Chapter 103 The Aftermath of the Starry Awards

Chapter 103 The Aftermath of the Starry Awards

For Lu Xu, the day he won the Starry Awards was no different from any other day, except for the addition of a trophy in his cabinet. The sunlight outside the window was still bright, and the scenery remained unchanged.

Opening the window, a cold breeze blew in, and Lu Xu suddenly felt a sense of clarity.

The Starry Awards trophy stood quietly in the glass cabinet, with his name and the year of the award engraved at the bottom.

At this year's Starry Awards, "The Year I Was 18" won the Best Long Series and Best Actor awards, while Best Director went to "Voices of the Dead." As a result, after the list of winners was announced, many media outlets declared that Lu Xu was the biggest winner of this year's Starry Awards.

Nearly half of the top 20 trending topics on the hot search list were related to Lu Xu. Some were recapping his nominations and award history, while others highlighted the peak moments of his acting career. His time with Verse became a classic lesson, repeatedly revisited by netizens.

Gu Sinian and the others did repost Lu Xu's award-winning post, and the Verse official account, which had been inactive for years, even came back online to congratulate former "Verse member" Lu Xu for winning the Best Actor in a TV Series at the Starry Awards.

"Well, well, well, they finally remembered the password!"

"What a rare moment!!"

"At least they used to post [music note][tear] before, why not add a [music note][celebration] this time? So bland, it clearly seems insincere."

"It feels like Verse really served as a warning to the currently active boy bands. It's fine to fight, but don't go too far. When Xie Qingyang, Meng Qin, and Gu Sinian were at their peak, did they ever imagine Lu Xu would make a comeback?"

Lu Xu naturally ignored the reposts from Xie Qingyang and the others, and netizens were also indifferent to the trending topic "Verse Trio Supports Lu Xu"—the trio's status in the industry was no longer equal to Lu Xu's. This spectacle was just Xie Qingyang and the others trying to grab attention for fame.

"...At least they were the white moonlight of my teenage years. How did they end up like this? I wish they had left me with some fond memories."

"If they had taken acting seriously and produced quality shows instead of chasing fame when they were popular and abandoning it when they flopped, I might still have some respect for them."

"+1 +1."

"If these three had been diligent, they definitely wouldn't have ended up where they are now. It's just that Verse had Lu Xu as a blood bag back then, but now they don't."

"Their greatest contribution to Lu Xu was kicking him out of Verse."

Verse was once the main money-maker for Ling Ge Entertainment. Now that Xie Qingyang and the others have flopped, their endorsements have all dried up, and Ling Ge Entertainment has also fallen into decline. Combined with Ling Ge Entertainment's hasty entry into the film and TV industry, which resulted in a huge investment loss, their days have naturally become increasingly difficult.

After Verse disbanded, Xie Qingyang and the others each had their own independent teams and studios. But given their current business and resources, there's clearly no need to maintain a team.

As the saying goes, what rises must fall. The three, who once thought they would each walk their own paths, have now been reintegrated into a team by Ling Ge Entertainment.

Fortunately, boy band talent shows have been quite popular in recent years. Since Verse was once a big hit, the three can still make appearances as guest mentors on these shows.

But—back when Verse was still popular, they could have at least landed the role of show mentors.

"Them... forget it. If it were Lu Xu, our production team would definitely consider it."

The producer's words were bluntly honest, and Xie Qingyang and the others naturally heard them.

But they could only endure it, as times have changed.

The role of a guest mentor might seem respectable, allowing them to be respectfully called "teacher" by the contestants, but that's only where the cameras can capture. Behind the scenes, the show's process is tedious and chaotic, with contestants of varying skill levels. When faced with young idols from big companies with large fanbases, the former Verse members' status carries no weight.

While others look forward to the future, the three of them are left behind.

Life has become so tough that Gu Sinian even considered low-cost web dramas, which he wouldn't have glanced at before, hoping to find a "The Noble Son" by chance.

However, "The Noble Son" is a rare gem. Not just Gu Sinian, but even Chenxi Pictures itself has been trying to replicate a "The Noble Son"—a wish that remains unfulfilled to this day.

