Chapter 91 – Online

Lu Xu originally thought the production for Deception would be set up quickly, but he ended up waiting for over three months. By August, the production was finally ready, and the main creative team had been confirmed.

With so much downtime, Xu Wen arranged a slew of endorsements for Lu Xu, reasoning that it was better to stay busy and earn some extra money than remain idle.

To Lu Xu’s surprise, the start of filming for Deception overlapped with the promotional period for When I Was 18. The latter was also scheduled to premiere in August.

Yue Hui apologized sincerely, saying, “I’m sorry for wasting your time.”

The script for Deception had been in Yue Hui’s hands for a long time, but it wasn’t until Lu Xu accepted the role that things truly began to progress. Yue Hui, deeply invested in the project, wanted to assemble the best possible team.

Thanks to his connections in the film industry, he managed to bring together professionals he had worked with before or who had excellent reputations. Once the team was complete, Yue Hui was eager to start filming immediately. However, the process of moving from preparation to actual shooting was far more complicated than outsiders might imagine.

Now that production had begun, the cast and crew couldn’t afford to wait around, so Lu Xu naturally had to join the set for Deception.

Mu Qian and Jin Mu were understanding of the situation. Fortunately, there were plenty of promotional channels for TV dramas, meaning Lu Xu didn’t necessarily have to make in-person appearances.

The release of When I Was 18 truly went through quite a few twists and turns—not because the show couldn’t be sold, but because it was unexpectedly in high demand.

Objectively speaking, it was just a plain, heartwarming slice-of-life series with no apparent potential to become a hit. However, once Lu Xu was confirmed as the lead, Mu Qian finally understood the meaning of “one person achieving success brings prosperity to everyone around them.”

His feelings were rather complicated.

Both Chenxi Film and Grape Film, platforms Mu Qian had worked with in the past, approached him as soon as filming began.

Chenxi Film, known in the industry as a relatively “poor” platform, was surprisingly willing to fork out a huge sum of money to buy the show—so much so that calling it “selling everything they owned” wouldn’t be an exaggeration.

Grape Film, on the other hand, made an even more outrageous offer—they promised Mu Qian the opportunity to direct a new show as part of their collaboration.

Mu Qian: “…”

#Hard To Refuse

At the same time, he couldn’t help but wonder why such generous offers had never come his way before.

“Is it because I can’t win arguments with Lu Xu?”

Hearing Mu Qian mumbling to himself, Jin Mu couldn’t help but shake his head.

Regardless, having a platform willing to buy When I Was 18 was undoubtedly good news.

He felt it must be the good luck that Lu Xu brought along. The production of When I Was 18 went incredibly smoothly. From the first day of filming to the wrap, Mu Qian remained in high spirits—completely unlike his time on the Rising Sun set, where Jin Mu was perpetually gloomy, feeling as though a heavy weight was pressing on his chest wherever he went.

In addition to Chenxi Film and Grape Film, other well-known platforms in the industry—De Yi, Yunduo, Qingkong—all reached out to the When I Was 18 production team.

Grape Film even managed to stir up resentment. Every other platform that approached Mu Qian inevitably took a jab at Grape Film.

“The Path of Bones and Voice of the Dead were impressive enough. Could you stop being so greedy?”

“People are insatiable, like snakes trying to swallow elephants. If you’ve got the guts, sign an exclusive contract with Lu Xu.”

“You’ve already broken so many records; can’t you give other platforms a chance to break some too?”

In response, Grape Film simply said, “We can’t help it—we’ve got too much money to spend.”

However, this time, the When I Was 18 production team did not collaborate with Grape Film. Instead, they signed with Yunduo Film. Early in his career, Mu Qian had worked on several dramas with Yunduo Film and had a harmonious relationship with their team.

Later, as Yunduo Film shifted its development focus, Mu Qian’s collaborations with them became less frequent.

This time, Yunduo Film brought out a retired senior executive to personally persuade Mu Qian to work with them again. Moved by their sincerity, Mu Qian agreed.

While all the platforms made high offers, Yunduo Film’s bid, despite leveraging personal connections, was only slightly lower than Grape Film’s.

