As a well-known Ye Zhou hater in the circle, when various criticisms about boycotting Ye Zhou just broke out, Flying Melon immediately received great attention.
After all, everyone knew clearly that this Melon had been firmly on the path of opposing Ye Zhou since “A Farce” and became Ye Zhou’s number one anti-fan.
Where there was Ye Zhou, there would be Flying Melon.
This person was truly one of the most tenacious in the circle; even if his face was being slapped loudly, he never gave up. He covered his face and continued to move forward bravely in his career of opposing and criticizing Ye Zhou, refusing to take a step back.
Not only that, Flying Melon even took on a super tenacious attitude, growing stronger when faced with setbacks on the road of opposing Ye Zhou. Many had fallen due to being slapped in the face multiple times, but he, after so many years, still stood proudly!
Although he lost many former fans due to opposing Ye Zhou, he also gathered a group of like-minded individuals around him who found Ye Zhou displeasing and joined him in opposing Ye Zhou.
It was not an exaggeration to say that being a black fan like Flying Melon, to such an extent, during every event, he was like a beacon. Not only did he oppose Ye Zhou, but he also lit the way for other fans who wanted to oppose but were unable to do so for various reasons, guiding them toward the light.
Therefore, when various unfavorable news about Ye Zhou was exposed this time, many people who had seen the entanglement between the two were eagerly awaiting to see how Flying Melon would criticize Ye Zhou this time.
However, what surprised everyone was, amidst all the commotion that lasted for so long, Flying Melon remained as quiet as a chicken, with even the last update on Weibo being the day before the premiere of “The Most Beautiful.”
This may be nothing for ordinary people, but for a heavy Weibo user like Flying Melon, who posts dozens of times a day and even documents his eating, drinking, and daily activities on Weibo, this was quite abnormal.
Some said that the Flying Melon was being cowardly this time, others speculated that he might have been bought off by Ye Zhou’s team, and there were even more conspiracy theories, directly asserting that the Flying Melon had been taken away by the authorities.
Of course, Melon’s fans were not happy to see their favorite blogger being criticized like this and rushed to defend him, with explanations ranging from organized to chaotic.
“Would our Melon ever be cowardly? I ask you, which other fan-turned-hater in the circle can match our Melon’s perseverance and dedication, working tirelessly on the front lines of boycotting Ye Zhou, criticizing him without any gaps year after year? Who else besides our Melon can do this? Who else!”
“The main event always appears last, so keep complaining. Our Melon is saving his big move. When he unveils it, all of you will have to kneel down and apologize. Get ready!”
“Bought off? Are you kidding? Do you know how much money Ye Zhou has made over the years? If Flying Melon were the kind of person who could be easily bought off, he would have gone with the flow when ‘A Farce’ was a big hit, right!”
“That’s right, having a foul mouth is like a disease, go to the hospital and get treated early.”
“It’s impossible to buy him off. When ‘Thriller Circus’ was released, it’s said that Ye Zhou even personally invited Melon to watch the movie to please him. And what happened? Melon still continued criticizing without any fear. No chance of being bought off!”
“Just a random passerby chiming in, while it’s possible that other reviewers could be bought off, but as for Flying Melon… I still believe in him. After all, he’s a man who remains steadfast in his resistance even after his face has been swollen from being slapped multiple times.”
…
Just as Flying Melon’s combat power was formidable, his fans’ combat power was equally strong. They were not just ordinary fans, but rather the fighting force among fans.
When they come out, all sorts of scathing remarks come flying, and the keyboard warriors who were mocking just moments ago suddenly fell silent.
Sometimes, people are bullies who fear the strong. When Ye Zhou did not defend himself, the keyboard warriors treated him like a soft target and intensified their attacks. But when faced with Melon fans who were even more fierce and ruthless, these keyboard warriors immediately fled, afraid of being caught and humiliated.
With the Golden Jade Film Festival Awards just around the corner, the last update on Flying Melon’s Weibo was still from the early hours of the previous night, indicating that there was no activity.
Just when everyone thought he had no intention of getting involved, even the Melon fans believed so, at 5:26 a.m., Flying Melon’s long-silent Weibo account was updated.
Looking at the Weibo post he had just sent out, Flying Melon knew, without even thinking, that he would be criticized harshly for it.
Being criticized didn’t matter to him; what mattered most was that after posting this Weibo, he might no longer be able to be a film blogger in the future, let alone a film critic.
Due to his previous actions of criticizing Ye Zhou, everyone knew clearly that the name Flying Melon was synonymous with being Ye Zhou’s top anti-fan, and he had already offended all those who liked Ye Zhou.
Originally, this wasn’t a big deal, after all, things have two sides. While he may have offended those who liked Ye Zhou by criticizing him, he had also attracted a group of people who disliked Ye Zhou just as much.
