Chapter 162 162 Red Carpet

Chapter 162: Red Carpet

"...

"...Honestly, telling the truth is ten thousand times crueler than staying silent."

"Ahhhh, if I were Zhao Yifan, I'd be devastated. Keeping quiet at least earns some sympathy, but speaking out just makes it so awkward."

"Is this the legendary case of 'the less talented one is, the more awkward it becomes'?"

Even the netizens who had been loudly demanding justice for Zhao Yifan fell silent.

The Contention Award committee didn’t discriminate against Zhao Yifan—even the *Reversal City* crew, who had conflicts with him, didn’t exclude him from submissions. It was purely... that he simply didn’t earn a nomination.

"Is anyone really going to start blaming Lu Xu for submitting as Best Actor instead of Best Supporting Actor? Within the rules, you can submit however you want."

"Don’t blame the world—better do some soul-searching first."

"Honestly, why aren’t the people defending Zhao Yifan considering how much worse the *Reversal City* crew had it? During the film’s promotion, he barely cooperated as the lead actor. If the movie hadn’t become a sleeper hit, he wouldn’t have even bothered to show his face. The crew was professional enough to submit him for Best Actor, yet he didn’t even get nominated—and somehow that’s the crew’s fault?"

"Hasn’t Zhao Yifan always complained about his limited screen time? If you ask me, the crew should’ve submitted based on actual roles—Lu Xu as the lead, Zhao Yifan as supporting. But even this year’s Best Supporting Actor category... would’ve been hopeless for him."

The appeal of awards season lies in the fact that every nominee is a heavyweight—only fierce competition makes it interesting.

This year’s Contention Award features an intense battle among Best Actor nominees, and the Best Supporting Actor race is just as fierce. In Contention Award history, there have even been years where the Supporting Actor lineup outshone the leads.

After all, Best Actor roles are more limited in scope, while Supporting Actor allows crews to freely pick their most fitting actors.

Given Zhao Yifan’s performance in *Reversal City*, even a Best Actor nomination would’ve been a long shot. Even if he’d been submitted for Best Supporting Actor, the outcome wouldn’t have been much different.

Zhao Yifan would never admit it, but in the eyes of many viewers, *Reversal City* had long become Lu Xu’s movie.

Without Lu Xu’s star power, *Reversal City* would’ve struggled to cross 1 billion Chinese yuan at the box office, let alone on Zhao’s name alone.

And when it comes to acting, the gap between them is even more glaring. At least the Contention Award committee has made its choice clear.

"Who exactly is out here feeling sorry for Zhao Yifan? Do they really think Lu Xu gained some huge advantage over him?"

Fans believe Lu Xu is the one who drew the short straw—Zhao Yifan is inferior in every way, yet he constantly acts like Lu Xu owes him something.

The Contention Award nominations, in a way, vindicated Lu Xu. Before the nominations, if you searched Zhao Yifan’s name in real-time, there were actually people blind enough to argue his acting was better than Lu Xu’s.

...

With the nomination list out, Lu Xu’s status as the undisputed leader of his generation is further cemented.

Setting aside the TV world’s Starlight Awards, among the three major film awards, Lu Xu has now been nominated for two—the Golden Flame Award and the Contention Award. While their focuses differ, both require recognition from judges and the audience to secure a nomination.

The prestige of the Contention Award is no less than the Golden Flame—if not greater.

This year’s Best Actor nominees, aside from Lu Xu, are all award-winning veterans.

Notably, one of the nominees is Ren Ningyi, one of the leads from *Watchmen*.

To some extent, while film and TV protagonists change frequently, the nominees’ circle remains largely the same. Stretch the timeline further, and it’s still the same crowd.

When Lu Xu was nominated for the Golden Flame Award, he was still a newcomer in the film industry, unfamiliar with many faces. But now, at the Contention Award, he’s seeing the same competitors—and naturally, he’s getting familiar with them.

To the industry, Lu Xu’s Golden Flame nomination might’ve been luck. But adding a Contention Award nomination to that? That’s pure skill.

"By the way, does Lu Xu have a chance to sweep the Big Three with *Reversal City*?"

"Sweeping all three is tough—the tastes of the three major film awards vary widely. Like how he received a Golden Flame nomination for *Feather of Youth*, but *Feather of Youth* was never in contention for the Contention Award."

"+1, though *Reversal City* is Mu Lang's work after all, so it might receive special treatment. And in terms of awards, Lu Xu is already the clear frontrunner among his peers—no one in the younger generation can match his accolades."

"These are just nominations. I doubt he’ll win this year. For next year, though, I’m actually optimistic about *Fearless Life*, even if many dismiss it as just a sentimental melodrama."

Long before the Contention Award announcements, the industry had already been analyzing Lu Xu’s trajectory. By every metric, he stands unrivaled and untouchable—while actors his age mostly have empty award records, he keeps securing one nomination after another, to others' envy.

The Contention Award nominations came first. Lu Xu had already been nominated for the Golden Flame, and if he receives a Critics' Award nomination too, he’d undoubtedly become the unquestionable leader of the new generation in film.

