Chapter 152: Post-Award Interview
Onlooking gossipers: “…”
Shen Xiu was so calm—he even clapped!
Some even felt like there was a trace of relief in Shen Xiu’s applause for Li Dao’an—what was that about?!
Didn’t they notice how the expressions of the other nominated but award-less actors had all changed?
Shen Xiu paid attention to the applause around him. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed everyone had stopped clapping, so he immediately stopped as well—not one second longer.
He had to avoid turning his show of support into something conspicuously awkward.
Hands down, Shen Xiu’s gaze fell on Li Dao’an, who was walking up to the stage, eyes reddened as he gave his acceptance speech.
“Thank you, really, thank you. I’m so happy today. I didn’t expect to win at all—I thought… never mind, I won’t say it. Anyway, today is such a surprise…”
Tears welled in Li Dao’an’s eyes, but his face still wore a smile. Laughing through tears, he confessed that he thought he’d be a runner-up again and hadn’t even prepared a speech.
The allotted three-minute speech time was cut short—Li Dao’an, unprepared, spoke for less than two minutes before stepping down.
Watching Li Dao’an descend the stage with his trophy, eyes red and teary, Shen Xiu pictured himself in his place.
If, in the future, he were to act in many films, attend many award shows, and end up a runner-up every time—then one day suddenly be named the winner without warning and have to go on stage unprepared… yes, that would be just a bit awkward.
And so, Shen Xiu reached a conclusion:
No matter how many times he ends up being just a nominee, he must always prepare an acceptance speech. Even if he never uses it—just in case!
System: [But didn’t you already prepare one as soon as you found out you were nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the Qingzhu Awards?]
Shen Xiu: [I did prepare one.]
At the time he heard the news, he was confused—but still, he prepared an acceptance speech.
[But actually sitting at the awards ceremony, onstage with all these veteran actors who’ve done so many shows, and watching them go up to receive awards… I think I’ll still have to keep preparing for many years to come.]
Those outstanding seniors had all been runners-up for years. He figured he’d be the same.
System: […As long as you’re happy.]
Its understanding of Shen Xiu fractured once again.
Looking back, it realized how thoroughly it had been played by Shen Xiu! In the past, Shen Xiu had earnestly bluffed his way through everything, and the system had treated all of it as “truth” for years!
Now fully aware of how foolish it had been, the system didn’t wait for Shen Xiu to respond before muttering gloomily:
System: [I’m shutting down. Don’t talk to me. I’m really mad right now.]
Shen Xiu: “?”
Wonderful. In the past, he couldn’t understand what people were thinking—now, he couldn’t even understand what the system was thinking.
Host: “…The nominees for Best Supporting Actress at this year’s Qingzhu Awards are…”
The host’s voice snapped Shen Xiu back to reality. Once he came to, Shen Xiu realized that not only were the people from the Immortal Path crew looking at him, but so were other actors in the audience.
Especially that scorching gaze from behind—hard to ignore, even if he tried.
Shen Xiu recalled that when he first sat down, he hadn’t paid any attention to who was in front or behind him—he just assumed they were strangers.
And strangers meant small talk if he turned around. Shen Xiu, not wanting any of that, decisively chose to ask someone from the Immortal Path team instead.
He turned his head slightly and asked, “Is there something on my face?”
Fang Chengxing: “…No.”
Confirmed. Judging from how composed Shen Xiu was, he must have already known beforehand that he was just here as a nominee—not a winner for Best Supporting Actor. That’s why he was so calm.
“Okay.”
Shen Xiu, reassured by the answer, turned his head back and directed his gaze toward the stage.
Jian Jiayu: “…”
Why didn’t the organizers seat him in the same row as Shen Xiu? That way, he could’ve seen exactly what kind of wonderful expression Shen Xiu had on his face right now!
Sitting directly behind Shen Xiu, Jian Jiayu was itching to leap in front of him just to stare at his face. His curiosity gnawed at him unbearably.
After all, with how competitive Shen Xiu was, losing to someone else must have been eating him up inside, right?
Too bad for Li Dao’an—he had the misfortune of crossing paths with Shen Xiu.
The road ahead for Li Dao’an likely wouldn’t be smooth.
Thinking that someone else had it worse than him put Jian Jiayu in a significantly better mood.
