Chapter 59
Song Ling successfully acquired Pinnacle Entertainment within a week and, as the company’s new CEO, attended the prestigious Golden Rooster Awards ceremony. Dressed in a sleek white gown that flowed gracefully behind her, she walked the red carpet, posing for the flashing cameras with a confident smile. After a brief pause for the photographers, she entered the venue and took her seat.
The highly anticipated annual award ceremony began after all the guests were seated. The stage lights illuminated the podium, and the curtains parted, revealing two hosts, a man and a woman, who walked to the center stage.
The hosts, with their witty banter, officially opened the ceremony. They announced the nominees for various awards and presented the awards to the winners. Finally, the moment everyone had been waiting for arrived: the Best Actor and Best Actress awards.
The Best Actor award was presented first. Four handsome actors, the nominees for the award, appeared on the large screen behind the stage. A renowned guest presenter was invited to the stage. He opened the envelope, announced the winner’s name, and a spotlight shone on the actor in the audience. The actor, his face beaming with surprise, stood up, hugged the people around him, and then went up to the stage to receive his award and deliver his acceptance speech.
The atmosphere remained tense as only one award remained. The hosts interacted with the audience, building up the suspense. The screen displayed the photos of the four nominees for Best Actress, one of them being Li Mo.
It was an unprecedented event. A newcomer, in her debut film, had been nominated for Best Actress at the Golden Rooster Awards.
The cameras focused on the four actresses, capturing their every expression, especially Li Mo, who was the center of attention. The live stream chat was flooded with comments from viewers, speculating whether Li Mo would pull off an upset and win the award.
The hosts, no longer teasing the audience, invited Song Ling, the new CEO of Pinnacle Entertainment, to present the final award. This was an opportunity that Song Ling had secured after acquiring the company. She gracefully walked onto the stage, her long gown trailing behind her, and stood beside the hosts.
“Good evening, everyone. I’m sure you’re all eagerly awaiting the announcement of the final award. Without further ado, I will now present the award for Best Actress at this year’s Golden Rooster Awards.”
Song Ling opened the golden envelope and took out a card. The name “Li Mo” was clearly written on it. She smiled and, leaning towards the microphone, announced the winner’s name.
“Li Mo!”
Thunderous applause erupted from the audience. Li Mo, her hand covering her mouth in surprise, looked at Director Xu beside her. He hugged her excitedly and urged her to go up to the stage.
Li Mo made her way through the audience, shaking hands and hugging people along the way. She then walked up the stairs to the stage, her black gown flowing behind her. Song Ling watched as she approached, her heart pounding.
She studied Li Mo’s face. Although her hairstyle, clothes, and makeup were different from the Li Xinjun she knew, she recognized her instantly. This was the woman she had loved and lost, the woman who had haunted her dreams for centuries.
Tears welled up in her eyes. Her hands trembled as she opened her arms to embrace Li Mo, who was looking back at the audience and Director Xu as she walked.
Their eyes met as Li Mo reached her. She looked at Song Ling’s tear-filled eyes, confused, but didn’t dwell on it. She hugged Song Ling briefly and then accepted the golden statuette from her.
Song Ling handed her the award and then kissed her gently on both cheeks, whispering,
“Congratulations, Li Mo.”
Li Mo held up the statuette, the audience erupting in applause and cheers once more. After the applause subsided, she began her acceptance speech.
“Thank you, everyone. Thank you for your support. First, I want to thank everyone who loved my character. Thank you for your love. And I want to thank the judges for recognizing my performance. Finally, I want to thank a very important person, the person who made all this possible: Director Xu! Thank you for choosing me, for giving me this opportunity, and for teaching me so much about acting. Thank you. I wouldn’t be here without you. Thank you, everyone.”
Song Ling listened to her speech, a pang of jealousy stabbing at her heart. She followed Li Mo’s gaze to Director Xu, memorizing his face. She maintained a smile, waiting for Li Mo to finish her speech before escorting her backstage.
Backstage, Song Ling watched Li Mo, who seemed oblivious to her presence. She felt a wave of disappointment and sadness. She tried to maintain her composure as she spoke.
“Miss Li, you look familiar. Have we met before?”
“Hmm? I don’t think so. I was born and raised in the United States. I’ve never been to China before. Maybe we just look alike?”
“Haha, perhaps. I’ve been following your career. I know this is your first film, and you’ve already won Best Actress. That’s incredible.”
“It was just luck. I don’t think I’m better than the other nominees.”
“You’re too modest, Miss Li. Are you attending the after-party?”
“Yes, are you going too, Ms. Song?”
“Yes, I am. Why don’t we go together? We can chat in the car about potential collaborations.”
“Um… I need to ask Director Xu. I don’t have an agent yet, so he handles everything for me.”
“I understand. Why don’t you call him now and ask? I’ll wait for you here.”
Li Mo, seeing Song Ling turn away, didn’t know how to refuse. She took out her phone and called Director Xu.
“Hello, Director Xu, it’s Li Mo. Yes, I’m with Ms. Song from Pinnacle Entertainment. She invited me to the after-party and said she wants to discuss collaborations. What do you think? Oh… Okay. I’ll be careful. See you there. Bye.”
She hung up the phone and approached Song Ling, tapping her lightly on the shoulder. Song Ling turned around, a hopeful smile on her face.
“If it’s not too much trouble, I’d love to go with you.”
“Great! Let’s go.”
Song Ling, her heart soaring, took Li Mo’s hand and led her to the underground parking lot. Li Mo felt a bit uncomfortable holding hands with this beautiful but cold and domineering CEO, whom she had just met. She tried to pull her hand away, but Song Ling’s grip tightened.
They reached a silver Maserati. Two BMWs were parked beside it, each with four men inside. The men got out of the cars and greeted Song Ling.
“Ms. Song.”
“You’re dismissed. I’ll be taking Miss Li to the after-party. I’ll contact you if I need anything.”
“Yes, Ms. Song.”
The men got back into their cars and drove away. Song Ling opened the Maserati’s door and got in. Li Mo followed her, getting in from the other side.
Song Ling pressed the red button on the dashboard, starting the engine, and then turned on the stereo. “Yesterday Once More” by The Carpenters filled the car.
“Do you like this song?”
“Yes, I do.”
“You seem uncomfortable. Is something bothering you?”
“Not really. I’m just not used to this.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well… I don’t know. It’s just that we’ve just met, and now we’re alone together. It’s a bit… awkward.”
“Then let’s talk about you. Tell me about yourself.”
“Huh?”
“I’m very interested in collaborating with you, so I’d like to know more about your background. It will help me determine what kind of projects would be suitable for you.”
“Oh, I see. What would you like to know, Ms. Song?”
“I want to know everything about you.”
