But she is different from Xia Siyu, she knows how to maneuver.

With her performance in the film, getting a nomination isn’t surprising, but winning an award with it still falls short. However, maneuvering, networking, it’s not out of the realm of possibility.

This kind of maneuvering isn’t really a scandal, as long as it’s not like the year before last at the Gold Oscar where Xia Siyu and another veteran fought to a stalemate in the second round, and finally the "maneuvering" awarded it to a newcomer, making Gold Oscar the laughingstock of the year. It was ridiculed as "single-handedly lowering the Gold Oscar’s credibility."

But with Li Yiru, you could say she used a bit of strategy, but her nomination proves she has considerable talent.

Li Yiru is not Xia Siyu, nor Shang Feifei. The two of them wouldn’t maneuver; for one, they believe in their strength, and second, maneuvering would be useless. Even if they really won an award through maneuvering, they are not only competing against themselves but more importantly, they are up against the distant Wen Qunxiao.

The past benchmark is there, even if maneuvering allows them to win against current rivals, they’ll never surpass the memory of Wen Qunxiao. Because of this benchmark, the two can only rely on their own strength to charge forward. Win or lose, it’s all on their own strength.

As expected, at the award ceremony, when the announcer called out "Li Yiru," she first breathed a sigh of relief, then walked on stage with a happy face.

After she got on stage, she followed tradition by thanking the crew and her collaborators. She knew that with her winning today, Bo Qiliu would definitely know. But it didn’t matter, the more natural she was, the less it would prove anything. In fact, things like asking if he was in a good mood today, if he would go on a business trip tomorrow, or whom he might meet during the trip, are not confidential, and she wasn’t afraid of being investigated.

"Thank you to the director for letting me play this role, thank you to the scriptwriter for specially refining this role for me, giving me more room to perform." Actually, both of these were thanks to Bo Yan, as the scriptwriter modified and enriched the character under Bo Yan’s guidance, blending the sharply divided good and bad into one.

"Thank you to the actor playing opposite me, without your cooperation, it would have been difficult for me to perform this well."

It seemed as if she was thanking the male lead she had a "romantic entanglement" with in the play, but she was actually referring to Xia Siyu. The character Li Yiru played as a supporting actress had more dramatic tension with Xia Siyu than with the male lead.

No one expected that Li Yiru stepped on Xia Siyu to make her debut and now had to rely on her to win the award. But it’s fine; in Xia Siyu’s words, they are neither friends nor mortal enemies now. Everyone just chooses their own path, seeking common ground while reserving differences.

"Also, I must truly thank my family for supporting me in my lowest times. Having you by my side is my greatest motivation to move forward. Thank you, I love you."

The last sentence is open to interpretation. Li Yiru meant her son, but Bo Qiliu might assume she was referring to him.

Actually, Li Yiru is particularly satisfied with her current state: having money, status, a career to strive for, and a child. Moreover, to keep up appearances, the child even carries her surname. Without an entrenched family background, she can freely disengage in the future. She can play if she wants, or work if she doesn’t. If she wants to enjoy love, she can find a playful younger man, with no need for responsibility or obligation. Those fairy tale stories of princes and princesses marrying into love don’t fool her. She even considers pursuing art, like Xia Siyu, striving to hone her acting skills. Winning an award one day would mean achieving both fame and fortune. It’s far superior to marrying into wealth, being forced to give up a career and only have intrigue with other rich women.

As she left the stage, Xia Siyu’s expression was appropriately calibrated. She gave a blessing look, with a hint of playful teasing. The next award was for Best Supporting Actor. This time, it went to a supporting actor in Yu Fenfei’s film, a renowned veteran known for his strong foundation in stage acting.

In the film, he played a greasy and unkempt uncle, but in reality, he shaved and wore a suit, which looked quite stylish. After going up, he naturally thanked director Yu and his team, but he also specifically mentioned Bo Yan: "And Bo Yan. In our segment he directed, up in the mountains, trekking up and down, it was very tough. He was the first to arrive and the last to leave, and the results were quite impressive. It’s just that, if you direct again in the future, I hope you’ll make me look a bit more handsome."

Everyone burst into laughter, Bo Yan smiled too. After the Best Supporting Actress and Actor, it was time for the Best Actress and Actor awards. Unlike the Golden Moon awards, the Golden Phoenix awards didn’t interrupt for performances. The trophy presenters came right on stage to begin transitioning.

The presenters, both originally from comedy, started with a dialogue akin to a comic cross-talk. They first bragged about their previous awards, then returned to today’s nominated guests. The LED screen in the background played each person’s highlight moments as the two introduced them, each adding humorous comments.

The two engaged in comedic banter before introducing the nominees. First up was Shang Feifei:

On the big screen, a clip featuring Shang Feifei from "Moon Over the Sea" played. Shang Feifei portrayed a distinguished lady from an old family who, after accepting new ideologies, became a progressive youth. She was both dignified and graceful, yet possessed the spirit to contribute and sacrifice for the nation. Being directed by Wang Ju, the film had both ideological and artistic strength, and Shang Feifei’s performance was excellent.

Next was Xia Siyu:

"Hey, speaking of Xia Siyu, she’s quite a familiar face."

——"How so?"

"Debuted ten years, nominated many times, always a perennial on the cold bench."

——"Well, isn’t that true."

"But this Chen Bailu, she really nailed it. My, oh my, I took my son to watch ’Sunrise,’ and he was so excited: ’Dad, when I grow up, I’ll find you a daughter-in-law like her.’"

——"The son you’re talking about, isn’t it just yourself?"

...

Although both were films set in China, one was poised and restrained, the other decadent and fallen. From the character setting, neither was intrinsically better or more prominent, it all came down to personal aesthetic preference.

However, awarding requires distinguishing between high and low. After the comedy duo wrapped up, they formally began the award ceremony. They opened the envelope, finally beginning to announce the award:

"The winner of the XXth Golden Phoenix Award for Best Actress is—"

The presenter made a deliberate hiccup, and everyone on and off stage thought he was going to crack another joke. Unexpectedly, he directly blurted out the name: "Xia Siyu!"