Chapter 86: Best Supporting Actor

Chapter 86: Best Supporting Actor

The hotel where they rested was a familiar one—the same hotel where Qian Jin and Chen Yibai had stayed during the filming at the Prince's villa. Afternoon arrived, and so did the premiere, where stylist Sister Jing swiftly managed hair and wardrobe, sending him off to the car that would take him to the event.

With ample funding, the premiere venue was lavishly decorated, akin to a banquet hall, with a long red carpet laid out.

There were significantly more media journalists than anticipated, outnumbering those present at the wrap party by several times. Cameras were everywhere, flashes continuously blinking.

As a lead but not the main character, Chen Yibai was clear about his role, relaxed, and unburdened. He briskly walked down the red carpet, found his name on the backdrop wall, signed it, then took a few steps forward to meet up with Qian Jin.

Chu Mingyuan was the last of the leads to arrive. Upon his arrival, he greeted everyone, surprisingly polite, shaking hands with each actor who had already arrived.

Qian Jin, as the second male lead, stood beside him, being the first to shake hands. Their energies didn't mesh well; he shook nervously, almost breaking out in goosebumps.

Chen Yibai also shook hands, nothing special, just like Qian Jin, a brief touch. But when their hands met, he heard, "Long time no see."

Indeed, it had been a while since they last met. He nodded and echoed the sentiment.

Chu Mingyuan didn't linger, moving on to shake the next person's hand.

Good, everything was normal at the scene. Chen Yibai reassured himself, withdrawing his gaze. Beside him, Qian Jin leaned over, shuddering slightly, whispering, "He's quite the poser in front of the media."

Holding the microphone but not turning it on, his voice was low enough for only the two of them to hear. Chen Yibai obligingly turned his head to listen, chuckling.

Unlike them, Chu Mingyuan was the main lead, shouldering the box office pressure. It was normal for him to want to leave a positive impression.

Once the director and producer arrived, the formalities began.

The process was lengthy, especially the actor interaction and media Q&A segments, which could make one's legs ache. Small sofas were provided for everyone to sit and chat.

Being a supporting actor was good; there was no need to speak much. Relying on his limited working knowledge, Chen Yibai didn't slump onto the sofa, maintaining a semblance of composure. He watched others talk while discreetly turning off his microphone.

He nodded when others spoke, clapped when they reminisced about past glories, and joined his buddy in vying for the title of atmosphere leader.

It wasn't until the media Q&A segment that Chen Yibai finally turned his microphone back on.

The media seemed to favor asking him questions, and once his mic was on, it couldn't be turned off again.

Aside from routine inquiries, there were pointed, even sharp questions. He could have chosen to dodge them, but he didn't.

A social genius's basic skill was to talk nonsense without fear. After answering all the media's questions, his expression unchanged, he smiled and turned off his mic, hiding his prowess.

Chu Mingyuan was the one constantly fielding questions, busy responding even as Chen Yibai put his mic away.

Just as Chen Yibai was about to lean over to chat with his buddy, another journalist raised their hand to ask a question.

Fortunately, it wasn't directed at him; Chu Mingyuan was the target again. So, he leaned back comfortably.

The reporter asked, "After watching the newly released trailer, I noticed that Teacher Chu's character achieves a happy ending with the female lead. I wonder if Teacher Chu has someone in real life he wishes to achieve a happy ending with?"

An explosive question, causing all other reporters to look over, cameras silently recording. It had been a long time since any gossip about Chu Mingyuan surfaced; some in the industry even speculated that he had changed completely, but these were mere speculations, never confirmed by the man himself.

Chu Mingyuan picked up the microphone, flashes flickering. He said, "Yes."

Concise and clear, without any ambiguity. His frankness caught even the director and producer off guard, eliciting gasps from the audience.

The scene instantly became twice as lively, but Chu Mingyuan remained calm, smiling. "But I was rejected."

Unexpectedly dropping a bombshell, the previously buzzing noise turned into genuine commotion.

