Chapter 102 Acceptance Speech

Chapter 102 Acceptance Speech

Lu Xu had expected to remain calm about winning the award.

Having been nominated for two consecutive years without winning, he had always maintained a peaceful state of mind, without feeling any discomfort or sadness. He wasn’t envious of Yue Hui and Guo Yining, who had won the awards.

However, at this moment, when the camera focused on his face and his image appeared on the big screen, Lu Xu felt his emotions ignited.

He craved recognition.

And at this very moment, he was recognized.

"Ahhhh!"

"Let me scream my heart out!!! Lu Xu has won!!!"

"Finally—the youngest Best Actor in a Television Series in the history of the Starlight Awards!!!"

As soon as Lu Xu stood up, Shao Yao, sitting a few rows away, gave him a fist bump—for Shao Yao, hugging Lu Xu in front of everyone was a bit too much.

But Lu Xu ran over and hugged him.

Mu Qian and Jin Mu, however, had no reservations. One messed up Lu Xu's carefully styled hair, while the other patted his back in encouragement.

Naturally, Jin Mu smoothed out Lu Xu’s hair afterward.

The audience seats erupted in continuous applause.

Lu Xu glanced at the stage at that moment. The podium seemed too bright for him, and he even forgot that he should first walk up to the stage to receive the trophy, until Mu Qian and Jin Mu nudged him forward.

"After tonight, Lu Xu’s position as a top-tier actor is firmly secured."

"Since the Starlight Awards began decades ago, we finally have our first Best Actor in a Television Series under the age of 30."

Lu Xu slowly walked onto the stage.

The outfit G brand had carefully prepared came into its own at that moment. As he walked, his suit seemed to radiate a dazzling brilliance. The grand and solemn stage of the Starlight Awards harmonized perfectly with Lu Xu’s presence.

The young man on the podium had a stunning face that always made fans scream whenever he appeared. But what stood out more than his looks were the iconic characters he had played.

From Qin Zhao to Yu Yi, and then to Huang Luning, he finally claimed his first Starlight Award trophy.

It was a well-earned and honorable victory.

"Compare Lu Xu to Gu Sinian and Zhang Che. Talent wins everything."

"I’m on the verge of tears. Lu Xu’s journey has been incredibly tough!"

"Although Lu Xu’s acting career has been smooth sailing, I still want to say that whether it’s the Starlight Award or the popularity of shows like *The Year I Was 18* and *The Path of Bones*, it’s all the result of his relentless effort. Lu Xu deserves it!!!"

"I’m screaming in excitement!!!"

Ever since the red carpet, this year’s Starlight Awards had been all over social media. And when Lu Xu won Best Actor, the Starlight Awards’ popularity skyrocketed.

The Starlight Awards offered very few opportunities to young actors, to the point where an unspoken rule had formed in the industry—male actors under 30 who hadn’t spent years honing their craft in serious dramas had no chance of winning.

But tonight, Lu Xu broke that rule.

From the moment *The Year I Was 18* surpassed 10,000 in popularity, Lu Xu had already been recognized as the top young actor in the industry. But at this moment, his record became even more difficult to surpass.

"Does Ling Ge Entertainment have any regrets now?"

"Really, an absolutely stunning comeback! A true underdog story!"

...

When Lu Xu stood in front of the microphone, holding the star-shaped trophy, all eyes were on him.

Lu Xu didn't cry, nor did his eyes turn red, but his smile was brighter than usual, as stunning as a movie star.

"I absolutely love the character Huang Luning. The moment I got the script, even though I hadn't decided to take the role yet, I was already picturing how I would bring this character to life. I was terrified of failing the character, but fortunately, I didn't."

"After taking on this role, in the process of portraying him, I gained a deeper understanding of the world and enjoyed observing everyone around me more. Because in Jin Mu's writing, Huang Luning is both humble and heroic, resilient yet vulnerable, endlessly kind and warm, a blend of so many people I’ve encountered."

"I am honored to portray Huang Luning, and I am also honored that this character is loved by so many people. I wish everyone a life as warm and joyful as Huang Luning’s, surrounded by favor and warmth!"

Lu Xu thanked all the creators of "The Year I Was 18," thanked the organizing committee of the Star Awards, and also thanked Xu Wen.

His manager was frantically waving at him from the corner.

Lu Xu responded with an even brighter smile.

"I’m totally obsessed with Huang Luning too!"

"Ah, I didn't cry when Lu Xu won the award, but I burst into tears listening to his acceptance speech. He hopes others are surrounded by favor and warmth, but during the Verse period, he suffered so much."

"+1, I can't believe I heard this from Lu Xu."

"He’s moved past it, and his future is nothing but bright!"

"Lu Xu is truly the strongest person I've ever seen, ahhhh go become a superstar, Lu Puppy!!! The puppy’s shooting for the stars!"

...

That night, hashtags like #Lu Xu Best Actor at Star Awards# and #Lu Xu Youngest Best Actor in a Television Series at Star Awards# kept climbing to the top of the trending charts. From the moment Lu Xu walked the red carpet, discussions about him never stopped, and even his suit became a trending topic.

