Chapter 82 082 Plot

Chapter 82 082 Plot

"Oh... isn’t that a coincidence?"

"Lu Xu got the Starlight Award nomination before Zhang Che, but Zhang Che entered the film industry first."

"After all, it’s a Zhang Zhizhen film—it carries more weight than others, and there’s a clear gap between the film industry and the TV world."

"Who rejected whom doesn’t matter anymore; what matters is Zhang Che is now ahead of Lu Xu in the film world."

"Even though Zhang Zhizhen’s past praise for Lu Xu resurfaced, the entertainment industry cares more about results than the process."

"Lu Xu has two hit shows, 'The Path of Bones' and 'Voices of the Dead,' but if Zhang Che breaks into the film industry with 'The Swordsman,' he’ll easily outpace Lu Xu."

"Right at this crucial moment, the luxury jewelry brand M signed Zhang Che as their new face."

"This caused quite a stir in the entertainment world."

"As everyone knows, M and C brands had been vying for Lu Xu."

"M focuses solely on jewelry, while C offers both watches and jewelry."

"M edges out C in pricing—C has some entry-level pieces in the thousands, but M’s offerings are mostly high-end, costing tens of thousands."

"The celebrity world is crowded, but high-end luxury brands are few and stingy with titles."

"Celebrities don’t fight over titles, but they still attend brand events with respect—even if they don’t get a title, borrowing jewelry is a win."

"But the brands treated Lu Xu with extra courtesy."

"M brand didn’t move as fast as C, but they styled Lu Xu with multiple jewelry sets, showing real sincerity."

"Many guessed Lu Xu would pick M over C."

"But M brand snapped up Zhang Che instead."

"The timing was clearly tied to 'The Swordsman' casting."

"Director Zhang said 'The Swordsman' will have a global release and compete at international film festivals and awards."

"M is a global brand, so picking Zhang Che makes perfect sense."

"Zhang Che’s ethereal look pairs perfectly with M brand—it’s a win-win."

"Why did Lu Xu pass on 'The Swordsman'? He’s hot now, but Zhang Che seems more promising."

"What if Zhang Che gets an Xness Best Actor nod but can’t even land a Starlight Award nomination back home? Wouldn’t that be awkward for the Starlight Award?"

"I don’t know about the Starlight Award, but if I were Lu Xu, I’d be mortified."

"After M announced Zhang Che as their face, he reposted their blog: 'Walking together [handshake][handshake].'"

"M brand went all out for Zhang Che—he landed covers on three of the four top magazines, including E’s opening issue."

"As a top luxury brand, M’s cover-pushing power is unmatched."

"Beyond covers, Zhang Che gets to wear M’s top-tier jewelry at every event."

"Even though 'The Swordsman' hasn’t started filming, Zhang Che’s already building buzz." "He passed on 'The Swordsman' not because martial arts films are fading, but because the script was terrible."

Even a fading genre can have a good script—the key lies not in the genre itself, but in how the script is conceived.

As for "The Swordsman," Lu Xu only saw the characters' pointless whining. Although they were called swordsmen, there was not a shred of heroism. The popular martial arts stories from earlier years all featured heroes who were loyal and brave, dedicated to their country and its people. Once the nation was stable and the people were at peace, these heroes would retreat to the mountains, hiding their skills. But if the people suffered and the country was on the brink of collapse, they would still step forward to contribute.

However, the protagonist of "The Swordsman" withdrew merely to lament life and seek the meaning of existence. In the script, his adopted daughter endured severe humiliation. He had the ability to save her but refrained from killing the enemy. Instead, he sat by the lake, contemplating life. After rescuing his daughter, she lost her will to live, yet he felt she hadn't truly grasped it.

When Lu Xu read the script, he was completely baffled.

It was only after Xu Wen explained that he learned Zhang Zhizhen was a photographer-turned-director. The visuals Zhang captured were indeed beautiful enough to be called art, but the script's narrative was too weak. Lu Xu even felt that "The Swordsman" couldn't be called a complete story.

What Zhang Zhizhen intended to express in the film was entirely unclear to Lu Xu.

Of course, dismissing the script of "The Swordsman" as bad might be a bit hasty, but it certainly surpassed his comprehension.

It was too artistic, so artistic that it felt inhuman.

As for Zhang Che's treatment, Lu Xu had received invitations for magazine shoots, but both Mu Qian and Jin Mu hoped Lu Xu could join the filming earlier, so he came ahead of time.

Once "That Year at 18" wrapped up, Lu Xu would also shoot a few magazine covers.

Lu Xu had no desire to compete with Zhang Che; otherwise, if the other lost sleep again, Lu Xu would be unforgivable.

...

"Alright! Let's do this scene one more time!"

Mu Qian pointed at Lu Xu, a bright smile on his face: "Grip the book tighter, don't let it slip again."

Lu Xu had actually performed this scene very well, but the prop book was thick and heavy, and it accidentally slipped from his arm. They had no choice but to reshoot.

Mu Qian couldn't find any fault with Lu Xu's performance.

