Chapter 82: The Plot

[Ah, isn’t this… quite the coincidence?]

[Lu Xu was shortlisted for the Stellar Award nomination ahead of Zhang Che, but Zhang Che entered the film industry earlier than him.]

[After all, it’s a film directed by Zhang Zhizhen, whose work carries a weight that sets it apart from other films. As everyone knows, there is a wall between the film and television industries.]

[Whether Lu Xu rejected Zhang Zhizhen or Zhang Zhizhen dismissed Lu Xu is no longer important. What matters now is that Zhang Che has already taken the lead over Lu Xu on the path to filmmaking.]

Although Zhang Zhizhen’s previous praise for Lu Xu had been dug up by some interested parties, the entertainment industry clearly valued results over process.

While Lu Xu held two blockbuster dramas, The Path of Bones and Voice of the Dead, if Zhang Che successfully broke into the film industry with The Swordsman, his future development would undoubtedly surpass that of Lu Xu.

At this critical moment, the luxury brand M announced that it had signed an endorsement deal with Zhang Che.

This caused quite a stir in the entertainment industry.

As everyone knew, M-brand had been competing with C-brand for Lu Xu. M-brand was a purely jewelry-focused brand, while C-brand had both watches and jewelry lines. In terms of pricing, M-brand slightly edged out C-brand. While C-brand offered some entry-level pieces in the thousand-dollar range, M-brand’s collection started with high-end pieces priced well over ten thousand.

The entertainment industry had plenty of stars, but there were only so many luxury brands. Additionally, these brands were notoriously stingy with their titles. While celebrities wouldn’t go so far as to scramble for these endorsements, they still made a point of attending brand-hosted events. Even if they couldn’t secure a title, being able to borrow jewelry was already a perk.

But when it came to Lu Xu, the brands had been particularly courteous.

Though M-brand hadn’t approached Lu Xu as early as C-brand, they had provided him with several sets of jewelry for events he attended, demonstrating considerable sincerity. Many had speculated that, between M-brand and C-brand, Lu Xu would likely choose M-brand.

However, M-brand acted quickly and signed Zhang Che as their ambassador.

Choosing this timing was clearly influenced by the casting of The Swordsman.

[Director Zhang mentioned that The Swordsman will have a simultaneous domestic and global release, and it will also compete in international film festivals and major award ceremonies. Since M-brand is a global brand, choosing Zhang Che makes perfect sense.]

[Zhang Che’s ethereal looks pair perfectly with M-brand —it’s a win-win choice.]

[Well, it’s Lu Xu’s loss for passing on The Swordsman. Sure, Lu Xu is popular now, but Zhang Che seems to have more potential.]

[By the way, if Zhang Che gets nominated for Best Actor at X Awards and returns home without even being shortlisted for the Stellar Award, won’t the Stellar Award look awkward?]

[I don’t know about the Stellar Award, but if I were Lu Xu, I’d definitely feel embarrassed.]

Shortly after M-brand officially announced Zhang Che as their ambassador, Zhang Che reposted the brand’s post on social media:

[Walking hand in hand [handshake emoji][handshake emoji]]

M-brand showed extraordinary sincerity toward Zhang Che, their new ambassador—he was featured on the covers of three out of the four top-tier magazines, including the New Year’s edition of E Magazine.

As one of the top luxury brands, M-brand’s ability to secure such covers was unparalleled.

In addition to the magazine covers, Zhang Che enjoyed the privilege of wearing M-brand’s luxury jewelry. For every event he attended, M-brand provided him with various high-end accessories to wear.

Although The Swordsman hadn’t started filming yet, Zhang Che’s momentum was already building.

[Do you think Lu Xu regrets seeing the treatment Zhang Che is getting?]

[He’s probably regretting it so much he’s turning green with envy!]

In reality, Lu Xu didn’t regret it at all.

The reason he turned down The Swordsman wasn’t because wuxia as a genre had declined, but because the script was genuinely terrible.

Even a declining genre could produce a great script—the key was not the genre itself but how the story was crafted.