Even if Lu Xu himself doesn’t particularly value the title.

In fact, since this awards season began and Lu Xu received his Contention Award nomination, the industry has been speculating about his path to victory.

In many predictions, the Contention Award was supposed to be the last of the "Big Three" he’d be nominated for.

Critics have always been fond of Lu Xu, often giving him consistently positive reviews.

Film critics are a group that, while close to the entertainment industry, operates at arm's length from it. They can critique and praise freely, but they have no say in casting or character decisions.

When needed, a production might elevate a critic’s voice, but once their usefulness fades, those opinions become just white noise.

Thus, the Critics' Award is a contradictory honor—it must make fair choices to maintain its prestige, yet it can’t become too entangled with the film industry’s mainstream.

If the so-called mainstream film circle dislikes Lu Xu, the Critics' Award praising him would distance itself from that mainstream opinion.

But in the end—Lu Xu received the Contention Award nomination first.

In short, whether Lu Xu can collect all three major awards has now become a matter of sheer conjecture.

"It’s all because our star is too exceptional—otherwise, there wouldn’t even be a choice to make."

Fans are both frustrated and delighted.

After all, the "problem" of possibly sweeping all three major nominations isn’t one just anyone gets to have.

Especially for a lead actor nomination, which is rare and precious.

...

Lu Xu walked the Contention Award red carpet alongside the *Reversal City* team.

His partnership with Brand G is now unshakable. Though Brand G constantly scouts new talent, Lu Xu remains their top-tier ambassador.

Of course, signing Lu Xu means Brand G gets maximum visibility during every awards season—in terms of camera time, he’s always among the most photographed.

According to fashion insiders, every year, rival brands try to lure Lu Xu away with lucrative offers. Despite Brand G’s tight security and Lu Xu’s loyalty, the relentless pursuit of him by other brands never fades.

Just look at Brand G’s consistently growing sales since signing him—proof of his unparalleled impact as a brand ambassador.

More importantly, even the stiffest designs come alive when worn by Lu Xu.

In recent years, as Lu Xu has matured, he’s added new depth to Brand G’s menswear.

On the red carpet, a simple wave of his hand sent fans wild.

Though it was his first time at the Contention Awards, he moved with effortless grace, as though he owned the place.

"The pup’s gone white!"

"...Zhao Yifan didn’t come again? Didn’t walk the red carpet with the 'Reversal City' crew?"

"Would he have the guts to show up? Look at the others walking the red carpet—Lu Xu got nominated, Mu Lang and Luo Kun both got nominated, He was the only one left out. Before knowing the truth, his fans even hinted at unfair treatment. If it were me, I wouldn’t have the nerve to come."

Indeed, Zhao Yifan did not attend this year’s Contention Award ceremony. Despite receiving an invitation from the organizing committee and having no schedule conflicts that week, he refused to be Lu Xu’s foil at the awards.

Most of the same crew usually sit together, and 'Reversal City' was a heavyweight contender at this year’s Contention Award. It was inevitable that the camera focus would center on Lu Xu, bringing their feud back into the spotlight.

The court of public opinion would side with Lu Xu—something Zhao Yifan knew that all too well.

As Lu Xu walked side by side with Mu Lang and Luo Kun, a burst of noise came from behind them. Mu Lang glanced back and saw Liu Rennong leading Bei Hong down the red carpet.

Liu Rennong was one of the Contention Award’s board members this year. He and Mu Lang weren’t exactly close, but they weren’t as openly hostile as his feud with Miao Zhi.

Mu Lang slowed down out of respect, waiting for Liu Rennong to approach and exchange greetings.

That put Bei Hong right in front of Lu Xu.

It was also Bei Hong’s first time attending the Contention Award red carpet.

Compared to Lu Xu, Bei Hong was dressed to the nines in a high-end tailored suit. Lu Xu had heard rumors that Liu Rennong’s studio was pushing Bei Hong as a pretty-boy idol, and his eyes flicked toward him.

He had never interacted with Bei Hong in person before, only clashing over the casting for 'Sanctuary.' In Lu Xu’s memory, Bei Hong seemed... a lot more refined now.

At least he looked better than in 'Sanctuary.'

Back then, Bei Hong’s face could still be described as angular—not conventionally handsome, but at least capable of holding up under the scrutiny of film cameras. Now, at a single glance, one word popped into Lu Xu’s mind—blunt.

Like a stuffed toy overstuffed with cotton.

Even if Bei Hong himself didn’t realize it, how could Liu Rennong miss that?

Lu Xu’s gaze met Liu Rennong’s.

At first glance, Liu Rennong seemed the warm, approachable type. But having worked with all sorts of directors, Lu Xu knew better—no director at the top played nice.

Liu Rennong spotted Lu Xu and smiled warmly. "So this is Lu Xu? I’ve heard all about you."

"You’ve been nothing but trouble for me," Liu Rennong said, pointing at Lu Xu as if Qi Di’s contract termination and Bei Hong’s public ridicule were trivial matters. But this only sent Lu Xu’s instincts screaming.

Liu Rennong was definitely the most formidable type of opponent!

