One stood on stage asking in a low voice, the other sat in the audience smiling in response.

When Qin Cheng finished his sentence, the camera immediately turned to Rong Xu. The handsome and elegant young man smiled calmly, blinking, and didn’t speak, but his entire face read: “Alright, alright, whatever you say is fine.”

At the Golden Bear Awards ceremony, although the host often interacts with guests in the audience (sometimes pre-arranged, sometimes without preparing the guests), they never give microphones to the guests. Rong Xu naturally had no microphone, but his simple, humorous response made the audience burst into laughter, understanding everything.

David even winked and directly stated: “Qin, I’m really starting to like you more and more.”

Qin Cheng calmly held the microphone, his deep gaze sweeping over his young beloved, chuckling without a word.

If the live guests inferred “Qin Cheng’s singing probably isn’t great” from Rong Xu’s response, then the viewers in front of their televisions saw nothing but pink! Overwhelming pink!

[Why do God Qin and Rong Rong dare to be so blatant with their PDA at the Golden Bear Awards?! Rong Rong is so indulgent, completely spoiling God Qin! The Association for the Protection of Single Dogs sends a strong condemnation. Since you’re already dishing out dog food, dare to give us more, dare you?!]

[I’ve really never heard God Qin sing. God Qin has never sung in any show or movie, but Rong Xu has heard him… (:з」∠) I can’t take it anymore, this CP has too much sugar. I think I’m falling into the rabbit hole.]

[Welcome, sister upstairs! Strongly recommend the beginner “food” for the rabbit hole: the “Black Clouds” press conference! At the press conference, God Qin asked Rong Rong to cry, and after Rong Rong cried, God Qin actually hugged Rong Rong and tenderly wiped away his tears… Ahhh, remembering that is too sweet! My Chengrong is so sweet it breaks through the heavens!]

The situation on the internet naturally couldn’t reach the Golden Bear Awards ceremony. After the host chatted a few more sentences with Qin Cheng, he gracefully stepped aside, leaving the stage entirely to the presenter.

Standing alone on the awards stage, Qin Cheng was calm and composed. He wore a black tuxedo, his figure tall and slender, his gaze steady as he slowly swept across the entire hall again, then began his presentation speech. As he spoke, the large screen in the venue began to play splendid clips of the six nominees from their films.

There were unyielding revolutionary martyrs, ordinary but unyielding common folk; there were prophets from ancient Greece who sacrificed their lives for truth, and infatuated youths who threw themselves into love like moths to a flame.

When Qin Cheng spoke of the last film, almost no one noticed that his voice gradually slowed.

At the same time, on the big screen, there was a warm, orange-yellow glow of the setting sun. In a building of Hong Kong tenements unique to the last century, a creaking sound echoed through the entire building when a tenant walked up the stairs on one side of the small building. Only the wind whistled past their ears, scattering the warm, gentle sunlight one by one.

Inside the cramped, simple room, a young, naive student pressed the slender, charming bar owner against the wall. He eagerly kissed her, but she turned her head away. In that instant, time froze. The handsome student paused for a moment, looking calmly at the woman more than ten years his senior.

After a long while, he chuckled softly, more gentle than the spring breeze passing through the window: “Your… your hair is messy. I’ll fix it for you.” He paused for a moment, and a barely perceptible hint of loss flickered in his clear, bright eyes, but he still smiled earnestly, his voice trembling, yet his tone sincere: “I’ll fix it for you… alright?”

The scene froze on that innocent, bright smiling face, but everyone knew that hidden beneath that smile was a shattered heart.

Everlasting March was adapted from a classic short story by a Hong Kong female writer. This writer’s style was enigmatic, her imagery lavish, and her colors rich. Her works had been adapted many times; Qin Cheng’s Twilight Sound was one of her representative works.

March, on the other hand, tells the story of a young student and a bar owner. A young, fervent flame touches a seemingly vibrant but actually withered flower. In the end, the flame fails to make the flower bloom again but, for the love of this flower, ceases to be itself.

In that small tenement building, within just three short months, too many stories unfolded. Two completely different people—different backgrounds, different personalities, living in entirely different worlds—intersected and were involuntarily drawn to each other.

The final ending was the student played by Rong Xu leaving Hong Kong. His landlady loved him, infected by his vibrant love, but chose not to love him. Then, due to various events, she could no longer love him.

I love you, but I don’t know how to love you.

Not every love in the world lasts forever; breakage is the end for most loves.

---

After all six film clips finished playing, on stage, Qin Cheng held the envelope in one hand and the microphone in the other, saying softly, “Last year, I also sat in the audience, awaiting the announcement of the awards. At that time, my heart was filled with only nervousness and apprehension. But now, standing here looking down, I find something different.”

He paused, then continued, “From the release of the first black-and-white film in the early last century to the first talkie, and now, it’s only been a little over a hundred years. In the vigorous development of cinema, countless people have walked, countless excellent actors have been seen, and finally, they have settled in that long river of history, remembered by us today.”

“Beneath the Golden Bear stage today, the six nominees include my old friend Louis Cadiven, Rukert Mandy, who once chased the Golden Phoenix Award with me, and my good friend… Rong Xu.”

