This time, the situation is completely different from the Golden Phoenix Awards ceremony more than a month ago.

Back then, Xia Siyu did not yet have a leading actress award. Although she had won at Cannes before, it was still just as Best Supporting Actress.

A top star, who has been in the industry for ten years, yet her mainstream award was for Supporting Actress. Moreover, her past movies primarily focused on youth, campus, urban love stories. Although they were well-received at the box office, they were considered lacking in depth, with characters only changing outfits, and even the romances felt similar.

The mainstream did not really recognize her, especially since she was frequently embroiled in scandals. Whenever she was mentioned, tabloid news was more famous than the films she acted in.

This situation hadn’t changed even until recently. Even though in recent years, her films seemed to have suddenly clicked. Starting with "Storm," her performance in the two films directed by Director Ji, "Spring Light," and Bo Yan’s "Sunrise," showed notable improvement. Whenever she appeared, forget Shang Feifei, even Bo Yan was overshadowed by her aura.

Her eyes finally had a story to tell, her mannerisms, regardless of her arrogant and bossy demeanor off-screen, once audiences watched her films, her performance could immediately draw them in.

But no matter what, not having won an award did make her seem like something was missing. Especially with her strong polarizing fanbase, whenever she appeared, it was bound to incite a war of words.

But now, this skepticism has been shattered. She won the award, and this time it was well-deserved. At the beginning of the year, many female fans mesmerized by "Divine Catcher" could finally exclaim in unison, "Our idol won an award!"

The hacker wanted to cause trouble, but she had even more in store. Whether it’s "Sunrise" or her second collaboration with Wang Ju in "Overthrows the Country and the City," they are all films capable of winning awards.

In terms of box office, there’s also a superhero movie waiting. Although superhero films can flop, the one starring Xia Siyu has a good storyline to begin with. As long as it sticks to the script without major alterations, it won’t go wrong. Especially since her co-star is the most renowned in the entire series, John Scott, practically ensuring global recognition.

Regarding Xia Siyu’s prospects in winning awards, the discussion has finally become more optimistic. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

This time, she attended with "Sunrise." As soon as the film was released, it was almost suitable to be included in textbooks for analysis and research. If the analyzer was Bo Yan, every word, action, and expression was meticulously designed. Studying his content frame by frame after would reveal a pattern, a narrative arc. But Xia Siyu is different; all her details, tone, expressions, actions, might seem contrived or too plain when done by others. But in her hands, immersing into the character, it was unmistakably the character’s state. It’s like traditional Chinese medicine, where some remedies cannot be made into patent medicine but require customized prescriptions.

In "Sunrise," her performance is no longer the past disjointed style. For example, in "Storm," there was a standout conflict scene with the male lead. But the beginning, end, and transition to the next scene suggested room for improvement. In "Sunrise," her performance was fluid, like water, turning into a splashing waterfall when agitated, a gentle stream when calm, and a cold pool in despair. The emotions flowed continuously, with every transition apt, making people unaware of the peaks and valleys in between.

Moreover, Bo Yan was with her throughout the filming, researching the film together. The entire movie felt like her breath, her heartbeat, rising and falling with her emotions. This filming style, reminiscent of "stream of consciousness" literature, thoroughly intertwined the original story. The original story had a third-person perspective watching the joy or despair of the characters with a cold detachment. But the film captured this "fluidity" of narrative.

Although Bo Yan later added a twist suggesting the female lead might not have died for a "happy ending" and emphasized love more, lowering the film’s overall tone, this kind of shooting was indeed very innovative.

Therefore, while Xia Siyu is highly anticipated at this Golden Phoenix film festival, so is Bo Yan.

Moreover, this guy might win both the Best Actor and Best Director awards.

**

The Golden Moon Awards ceremony is also held in a tropical setting.

In mid-November, most regions in China have entered the winter season, yet at the Golden Moon Awards ceremony, most people are still dressed lightly. Of course, celebrities are different; even in minus ten degrees, they still wear gowns and strap dresses on the red carpet, even if their body is covered with heat packs under the clothes, and immediately wrap up in down jackets after photoshoots.

This time, Shang Feifei also attended. But she was nominated for Wang Ju’s film "Moon Over the Sea." Just after its release, it made it in time for registration. Similar to "Sunrise," "Moon Over the Sea" is also set in the Republican era. Unlike "Sunrise," which focuses on Chen Bailu’s personal emotions, "Moon Over the Sea" is more of an ensemble cast with themes of rise and fall in a grand backdrop.

Although initially, Wang Ju preferred Xia Siyu for the role, to be fair, Shang Feifei performed well. Her calm and poised demeanor embodied the style of a Republican-era socialite. She and Xia Siyu made a stark contrast: one an elegant and composed lady of a distinguished family, the other a decadent and radiant socialite.

Although Xia Siyu had a higher chance, Shang Feifei wasn’t entirely out of the running for an award.

Furthermore, this year, several other films are in contention, from mainstream blockbusters to films focusing on societal issues or the ups and downs of small characters, all with commendable quality.

Even though Xia Siyu won the Best Actress award, she didn’t presume the Golden Phoenix was in her pocket—despite being denied even an entry ticket two years ago.

When evening arrived, she officially walked the red carpet. She and Bo Yan, both starring in Republican-era films, hence one wore a pearl-white silk cheongsam, the other donned a slightly elaborate suit with a formal hat and gold-rimmed glasses.

Standing on stage, they seemed to step into bygone times, elegant and noble yet somewhat surreal.

However, it must be said that the two of them together created a picturesque scene.