Chapter 164: Award Reaction
[Lu Xu, Reverse City, congratulations!]
The moment Lu Xu’s name was announced, the live chat, which had been filled with rational predictions, was instantly flooded with exclamation marks.
[!!!!]
[What did I just see? What did I just hear?]
[Ahhhhhhh the award winner is Lu Puppy, Best Actor of the Contention Awards, Lu Puppy!!]
[It’s Lu Xu ahhhhhhh!]
Most of Lu Xu’s fans watching the live stream of the Contention Awards had been hoping for this outcome. However, everyone knew that his chances of winning were incredibly slim. They dared to dream of it, but when that dream actually became reality, the moment still felt surreal.
On-screen, Lu Xu seemed completely unresponsive at first.
His first reaction to the announcement was shock.
A moment later, his gaze met Duan Wei’s, and he also noticed that the camera’s focus, as well as the attention of everyone around, was entirely on him. It was a continuous, unwavering spotlight, leaving no room for anyone else.
“You won!”
Mu Lang, who was sitting next to Lu Xu, remained relatively calm, but Luo Kun stood up and gave Lu Xu a firm pat on the back. “What are you still dazed for? Get up there!”
Lu Xu was practically pushed onto the stage by him.
Aside from the initial shock of realizing he had won, Lu Xu gradually regained his composure on his way to the podium. His mind was no longer buzzing, allowing him to clearly hear the applause surrounding him. After accepting the trophy, he saw the presenter, Duan Wei, beaming at him, while the guests and audience below sent waves of applause his way.
Perhaps it was just his imagination, but Lu Xu felt as if, at the moment he took the trophy, an unwilling gaze shot toward him from a certain corner of the guest seats.
He ignored it completely.
He still felt a sense of unreality. Although he had been nominated, becoming one of the youngest Best Actor nominees in the history of the Contention Awards, neither he nor his agency had ever expected this trophy to come so soon.
It was a bit beyond his expectations.
But winning the award meant he had been recognized—despite all the obstacles, there were still people who acknowledged his performance. His efforts had not been in vain.
Fortunately, he had prepared an acceptance speech.
Lu Xu pulled a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket. As his fingertips brushed over the exquisitely embedded, diamond-like brooch on his left lapel, the fashion industry insiders at the event couldn’t help but marvel—C-brand had truly hit the jackpot this time.
In fact, the moment Duan Wei announced Lu Xu’s name, the hashtag #LuXuWinsContentionAwardBestActor exploded across various platforms.
Among the five nominees, Lu Xu was undoubtedly the most prominent and the most popular. As an actor, this was an advantage, but when it came to award selection, this very trait could become a disadvantage.
Like Lu Xu himself, neither the media nor the film critics following this year’s Contention Awards had expected the trophy to land in his hands.
It didn’t seem to align with the Contention Awards’ traditionally conservative style.
However… once the results were revealed, discussions about this year’s Contention Awards reached an all-time high. In previous years, no matter which actor won Best Actor, the awards had never garnered such intense attention. It felt as if the entire world was talking about Lu Xu—about how his win would reshape the landscape for rising actors, about what his victory signified, and about the other big winners of the night besides him.
It was at this moment that netizens truly realized just how many fans Lu Xu had.
[Lu Xu has always had the most active fans among male actors. His numbers are incredible—he doesn’t need his fans to flood platforms with posts, the ones who stick around are fans of his work.]
[+1. I wouldn’t call myself a die-hard fan, but seeing Lu Puppy win is definitely worth a repost.]
[What else did you expect? Do you think the drama ratings and box office numbers just fell from the sky?]
Following Lu Xu’s win, the busiest ones were undoubtedly the official accounts of G-brand and C-brand.
G-brand had been swamped since the red carpet. Every time Lu Xu attended a major event, their official social media had to update his title—last time, it was Golden Flame Awards Best Actor Nominee, and this time, it was Contention Awards Best Actor Nominee.
Once he entered the main venue and changed into a new outfit, G-brand rushed to update again.
Then came the award.
According to fashion industry statistics, ever since Lu Xu became G-brand’s spokesperson, G-brand had become the most frequently seen luxury label at major award ceremonies—almost entirely thanks to him.
Other brands had celebrity endorsements too, but their biggest moments were usually on the red carpet. Lu Xu, however, was a presence from the red carpet to the ceremony, all the way to winning.
The other nominees were generally older and didn’t have fixed partnerships with menswear brands.
At the moment Lu Xu won, G-brand and C-brand posted their congratulatory updates within five minutes of each other.
[Is this really a high-end luxury brand?]
[LMAO, this is basically a territorial claim. They’re terrified Lu Xu might slip away. Luxury brands can be aloof with others, but not with him.]
Beyond just G-brand and C-brand’s enthusiastic reactions, it wasn’t long before several directors and actors who had worked with Lu Xu also took to social media to congratulate him.
