Chapter 87 The Shooting Ends

Chapter 87 The Shooting Ends

"Yue Hui Wins Best Actor, Lu Xu Regretfully Misses Out"

"The Starlight Awards Conclude, Yue Hui and Cai Jingran Win Best Actor and Actress"

"Lu Xiao Gou didn’t win the award, which is a bit of a pity."

"Honestly, given the circumstances this year, Lu Xu’s nomination alone is already impressive. Who doesn’t acknowledge him as a skilled actor now?"

"Lu Xiao Gou is a true rising star!!!"

After the award ceremony, discussions about this year’s Starlight Awards continued nonstop. Naturally, the winner Yue Hui received a lot of attention, but as the youngest nominee for Best Actor in the history of the Starlight Awards, Lu Xu also garnered an exceptionally high level of discussion.

Being nominated for the Starlight Awards for two consecutive years is enough to prove the judges' favoritism towards Lu Xu.

"Ahhh I still hope Lu Xiao Gou will be nominated again next year, the restrained yet adorable puppy at the award ceremony!"

"I declare, Lu Xu is the best-dressed man in my eyes!"

Tan Qi's folder now contains a new set of saved photos.

Her only regret is that Lu Xu hasn’t done many fashion photoshoots. Although he looks great in a suit, as a fan, the existing photos of Lu Xu just aren’t enough to satisfy her collecting habit.

...

After the award ceremony, a few marketers brought up old news again, suggesting that Yue Hui’s win this time was payback for 'the previous slight.' Some reporters even went up to Yue Hui himself, asking for his thoughts on defeating Lu Xu this time.

Yue Hui has a noble appearance and excellent acting skills, which allowed him to make a name for himself in the fiercely competitive entertainment industry early on.

Perhaps playing a villain with a noble appearance makes the character seem even more sinister and terrifying. Yue Hui's performance in "The Unstable" can be considered a major breakthrough in his acting career.

The press conference started off harmonious, and the award-winning Yue Hui was in a good mood, with the wrinkles on his face softening. However, when the reporter suddenly asked this question, the atmosphere in the room grew tense.

After a long time, Yue Hui picked up the microphone: "I know what you want to ask, and I know what you want to hear me say."

"But sorry, you won’t hear the answer you want."

Other reporters in the room laughed when they heard this.

"I am proud to have won this award because the competition was strong. Honestly, this award isn’t about words like 'defeat' or 'beat.' It’s just that all five nominees gave outstanding performances, and I happened to be luckier."

"A series’s popularity is up to the audience. If it’s less popular than the competition, it just means there are areas for improvement in the series I participated in."

Yue Hui skillfully dodged the reporter’s question, and after that, no reporter dared to bring up such an inappropriate question again.

After some casual chit-chat on and off stage, the reporters changed the subject, and Yue Hui brought up the idea of collaborating with Lu Xu on a movie.

The reporters immediately became interested.

Yue Hui did not reveal the specific genre of the movie, and the reporters figured he was just being polite. Of course, for celebrities in the industry, polite remarks are important. Even if they’re at each other’s throats behind the scenes, they still have to pretend to be brotherly or sisterly on the surface.

Lu Xu, who calls out what he doesn’t like, even directly @s the person involved, is truly a unique figure in the entertainment industry.

But the reporters also had to admit that Lu Xu's approach is surprisingly effective. At least those shady characters avoid him, afraid he might accidentally drop a bombshell.

Marketers and reporters also quite like Lu Xu. With Lu Xu around, there's no shortage of topics. Sometimes they also dislike certain celebrities' words and actions, but they can only make veiled comments in their year-end reports, not daring to name names directly, afraid of being attacked by angry fans.

When Yue Hui stepped down from the press conference, his agent could read his thoughts from his expression: "Should I look into that reporter?"

Yue Hui nodded slightly.

Most reporters knew the dos and don’ts of the press conference, a mutual understanding between celebrities and the media. Celebrities give interviews, reporters get their answers—everyone wins.

The reporter seemed to focus on Lu Xu, but in reality, there were three other Starlight Award nominees.

Yue Hui 'beat' Lu Xu, but wasn’t he also up against Zheng Yeping, Xia Zhengrong, and Liu Fang?

These three are more seasoned than Yue Hui. Any misstep would’ve landed him in trouble.

Yue Hui guessed the question came from one of Lu Xu’s rivals. Although Lu Xu is young, he has offended many people in the industry.

"Once you figure it out, inform Feiyang Entertainment," he instructed.

"Understood."

Yue Hui is known in the industry for being shrewd and well-connected. But as an actor who rose to fame early, he still values making it big through acting. He prefers Lu Xu over other young actors, despite his sharp tongue.

Back in the day, actors like Lu Xu were common. Acting is an art; it should be personal. Now, agencies shape actors into artificial personas, which he doesn’t particularly like.

The offer to Lu Xu wasn’t just idle chatter.

Yue Hui has a script he’s really into, but he has been unable to find a suitable young actor to co-star. When he joined 'Watchmen,' the producer had raved about Gu Sinian’s talent, but after shooting a few scenes, Yue Hui felt something was off, and it was too late to regret.

He wasn’t happy with the 'Watchmen' team either. He thought the show’s sudden decline was inevitable.

There’s talent, but movies need stars to sell tickets.

After weighing his options, Yue Hui still saw Lu Xu as the best fit.

Previously, Zhang Zhizhen had wanted Lu Xu to star in 'The Swordsman.' Yue Hui thought Lu Xu would take the role, but surprisingly, Lu Xu turned Zhang Zhizhen down.

One could only say... that was the right choice.

