Chapter 110: It Drifted Past

The heavens were on their side. Although the temperature outdoors was bitterly low, at least a sliver of sunlight had appeared today. It gave off no warmth, but simply looking at it lifted the spirits.

The organizers had assigned staff to coordinate everything, while the student council of Imperial Film Academy had spared no effort in lending a hand. As a result, the entire scene was orderly and imposing.

Everyone knew that the more famous and prestigious a star was, the later they would appear. Thus, when the red carpet first began, most reporters, spectators, and fans were rather listless. Unless they were die-hard fans of a particular celebrity, hardly anyone bothered to respond.

Had Chu Luoxi not been walking alongside Xiao Jingxuan, she would certainly have been among those who passed by at the beginning. That was one of the advantages Blue Lun had mentioned.

Wu Bin was a reporter. He held a microphone and a voice recorder, but was in no hurry to gather material. From time to time, he merely instructed Xiao He to take a couple of photographs, or asked the cameraman to record a little footage, then let the matter drop.

Everyone lit a cigarette to keep themselves alert. Xiao He happened to look up, and his eyes immediately brightened.

“Brother Wu, look at that beautiful woman and handsome man! Which company are they from this time? Are they newcomers? How come I don’t recognize them?”

“What?” Wu Bin looked somewhat bewildered. Then, by reflex, he turned around for a look. The instant he saw them, he jolted to attention. “Cameraman, hurry! Xiao He, find a good spot and take some pictures.”

“Huh?”

Although Xiao He did not understand, he sprang into action all the same. He took photograph after photograph before finally finding time to notice that hardly anyone else seemed to be reacting. Unable to contain his curiosity, he asked, “Brother Wu, who exactly are they? Why aren’t the others reacting?”

One of the two beautiful women possessed the gentle, graceful air of the southern regions, while the other was lively and mischievous. But the entertainment industry had no shortage of beautiful women of every type, and Xiao He could not understand why Wu Bin was paying these two such attention.

As for the two men accompanying them, one was certainly handsome, but Xiao He had little impression of that face and assumed he was a newcomer. The other was clearly there merely to fill out the group. He was already rather advanced in years and probably belonged to the director’s side of the industry.

“Young man, you’re so young—how can your memory already be failing you?” Once Wu Bin had calmed down, he was quite pleased with the one or two remarks he had managed to collect from his earlier interviews. “Didn’t you see that the older man was Li Shuangmu? His Dragon Roars Across the World has more nominations than any other television production this year.”

Xiao He’s mouth fell open in the shape of an O. Only then did the truth dawn on him.

“What? Then why isn’t Director Li walking the red carpet with the cast of Dragon Roars Across the World? And why did he show up so early? Who are the two women and one man beside him?”

Although television productions did not attract as much attention as films, Li Shuangmu, whose series had received the greatest number of nominations, ought to have been a major topic of discussion. Yet just now, only a handful of people had followed Wu Bin’s reaction and hurried over to conduct a brief interview. It was astonishing.

Xiao He turned to look around. Many of their fellow reporters were chatting and laughing; some had not even noticed who had just walked past. A major piece of news that should have been impossible to miss had simply slipped away.

In truth, it was the fault of habitual thinking. Those who appeared at the beginning were either newcomers who had only just debuted or obscure figures with little fame. Neither group possessed much news value. Since no one was paying close attention, the people at the front moved particularly quickly; they were gone almost as soon as they appeared. No matter how long the red carpet was, anyone who looked away for even a moment would miss them. With so many fellow reporters and spectators around, no one could simply follow every person who passed.

Who could have imagined that Li Shuangmu, a hot topic in his own right, would drift past so early—and bring three newcomers with him? Besides, he was a director rather than a public-facing celebrity. Most people would find it difficult to recognize him at a glance. Many reporters had certainly heard of him, but few had necessarily had the chance to meet him at close range. Failing to react in time was perfectly understandable.

And so, the news scattered away almost unnoticed.

“Dragon Roars Across the World winning awards is already in the past. The production team disbanded long ago, and each member may have found their own representative project, so getting them all together wouldn’t be easy. Besides, this is television, not film.” Wu Bin wore a broad smile. “Perhaps Director Li simply didn’t want to walk with them. His new series, Crystal Love, has already wrapped, and those two women and one man are the leads. He may want to promote his new production instead.”

“This is exactly the sort of angle our weekly looks for, which is why recognizing him was so important. Most media outlets focus on actors and stars. They don’t pay as much attention to new television productions as we do.” That was the publication’s individual character. Different points of interest naturally led to different actions.

Hearing this, Xiao He looked at Wu Bin with admiration, wondering when he might become that capable himself. Of course, connections played an enormous role. Without sources of information, there was no way to learn more, no matter how much one wanted to.

While most people remained unaware, a small climax had quietly passed. After that, more and more stars began to arrive, their popularity rising with each appearance. The spectators and reporters grew increasingly excited, and shouts of surprise and piercing screams could be heard from time to time.

One surprise and commotion followed another, leaving Wu Bin and his two companions no time to speak. Their eyes and hands worked in perfect coordination as they busied themselves without pause.

They had just seen off a major star. Without paying any attention to the commotion among the reporters behind them, Wu Bin hurriedly turned his gaze toward the source, where a newly arrived car had just pulled up.

The passengers had not yet emerged. All around them, screams and cries of surprise still filled the air, but Wu Bin was already looking forward to the next arrival.

Who would it be?

The College Students’ Film Festival had grown increasingly influential. Its authority and reputation were plain for all to see, and the talent cultivated by universities across the country served as an additional source of support. More and more stars in the industry were willing to attend, which meant reporters had their hands full.

The previous guest had finally made his way, at a painfully slow pace, to the host. Seeing the opportunity, a staff member opened the car door. Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, a pair of long, slender legs emerged first, seeming to glow with an enchanting white radiance. In that instant, they seized everyone’s attention.

After blinking, the crowd realized that it was merely the brilliant white trouser leg. Faint golden lines seemed to be traced across the fabric, appearing and disappearing beneath the lights, as though emitting dazzling halos. The sight was enough to dazzle anyone at first glance.

The reporters instinctively raised their cameras and began taking photographs. Anyone who appeared at this point could not possibly be insignificant. Every one of them was the sort of person who could make the front page. Even if they had not yet seen the person’s face, they would not lose anything by taking pictures. Everyone wanted to capture the very first photograph of the guest emerging—that held a little more significance.

“Ah! It’s Xiao Jingxuan!”

Someone standing close by crouched down to take a look and naturally discovered the truth. He immediately cried out, setting off a chain reaction.

If one had to name the most popular person of the past year, the one who had generated the most discussion and attracted the widest attention, it could only be Xiao Jingxuan. One album and one Dragon Roars Across the World had utterly captivated countless men and women alike—and audiences of every age.