After a brief interview, the group finally entered the venue. Sister Li and Ji Mingxi were already waiting at the entrance, holding cashmere shawls and other warm clothing.

Seeing Lu Wen enter, Sister Li immediately tended to her, while Ji Mingxi tactfully handed his shawl to Director Qi. Director Qi unabashedly draped it over Hu Yi and even smoothed out a stray strand of her hair.

His gesture was open and natural, with no attempt at concealment, and for a moment, it sparked a variety of thoughts among those who noticed.

Old Wang nudged Old Qi’s elbow. "Your son works fast. Is she the one?"

"Yes. A few days ago, Little Qi brought her home for dinner. She’s an outstanding young woman. Little Qi is punching above his weight," Old Qi said lightly. He clearly admired Hu Yi. Her acting was superb, her character was excellent, and she had no scandals. He had no reason to refuse such a daughter-in-law.

Old Wang was a little disgruntled. "I have a son, too, but his taste is nowhere near as good as your son’s. You have to invite me to the wedding. After all, I watched the boy grow up."

"Of course. It’s up to them," Old Qi said with a smile, giving Hu Yi his full public support. Soon, news that Director Qi and Hu Yi were together spread throughout the venue, and from there, it quickly traveled outside.

Some with quick fingers had already posted the news online, setting off another frenzy. There were detractors, of course, but also plenty of well-wishes. After all, Hu Yi and her circle were all at the height of their popularity.

Tan You, of course, also saw the news online. She had been very busy lately, but not so busy that she was completely out of the loop. After all, Lu Wen was still getting her bearings, so Tan You couldn’t just focus entirely on her own affairs.

She forwarded the online chatter to Lu Wen, who wasn’t worried at all. "Hu Yi and Director Qi are both great people. Their relationship is a union of two powerhouses. There’s nothing bad about it."

"Those detractors sure love to worry on other people’s behalf."

Tan You replied, "That’s the best way to think about it. You all are the biggest winners tonight."

"Not ’you all,’ it’s ’we,’" Lu Wen corrected. "What should I say when I go up to accept the award? I’m not much of a public speaker."

"Maybe I should just recite your acceptance speech? But wouldn’t that be too brazen? Nah, better not to make such a scene. I’ll think about it some more."

Lu Wen’s brow furrowed as she spoke. She was just an ordinary girl who had been a slightly above-average student in school. Her writing skills were unremarkable, and in her past life, she’d never won any awards. She had practically zero experience with this kind of thing.

So when it came to giving an acceptance speech, Lu Wen was truly at a loss.

Tan You suggested, "Just look some up online. There are tons of acceptance speeches out there."

But Lu Wen had other ideas. "No, I can’t do that. I can’t just be perfunctory about it. This is your award. I already feel like an impostor accepting it on your behalf, so the speech needs to be taken all the more seriously."

Tan You chuckled, but she felt a warmth spread through her. It was, of course, a good feeling to be treated with such earnest care.

While Lu Wen was racking her brain for what to say in her speech, the award presentation on stage officially began. Everyone knew that the main event of tonight’s ceremony was the cast and crew of *Prison Tyrant*.

A few production teams went up to accept some minor awards, but the more significant ones were all but reserved for the *Prison Tyrant* team. After all, the film had swept thirteen major awards overseas; it would be ridiculous if it couldn’t even compete for the top spots back home.

Lu Wen watched as those around her went up on stage and returned to their seats, collecting their expected awards. Now, it was time for the main event: the award for Best Screenplay.

When the presenter on stage called her name, Lu Wen, who had been a bundle of nerves, suddenly felt a wave of calm wash over her. She stood, smoothed the hem of her qipao, and walked gracefully toward the stage.

Hu Yi watched her walk away. ’It seems we only ever get to see her back,’ she thought. ’There really are people who are breathtakingly beautiful, down to a single strand of hair.’

As for Lu Wen, when she accepted the trophy from last year’s winner, she lowered her gaze and stared at it for a long moment before a smile bloomed on her face. In that instant, she bore a striking resemblance to Tan You.

"Thank you to the judges for presenting this award to me. Thank you!"

Lu Wen cleared her throat, her eyes sweeping over the cast and crew. "I know I’ve thanked you all once before, but I have to say it again today. I am deeply honored to know every one of you, and I feel incredibly fortunate to have collaborated with you all to complete this film."

"I won’t deliberately exaggerate our past achievements, nor will I dwell on them, because we all know the best is always yet to come."

"I hope we can continue to support each other through thick and thin in the future as we strive to create more and even greater films."

She paused with a smile, her gaze landing teasingly on Director Qi and Hu Yi. "And finally, I have one last thing to say: when you two get married, I want a seat at the head table."

Her words immediately sent a ripple of excitement through the hall. A wave of good-natured hooting and applause broke out as all eyes turned to Director Qi and Hu Yi.

Director Qi graciously made an "OK" sign. At his gesture, the hall grew even more boisterous. It seems no matter where you go, people love to tease a new couple.

Hu Yi laughed and took the microphone that was passed to her. "No problem."

Director Qi took Hu Yi’s hand, suddenly feeling that his future was filled with endless hope and anticipation.

Clutching the trophy, Lu Wen returned to her seat. Hu Yi leaned against her shoulder. "Why did you suddenly bring that up? You caught me completely off guard."

Lu Wen was surprised. "The news about you and Director Qi is all over the place. You didn’t know?"

Hu Yi said, "Really? I had no idea. We didn’t even do anything."

Lu Wen replied, "You may not have done anything, but Old Qi is very pleased with you. And this place is full of people with sharp ears and keen eyes..."

Hu Yi understood. So, it turned out Old Qi was the one who let the news slip. But she wasn’t the least bit unhappy. What woman wouldn’t be pleased to have her partner’s family so frankly express their approval?

Director Qi smiled too. "Looks like Old Qi was reliable for once."

Jin Xi watched Lu Wen, Hu Yi, and the others chatting in low voices. From his angle, he could only see Lu Wen’s profile. But he honestly couldn’t tear his eyes away.

"Tone it down, Brother Xi," his friend beside him couldn’t help but say. "I never knew you were into this type." He had just been short-staffed and dragged Jin Xi along to fill in for the day. Who knew the man would set his sights so high?

Falling for the most outstanding woman in the room at first sight?

Jin Xi flexed his fingers. "Of course you wouldn’t know. What are her likes and dislikes?"

His friend shook his head. "I’m not sure. She’s a very private person. For years, you barely heard a peep about her in the industry. She only started making big moves in the last six months or so."

"It’s pretty awesome when you think about it, though. Can you believe a woman like her has all those big-shot investors eating out of her hand? She’s talented, capable, and resourceful. People are guessing her net worth is in the billions by now."