Chapter 00197: The Most Popular in the Nation (1)
# The Most Popular in the Nation (1)
Chapter 197
Novel: 1979 Golden Age
Chapter 197: The Most Popular in the Nation (1)
It was quite late, but the hallway was still bustling with people coming in and out of various rooms, visiting each other.
Ji Chunhua didn’t have an activity slot and stayed at the previous guesthouse.
Chen Qi was arranged to share a room with Tang Guoqiang.
It had been a long time since they last met, but Tang’s skin was still as fair as ever.
This year, he had starred in the famous movie *The Peacock Princess*, which was considered the peak of his looks, making him the idol of countless middle-aged and elderly women.
After visiting the two directors, Chen Qi headed back to his room.
“Xiao Chen!”
A soft call suddenly came from behind him.
He paused, and then another voice followed: “Silly~”
Without even looking, Chen Qi slid over in that direction, entered the room, and grabbed her arm.
Just as he was about to make a move, he noticed Wang Haowei was also inside, wearing an expression that seemed to say, “You two aren’t even trying to hide it anymore.”
“Director Wang, I didn’t see you earlier!” he said awkwardly.
“Xiao Chen, you’re so young, and yet you’re already nearsighted. You should get yourself a pair of glasses. Oh wait, glasses won’t help either. You’ve got selective nearsightedness—you can see Xiao Gong but not me.”
“Director Wang!”
Gong Xue’s face turned bright red as she stomped her foot. “You told me to call him in!”
“But I didn’t tell you to call him ‘Silly,’ did I?”
Wang Haowei watched as Gong Xue looked like she wanted to disappear into the ground.
She couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.
Back when they were filming on Mount Lu, who would have thought these two would end up together?
She stopped teasing and said, “After the awards ceremony tomorrow, they’re insisting we put on a performance. Gong Xue has decided to dance. I figured you wouldn’t want to bother with anything, so how about we just do a poetry recital?”
“You’re like my own aunt! I hate dealing with these kinds of things. A poetry recital sounds perfect!”
“Then it’s settled. Here’s the script. Take a look, and we’ll rehearse tomorrow morning.”
“Alright, I’ll go back and familiarize myself with it. If there’s nothing else, I’ll head out now.”
As Chen Qi walked out, Gong Xue followed him to the door.
At the entrance, he whispered, “Don’t be nervous. I’m sure you’ll get a good result.”
“Mm, with you here, I’m not nervous.”
“Then I’ll head off now…”
Seeing that no one was around, he gently tapped her nose.
Gong Xue was startled and quickly peeked out to make sure no one was in the hallway.
Only then did she relax, touching her face as she returned to the room.
Wang Haowei now wore an expression that seemed to say, “I can’t even look at you two,” and Gong Xue sat down awkwardly.
Wang Haowei said, “Xiao Gong, I treat you like my own niece, so I need you to answer me honestly. Have you two… uh, have you two… you know?”
“No! Absolutely not!”
“Young people can be impulsive. You need to think things through carefully. Of course, as an outsider, I can’t say much. If you feel it’s worth it, then it’s worth it. Just don’t regret it later… Alright, it’s late. Get some sleep!”
The night deepened.
Gong Xue lay in bed, tossing and turning, anxious about the awards ceremony the next day and also about what Director Wang had said.
In truth, over the past few months, she had found herself no longer resisting his affection.
Sometimes, she even initiated hugs and cuddles.
Several times, things had almost gone too far, and she had a feeling that sooner or later, she wouldn’t be able to hold back and would just… give in to him.
I don’t want to give in!
But he wants it!
So you’ll just give in?
He insists!
………………
Evening, 7 PM, the 23rd.
Tonight, the stars shone brightly over the Hangzhou Gymnasium by West Lake.
In those days, there were no “fans,” only “enthusiastic audiences.” Thousands of enthusiastic audience members gathered on both sides of the entrance, waiting for their idols to appear.
There was no red carpet, no flowers, and no gimmicks.
But ever since the birth of cinema, it had been inseparable from stars.
Even if people refused to acknowledge the concept of stardom, its nature wouldn’t change.
The Hangzhou authorities, without needing any guidance, arranged for a dozen cars to transport the popular nominees.
Behind them followed a bus.