Occasionally riding on Ye Zhou’s popularity, he maintained a persona of being sober amidst a world drunk with success. He adorned himself with a righteous and principled hat, refusing to bow to money.
As long as he and Ye Zhou were in opposing positions, he would not worry about business because people who disliked Ye Zhou would always come to him for work.
However, all of this was based on the premise that he must remain in opposition to Ye Zhou.
Once this balance of opposition was disrupted, if Flying Melon dared to say a single good thing about Ye Zhou, the hat of being opportunistic would almost immediately get pinned on him like a nail.
After offending those who like Ye Zhou, once this Weibo post was out, it meant he had kicked over his own rice bowl, offended the black fans who rely on him for survival and dislike Ye Zhou.
“Tsk, it’s a mess inside and out.” Flying Melon self-deprecatingly smiled.
It was the early hours of the morning. Not many people were online, and most netizens were still in their dreams, but Flying Melon was watching as the comments and mentions on his recent Weibo post rapidly increased.
Ironically, the usually fearless Melon was now feeling a bit scared. He did not even dare to look at those comments, hesitating to click and view them.
Seeking profit and avoiding harm is human instinct, and there was a moment when Flying Melon even grasped the mouse, wanting to delete the Weibo post thinking it never happened.
But after staring at the computer screen for a long time, his eyes even started to feel sore, he ultimately didn’t delete it and simply pressed the power button, plunging the screen into darkness.
Flying Melon washed his face and collapsed onto the bed, his hand that was just holding the mouse still trembling slightly.
He initially hoped to quickly fall asleep to stop thinking about all the mess, but in a state of extreme mental stimulation, half an hour passed and he still felt wide awake.
Suddenly, Flying Melon jumped out of bed, grabbed his phone from the desk, dialed a series of numbers proficiently, and began composing a text message.
He deleted and rewrote the message; sometimes, it was long with hundreds of words, and other times, it was just a few lines.
The final message he sent was very short, only a few words.
“You deserve an award.”
Please make sure to win an award, otherwise, I, Laozi1老子 (lǎo zi) – father / daddy / “I, your father” (in anger, or out of contempt) / I (used arrogantly or jocularly), will have lost for nothing!
—
While the outside world was in turmoil, Ye Zhou, who was at the center of the storm, remained calm inside.
He was neither as stressed to the point of sleeplessness as speculated by others, nor as gloomy as imagined by the haters. His life continued with its usual calm routine, seemingly untouched by any upheaval.
As the film festival approached, Ye Zhou was instructed by his team members to refrain from attending commercial events and focus solely on preparing for the award ceremony.
Ye Zhou was actually quite confused. What did he need to prepare for the award ceremony? Perhaps stars needed to make preparations for styling and makeup, but as a director, he thought it was rough and simple—just dab on some moisturizer and throw on a suit, and good to go.
Ye Zhou had already prepared his acceptance speech, not out of excessive confidence, but because the organizers required every nominee to prepare one in advance.
Ye Zhou’s acceptance speech was very short, and he hardly needed to memorize it. He just needed to read it a couple of times to have it clear in his mind, especially since the organizers only mentioned the need for a speech without specifying its length.
Despite the uproar online about him, Ye Zhou himself had shown little reaction. The carefree Ye Zhou even gained a few pounds compared to when the film was first released.
Ye Zhou usually carried two phones: one for work purposes and the other for personal contacts with friends and family.
Recently, there had been a lot of buzz online about Ye Zhou’s work phone, which was previously used for casting and was almost semi-public. When the online criticism started heating up, he received dozens to hundreds of harassing calls almost daily.
As a result, Ye Zhou eventually just turned off that phone and kept only his personal phone active for contact, which very few people knew about.
Therefore, Ye Zhou naturally did not receive the text message sent by Flying Melon.
On this day, just like any other day, Ye Zhou ate and drank, and in the evening, after exchanging greetings with Mr. Jiang, he prepared to head to the venue of the Golden Jade Film Festival with the rest of the crew.
Mr. Jiang originally planned to set off with him, but in the afternoon, he unexpectedly received a call from the company’s senior management, so he had to stay back for a video conference before rushing over.
Before leaving, Ye Zhou waved to Mr. Jiang and casually said, “Jiang-ge, I’m off.”
Jiang Tingyuan gestured for him to wait and then turned to the people on the video call, saying, “Take a ten-minute break, we’ll continue later.”
After speaking, he waved to Ye Zhou.
Although puzzled, Ye Zhou obediently took a few steps forward and was immediately pulled into a warm embrace that carried a pleasant woody scent.
“Stay safe, wait for me,” Jiang Tingyuan whispered in his ear.