“Next, the award for Best Actor at this year’s Qingzhu Awards…”
The moment the words “Best Actor” were announced, Jian Jiayu straightened up in his seat, eyes glued to the stage, temporarily forgetting about Shen Xiu.
A minute later, the scrolling on the big screen stopped. When Jian Jiayu saw the name displayed, the crushing disappointment made him momentarily forget to control his expression.
He gripped the armrest tightly. “How could—”
Just three words in, Jian Jiayu suddenly remembered that cameras were capturing close-ups of the nominees who didn’t win. He quickly shut his mouth and forced a stiff smile, pretending to stay composed.
He watched the newly crowned Best Actor onstage, glowing with triumph as he gave his acceptance speech. Jian Jiayu’s fingers clenched, digging into his own palm.
Don’t get mad, don’t get mad…
Even that ultra-competitive Shen Xiu didn’t win Best Supporting Actor—if anyone had the right to be upset, it was him.
If anyone had reason to be embarrassed, it was also Shen Xiu.
Yes… that’s right… Ugh, why the hell is Shen Xiu still clapping?!
Was he mocking him for not winning?
But he didn’t win either, did he?!
Stuffing down a bellyful of frustration, Jian Jiayu endured another hour and a half. When the awards ceremony finally ended at eleven in the evening, he stood up and left without hesitation.
Other artists at the venue also began leaving in small groups.
The Immortal Path crew had been seated in the middle of the row, with exits on both sides. While Shen Xiu was still debating which direction had fewer people, he heard Xuan Ji speak up.
“Let’s wait till the crowd clears out before we leave—there’s too many people right now.”
It was pretty crowded. Everyone quickly agreed with Xuan Ji’s suggestion.
“I think so too.”
“Let’s wait a bit longer.”
“Yeah, better to leave after the crowd thins out.”
“Mhm,” Shen Xiu echoed last.
Having voiced his agreement, Shen Xiu finally sat back with a clear conscience.
Xuan Ji turned to Liang Cheng and couldn’t help but speak again: “Sister Cheng, congratulations!”
Now that the live cameras were no longer rolling, Fang Chengxing was much more relaxed than before. No longer stiff or self-conscious, he eagerly eyed the trophy in Liang Cheng’s hands, practically rubbing his hands together.
“Liang Cheng, can I hold the trophy for a bit? I want to borrow some of that lucky energy—who knows, maybe next time it’ll be me!”
Hearing this, Shen Xiu quietly glanced at the trophy in Liang Cheng’s hands.
Borrow some luck… and you might actually win next time?
Shen Xiu shamelessly added, “Can I hold it too?”
Fang Chengxing: “!”
This had to be Shen Xiu joining in on the joke to help Liang Cheng feel more at ease!
Liang Cheng: “!”
The whole “borrowing luck” thing was obviously just playful nonsense.
But that wasn’t the point—the point was that Shen Xiu was willing to join in just to help her relax!
Among the Immortal Path crew, three members had been nominated, but in the end, only Liang Cheng took home an award. At first, she’d worried that Shen Xiu and Fang Chengxing might be upset, so she kept her smile subdued. But now, hearing everyone’s teasing, her expression relaxed noticeably.
“Of course you can!”
As she spoke, Liang Cheng moved to hand over the trophy.
Halfway through the motion, she suddenly realized something and looked at Shen Xiu and Fang Chengxing, hesitating:
“Which one of you goes first?”
Without a moment’s pause, Shen Xiu looked at Fang Chengxing. “Him.”
Fang Chengxing had spoken up first—he had to honor the first-come, first-served rule.
It was all just lighthearted banter to ease the mood. Fang Chengxing didn’t stand on ceremony and grinned. “Then I won’t hold back.”
He took the trophy from Liang Cheng. Though his original intention had been to joke around and lift the atmosphere, now that the trophy was really in his hands, he couldn’t help but touch it with admiration and envy.
“Just you wait—next time I’m bringing one of you home!”
After that, he reluctantly handed the trophy to Shen Xiu.
Before accepting it, Shen Xiu had assumed he’d feel the same rush of excitement as Fang Chengxing. But once the trophy was actually in his hands, he realized—with some surprise—that he felt completely calm. Not a ripple of emotion stirred in his chest.
