Chapter 151 The Third Year
The Chinese film industry is undergoing dramatic changes, but this has nothing to do with Meng Fanxi.
A week has passed since Qiu and Lü won the award, but the buzz surrounding it seems unlikely to die down.
Qiu Lü was extremely busy, and Meng Fanxi received a surge in scripts. However, based on his years of experience reading scripts, although there were many male leads and some big productions that would gain a lot of viewership after airing, they were all scripts that were too eager for quick success and instant benefits, and the character portrayals were not rich enough.
Having played far too many one-dimensional roles in his past life, which constantly eroded his acting image, he now has the confidence to cherish his reputation. He has set aside the scripts that have piled up to almost a small mountain.
I decided to cool down my enthusiasm first and not let the current situation cloud my judgment.
However, the idea of cooling things down was destined to fail. Under the barrage of messages and calls from Li Yingqiu and friends in the industry, Meng Fanxi learned from his sleep that he had been nominated for Best Newcomer at the Golden Phoenix Awards for film and Best Newcomer at the Golden Yi Awards for television drama.
Both of these represent the highest level of Chinese film and television.
Other film and television awards have different preferences and award settings. Similar to music awards, they either try not to offend anyone or do not have a newcomer award, but instead have awards such as "Most Watched Potential Award". Some of the more prestigious awards are selected at the beginning of the following year.
When Meng Fanxi, dressed in a suit, stepped onto the red carpet with the crew, he missed his teammates terribly. Before they went up on the red carpet, they all posted photos in the group chat of themselves watching the live stream and teased him not to be nervous because they weren't there.
He was confident about winning the group's awards, but when he was nominated himself, he lowered his expectations, thinking that participation itself was a victory.
The popularity of "Suspension" remains undiminished, and he sat in the front row with the crew. The hall was still magnificent, and Meng Fanxi maintained a polite smile, watching the stage intently.
Until the presenter called out his name: "...The winner of the Golden Phoenix Award for Best Newcomer is—Meng Fanxi for 'Suspension'!"
He stood there for two seconds, stunned, before getting up to accept the congratulations from the actors around him and resolutely walking towards the podium.
...
"What should I do if I get a little excited?" The cute girl with short hair and a round face followed behind her friend, unable to contain her excitement.
The girl leading the way didn't say anything. Her beautiful eyes turned slightly to Le Xin behind her. The slightly speechless look in her eyes made Le Xin immediately understand what she wanted to say.
Le Xin begged for mercy: "Alright, alright, I know I've said it N times, but I just can't help it, Fanyu!"
Meng Fanyu sighed, reached the door, and deftly unlocked it. Her cold voice stated the harsh truth: "My brother isn't here, and he might not even be back for the New Year."
Le Xin carefully entered the room and changed her shoes. She could no longer hear any voices from her friends and all her attention was completely focused on this room.
This is Meng Fanxi's home. Even though he doesn't come back often now, it's definitely a home he thinks about all the time.
The thought of this made Lexin feel like she couldn't breathe.
Am I dreaming? I must be dreaming!
How could this be? How could she be in the same class as Meng Fanxi's younger sister, Meng Fanyu, and even become deskmates and friends with her because they got along so well?
She used to think it was just a coincidence that her friend's name was similar to her idol's, and she marveled at how she had such a deep connection with her idol that she could have someone with a similar name around her.
What a coincidence!
If she hadn't inadvertently noticed her deskmate's self-identified name in the family relationship section when filling out her personal file at the end of the semester, she probably would never have known about this.
After realizing it, I felt that my deskmate and my idol looked so alike, no wonder they were family.
The room in front of her was spacious and bright, with cozy little decorations and family photos. Lexin treasured it and looked at each one carefully.
To the right of the TV in the living room, there is a display shelf showcasing all the honors the siblings have received since childhood, which makes Lexin excitedly shout with delight.
"Wow, Xixi's 'Three Good Student' certificate! Our Xixi has always been an excellent student in both character and academics since she was little. She's practically my role model!"
Glancing at Meng Fanyu's certificate, he exclaimed, "Fanyu is so outstanding. No wonder our Xixi's family is so excellent."
Meng Fanyu came out of the kitchen with two glasses of water and rolled her eyes when she saw this: "Not long ago, someone complained that I was too nagging and pushing you too hard in your studies."
She held out a glass of water and gestured for Yuexin to go to the study: "Stop looking around, come and study."
Le Xin absentmindedly agreed and was about to follow Meng Fanyu when she caught sight of the trophies high on the shelf. She immediately exclaimed excitedly, "Wow, isn't that our Xixi Golden Phoenix Award for Best Newcomer? Wow! And that Golden Yi Award for Best Newcomer, and that Jade Award..."
"I can't believe I'm actually seeing these trophies in person. It's practically like meeting Xixi! Waaaaah!"
"Lexin!" Meng Fanyu called out loudly from the study, and Lexin finally snapped out of her reverie. "Coming, coming."
After drinking the sweet water poured by Meng Fanyu and being granted permission to visit Meng Fanxi's room under her eager gaze, Lexin sat at the spacious desk in a daze.
