Chapter 45: The First Professional Engagement

Chapter 45: The First Professional Engagement

"Lu Xu, have you added me on WeChat yet?" (Note: WeChat is a popular Chinese messaging app, similar to WhatsApp.)

"And mine, don't forget."

"Just thinking about how once this drama wraps, the real heartthrob will be far away from me. Days without a heartthrob are like a dog without its favorite toy—so disappointing, so heartbreaking."

Lu Xu was one of the last actors to wrap filming on "The Path of Bones" set. The filming pace of this drama wasn't particularly slow, and he was on set for nearly three months.

When he first joined the crew, the weather was still quite hot, but by the time he finished filming, the temperature had dropped.

On the day of the wrap, Lu Xu's phone buzzed with dozens of new connection requests.

He was used to it; ever since "The Noble Son," the day of wrapping a drama always brought him the most connection requests.

Lei Ai couldn't resist teasing the others: "Couldn't you have added him earlier? Lu Xu has been here all along, hasn't he?"

With the filming wrapped, the actors and crew members no longer held their usual fear of Lei Ai: "Director, you don't understand. Handsome guys are like fine art—best admired from a distance."

"Lu, the puppy isn't someone you can just casually pet."

Lei Ai: "..."

He must be getting old, not quite understanding these young people.

Lei Ai agreed that Lu Xu was handsome.

Even during those intense scenes where Lu Xu's character eliminated his enemies, the director would occasionally reminisce—the play of light and shadow in those shots was unique, yet even in such thrilling moments, Lu Xu's appearance remained mesmerizing.

The sight of blood alongside an exceptionally handsome face in the same frame made the scene even more gripping.

Lei Ai was even a bit worried about how to edit the footage to preserve as much of what he considered excellent material as possible—he couldn't bring himself to cut a single frame.

As for when nicknames like "Lu, the puppy" started making the rounds, the director wasn't quite sure.

But the atmosphere on "The Path of Bones" set was indeed remarkably harmonious.

Perhaps because of the lessons learned from "The Informant" (Note: "The Informant" is a previous project that faced challenges), there were rumors in the industry that Kong Le's books were difficult to adapt. During the filming of "The Path of Bones," the crew faced a barrage of criticism and cold remarks.

Even Lei Ai had been strongly advised not to take on the project of "The Path of Bones."

Hearing these comments, Lei Ai felt deeply disheartened.

He genuinely loved "The Path of Bones."

Determined to silence the critics, he was resolved to make this drama a success.

Lei Ai held this mindset, and the rest of the crew were equally determined.

More importantly, the crew had cast Lu Xu to play Yu Yi.

Lei Ai could guarantee that even the most critical fans of the book would be satisfied with the choice.

Lu Xu became Yu Yi so seamlessly, it was as if he had stepped straight out of the pages.

Whether it was the gentle and warm-hearted Yu Yi or the cold and ruthless Yu Yi on the path of revenge, Lu Xu portrayed both as if they had come to life from the pages.

The crew was well aware that Lu Xu wasn't a fan of "The Path of Bones," and he didn't have any particular preference for the character Yu Yi. Yet, he still managed to breathe life into Yu Yi in a way that satisfied everyone.

How could these book fans not go all out?

A typical day on the set of *The Path of Bones* looked something like this:

Every time Lu Xu finished a scene, a group of crew members who knew *The Path of Bones* inside and out would cheer: "Perfect! Perfect!"

Even the director couldn't help but facepalm in exasperation.

Over time, everyone became biased in Lu Xu's favor. No matter how Lu Xu acted, everyone raved about his performance.

Even Kong Le, the supervisor, acted the same way. The director expected the original author to be stricter, but Kong Le would just stare at the set and eventually mutter, "It's good."

So who was he even supervising?

He even started to wonder if Kong Le was keeping an eye on him instead.

The director soon realized, to his dismay, that he was the only one being strict with Lu Xu.

But that wasn't the end of it—

A day before Lu Xu wrapped up his scenes, Kong Le showed up with a stack of first-edition copies of *The Path of Bones*. Usually, the author signs books for fans, but this time, Kong Le had Lu Xu sign them, and the crew went wild trying to get a copy.

Even Lei Ai managed to snag one on the sly.

Only Kong Le knew about it, and he kept it quiet to avoid undermining the director's authority.

But everyone knew Lu Xu earned this treatment with his talent and dedication.

Acting is a field where talent matters. Some actors are naturally charismatic, while others can make a role so iconic that no one else can replace them. Lu Xu's performances struck a chord with audiences, proving his exceptional talent, but he never rested on his laurels.

Lu Xu rarely needed retakes. If a co-actor messed up, Lu Xu would patiently reshoot without a word, helping to get the scene right.

While Lu Xu was filming *The Path of Bones*, Ji Xiuya's popularity was soaring. Lei Ai noticed that Lu Xu's dedication to his roles stayed the same throughout.

Yu Yi's charm only grew stronger.

Sadly, he hadn't landed any good projects lately. Lei Ai told himself he'd jump at the chance to work with Lu Xu again.

Twice, at least. No, make that ten times.

After wrapping up *The Path of Bones*, Xu Wen offered Lu Xu two choices: dive into another project or take a breather and do some commercials.

