The death of Jiang Mengran was beyond Quan Jiu's expectations. She hadn't anticipated that woman would end her short life in such a manner.
But as the old saying goes, good and evil will eventually be rewarded. Jiang Mengran had committed countless misdeeds, perhaps even Heaven couldn't bear it any longer, so it pressed the stop button on her life.
Quan Jiu didn't feel much grief. In her heart, the moment Jiang Mengran's life ended, all her hatred was released. She no longer dwelled on the past.
In mid-January, Quan Jiu reached a small peak in her screenwriting career: the film festival.
The film festival at the beginning of each year summarized the film industry of the previous year and made plans for the new year. It also presented awards for excellent films from the previous year, including Best Director, Best Actor and Actress, Best Supporting Actor and Actress, Best Screenplay, and many other categories.
This year's film festival garnered particularly significant attention. Why? Because the biggest dark horse screenwriter of the year was "nine," who had been mysterious for half a year. Everyone was anticipating this moment, hoping to see the legendary figure at the awards ceremony. Journalists were all trying to network, aiming to get exclusive information.
After much deliberation, the organizers decided to make this year's film festival a live broadcast, keeping up with the times.
On the day of the film festival, Quan Jiu was invited to attend. She wore a custom-made black gown, looking noble and beautiful. Even standing amidst a crowd of male and female celebrities, she stood out.
Her presence naturally drew the attention of those around her after she was seated.
Wang Feifei, as the director of "Floating Life," naturally received an invitation, given the film's outstanding performance. She was seated next to Quan Jiu.
Before the awards ceremony began, Wang Feifei whispered to Quan Jiu, "Jiujiu, the awards ceremony today is live-streamed. Do you have any thoughts?"
Quan Jiu smiled, "What thoughts could I have? What comes, comes."
Wang Feifei tutted and intimately clung to Quan Jiu's arm, refusing to let go. "Before you go on stage, I want to soak up some of your popularity." She then pretended to sniff Quan Jiu a couple of times, making Quan Jiu both amused and exasperated.
Jiang Nan Chen, despite his best efforts to avoid looking, found his gaze constantly drawn to that elegant figure. He knew Jiu Jiu and Chu Rong had reconciled, but he just couldn't let go.
If... if he had been braver and more proactive back then, would he have had a chance?
He thought about this countless times. Jiu Jiu had already left Chu Rong then, and he had an opportunity to intervene, so why didn't he bravely take that step?
The more he thought about it, the more regret he felt, but these emotions could only be hidden in his heart, leaving him to brood alone.
Seeing his dejected mood, Wang Feifei nudged him with her elbow, a little impatiently. "We're here to accept awards today. Can you cheer up a bit? You look so disappointing."
Jiang Nan Chen forced a bitter smile, put away his emotions, and compelled himself to appear cheerful.
Wang Feifei was satisfied and continued whispering with Quan Jiu.
Soon, the film festival commenced. As usual, the host first summarized the past year and then moved directly to the most anticipated segment.
"...In previous years, during the awards ceremony, I always liked to build suspense and keep you on the edge of your seats. But this year, I won't do that. Because this year, the performance of our Best Film was so outstanding, I believe you've already guessed who it is without me saying it. Let's invite the director of 'Floating Life,' Jiang Nan Chen."
Jiang Nan Chen straightened up. Dressed in a white suit, he looked refined and elegant, astonishing many who hadn't seen him before. The host, in surprise, playfully remarked, "Are you sure you're a director and not an actor? Are you planning to direct and star in your next work? After all, it's a waste of such a handsome face. I feel sorry for you."
Jiang Nan Chen offered a standard smile and looked at the audience. "I will always stand behind the camera because I am better at capturing beauty."
His gaze inadvertently fell on Quan Jiu. He froze for a moment before hearing what the host was saying.
"The person I want to thank the most is my screenwriter. Without her, I wouldn't be who I am today."
The host's eyes immediately lit up, and he asked knowingly, "The screenwriter of 'Floating Life,' could it be that mysterious screenwriter 'nine' who was crowdfunded by the entire internet?"
Netizens in front of their screens immediately erupted. Following that, the screen was filled with "nine" comments, and the comments from the largest live-streaming platform were even projected onto the awards ceremony, so everyone could see them.
Regarding this screenwriter named "nine," it was remarkable. Although not a celebrity, she possessed celebrity-level popularity. Not only netizens but also directors, actors, and related staff present were very curious.
Seeing this, the host's excitement surged, and he exclaimed, "I believe we will definitely have the opportunity to unveil the true identity of 'nine' today. Next, let's invite this year's Best Screenwriter, 'nine,' to the stage to accept the award."
Wang Feifei clapped her hands excitedly. "Jiujiu, Jiujiu, hurry up, it's your turn, it's your turn."
The entire venue erupted in applause, and even netizens watching from home were clapping and cheering.
Amidst the applause, Quan Jiu gracefully rose and headed towards the stage with elegance.
As she moved, the cameras and gazes in the venue followed her.
From behind, her perfect figure exuded nobility and grace. As for her front, those below the stage couldn't see, but the host above the stage was stunned, his eyes unable to move away.
When Quan Jiu walked onto the stage, it wasn't just the host who was stunned; everyone in the audience and everyone outside the screen was stunned. Then, on the large projection screen, comments flooded in.
"Beauty," "Wife," "Goddess" – all sorts of exclamations and praises completely covered the big screen.
When Quan Jiu reached him, the host was still somewhat dazed and asked a rather obvious question, "Are you really the divine 'nine'?"
Quan Jiu smiled gently. "Authentic."
This smile caused the audience outside the venue to scream again. She was too beautiful, her smile could topple cities, and a second smile could topple nations. The mysterious magnate was incredibly beautiful. Heavens... it truly was unfair.
Quan Jiu's first public appearance concluded with the Best Screenwriter award. From the moment she revealed her face to the camera, the internet went wild with discussions about her. Almost every trending topic on the hot search list was related to her.
Then, someone used photo searches and discovered that this person had many other identities.
For example, at a certain art exhibition, the painter Zhi Fan, wasn't that the same divine being? And at a fashion week, the pavilion master of Yun Lan Pavilion, wasn't that also this magnate? Finally, someone even recalled the sensational Chu Xin Culture. Upon comparison, it turned out the name was exactly the same, so it was highly likely.
Netizens' gossip abilities were strong. Once there was a clue, they could quickly connect the dots. Thus, in less than an hour, all of Quan Jiu's identities were exposed.
Netizens were going crazy, numb. It turned out that all the figures they had crowdfunded were the same person. Some even dug up that the female lead in Guo Wen's new drama was also her.
In an instant, Quan Jiu's fame reached the top of the entire internet. Her Weibo followers surged at an unprecedented rate, breaking one hundred million in just one day.
All sorts of businesses, capital, endorsements, and directors saw huge business opportunities and wealth, extending their olive branches to Quan Jiu.
However, after the film festival, Quan Jiu suddenly disappeared again, nowhere to be found. Even Wei Tao couldn't track her down. Little did he know, to avoid disturbance, Quan Jiu had entered the new city to continue her script adaptation work.