Chapter 164 164 Award Reaction

Chapter 164: Award Reactions

"Lu Xu, *Reversal City*, congratulations!"

The moment Lu Xu's name was announced, the live chat, which had been filled with rational predictions, instantly exploded with countless exclamation marks flooding the screen.

"OMGGGG!!!"

"What did I just see? What did I just hear?"

"Ahhhhhhhh!!! The winner is Lu Xu! Best Actor at the Contention Awards goes to Lu Xu!!!"

"It's Lu Xu ahhhhhhh!!!"

Most of Lu Xu's fans who had been rooting for this outcome while watching the live broadcast of the Contention Awards were still aware that his chances of winning were slim. Fans dared to dream but could hardly believe the moment had actually come true.

On screen, Lu Xu himself seemed completely stunned.

His first reaction was total shock.

After a brief pause, Lu Xu made eye contact with Wei Duan and realized that the camera’s focus—along with the gazes of everyone around him—was now fixed solely on him, unwavering, with no attention spared for anyone else.

"You won!"

Mu Lang, sitting beside Lu Xu, remained relatively calm, but Luo Kun stood up and gave him an enthusiastic slap on the back. "What are you waiting for? Get up there!"

Lu Xu was practically pushed toward the stage by the force of Luo Kun’s encouragement.

Apart from the initial shock of realizing he had won, Lu Xu gradually regained his composure as he walked toward the podium. His mind cleared, allowing him to clearly hear the applause surrounding him. When he accepted the trophy, Wei Duan grinned widely at him, and the guests and audience below erupted in applause.

Perhaps it was just his imagination, but Lu Xu felt an unmistakable look of resentment from a certain corner of the guest seats the moment he took hold of the award.

He ignored it.

Even now, it still felt surreal. Though he had been nominated, becoming one of the youngest-ever Best Actor nominees in Contention Awards history, neither Lu Xu himself nor his agency had expected this trophy to come so soon.

It was a little beyond his expectations.

But winning meant he had been recognized—despite all the obstacles, someone had finally acknowledged his performance. His efforts had not been in vain.

Thankfully, he had prepared an acceptance speech.

Lu Xu pulled out a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket. As his fingers brushed past the exquisitely crafted, diamond-studded brooch on his left side, fashion journalists in the audience couldn’t help but marvel—Brand C scored big.

In fact, the moment Wei Duan announced Lu Xu’s name, the hashtag #LuXuWinsContentionAwardForBestActor exploded across all platforms.

Among the five nominees, Lu Xu was undoubtedly the highest-profile and most popular. While this was an advantage for an actor, during awards season, this often became a disadvantage.

Like Lu Xu himself, neither the media nor film critics following this year’s Contention Awards had expected the trophy to land in his hands.

It didn’t seem to align with the Contention Awards’ usual conservative picks.

But… once the results were announced, discussions about this year’s Contention Awards reached an all-time high. In previous years, no matter which actor won Best Actor, the award had never garnered this level of attention. It seemed the entire world was talking about Lu Xu—debating the shift in the industry’s pecking order of young actors, the implications of his win, and who else besides him had come out on top at this year’s Contention Awards.

Only now did fans online realize just how many supporters Lu Xu truly had.

"Lu Xu has always had the most active fanbase among male actors. His metrics are so strong that fans don’t need to flood platforms—his supporters are all true fans who love his work."

"+1, I wouldn’t call myself a die-hard fan, but Lu Xu winning (affectionately called 'Puppy') is definitely repost-worthy."

"What else? You think the show’s hype and box office numbers just magically appeared?"

No doubt, the busiest after Lu Xu's win were the official blogs of G Brand and C Brand.

G Brand had been on the move since the red carpet. Every time Lu Xu hit the red carpet at a major event, the brand’s official blog had to update his new title—last time it was Best Actor nominee at the Golden Flame Awards, this time it was Best Actor nominee at the Contention Award.

After entering the venue, Lu Xu changed into a new outfit, and G Brand hurriedly updated again.

And then came the win.

Fashion analysts have pointed out that since Lu Xu became G Brand’s ambassador, the brand has surprisingly become the most frequently seen at major award ceremonies—pretty much all thanks to Lu Xu.

Other brands might have A-listers repping them, but their highlights are mostly limited to the red carpet, whereas Lu Xu shines from the red carpet to the ceremony—and even through to winning.

Most other nominees skew older, so they don’t have long-term menswear deals.

When Lu Xu won, G Brand and C Brand updated their Weibo posts within just five minutes of each other.

