Chapter 100: Nomination
[What’s more, Lu Xu wasn’t even wearing heavy makeup. Who gets it?]
[Brother, trying to ride on Lu Xu’s coattails really isn’t the lane for you. Find someone else to leech off, okay? Mainly because watching this makes me uncomfortable. Could you consider my feelings for a change?]
[I just feel bad for Lu Xu. When he wasn’t popular, he had to fight alone and still got criticized. Now that he’s finally made it, every nobody dares to latch onto him. Is it just because he has a good temper, like some kind of puppy?]
Su Zhao’s stunt did indeed attract widespread ridicule, but Lu Xu’s fans were still upset.
Lu Xu himself focused solely on acting. Outside of work, he kept a lower profile than anyone else, almost like a mole digging a hole to hide in. Yet, he always seemed to encounter some bottom-tier individuals. Even though Lu Xu quietly cleared things up, just being associated with Su Zhao’s antics was irritating enough.
Of course, Feiyang Entertainment didn’t stay silent either.
At the moment, Lu Xu was the top star among the younger generation in the company. He had first pick of all the resources. While Su Zhao’s actions didn’t quite cross the company’s bottom line, they could potentially strain the working relationship between Lu Xu and Feiyang Entertainment.
Compared to other celebrities, Lu Xu’s contract was relatively more flexible. With his current value, leaving Feiyang Entertainment wouldn’t be difficult.
The company stepped in to issue a stern warning to Su Zhao, while also using the opportunity to send a message to other artists hoping to use Lu Xu’s fame.
Su Zhao wasn’t the only one with such thoughts, but he was the only one who took actual action.
In any case, his blatant behavior was so distasteful that it blocked others’ attempts to piggyback off Lu Xu’s popularity. The rest were simply planning to take it slow, trying to hitch a ride subtly—perhaps asking Lu Xu to help promote their work. Lu Xu might not necessarily refuse such requests.
While Feiyang Entertainment’s other artists didn’t interact much with Lu Xu, they had heard rumors that he had an exceptionally good temper.
Though—his clapback skills were equally impressive.
After the company’s upper management issued a stern warning, naturally, no one else could take advantage of Lu Xu’s popularity anymore.
However, other artists still felt that Su Zhao had managed to benefit. Although he was widely ridiculed, and Lu Xu explained everything through the variety show Me and My Friend, Su Zhao, who had previously been an irrelevant figure nobody cared about, at least gained some visibility.
That said, Su Zhao’s manager ended up clashing with him. The choice was clear: Su Zhao could either align with the company’s professional management or stick with his family’s makeshift operation.
If Su Zhao preferred to rely on family members to make public statements and buy trending topics, Feiyang Entertainment would find it difficult to continue investing in him wholeheartedly.
…
From Lu Xu’s perspective, Su Zhao hadn’t completely gained the upper hand.
While Su Zhao had achieved a bit of recognition, his reckless attempts to ride on Lu Xu’s coattails and the name-change incident had earned him plenty of ill will. Unless Su Zhao had something truly remarkable to turn his situation around, his chances of success were slim.
The entertainment industry was, after all, a circle. For Su Zhao to advance further, he would inevitably need to collaborate with senior artists in the field. However, with Lu Xu as a precedent, any future attempts by Su Zhao to use veteran celebrities for marketing would likely be met with heightened vigilance.
If Feiyang Entertainment were willing to pour resources into supporting him, such a path might still be feasible.
But Feiyang Entertainment had no intention of becoming Su Zhao’s safety net. Without the company’s backing, no celebrity would willingly share their fame for free.
Su Zhao had broken the rules first.
“He should change his name, too,” Xu Wen remarked. “As long as people associate him with clout-chasing you, he’ll always be remembered for that. Riding others’ fame isn’t a sustainable strategy.”
Lu Xu agreed with Xu Wen’s perspective.
The manager sighed softly. “But popularity does matter. The priority is getting noticed first, no matter what.”
Lu Xu nodded slightly in acknowledgment.
