Chapter 61 061 You Should Know

Chapter 61 061 You Should Know

"Bang—"

A sound of glass shattering echoed in the quiet room. On the TV screen, the host was enthusiastically listing the numerous records set by *The Path of Bones*—

"Kong Le can finally relax now. The damaged reputation of *The Informant* has been salvaged by *The Path of Bones*."

"Grape Entertainment can also relax. Although their previous bets on *Watchmen* and *Rising Sun* failed, they ultimately managed to recover with *The Path of Bones*."

Gu Sinian's lips were tightly pursed, his face twisted with resentment.

Noise came from outside. His agent glanced at his expression, hesitated for a moment, then closed the door and slowly walked in.

Gu Sinian stared at him intently, his gaze as if he wanted to swallow him whole.

The agent felt that Gu Sinian's recent state was very off, but he didn't dare provoke him. He simply shook his head lightly.

"Didn't go well?"

The agent nodded gently.

Hearing this answer, Gu Sinian's expression grew even darker.

After *Rising Sun* flopped, it became difficult for him to get roles. Finally, a production team was willing to cast him, but after filming wrapped, no platform wanted to buy it.

Ling Ge Entertainment hadn't been in the film and television business for long, and their foothold in the industry wasn't as strong as other companies. Their cooperative platforms were also relatively fewer, with Grape Entertainment being one of them.

Grape Entertainment used to have a decent relationship with Ling Ge Entertainment, but ever since they acquired *The Path of Bones*, Grape Entertainment changed their attitude. They flatly refused to buy Gu Sinian's new drama.

It was said that Grape Entertainment had been scared off by the losses from *Watchmen* and *Rising Sun*.

For an actor, not landing roles is a disaster, but having a drama that can't be sold is equally disastrous.

Gu Sinian was at his wit's end.

Now, he was following the paths of Xie Qingyang and Meng Qin, making guest appearances on various variety shows, occasionally attending fashion events, and posing with influencers. But this was not the right path for a serious actor.

During the Verse era, he had looked down on variety show stars and influencers.

Only someone like Lu Xu, with hit dramas, attending award ceremonies, and being courted by luxury brands, was on the right path.

After *The Path of Bones* became a massive hit, although Lu Xu didn't participate in many offline events, just a few outfits spotted by fashion bloggers were enough to show the perks he was enjoying—his wardrobe fully sponsored by G brand, the price of his watch jumping from six to seven figures, and even the seemingly ordinary ring on his index finger was a new release from a high-end jewelry brand, with only a handful in the entire entertainment industry having the privilege to wear it.

For some reason, Gu Sinian had grown accustomed to keeping an eye on Lu Xu. Although he would avoid news related to Lu Xu on the surface, deep down, he had been keeping tabs on him.

It was as if... he wouldn't be happy unless he saw Lu Xu fail.

He seethed with envy every time *The Path of Bones* succeeded. Whenever Lu Xu signed a significant commercial deal, he couldn't help but compare himself to him.

Without a doubt, Lu Xu's current commercial deals had surpassed everyone else in Verse.

Whether it was him, Xie Qingyang, or Meng Qin, their commercial collaborations smacked of desperation, with their standards dropping lower and lower, willing to accept even second-rate brands.

In the past, brands would come to them, but now the three of them were the ones chasing brands for deals.

"The company's suggestion is that you could take the initiative to talk to Lu Xu, see if you can mend the relationship. It would make the public opinion more favorable toward you," the agent conveyed the advice from Ling Ge Entertainment's higher-ups.

"Us taking the initiative?" Gu Sinian raised his eyebrows in disbelief. "Didn't the company have a hand in kicking Lu Xu out of Verse?"

The company made all the decisions, but we're the ones left holding the bag!

The agent remained silent for a while before saying, "Regardless of whether the company apologizes or not, you definitely need to show some deference to Lu Xu."

"Impossible," Gu Sinian flatly refused. "My support for 'The Empress' is still visible on my Weibo."

In order to persuade Wei Fangfei, Gu Sinian invested a significant amount of money, which now seems like a waste.

He's dead set on taking Lu Xu down; asking him to bow to Lu Xu is something he could never do in this lifetime.

"Lu Xu isn't a fool. Whoever wants to snipe at 'The Path of Bones', does he really not see it coming?"

...

In fact, no matter who's got it out for 'The Path of Bones', Lu Xu no longer cares.

There's no helping it, who let 'The Path of Bones' break 14,000 in heat? He doesn't need to worry about the losers.

It's more like 'The Empress' crew has issues with him.

However, Xu Wen responsibly explained to Lu Xu the behind-the-scenes drama of 'The Empress' scheduling.

For example, both Di Yiyun and Xu Qingtian are signed with Ning Shi Entertainment. Even though their fans were at each other's throats during the broadcast of 'The Empress', they mainly targeted Bai Yuyi—who is signed with another agency.

Zhang Che's agency also played a part in this—Qiao Mengyao's agent was originally the ace of Zhang Che's company, Wild Sea Agency, and later followed Qiao Mengyao to open a studio, but still holds shares in Wild Sea Agency.

As for Ling Ge Entertainment—they played a big part in the massive marketing push for 'The Empress'.