In reality, none of the top platforms lacked money—not even the second-tier Chenxi Film. However, platforms aimed to spend their budgets wisely. For instance, while Grape Film paid staggering amounts to secure The Path of Bones and Voice of the Dead, no one thought they had overspent.

On the contrary, other platforms saw those deals as smart investments.

As for the quality of When I Was 18, each platform had its own assessment.

Still, not everyone appreciated the fierce competition for dramas starring Lu Xu.

“Is it really necessary? Does it mean that dramas starring other actors can’t be good?”

“It’s not that other actors’ dramas aren’t good. It’s just that—so far, the probability of dramas starring Lu Xu reaching a popularity score of over 10,000 is 100%, and his nomination rate for the Stellar Awards is 40%. And this doesn’t even include Voice of the Dead, which wasn’t submitted for consideration. So, give me one reason not to choose Lu Xu.”

Before The Path of Bones, Lu Xu was just a supporting actor, playing a few memorable roles as male side characters. He couldn’t confidently say that the popularity of those dramas had anything to do with him.

But The Path of Bones was a drama that Lu Xu carried entirely on his own. Following that, Voice of the Dead became a massive hit. Though Lu Xu’s foundation wasn’t particularly deep, he steadily built audience trust through his body of work.

“Lu Xu’s productions never flop”—this became a common perception among viewers.

The trailer for When I Was 18 wasn’t flashy or mysterious. It simply contrasted moments of calm, everyday life. It was nothing like Voice of the Dead, which had two trailers—one highlighting the fiery chemistry between Jiang Lin and Su Yang, and the other showcasing the eerie and enigmatic sounds of the dead.

In one scene, the screen split: the top half showed Huang Luning daydreaming about striking it rich, while the bottom half showed him squeezing onto a crowded bus, chasing his dreams in the city.

There was also a sequence showing Huang Luning gazing upward at the sky, juxtaposed with him looking down at the ground.

And then, scenes of Huang Luning bringing tears to his family’s eyes, contrasted with him bringing smiles.

“If I could go back to when I was 18, I wouldn’t ask for wealth or glory. I’d just hope for everything to be okay—for my parents to be okay, and for myself to be okay.”

The next moment, the screen rewound rapidly, and Huang Luning truly returned to his 18-year-old self.

“If you went back to when you were 18, what would you do?”

“This is a story about a man and the choices he makes.”

[It’s such an ordinary and simple trailer, but I kind of want to watch it.]

[I get the feeling When I Was 18 will be a deeply moving and gentle story, very different from Voice of the Dead and The Path of Bones.]

[Lu Xu’s dramas are something I’ll always, always look forward to. It’s just that simple.]

When it came to promotional power, Yunduo Film was still a bit lacking compared to Grape Film. Whenever Grape Film released a new drama, social media would always be abuzz with activity. Yunduo Film, by contrast, didn’t have quite the same influence.

When I Was 18 premiered at the tail end of the summer release season, a time when most platforms were airing fairly high-quality dramas. Predictions across platforms were unanimous: achieving a popularity score of over 10,000 would be easy for the show, but reaching the heights of The Path of Bones and Voice of the Dead would be difficult.

The drama lacked a strong aggressive pull and didn’t possess the ability to dominate the market.

Still, as Lu Xu’s third leading role following the immense success of The Path of Bones and Voice of the Dead, it naturally drew some attention from audiences.

When Wei Yi turned on the TV, her mother had just finished washing a bunch of grapes. While complaining about how annoying they were to peel, she grumbled about her worsening eyesight, mistaking grapes for smaller seedless varieties.

She glanced at the TV and asked Wei Yi, “Why are you watching a show like this?”

Wei Yi was an actress, but she was more enthusiastic about entertainment industry gossip than actually watching dramas. Being an actress had made it easier for her to stay updated on all the inside stories and scandals that outsiders couldn’t access, making her life very entertaining.

“It’s Lu Xu’s drama,” Wei Yi explained. “It’s guaranteed to be good.”

She had watched both The Path of Bones and Voice of the Dead.

Wei Yi’s mother, however, frowned with disapproval.

The crime and thriller genres that Wei Yi loved were precisely the ones her mother couldn’t stand. She had given The Path of Bones and Voice of the Dead a try but quit after just two episodes.

The characters’ miserable circumstances and the depressing cases left her feeling suffocated.

