Chapter 239: Being Questioned
“This is truly a coincidence.” Not long after the nomination list was announced, Li Yan called Lu Xu.
If Li Yan hadn’t reached out first, Lu Xu probably would have sent him a message anyway… It really was quite the coincidence.
The gossip accounts spread the news even faster than Li Yan could contact Lu Xu. After all, it was a competition between the top two box office actors. Both were popular and talented, though Lu Xu had been luckier when it came to winning awards.
For these gossip accounts, the amicable relationship between Lu Xu and Li Yan was already unusual. Since when did the top two competitors in any field not tear each other apart? Yet, not only had these two collaborated on Observing the Stars at Night, but their relationship was also far better than that of most actors.
In the entertainment industry, being friendly was, in itself, abnormal!
Unfortunately for the gossip mongers, ever since Observing the Stars at Night was released, Lu Xu’s total box office numbers had almost caught up to Li Yan’s, yet there was still no sign of a rivalry. At least, the gossip accounts couldn’t find any clues to suggest one. Now that both had been nominated for the prestigious Contention Awards, the gossip accounts were convinced—this was the beginning of their friendship’s downfall.
Lu Xu: “……”
Honestly… all this talk about rivalry—weren’t awards just a matter of individual ability?
Both their agencies would certainly handle PR efforts, and while this award was very important to Li Yan, that didn’t mean Lu Xu would give it up easily.
Even though Lu Xu already had three Best Actor trophies, he definitely wouldn’t mind adding another one to his collection.
…
Of course, no matter how calm and composed Lu Xu and Li Yan remained, in the eyes of the gossip accounts, there was no way they could maintain the good relationship they had built since Observing the Stars at Night.
[The competition between these two top-tier actors is bound to intensify.] One gossip account sighed regretfully. [Is there really no such thing as a sincere, heartfelt friendship in the entertainment industry?]
A group of netizens: “……”
To be honest, even if genuine friendships existed among celebrities, the gossip accounts, ever eager to stir up drama, would write them out of existence.
In any case, the competition between Lu Xu and Li Yan was one of the most noteworthy aspects of this year’s Contention Awards.
But beyond that, another topic had gained traction—why was it always Lu Xu?
[Looking at this year’s Contention Award nominations for Best Actor, I can’t help but wonder—out of this entire massive entertainment industry, is there really no other decent actor? Since Reverse City, Lu Xu’s name has appeared far too frequently. This inevitably raises suspicions about possible undisclosed dealings between him and the award committee. It also stifles the growth of younger actors.]
[I admit Lu Xu is a good actor, but is he the only one? Shouldn’t the Contention Award committee consider giving others a chance?]
[I’m honestly tired of seeing Lu Xu’s face. The same face, the same monotonous styling, the same repetitive acceptance speeches—fine for the first year, but completely uninspired when unchanged year after year. Just like Lu Xu himself, winning award after award with his old-fashioned roles, leaving the audience speechless.]
One particular film critic even wrote a lengthy article titled I’m Tired of Lu Xu, expressing frustration over his repeated nominations.
At the end of the article, the critic made a dramatic declaration:
[I know full well that as soon as I post this, I will face the wrath of Lu Xu’s fans. But no matter how fierce the storm, I refuse to back down. I know my views represent those of many moviegoers—they simply lack the courage to speak out. But I will! Let all the backlash come my way!]
Lu Xu’s fans: “……”
First of all, who even are you?
Honestly, even if that critic wrote a 10,000-word takedown of Lu Xu, his fans wouldn’t bat an eye—Lu Xu had faced plenty of criticism before, and this was just a drizzle in the storm.
What really stood out was the dramatic last paragraph. For someone calling themselves a film critic, they sure sounded like they had been marinating in fandom culture for decades. That whole righteous warrior against injustice tone? A bit much.
Was Lu Xu some kind of villainous overlord now?
Still, the critic’s comment section was filled with people agreeing, claiming Lu Xu got a nomination every time he acted and was single-handedly blocking young actors from rising.
