When Wan Yi came down holding the Best Supporting Actor trophy, he was grinning from ear to ear. Tan You glanced at the award in his hand and couldn’t help but smile. "Congratulations."

Wan Yi chuckled sheepishly. "Heh, but the awards you all are getting are even better."

Director Qi patted Wan Yi’s shoulder as well. "This is great. Next year, we’ll aim for the Best Actor trophy."

Wan Yi was immediately filled with anticipation. "Do we start working as soon as we get back?"

While the two of them were discussing their upcoming work plans, Hu Yi and Wei Wei each had their turn on stage, collecting their respective trophies. Of course, the routine part of the speeches was still to come—namely, thanking Sister Wen.

Tan You was over it. She leaned a little closer to Director Qi. "I’m telling you, when you go up there in a bit, whatever you do, don’t thank Sister Wen again."

Director Qi looked at Tan You. "I’m going to win an award?"

Tan You replied, "Don’t you already know the answer to that?"

The two were whispering when the spotlight suddenly fell on Director Qi. He looked at Tan You, then at the host and award presenter on stage, and the whole scene suddenly felt surreal.

Though a thousand thoughts were racing through his mind, it didn’t stop Director Qi from giving his acceptance speech. As he accepted the trophy from a white-haired judge, Director Qi took a deep breath. "Before I came up here, Sister Wen told me not to say ’thank you, Sister Wen’ anymore..."

The audience immediately erupted in laughter, and the camera panned over to Tan You. ’What could she do?’ She could only smile. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Director Qi’s acceptance speech continued. "Sister Wen and I met when we were still nobodies. Back then, I was just a rookie director who had only shot two documentaries, neither of which made much of a splash."

"At that time, Sister Wen’s studio was just getting started with only a handful of people. Hu Yi, Wei Wei, and Wan Yi hadn’t even joined us yet."

Wan Yi remarked, "Does he really have to be so particular? I feel like Director Qi is acting like an empress defending her rightful place in the palace."

Tan You nearly choked. "What are you talking about?"

Wan Yi insisted, "Well, that’s what it sounds like to me."

On stage, Director Qi was still speaking. "There’s an old saying: ’In literature, there is no first place; in combat, there is no second.’ I used to write my own scripts. But after meeting Sister Wen, anyone would have to concede defeat..."

Tan You sat ramrod straight. ’Honestly, she’d received far too many compliments tonight. What else could she do but remain composed? Who would have thought that Director Qi, who was usually so quiet and reserved, would be this excited tonight?’

Old Qi was practically bursting with envy. "I’m so jealous, Little Lu. You can’t play favorites. When my movie starts shooting, you have to be there. I heard you were on set every single day for this one."

Tan You replied, "You give me too much credit, sir. You’re a veteran in the industry, whereas I don’t know the first thing about directing. How could I have that much influence?"

’She’d have to be out of her mind to spend all day on Old Qi’s set.’ But Tan You didn’t shut him down completely. "When the time comes, you can have Director Qi assist you. As father and son, you’re on the same wavelength. Your work will surely be even more exceptional."

Old Qi hmphed. "All he can think about now is his new screenplay. What makes you think he’d have time to run over to my set?"

"I’m very busy too," Tan You sighed. "I’ll do my best to find the time, but I have a lot on my plate as well."

Old Qi said, "That’s true. All you Old Dongs are the same, with your endless meetings and phone calls."

After Director Qi walked off the stage, the Chairman of the jury smiled. "At every past awards ceremony, we’ve always presented the award for Best Picture last. However, we’ve changed the order this year. This year, we’ve saved the Best Screenplay award for the very end."

The films nominated for Best Screenplay were, by and large, the same ones nominated for Best Picture. Of course, everyone already had a good idea who the winner would be.

Sure enough, the Chairman of the jury glanced at Tan You before smiling. "Let’s have a round of applause to congratulate screenwriter Lu Wen, whose work, *Jailhouse Tyrant*, has won this year’s award for Best Screenplay! Please welcome Lu Wen!"

Tan You rose gracefully. As she walked toward the stage, all eyes were on her. The aisle was lined with all sorts of celebrities and directors, yet at this moment, no one saw anyone else. She was the only one in their sights.

The judge clearly admired her. Once Tan You came to a stop, he handed her the gleaming golden trophy. "Congratulations. You are truly talented. I look forward to you conquering us all over again."

Tan You politely hugged the judge. "Of course. I’ll be back with an even better work."

The slender, elderly man patted Tan You’s back. "Alright, young lady. Go and embrace your moment of glory. Everyone is very curious about you."

Tan You let go of the judge and took her place behind the microphone. She glanced down at the trophy in her hands, then suddenly broke into a radiant smile. The smile was all the more captivating because of her dimples.

Hu Yi clutched her chest. "I’ve rarely seen Sister Wen smile like that. Sister Li, how many times have you?"

Sister Li, who was also holding a trophy, replied, "Only two or three times. She’s rarely this happy. It’s like her eyes are sparkling with starlight."

When she looked up again, Tan You’s smile had softened. "Hello, everyone. My name is Lu Wen. I’m also the ’Sister Wen’ you’ve all been curious about."

"I want to say this to Zhang Yiyi, Wan Yi, Hu Yi, Wei Wei, Director Qi, and everyone else in the cast and crew: we met by a stroke of fate when we were nobodies. That’s a rare and precious connection. This isn’t a story about who discovered whom."

"You are all incredibly talented. I was just the lucky one who got to meet you first. I used to be an actress myself. I was in a few TV shows that didn’t make any waves. But later, due to certain circumstances, I switched to working behind the scenes."

Tan You smiled as she spoke. "Just now, Director Qi thanked me for giving him such a great script to direct. But I also want to thank *him* for choosing to join my studio when I was at my lowest point. The studio was able to grow into the company it is today because all of you were there."

"It’s because of your dedication that the company has been able to thrive."

"The script might be good, but it would be nothing without everyone’s hard work. It is because of all of you that *Jailhouse Tyrant* became what it is. We achieved this together, complementing each other every step of the way."

"Words on a page are ultimately cold. Bringing them to life on the big screen—that is the harder, and more romantic, part. You have all always done that so well. I am proud of you, and I am so honored to witness your glory at such an important moment. I truly am."

"I hope that in the future, we continue to walk this path together, through thick and thin, and bring more and better works to the world."

Hu Yi, Wei Wei, and the others applauded wildly. Wan Yi even jumped to his feet and whistled, clearly overcome with emotion. Watching this scene, Old Qi and Old Wang suddenly felt deeply moved.

As jaded veterans of the industry, they had seen far too many people forced to compromise and bow down to their financial backers. A relationship like the one between Tan You and her team was something they had never witnessed before, and it left a deep impression on them.