Shen Xiu: Is my heart… okay?
Not wanting to hold someone else’s trophy for too long, he only kept it in his palm for three seconds before returning it to Liang Cheng.
“Thanks.”
Liang Cheng beamed. “You’re welcome~”
The fact that Shen Xiu held it for such a short time confirmed her guess: he was just playing along to ease her nerves, echoing Fang Chengxing’s joke to help her feel more at ease.
As if Shen Xiu would seriously try to soak up luck from just any old trophy!
Once most people had left, Zhao Heng spoke up:
“Let’s head out too.”
Everyone responded in agreement and rose to leave the venue.
While the Qingzhu Awards had streamed the red carpet walk live, the actual ceremony inside hadn’t been broadcast. Only event staff were permitted to film the proceedings.
As a result, the outside world still had no idea who the official winners were.
So even though it was already past 11 p.m., countless media outlets were crowded outside, waiting to interview the artists as they exited the venue and to get the very first scoop.
Most of the artists who didn’t win had no interest in being interviewed. Faced with cameras and reporters holding microphones, they pretended not to see anything and, escorted by bodyguards, assistants, and managers, hurried straight into their vans and drove away.
As for the winners—they knew how to work the publicity machine. In front of livestreams or flashing cameras, some casually raised their trophies in a “rushed” gesture, giving the press a glimpse before quickly getting in their cars and leaving.
The few who did accept interviews also knew how to keep fans on the hook. Before the official Qingzhu Awards account announced the winners, they wouldn’t give away too much—just a sentence or two to the camera, enough to spark curiosity before making a dramatic exit.
Meanwhile, netizens watching the media’s livestreams were filling the live chat with a flurry of excited comments:
[Why hasn’t Xiu-baby come out yet?]
[LMAO—did I see that right? Jian Jiayu just came out without even glancing at the camera. He ran faster than a rabbit. Obviously didn’t win anything. Based on how he talks, if he’d won, he’d be shouting it from the rooftops. Staying quiet = empty-handed.]
[Wuwuwu my baby was a runner-up again this year. I swear the organizers are stringing him along—but I have no proof!!]
[Where is the Immortal Path crew?! Why haven’t they come out yet?]
Five minutes later, the Immortal Path crew finally exited the venue.
It was Shen Xiu’s first time attending an awards ceremony—he had no idea that walking out afterward would mean facing such a sea of flashing cameras and swarming crowds. It was even more intense than the red carpet earlier!
Faced with the flood of cameras and microphones, Shen Xiu’s brain stalled for a few seconds. His legs, however, acted faster than his thoughts—he instinctively slowed down and quietly trailed behind Liang Cheng, Fang Chengxing, and Xuan Ji.
But—
Watching the three in front of him, whose heights were so overwhelming they blocked even his field of vision and shattered any illusion of denial, Shen Xiu suddenly had the urge to hunch over and make himself smaller.
Zhao Heng, walking behind Shen Xiu, couldn’t help but raise his hand and, using Shen Xiu as a reference, discreetly compared their heights.
Microphones extended one after another from beyond the barricades, reaching so far inside Shen Xiu worried the barriers might collapse.
“They’re out! They’re finally out!”
The reporters had originally planned to target Shen Xiu, whose name trended at the drop of a hat. But upon seeing his emotionless face—and more importantly, the fact that he wasn’t holding a trophy—they faltered. No one dared fire off a question right away, instead turning their attention to Liang Cheng and Fang Chengxing.
“Liang Cheng won! Get a shot of the trophy in her hand!”
“Chengcheng, can we get a quick interview? What award did you win?”
“Chengxing, Chengxing! Over here! Could you tell us which artists walked away with—”
…
The reporters fired off questions one after another.
Liang Cheng had no intention of giving an interview. Even though Shen Xiu and Fang Chengxing had both insisted earlier that they were fine, she still felt it would be awkward to accept an interview with her two teammates standing next to her empty-handed.
So, she simply gave the cameras a polite, apologetic smile and kept walking behind Xuan Ji without answering any questions.
Fang Chengxing, also without an award in hand, had no idea what to say. He offered the cameras a stiff smile, equally silent.