When Xu Wen mentioned the new invitation, Lu Xu doubted his own hearing: "A talent show producer? Me?"

??????

The statement hit him like a bolt from the blue.

"Yes, you." Xu Wen knew Lu Xu was about to refuse just by looking at his expression, so he silently spread out his hand: "The show is offering this much."

This was the reason why, despite knowing Lu Xu would refuse, the executives pushed him to approach Lu Xu.

The show had offered a high, irresistible price.

In recent years, major variety shows have been willing to spend big money to invite people, so those once aloof celebrities who looked down on variety shows have stooped to participate for the money.

Variety shows are much easier and more profitable than filming.

Variety shows also make it easy to craft public images, and many celebrities have turned their careers around through them.

Among young actors, Lu Xu is one who rarely takes part in variety shows. He occasionally attends one or two episodes but has never fully participated in an entire season.

He feels he’s not cut out for variety shows.

Xu Wen: "...Actually, there have always been talk show programs inviting you."

Lu Xu: "...They’ve got good taste."

Lu Xu still sincerely declined the invitation to the variety show. Although the offer was tempting, Lu Xu can now command top-tier salaries among male celebrities, and he is not short of money.

To others, since he has already won the Star Award, it's time to relax, but for Lu Xu, acting is not tiring; instead, the supposedly easy variety shows stress him out.

When acting, he’s in his element; he can easily grasp the joys and sorrows of the character and immerse himself in the world created by the script. Variety shows are different; he is not a powerhouse idol, what can he do as a host for a boy band audition?

Tell the contestants they can slack off?

Thinking of that scene, Lu Xu felt it would be a disaster; he’s not shameless enough for that.

He wants to do what he is good at, not what he is not good at, that's all.

Some people love to preach about "challenges," but Lu Xu thinks that if the show spends tens of millions to invite him, or if fans expect his appearance, it's definitely not for him to deliver a few lines about effort.

If you’re paid, you’d better deliver.

...

The buzz around the Star Award died down after a week. Weibo was lively for a few days, and netizens posted compilation clips of Lu Xu's roles on major video websites.

From Crown Prince Qin Zhao gazing at the sky from the courtyard walls, to Huang Luning sharing sweet potatoes with his dad.

The video was titled "This Life."

"He finally has a simple yet loving father."

"In the role of Huang Luning, Lu Xu has also found closure."

Actors bring charm to their roles; these videos do not need to be finely edited, and netizens do not need to hunt for a specific expression like searching for a needle in a haystack—Lu Xu has too many impressive performance clips, so although the editing on various websites is rough, the emotions are rich, making people want to watch them again and again.

"Which scene from 'The Supreme' is this? I didn't notice it before."

"Yu Yi, the Yu Yi I’ll never get over!!"

"Ugh, you made me cry so many times again, so when will Lu Xu film a new series?"

"No new series for now, but the new film 'Deception' has been set for release. Anyone want to watch it with me?"

"Count me in!"

Right after 'Deception' wrapped up, Gao Xingchuan had hinted to Lu Xu that the movie was expected to be released around the time of the Starlight Awards, timed with Lu Xu's Starlight Award win for Best Actor in a Television Series. Thus, 'Deception' featured Best Actors from two consecutive Starlight Awards.

In reality, while Gao Xingchuan talked about capitalizing on the Starlight Awards hype, 'Deception' actually landed in the Spring Festival season.

Lu Xu was amazed by how quickly shows and films are released in this industry, as if there was no concept of backlog—they just went for it.

Gao Xingchuan explained, "There's a lot of good footage, so editing is a breeze."

The director faced no major restrictions.

Though Yue Hui spearheaded this project, he stayed hands-off with the creative process, focusing solely on his role as an actor. Lu Xu was the same, getting along well with all the actors the whole time.

Their looks were even more cinematic than the director expected.

The actors performed the script excellently, naturally fueling Gao Xingchuan's creativity during editing. He didn't even consider the box office while editing—with the quality of 'Deception,' it was bound to attract viewers.

It's not just boasting; 'Deception' excels in every way.

The director is incredibly biased.

Both Yue Hui and Lu Xu were fully committed to the crew's success. Even if 'Deception' flopped, the financial loss would certainly be less than other movies released during the Spring Festival season.

