Chapter 239: 239 Questioned

Chapter 239: Under Scrutiny

"Talk about a coincidence." Not long after the nomination list was announced, Li Yan called Lu Xu.

If Li Yan hadn’t reached out, Lu Xu would probably have sent him a message too... it really was too much of a coincidence.

The marketers moved faster than Li Yan in contacting Lu Xu. After all, this was a competition between the top two highest-grossing leading actors—both were performers with both popularity and skill, though Lu Xu had a better track record with awards.

To the marketers, the harmonious relationship between Lu Xu and Li Yan was already unusual. Shouldn’t the top two always be at each other’s throats? Yet these two not only collaborated on *Night Sky Observations* but also maintained a much friendlier rapport than most actors.

In the entertainment industry, friendliness was practically a red flag!

Unfortunately, even after *Night Sky Observations* was released, with Lu Xu’s box office numbers closing in on Li Yan’s, there was still no sign of any feud between them—at least, the marketers couldn’t find even a trace. This time, with both nominated for the Contention Award for Best Actor, the marketers saw it as the beginning of the end of their friendship.

Lu Xu: "..."

Seriously... why the feud narrative? When it came to awards, wasn’t it just about merit?

Their teams would handle PR, of course. This trophy was important to Li Yan, but that didn’t mean Lu Xu would just give it up.

Even if Lu Xu already had three Best Actor trophies, he’d gladly take a fourth.

...

Of course, no matter how calm Lu Xu and Li Yan remained, to the marketers, their supposedly unbreakable bond since *Night Sky Observations* was now doomed.

"You’d think the competition between these two top actors will intensify," lamented one marketer regretfully. "Does no real friendship survive in the entertainment industry?"

Fans: "..."

Honestly, even if celebrities did share sincere friendships, the marketers would spin them into drama.

In any case, the rivalry between Lu Xu and Li Yan was a key talking point of this year’s Contention Awards.

Beyond that, another hot topic this year was—why does it always have to be Lu Xu?

"Looking at this year’s Contention Award nominations for Best Actor, I can’t help but sigh—is there really no decent actor left in the vast entertainment industry? Since *Reversal City*, Lu Xu’s name has appeared far too frequently. This not only raises suspicions of backroom deals between him and the Contention Award committee but also holds back younger actors."

"Lu Xu’s acting is good, I admit, but is he the only skilled actor out there? Shouldn’t the Contention Award committee consider giving others a chance?"

"I’m already sick of seeing that same tired face—the same stale styling, the same copy-pasted speeches. The same praise that worked the first year is repeated without change in the second, just like Lu Xu himself, hoarding awards with his old-fashioned characters while leaving audiences speechless."

One critic went so far as to write a lengthy essay titled *I’m Tired of Lu Xu*, expressing frustration over his latest nomination.

At the end of the piece, the critic emphasized, "I know full well that posting this will invite a storm of backlash from Lu Xu’s fans. But no matter how fierce the gales, I will not yield to fandom pressure. I believe my thoughts echo those of many moviegoers—they just lack the courage to speak up. But I do. Bring on the backlash!"

Fans: "..."

First off, who *are* you?

Truthfully, even if this critic wrote ten thousand words bashing Lu Xu, the fans wouldn’t care much. Lu Xu had faced far worse criticism—this was barely a blip.

The real issue was the essay’s closing paragraph. Despite being a so-called critic, their tone reeked of someone steeped in fan wars for decades, soaked to the core.

That martyr act... was hard to describe.

Was Lu Xu some kind of villain?

Still, the critic’s comment section was piled on with support, with many claiming that Lu Xu’s repeated nominations were shutting out new talent, painting him as an industry gatekeeper.

Fans were speechless: "..."

These remarks could only be described as pure gaslighting.

Fortunately, audiences have clearly seen the recent trends of the Contention Award—

Film critic "Movie Diary" went to bat for Lu Xu in a detailed write-up, arguing that Lu Xu's three awards were 100% deserved—among the five nominated actors, his performance stood head and shoulders above the rest.

As for claims of Lu Xu "hogging the spotlight," his higher nomination count largely comes from booking more leading roles than his peers.

"Whether it's commercial films or art films, directors are fighting to cast Lu Xu. In commercial films, he puts butts in seats; in art films, he possesses a unique gift for character interpretation."

"This dynamic naturally gives Lu Xu more opportunities, which translates to more nominations."

"Here's a thought: instead of coming at Lu Xu, why not give young actors more chances? Discover new talent, let them explore diverse roles. If newcomers can't even get their foot in the door, how can they compete for the Contention Award?"

"Movie Diary" analyzed Lu Xu's craft in depth, even creating a spreadsheet tracking his film releases alongside actors with the most lead credits each year.

While Lu Xu lands more starring roles than peers his age, he's far from the most overworked actor in the industry.

When roasting bad films, "Movie Diary" turns savage, sparing no one: "Instead of fixating on Lu Xu's nominations, why not examine actors pumping out four or five dumpster fires annually? We're not calling out these hacks enough—that's why they keep peddling this trash."

"Well said!! Hahaha, preach!"

"+1, coming at Lu Xu with receipts while tiptoeing around other actors."

