Chapter 88: 088 After Wrapping Up

Chapter 88: 088 After Wrapping Up

Mu Qian handed Jin Mu a tissue pack: "I really regret not working with Lu Xu before."

Jin Mu nodded gently.

Filming "Rising Sun" had too many constraints. Unlike now, when their reputation was ruined and ignored, the two of them could actually take the lead in the direction of the script.

They were just a bit poorer.

But "The Year I Was 18" didn’t require fancy scenes or flashy effects; it was enough to portray the lives of ordinary people.

Mu Qian and Jin Mu put a lot of effort into this drama, and during filming, they fully considered the actors' opinions. With no interference, the final product of "The Year I Was 18" exceeded their expectations.

During this period, Lu Xu had a pile of work, and Xu Wen often visited the set. Yet, Lu Xu insisted on staying with the crew until the day of the wrap.

Mu Qian finally understood why every director praised Lu Xu.

What director wouldn’t love an actor like that?

Lu Xu made it look easy, but everyone knew the hard work behind it.

...

After "The Year I Was 18" wrapped up, Lu Xu slept like a log for a day, then started dealing with the mountain of work.

Calling it a mountain wasn’t an exaggeration—these were the tasks Xu Wen had carefully picked. Without the agent’s screening, he’d have ten times more invitations.

There were over ten awards alone.

Awards from platforms, locals, and higher-ups, plus some weird ones Lu Xu didn’t dare accept. Like when he and Shao Yao were nominated for Best On-Screen Couple, which was voted on by the audience. In a sea of male-female couples, their votes crushed it.

Nominees included Xia Xuewen from "The Noble Son" and another actor, but Xia Xuewen herself voted for Lu Xu and Shao Yao.

Lu Xu: "...Just you wait."

Xia Xuewen: (￣ˇ￣)

There were more parody awards like that.

Among the many awards, apart from the Starlight Award, the most prestigious one was the Drama Critics Association Award. Though the award is new, it encourages actors under 40.

In a way, it complements the Starlight Award.

Lu Xu had won the Best Supporting Actor award for "The Son of Heaven," but he was busy filming at the time, so Xu Wen accepted the award on his behalf.

This time, he was nominated again for "The Path of Bones."

Since the prelude of this year's Drama Critics Association Award, there has been no controversy over who would win—

It could only be Lu Xu.

Although the other four nominees performed excellently, compared to Lu Xu's performance in "The Path of Bones," the difference was immediately clear.

It's worth mentioning that Zhang Che had been nominated for the Drama Critics Association Award once before, making him the most qualified actor under 30 to challenge for the Starlight Award.

However, Zhang Che has yet to receive the favor of the Starlight Award.

At this year's Drama Critics Association Award, Lu Xu walked the red carpet and went on stage to receive the award.

That night, G brand was criticized for "only having eyes for Lu Xu," with over a dozen posts on their official blog, all about him.

But—in the eyes of fans, Lu Xu, who smiled and applauded for his competitors at the Starlight Award, was incredibly charming. Even more so when he held the trophy with a radiant smile.

Bold and proud, radiating the confidence of someone at the height of their fame.

The performance clip selected by the Drama Critics Association Award was a scene of Yu Yi's cold-blooded revenge. In that moment, he was like a machine, completely consumed by the thrill of vengeance.

"So proud of Lu Xu!"

"The moment Lu Xiao Gou stepped onto the stage, only four words came to my mind—well-deserved."

"Keep reaching higher! I’m already looking forward to seeing Lu Xu on the Starlight Award stage next year. He’s my star!"

"So incredible!!"

For Lu Xu, *The Path of Bones* was also a turning point in his acting career.

His first leading role, his first Starlight Award nomination for Best Actor, and his first major leading actor award.

Indeed, compared to external accolades, he still preferred having his performances recognized.

After winning the Drama Critics Association Award, Lu Xu shot his first cover for a top-tier magazine.

In fact, after becoming the spokesperson for G brand, they had been working hard to secure him magazine covers.

At the time, Lu Xu had just been nominated for the Starlight Award. Although he was the only active male actor nominated, top fashion magazines are notoriously selective, reserving their covers for A-list celebrities and supermodels. An actor like Lu Xu, who hadn’t even landed a leading role yet, naturally wasn’t in the running.

At most, he could get an inside page or a supplement cover, which neither met G brand’s standards nor aligned with Xu Wen’s vision for Lu Xu.

In Xu Wen’s development plan for Lu Xu, there was never any room for compromise.

Later, when *The Path of Bones* became a hit, the top-tier magazines started to soften their stance.

Then *Voices of the Dead* became a hit, and Lu Xu became the youngest Best Actor nominee in Starlight Award history.

The top-tier magazines began negotiating with G brand, discussing the cover theme for Lu Xu and when to feature him.

Unfortunately, Lu Xu was stubbornly staying on the set of *The Year I Was 18*, showing no interest in the magazine’s advances.

But at this point, the magazine felt that Lu Xu was the perfect candidate for their cover and was willing to wait for him.

