Chapter 243: 243 Extra One

Chapter 243 Extra One

Extra One

The morning after the Contention Award ceremony, a post on a film and TV forum suddenly blew up.

“How is it Lu Xu again? Couldn’t this year’s Contention Award bring something new or exciting?”

“+1, the moment I heard Lu Xu’s name, I thought… is the Contention Award really out of other options? Does it have to be him?”

[I think two Best Actor awards for Lu Xu would’ve been enough, but four? And he even said, “This won’t be the last.” If he wins again, he might as well organize his own Contention Award.]

“I think it’s because he didn’t win the Golden Flame Award, so he’s padding his stats with the Contention Award.”

“…Wait, why are people blaming Lu Xu? What’s this about ‘freshness and anticipation’? Is *Reign Supreme* not worthy? Or is Lu Xu’s performance not worthy?”

“I actually think the fact that the Contention Award committee, knowing Lu Xu already had three trophies and that giving him another would invite criticism, still awarded him—doesn’t that prove his clout?”

“Maybe we should look at the reactions of the other nominees after Lu Xu won. Li Yan was a class act, a true gentleman. Shi Tianhao was completely out of it the whole time. As for Xie Zejie and Ni Xiuzhu… well, those two really struggled to hide their salt. Ni Xiuzhu looked ready to spit nails.”

“Seriously? Ni Xiuzhu thinks the award was unfair? The only time he’d be satisfied is if he won himself. But let’s be real, with his acting skills, he’d only get it if everyone else was out of the picture.”

“Deadass, throwing Ni Xiuzhu under the bus just to hate on Lu Xu? Does Lu Xu’s win depend on Ni Xiuzhu’s approval? This year’s Contention Award followed the same criteria as always—whoever gave the best performance won.”

“What I find amusing is—even the haters admit Lu Xu deserves at least two Contention Awards. Who else gets that kind of treatment? No matter how hard they try to hate on him, they still have to acknowledge his shine. That bitterness… I get it.”

[I recommend checking out the Weibo posts by the bloggers ‘Film Diary’ and ‘Talking Movies.’ They analyzed this year’s Contention Award race. Lu Xu was always a frontrunner. His biggest disadvantage was the fact that he already had two trophies. But objectively speaking, does Lu Xu really not deserve his fourth Contention Award in his career?]

“From a pure judging standpoint, no one can deny Lu Xu’s qualifications. If we’re just comparing acting, for me, Lu Xu’s performance ≥ Li Yan = Shi Tianhao > Xie Zejie > Ni Xiuzhu. Ni Xiuzhu can be ruled out entirely. As for Li Yan, Lu Xu isn’t the reason he didn’t win—his acting’s the issue.”

“The biggest controversy now is just that Lu Xu already has three Best Actor trophies, so why give him another? But shouldn’t the focus always be on whether the performance matches the award?”

“By some people’s logic, since Lu Xu has already won before, he should step aside this time. So what exactly is the Contention Award’s criteria? Might as well exclude all actors who’ve won before. Everyone knows this year was special—if past winners shouldn’t be eligible, next year’s nominee list would be a ghost town.”

“The Critics’ Award nominations are out too. Maybe we should check those first.”

“Deadass, Ni Xiuzhu looked so resentful at the ceremony, like Lu Xu stole his Best Actor award. Turns out he didn’t even make the Critics’ Award shortlist. Is he for real?”

“He didn’t make it?!”

“The Contention Award was too kind by half to him.”

“The only overlapping nominees between the Critics’ Award and the Contention Award are Lu Xu and Li Yan. By some people’s logic, might as well say every award in the world favors Lu Xu. His hit rate is pretty high.”

“+1 +1, personally, I feel this year’s Contention Award was mainly a competition between Li Yan and Lu Xu. Either could’ve won. Lu Xu had disadvantages, but also advantages—*Reign Supreme* is a rare historical drama in recent years, and the young emperor role isn’t common. Lu Xu owned that role. Anyone who’s seen *Reign Supreme* would know.”

“Either Li Yan or Lu Xu winning would’ve been fair.”

“Some people don’t actually care who won the Contention Award—they just don’t think Lu Xu should get more accolades. The moment he wins, they lose their minds. Honestly, instead of being jealous of Lu Xu, maybe their idols should work on their acting. You can coast on bad acting when you’re young, but it gets harder later.”

“+1, whether in the TV world or film industry, there’s a wave of fresh blood. If you can’t compete with the veterans and the newcomers are too strong, you’ll be the one left behind.”

[Ahhh every time Lu Xu gets criticized, I just think, “Forget the Xingchen Award Best Actor in a Television Series / Contention Award Best Actor / Critics’ Award Best Actor / Sunset Film Festival Best Actor / 30 billion cumulative box office / face card that never declines / popularity magnet… just let Lu Xu be.”]

“HAHAHA, dial it back, that’s too much.”

“Lu Xu would block you so fast. He can’t handle that energy LOL.”

“If I were Lu Xu, I’d feel his soul leaving his body and secondhand embarrassment.”

"Upstairs, you're scarier than a mountain monkey. If Lu Xu sees you, he’ll definitely bolt."

[Weren’t we just debating Lu Xu’s award eligibility? I really think the review from 'Night Sky Observations' is fascinating. The Qi Yi portrayed by Lu Xu may seem cold and ruthless, but he embodies the demeanor of a ruler. In every detail related to Qi Yi in the movie *Reign Supreme*, Lu Xu reinforces this perception. It’s already impressive for a character to leave such a deep impression.]