“Your existence is the glorious achievement of world film history; your dedication is the driving force that propels world cinema forward. Today, no matter who receives the final honor, I just want to say…”

“You are all the best.”

His calm and steady gaze slowly rested on a specific spot in the audience. Qin Cheng looked earnestly at the person sitting there, his thin lips slightly curved, his powerful yet gentle voice like a clear lake, upon which moonlight shone, shimmering and softly luminous. He looked only at that person. After a long while, the smile on his lips became even softer, and he repeated again—

“You, are all the best.”

The next moment, thunderous applause erupted.

In the center of the audience, Rong Xu closed his eyes briefly, shaking his head helplessly, but the corners of his mouth involuntarily lifted. He dared not open his eyes again to look at the person on stage, because he knew that, from beginning to end, these words were only for him.

Qin Cheng has always been rather self-serving, not an entirely upright good person. And now, both he and Rong Xu knew that it was almost impossible for Rong Xu to win the Golden Bear Best Actor award this time.

But so what?

In my heart, you are always the best.

You are my Film Emperor, my only one, the youth I am willing to throw myself into loving like a moth to a flame.

After a gentle sigh of relief, Rong Xu slowly relaxed. His obsession with the Golden Bear Award gradually subsided. After all, in his previous life, he only received his first Best Actor trophy at the age of twenty-five. He didn’t have Qin Cheng’s overwhelming background or Qin Cheng’s good luck. Even Wen Xuan went three consecutive years without a trophy, so it was no big deal that he hadn’t received one after only three years in the industry.

---

In fact, not only Rong Xu, but many of his fans also sensed the outcome of this Golden Bear Award.

[Wen Xuan has already won Best Actress, so the possibility of Rong Rong winning Best Actor is really low. After all, the Golden Bear Award isn’t our Chinese award. The West still has some self-protection mechanisms against Huaxia. Neither the Golden Bear nor the Oscars have ever had a situation where both Best Actor and Best Actress were Chinese. So Rong Rong probably won’t get this Best Actor trophy.]

[I understand the reasoning, but I’m still so sad. “Everlasting March” is really great, it’s the fifth highest-grossing art-house film globally! Historically fifth!]

[Why are we being sad here? The saddest one right now should be Rong Rong. Last year, I thought “3200 Miles” could win an award, but it happened to clash with “Zhuang Hua Luo” and “Prometheus.” Anyway, Rong Rong is the best, don’t be sad, Rong Rong, you’ll always be our Rong Rong!]

[Go Rong Rong!]

[My Rong is the best, my Rong will always be the best!]

[Don’t be sad, Rong Rong, you’re the best! Ahhh, the camera just zoomed in on Rong Rong’s face, so beautiful, so beautiful, so beautiful! I can’t take it anymore, I’m going to buy a copy of “Rong Yan” to calm myself down! I’m going to swoon! ~(≧▽≦)/~ La la la]

[I’m buying a copy of “Rong Yan” too.]

[I’m buying two, hugging Rong Rong and kissing, kissing, kissing!!!]

…

The Berlin Golden Bear Awards were live-streamed globally. By this point, everyone was mentally prepared. Qin Cheng’s long fingers gently moved, and with a soft sound, he opened the envelope; Rong Xu faced it with a smile, his heart already free of any concern; Rong’s fans frantically bought albums and donated to the Rong Yan Foundation.

Whether it was Qin Cheng or Rong’s fans, at this moment, their only wish was—

[Don’t be sad, you are number one in my heart.]

Even an actor as skilled as Qin Cheng had slightly trembling fingers as he opened the envelope. He had attended so many awards ceremonies, sat in the audience, and faced such anticipation countless times, but never before had he been so nervous.

It wasn’t his own award; he was just a presenter, yet he found it hard to suppress his anxiety.

His young beloved, to film this movie, had rehearsed countless scenes with him in their apartment. From morning till night, from midnight till dawn, tirelessly studying the script, delving into the original novel, trying out the student’s role, and even portraying the female owner’s role, all to thoroughly understand the character’s psychology and personality.

But if, simply because of Wen Xuan’s excellence, Rong Xu couldn’t win the Best Actor award,

Then who would applaud for those countless days and nights of effort?

The moment the envelope was fully opened, Qin Cheng took out the card, paused in silence, and finally opened it. He was last year’s Best Actor, and he couldn’t refuse the organizing committee’s invitation; he had to present this award. From the moment he left the audience, he had mentally prepared himself for a long time, considering what tone to use when announcing the winner’s name, to present the trophy to another person in front of his beloved.

But all of that vanished when he saw that name.

His dark eyes instantly widened. Below the stage, everyone held their breath, waiting for the final answer. But what met them was the presenter’s prolonged silence. Whispers gradually began in the audience, and after another moment, the handsome, tall man turned his head, grasped the microphone firmly, his lips curving into a relaxed smile, and spoke word by word—

“The winner of the 2046 Berlin Golden Bear Award for Best Actor is…”

“Rong Xu! For Everlasting March!”