Just as Lu Xu and *NF* magazine finalized a shooting agreement, before the photos were even released, Tan Qi excitedly shared the news with her friend.

"A cover!! Finally, a fresh cover!!"

"Happy!!"

The two happily exchanged emojis for a while.

Tan Qi felt that her filter for Lu Xu was at least 2.8 meters thick, but even without the filter, Lu Xu himself was exactly the same as in her idealized view—if not even better!

Both in acting and looks!

Tan Qi checked Weibo, and sure enough, other fans who had received the news were just as thrilled as she was.

Since Lu Xu became popular, there was an endless stream of content—high-quality fan creations, variety show clips, and red carpet behind-the-scenes footage. As a fan, she was truly feasting.

Lu Xu had also done photoshoots for fashion magazines before, but that was back in his Verse days. Back then, Lu Xu was just a low-key member of Verse, overshadowed by his more glamorous teammates, always seeming a bit lackluster.

While scrolling through her feed, Tan Qi stumbled upon several comments that rubbed her the wrong way.

She had just screenshotted it and sent it to her friend, who, by coincidence, sent her the exact same thing.

"What’s the big deal about landing 'NF'? Those who got it early didn’t make such a fuss."

"BTW, just a reminder to a certain fanbase, Zhang Che shot for 'NF' way before your idol did."

"Weren’t you always bragging about brand perks and being a fashion muse? Why did it take so long to score a cover?"

As Gu Sinian and Chen Ye’s fans started to fade, Zhang Che’s fans became Lu Xu’s main rivals on Weibo.

"Afraid that if it drops too early, your Zhang Che won’t sleep, and Lu Xiao Gou will catch heat again."

"So what? Only 'Fashion' came out. Why didn’t 'NF' and 'Xinrui' follow through? Is M brand slacking?"

"The title of spokesperson but the perks of an ambassador—this is definitely a first in the industry."

Zhang Che’s fans had already kicked up a storm over M brand’s cold shoulder, which naturally drew attention from other fan groups.

When Zhang Che first signed with M brand, the big four magazines lined up 'NF', 'Fashion', and 'Xinrui' for him. But only 'Fashion' made it to print, while 'NF' and 'Xinrui' kept getting pushed back, still waiting to drop the issue with Zhang Che’s cover.

This is definitely fishy.

Only a few insiders guessed that M brand had crossed the Starlight Award, but there was no proof, and M brand’s snub of Zhang Che left no trail either.

The cover was done, the jewelry was handed over, Zhang Che got what he was owed—what more does the brand need to do?

"Wait... could Lu Xu’s issue drop before Zhang Che’s?"

"Stop dreaming, okay? Zhang Che is still M brand’s spokesperson—all that talk is just rumors."

"Lu Xu hasn’t bagged the Starlight Award yet, so hold off on bragging about his fashion clout until he does."

The two fan groups were at it again.

If they could cast spells, both fan groups would probably set up altars praying for their idol’s 'NF' issue to drop first.

'NF' seemed to hear the fans’ prayers, and not long after the drama started, 'NF’s official blog dropped a cover preview first—

"A Day in the Life of a Small-Town Guy."

In the shot, the guy stretches his leg, kicking pebbles into the river, sending ripples across the water.

A blue shirt over a T-shirt, a simple look, but with an effortless vibe.

The next shot shows the guy crouching, quietly feeding a puppy between mossy buildings, the puppy’s fur fluffy, the guy’s hair looking soft in the sunlight.

There are also shots of the guy running, jumping, riding a bike... it all seems mundane, but he fits right into the scene.

Eight photos in total, each showing Lu Xu looking gentle, unassuming, and nothing like his on-screen persona.

This set of photos doesn’t have much fashion creativity, more of a nostalgic tribute to a place where someone once lived, a piece of youthful memory, but 'NF' happened to be doing this theme for this issue, and this set of photos coincidentally resembles the life of Huang Luning, whom Lu Xu just portrayed.

The photos borrowed the filming location from 'The Year I Was 18'.

But here’s the kicker—'NF' dropped the preview of Lu Xu’s cover issue first!

"Oh man..."

"This is so awkward... Didn’t Zhang Che already land a role in 'The Swordsman'? What’s going on with him and M brand?"

"Why is it that whatever Zhang Che’s fans curse ends up happening, and now it’s Lu Xu’s issue of 'NF' that’s out first?"

"These shots are so heartwarming—I’m definitely buying this issue!!"

"Seriously, G brand should bow down to Lu Xu. It’s just a basic shirt and T-shirt, but Lu Xiao Gou makes you want to splurge on him!"

"Haha, I’d totally spend money on him too."

Zhang Che couldn’t help but notice the buzz on 'NF’s official blog, and the mocking comments left him fuming.

He was stuck—unable to vent his frustrations, rally his fans against M brand, or even complain about fans who’d angered both M brand and the Starlight Award.

Zhang Che can’t afford to lose a ton of fans right now.

At least not until he’s made a name for himself in the film industry.