Even colleagues who were supposed to be in the know were unaware of this situation. Qian Jin, who considered himself a top-tier gossip consumer, turned off his microphone and leaned over to his friend, eyes wide. "We didn't know about this."

News traveled fast in this circle, especially since they had once shared a production team. Logically, he should have known about such a significant matter long ago.

Chen Yibai: "Mm-hm."

Qian Jin, using his quick wit, pondered seriously before saying, "Maybe it's fabricated, just to create buzz."

Chen Yibai: "Maybe."

This friend, usually chatty, was unexpectedly succinct. Qian Jin finally turned to carefully observe his friend's expression, asking, "Are you feeling unwell?"

Chen Bai slightly shifted to the side, saying it was nothing.

What should have been a light-hearted Q&A session ended in an uncomfortable silence due to Chen Yibai's unspoken discomfort.

Following that was the movie-watching segment, where no further speaking was required.

More awkward than watching acquaintances act or having acquaintances watch you act was gathering together to watch each other's performances. Between gritting his teeth through the ordeal and closing his eyes to rest, Chen Yibai chose to quietly slip out of the theater under the cover of darkness.

With all sounds fading away, he felt much better.

The building was vast, housing both a cinema and a small garden. The production crew had rented the entire place for the night.

He could go anywhere, but Chen Yibai firmly avoided the small garden, finding a windowed corridor to sit in. He sent a message to his buddy Qian Jin, asking him to give a heads-up if anything happened.

True to form, Qian Jin wasn't watching the movie either, replying promptly with disbelief and indignation. "Why are you guys sneaking off without me?"

Accompanied by an animated GIF of furious punching.

No one understood the feeling of closing his eyes, opening them again, and finding his surroundings empty.

Chen Bai didn't understand which 'guys' he referred to, nor did he ask further. The message delivered, he happily switched to the chat interface to check the TV drama schedule.

With nothing else to do, he read through the detailed itinerary, slowly yawning. Wanting to habitually rub his hair, he remembered the stylist's death glare and restrained himself.

The corridor was quiet; even the slightest sound could be heard clearly. Just as he put down his hand that had been covering a yawn, footsteps echoed from the end of the hallway.

He raised his head slightly, and in his line of sight appeared black trousers with an excellent drape, followed by a hand holding two bottles of water.

It was someone familiar, after all, they had just been on stage together.

Chu Mingyuan approached and sat down at a not-too-close, not-too-distant distance, greeting him with, "What a coincidence."

Chen Yibai glanced down at the two bottles of water in his hands.

"I've been caught," Chu Mingyuan smiled, not bothering to explain further, and handed over a bottle of water, saying, "It's for you. You must have spoken quite a bit during the Q&A session."

Chen Yibai looked at him, not immediately reaching out to take the water.

His wariness was evident on his face, and Chu Mingyuan chuckled, saying, "Don't worry. I just happened to come out for some fresh air and thought I'd strike up a conversation."

The water was provided free of charge by the production team, with the words 'Flower Chronicles' printed on it. Chen Bai then accepted it, thanking him.

As Chu Mingyuan watched him take a sip of water, he asked, "Is Xu Sinian your friend?"

He asked naturally, in the tone one would use in casual conversation. Chen Yibai reflexively nodded, replying, "Yes."

Then, realizing something, he added that it wasn't just friendship.

A good friend, a higher level of friendship.

Chu Mingyuan didn't elaborate, only saying, "That's nice."

He shifted his gaze, as if chatting or simply making a spontaneous remark, saying, "He's quite skilled."

He chatted purely for the sake of chatting, avoiding any topics that were currently in Chen Yibai's danger zone. When it was nearly time, he returned to the screening room.

When Chen Moubai sneaked back, he received an angry glare from his companion who had been left alone in the screening room.

He thrust a new, complimentary bottle of water into the person's hand, saying it would help cool them down. He had returned at just the right moment, catching the ending where swords and blades flashed continuously. He heard a series of exclamations of "Holy shit" coming from behind.

Simple and direct, expressing feelings and thoughts straightforwardly.