His voice was slightly hoarse from the afternoon meeting, but it carried a different charm than usual, tickling a sensation in Ye Zhou’s heart.
Having a rebellious nature, Ye Zhou had to restrain himself in his previous life for the sake of survival. But since arriving in this world and having Mr. Jiang as a big supporter, life had been smooth sailing, making him indulgent.
With a sudden thought in mind, he acted upon it immediately. He gestured to Mr. Jiang, signaling that he had something to say, and motioned for him to come closer.
While Jiang Tingyuan didn’t suspect anything, when he really leaned in, he felt his face being kissed soundly and dramatically, a loud smooch echoing. Ye Zhou’s kiss was genuine, leaving a slight redness on Mr. Jiang’s skin.
“You know…”
Before Mr. Jiang could react, Ye Zhou didn’t wait and promptly dashed towards the door, waving to Mr. Jiang with a playful smile, shouting, “I’ll be waiting for you at the venue!!”
Watching his departing figure, Jiang Tingyuan sighed in resignation, completing the words he had failed to say earlier under his breath.
“The video call is still on.”
It must be said that sometimes Ye Zhou’s skin was as thick as a city wall, such as when he was being bashed by haters. But at other times, his skin was so thin it might as well be non-existent, like in the current situation.
Luckily, Ye Zhou didn’t hear the whispered words; if he had heard them, he would probably have wished to find a piece of tofu and hit himself to death on the spot.
Mr. Jiang, on the other hand, calmly sat back in front of his computer and coolly said, “Let’s continue.”
On the screen, the usually serious executives were now stifling laughter, but none of them dared to laugh out loud, putting them in quite a tough spot.
Fortunately, being seasoned professionals, they quickly adjusted their mood to top shape. In just a few seconds, the relaxed atmosphere disappeared instantly, replaced by a serious and focused discussion during the meeting.
At half past six in the evening, Ye Zhou successfully met up with the cast of “The Most Beautiful.” They were scheduled to enter the venue quite early in the lineup, following two other prominent crews who were currently in the limelight.
However, being a crew behind the scenes, it was mostly the celebrities who were placed at the front. Directors held a certain privilege, especially renowned ones, who often walked the red carpet with actors from their films.
With Ye Zhou’s current level of fame in the industry, he was naturally entitled to this treatment. But Ye Zhou declined. He never enjoyed walking the red carpet, feeling like a performing monkey on display, surrounded by cameras and onlookers scrutinizing his every move.
As usual, he chose to walk with his crew. While the organizers regretted not gaining more publicity by having him walk alone, they respected Ye Zhou’s choice.
At eight o’clock in the evening, the Golden Jade Film Festival began. Initially, everything was going smoothly. As usual, male and female stars, fresh faces, and rising talents all made their appearances, showcasing remarkable styles and beauty. Being one of the top film festivals in the country with high prestige, the Golden Jade Film Festival was always a visual feast just by people walking in.
Both the audience at the venue and those watching the livestream online gleefully assessed the high-end dresses, jewelry, and accessories worn by the attendees, noting the designer, season, and style of each outfit.
The unexpected incident occurred when Ye Zhou and the cast of “The Most Beautiful” were walking the red carpet. As they were halfway through, a soda can was suddenly thrown from the audience on the left.
It was a half-empty cola can. Although Ye Zhou dodged it, some of the cola spilled out upon contact with the ground, splashing onto his clean dark brown leather shoes.
Following that, almost simultaneously, a voice from that same area sounded very excited, “Boycott the trash director Ye Zhou from participating in the film festival, he is not worthy! He is not worthy!”
The unexpected turn of events happened so abruptly that even the security personnel around, tasked with maintaining order, couldn’t react in time.
Countless flashing cameras pointed at Ye Zhou from all directions. Even though it was night, the flashes shined as brightly as daylight in that moment. Everyone wanted to capture and document Ye Zhou’s reaction, whether it was anger, embarrassment, or losing his composure.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Ye Zhou patted the shoulder of the staff member in front of him, took two steps forward, and bent down to pick up the cola still trickling with brown liquid on the ground.
He didn’t show any signs of anger or lose composure. His demeanor hardly changed compared to before the incident took place.
Just as everyone held their breath wondering what Ye Zhou would do next, he gestured towards the distance between him and the man who was still shouting excitedly. Unexpectedly, he swiftly raised his hand and accurately threw the soda can back.
Ye Zhou’s aim was significantly better. He effortlessly accomplished what the man wanted to do but couldn’t. The can hit the man’s chest directly, splashing the remaining cola liquid onto his pristine white coat and leaving unsightly marks.
As the liquid spread down his clothes, the can rolled forward a few times on the ground before finally completing its mission.