"Since when did luxury brands get this clingy?"

"LMAO, this is pure brand territorialism—afraid Lu Xu might slip away? Luxury brands can be cold to others, but they wouldn’t dare with Lu Xu."

Besides G Brand and C Brand’s enthusiasm, shortly after Lu Xu’s win, many directors and actors who had worked with him posted congratulatory messages.

From Yang Shu and Xia Xuewen of *The Noble Son*, to Cheng Yun and Guo Yining of *The Son of Heaven*, to directors Liu Chunfeng and Mu Qian, as well as *The Path of Bones*’ original author Kong Le and director Lei Ai… These people’s reposts made fans realize that Lu Xu was far from the "friendless" actor some marketers claimed him to be.

Plenty of his past co-stars aren’t nearly as big now, but Lu Xu hasn’t treated them condescendingly after his rise to fame.

"Lu Xu’s just low-key about friendships—it doesn’t mean he’s not a good person!"

"Honestly, from *The Noble Son* onwards, every project has had people supporting him. So touching!"

"LOL Zheng Xiao’s over here flooding the chat with ‘handsome guy, take me with you’ memes. I swear, Lu Xu must be so done with him."

"Seeing this, I can’t help but feel emotional. *The Noble Son* feels like such a long time ago—who knew that supporting actor would one day hold the highest honor in the film industry?"

After the Contention Award’s official blog announced Lu Xu’s win, retweets blew past 10K in minutes.

...

Meanwhile, on the award stage, Lu Xu held his trophy with a smile so big it could power a city.

Already crowned one of the industry’s top visual kings, with a little styling, his visuals became even more striking. On camera, he was undoubtedly a dazzling focal point.

Fans, seeing him through their stan goggles, felt as if Lu Xu was surrounded by a halo at that moment—his nose sharp, his eyes clear and bright. Words can’t even capture it.

Whether on-screen or off, Lu Xu had an undeniable magnetism.

His *Reversal City* role especially stood out.

"Now that’s an award-winning actor!"

"OMG TV king AND film king now?! Our legend Lu Xu!!"

Lu Xu’s acceptance speech was a bit shorter than his Starlight Awards speech. He talked about filming *Reversal City* and how thrilling it was to go full villain.

"Shoutout to Director Mu Lang for building this twisted, unreal world, allowing me to sink my teeth into a totally new kind of role."

"Every time I portray a different character, I fall in love with acting all over again. And standing here with this trophy, it hits even harder now."

"Looking back on the happiest moments of my life, they’ve all come since becoming an actor. Thank you for loving *Reversal City*, thank you for loving me, and—"

Lu Xu raised the trophy high, his eyes bright and his tone clear: "This *absolutely* won’t be the last time!"

The auditorium lights shone radiantly, glowing with a golden hue, perfectly illuminating Lu Xu at that moment—like a king declaring an oath.

Eagle-eyed fans immediately recalled that he had said the same words at the Starlight Awards ceremony.

He’d kept his word.

His sheer confidence and brilliance made it easy for fans to believe him.

Indeed, since becoming an actor, Lu Xu had only climbed higher, never once disappointing his fans.

"Never the last time—ahhhh!"

"I’m freaking out—so excited!!"

"The future is *yours*, Lu Xu! You can and will be even greater!"

When making his promise, Lu Xu wasn’t looking at the audience but directly into the camera, as if speaking directly to each and every supporter.

And his fans got the message, loud and clear.

"Not bad at all," murmured a slightly plump, middle-aged man with thick hair in the front row, glancing at Liu Rennong.

"Yes, we really ought to give young actors more chances."

As soon as Liu Rennong finished speaking, the man gave him a guarded, unreadable glance.

Liu Rennong was applauding with a smile, the picture of genuine admiration, as if truly appreciating Lu Xu.

If memory served, Liu Rennong had voted against awarding Lu Xu the Best Actor title.

This middle-aged man was Sang Yuan, chairman of this year’s *Contention Award* jury. Though all jury members had voting rights, his vote held the most sway.

Sang Yuan had started as a screenwriter before branching into acting, lyric writing, and directing. His portfolio was unmatched—his scripts were masterful, his lyrics widely sung. His leadership had helped the *Contention Award* edge out the competition.

The Best Actor category boiled down to Hang Xiaguang or Lu Xu, depending on the judges’ preferences.

Hang Xiaguang brought experience and consistency, while Lu Xu displayed a maturity in acting that belied his age. In terms of character mastery, he was no less skilled than Hang Xiaguang. Hang Xiaguang excelled in emotional resonance, but Lu Xu, as everyone knew, was also a master of emotional control.