Especially since his last project was "Rising Sun," which only filmed a small portion. Compared to Gu Sinian and You Zichen's acting, Lu Xu was like an angel sent to rescue him.

The shift from a despondent middle-aged man to a youthful teenager was achieved solely through changes in Lu Xu's eyes, leaving Mu Qian in awe.

Lu Xu had an exceptional grasp of character expressions. It was the same face, with only slight changes in makeup, but the middle-aged man's sense of disappointment was captured more precisely by Lu Xu than anyone else.

Mu Qian had long been interested in Lu Xu, but they hadn't had the chance to collaborate before. When he handed the script to Lu Xu, Mu Qian didn't actually expect him to accept.

After all, Lu Xu was not the same as he used to be.

"That Year at 18" wasn't a big production, and the script wasn't particularly complex. It told an ordinary story of ordinary life, with a reincarnation twist, but the protagonist's rebirth wasn't particularly dramatic.

Lu Xu was willing to take on this script!

For Mu Qian, Lu Xu's agreement was of immense significance.

Mu Qian had indeed walked away from "Rising Sun" with ease, but to some extent, it made many companies in the industry hesitant to work with him again. Plus, Mu Qian was quite blunt in his criticism, regardless of an actor's status or their agency, which made actors wary of collaborating with him.

The script for "That Year at 18" was written by Jin Mu. After "Rising Sun" flopped, Jin Mu was also significantly affected.

Thus, at this point, "That Year at 18" was considered a risky project.

The fact that this project successfully started filming and garnered attention was undoubtedly due to Lu Xu's agreement to join.

"The Path of Bones" and "Voices of the Dead" were so popular that many investors and platforms in the industry began to believe in Lu Xu's "luck." No matter the show, as long as Lu Xu dared to take it on, investors were willing to fund it, and platforms were willing to buy it.

Mu Qian had seen the online rumors about Lu Xu's "resentment." At first, he was swayed by them, but after actually working with Lu Xu, Mu Qian realized that Lu Xu was a very pure person.

He accepted the role in "The Year I Was 18" because he liked the script and wanted to act in it.

The reason was so straightforward that others might find it hard to believe.

...

In "The Year I Was 18," Huang Luning, the protagonist, had been disheartened in his past life. When he returned to the age of 18, his thoughts were no longer about buying a lottery ticket and guessing the numbers—during his actual 18th year, those were all he could think about.

Now, he thought about his parents.

Failing the college entrance exam and not getting into his ideal university, his parents still managed to send him to a private college. But back then, he didn't notice the disappointment in his parents' eyes or their gradually aging faces.

In his previous life, Huang Luning daydreamed about unrealistic goals every day. But he came from the most average, run-of-the-mill family in the city, with parents who were workers, not having much money—at least not enough to fulfill his wild dreams.

He dared to dream like that because his parents loved him deeply.

Back at 18, the fact that he had failed the college entrance exam was already a reality. He wasn't the type of smart person who could retake the exam and get into a top university like Tsinghua a year later; he didn't have that kind of brain.

So, while waiting for his admission notice, Huang Luning devised a plan to change his life.

Lu Xu thought this part of the plot was easy to act out. The makeup artist had made him look very young, but since Huang Luning in the script was a middle-aged man reborn, he didn't have to play the inexperienced innocent; he could lean into a more mature portrayal.

However, Mu Qian and Jin Mu were a bit worried.

It wasn't that they lacked confidence in Lu Xu, but rather that they were once bitten, twice shy. "Rising Sun" had encountered too many "divine" people.

"Action!"

This was a night scene, filmed in the dead of night.

Huang Luning’s face was that of an 18-year-old’s, but when he picked up the pen to write down his plan, his eyes carried the maturity of an adult.

Both Mu Qian and Jin Mu turned their gaze to the scene.

Under the warm glow of the desk lamp, Huang Luning quietly wrote and sketched in his notebook. His bowed head and thoughtful expression radiated calmness. Despite the rustling sound of the pen tip, he inexplicably gave off a comforting aura.

He was thinking about his previous life—his parents had passed away early, due to both exhaustion and their worries for him. Back then, he hadn’t realized that his parents had passed away, still worried about him.

As he thought, Huang Luning’s pen slowed, and his eyes grew slightly moist.

He hadn’t realized it at the time.

His mother had stood all day at the factory, returned home, and still cooked for him. At night, she would bring him water, encouraging him to drink less soda. How exhausted must she have been?

Yet she had never complained. The university tuition was so expensive, and the living expenses took up half her salary, yet she endured it all.

Thinking of these things, he was overwhelmed with regret.

If he could change anything, his second chance would mean something.

In the shot, Huang Luning’s eyes seemed to have matured overnight, and the tips of his fingers gripping the pen turned slightly pale.

"Cut!"

Mu Qian couldn’t help but give Jin Mu a light high-five.

Even as an observer, he had been deeply moved by that scene.

The power of *The Year I Was 18* was its emotional resonance. The feelings that words couldn’t fully capture were perfectly conveyed through Lu Xu’s performance.