Chapter 146: The Awards Ceremony
“Still nervous?” Lu Xu asked, glancing at Zheng Xiao.
Zheng Xiao shook his head slightly. “I was a little before we got on the red carpet, but now I’m fine.”
The three of them didn’t linger for long and quickly finished walking the red carpet.
“Honestly, no matter how many times I see it, I still have to say—Lu Xu, your fans are something else.”
Wherever Lu Xu went, the screams and cheers erupted like an explosion.
Over the past few years, Zheng Xiao had built up a solid fanbase, but Lu Xu’s following was on an entirely different level. Every time Lu Xu attended an event or had a new project released, his seemingly dormant fans would suddenly flood out in full force.
Because of this, even though Lu Xu didn’t take on many endorsements and his fans didn’t boast with flashy banners, every product he endorsed always achieved impressive sales figures.
It could only be said that Lu Xu was a naturally gifted actor with an undeniable connection to audiences.
Zheng Xiao admired this, but there wasn’t a trace of jealousy in his heart. He understood that even though Lu Xu had already attained everything most actors dreamed of, he still approached every role with sincerity, never once slacking off, no matter how simple the character.
He had even sighed to himself before—he might never surpass Lu Xu in his lifetime.
But it was precisely because he had met Lu Xu and become his friend that he had come to understand the kind of path he wanted to take as an actor.
…
The news that Lu Xu and the other two had made it to the finals was widely reported by the media. However, in this year’s Stellar Awards, neither Lu Xu nor Zheng Xiao was considered a strong contender for a win. According to some industry insiders, Shao Yao had a higher chance of winning the Best Supporting Actor award.
That said, the fact that Lu Xu, Qiao Mengyao, and Zheng Xiao were nominated this year was seen within the industry as a victory for the “traffic-driven” faction. Essentially, Qiao Mengyao and Zheng Xiao started their careers in idol dramas, while Lu Xu was a member of a boy band. They were not the type of nominees the Stellar Awards had traditionally favored.
To some extent, Lu Xu was considered a trailblazer.
It was only after he won the Best Actor award at the Stellar Awards that the award committee truly began to acknowledge young actors who were not professionally trained but had made rapid progress in their craft.
This year, Lu Xu’s disadvantage was obvious—his last win had been too recent.
Aside from him and Zheng Xiao, the other nominees for Best Actor belonged to the middle-generation actors in the industry, and their roles were not all upright and heroic characters. Ever since Yue Hui won Best Actor at the Stellar Awards for playing a villain, the scope of nominated roles had become increasingly diverse.
Take Phantom Realm as an example. A few years ago, a female lead like Lu Yao—whose character was constantly engaged in combat and killing—would never have been nominated for a Stellar Awards.
After sitting down, Lu Xu noticed that the Flames of War crew was seated to his left. Zheng Xiao switched seats with the director, and then Lu Xu moved as well, so the three of them ended up sitting together again.
Liu Chunfeng muttered, “Are you guys elementary school kids? Do you really have to sit together?”
“Maybe it’s just too cramped sitting next to you,” the screenwriter added a stab in the back.
Liu Chunfeng: “…”
Forget it. He would pretend he hadn’t said anything.
He felt like he had become the enemy of the entire production team.
…
The Best Supporting Actor and Actress awards were the first to be announced.
Lu Xu could tell that Shao Yao was actually quite nervous. Although he usually maintained a stoic and rugged demeanor, as his popularity grew, fans had gradually discovered his introverted nature.
For example, the moment the award presenters took the stage, the camera panned to the five nominees. The other four focused intently on the stage or, upon noticing the camera, waved and smiled.
But Shao Yao—
[Clearly zoning out.]
[Hey, hey, they’re announcing the awards, bro! You’re one of the nominees, hello?]
[Is this a sign of being nervous or not nervous at all? I can’t tell.]
In short, to many fans, Shao Yao was just a big dummy.
It was only because he hung out with Lu Xu (allegedly) and Zheng Xiao (allegedly)—two people who weren’t as dumb—that he seemed slightly smarter by comparison.
[Lu Xu is obviously a dummy too, okay?]
[Just because he’s good at clapping back at people doesn’t mean he’s smart—he’s always just retaliating!]
[…Now that you put it that way, are all three of them beyond saving?]
On the awards ceremony’s live-stream, the fans in the chat were even more anxious than Shao Yao himself.