From Yang Shu and Xia Xuewen of My Baby Prince, to Cheng Yun and Guo Yining of Son of Heaven, to directors Liu Chunfeng and Mu Qian, as well as Kong Le, the original author of The Path of Bones, and its director Lei Ai—none of them had seemed particularly vocal before. But the moment they shared their congratulations, fans suddenly realized—Lu Xu was far from the “friendless” actor some marketing accounts had made him out to be.
Many of the actors he had worked with were now far less popular than he was, yet Lu Xu had never acted superior to them after rising to fame.
[Lu Xu just doesn’t like flaunting friendships, that doesn’t mean he’s not a good person!]
[Honestly, it’s touching—since My Baby Prince, there’s always been someone supporting him in every project.]
[Hahahaha, Zheng Xiao only posted a ‘Hot guy, please carry me’ meme. I swear, Lu Puppy is absolutely disgusted by him.]
[Seeing all this makes me emotional. My Baby Prince feels like it was so long ago—who would’ve thought that the supporting male lead people used to mock would one day hold the most prestigious award in the film industry?]
Within minutes of the official Contention Awards account posting about Lu Xu’s win, reposts had already soared past ten thousand.
…
Meanwhile, on the stage, Lu Xu stood with his trophy in hand, his smile so dazzling it seemed like it could spill over.
He was already acknowledged as one of the most handsome men in the industry, and with just a bit of refinement, his looks became even more striking. Under the camera’s lens, he was undoubtedly the most eye-catching presence—a beacon of light.
To his fans, who saw him through their own filters, Lu Xu at this moment seemed to be glowing. His straight nose bridge, clear and bright eyes—no amount of exaggerated praise would feel like an overstatement.
Whether on-screen or off-screen, Lu Xu possessed an undeniable, magnetic charm.
His performance in Reverse City was particularly mesmerizing.
[Best Actor!!]
[Hehehe, TV Best Actor + Film Best Actor!! The best Lu Puppy!!]
Lu Xu’s acceptance speech was slightly simpler than the one he gave at the Stellar Awards. He talked about his experience filming Reverse City and the exhilarating feeling of playing a villain.
“Thank you, Director Mu Lang, for creating a dark world that doesn’t exist, allowing me to attempt a role I had never played before.”
“Every time I take on a different character, I feel, from the bottom of my heart, that being an actor is truly wonderful. And standing here, holding this trophy, that feeling is even stronger.”
“If I were to list the happiest moments of my life, they all came after I became an actor. Thank you for loving Reverse City. Thank you for loving me. And—”
Lu Xu lifted the trophy high, his eyes shining, his voice unwavering and clear:
“This will absolutely not be the last time!”
The auditorium lights glowed warmly, casting a golden hue over him. At that moment, he looked like a king declaring a powerful oath.
Fans with sharp memories immediately recalled that he had said the exact same words at the Stellar Awards.
And now, he had fulfilled that promise.
Because he exuded such confidence, such brilliance, fans found it easy to believe him.
Indeed, ever since he became an actor, Lu Xu had only moved upward. He had never let his fans down.
[Absolutely not the last time!!!]
[I’m so excited, so excited, so excited!!]
[The future belongs to Lu Xu!! You’ll only get better and better!!]
As he made his promise, Lu Xu didn’t look at the audience below—his gaze was fixed directly on the camera, making sure every fan who had ever supported him heard his words.
The fans had received his words loud and clear.
“Not bad at all.”
In the front row, at the very center, a slightly overweight middle-aged man with a full head of hair turned to Liu Rennong, speaking in a low voice.
“Yes, young actors do deserve more opportunities,” Liu Rennong replied.
The moment he finished speaking, the middle-aged man glanced at him with an unreadable expression.
Liu Rennong, however, maintained a smile as he applauded the stage, looking as if he genuinely admired Lu Xu.
But if the man remembered correctly, when it came to awarding Lu Xu the Best Actor title, Liu Rennong had voted against it.
This middle-aged man was Sang Yuan, the chairman of this year’s Contention Awards jury. Although all jury members had voting rights, his authority was the highest.
Sang Yuan had started out as a screenwriter before expanding into acting, songwriting, and directing. His body of work was unmatched. His scripts were masterpieces, and his lyrics had become widely beloved. It was largely due to his reputation as chairman that the Contention Awards managed to maintain an edge over competing film awards.
The Best Actor award this year had been a two-horse race—either Hang Xiaguang or Lu Xu, depending on the jury’s preference.
Hang Xiaguang had the experience and delivered a strong performance. But Lu Xu had demonstrated an emotional depth far beyond his years. When it came to character control, he was in no way inferior to Hang Xiaguang.
Hang Xiaguang’s performance excelled in its emotional impact, while Lu Xu—well known as a master of emotional expression—had chosen a different path.
In Reverse City, Lu Xu deliberately abandoned the emotional appeal he was best at. Instead of moving the audience with raw emotion, he dug into the primal fears of the human soul, creating a uniquely compelling villain.
For Sang Yuan, this was why Lu Xu’s performance represented the greater breakthrough.
