Chapter 49: 049 I Tried My Best

Chapter 49: 049 I Tried My Best

Lu Xu realized that the gap between being nominated and not being nominated was still huge.

Overnight, his agent sent him over a dozen potential commercial deals, each with a brand reputation no less than that of Z brand. Of course, Lu Xu wouldn’t collaborate with all of them, but for a few high-end brands and those with relatively high public recognition, his agent still suggested he consider them.

Besides, Lu Xu had no idea there were so many year-end events lined up!

He glanced at his agent, who looked back at him with an innocent expression.

Lu Xu rubbed his nose: "...Oh, no one's reaching out to me."

#Really sorry#

For a long time before starring in *The Noble Son*, he was practically invisible in the entertainment industry.

"You didn’t need to say that out loud," Xu Wen said. "Of course, people have been contacting you for events lately. I’ve turned down the ones that weren’t suitable."

Including commercial deals, Xu Wen only started negotiating for Lu Xu after *The Supreme* became a hit.

Objectively speaking, Z brand shampoo wasn’t the pinnacle of commercial collaborations, but it was the most suitable resource Lu Xu could access at the time.

Xu Wen always thought that once Lu Xu starred in a few more dramas and his acting career stabilized, he would inevitably land better commercial deals—though that might take a few years.

The agent was patient enough for this.

However, Lu Xu was actually nominated for the Starlight Award.

The agent had actually considered this possibility—within this year, in terms of acting performance alone, no young actor could surpass Lu Xu.

It’s just that getting a Starlight Award nomination was too tough. As an agent, he was biased toward Lu Xu, but the judges might not be.

On the morning Lu Xu was nominated for the Starlight Award, the company’s senior management called Xu Wen, telling him to pay more attention to Lu Xu’s operations—barring any unforeseen circumstances, from this moment on, Feiyang Entertainment’s resources would tilt more toward Lu Xu.

The young actors signed to Feiyang Entertainment all pursued serious acting careers, while Lu Xu, because of his striking looks, was subconsciously seen by the higher-ups as more of an idol. Yet, so far, among all the young actors at Feiyang Entertainment, only Lu Xu had been nominated for the Starlight Award.

In fact, not just within Feiyang Entertainment, but across the entire entertainment industry, Lu Xu was the only young actor favored by the Starlight Award.

The career path Xu Wen had planned for Lu Xu, which was supposed to unfold gradually over several years, was now accelerated significantly due to the sudden Starlight Award nomination.

...

The Starlight Award nomination was like a bomb, causing ripples throughout the entertainment industry.

Regarding Lu Xu’s rise to fame this year, most young actors in the industry adopted a cold, watchful attitude.

Lu Xu was a former Verse member turned actor. Verse had been quite popular during its heyday, but idols and actors belonged to two entirely different circles, and few idols successfully transitioned into acting.

Gu Sinian, even with great resources, still couldn’t break through in the acting world.

As for Lu Xu, while he seemed to be doing slightly better than Gu Sinian, all his achievements so far came from playing supporting roles.

The actors he often criticized were in the same league as Gu Sinian and Chen Ye, whom the top-tier young actors collectively referred to as "flops."

In other words, in the acting circle, Lu Xu couldn’t even make it to the table.

To earn the respect of top-tier young actors, he’d need to lead a hit drama someday.

For actors, playing supporting roles and leading roles are two entirely different concepts.

Previously, Lu Xu's fans and Xie Qingyang's fans clashed over endorsements, which several top-tier young actors found utterly absurd.

Not only did they disdain the endorsement from Z brand, but the fans' frantic behavior clearly showed they had no experience in such matters.

"Idol-turned-actors care about these things, but who among the professionally trained actors ever cares?"

"Professionally trained actors prioritize actual achievements; viewership data and awards are the top priority; everything else is just icing on the cake."

"+1, Zhang Che is vying for the Starlight Award again this year. If you can't win awards, what else is there besides commercial deals? If you don't cash in now, what will you do when you fade out later?"

Zhang Che and Lu Xu have never interacted, but Zhang Che's fans have privately criticized Lu Xu a few times.

To some extent, Lu Xu and Zhang Che share similar career trajectories—both initially gained fame for their looks but gradually proved their acting chops.

After Lu Xu gained popularity with his roles as Qin Zhao and Ji Xiuya, Zhang Che's fans occasionally stumbled upon comments like "Lu Xu acts a bit better than Zhang Che" or "Lu Xu seems like an upgraded version of Zhang Che."

Though these comments didn't come from Lu Xu's fans, they still infuriated Zhang Che's fans.

Isn't Lu Xu just reaching by comparing himself to Zhang Che?

However, there hasn't been any direct confrontation between the two, and since Lu Xu, though occasionally combative, isn't the type to pull marketing stunts, Zhang Che's fans saw no reason to make an enemy of him.

Those comments comparing Lu Xu and Zhang Che seemed more like they came from opposing fans.

Zhang Che's fans firmly believe that Lu Xu isn't even in the same league as Zhang Che.

Zhang Che is gradually transitioning; a Starlight Award nomination would leave other young actors in the dust and propel him to greater heights. Meanwhile, Lu Xu has only one lead role in a drama, and it hasn't even premiered yet!

On the day the Starlight Award nominations were announced, Zhang Che's fans kept refreshing the organizing committee's official Weibo, eagerly anticipating Zhang Che's name in the Best Supporting Actor category.

To secure a Starlight Award nomination, Zhang Che took on the third male lead in a period drama, portraying the eldest son of the main couple—a dreamer trapped in a conservative household.