The competition for Best Supporting Actor was just as fierce as Best Actor. Although Shao Yao had the highest chance of winning among the three of them, it was only a relative advantage.
With eager anticipation from the audience, the award presenter slowly opened the envelope.
“And the winner of this year’s Stellar Award for Best Supporting Actor is—”
“Shao Yao, Lives Beyond Death the Chivalry! Congratulations!”
Although his name had already been announced, the winner himself still hadn’t reacted. On the screen, fans could clearly see Lu Xu nudging Shao Yao with his elbow.
[How dare you, Nie Yunchang! You dare lay a hand on the crown prince?!]
[Everyone knows that the crown prince in the drama is domineering and scheming. The ministers fear him like nothing else, but behind the scenes… it’s really unbearable to watch.]
[LMAO, Lu Xu is literally facepalming.]
Shao Yao’s reaction speed was indeed slow, but once he was reminded, he suddenly moved fast—bolting from his seat and dashing up to the stage.
[This is… really unbearable to watch.]
[Dead. The comedic timing is unreal.]
[He’s slow when he should be fast, and fast when he shouldn’t be. 23333…]
[Ahh, they’re both part of the Mountain Bike Team and the Monarch-and-Minister Duo. In the blink of an eye, both Lu Xu and Shao Yao have won a Stellar Award. I’ve decided to rewatch Voice of the Dead when I get home tonight.]
[Rewatching +1. Back in Voice of the Dead, Lu Xu was already famous, while Shao Yao was just a nobody being falsely accused and framed. Feels like it was just yesterday.]
[Their dynamic really complements each other. The reason the monarch-and-minister relationship in Lives Beyond Death is so captivating is because of their chemistry. No wonder the entire video site is filled with fan edits of them.]
Once the trophy was in his hands, Shao Yao had already returned to normal.
After being trained by Lu Xu for a while, his ability to express himself had improved significantly. However, standing under the spotlight, with the camera and countless eyes on him, the tall and broad-shouldered Shao Yao still looked a little shy, his expression tinged with embarrassment.
[Cute contrast! Adorable!]
[Ahhhh, this is the Shao Yao I love! Blooming on stage!]
But despite that, he delivered his acceptance speech fluently, gripping the trophy tightly.
“I never imagined I would be standing here,” Shao Yao said. “And I never imagined that because of one collaboration, my life would change forever.”
“I have always loved acting, loved being an actor. But after stepping into this industry, I realized that hard work alone isn’t always enough. Sometimes, working hard even feels unnecessary.”
“I almost went down the wrong path. If it weren’t for a twist of fate that led me to meet Lu Xu, I might have. He was the one who showed me what a true actor should be like.”
While Shao Yao was delivering his acceptance speech, Lu Xu and Zheng Xiao sat in the audience, playfully making finger hearts at him.
At that moment, the live broadcast director cut to a close-up of Lu Xu.
Fans quickly noticed—if they looked closely enough, they would see that Lu Xu, who was undefeated when it came to roasting others in the entertainment industry, had slightly reddened ears.
[Shy Lu Puppy!]
[I’m frantically taking screenshots!]
[LMAO, you can tell Shao Yao rarely says things this heartfelt. Lu Xu and Zheng Xiao’s faces are literally turning red.]
[That’s exactly why it hits harder! Because he never says things like this, when he does, you know it’s genuine. Shao Yao obviously isn’t the type to lie—everything he says comes straight from the heart.]
[This is amazing! Working hard together, improving together, becoming great actors together! So proud of the Mountain Bike Team!]
Of course, Shao Yao also took the time to thank the entire Lives Beyond Death the Chivalry production team. The director and screenwriter, however, jokingly called him out for “not being sincere enough.”
Liu Chunfeng turned to look at Lu Xu. “When you get on stage later to give your speech, make sure to say something meaningful.”
Lu Xu: “…I didn’t even prepare a speech. You’re expecting too much from me.”
Liu Chunfeng: “That’s exactly why you need to push your limits.”
Lu Xu: “…”
Nope. He really couldn’t.
Lu Xu hadn’t placed much hope on winning at this year’s Stellar Awards. If they awarded him another trophy this soon, he could already picture himself collecting an entire shelf of Stellar Award trophies in his lifetime.
Well, there was no helping it. That’s just how it was when someone was too outstanding.