Lu Xu’s fans: “……”
That’s called twisting the truth.
Thankfully, audiences had seen how the Contention Awards played out in recent years. Another critic, Movie Diary, published a long piece defending Lu Xu, pointing out that his three awards were well-deserved—among the five nominees each time, his performances stood out the most.
As for claims that Lu Xu was blocking the way, his frequent nominations were simply because he acted in more films.
[Directors across both commercial and arthouse films want to cast Lu Xu—he’s a box office draw for blockbusters, and his talent for character interpretation shines in indie films.]
[With more roles, naturally, he gets more nominations.]
[Instead of blaming Lu Xu, the focus should be on giving young actors more opportunities and diverse roles. If they don’t even get a chance to shine, how can they compete for awards?]
“Movie Diary” naturally discussed Lu Xu’s acting skills as well. The critic even compiled a table listing the release dates of Lu Xu’s films alongside a comparison of actors with the highest number of leading roles in a given year.
Compared to actors in his age group, Lu Xu had more leading roles, but across the entire industry, he wasn’t the most frequently cast actor.
When Movie Diary reviewed bad films, they were known for their sharp tongue, and they didn’t hold back when criticizing industry trends either:
[Instead of fixating on how many times Lu Xu has been nominated for the Contention Awards, maybe people should focus on those actors churning out four or five terrible films a year. The real problem is that these actors aren’t being criticized enough—giving them free rein is what’s truly harming the audience.]
[Well said!! Hahaha, this is exactly what I wanted to say!]
[+1, they go all out against Lu Xu but tiptoe around everyone else.]
[Honestly, I think the reason this whole topic is even being brought up is because… Lu Xu’s nominations are stepping on some people’s toes, huh?]
[I clicked into that critic’s post, and guess what? The most vocal accounts in the comments are all from fandoms—they’re just mad on behalf of their own idol. But to be honest, I sincerely believe their guy’s acting… still isn’t quite Contention Award material.]
[Sometimes their logic is so ridiculous that I can’t tell if they’re joking or being serious. Like, do people actually believe Lu Xu stole opportunities from their favorite actors?]
[Oh, some do. There’s even a rumor going around that Code A77 was snatched by Lu Xu from someone else.]
That rumor had been repeated so often that it almost started sounding legitimate, leaving Lu Xu’s fans speechless.
[At the end of the day, I just have to say—nobody would turn down money, right? If you were casting a film, would you pick an actor with a 3-billion box office total or one with 30 billion? Even a fool knows the answer. Do people really think money is that easy to earn?]
[Exactly, I…]
[Lu Xu does get nominated a lot, but has anyone ever said he doesn’t deserve it? He acts well, so it’s only natural for him to be nominated. Why should he have to step aside for actors who aren’t as good as him? Sure, there are a lot of unspoken rules in the industry, but isn’t the most important one supposed to be that the most capable rise to the top?]
This was exactly what Lu Xu’s fans found most frustrating.
He was a great actor. His nominations made sense. But suddenly, because he had too many nominations, it became his fault? If that was the case, then what was the point of being an actor at all?
Wasn’t an actor supposed to focus on acting well?
Why should someone who performed well not be recognized for it?
It wasn’t just Lu Xu’s fans who found this ridiculous—many moviegoers who were frustrated with the industry’s hidden rules felt the same way.
Lu Xu had high box office numbers → he got offered more good scripts → he won awards. This cycle was ultimately driven by audience support. If fans liked an actor, that actor should get more opportunities.
[This is hilarious. People complain that Lu Xu is blocking the way, then turn around and say he’s everywhere. If their favs had even a tenth of his success, they’d be hyping them up like crazy. Honestly, if we go by industry seniority, maybe Lu Xu shouldn’t be this popular—he’s been at the top for too long and should make way for younger actors. But, uh… [dog emoji][dog emoji] you all know what I really mean. I won’t say it out loud, or it’ll sound too harsh.]