Ye Zhou’s series of actions flowed effortlessly, almost too swiftly for the surrounding media to react. The expressions on everyone’s faces were a mixture of surprise and astonishment; no one expected him to act this way under such circumstances.
Taking out a tissue from his suit pocket, Ye Zhou calmly wiped off the stains on his hands while glancing at the reporters around him, softly asking, “Did you capture everything?”
The intern from Star Entertainment happened to be standing next to Ye Zhou. She stuttered a bit as she replied, “W-we captured it.”
Although she felt it was inappropriate, inexplicably, a strange thought popped into the intern’s mind: “He was so handsome just now!”
Ye Zhou nodded, “Alright then, I’ll take my leave.”
With that, he strode purposefully towards the venue without hesitation, leaving behind the now-reactive media and the man who was now even more heated in his protests.
However, the man was quickly escorted out by a few security guards from the venue, swift and well-trained in their actions.
The venue returned to calmness, except for the now darkened cola stain on the red carpet where Ye Zhou had stood, a silent testimony to what had just occurred.
Stopping in front of the autograph wall, Ye Zhou took a golden pen and first wrote Director Sang’s name before adding his own behind it.
This small detail was accurately captured by the cameras, causing a stir online regarding Ye Zhou signing on behalf of Director Sang. It quickly became a topic of heated debate.
Some people believed that he had no right to sign on behalf of Director Sang, claiming it was exploiting the legacy of the late director for emotional effect. Others thought his gesture was gentle and thoughtful, fulfilling the late director’s wishes while also showing respect towards him. The same action seen through different perspectives naturally led to varying opinions. There is no absolute right or wrong, just differing viewpoints. Ye Zhou didn’t care about how others perceived it; he only sought to have a clear conscience.
While the online debates were lively, the atmosphere at the Golden Jade Film Festival venue remained relatively calm, with everything proceeding smoothly. Apart from the minor incident during “The Most Beautiful” crew’s red carpet walk, the following retrospective and award presentation sections went on quite normally.
The joy of receiving awards, the disappointment of not winning, or the regret and sadness of missing out on an award, enthusiastic cheers and applause, occasional trembling voices due to overwhelming emotions or tearful speeches, emotional music, film clips, congratulatory messages, heartfelt sighs, and acceptance speeches—all intertwined to create the soundscape of the Golden Jade Film Festival venue.
Due to scheduling conflicts, the films screening concurrently with “The Most Beautiful” were highly competitive, either in terms of box office success, anticipated artistic value, or the presence of veteran actors and actresses, making the competition intense.
As the awards ceremony approached its halfway mark, the “The Most Beautiful” crew had not received any awards. Just when the internet was buzzing with sarcasm, the prestigious awards designated for the finale finally began to be announced.
The first awards presented were for the Best Supporting Actor and Actress categories. They were won by a male actor who had been toiling in the industry for years without landing lead roles and a relatively unknown female actress from the industry.
When the male actor took the stage to give his speech, his speech was choked with emotions. His eyes became red with tears, clearly showing his overwhelmed state.
After the Best Supporting Actor and Actress were awarded, it was time for the Best Actor and Actress categories. The Best Actor went to the veteran actor Shen Dongqiu, while the Best Actress was awarded to the talented actress Qiao Yan.
This outcome was not surprising, as before the awards ceremony, the organizers conducted a poll on their official social media account, in which these two individuals received the highest number of votes.
As the newly crowned Best Actress, Qiao Yan concluded her speech and descended from the stage holding her trophy, the spotlight dimmed on the stage.
In the center of the big screen, it split into four parts, each displaying a different person’s name and the title of their work. Among these four names, the names of Sang Huaining and Ye Zhou lay side by side in the last frame.
Starting from the first frame, the screen played the footage of the nominated directors’ works one by one, with the final image freezing on the last scene of “The Most Beautiful.” It showed an old marriage certificate exuding a nostalgic vibe, with yellowed paper and ink inscribed with a fountain pen that had not faded over the years, remaining as clear and firm as they were back then.
“Alright, after watching the excellent editing of the nominated directors’ works, let’s warmly welcome our award presenters today—renowned director Kong Wei. Please welcome Director Kong!”
Kong Wei, a senior gentleman in his seventies, walked somewhat unsteadily with the support of the staff around him as he ascended the stage, picked up the envelope containing the list of winners, tore it open, and glanced inside.
With just one glance, the expression on Director Kong Wei’s face softened. He smoothed out the paper with the names written on it, facing it towards the audience. The camera also zoomed in on the list in Director Kong’s hand at the right moment.
At the same time, Director Kong used the microphone with his clear and elderly voice to announce the names of the winners.
“Ye Zhou.”
“Sang Huaining.”
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