The drama currently playing on TV seemed different. Even after watching only a little, Wei Yi’s mother found her attention drawn to the story.

Wei Yi’s family had only started to improve their financial situation when she was in middle school. They moved into a bigger house and could afford to send her to acting school. But in Wei Yi’s early childhood, her mother had lived through experiences very similar to those portrayed in When I Was 18.

Huang Luning’s struggles deeply resonated with Wei Yi’s mother. Both of Wei Yi’s grandparents had passed away early, long before they had a chance to enjoy the better days her mother eventually achieved. It could be said they hadn’t experienced a single day of comfort.

Wei Yi’s mother felt a pang of sadness as she thought about it. Back when life was hard, it hadn’t occurred to her to treat her parents better. Now that she was well-off, they were no longer around, and she had lost the chance to show them the care they deserved.

On the TV screen, Huang Luning sat under a lamp, writing out his plans. If one paid close attention, they’d notice that his plans didn’t center around success. Most of them were about the small, everyday moments of life.

Wei Yi knew Lu Xu personally and got along with him reasonably well—they had worked together on Supreme. However, with every new drama of Lu Xu’s that she watched, her understanding of him deepened.

Lu Xu wasn’t just an actor with a “chameleon face” who could disappear into any role; his emotional depth and the impact of his performances were unmatched. Among all the actors Wei Yi knew, she could count on one hand the ones who surpassed Lu Xu in raw talent.

Her mother, who had been sitting far away at the start, had gradually scooted closer by the time the first two episodes ended. Now, her mother’s arm was pressed against hers. Wei Yi knew this habit of hers—whenever she thought of her late parents, she instinctively wanted to be closer to her daughter.

The tissues on the coffee table were being pulled out one by one.

In Wei Yi’s eyes, When I Was 18 was supposed to be a warm and uplifting drama.

Perhaps it was because she hadn’t yet reached that stage in life, but she could imagine that if she were Huang Luning—living a life full of regrets—she might make the same choices if given a chance to go back.

“Is this a Yunduo Film production?” Wei Yi’s mother asked as she sniffled and blew her nose. “I want to watch it again tomorrow. Set it up for me in advance.”

Wei Yi silently nodded in agreement.

On the first day, Wei Yi thought When I Was 18 was the kind of drama her mother’s generation would enjoy. But by the time the third and fourth episodes aired the next day, Wei Yi herself found herself drawn into the story.

Huang Luning encountered good people and bad people. Even in this do-over, he was still just an ordinary person. Yet Wei Yi was deeply moved by his optimism.

Huang Luning wasn’t the kind of character who brainwashes the audience into believing “suffering is a blessing.” His optimism was genuine. He was like a blade of grass—no matter how hard the wind blew, it could never knock him down.

Lu Xu’s performance was incredibly grounded, so much so that it felt as if he was Huang Luning.

Wei Yi couldn’t help but recall the fear of being overshadowed by Lu Xu during their time together on the set of Supreme. Both she and Zheng Xiao had learned a great deal from that collaboration. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the experience reshaped her understanding of what it meant to be an actor.

What moved Wei Yi the most in When I Was 18 was the storyline where Huang Luning began breaking free from his predetermined fate.

He saved a young girl from drowning, thereby saving her entire family from tragedy. He ran out in the middle of the night to carry a neighbor’s dog to safety, preventing it from being poisoned.

Even though interfering in others’ destinies could disrupt his own, Huang Luning still did it—because he was a genuinely good person.

The pace of When I Was 18 was slow, without the typical tropes of domestic dramas: no conflicts between in-laws, no marital discord, no “phoenix men” or “peacock women.” The entire drama radiated calmness—its plot, its music, and even the emotions it evoked in its audience were all tranquil.

Yet for some reason, Wei Yi couldn’t stop watching.

She wanted to see Huang Luning find happiness.

She became so engrossed in When I Was 18 that she hadn’t even paid attention to the latest industry gossip. When she casually glanced at the trending rankings and saw that the latest episode of When I Was 18 had surpassed 13,000 in popularity score, she froze.

What was going on?

She had thought When I Was 18 was just a niche gem that she could quietly treasure.

Even with Lu Xu as its lead, she hadn’t expected it to become this popular.

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