The manager glanced at him and smiled. “You didn’t lash out at anyone this time, and a lot of people online are saying you’ve become gentler.”
Xu Wen pulled up some of the online comments and showed them to Lu Xu. As expected, there were remarks about how Lu Xu hadn’t lashed out at Zhang Zhizhen or Su Zhao.
Lu Xu replied, “…Should I make up for that?”
The manager quickly intervened. “Better not.”
“The nomination list for the Stellar Awards is about to be announced.”
According to Xu Wen, the final decisions for the Stellar Awards typically happened between the announcement of the nomination list and the awards ceremony. During this period, it was best for Lu Xu to stay low-key. While his reputation wouldn’t directly affect the results, since he had a good chance of winning, it was better to eliminate any potential negative factors.
Years ago, a few signed artists from Feiyang Entertainment had served as judges for the Stellar Awards. Xu Wen had some insight into the process, though the specifics might vary. For instance, the winners’ list could have been finalized long ago, with the results being an unspoken agreement among the judges. Still, that didn’t mean the list couldn’t change at the last minute.
“If you’re itching to go after someone, you can save it for later. I’ll have your back when the time comes,” Xu Wen said with a laugh, unable to help but tease the situation.
He couldn’t help but marvel at Lu Xu’s knack for attracting odd characters. Fortunately, no matter who the opponent was, Lu Xu rarely ended up on the losing side.
In Su Zhao’s case, Lu Xu had shown a lot of restraint, likely because Su Zhao had been signed by Peng Xi, a mutual friend. Lu Xu had kept things from escalating out of consideration for that friendship.
The Zhang Zhizhen incident was similar; Director Zhang had prior ties with Feiyang Entertainment.
After working with Lu Xu for so long, Xu Wen had figured out that the people Lu Xu confronted were always those he genuinely found intolerable—people he felt he could criticize without hesitation.
Fans calling Lu Xu a “puppy” wasn’t far off the mark.
He was fiercely protective of the people around him.
Even though Xu Wen had been in the industry for years and had seen all kinds of celebrities, he still found himself moved by Lu Xu’s sincerity. After all, he was one of the people Lu Xu fiercely protected.
…
This year’s nomination list for the Stellar Awards was, as always, released quietly and without fanfare.
In a way, this understated approach was a display of the award’s authority—there was no need for grand promotions. The entire entertainment industry naturally turned its gaze toward it.
Even the most indifferent stars, no matter how influential their connections, would humble themselves and adopt a low-profile demeanor during this period.
Along with the nomination list came the announcement of the awards ceremony schedule.
Although this wasn’t a particularly standout year for the Stellar Awards, with competition slightly less fierce than the previous year, the strength of the nominees remained impressive.
Before the list was published, forums, drama critics, and marketing accounts had already begun their predictions. Whether their forecasts leaned toward mainstream picks or niche ones, When I Was 18 was a drama that no one could ignore.
[It’s Lu Xu’s turn.]
[This year… I can’t think of any reason why Lu Xu wouldn’t win.]
[When I Was 18 is this year’s top drama. If Lu Xu doesn’t win again just because of his age, I’ll seriously be mad.]
[Mad +1.]
Last year’s nominated dramas hadn’t matched the popularity of The Path of Bones, but the acting performances and themes were superior overall. Yue Hui, in particular, had delivered an award-worthy performance in Uncertain Waves.
But this year, Lu Xu had no weaknesses.
Although the Stellar Awards didn’t take an actor’s previous performances into account, there was no doubt that the stark contrast between Lu Xu’s roles as Yu Yi and Huang Luning would leave a deep impression on the judges.
With enough prior nomination experience, a stellar performance in this drama, and When I Was 18 boasting incredible popularity, acclaim, and compelling themes, the show hit every mark for an awards-season favorite.
When the list was finally revealed, it came as no surprise: Lu Xu’s name appeared once again in the Best Actor category.
Out of the five nominees, Lu Xu was listed first.
Lu Xu’s nomination was entirely expected, but seeing him make the list for the Stellar Awards for the third consecutive year still left netizens marveling. With his presence, Lu Xu single-handedly lowered the average age of the nominees.