Lu Xu is the youngest Best Actor in a Television Series in the history of the Star Awards, and undoubtedly the most commercially valuable winner.

The moment he won the Best Actor award, various film and television forums started dissecting the winning trends of this year's Star Awards.

Posts about him flooded the front page.

"By the way, during the Verse period, could anyone have imagined Lu Xu would make it this far?"

"Absolutely not."

[There are still traces on the forum. Before "The Son of Heaven," searching for the keyword "Lu Xu" mostly resulted in ridicule.]

"Look up 'The Noble Son'—you’ll be in for a shock."

"The gap between the other three Verse members and Lu Xu is night and day. If I remember correctly, some Lu Xu fans mentioned that he was bullied before, but the fans of the other three were too dominant, and no one paid attention to Lu Xu’s fans’ pleas."

"I remember, it's really a case of 'thirty years east of the river, thirty years west.' Back then, no one even dreamed Lu Xu could rise to the top, let alone the top of Verse."

"The day Lu Xu left Verse, the forum’s front page was a sea of celebration posts, hahaha, when you think about it, it hasn't been that many years."

"Lu Xu won the award, and the other members of Verse started trying to piggyback on his success, it's hilarious. When you're famous, everyone wants to be your friend, but unfortunately, Lu Xu doesn't even acknowledge them."

"Nowhere near as juicy as when they all jumped on 'The Empress' bandwagon."

When Lu Xu won the award, the reactions of the other top young actors were pretty chill, as they had already mentally prepared themselves. Since the huge breakout success of "The Path of Bones," Lu Xu's momentum had become unstoppable.

Unless Lu Xu screwed up, no other young A-lister could touch him.

However, for some people, Lu Xu winning the Best Actor award at the Starlight Awards felt like a knife to the heart, especially the other three members of Verse and Zhang Che.

Back when Lu Xu was just getting his start, Xie Qingyang and the others had anticipated that as long as Lu Xu's popularity continued to rise, their own reps would take a hit.

That day came way sooner than they expected.

Lu Xu's struggles in Verse were already out in the open, but that didn't mean Xie Qingyang and the others would be easily let off—Lu Xu's fans weren't the in-your-face type, but they were relentless, specifically characterized by digging up ancient beef.

If it was just about Lu Xu getting bullied, no biggie—you can't itch if you're covered in lice, and you can't sweat the small stuff—but Lu Xu's fans took a different approach, digging up some major dirt like Xie Qingyang smoking, Gu Sinian spitting in public, and Meng Qin littering.

The way they treated Lu Xu was just Verse drama. These days, idols are all about the drama, and if you dig deep enough, every group could spawn its own soap opera.

But the dirt Lu Xu's fans dug up totally trashed their clean-cut images, and the few fans Xie Qingyang and the others had left ran away.

Now, as for Zhang Che—

Zhang Che was practically hexing Lu Xu to keep him from winning.

But Lu Xu still won.

Now Lu Xu's the Starlight Awards Best Actor, and Zhang Che's a nobody who didn't even get a nod. For Zhang Che, reality is too cruel.

He just made one wrong choice, one misstep, and lost everything.

On the night Lu Xu won the Starlight Award, internet trolls made a short video for Lu Xu—"Boxer Rocket Dog VS Defeated Opponents."

In the video, Lu Xu is a boxing dog, and every time he takes out an opponent, he rides a rocket and zooms off.

Lu Xu takes out Gu Sinian, Chen Ye, and Zhang Che one by one, and even KO's Ling Ge Entertainment in the process.

There's also a bike video—where the boxing is a straight-up attack, but the biking is more like a mind game, specifically showing Lu Xu riding past Gu Sinian, Chen Ye, and Zhang Che, with just the act of riding causing them to fall one by one.

The video goes after people, not the shows, after all, "Watchmen," which was KO'd by "The Noble Son," had Yue Hui in it.

"LOL, if I were Lu Xu's opponent, I'd really be pissed!"

"Lucky dog!"

When Lu Xu won the award, Feiyang Entertainment and various platforms were not idle. The Starlight Awards official blog posted Lu Xu's award photo, which Feiyang Entertainment promptly reposted. Yunduo Pictures first tagged the crew of "The Year I Was 18," then released stills from when "The Son of Heaven" premiered, thanking Lu Xu for starring in these two works that were released on Yunduo Pictures.

Putao Pictures also celebrated Lu Xu enthusiastically, taking the opportunity to promote "The Path of Bones" and "Voices of the Dead."

Although these shows had long since concluded, they remained highly popular on the respective platforms' viewership charts.

The Starlight Awards' clout is hard to overstate. At least after Lu Xu's win, the TV scripts accessible to actors of his generation will undoubtedly be picked over by Lu Xu first, before others get a chance.

This isn't to say that other actors can only choose from the scripts Lu Xu has passed on, but in the minds of directors and screenwriters, there is a hierarchy among actors, and Lu Xu is undoubtedly at the top.

Since "The Son of Heaven" was nominated for the Starlight Awards, Lu Xu has been accumulating trust, and after winning the Best Actor award, the industry's trust in him has reached its peak.