Apart from Movie Diary, a few other critics also spoke up in Lu Xu’s defense. Critics watched films constantly—they had seen plenty of widely recognized masterpieces, but they had also sat through countless unwatchable disasters that most audiences never even came across.
Anyone with a high enough movie-watching count would recognize how rare it was to come across an actor like Lu Xu.
Yet, because he was too good, his name consistently ranked at the top of various industry charts. From his fans’ perspective, Lu Xu had no flaws. But to others, it seemed like all they had to do was push Lu Xu aside, and his achievements would magically become theirs.
After the article “I’m Tired of Lu Xu” was published, another film critic voiced his concerns. However, his worries had nothing to do with Lu Xu himself; rather, they stemmed from his own reflections upon reading the piece.
[Right now, the film industry still appears to be thriving. We have a prodigious actor like Lu Xu frequently on our screens—so much so that some even feel he’s become an eyesore, blocking the way for others. But what I realized is this: If we remove Lu Xu from the equation, then in the past decade, the film industry has failed to cultivate a single newcomer capable of standing on their own.
[When analyzing Hong Kong cinema, people often say that it’s always the same group of actors, filming from the 1980s onward, with no new faces able to take over because the audience doesn’t buy into them. But if we look at the current film market, is it really any different?
[Because Lu Xu is too popular, has won too many awards, and his films keep breaking records, these issues have been temporarily overlooked. Now, people are starting to resent him for ‘blocking the way,’ but has anyone considered what the younger generation of actors would have to show for themselves if Lu Xu weren’t around? The results would be disastrous.]
Lu Xu had discussed this issue before with Zheng Xiao and Xu Wen. It was a fact, after all.
He had starred in Deception a long time ago. By the time he reached the third movie, Reverse City, he was already recognized as a young actor who could carry a box office hit.
Now, there were plenty of actors older than Lu Xu had been back then, yet they still didn’t have a single representative film to their name.
…
Ultimately, “I’m Tired of Lu Xu” generated a huge buzz, garnering more reads than all the other reviews that critic had published throughout the year.
However, there were far more people speaking in Lu Xu’s defense.
Everyone understood the level of competition at the Contention Awards. They knew how difficult it was to secure a nomination, let alone win. Even if the Contention Awards committee favored Lu Xu slightly, that favoritism was something he had earned through years of consistently outstanding work.
“This is a preemptive attack,” Xu Wen said with certainty. “Since they can’t beat you in a fair fight, they’re trying to take you down through public opinion first.”
There had already been hints of this trend when Lu Xu was nominated for Clay Man, but the film’s strengths were overwhelming. It was one of the most iconic performances in recent years at the Contention Awards.
The memes of Ma Yanwen from Clay Man, along with his chilling, almost cannibalistic lines, had spread widely and were frequently used.
“Who do you think it is?” Lu Xu asked.
His agent shook his head. “Hard to say—it could be anyone. Right now, we can only rule out Li Yan’s side.”
First, Li Yan had never been the type to engage in such underhanded tricks. Second, after Lu Xu and Li Yan worked together on Observing the Stars at Night, their agents had also established contact. Xu Wen had directly reached out to Li Yan’s agent and confirmed the situation.
With Lu Xu and Li Yan’s standing in the industry, and with their agents also being prominent figures, stirring up controversy over nominations would not only make them seem petty but would also offend the Contention Awards committee outright.
They had long since moved past such childish tactics.
Li Yan certainly wanted the Best Actor trophy, but for him, it would merely be the icing on the cake—it wouldn’t affect his status in the eyes of the audience.
To give an example, in the year that Lu Xu failed to win the Golden Flame Award, the Best Actor trophy had gone to another actor. However, even with that prestigious award in hand, that actor’s reputation in the industry didn’t significantly rise. He still couldn’t carry a film on his own. In terms of box office appeal and audience recognition, he was nowhere near Li Yan’s level.
But for some people, a Contention Award trophy was still incredibly important—giving up that honor was not an easy thing to do.