In her eyes, it was an honor to have her homework placed on Meng Fanxi's desk and written on by someone else. Compared to her friend who could finish a page of math problems in five minutes, she couldn't concentrate on her homework at all.
"Fanyu, Xi... cough, is your brother really not coming back for the New Year?" Lexin cautiously probed, not because she was afraid Meng Fanyu wouldn't answer, but because she was afraid Fanyu would be angry and wouldn't do her homework properly.
Meng Fanyu didn't look up, her expression focused on the homework in front of her, and replied indifferently, "Not necessarily."
Le Xin said understandingly, "That's right. VIER might be the headliner at this year's Starlight Gala, so it's understandable that he can't make it back after it ends."
Meng Fanyu: "They not only participated in the Starlight Gala, but also in some programs during the Lunar New Year, so it's uncertain whether they can come back."
After hearing this, Le Xin was stunned for a moment before realizing that their fan support group had revealed that VIER had taken on several game-related variety shows, and there would be a lot of promotional materials. Everyone cheered with excitement.
Looking back now, it was probably in exchange for not being able to reunite with family.
Her mood gradually declined. Vansi always seemed so positive and optimistic about everything in the world, but there must have been a lot of untold hardships behind it all.
Just as Le Xin was about to wipe away the tears from the corners of her eyes with a pang of heartache, Meng Fanyu suddenly spoke up, shattering her preconceived notions. "What are you thinking?" Meng Fanyu looked at her friend's somewhat sorrowful and distressed face and was even more speechless. "Once my brother's specific schedule is confirmed, my parents will take me to find him, and then we'll celebrate the New Year together."
She initially told Lexin that she might not come back just to dispel Lexin's unusual expectations of the house, since she might not necessarily spend the New Year there.
Meng Fanyu gently pinched Le Xin's chubby cheeks and said, "I advise you not to feel sorry for my brother. Feel sorry for your own final exam first. The teacher clearly said that if you do poorly on the test, your parents will be called."
"Sob." Le Xin choked up and silently lowered her head to start doing her homework. After a while, she still couldn't concentrate.
This is Meng Fanxi's home!
She hadn't had a chance to properly look around the study where Meng Fanxi had once been. She remembered that during an interview, he had mentioned that the study was the place where he could best calm his mind.
But she couldn't.
She was extremely curious about everything in the study, but she maintained the necessary restraint and only dared to observe silently.
Suddenly, a loud gasp came from the room. Meng Fanyu frowned and looked up to see what was wrong with her friend. She saw that her friend was staring intently at a framed photograph on the bookshelf.
The sunlight was shining directly on the photo, causing some reflection. Although Meng Fanyu couldn't make out the outline, she knew what kind of photo it was.
Le Xin trembled with excitement: "Can I...can I go and take a closer look at that sacred photograph?"
Meng Fanyu: "...You can see clearly even in reflections?"
"Their silhouettes are etched deeply into my mind."
Meng Fanyu: "..."
Le Xin suppressed her overwhelming urge to scream, her eyes like carving knives, tracing every corner of the photograph stroke by stroke.
This is a group photo of VIER that has never been released to the public before. The photo contains not only VIER, but also two people in the middle of the photo who have similar eyebrows and eyes to Meng Fanxi. They are probably his parents. Meng Fanyu is also next to them.
They sat around the dining table at home, eating hot pot, and smiled naturally and warmly at the camera.
"It's so beautiful." Le Xin really wanted to cry. She was a fan of Meng Fanxi, but she became a fan because of the sleeping prank segment on a variety show, which is how she learned about the group and fell in love with Meng Fanxi.
She was touched by such a wonderful interaction, but being a fan means facing many trivial matters unrelated to the fandom.
For example, although VIER and Meng Fanxi's fan circles are known for being harmonious, as their numbers increase, they become increasingly uncontrollable, and there are always some annoying voices that emerge, which are highly praised by anti-fans, rival fans, and marketing accounts.
Phrases like "plastic friendship," "the relationship is actually just so-so in private," "just a normal colleague relationship," and "the feelings have faded" are often regarded as so-called "insider information."
She doesn't like this, so apart from the official fan group, she rarely pays attention to news from other places.
She was also afraid that it was really true, even though she had personally witnessed their interactions on screen and been photographed having meals together in private.
Seeing the genuine emotions in her friend's eyes, Meng Fanyu walked over, patted her shoulder, and looked at the photo with a smile, saying, "Let me tell you a little secret: my brother and his family take turns visiting each other's homes for the New Year every year. This photo was taken when they came to my house last year. They said they wanted to leave a photo like this at every house. How childish!"
Le Xin's heart softened upon hearing this, but upon further reflection, she felt even more sorrowful: "Xi Xi is going to join another production, Zhang Yang is going abroad to study, and the others have incredibly busy schedules. Will we still be able to get together?"
Having debuted only three years ago, they haven't won the Starlight Music Award for Best Group yet, haven't toured all the major venues in China, and haven't reached the top. However, VIER's official account recently announced that Zhang Yang will be going abroad to study at the Betty América Conservatory of Music for a year, and may fly overseas after the Chinese New Year.
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