*Love on Lushan Mountain* had a weak plot and didn’t receive any nominations, but Chen Qi himself was extremely famous and managed to snag one of the cars.
The car slowly drove over and stopped in the square in front of the gymnasium, where the grass was lush and the lights sparkled.
The audience on both sides immediately surged forward, shouting the names of the stars with their not-so-polished enthusiasm.
“Tang Guoqiang! Tang Guoqiang!”
“Zhang Yu!”
“Gong Xue! Gong Xue! Gong Xue!”
The cheers reached their peak when Gong Xue, who had captivated the nation with *Love on Lushan Mountain* and *Tai Chi*, stepped out of the car.
She had been to Berlin, so this kind of scene was nothing to her.
She waved, smiled, and walked with perfect grace.
Chen Qi followed behind, glancing at Zhang Yu not far away.
It had to be said that Zhang Yu was the most popular actress in the early 1980s.
It wasn’t until she went abroad that Liu Xiaoqing took her place.
Now, her breakout role was gone, leaving only *Night Rain in Bashan*.
It would be hard for her to replicate the glory of her past life.
Everyone scattered and entered the gymnasium freely, guided to their seats by ushers.
The enclosed space had a stage set up at the front.
The people from the arts and entertainment industry sat in the front rows, while the back seats were reserved for the audience.
The stage was bare, with no LED screens or anything of the sort.
A large banner hung across it, reading: “The First Golden Rooster Awards and the Fourth Hundred Flowers Awards Ceremony!”
The atmosphere was generally quite serious.
In his past life, the Golden Horse Awards had been boycotted for political reasons, and the Golden Rooster Awards had been moved to Xiamen, just across the strait, to showcase the mainland’s film prowess.
But that had been a disaster!
Chen Qi didn’t even want to think about it.
Sitting next to Gong Xue, Chen Qi waited for a while as the event began.
As usual, there were speeches from the leaders.
The top official of Zhejiang Province personally attended, showing how much importance was placed on the event.
After he finished speaking, Xia Yan took the stage.
“…We hope that all film workers will remain humble and diligent, rising early with the rooster’s crow to scale new heights and create even better works to serve the people and socialism!”
Then the awards began.
At such ceremonies, people were used to the awards being given out one by one, with presenters, jokes, performances, and emotional moments interspersed.
But this time, there was none of that.
A leader from the Ministry of Culture took the stage, holding a list, and read out all the Hundred Flowers Awards winners in one go:
“Best Feature Film: *Love on Lushan Mountain*, *Legend of Tianyun Mountain*, *The Seventh Grade Sesame Official*!”
“Best Actor: Da Shichang for *Swallow Returns*!”
With each announcement, the audience applauded, creating a lively atmosphere.
Finally, the last category: “Best Actress…”
Gong Xue clutched her pants so tightly that she pinched a bit of her thigh, her eyes fixed eagerly on the stage.
Chen Qi secretly squeezed her hand, full of confidence.
Then they heard:
“Gong Xue, *Love on Lushan Mountain*!”
“Clap clap clap!”
The gymnasium erupted in thunderous applause.
This was the most predictable award of the night. *Love on Lushan Mountain* had been so popular last year, and since the Hundred Flowers Awards were voted on by the audience, if she hadn’t won, it would have been a clear sign of foul play.
“Now, please invite all the winners to the stage!”
“Go on, don’t be nervous!”
“Mm!”
Gong Xue bit her lip, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
She nodded at Chen Qi and, together with Wang Haowei, stood up and walked to the stage, where she received a Hundred Flowers Award trophy and a certificate.
Standing on the stage, facing the entire audience, the lights above her made it feel like a dream.
Her vision was blurry, and her ears were filled with chaotic noise.
It felt like a long time had passed, but also just a few seconds, before her sight cleared, and she accurately found Chen Qi’s position in the crowd.
She knew he would know she was looking at him.
“Clap clap clap!”
The applause didn’t stop, and the audience continued to cheer enthusiastically.
At a time when the Golden Rooster Awards hadn’t yet made a name for itself, the Hundred Flowers Awards were the most influential in the country, and this result was something the audience could wholeheartedly accept.
Except for a few stubborn naysayers sitting in the audience.
(End of Chapter)