As for The Swordsman, all Lu Xu saw in the script was the empty lamentation of its characters. Though it claimed to be a wuxia story, it lacked even a trace of the chivalrous spirit. The early wuxia classics thrived on tales of loyalty, courage, and selflessness for the sake of the nation and its people. When the land was secure and the people at peace, these heroes would retreat to the mountains, concealing their skills. Yet, if the nation faced ruin or the people suffered, they would step forward to make a difference.

But the protagonist of The Swordsman retired, not for any noble reason, but to lament the meaning of life and seek the philosophy of existence. His adopted daughter suffered relentless humiliation, and though he had the ability to save her, he refused to kill the enemy, instead sitting by the lake, lost in thought. After finally saving his adopted daughter, who had lost her will to live, he decided that she simply hadn’t grasped enlightenment.

When Lu Xu read this script, he was completely baffled.

It was only after hearing Xu Wen’s explanation that he learned Zhang Zhizhen was a photographer-turned-director. While Zhang Zhizhen’s visuals were undeniably stunning and could be considered works of art, the narrative of the script was far too weak. Lu Xu even felt that The Swordsman couldn’t be considered a complete story.

Lu Xu had no idea what Zhang Zhizhen wanted to express in the movie.

Of course, calling the script terrible might have been overly harsh, but it was definitely beyond the scope of Lu Xu’s understanding.

It was too artistic—so artistic that it barely felt human.

As for Zhang Che’s recent treatment, Lu Xu had indeed received offers to shoot for magazines, but Mu Qian and Jin Mu both hoped he would join the set as soon as possible. So, Lu Xu had simply arrived early.

Once When I Was 18 wrapped, Lu Xu planned to shoot a few magazine covers as well.

Lu Xu had no intention of competing with Zhang Che. Otherwise, if Zhang Che ever found himself unable to sleep again, Lu Xu would surely be blamed as the unforgivable culprit.

“Alright! Let’s do this scene again!”

Mu Qian pointed at Lu Xu with a bright smile on his face. “Hold the book tighter this time—don’t let it slip again by accident.”

Lu Xu had actually performed this scene exceptionally well, but the prop book was thick and heavy. It had accidentally slid off his arm, forcing him to reshoot the scene.

When it came to Lu Xu’s acting, Mu Qian couldn’t find a single reason to say “no.”

Especially considering that his last project, the unfinished Rising Sun, had featured Gu Sinian and You Zichen. Compared to their performances, Lu Xu felt like an angel sent to save him.

From portraying a disheartened middle-aged man to transitioning into a bright and youthful teenager, Lu Xu stunned Mu Qian with nothing more than a shift in his gaze.

Lu Xu’s ability to capture a character’s essence was unparalleled. It was still the same face, with only slight differences in makeup, yet he embodied the despair of middle age with more precision than anyone else could.

Mu Qian had wanted to work with Lu Xu for a long time. Unfortunately, previous opportunities had fallen through. When he sent the script to Lu Xu this time, he hadn’t expected Lu Xu to agree.

After all, Lu Xu was no longer who he used to be.

When I Was 18 wasn’t a big-budget production, nor was the script particularly complex. It told an ordinary story about ordinary lives. While it did feature a rebirth element, the protagonist’s second chance at life was far from dramatic or grandiose.

Lu Xu actually agreed to take on this script!

For Mu Qian, Lu Xu’s willingness to accept the role carried extraordinary significance.

Previously, Mu Qian had gracefully abandoned Rising Sun, but in doing so, he inadvertently made many companies in the industry hesitant to approach him for future projects. On top of that, Mu Qian had a reputation for being blunt and merciless in his criticism, regardless of an actor’s fame or the backing of their management company. This left many actors wary of working with him.

The script for When I Was 18 was written by Jin Mu, who had also suffered a blow to his reputation after Rising Sun flopped.

By this point, When I Was 18 was essentially a “poisoned project.”

That the production was not only able to begin filming but also garner attention was undoubtedly influenced by Lu Xu’s decision to accept the role.