And as it turned out, reality played out exactly as Lu Xu had expected. This time, neither he nor Zheng Xiao won, and despite being nominated, Qiao Mengyao also left empty-handed.
That year, the Best Actor award went to another nominee known for his strong acting skills. He won over the judges with his portrayal of a lone detective who had spent twenty years hunting down a killer.
Compared to him, neither Lu Xu’s Nie Yunchang nor Zheng Xiao’s Jiang Ziqiang felt quite as well-rounded in terms of character depth.
So, as the only one who had taken home a trophy, Shao Yao treated Lu Xu and Zheng Xiao to an extravagant feast—the kind that was both expensive and delicious.
The very next day, gossip accounts were already at work, posting headlines like:
[Disappointed Lu Xu Extorts Shao Yao—Newly Crowned Best Supporting Actor Squeezed into Bankruptcy!]
Lu Xu: “…? And why am I the only one being blamed?”
He had to protest! Zheng Xiao was sitting right there too!
Zheng Xiao was just as disappointed as he was, okay?
And Zheng Xiao ate even more than he did!
“I did not! Don’t slander me,” Zheng Xiao said, laughing so hard his stomach hurt. He had no idea how the reporters managed it, but they somehow snapped a shot of Lu Xu looking extremely serious. At first glance, it really did seem like Lu Xu was glaring daggers at Shao Yao.
Since neither Lu Xu nor Zheng Xiao won an award this time, some salty marketing accounts took the opportunity to write snide articles, claiming that the two of them had known they had no chance of winning and had deliberately chosen this moment to flaunt their friendship—stealing the spotlight from the newly crowned Best Actor, Xu Kaiping.
Lu Xu was used to being targeted, but Zheng Xiao had never been attacked from this angle before. He was completely stunned.
But based on Lu Xu’s assessment, now that Zheng Xiao had been nominated for the Stellar Best Actor award, the frequency of smear campaigns against him was about to skyrocket.
With the popularity of Flames of War and the credibility of a Stellar Award nomination behind him, Zheng Xiao was inevitably on the path to breaking into the A-list. And at this stage, the amount of negative press surrounding him was only going to increase.
…
To Lu Xu, the Stellar Awards were nothing more than an ordinary awards ceremony. Anyone who attended the same event more than three times was bound to find it boring.
However, after this year’s Stellar Awards concluded, a media outlet compiled a ranking of all-time nominations since the award’s inception. They divided the list into male and female actors. In the male actor category, the late veteran Gu Chong led by a wide margin with eight nominations. Shockingly, Lu Xu had also secured a high-ranking spot with four nominations.
[Wait… Lu Xu has been nominated for the Stellar Awards four times?]
[That’s insane! The top names are all veteran acting powerhouses, and even among the others, there are quite a few well-known skilled actors.]
[Hold on—how many dramas has Lu Xu even acted in?]
[One Best Supporting Actor nomination, three Best Actor nominations. He’s only been in six dramas in total, and aside from Voice of the Dead, every single one of his lead roles has been nominated for the Stellar Awards.]
[Truly terrifying levels of talent.]
Drama fans couldn’t help but marvel—within the television industry, Lu Xu was already at the very top. And in the film industry? Even though his box office performance was solid, people still found ways to discredit him.
[Lu Puppy should just stick to dramas! I’ve already rewatched Lives Beyond Death multiple times—there are still so many great dramas waiting for him!]
Fans were equally frustrated with how the film industry treated Lu Xu.
Because of this, whenever Lu Xu starred in a movie, his fans made sure to support the box office as much as possible. The more others doubted him, the more determined they were to prove that Lu Xu absolutely belonged.
…
Lu Xu’s new film had finally been confirmed—it was the biographical drama.
He personally had no objections to starring in a sci-fi film, but the investment for the project had been fluctuating constantly. Even now, funding hadn’t been fully secured. Without a stable financial foundation, the production couldn’t proceed smoothly. While Lu Xu could free up a few months in his schedule, he couldn’t afford to leave an open gap of a year or two just waiting.
The efficiency of his new film crew wasn’t particularly high either, but at least they had successfully started filming. The only reason it felt slow was because there was a direct comparison—Sanzu River had already wrapped up filming and was just waiting for release.
Lu Xu: “?”
Did they shoot this while riding a rocket?
Lol we sure sanzu river isn’t just a “the producers” scam?