"Ah……"

When the audience burst into thunderous applause, Zhang Yimou, who had been sitting steadily for the whole time, let out a chuckle.

He was not as ecstatic as Zhong Changyou, Lin Gengxin, and Liu Yifei.

Seeing the three people standing up and raising their arms, he seemed surprisingly quiet.

He is not as dumbfounded as Xu Xin.

Sitting on the chair, looking straight in the direction of the stage, motionless.

He just chuckled and followed the people present who also showed expressions of disbelief, regret or despair...

applaud.

He gave applause to his disciples.

His joy was complicated.

Because the award he received as a disciple is the one he desires most.

Among the top three in Europe, he has won the Golden Lion in Venice, the Golden Bear in Berlin, and the Palme d'Or in Cannes.

But in the personal honor column of the three major directors, he is completely blank.

Yes, everyone recognizes that honors such as Best Picture and Best Jury Film are the No. 1 films of the film festival.

The status of a director cannot be reflected by winning the best director at a film festival.

Some people have even won the Best Director, but have never won the Best Picture in their lives...

But that's how people are.

Whatever you lack, you want.

Although I'm getting older now, I have long lost my desire to win, but now I'm facing this... Not to mention what I taught myself, but at least I taught him by words and deeds by my side, and helped him polish the children bit by bit to get what he lacked.

honor...

He actually has a complicated heart.

There is joy, surprise, and a little bit of unwillingness.

But these emotions did not make him lose control of his mind. Instead, he felt a strange sense of satisfaction.

I don’t know if this can be regarded as being better than others.

Should... forget it?

With this doubt, he glanced at Xu Xin, who was still sitting blankly on the chair. When he stood up, he passed over Lin Gengxin and Liu Yifei.

The strong hand grabbed Xu Xin's arm and said:

"Go ahead and get on stage to receive the award!"

"..."

Xu Xin woke up from a dream.

I glanced at everyone including the old man subconsciously, and the tinnitus in my ears began to fade away.

He opened his mouth...

But I didn't know what to say.

In the end I could only nod slightly:

"okay."

So, amidst the applause, he, who was sitting on the edge of the aisle, walked step by step towards the stage in Venice.

Along the way, Xu Xin could feel many eyes on her.

All sorts of strange things.

The opera-style design of the Festival Summer Palace made the applause in the entire venue particularly loud.

It was so shaken that his ears hurt a little.

And the aisle leading from my seat to the stage...

Why is it so long?

It's like a never-ending road to pursue art.

He walked and walked and walked... with no end in sight.

And this stage is like a small inn, providing him with a temporary harbor to rest on this endless road...

So, he came to the stage a little numb.

Looking at the...I don't know her name...an Arab female director facing her, she politely extended her hand.

Shilin Nesa raised her hand with a smile.

After the two shook hands, she personally held the Silver Lion trophy, which represented the director's personal honor, and placed it in Xu Xin's hand.

"&*...*%."

Xu Xin couldn't understand what she was saying.

But I think it should be a blessing.

So, he held the trophy and nodded politely:

"Three grams of oil, three grams of oil from outside."

Shilin Nesa nodded with a smile and stepped aside.

Standing under the spotlight, Xu Xin squinted his eyes and looked...

"Well……"

"..."

The applause gradually quieted down.

"Well……"

In the quiet venue, Xu Xin's scalp slowly began to feel numb.

"..."

The countless people's gazes caused his facial muscles to quickly become congested with blood.

"Well……"

Want...what to say?

speak Chinese?

speak English?

I don’t know any English!

Unconsciously, he tightened the toes in his leather shoes.

Reluctantly speaking:

"Three...three grams of oil outside Ruimachi...uh..."

Damn it, why do I have to speak in English?

How can you speak Chinese?

But... I really don’t speak English!

At this moment, he regretted so much why he didn't take the CET-4 and CET-6 exams properly. After a pause... he gritted his teeth and stamped his feet...

"Thank you everyone. Thank you to the Venice Film Festival, thank you to everyone on the jury..."

Before he finished speaking, an English voice came from the speaker.

Simultaneous translation has arrived.

Xu Xin was stunned...he paused for a moment, but immediately relaxed.

Just have someone translate it.

"Thank you for your support of "Hawthorn Tree", and also thank you to Liu Yifei, Lin Gou, and everyone who has worked hard on and off the stage for this movie. It is really great to get your help, thank you!"

"Crash la la la..."

Seeing him taking half a step back and bowing, everyone in the audience gave their own applause except Lin Gengxin, who looked strange.

After bowing, Xu Xin said again:

"Finally, I would like to thank my wife for her support of me. I would also like to thank Xi Film Studio for their efforts in making this film. Tianchao Film came out of Xi Film Studio. The mission behind this sentence has driven me to where I am today.

And finally, thank you to Director Zhang Yimou... Without you, there would be no "Hawthorn Tree" and I would not be where I am today. Thank you, thank you to everyone who loves this movie, and thank you for everything in this beautiful country of Italy.

Thanks."

After speaking, he bowed again, held up the Silver Lion trophy, and walked off the stage amidst applause.
To be continued...