It turned out that, apart from those in the front rows who weren't particularly interested because they knew the plot and were quietly slacking off, everyone else in the back rows was watching attentively.

"You actually fooled around until almost the end before coming back," Qian Jin nudged him with his elbow and whispered, "How do you know how well it was shot if you didn't watch it?"

Chen Yibai slumped against the backrest, saying, "I'll watch it again when it's released in a few days."

Together with Ms. Jiang and others.

Ms. Jiang and Mr. Xu both agreed that the first movie held significant sentimental value, and they made plans for the whole family to see it together.

This included him, and it was inevitable that he would need to watch it again.

Qian Jin said okay.

The movie played from beginning to end, until the last credit rolled past, the screen went dark, and the lights in the screening room came on.

Present were not only industry insiders and media, but also film critics and audience members who had managed to get tickets. During the free exchange period, Chen Yibai once again became a walking signature machine.

The production team had prepared gifts for all the guests attending the premiere, including custom merchandise such as stills from the movie. The set contained all the main cast members, but the costumes were random.

Estimating it was a matter of probability, most of the stills he signed were from the beggar costume set. Regardless of the moods of those seeking his autograph, he found it quite amusing himself.

With the premiere concluded, 'Flower Chronicles' successfully trended on hot search lists.

People's penchant for gossip always prevailed, and topping the hot search list was Chu Mingyuan's revelation that he had confessed his feelings to someone and been rejected, with the topic maintaining high热度.

Some enthusiastic individuals attempted to guess who had rejected him, speculating through all the actresses he had worked with recently, but none seemed quite right.

There were also guesses that it might be the Best Actress winner from this film, but people who were present at the event spoke up, thinking it unlikely.

There was no particular reason, mainly because these two seemed to have very little interaction beyond basic exchanges. They rarely engaged in eye contact or conversational banter, conducting themselves in a strictly professional manner.

Netizens commented that it would be more plausible to guess Chen Yibai instead, as Chu Mingyuan had looked his way several times, significantly more than at anyone else.

Underneath the comments was a sea of laughter.

Not until some time after the premiere ended and media reports began to appear, did film critics post their reviews late into the night. Topics truly related to the movie content started climbing the hot search rankings.

Unlike other films that had also entered the premiere promotional phase, the reviews for 'Flower Chronicles' were unusually consistent in their positivity.

Under the condition of trying not to spoil the plot, what stood out most to the audience who attended the premiere was the unexpected twist at the end. Additionally, they frequently mentioned the actors' commendable acting skills and the fact that the costumes and props were indeed a testament to the industry's dedication to quality.

An audience member posted pictures of the exquisite gifts they received and the stills with actor signatures upon returning home. A superfan had managed to collect signatures from all the lead actors, a true bonanza, with the images lined up in an impressive display.

"Woah, how did you manage that! There wasn't enough time for me to get signatures, I only managed to get Chu Mingyuan's and then ran out of time QAQ"

"My first stop was Yibai's wife, and I only managed to get one signature. I thought my neighbor getting three was already impressive."

"I only got one too, but it's the hidden Chen Yibai version! Every time I see it, I'm stunned by his handsomeness [Happy Cat Head.jpg]"

"I don't have any, I envy you ticket-grabbers."

In this battle of bragging rights, the cat head netizen emerged victorious, with comments filled with requests to trade other signed stills, even willing to offer multiple for one, or directly name a price.

"How did you get the hidden version! Everyone in our row got the same poster costume, wailing!"

"I have a friend, she's under a lot of pressure in her senior year of high school. She said if she had this hidden version, she'd tackle three physics textbooks straight away."

"Wailing, seeing this skin on the big screen was breathtaking, wailing (maybe it's because the beggar clothes lowered my standards too much)."

"If I may say so, Yibai with his eyes covered looks strangely seductive [Twisting.jpg]"

"So what does the secret variant actually look like! Those who know nothing are truly curious, can't The Record of Blossoms just release immediately!"