The budget for 'Deception' was 74 million, excluding Yue Hui and Lu Xu's fees, with a bit more spent on special effects.

But with a Spring Festival release, the marketing costs were bound to be steep, and getting good screen times would be tough.

After 'The Swordsman' bombed, less-connected directors brought it up with bitterness—everyone in the industry knows how hard it is to get screenings. Even a movie directed by a pig wouldn't have as low a box office as 'The Swordsman.'

Some films, decent in quality, unfortunately got poor screenings and fell short at the box office.

While quality drives box office success, the final numbers hinge on release timing, screen availability, marketing... and the track records of the directors and actors.

...

With the Spring Festival around the corner, the film industry is in a cutthroat competition.

The Spring Festival is known as the industry's most cutthroat time of year. Currently, in the movie market, most films grossing over 5 billion are released during this season—comparable to the summer blockbuster season.

But the summer blockbuster season spans two months, while the Spring Festival rush is just a week long, meaning that within this week, a movie must attract the audience's attention by all means necessary.

During this season, 'Deception' isn't making much noise. Although the two leads, Yue Hui and Lu Xu, are quite well-known, the season is packed with big productions, with several movies having investments over 100 million or even 500 million.

Compared to 'Deception,' these movies need to fight harder in the Spring Festival season.

"'Homebound Train,' 'Childhood,' 'The Eternal Night,' 'Deception'... there are actually more than ten new movies this Spring Festival season!"

"The cinemas are going to be packed, right?"

"I always thought 'Deception' shouldn't be released during the Spring Festival season. The crew is quite bold."

"Maybe they want to leverage the heat from Lu Xu winning the Starlight Awards? That's the only promotional point for 'Deception.'"

Lu Xu is naturally putting in the effort to promote 'Deception,' his first lead role in a film. However, the industry's attitude towards 'Deception' remains quite cautious.

Not all TV actors can successfully transition to film, and although Lu Xu has been thriving in the television industry, he is still a complete novice in the film circle.

An actor's achievements are earned one ticket sale at a time.

Moreover, the Spring Festival season has always been a fiercely contested battleground, with box office revenues measured in billions. With such huge profits at stake, no movie is going to step aside.

"...Lu Xu's fans previously mocked Zhang Che relentlessly, and now Lu Xu himself is about to face the market's test. Let's hope the box office of 'The Deception' doesn't end up worse than 'The Swordsman.'"

"Waiting for 'The Deception' to flop, flop, flop, flop."

"...Honestly, isn't the 'The Deception' crew a bit too confident? This movie clearly doesn't fit the Spring Festival season. Who wants to watch a ghostly, deceitful film during the holidays?"

In terms of marketing, 'The Deception' also doesn't invest as much as other crews. This year's Spring Festival season, the most anticipated 'The Eternal Night' invited two Best Actor-level actors to compete on screen, with marketing expenses pouring in. Lu Xu saw the marketing ads for 'The Eternal Night' before the Starlight Awards, and as the release date approached, their marketing became even more aggressive.

"Their budget is 500 million," Xu Wen gestured, "Marketing costs during the Spring Festival are twice as high as usual. They have to recoup the box office."

If they can't recoup the box office, the creators will lose their minds.

When 'The Swordsman' flopped, Zhang Zhizhen desperately tried to shift the blame onto Zhang Che, but no one dared to hire him for movies anymore. No matter how much he talked about art and faith, the investors lost real money.

Zhang Zhizhen went mad for a long time, blaming the audience for having no taste, his own integrity offending many people, and even quietly ridiculing other box office hits as garbage.

Although the 'The Deception' crew cares about the box office, their expectations for the movie are simple—break even.

In the crew's expectations, breaking even shouldn't be too hard, especially with Lu Xu on board.

Lu Xu responded, "...Please don't."

Although... Lu Xu is now more recognized than Yue Hui.

However, Lu Xu has never shouldered a film's box office success before, so no one knows his upper limit.

"Let's set breaking even as our top priority!"

Gao Xingchuan even renamed the 'The Deception' crew group chat to the "Break Even Group."