He gave nothing away.

Even if he screwed someone over, Liu Rennong would probably still be smiling, and they wouldn’t even know they’d been had.

Liu Rennong then brought up Lu Xu’s recently completed film, 'Fearless Life': "You must’ve picked up a lot from Director Miao. He’s a director with both vision and talent."

From his tone alone, no one would guess he and Miao Zhi had already fallen out.

Lu Xu just nodded politely. "Indeed, I’ve learned much from Director Miao."

Liu Rennong studied him for a long moment.

What puzzled Lu Xu was how someone as shrewd as Liu Rennong could sign hotheads like Qi Di and Bei Hong—neither had a shred of his finesse.

Lu Xu could practically feel Bei Hong’s disdain, even through Liu Rennong’s presence.

After the red carpet ended and they entered the auditorium, Mu Lang finally slowed his pace and asked Lu Xu, "Pretty impressive, right?"

Lu Xu rubbed his nose.

Luo Kun then smiled at Mu Lang and said, "Don’t scare Lu Xu like that. Naive kids can’t take being messed with."

"He’s not that terrifying. I just wanted Lu Xu to learn a ton from him," Mu Lang replied. "You could learn a ton from him, don’t you think?"

Lu Xu got the hint—Director Mu Lang wasn’t a fan of Liu Rennong either.

Just like actors, those who reach the top tier in the industry may not have overt conflicts, but their relationships are inevitably frosty. At that level, competition for roles is unavoidable.

The directing profession, however, involves artistic ego. In art, there’s no definitive ranking—every director thinks they’re the best.

Liu Rennong was way too slick, so much so that he felt out of place among directors.

...

For Lu Xu, the red carpet was no big deal, something he didn’t take to heart. The atmosphere at the Contention Award’s red carpet was indeed more solemn, but he had already attended the Golden Flame Awards’ red carpet before.

Yet, at his level of fame, everything on the red carpet would be blown out of proportion.

For example, as someone who had turned down *Sanctuary*, his run-in with *Sanctuary*’s lead actor Bei Hong on the red carpet became fuel for gossip.

The context was that, during the filming of *Sanctuary*, Bei Hong had thrown shade about Lu Xu’s age.

The two had never been photographed together before, but fans agreed Bei Hong wasn’t exactly fresh-faced either.

That’s when it hit fans—calling Bei Hong "not that young" was actually a compliment.

"If I were Bei Hong, when Director Liu Rennong led me up there, I’d pretend to look up at the sky and drag my feet the entire time."

"I just want to ask—where does he get off mocking Lu Xu for being older than him? What gave him that kind of confidence?"

"Honestly... sigh, never mind. I’m just too blunt."

If Bei Hong hadn’t mocked Lu Xu, fans might have glanced over it and moved on—after all, truth’s too brutal to admit.

But!

Bei Hong! Mocked! Lu Xu!

What’s the difference between the class’s worst student mocking the top student?

Even if it was confidence given by Liu Rennong, it’s unforgivable!

This is total disrespect—unforgivable!

"Let’s not forget, this guy was just there to hog the spotlight. His only credit is *Sanctuary*, and *Sanctuary* wasn’t even eligible for a Contention Award nomination."

"Not just the Contention Award—he had no qualifications at all. If we’re talking actual achievements, he can’t hold a candle to Qi Di. At least Qi Di had a supporting role in *How Much Do You Know*."

"But he’s already been to so many major events. Must be sweet riding Liu Rennong’s coattails."

"Jealous much?"

"Still, studio connections aside, doesn’t anyone think his fashion sense is whack? That heavy makeup made him look like an overstuffed dumpling. Seriously, who thought that looked good?"

"People eating plain steamed buns might wonder, what have we plain steamed buns ever done to deserve such humiliation?"

Bei Hong was trying to cultivate a pretty-boy aesthetic while also building a comedic persona. He knew all too well that as a member of a top director’s studio, the audience would inevitably perceive him as more out of touch compared to other celebrities.

He had to change this aloof image.

Even if he remained haughty among his peers, the audience didn’t need to know.

But while he was eager to perform, others weren’t necessarily willing to cooperate. His attempts to showcase camaraderie with fellow actors often involved jumping them with surprise antics, leading to trending hashtags like "#Bromance" or "#BestFriendsForever," while the other actors wore expressions of shock or discomfort.

This time, after sharing the red carpet with Lu Xu, Bei Hong—who had just gained a few fans—saw his numbers drop again.

Because in comparison, Lu Xu simply had a more captivating face.

Moreover, Lu Xu had award nominations and hit movies. Just one film, *Reversal City*, made *Sanctuary* look amateur. On the red carpet, Lu Xu carried himself with a confidence that Bei Hong couldn’t hope to match.

"I have a feeling—*Fearless Life* seems to have changed Lu Xu a lot. He hasn’t been seen in a while, right? He's like a whole new person now."

As soon as this comment was posted, the replies flooded in with agreement.

The Lu Xu of before was already mature and handsome, but today, on the red carpet, he seemed transformed. He didn’t need to force an aura—wherever he went, he remained the center of attention in every shot.