No matter how eagerly netizens waited, they still couldn't get any information about the secret variant from those despicable people who managed to snatch premiere tickets. At this point, these people suddenly united, saying that everyone would see it once it was released, preserving some anticipation for those who hadn't seen it under the guise of goodwill.

A group of particularly detestable ticket snatchers.

Unable to secure premiere tickets, fans turned to grabbing movie tickets instead.

After the two-week touring exhibition ended, on Chinese New Year's Day, The Record of Blossoms was released.

Due to objective reasons, on the first day of its release, The Record of Blossoms had fewer screenings than other comedy films in the same period. By midnight, its box office ranking was third, not too far from fourth place, always at risk of being overtaken, which wasn't too different from the predictions of some professionals before its release.

On the second day of release, the number of screenings for The Record of Blossoms didn't increase, but the attendance rate was surprisingly high. By midnight, it hadn't surpassed the second place, but the gap with the fourth place had gradually widened.

Unlike some predictions that after exhausting the fanbases of the lead actors and Chen Bai, the film's box office would start to decline, on the contrary, relying on the explosive word-of-mouth and numerous enthusiastic supporters from the first two days, as well as the incredibly high attendance rate, starting from the third day, the number of screenings for The Record of Blossoms began to increase, initiating a comeback.

On the third day, it surpassed the second place. On the fourth day, halfway through the Spring Festival season, The Record of Blossoms overtook the previous box office leader, successfully claiming the daily championship.

Once this championship was secured, The Record of Blossoms never relinquished it. Relying on the spontaneous promotion by a large number of netizens, in the last four days of the Spring Festival season, the film's box office continued to rise, widening the gap with the second place.

After multiple days of release, the audience exploded in numbers, yet the film's rating on a certain review platform remained steadily at 9, achieving both box office success and critical acclaim.

At the end of the Spring Festival season, the film wrapped up with over 4 billion yuan, surpassing the second place by nearly 1 billion yuan. In the following days, it would continue to soar based on its existing buzz, breaking 5 billion yuan shouldn't be an issue.

From one film, the investors made a fortune, Chu Mingyuan solidified his position as a billion-yuan actor, the Best Actress' career experienced a resurgence, Qian Jin, who was neither hot nor cold, finally broke out, Chen Yibai held his own against the Best Actor in their acting showdown, transforming from a mere idol star into an undeniable talented actor in the eyes of many.

Netizens finally understood what the premiere attendees meant by the "secret variant" after watching the movie.

Beggar Bai appeared for only a short ten minutes in the film, but these minutes were cut into countless clips that circulated on major video websites, sustaining a large number of editing content creators.

The post of the lucky person who discovered the secret variant was still on the homepage, and the number of people willing to pay a high price for a signed secret variant increased dramatically.

On the day the box office broke 5 billion yuan, as a celebration and a thank you to the audience's support, the production team released behind-the-scenes footage not included in the movie. This included a friend's famous remarks where every sentence revolved around friendship, as well as the real-life recording of a beggar crowdfunding meals from various households.

"Hahaha, Sister Agent really looks like she wants to kill Friend Brain"

"Brother Chu, you really... I'm crying, you actually gave Yibai your only drumstick"

"If this isn't love (not really)"

"Remembering the 'No Jumping' sign at the prince's residence, I wondered why it wasn't there when I visited before, but it was there this time. It was you, Chen Yibai!"

"Hahaha, Chen Yibai going to ask for meals from various households wasn't out of character at all, it's like watching another episode of X"

"Are there more clips like this? Please, I have a friend who really needs them."

There was only this one clip, no more.

---

When he learned of the good news about the box office, Chen Yibai had just finished his vacation and was on his way to an award ceremony.

As expected, The Record of Blossoms was poised to sweep the awards, having just been reported overseas, with the nominations not yet announced. But domestically, the news had already come out, with nominations across various major awards.

While having many nominations was a good thing, the downside was needing to attend quite a few award ceremonies.

Outside, the sky had already darkened. Chen Yibai sat in the car, listening to his agent speak, silently closing his eyes and saying, "None of it is my gold coin."