Zhang Zhizhen had a couple of good films early on, but his skills have since declined. He runs the set, and no one dares touch his bad scripts.

Zhang Zhizhen had approached Yue Hui for the lead role in 'The Swordsman,' but Yue Hui only glanced at the script before throwing it in the trash.

Taking that role would’ve destroyed his reputation.

As an actor, Yue Hui cherishes his reputation. 'Watchmen' is already one of the blemishes in his acting career. Another 'The Swordsman' would be too much for him to bear.

...

Lu Xu only took time off for the Starlight Awards while filming 'The Year I Was 18.' He worked well with Han Xiao and Zhou Lin, who played Huang's parents, completing most of the scenes after Huang Luning's rebirth.

He still failed to get into university, but while waiting for the admission letter, Huang Luning did laundry, cooked, worked at a nearby supermarket, and occasionally helped his father carry goods.

He learned to drive and saved a little girl who was trying to jump into a river—her death had shattered a happy family. Many years later, he still saw the girl's blind grandmother weeping by the river.

Before saving her, Huang Luning was also afraid, worried that he might alter some predestined fate.

But upon reflection, he realized he himself was that variable.

So he continued to act boldly.

For some reason, although this life wasn't much different from his previous one, perhaps because he saw the world from a different angle after being reborn, Huang Luning actually felt that he was living quite well.

He learned how to repair things, he volunteered in the community, he went to the library to read every week, became a trusted uncle to the little girl, and made many new friends.

Although he didn’t achieve great wealth, his life had indeed improved.

When comparing the characters Jiang Lin and Huang Luning—though both have elements of carelessness in their personalities, Huang Luning, who had lived a second life, is more optimistic than Jiang Lin.

His optimism also changed many people around him.

Mu Qian noticed that every time Lu Xu finished filming his scenes, Jin Mu’s eyes would sparkle with a smile.

The heart of *The Year I Was 18* is warm, with the story revolving around Huang Luning’s family, depicting the joys and sorrows of his daily life.

In this script, Huang Luning himself embodies warmth.

And Lu Xu—when he immersed himself in portraying this character on set, he seemed to radiate on camera.

Huang’s parents didn’t expect great wealth from Huang Luning; they simply wanted him to live a happy and fulfilling life, and this life of Huang Luning followed exactly that trajectory.

“Magical,” Mu Qian remarked.

He had watched several dramas Lu Xu starred in, including *The Son of Heaven* and *The Path of Bones*. He could only say that Huang Luning is an ordinary character hidden among the crowd—not a Son of Heaven or a sharp blade, yet Lu Xu managed to portray him effortlessly.

He got up early to catch the bus, huddled in the non-air-conditioned minibus while nibbling on a steamed bun, the bun still piping hot. After finishing it, he curled up and fell asleep.

Wherever he went, he would proudly send photos to his family to show he was doing well, but behind the scenes, it was a day filled with hard work, none of which he would ever mention.

Lu Xu isn’t the type of actor who enjoys flaunting his skills, such as through meticulously designed small gestures to highlight his uniqueness. Or rather, Huang Luning isn’t a character suited for such techniques.

He is one of countless ordinary people—what techniques exist in the lives of ordinary people?

Mu Qian could see reflections of many people in Lu Xu’s portrayal of Huang Luning.

Starting from the age of 18, the street he lived on also underwent changes—some moved due to demolition, some saved money and bought a big house on the neighboring street. Although Huang Luning didn’t become a wealthy man, he steadily lived a better life than in his past life.

At least, when his parents grew old, he was still by their side.

The girl he didn’t dare confess to in his previous life, he confessed to her this time, even though he only received rejection, he wouldn’t regret it—some words, if not spoken when young, might never be spoken.

Sometimes, a separation lasts a lifetime.

In the final scene of *The Year I Was 18*, Jin Mu didn’t write it as “just a dream of Huang Luning,” as that would be unfair to Huang Luning. This scene is about 40-year-old Huang Luning standing at a crossroads in life—in his previous life, his mother passed away around this time.

After that, his life became filled with regret.

The feeling of having parents and not having them is completely different.

In this scene, Huang Luning rushes home, running up the stairs breathlessly. The neighbors tell him to slow down, but he doesn’t dare listen. The wind whistles in his ears, the sound of his breathing is clear in his nose, his mind is blank, and his heart is anxious, not knowing what will happen next.

But when he pushes open the door, the wind blowing in makes the curtains flutter, and sunlight suddenly pours onto the floor, warming the heart.

Beef is stewing on the stove, bubbling with a rich aroma.

Huang Luning slows down, carefully controlling his breath after the sprint, and slowly approaches the kitchen, pushing the door open—

But the door opens from the inside first: “I just bought the beef this morning, come wash your hands and eat!”

His mother’s hand is old but warm, making Huang Luning’s nose tingle.

For the final shot, Mu Qian focused on the sunlight outside the window.

From this moment on, this is no longer a house filled with regret, but a warm home for Huang Luning.

...

The filming wrapped up, but Mu Qian was reluctant to call "cut."

Spanning over twenty years from 18 to 40, Lu Xu's portrayal of Huang Luning felt seamless and natural.

The determination to change at 18 and the gratitude at 40—he brought the character’s warmth to life.

Jin Mu was already in a corner, quietly crying.

Such an incredible performance!

Author's Note:

Update~

When writing this story, I thought of a boy I liked in high school. I never confessed my feelings back then, and now I'm over 30. Looking back, I still regret it. I’ve always been so awkward. Although I know that if I had confessed, the fantasy might have been shattered, I still feel more regret.