The Path of Bones and Voice of the Dead had been such massive hits that many investors and platforms in the industry started believing in Lu Xu’s “mystical luck.” No matter the project, if Lu Xu was willing to take it, investors were ready to fund it, and platforms were ready to buy it.

Mu Qian had come across online rumors speculating that Lu Xu accepted the role out of “unwillingness to admit defeat.” At first, he was misled by such claims as well. However, after working with Lu Xu, Mu Qian realized that Lu Xu was actually a very straightforward person.

The reason Lu Xu agreed to take on When I Was 18 was simply that he liked the script and wanted to play the role.

This reasoning was so simple that others might find it hard to believe.

In When I Was 18, the protagonist, Huang Luning, was disillusioned in his past life. When he returned to the age of eighteen, his thoughts were no longer occupied with trivial ideas like buying a lottery ticket and guessing the winning numbers—as they had been during his actual eighteenth year.

Now, his thoughts turned to his parents.

After failing his college entrance exams and missing out on his dream university, his parents had still found a way to send him to a private college. But at the time, he had failed to notice the disappointment in their eyes or how they were slowly aging before his eyes.

In his past life, Huang Luning had dreamed of becoming rich, endlessly fantasizing about far-fetched goals. But he was born into the most ordinary of families in the city—his parents were factory workers without much money, unable to support his outlandish dreams.

The reason he dared to dream so freely was because his parents loved him deeply.

Now, back at eighteen, the reality of failing the college entrance exams was already set in stone. He wasn’t the kind of genius who could retake the exams for a year and get into Tsinghua University—he simply didn’t have that kind of intellect.

So, during the days spent waiting for his college acceptance letter, Huang Luning devised a plan to change his future.

Lu Xu felt that this part of the story wasn’t difficult to act. The makeup artist had given him a fresh, youthful look, but since Huang Luning was a middle-aged man reborn into his younger self, he didn’t need to exude an innocent naivety. Instead, he could lean toward a more mature portrayal.

However, Mu Qian and Jin Mu were a bit worried.

It wasn’t that they doubted Lu Xu’s abilities—it was more that their past experiences with Rising Sun had left them overly cautious, like someone once bitten by a snake, now afraid of any rope. They had encountered far too many “eccentric talents” during that time.

“Action!”

This was a night scene, set in the stillness of the evening.

Huang Luning’s face was that of an eighteen-year-old, but the resolve in his eyes as he began to write his plan was unmistakably that of an adult.

Both Mu Qian and Jin Mu turned their attention to the scene.

Under the warm glow of the desk lamp, Huang Luning quietly wrote and sketched in his notebook. His lowered head and pensive expression exuded a sense of steadiness. Though the soft scratching of the pen against paper filled the silence, his entire demeanor inexplicably conveyed a calming reassurance.

He was reflecting on his past life—his parents had passed away early, partly due to exhaustion and partly due to the burden of worrying about him. Yet, back then, he hadn’t realized that his parents had left the world still carrying their concerns for him.

As those thoughts flooded his mind, Huang Luning’s hand slowed, his pen hovering over the paper. His eyes grew misty, betraying the emotions welling up inside him.

At that time, he simply couldn’t have understood.

His mother stood all day at the factory and came home to cook him a proper meal. In the evenings, she would bring him a basin of water, telling him to drink less soda. How exhausted she must have been.

But she never complained. Despite the exorbitant college tuition fees and the living expenses that took up half her salary, she endured it all with gritted teeth.

Whenever he thought about these things, he regretted them to no end.

If he could change it, then his second chance would truly have meaning.

In the scene, Huang Luning’s gaze seemed to mature overnight. His fingers, clutching the pen tightly, had turned slightly pale.

“Cut!”

Mu Qian couldn’t help but exchange a quiet high-five with Jin Mu.

Even as an observer, he had been deeply moved by the performance.

The strength of the When I Was 18 script lay in its emotional resonance. Those indescribable emotions, which words alone couldn’t capture, had been perfectly conveyed by Lu Xu’s performance.

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