The Martial Artist Turned Movie Mogul

Tang Shu hadn't expected the tough words she had thrown at Luo Lin to come true so quickly.

After the New Year's holiday, she received an invitation to the National Drama Awards ceremony, congratulating her on being nominated for Best Supporting Actress for the past year.

"Second time now. Has anyone ever won the same award twice?"

"You talk as if you're certain to win. Can you be a little more humble?"

"...Sorry? I thought you were already well-acquainted with my personality."

"Alright, you win."

Luo Lin shrugged. "There has been such a precedent before, but no one has ever consecutively won the same award twice."

"It's not consecutive—I won Best Supporting Actress the year before last."

"...What's the difference?"

A year here, a year there—you want to nitpick this with me now?

Luo Lin's face darkened. "Based on past records, your chances of winning aren't high. But this year, among the other Best Supporting Actress nominees—excuse my bluntness—not a single one is a real contender."

All because Lu Xiangxuan is just too popular. Not only does she win over male fans; she's swept up female fans too, becoming the most influential figure in viewers' hearts.

"Also, I've picked up some news. Feng Yan has been simultaneously nominated for Best Actress in both Legendary Jiayue and Cloud Gate Wind and Cloud. She's practically locked in the award—it's just a question of which role will win it for her."

Though Luo Lin said this aloud, she already had the answer in her heart.

With the rising goddess Lu Xiangxuan in Cloud Gate Wind and Cloud, the lead actress's presence in the movie had been overshadowed to the extreme. Feng Yan's chances there aren't promising.

"Got it. I'll start preparing my gown in the coming days."

Leaving Starshine Media, Tang Shu headed straight to Shen Li's private styling studio. This time, her future sister-in-law didn't have the guts to stir up trouble. Keeping her behavior in check, she remeasured Tang Shu's size with a sparkle in her eyes, burying her head in a draft of design sketches.

Recently, Tang Shu had been quite relaxed with her minimal coursework, casually roaming around the studio until her gaze landed on a deep purple cheongsam.

The cheongsam had already been trimmed into shape, but its edges hadn't been stitched yet—it was clearly in a semi-finished state.

"I'm pretty handy. Want me to finish the hem?"

"Huh?"

Shen Li, engulfed in a pile of design drafts, raised her head with a slightly confused look. Her unfocused gaze flitted between Tang Shu and the cheongsam before she numbly nodded her head.

"Do whatever you like. If you want something to drink, the coffee bar's right over there."

"..."

Tang Shu was utterly certain Shen Li hadn't registered anything she had just said.

But Tang Shu was always confident in her handiwork. Her gaze swept across the embroidery tools nearby, and her delicate hands picked out thread closest in color to the purple fabric and began her work.

After an hour, the genius designer Shen Li finally finished her masterpiece, her eyes brimming with fiery radiance as she stared at her design sketches.

"This time, I promise you'll shine at the awards ceremony!"

"With your designs, I shine every time. Have you forgotten?"

Tang Shu hadn't forgotten the inevitable beauty comparisons before and after every red carpet event. She always got her own spotlight in videos and articles across media platforms—courtesy of Shen Li.

"Of course! If I, a genius, can't make you the most stunning at the event, then no one can!"

The genius designer declared her confidence plainly. As she proudly raised her chin, the radiant light in her eyes suddenly shifted to the deep purple cheongsam lying before Tang Shu.

"Oh my god—you… you're working on the hem?!"

"You already gave me your blessing. Don't worry too much; my skills are seriously quite decent."

At least better than most people's embroidery skills nowadays. In her childhood, she had a great teacher who cultivated her sewing talents.

Shen Li didn't even care about her design drafts at that moment. She sprinted with her short legs toward Tang Shu. Once her eyes confirmed the neatly hemmed stitches, an expression of pleasant surprise broke through.

"Your… your skills are truly excellent. I didn't know you had this talent."

She could swear the stitches were miles better than those of the embroidery master she paid top dollar for.

"A mere trick."

Tang Shu tucked in the final stitch, leaving the edges of the cheongsam in a finished state. Still, something felt missing.

"Isn't it a little plain? Do you know how to embroider?"

"I do. What do you want to embroider, and where?"

"..." Shen Li hesitated for a moment this time, glancing at Tang Shu. "Do you have any ideas?"

"Hmm… cuffs, collar, waistline—adding something there could work. Butterflies go well with deep purple."

"Butterflies it is!"

Shen Li decided firmly. She was curious to see the finished product once butterflies were embroidered on. As soon as her words fell, Tang Shu's right hand reached into the needlework box again and picked out three thread colors.

Suddenly, the genius designer found herself completely captivated, her eyes glued to Tang Shu's every movement. Time ticked away quietly as one embroidered and the other observed, until the cheongsam was fully completed two hours later.

"You embroider at lightning speed… Your hands were practically a blur. Don't you outline ahead of time?"

"No need. It's all familiar now."

Shen Li was astonished once again. How familiar could one get with butterflies to reach this level? No—perhaps it wasn't just butterflies. She'd found a treasure!

However, Shen Li feared this treasure might come with a price tag she couldn't afford. QAQ~~

The young genius let out a whirlwind of fleeting emotions, her face showcasing a dramatic display of joy, regret, and frustration. Even when Jing Yu arrived to pick up his girlfriend, Shen Li was still stewing in her conflicted disbelief.

Tang Shu scheduled a fitting before saying goodbye and getting into the car with Jing Yu.

"What on earth did you guys talk about? Why does her expression look so strange?"

Jing Yu nearly thought his childhood friend and Xie Yunqing's relationship had hit a bump.

"I embroidered a few butterflies on a cheongsam for her. That's all."

"..."

Alright, got it.

***

This year's awards followed the usual format of judge evaluations mixed with public votes, giving Tang Shu the perfect advantage.

Who doesn't like Lu Xiangxuan?

If someone posed this question, anyone who had watched Cloud Gate Wind and Cloud would give a definitive answer: no one dislikes her. Truly.

In mid-January, Tang Shu donned the gown Shen Li had personally designed and walked into the awards ceremony under the dazzling lights. After locating the seat arranged by her drama's production team, she noticed she was seated right beside Feng Yan.

She: "..."

This arrangement felt a bit odd.

By logic, Feng Yan should be seated near Legendary Jiayue's crew, given that her most likely win was for her character in the fantasy drama.

"Miss Tang, we meet again."

Tang Shu raised her head, and there stood Feng Yan—dressed fashionably and strikingly—due to the seated-versus-standing height discrepancy, both actresses naturally had a bit of distance between them.

"Miss Feng Yan, long time no see."

The standing Feng Yan locked eyes with Tang Shu's cool and reserved gaze, feeling an inexplicable pressure surging toward her. For a moment, she was taken aback by Tang Shu's intangible aura.