Despite the box office smashing through 5 billion yuan, he was still stuck with his 400 million, now rounded down to 300 million, the result of three years of hard work.

His agent patted his shoulder, consoling him, "In a while, you'll have dividends from the upcoming TV series, you're the lead actor."

Although TV dramas don't generate profits in the billions like movies, as long as the performance is good, the amount of gold coins that can be earned is still considerable.

Chen Yibai acknowledged her words.

Still a distance away from the award ceremony venue, the agent checked her email and said, "During this time, we've received a lot of movie scripts, including two good ones. I'm thinking of waiting a bit longer, let's talk about it after tonight."

Invitations for movies, TV dramas, and variety shows had all come in, but variety shows weren't considered, with movie scripts being the preferred choice.

Chen Bai had no objections, slightly turning his head and asking, "Why wait until tonight?"

In the car, it was just the two of them, so there was no need to be cautious with words. The agent thus directly said, "What if you win an award?"

Tonight's award was one of the three major prestigious domestic awards. If he won, it would be a significant step up for him, and the scripts he could receive would also differ.

An important point in earning gold coins was to have patience and be able to wait. She could certainly wait for one night.

Chen Yibai objectively felt that it was unlikely.

The agent wanted to pat his head but restrained herself in time, changing it to a pat on the shoulder, saying, "One must have ambition."

The most infuriating thing about a talent-type player was that they would never realize they were a talent-type player, always believing they were just ordinary. If he were truly ordinary, he wouldn't have been nominated this time.

Before he could muster any ambition, they arrived at their destination. Even with the windows closed, they could hear the continuous exclamations and see the flashing lights from outside. Walking the red carpet alone, the agent went to the venue from another entrance, Chen Yibai got out of the car.

Bending to exit the car, stepping onto the red carpet, he raised his eyes, meeting the cameras aimed at him from both sides of the red carpet barrier.

In an instant, the sound of shutters clicking and the flashlights illuminated together.

His vision was filled with continuously flashing lights. He maintained a polite smile, lifting his foot forward, his mind left with only one thought.

His eyes were almost blinded.

His footsteps unconsciously quickened, and by the time he reached the end and signed his name lightly, he paused for a moment, then quickly sought refuge.

Entering the award ceremony venue, he reunited with the rest of the crew. Most of the crew had already gathered, the producer looked radiant, presumably still elated about the box office results.

Greeting those around him, he sat down next to his buddy, catching sight of his agent sitting down not far away on the other side as he did so.

The actors and relevant personnel entered the venue in sequence, and at exactly nine o'clock in the evening, the award ceremony began.

"The Record of Blossoms" came out strong, immediately securing Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Art Direction—three awards in hand, it was utterly dominant.

Its dominance didn't stop there; later on, the most anticipated Best Actor award within and outside the industry was once again captured by Chu Mingyuan after several years.

Amidst applause, the smile on the distant agent's face faded.

Some truths were even clear to Qian Jin; as someone descended from the stage after receiving an award, he clapped while leaning over to whisper to a certain Bai, "It's over, your chances for Best Supporting Actor seem slim now."

Best Producer and Best Actor were among the grandest of awards, and so far, they had accumulated four awards in total, two of which were major ones. To win another major award would be impolite.

After Best Actor, the entire venue fell silent once more as the host on stage announced the Best Supporting Actor.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, the host opened the unopened envelope on-site, glanced at the name, and when he lifted his head, his gaze swept across the audience as he said, "It's an actor with a two-character name."

Qian Jin's expression turned even more regretful; he patted the shoulder in consolation, trying to make the person feel better, saying, "It's over, you don't have a two-character name."

"?"

A sudden twitch in his brows, Chen Moubai finally turned to seriously look at his companion, asking aloud, "May I ask what my name is?"

"Chen Yibai."

"Chen Bai."

Two voices echoed in the quiet space.

One came from Qian Jin, who shouted with righteous confidence and determination, and the other from the host on stage.