To prepare for this role, Zhang Che turned down several endorsements and two lead roles, spending over half a year refining his performance on set.

Both Zhang Che and his fans believed this was his best shot at the Starlight Award for Best Supporting Actor.

When Guo Yining's name was announced, Zhang Che's fans weren't surprised. Guo was a strong contender for Best Supporting Actor this year, having portrayed the complex humanity of the Prime Minister role with exceptional depth.

After Guo Yining's name was announced, Zhang Che's fans thought the next name would be his.

However, what they saw was the face of a young prince.

It wasn't Zhang Che.

Historical dramas are hard to win awards for—this is something Zhang Che firmly believed, which is why he had given up on historical dramas in recent years, focusing instead on modern dramas aimed at winning awards.

When Lu Xu's name appeared, Zhang Che's fans fell silent, and a sense of foreboding began to grow within them.

It's already difficult for young actors to be nominated for the Starlight Award, and the chances of two young actors being nominated in the same year are probably lower than winning the lottery.

Sure enough, as the third, fourth, and final nominees were announced, Zhang Che's name was nowhere to be found.

Though the fans couldn't see it, they could imagine Zhang Che's disappointed expression when the list was revealed.

Why? Zhang Che had worked harder than anyone!

...

"Zhang Che is online..."

Eagle-eyed fans spotted that on the morning the Starlight Award nomination list was announced, Zhang Che repeatedly logged in and out many times.

He kept logging in and out, over and over.

"He’s having a hard time accepting this, isn’t he? Just thinking about how Ah Zhang must be feeling breaks my heart."

"Given Ah Zhang's tendency to overthink things, seeing the result must be very painful. But overthinkers don’t just move on; they keep dwelling on it, until they completely break down."

"Why Lu Xu? Ugh, this is so unfair!"

"One supporting actor nod for 'The Son of Heaven' should’ve been enough. Why two?"

Zhang Che couldn’t accept the outcome, and neither could his fans. However, for several top-tier young actors in the industry, Lu Xu's nomination is somewhat better than Zhang Che's.

If Zhang Che rose, it would shake up the top-tier young actor scene, breaking the delicate balance they currently maintain.

But Lu Xu’s nomination means there’s a new wildcard in the young actor game.

Even though Lu Xu made his name with supporting roles, he has a lead role drama waiting to be aired. Even if Lu Xu had nothing else, a Starlight Award nod would be enough to get directors’ attention.

In showbiz, pushing new talent is just how things work.

Lu Xu’s got what it takes to be pushed.

Aside from being a bit green, Lu Xu doesn’t really have any glaring flaws. His turns as Qin Zhao and Ji Xiuya have already made waves, and in terms of appearance, Lu Xu is no less than any popular actor in the industry. Now, he has also been nominated for the Starlight Award.

That’s a stronger start than most young actors get.

Before, young actors brushed Lu Xu off, but now, they’ve all got him on their radar.

...

Zhang Che logged in and out several times in the morning and afternoon. By 3 a.m., fans who had been closely monitoring his activity noticed that he was still online.

"How long is he gonna keep torturing himself? Stop it already, ugh!"

"I knew he cared, but not this much. It’s honestly heartbreaking."

"Just let it go!"

By this time, there was also some activity on Zhang Che's homepage.

Zhang Che: "I really tried my best."

The post was up for barely a minute before he took it down.

But fans had already taken screenshots of this message.

That night, as Zhang Che tossed and turned, so did his fans.

Frustrated, some fans flocked to the Starlight Award’s official Weibo, while others bombarded Lu Xu’s.

Lu Xu, on the other hand, hit the hay early. He woke up refreshed and was ready to take his bike for a spin.

Lately, Lu Xu’s been laying low, since fans spot him too easily. He’s not one to disguise himself; he’d rather just wander around like a regular guy.

But when he checked Weibo, he saw a comment under his post: "How could you do this to Zhang Che? He was up all night."

Lu Xu’s first thought was—who’s Zhang Che? What did I even do to him?

He truly didn't know Zhang Che.

However, Lu Xu has matured; he didn't directly ask that hurtful question but instead took the time to search for Zhang Che's name and understand the whole story.

Lu Xu also came across the screenshot of Zhang Che saying, "I really tried my best."

By this point, Lu Xu also knew who Zhang Che was.

Although Lu Xu hadn't heard much about Zhang Che, he recognized his face from that period drama.

Objectively, the male and female leads in that drama stood out more. Even though Zhang Che had plenty of screen time, his performance didn't quite match up to the leads.

Of course, among young actors, he was seen as quite talented.

Lu Xu understood Zhang Che's frustration.

Actors are obsessed with awards; Lu Xu doesn't care much now because he's already won some.

Plus, he's confident in his performances; he believed in himself before anyone else did.

Zhang Che is different.

He rose to fame through idol dramas, and ever since, he's been constantly questioned, doubted every time he tried to switch things up.

Zhang Che isn't the most confident guy.

He craves recognition, dreams of a Starlight Award nomination, and hates being labeled as just a pretty face.

Lu Xu sighed.

...

When Lu Xu went online, it didn't go unnoticed by marketers and gossipers.

Marketers keeping tabs on Lu Xu's Weibo is routine, given his knack for shocking statements, making him the entertainment industry's most unpredictable figure.

Marketers speculated Lu Xu would likely call out Zhang Che's 'dramatic antics' this time.

This time, Lu Xu did post on Weibo, but it was nothing like what the marketers expected.

Lu Xu posted: "Everyone's working hard, don't give up, keep pushing!"

No sarcasm, no cryptic messages, just a straightforward, encouraging note.

#This pup's tired of barking every day, this pup needs a break#