"But let's be real—this 'controversy' only surfaced because... certain people are salty about Lu Xu's nomination streak?"

"Check the Weibo comments—the loudest accounts are all stanning hard for their faves. But between us? Their idols couldn't act their way out of a paper bag to deserve a Contention nod."

"Some takes are so delusional I can't tell if they're trolling. Wait—people actually believe Lu Xu's stealing roles?"

"Dead serious. There's even a rumor Lu Xu 'stole' Number A77 from someone."

The rumor gained such traction that even Lu Xu's fans were at a loss for words.

"Let's not kid ourselves—no producer in their right mind would choose a 300-million actor over a 30-billion draw. It's a no-brainer. Are they really that delusional?"

"Same energy..."

"Lu Xu racks up nominations because he delivers. Why should he step aside for lesser talent? Awards have their backroom nonsense, but shouldn't excellence win out?"

This hypocrisy galls fans most.

Lu Xu earns nominations through merit—yet his consistency somehow becomes a crime. What's an actor supposed to do then?

Isn't stellar performance the whole point?

Why punish excellence?

It's not just fans—moviegoers equally resent the industry's toxic mindset.

Lu Xu's box office → better scripts → awards. This virtuous cycle exists because audiences vote with their wallets. Beloved actors should get first pick.

"The audacity to complain about Lu Xu cramping their style—if they had one-tenth his clout, they'd be getting the red carpet treatment. Technically speaking, Lu Xu shouldn't still dominate—he's overdue to pass the torch. But [dog emoji][dog emoji] y'all catch my drift. I'll quit while I'm ahead."

Beyond "Movie Diary," several critics rallied behind Lu Xu. These professionals eat, sleep, and breathe cinema—they've seen masterworks and trainwrecks alike.

With that perspective, they recognize what a unicorn an actor like Lu Xu is.

Here’s the edited translation incorporating the expert suggestions:

But because Lu Xu is exceptionally talented, his name consistently ranks at the top of various actor-related lists. From the fans' perspective, Lu Xu is perfect in every way, but to others, it seems as if pushing Lu Xu out of the way would automatically transfer his achievements to them.

After the article *I’m Tired of Lu Xu* was published, another film critic expressed their concerns—not about Lu Xu, but rather their personal thoughts upon reading the piece.

"The industry still paints a rosy picture, with a genius actor like Lu Xu constantly in the limelight, even to the point where some find him obstructive. But I’ve noticed—if we exclude Lu Xu, the film industry has failed to cultivate a single new talent capable of holding their own over the past decade."

"When analyzing Hong Kong cinema, some say it’s always the same group of people, from the '80s to decades later, with no new blood because the audience doesn’t accept newcomers. But look at the current film market—how different is it from Hong Kong cinema?"

"Because Lu Xu is too popular, wins too many awards, and his films keep smashing box office records, these flaws have been temporarily overlooked. Now that some see him as standing in their way, have they considered how lackluster the track record of the younger generation of actors would be without Lu Xu?"

This issue raised by the critic is something Lu Xu, Zheng Xiao, and Xu Wen have all discussed—it’s a hard truth.

Lu Xu starred in *Deception* long ago, and by the time he acted in the third installment, *Reversal City*, he was already recognized as a young box office draw.

Now, many actors are older than Lu Xu was back then, yet they don’t even have a single signature role of their own.

...

It must be said that *I’m Tired of Lu Xu* did create huge buzz—its readership surpassed all the critic’s other reviews combined for the year.

However, even more people rallied behind Lu Xu.

Everyone knows how competitive the Contention Award is and how difficult it is to secure a nomination. Even if Lu Xu has received some favor from the Contention Award committee, it’s the result of his consistent track record.

"This is a preemptive strike," Xu Wen asserted. "If they can’t beat you fairly, they resort to dirty tricks, trying to bring you down through public opinion first."

The year Lu Xu was nominated for *Dough Figurine* already hinted at this trend, but *Dough Figurine* had undeniable merits, making it one of the more iconic roles in recent Contention Award selections.

The memes of Ma Yanwen’s expressions from *Dough Figurine*, along with his lines about "eating people," spread far and wide.

"Who do you think is behind this?" Lu Xu asked Xu Wen.

The agent shook his head. "Hard to say—it could be anyone. The only one we can rule out is Li Yan’s side."

First, Li Yan isn’t the type to engage in underhanded schemes. Second, after Lu Xu and Li Yan collaborated on *Night Sky Observations*, their agents also connected. Xu Wen directly contacted Li Yan’s agent to confirm the situation.

Given Lu Xu and Li Yan’s status, and the fact that both agents are respected figures in the industry, meddling with nominations would not only appear petty but also directly offend the Contention Award committee.

Both sides have moved beyond such petty tactics.

Li Yan does need this Best Actor trophy, but for him, it would merely be the cherry on top—it wouldn’t affect his standing in the audience’s eyes.

For example, the year Lu Xu didn’t win the Golden Flame Award, another actor took home the prize. Yet even with such a prestigious accolade, that actor’s fame within the industry remained limited—at least, they couldn’t independently carry a film. In terms of appeal and audience recognition, they were far behind Li Yan. But for some, a Contention Award trophy is still crucial—giving up that honor is no easy feat.