Chapter 935 - The Aftermath of the Next Day

Forgotten? Of course not.

It's just that the Oscar for Best Director had been her greatest obsession, spanning from her past life to this one. It was the heaviest stone weighing on her heart. Subconsciously, only by moving this stone, crossing it, and crushing it could she move forward.

If she hadn't won this award, she would have lacked the confidence to pursue her ultimate dream—creating an entirely original film and returning to this stage once again!

"You're right," she nodded, placing the trophy on the bedside table before slipping under the covers. She pressed her cheek against his warm chest, feeling the calming rise and fall of his breath. "I still have so much more I want to do. How can I lose my drive now?"

"Well, actually, you could afford to take it a bit easier," Roy suddenly felt he might have said something he shouldn't have. She had pushed herself too hard too often for her work. He had seen it firsthand when he was around to remind her, and even more so when he was away filming. If she could slow down a little and complete her work without harming her health, he would be much happier.

"Laila, I think..." He wanted to offer some advice but noticed she was already breathing evenly, fast asleep.

"She is exhausted," Roy smiled helplessly, adjusting his position to make her more comfortable as she leaned against him.

Today, not just her, but even he, an outsider, had been on edge the entire time.

He leaned down and gently kissed her forehead. Goodnight, my princess.

The two fell into a deep sleep. Meanwhile, the outside world was buzzing with excitement over the topics brought up by the 80th Academy Awards.

There was so much to discuss about this year's Oscars. Many media outlets dedicated special columns and features to analyze and report on the event.

When Laila woke up the next day and went downstairs, she saw Roy reading a newspaper. The content was quite interesting—it discussed how all the acting awards had been swept by European actors.

Seeing her peek over at the newspaper in his hands, Roy made room for her to squeeze onto the single-seat sofa with him. "This year, all four acting awards at the Oscars went to actors from European countries."

Laila took a look, and sure enough, it was true. Best Actor went to Daniel Day-Lewis, a Brit; Best Actress to Marion Cotillard, a French actress; and the two supporting acting awards went to Spain's Javier Bardem, who won his first Oscar, and Britain's Tilda Swinton.

"Looks like you American actors need to step up your game," she teased, patting his cheek. It must be quite a blow to have the awards snatched away right on home turf, right?

Roy caught her hand and brought it to his lips for a kiss. "We need good films for that. I'm waiting for you to bring me another Best Actor trophy."

Laila looked at him and nodded. "Alright."

Though it sounded like a joke, Roy could tell from her expression that she was serious. He had been speaking offhandedly. Not only had she just won the Best Director Oscar at 27, making it unlikely she'd win again anytime soon, but finding a script that could propel him to an Oscar wasn't easy either. He didn't want her to wear herself out over this.

"I was just kidding. You need a good rest, not to throw yourself back into a hectic work schedule so soon!"

Laila chuckled and steered the conversation back to their earlier topic. "In recent years, more and more foreign actors have been winning acting awards. Last year's Best Actress, Helen Mirren, was British too, as were Nicole Kidman and Russell Crowe."

"Yeah, it seems like local actors are facing too many challengers," Roy sighed. While he didn't think American actors were that bad, it was undeniable that more and more foreigners were taking home the awards.

"You could look at it from another angle. The Oscars are becoming more inclusive, more globalized, and more authoritative. That just makes the awards we win even more prestigious, doesn't it?"

Roy laughed. "You always find the positive side. True, the more authoritative the Oscars become, the more satisfying it is to win."

Laila teased him, "As if you can win just because you want to."

"Isn't that the case?" Roy raised an eyebrow, his devastatingly handsome face making it impossible not to adore him.

At least, Laila couldn't resist. She cupped his face, looking at him from every angle, unable to get enough. It's hard being a sucker for good looks.

This wasn't the first time Roy had been scrutinized like this. After the initial shock, he had grown used to it and even found it somewhat flattering. If she liked his face, wasn't that a form of affection too? He wasn't the type to overthink whether she liked his looks or his personality.

If the face wasn't appealing, how many people would even notice the personality? It was better to have her like his face first, then grow to love more about him.

Besides, he knew her feelings for him were genuine. Otherwise, she wouldn't show her vulnerable side in front of him. A woman like her only revealed her true self to those closest to her. That was one of her endearing qualities. Someone like Leonardo DiCaprio, a known playboy, would never realize just how adorable the seemingly intimidating Laila could be.

Laila flipped through the newspaper and found more coverage about the Oscars, such as this year's preference for films exploring human nature.

Whether it was 'No Country for Old Men' or 'There Will Be Blood', both films delved into darker themes, exposing greed, violence, and destruction in the most direct ways. Even 'Juno' tackled the sensitive topic of teenage pregnancy.

Meanwhile, more conventional films like 'The Diving Bell and the Butterfly' walked away empty-handed.

In a small corner, Laila found a brief mention of 'The Bourne Ultimatum'. It was just a tiny blurb, noting that the film had received three technical nominations but was completely overshadowed by 'The Lord of the Rings', leaving it with nothing. It was a bit tragic. If it hadn't been up against such a formidable opponent, it might have had a better chance.

Seeing this, Laila felt a twinge of guilt. Historically, 'The Bourne Ultimatum' had won those three technical awards and was hailed as a "technical masterpiece." But because of her, 'The Lord of the Rings' had been delayed by several years, coinciding with its release and snatching away the awards that should have been theirs.

It wasn't just 'The Bourne Ultimatum'—many other films suffered similar fates. The most unfortunate was the Coen Brothers' 'No Country for Old Men', which was originally poised to win Best Director and Best Picture. Because of Laila, they had to settle for nominations and wait for another opportunity.