However, due to Lu Xu’s background in television and his relatively limited filmography, his advantage wasn’t as obvious when compared with his past works. Hang Xiaguang, with a long and distinguished career in film, had a clearer track record for the jury to assess.
But that was unfair to Lu Xu.
Did having fewer films mean his acting skills were inferior?
The world wasn’t lacking in geniuses, and the film industry was no exception. The fact that Lu Xu, with only three released films, could stand on equal footing with Hang Xiaguang and others already meant he had won—at least in some sense.
And yet…
If it weren’t for Sang Yuan leaning toward Lu Xu, the award would have likely gone to Hang Xiaguang.
Liu Rennong hadn’t explicitly opposed Lu Xu. Instead, during the voting process, he had made comments that, while seemingly impartial, were subtly persuasive. He never outright objected to Lu Xu’s win but grandly stated that “young actors need more time to mature.”
And really, how was that any different from opposition?
Of course, Sang Yuan could understand Liu Rennong’s reasoning.
Sang Yuan himself believed he was able to remain unbiased because he had gradually withdrawn from the film industry’s core, becoming more of a respected figurehead—a mascot, in a way. But when it mattered, his words still carried weight, and others were willing to show him respect.
Liu Rennong, on the other hand, was an active power broker.
He might not hold a personal grudge against Lu Xu, but he didn’t want to see Lu Xu rise too quickly. More importantly, Lu Xu’s success had already cut off the upward trajectory of several young actors Liu Rennong had been trying to cultivate.
[Contention Awards Welcomes Its Youngest Best Actor!]
[Contention Awards Secures the First Victory—How Close Is Lu Xu to a Double Best Actor Title?]
[Golden Flame Awards Predictions—What’s Next?]
[Stellar Awards + Contention Awards: Lu Xu Becomes the First to Achieve This Feat!]
That day, Lu Xu dominated every major entertainment headline.
A veteran journalist had captured the exact moment he raised his trophy, and soon, nearly every media outlet used that same image in their reports.
The moment Lu Xu held the trophy in his hands, industry professionals immediately analyzed the history of Contention Award winners. They soon discovered that Lu Xu was officially the youngest Best Actor in the award’s history.
[And without a doubt, the most handsome Best Actor.]
Of course, a few media outlets labeled the result as “unexpected.” After all, before the ceremony, Lu Xu had not been considered a frontrunner.
However, this year’s Contention Award didn’t have a clear favorite to begin with. Every nominee had delivered outstanding performances. Even the most seasoned film critics couldn’t, in good conscience, claim that Lu Xu’s performance was inferior to the others.
Lu Xu’s disadvantages lay outside of his acting—not within it.
Besides, considering the credibility of this year’s jury panel, the gold standard of the Contention Award was in no way compromised. Lu Xu’s win was not a “watered-down” victory.
[If someone is guaranteed to win, then it’s not called a nomination—it’s called a predetermined result, thank you.]
[Honestly, the controversy over Lu Xu winning is even smaller than when he was first nominated for the Golden Flame Awards. Anyone who has actually watched his performance in Reverse City knows he absolutely deserves this trophy.]
[…So, is Zhao Yifan about to start complaining about Lu Xu again?]
[One has a trophy, the other doesn’t even have a nomination. Stop blaming Lu Xu—he should be grateful Lu Xu starred in Reverse City, or else he wouldn’t even have the chance to be part of the drama.]
While casual viewers were here for the drama, professional analysts on film forums took a more serious approach.
They broke down the strengths and weaknesses of each nominee, evaluating why Lu Xu had ultimately won.
And in the process, fans and netizens alike suddenly realized something—
While Lu Xu might not have been the most obvious frontrunner, his so-called disadvantages were nowhere near as severe as people originally thought.
The expert mentioned, “Due to his age, Lu Xu was often mistaken for not being on the same level as the other nominees. However, since he had already made it onto the nomination list, it was enough to prove that he had been recognized.”
“We saw this as Lu Xu’s disadvantage, but we also had to consider it from the judges’ perspective. Most of them were industry veterans with extensive experience and credentials. They would only think: the other nominees had acted for so many years and had so many classic roles, yet Lu Xu had the ability to be nominated alongside them—this could only mean that Lu Xu was even more remarkable.”
“Besides, Lu Xu’s performance in Reverse City was flawless. From my perspective, his biggest competitor at this year’s Contention Awards was Hang Xiaguang. However, in my opinion, Hang Xiaguang’s nominated role this year did not differ much from his previous ones. Or rather, while he did portray some variation, the film he took on was based on a relatively outdated theme, something the judges had likely grown tired of. In contrast, Reverse City had a fresher perspective.”
[I don’t understand—why is it that when Hang Xiaguang wins an award, everyone considers it well-deserved, but when it comes to Lu Xu, people feel the need to nitpick every little thing? Lu Xu has achieved something unprecedented for an actor of his age. I can only think—he is absolutely incredible!]
[Super incredible!]
Lu Xu’s victory naturally brought both joy and disappointment to different parties.
And there were quite a few who felt troubled by it.