As for screenings, the director is doing everything he can to secure them, and Flying Entertainment has also pushed for Lu Xu, but in the fiercely competitive Spring Festival season, the crew isn't getting their hopes up.

As a newcomer to the film industry, Lu Xu is braced for a disappointing box office. Although he really likes the script of 'The Deception,' that doesn't mean the audience will. The movie's marketing focuses on Lu Xu, the newly crowned Starlight Award Best Actor in a Television Series, but at least it hasn't been promoted solely as Lu Xu's movie.

—Flying Entertainment knows all too well what happened with Zhang Che.

...

Lu Xu thought that as long as he diligently promoted the film, didn't celebrate prematurely, and didn't expect 'The Deception' to earn 1 billion at the box office, he could get through this Spring Festival season peacefully.

But as it turns out, he thought too much.

Before 'The Deception' even released a trailer, some marketers penned a lengthy article titled 'The Reasons I Don't Agree with Lu Xu Winning the Starlight Award.'

...The Starlight Awards ceremony had been over for more than ten days. This article wasn't published before the awards, nor was it published right after. Instead, it was released just as the awards were settled and 'The Deception' was about to premiere, making its purpose crystal clear.

The article first discussed why Lu Xu didn't deserve the award, such as his age, the merits of the other nominees, and the Starlight Awards' longstanding reputation—

"The Starlight Awards need reform, to break the outside view that it's an 'old-timers' award.' Under various factors, it needed a young actor to shake things up."

"Lu Xu's win is not because his acting was so outstanding that it surpassed the other nominees. He was simply in the right place at the right time for the Starlight Awards."

To back up his point, the marketer even shared the other nominees' facial expressions on the night Lu Xu won the award.

"Xia Zhengrong, who was nominated twice but failed to win both times, couldn't help but roll his eyes despite his good manners. Most celebrities are skilled at controlling their facial expressions; unless it's unbearable, they can generally maintain their composure."

"This is Wang Ji, an old man who rarely acts and was nominated. The Star Award committee had to use him as a stepping stone for Lu Xu."

"Yuan Lai is well-mannered, except for his cold smile."

"Finally, Li Tianhou, as everyone knows, is a sincere and straightforward person. He usually doesn't hide his thoughts. Throughout the award ceremony, Li Tianhou didn't show Lu Xu any favor. Doesn't that say something?"

"At least, the other nominees are not convinced that Lu Xu deserved the Best Actor in a Television Series award."

The article was well-written and supported by photographic evidence, immediately attracting widespread attention upon release.

In fact, it's common for marketers to publish lengthy critiques of certain celebrities in the industry. Few stars who reach the top tier escape criticism.

The influence of this article wasn't originally that extensive, but then—Li Tianhou gave it a like.

This meant that the article's claim that "the other nominees are not convinced" was endorsed by Li Tianhou, one of the nominees.

"Teacher Li is truly candid!"

"I also support Teacher Li winning the award. Why should Lu Xu get it? Given Lu Xu's experience, it's indeed outrageous for him to surpass Teacher Li."

"...It's really a like from the man himself."

"Wow, I didn't see it at all. I thought the nominees got along quite well. I'm an idiot."

"Didn't see it +1, feeling like I'm about to witness the dawn of 'Star Studies.'"

"I've never mastered the knowledge in textbooks, but I diligently study V Studies, Chen Studies, and Star Studies."

After Li Tianhou liked it, the article quickly went viral and even topped the trending list.

Naturally, the attention of netizens shifted to Lu Xu.

Unfortunately, Lu Xu's Weibo showed no activity, and netizens speculated he was occupied with promoting "The Deception" and hadn't caught wind of the online buzz.

Fortunately, Lu Xu was just offline and hadn't disappeared. A reporter camped out near his home and coincidentally ran into Lu Xu as he was returning.

Lu Xu was genuinely unaware of the online uproar. After the reporter explained in detail, Lu Xu calmly said, "Indeed, I was lucky to win the award."

"But if someone has acted for a lifetime, with far more experience than me, and still couldn't get the judges to vote for him, then it's certainly not me who needs to reflect."

He wore an expression that implied, "I won't name names."