"*Dough Figurine* emphasizes twists, while *Reign Supreme* oozes dominance. Just looking at Lu Xu’s portrayal of Qi Yi, it’s exactly the impression history books have left of Qi Yi."

"I don’t care, in my heart, Lu Xu absolutely deserves this Contention Award. He’s next-level incredible!!"

"His fourth one!! This year is definitely an off year for the Contention Award, but Lu Xu is absolutely, absolutely incredible!"

"I wasn’t entirely confident about Lu Xu winning, but I know that if this were a strong year for the Contention Award, with a group of outstanding actors as competitors, Lu Xu missing out would be normal. But this year’s competition isn’t fierce, so Lu Xu’s skill naturally puts him in contention."

"...Might as well check out Li Yan’s Weibo."

"Li Yan is so classy—genuinely, he truly admires Lu Xu from the heart. That long post of his, sharing his experience working with Lu Xu on *Night Sky Observations*, and his thoughts after watching *Number A77*, *Dough Figurine*, and *Reign Supreme*... What surprised me was that he’s actually seen all of Lu Xu’s films and even discussed his reflections from an actor’s perspective."

"So impressive. I feel like actors who rise to the top tier are all incredible—not just in their mutual respect, but also in their pursuit of excellence even after reaching great heights."

"The term 'great heights' sounds familiar—seems like a phrase once favored by someone Lu Xu once criticized. But while both pursue 'great heights,' Lu Xu and Li Yan choose self-improvement over superficial pursuits. That’s truly remarkable!"

"Li Yan must know that with Lu Xu winning the Contention Award this time, there’ll inevitably be people using him as an excuse to attack Lu Xu. Sigh, low-key touching, ngl. He didn’t have to speak up, and no one would’ve blamed him."

"He must be disappointed about not winning, yet he still chose to speak up for Lu Xu. Seriously, the box office king is just amazing!"

"AHHHHHH!! Lu Xu responded too!! Mutual respect!! *Night Sky Observations* scene recreated!!"

"Just noticed Ni Xiuzhu also posted on Weibo. Really, if you don’t know what to say, just don’t. Dude, maybe reread your own post?"

[...What does "due to certain uncontrollable factors" and "the award I lost" even mean? This is beyond cringe.]

"Hard to judge +1."

"...Yet neither Lu Xu nor Li Yan even glanced his way. Isn’t that awkward? It was supposed to be a competition between Lu Xu and Li Yan, but he’s been jumping around alone for ages. Did anyone even acknowledge him?"

"Classic. Knew the drama would start the second Lu Xu won."

[If Ni Xiuzhu dares to post about "the award I lost," then I dare to post about "the (bank’s supposed) 1 million I lost."]

"HAHAHAHA, I lost my 500-square-meter mansion. (Like I ever owned one.)"

"With that level of delusion, what in this world couldn’t I have?"

"Peak secondhand embarrassment. Just peak."

"Li Yan’s analysis is so nuanced. That mutual admiration—I even feel like he might’ve watched *Reign Supreme* more than once. I’ve seen it twice myself, but I could never write something as detailed as Li Yan’s post."

"I’m losing it. Ni Xiuzhu actually gave an interview saying he’ll reclaim what he lost this time. AHHHHH I’m about to scream into the void. At least the controversy around Lu Xu winning is about him having too many awards. If Ni Xiuzhu won, the internet would riot. The Contention Award’s credibility might even take a huge hit. These narcissists only care about their own satisfaction, completely disregarding the awards’ integrity or the audience’s feelings."

"As an original fan of *The Writer*, I despise Ni Xiuzhu. I absolutely refuse to accept him winning any prestigious awards or any of his films!!!"

"LOL, just realizing now how off-topic this thread has gone."

"Trying to drag Lu Xu failed in the end. His performance in *Reign Supreme* is undeniably stellar—check out the edits on certain video sites, and you’ll see period drama compilations already include him. Some fans even tried deepfake edits, but once the face changes, the character’s vibe tanks."

"Puppy (Lu Xu) truly deserves it!! I could never say Lu Xu doesn’t deserve the Contention Award. He’ll always be my top #1."

"Ignore Ni Xiuzhu’s tantrums. He’s just performing a solo pity party—no one cares, no one agrees. Even someone like Zhang Zhizhen, who’s always dragging Lu Xu, wouldn’t dare say Ni Xiuzhu should’ve won the Contention Award. Everyone has eyes. Even with his negative EQ, he wouldn’t dare offend the entire world."

"LOL anyway, he’s already acting like the world’s out to get him. Next step—'press conference' to cry about 'unjust fate'?"

"Too bad the pup stayed completely silent. I really wanted to hear his response to this."

"The pup couldn't care less—he's already got four trophies in hand. I genuinely don't understand. Everyone knows Ni Xiuzhu's nomination was shady as hell. Just getting nominated took his agency pulling every string in the book. Does he really think his agency can take down Lu Xu and Li Yan for him? Who the hell does he think he is?"

"...Speechless."

"A master of both singing and composing—simply unmatched."

"If I were Lu Xu, I'd DM him pics of my trophies just to make him fume helplessly."

"The pup wouldn't do that."

"... Lu Xu gave an interview."

"LOL, Lu Xu straight-up said he's not very familiar with Ni Xiuzhu and would 'be all ears' if homeboy had any complaints next time. The shade is comparable to 'I don't know her.' LMAO, get 'em pup!!"

"'Lu Xu Claims Not to Know Ni Xiuzhu'...Come on, it was just 'not very familiar'! Pup's rep takes another L."

"The reputation slaughter continues."