When Shen Xiu was filming Immortal Path, he never brought along an agent or assistant. Liang Cheng and Fang Chengxing, feeling it was easier to talk freely without extra people around, didn’t bother bringing theirs either. As a result, at this moment, only the venue’s security staff were there to escort them to their car.
Liang Cheng and Fang Chengxing both stayed silent. The reporters then turned their attention to Shen Xiu, who was walking ahead of Assistant Director Zhao Heng. One reporter, egged on by their colleagues, gathered the courage to call out to Shen Xiu’s cold, indifferent profile.
“Shen Xiu…”
At the sound of his name, Shen Xiu’s steps faltered slightly.
Sensing hope, the reporter quickly followed up, “Would you mind answering two quick questions?”
Not very convenient…
That was the first thought that flashed through Shen Xiu’s mind.
But whether it was asking his crew to stop and wait while he was “asked two questions,” or telling the reporter straight out that “it’s not very convenient,” both options felt… inconvenient.
Shen Xiu rapidly weighed his choices and came to a decision. Without hesitation, he turned to his Immortal Path teammates and said, “You guys go ahead, no need to wait for me.”
Then, worried they’d misunderstand and think he was making them wait longer, he quickly added, “I’ll be there in one minute.”
His voice was calm and even, but to those listening, it somehow carried a commanding tone that left no room for argument.
“…Alright.”
“Okay.”
The media: “…”
What just happened?
Wait a minute… oh no—Shen Xiu just sent the Immortal Path team away… is he about to go off on the reporter who called out to him?
After all, he didn’t win an award, and now he was stopped on his way out…
Realizing this, the reporters who had urged their colleague to speak up all immediately stepped away from that reporter once the crew walked off, distancing themselves just in case they got caught in the wrath of “Great Demon King Shen.”
Zheng Duo: “…”
A bunch of traitors with no backbone!
Shen Xiu only had one minute—he didn’t want to waste even a second. He quickly turned to the reporter who had asked him to say a few words.
“What do you want me to say?”
The reporters: “……”
Livestream viewers: [……]
What a full-on, explosive line!
Zheng Duo was being stared down by Shen Xiu’s sharp eyes—more pressure than being stared at by his own boss. He swallowed hard and threw caution to the wind: “M-May I ask, who are the artists that won awards this time?”
Shen Xiu took a few seconds to quickly run through the list of award-winning artists in his mind, only to realize a moment later—he couldn’t say it.
He could only apologize: “Sorry, the organizers have stipulated that we shouldn’t reveal too much. However, they said the full list of winners will be released at midnight.”
Zheng Duo: “!”
Even though Shen Xiu’s voice was cold, he actually answered the question seriously!
[I’m shocked—he’s not angry?]
[It’s over, sisters. Until now, I thought I’d mastered Xiuology, but I was wrong. Just now, I thought Shen Xiu dismissed the other crew members out of anger—but from his expression when answering, he wasn’t mad at all. He was genuinely answering the question!]
[Mystery solved—Xiu-baby just didn’t want the rest of the crew to stand around getting “punished” with him.]
[Whispering softly… I guess I haven’t mastered Xiuology either, wuwuwu]
[Shen Xiu may have a cold face, but he’s got a good temper? Help…I’m falling for him!]
After answering the first question, Shen Xiu silently counted down in his mind. Twenty seconds passed, and still no one asked a second question.
Not wanting to waste any more time, Shen Xiu had to remind the reporter who had called out to him.
“What’s the second question?”
Zheng Duo: “!”
W-What second question…? Oh, right, right—he had said earlier he would ask “two questions.”
But that was just something he said casually—he hadn’t really meant to limit himself to only two questions for Shen Xiu!
Zheng Duo wailed internally, but outwardly he obediently stuck to just two questions: “May I ask, Shen Xiu, do you have any thoughts on the fact that Jian Jiayu didn’t win an award?”
Jian Jiayu?
Who’s that?
Shen Xiu was confused and blurted out, “Who?”
Zheng Duo: “…The actor who played the male lead, Huo An, in July.”
Shen Xiu: “…Sorry, haven’t seen it.”
Zheng Duo: “…Oh. Okay.”
He didn’t know if Jian Jiayu felt embarrassed, but right now he certainly felt secondhand embarrassment for him.
