Losing to Jiang Ling, a top powerhouse, was nothing to be ashamed of.
On the contrary, it was their fortune to compete with Jiang Ling for Best Actress, a glorious defeat.
With her absolute strength, Jiang Ling had not only conquered the judging panel but also earned the admiration of everyone present.
Words were mere illusions; strength was the ultimate truth.
Meanwhile, the younger generation of viewers, unaware of the immense sensation caused by "The Prince Who Turns into a Frog" back then, were once again baffled to see Jiang Ling win the Golden Plum Blossom Award.
This was, after all, the Golden Plum Blossom, the highest of Dragon Country's three major film awards.
For an actor, winning it once was as honorable as a scholar from a humble background topping the provincial college entrance examinations.
Many serious drama actors, after decades of dedicated work, might not even manage to snag a Best Supporting Actor or Best Supporting Actress award.
It was almost unbelievable that Jiang Ling had won Best Actress for her role in an idol drama, securing the Golden Plum Blossom.
[No, no, this can't be right. This is the Golden Plum Blossom Award, the highest honor in the film and television industry. So many serious dramas can't even get nominated, how could it be awarded to an idol drama lead?]
[The Golden Plum Blossom Award was established for serious drama actors, so how could an idol drama have a slot?]
[Am I dreaming? Winning a Golden Plum Blossom for an idol drama, how is that possible? It's fake, it must be fake.]
[In my impression, traffic stars acting in idol dramas would be lucky to get a Golden Peony, how could she gain the favor of the Golden Plum Blossom? Did she bribe the judges with money?]
[This award was won too easily. While the role of Ye Tianyu was very likable, it shouldn't be elevated to the level of the Golden Plum Blossom, should it?]
Seeing the younger generation in the comment sections and bullet screens not understanding the truth of that year, the old fans snorted.
When "The Prince Who Turns into a Frog" aired, their attention was also captivated by Jian Zhou's portrayal of the domineering CEO Shan Junhao, and they hadn't noticed the shining points of Jiang Ling's character, Ye Tianyu.
It wasn't until a slew of imitations failed miserably, with male leads being greasy and female leads being pretentious, coquettish, and overtly manipulative, that they belatedly realized how good Jiang Ling's Ye Tianyu was.
Her ability to create a stir in silence had conquered all the judges; the Golden Plum Blossom Award was truly deserved.
The youngsters, failing to understand how the role of Ye Tianyu could win a Golden Plum Blossom, raised their objections and tagged the official Golden Plum Blossom website.
An hour later, Golden Plum Blossom publicly responded to netizens' doubts on Weibo.
"The Golden Plum Blossom was founded with the aim of discovering good works and inspiring good actors to promote the healthy development of the film and television industry. This award is not exclusively for serious drama roles; idol dramas can also receive it. The reason it is rarely seen is that the performances of most actors in idol dramas do not meet the standard. Ms. Jiang Ling's unparalleled excellent acting skills conquered all the judges at the time, making her the first and only actress to win an award for an idol drama since the inception of the Golden Plum Blossom Award."
This response caused a huge stir.
Netizens watched in stunned silence.
Unparalleled excellent acting skills?
The first and only actress to win an award for an idol drama?
Wasn't this evaluation a bit too high?
Seeing this, the television station director added more fuel to the fire.
Don't believe in Jiang Ling's acting?
Very well, let them experience the peak of her acting skills.
Bring out "Huan Kong."
As "Huan Kong" was shown, the bullet screens erupted.
[My god, her eyes are amazing!]
[Her five-second turning glance felt like a lifetime.]