[Strongest puppy in the universe!]
[Go win that award, Lu Puppy!]
From third place to first, Lu Xu had achieved this leap in just a single year.
Last year, it was the second-ranked Yue Hui who ultimately won the award. However, that was largely because Zheng Yeping, who had already claimed two Best Actor trophies, was in line to make history by winning a third. If he had succeeded, he would have become the first actor in the Stellar Awards’ history to achieve this feat.
Yet, in the eyes of the judges, Zheng Yeping’s performance in Spring River Waters did not surpass his previous works. One of his earlier award-winning dramas had a similar theme, and his portrayal in that earlier work had left a stronger emotional impact.
While his performance was no less excellent than his competitors’, it simply didn’t outshine his own past achievements.
In other words, since Lu Xu was ranked first this year, his chances of winning were very high.
[I’d love to interview Zhang Che right now about how he feels.]
[My dearest Che, I’ve been nominated for the Stellar Awards again. While you’ve never been nominated, I’ve already been nominated three times. I hope next time you can join me on the list. Love, Xu.]
[Ahhhh, please stop being crazy! Those two shouldn’t be put together—I feel like the puppy would be corrupted!]
[Zhang Che probably turned to movies because he couldn’t compete with Lu Xu, right? Even with his film out for so long, he still can’t surpass Lu Xu. That’s rough.]
M-brand quickly terminated their partnership with Zhang Che. Since their contract had only been signed for a year, there was no significant fallout or controversy.
Of course, Zhang Che no longer held the qualifications to generate controversy.
Ye Hai Agency had been doing everything it could to salvage Zhang Che’s career, but once a star showed signs of fading, external efforts were futile.
There were far too many male stars waiting for their turn to rise to the top. Even within Ye Hai Agency, Zhang Che faced internal competition. The resources once solely his were now divided and diluted. Though he still had a loyal fan base, his influence was no longer what it used to be.
For a celebrity, the gap between first-tier and second-tier was a world apart.
Even though Zhang Che hadn’t fallen completely into the second-tier, clinging to the bottom rung of the first-tier was a desperate struggle. The difference between a top-tier star and one at the tail end of the first-tier was vast.
In fact, Zhang Che was even less promising than some second-tier stars. At least those in the second-tier had room to grow toward the top, while it was almost impossible for him to regain his former glory.
For this year’s Stellar Awards, G-brand was going all out. They prepared over a dozen suits for Lu Xu to choose from—specifically, for receiving an award.
Although the awards ceremony hadn’t yet begun, and the winners were far from announced, G-brand seemed convinced that the Best Actor trophy for the Stellar Awards was already Lu Xu’s to take.
Thus, Lu Xu was expected to be the most dazzling star of the night. From the red carpet to the stage, there could be no room for error.
Lu Xu: “…”
Trying on outfit after outfit had him on the verge of tears.
Every single one seemed perfectly fine to him.
But—
Who could have imagined?
The foreign stylist G-brand sent over had solemnly conducted astronomical and calendrical calculations, eliminating several outfits based on supposed incompatibility with winning.
Lu Xu: “…No thanks to superstitions, please.”
Yet, G-brand took the matter very seriously. The foreigner’s demeanor was exceptionally grave when discussing themes of harmony and conflict.
Left with no choice, Lu Xu let the brand do its thing.
After all, the brand had revealed that Lu Xu was the only Best Actor nominee in recent years who had collaborated with G-brand.
With only five nominees per year, those who had both popularity and strength had already been claimed by competitor brands ten or even twenty years ago. The remaining skilled actors lacked broad public recognition, making them unlikely candidates for partnerships with luxury brands.
To find the last nominee who accepted an award wearing G-brand, one would have to go back 25 years—when G-brand had just entered the domestic market and opened its first store in the country.
Thus, Lu Xu was hope!
Lu Xu was light!
Lu Xu quickly reached out his hand, panicking, “Please, no!”
He was still alive, still human!
This level of treatment was starting to freak him out a little.