Lu Xu hadn't signed any commercial deals yet.

Although many brands were lining up to work with him.

It was already the second half of the year, nearing the end. Among the dramas released this year, only a few could be considered major hits—*The Son of Heaven* was one, and *The Supreme* was another.

Qin Zhao and Ji Xiuya were already popular characters, but after the drama aired, their CP unexpectedly gained even more traction. Fan creations kept popping up, and even the meme of a puppy riding a bicycle was added by netizens.

The agent found it all baffling.

When he signed Lu Xu, other agents at Feiyang Entertainment thought he was lucky, often speaking about it with a hint of envy.

But before even half a year had passed under his management, Lu Xu became even more popular.

He hasn't even started to hit his stride yet.

Xu Wen was originally managing a female actress at Feiyang Entertainment who had won a Best Actress award. Although she wasn't quite at the level of a top-tier star, she had a good reputation within the industry and her box office appeal was impressive.

Her departure was a loss for the higher-ups at Feiyang Entertainment.

Xu Wen had also felt regret, but after signing Lu Xu, for some reason, he always had a gut feeling—Lu Xu could reach a higher position than her.

Xu Wen suggested that Lu Xu take a much-needed break.

His exposure this year had already been high enough; there was no need to push it further.

Currently, Lu Xu has one drama in the pipeline. Although his body of work isn't extensive, the public recognition accumulated from *The Son of Heaven* and *The Supreme* is enough to put him a step ahead of his peers.

Xu Wen doesn't position Lu Xu as a volume-focused actor.

In Xu Wen's view, Lu Xu has already been hardworking enough. Since he possesses talent as an actor, he shouldn't waste it but rather pause, reflect, and think more deeply.

An actor's career won't last long without self-reflection.

Even if one has relied on talent to make a name for themselves as a skilled performer, that talent can't sustain them for a lifetime.

Of course, every actor has different pursuits.

Xu Wen believes that Lu Xu is the type of actor who strives for depth. He doesn't need his agent to micromanage his career; he knows what he wants.

"The end of the year is awards season. This year, *The Son of Heaven* should make waves," Xu Wen said. "The chances for *The Supreme* are very low."

Lu Xu was aware.

Even if *The Son of Heaven* wins accolades, during awards season, the judges are likely to favor established actors like Guo Yining and his peers.

"Not necessarily," Xu Wen glanced at him. "No one can predict the judges' tastes."

If it were up to Lu Xu, the competition for Best Supporting Actor in *The Son of Heaven* would heat up.

The only male lead in *The Son of Heaven* is Cheng Yun. Beyond him, the drama's dozens of episodes are enriched by a group of reliable supporting actors in the industry.

...

The first commercial deal Xu Wen secured for Lu Xu was with a venerable shampoo brand.

The brand recently launched a new men's shampoo product and was scouting for a celebrity endorser across the entertainment industry. Lu Xu caught their eye immediately.

This brand doesn't have a huge market among young people, but its name recognition is still strong. In the past, the brand's endorsers were usually award-winning actors or top-tier stars. However, young consumers represent a massive market, and this new product is the brand's attempt to break into that market.

After *The Son of Heaven* aired, Xu Wen held talks with the brand, and they expressed interest in collaborating, but the contract negotiations stalled.

Once *The Supreme* aired, the negotiations picked up steam.

The brand had done extensive research beforehand.

The pool of young male actors is relatively narrow, and those with both popularity and awards to their name were mostly already snapped up by rivals.

Those with lower popularity weren't appealing to the brand.

Before considering Lu Xu, the brand had looked at three other members of Verse. However, Gu Sinian had recently flopped in two dramas, and while Xie Qingyang's interview shows were thriving, the brand felt his popularity was still confined to the idol sphere.

For a celebrity to gain widespread recognition, they need to rely on their work—actors on their performances, singers on hit songs.

Actors who are constantly on TV are obviously the top choice.

At that point, someone from the brand suggested, since they had already considered the other three members of Verse, why not consider Lu Xu?

If the face is attractive enough, even freshly washed hair looks like it smells amazing.

When filming the ad, they could also snap a few of those dynamic shots.

"What do you mean?"

The employee who made the suggestion pulled out a tablet and opened a recent online survey.

The survey asked—"Would you rather see Chen Ye naked or Lu Xu naked?"

The survey drew tens of thousands of netizens to vote, with over 90% of respondents wanting to see Lu Xu naked.

"Would anyone buy a product just to see someone naked? We're a reputable company; we can't push the boundaries."

"Just showing the neck and shoulders should suffice."

"Would anyone actually buy it?" The senior executive still looked skeptical.

"The survey shows that even for men's shampoo products, the buyers are mostly women. Besides, it's not for me to use, so it doesn't matter which product I buy."

"So why not buy the product that a good-looking, fresh-smelling guy is using?"

Plus—

The employee who pulled out the tablet opened another photo of the four members of Verse: "I've already examined it closely, and among the four, Lu Xu has the thickest hair."

This explanation is quite reasonable and sounds more convincing than the previous one.

Thanks to his strong attributes (mainly his thick hair), Lu Xu landed his first commercial deal in his acting career.