The reporters: “……”
Livestream viewers: [……]
Why did Demon King Xiu just go full savage without warning…? Wait, no—not without warning. It’s just that Jian Jiayu’s previous comments were too outrageous, so Demon King Xiu finding him distasteful and clapping back on camera was completely justified!
With the two questions answered, the mental countdown in Shen Xiu’s mind had now reached 35 seconds.
He calculated the remaining distance and found the timing still acceptable. To avoid a situation where a reporter asked a question too late, Shen Xiu prompted: “Any other questions?”
Demon King Xiu had gone into full effect, and hearing his cold, cutting voice, Zheng Duo didn’t dare say another word. He quickly shook his head: “N-No, that’s all. Thank you!”
“You’re welcome. Goodbye.”
With that, Shen Xiu nodded slightly to the other reporters who had only stared at him without saying anything, and added, “Goodbye.”
Then he walked away briskly.
Everyone stared in silence at Shen Xiu’s tall, cool figure as he departed.
A moment later, they all raised their cameras and frantically started snapping shots of his retreating back.
When they had been facing Shen Xiu earlier, the reporters only dared to record video—they didn’t dare to blatantly take photos.
…
By the time the awards ceremony had begun, the red carpet had already been rolled up, and the cars that had been parked at a distance were now pulled up close to the exit.
As the car door closed, Shen Xiu’s internal 60-second countdown came to an end.
The moment Shen Xiu got into the car, Xuan Ji quickly exited the livestream he had been secretly watching.
In the livestream chat, the Xiuologists regretfully watched the black stretch limousine drive off after the door closed.
[How can someone’s back alone give off such boss energy?!]
[…So precise. Said he’d answer two questions, and really only answered two. Why is that kind of seriousness low-key cute?]
[I started timing him the moment he walked away from the Immortal Path crew—and let me tell you, when he stepped into the car, it was exactly 60 seconds!]
[His time management is insane. Truly, Shen Xiu never misses!]
——
At midnight, Shen Xiu was dropped off at Yulin Banxia. After washing up, he fell asleep holding Lucky.
Meanwhile, the Qingzhu Awards organizers released the full list of this year’s winners.
Beneath the list, they also uploaded the full video of the awards ceremony.
#Jian Jiayu, who?
#Demon King Xiu suddenly online
#Qingzhu Award Winners
#What it means to be truly angry
#Xiuology: Incomplete Marks
…
Under these trending hashtags, the gossip-hungry onlookers scrolled eagerly through the content.
— When the Best Supporting Actor award was announced, Xiu-baby’s expression remained calm as he clapped. It was obvious that before he even arrived at the ceremony, he already knew everything that would happen. That’s why he could applaud so composedly.
— Same situation, didn’t win an award, yet Shen Xiu’s expression was completely different from the other artists who didn’t win. Looks like he really saw it coming.
— Out of all the ones who didn’t win, Jian Jiayu’s failed expression management was truly unbearable. While most of the others looked disappointed or regretful, Jian Jiayu actually scowled in anger.
— But isn’t the most explosive part the fact that Shen Xiu said he didn’t know who Jian Jiayu was?
— LOL, come on, no way he didn’t know. Don’t forget, Shen Xiu previously publicly called out Jian Jiayu’s ridiculous comments. Saying he doesn’t know him? That’s clearly because he’s pissed about Jian Jiayu looking down on supporting roles—he was directly dissing him.
— Upstairs, I hereby declare you’ve spoken the truth!
—
Monday.
Shen Xiu attended class as usual.
Normally, he had a habit of arriving at the last minute, but today he came early because he needed to help Teacher Jiang with something.
After sending a file from Teacher Jiang’s computer, Shen Xiu didn’t want to linger in the office and awkwardly chose to return to the classroom.
“Tch, that classmate of mine, Shen Xiu—he went to that so-called Qingzhu Awards ceremony full of high hopes, and guess what? Didn’t win a thing!”
With no one in the class talking to him, Ling Yuanzhen could only call a childhood friend, muttering sarcastically, “All he ever does is act, act, act—money on the brain 24/7. And now, look at the time. Who knows, maybe it’ll get even worse. He probably won’t even have time to write his thesis in senior year. I’m telling you…”
A quiet voice sounded behind him.
“I’ve finished it.”
It was Shen Xiu.