In Xu Wen's view, Lu Xu might not pay attention to these details, but he needs to get the basics.

"I understand," Lu Xu closed the book and suddenly stood up.

He is naturally taller than his agent, and standing on a slightly higher spot, coupled with his serious expression, he looked pretty intimidating at a glance.

The agent asked in confusion, "What do you understand?"

"They want to mess with me," Lu Xu looked at the agent and said earnestly, "Sitting back isn't an option; let's go on the offensive!"

Xu Wen: "?"

Lu Xu pointed to one of the scripts: "Director Ou's new work, there's probably a lot of actors gunning for it, right? I heard Director Ou has always been favored by the Starlight Award?"

Lu Xu has been selecting scripts recently, and the one he pointed to was mentioned by Xu Wen a few days ago, a script that many young male actors in the industry are competing for, including Zhang Che.

Lu Xu can brush off the other party's comments after the Starlight Award nominations were announced, as he didn't lose out, but Lu Xu is no saint; he won't just sit back and take the hits.

If they want to mess with him, he'll mess with everyone!

Xu Wen: "...You're so juvenile."

"How is that juvenile?"

Anyway, Lu Xu decided to go for this script.

Director Ou, named Ou Qingchun, had crossed paths with Lu Xu at the Starlight Awards. It was his directed 'We Live in Ordinary Times' that defeated 'The Son of Heaven', snagging two major awards: Best Long Series and Best Director.

Ou Qingchun's new script follows a group of everyday people—a mountain boy dreaming of becoming a writer, a preschool teacher pushed to her limits by the kids, a chef, and an unemployed person, all living in a city slum, grinding every day to chase their dreams.

Facing such a lofty dream, the mountain boy keeps hitting roadblocks.

Ou Qingchun's strength lies in his ability to make even an ordinary story interesting and vivid.

An actor who takes on his role is likely to see their career take off.

"Can you handle such a down-to-earth character?"

"I think so," Lu Xu replied calmly, "It’s just an audition; let’s try and see."

...

Zhang Che had just signed a contract when he saw his agent rush in. The agent was usually composed, so Zhang Che put down his pen and gestured for him to speak freely.

"Director Ou has arranged another audition for his drama."

"Who?"

From the agent's expression, Zhang Che knew that the actor being considered for the new role must be someone the agent believed could pose a threat to him.

He had been vying for this role for a long time, but Ou Qingchun had never given in. Zhang Che thought that with more persistence, the role would surely be his, yet Ou Qingchun had now found other candidates.

The agent hesitated before slowly revealing a name: "Lu Xu."

Zhang Che frowned.

He disliked this name.

The agent continued, "Also, I heard he is quite interested in 'Tears of Repayment' and 'Snowy Night Diary,' and is considering these scripts as well."

Zhang Che: "...Is he doing this on purpose?"

Ou Qingchun's new drama, as well as "Returning Tears" and "Snowy Night Diary," were all closely watched by Zhang Che.

The agent shared the same concern as Zhang Che, but the problem was that if Lu Xu competed for Ou Qingchun's new drama, there was a real possibility he could win it.

The same applied to "Returning Tears" and "Snowy Night Diary."

If Lu Xu was deliberately targeting Zhang Che—well, it wasn't impossible.

Zhang Che had contributed to the early release of "Empress."

Even the negative trending topics about "Journey of Bone Reading," while not directly purchased by Ye Hai Entertainment, had been fueled by them.

The agent said, "I'll check with Flying Entertainment to see what Lu Xu is up to."

"Hmm."

Zhang Che's expression was far from pleasant. He knew very well that neither Ou Qingchun's drama nor the other two could be secured through the resources of Ye Hai Entertainment; the directors were notorious for not showing favoritism.

But if it came down to acting skills...

Thinking of the snippet of "Journey of Bone Reading" he had accidentally seen, Zhang Che felt a sinking sensation in his heart.

If Lu Xu was determined to compete for the role, he might... lose.

Lu Xu's portrayal of Yu Yi, with just the simplest expressions, filled his mind with the word "acting."

This was why Zhang Che targeted "Journey of Bone Reading"—Lu Xu couldn't be allowed to advance any further.

Not only had Lu Xu already been shortlisted for the Starlight Award, but the speed of his rise was shocking.

Now, Lu Xu has become a full-blown threat to him.

Zhang Che figured that all the young actors in the industry were probably wary of Lu Xu, because this person has both achievements and acting skills. As for his looks, even in an entertainment industry packed with beautiful men and women, Lu Xu still manages to stand out.

Unfortunately, *The Path of Bones* still turned out to be a hit.

Zhang Che sighed, lamenting how *The Empress* just didn’t cut it.

With such a great cast and a huge investment, it still couldn’t take down *The Path of Bones*!

The agent came back after hanging up the phone.

Zhang Che noticed his expression was grim.

"I checked with Feiyang Entertainment," the agent said, his voice slowing. "They said Lu Xu is dead set on competing with you for roles."

"Every role you want, he’s interested in and wants to fight for it."

"As for the reason, they said you should know it yourself."

Zhang Che’s face turned dark in an instant.