Yet in *Reversal City*, he ditched tear-jerking sentiment in favor of mining the darkest corners of the human psyche to give his character its allure.

Thus, in Sang Yuan’s eyes, comparing the two, Lu Xu’s breakthrough was greater.

Of course, since Lu Xu came from television and had fewer film credits, he couldn’t compete with Hang Xiaguang’s track record. Hang Xiaguang’s extensive filmography made it easier for judges to compare.

But that wasn’t fair to Lu Xu.

Did fewer works mean weaker acting?

The world was never short of geniuses, and the acting circle was no exception. That Lu Xu could stand on the same starting line as Hang Xiaguang with only three released films to his name was, in a way, already a victory.

Still…

Had Sang Yuan not leaned toward Lu Xu, this trophy might have gone to Hang Xiaguang instead.

Liu Rennong hadn’t outright opposed Lu Xu, but during the voting process, he had piously preached that young actors needed "more seasoning," skirting outright provocation—never explicitly against Lu Xu, yet grandstanding under the guise of concern.

How is this any different from outright opposition?

However, Sang Yuan had some understanding of Liu Rennong's perspective.

He believed he could remain impartial precisely because he had gradually withdrawn from the center of the film industry, becoming more of a figurehead—albeit one with influence when it mattered, which earned him a degree of respect from others.

Liu Rennong, on the other hand, was a genuine power broker.

Liu Rennong might not necessarily hold a grudge against Lu Xu, but he didn’t want to see Lu Xu rise too high, especially since the latter had cut short the rise of a few talents Liu had intended to cultivate.

...

*"Contention Award Welcomes Youngest Best Actor Ever"*

*"Contention Award First Win—How Close Is Lu Xu to a Double Crown?"*

*"Golden Flame Award Predictions"*

*"Starlight Award + Contention Award—Lu Xu Cements His Status as the Top Actor"*

That day, Lu Xu dominated the headlines of every entertainment section.

The moment he held up his trophy was captured by a veteran journalist, and soon, practically every outlet ran that shot.

The instant Lu Xu won the award, industry insiders meticulously analyzed the list of past Contention Award Best Actors and discovered that Lu Xu was the youngest winner in the award’s history.

"Not to mention easily the best-looking winner ever."

Of course, a few outlets called it a "surprise win," as Lu Xu hadn’t been considered a frontrunner before the ceremony.

But this year’s Contention Award had no runaway favorite from the start—all the nominees delivered outstanding performances. Even the most seasoned critics wouldn’t honestly argue Lu Xu’s performance was inferior to the others.

Lu Xu’s perceived weaknesses weren’t about his acting, but outside of it.

Moreover, judging by the composition of the judging panel, this year’s Contention Award carried significant prestige—Lu Xu’s win was no 'pity prize.'

"Every nominee earned their spot. If someone were guaranteed to win, that’s called fixing. Moving on."

"Funny how less backlash followed this win than when Lu Xu was nominated for the Golden Flame Award. Anyone who’s seen his performance in *Reversal City* could deny he earned it."

"...So is Zhao Yifan going to complain about Lu Xu again? Sour grapes much?"

"One has a trophy, the other has zero nominations—instead of whining about Lu Xu, he should thank him for starring in *Reversal City*. Otherwise, he’d have no material for his theatrics."

While netizens enjoyed the spectacle, movie forums hosted deep dives by critics, outlining each nominee’s strengths and weaknesses.

After some fan discussions, netizens suddenly realized that while Lu Xu might not have been the strongest contender, his flaws were overblown.

One expert noted: *"Because of his age, Lu Xu is dismissed as out of his league. But the fact that he made the shortlist proves he’s already earned recognition."*

*"What we perceive as his weakness might actually be a strength from the judges’ perspective. Veteran judges see differently—if this kid can hang with legends, that’s the real statement."*

*"Besides, Lu Xu’s performance in *Reversal City* was flawless. From my view, his biggest competitor this year was Hang Xiaguang, but Hang’s role was same-old from Hang. The stale material did him no favors. *Reversal City*, on the other hand, offered something fresher."*

"I don’t get it—when Hang Xiaguang wins, everyone calls it well-deserved, but with Lu Xu, suddenly everyone’s a critic? Lu Xu pulled off a historic feat for his age bracket. To me, that just makes him next-level talent!"

"Next-level talent!"

Lu Xu’s victory naturally made some cheer and others seethe.

And the salt was real.