Stop pretending to be so profound, I’m not used to it."

"..."

Meng Fanchuan sighed, half-amused, "What I mean is—accept the existence of regret."

He took her hand and kissed it. "You’re only 23, and there’s still plenty of time and a long road ahead to make up for regrets. Have you ever thought that one day, that red gem will attract attention because of you, that it will only have value when you wear it?"

Cen Zhen stared at him, stunned for a while. "…How come you’re suddenly so eloquent today?"

She felt a little unaccustomed to it.

When she saw Cen Zhen’s disappointment in the flower shop, Meng Fanchuan had already been thinking about how to comfort her when they met. He knew she would be sad and disappointed, and he didn’t dare to make jokes while preparing what to say.

But it seemed like his wife wasn’t as upset as he had imagined.

Meng Fanchuan looked at her for two seconds, then suddenly laughed softly. "Have I corrupted you?"

Cen Zhen couldn’t help but laugh as well. "I guess so. After meeting you, I feel like... it’s just an award, it’s no big deal."

She waved the flowers in her hand, belatedly praising someone. "I have a husband who gave me flowers."

As they laughed, the regrets seemed to vanish with the wind of the Cannes night. Meng Fanchuan felt more relaxed. Once a person relaxes, their true nature comes out. He stopped and held her against him. "So, how about a reward?"

Cen Zhen pursed her lips. "Okay, a reward."

He lowered his head and came closer. "What reward?"

"Well, since I didn’t get the Best Actress," Cen Zhen dragged out her tone, pausing for a few seconds before kissing his lips. "How about making a ‘first time’ moment?"

Meng Fanchuan: "What first time?""The first time in Cannes..." The rest of the words, Cen Zhen whispered into Meng Fanchuan's ear.

Meng Fanchuan listened, remaining calm for three seconds, and then confirmed one thing again—

His wife had truly been corrupted by him.

After a short separation, when they pushed the door open and entered, their clothes were a bit messy from the hurried kisses, but the words spoken remained clear.

"Many celebrities and media are staying here, are you afraid?"

Cen Zhen was retreating step by step under his kisses. They hadn't seen each other in many days, and it was easy for her to feel it, yet she didn't let him get the upper hand, mimicking his way of speaking. "People have professional ethics. They wouldn’t just come in to see a legitimate married couple—"

But she still got stuck on those two straightforward words.

Meng Fanchuan laughed. "What?"

Their gazes met. Cen Zhen's cheeks turned slightly pink, and suddenly, she turned and sat on him, replacing her answer with action.

For the first time, she became the one taking the initiative. In that seamless moment, both of their breaths deepened, and the unfinished words just now were thrown out of their minds amidst the rising rhythm.

That night was reckless, even the sea breeze was romantic, carrying layers of shy yet intense waves, again and again, without stopping, without rest.

The grand Cannes event came to a close in May, and the discussions on the internet gradually quieted down.

In July of the same year, Cen Zhen won the Best Actress award at the Hundred Flowers Awards, one of China’s top three domestic film awards, for her role as Li Tao. She became the youngest ever Hundred Flowers Best Actress.

In September of the same year, at the Shanghai International Film Festival, Cen Zhen won the Best Newcomer Award.

In April of the following year, Cen Zhen won the Best Actress award at the Hong Kong Film Awards for her role as Nalan Qingli in The Chronicles of Luo Shui. The Hong Kong media dedicated two pages to praise her well-deserved success.

When Movie Character Weekly interviewed Cen Zhen, they commented on her:

"An actress with infinite potential, who will eventually carve out her own space."

That winter, Cen Zhen joined another film production in an unknown small village in Inner Mongolia.

When she parted from Meng Fanchuan, she still said, "I will miss you."

Meng Fanchuan hugged her, and also said that sentence he had said many times, and would continue to say in the future—

"Take good care of the filming. I’ll wait for you to come back."

——————

(End of the main story's side chapter for now, with the final chapters about the baby and career to be written last. Please see the author's note for the specific arrangement and reasons.)