Chapter 163 End...
Gu Huailang finished filming first, but he was not in a hurry to leave the crew. The final scenes were all filmed in the capital, so Gu Huailang would still come to the crew when he had time and return to the dormitory at night.
When Meng Fanxi finished filming his last scene, his teammates gathered together again, a scene they had never witnessed before when filming.
Meng Fanxi, wearing the costume from the play, accepted flowers from his teammates and asked in surprise, "Why are all of you here today?"
Xu You said matter-of-factly, "Congratulations on wrapping up filming! Surprised?"
Meng Fanxi: "Surprise, surprise, but didn't you come here a while ago?"
Zhang Yang and Ren Yuchen exchanged a glance, and Zhang Yang joked, "Is this because they're disgusted with us?"
Ren Yuchen shrugged and looked away, saying, "I'm a little sad."
"Hey, don't!" Meng Fanxi said, both amused and exasperated. After coaxing everyone for a while, he learned that they were all excited about the film because it was his first time starring in a movie, and they had noticed the stark difference between him and Meng Fanxi when they visited the set last time. So they had agreed that Meng Fanxi should definitely come over when filming wrapped up.
Compared to when Gu Huailang finished filming, only Meng Fanxi, a fellow cast member, was present. Meng Fanxi glanced at Gu Huailang, but probably didn't take it to heart.
Gu Huailang: I'm used to it.
The six actors' small gathering after filming wrapped was photographed by passersby and posted on a platform. Han Jinze took this opportunity to get the publicity team on track and generate buzz for the movie.
Although it will still be some time before the film is actually released, everyone's expectations have already been raised.
Even paparazzi wouldn't follow the six of them out for dinner now. There were no scandals, no hiding anything. Even gossip reporters were privately discussing how they never got tired of it. They kept going out for dinner several times a month and still hadn't moved out of the dorm. Are they so stingy? Can't they even afford a house? It shouldn't be that way!
In fact, since their debut, Meng Fanxi and his friends have earned back dozens of times the company's training expenses in their first year. Now, with their income, they can live independently. Even the company's dormitory rent was stopped in the second year after their debut and they paid it themselves.
Even though everyone paid the rent, no one asked to move out. This dormitory carried too many memories for them. They were all nostalgic people. Having such tacit and like-minded roommates, every day was lively and lively with endless topics to talk about. However, when they went on business trips, they felt a sense of emptiness and loneliness.
The finished film of "Simple Little Things" was released quickly, but there were still some twists and turns between the completion of the film and its release. Han Jinze did not reveal much, but that's how it is in the industry; once there are some rumors, they can spread throughout the entire circle.
Despite the various gazes from the outside world, Meng Fanxi was not anxious. He knew that this movie would definitely be released, it was just a matter of time. At worst, he could wait a few years until it was released together with "South City" and then compete for the Golden Phoenix Award. Just imagine that scene, Gu Huailang would be in both movies, what kind of expression would he have then?
Thinking of this, Meng Fanxi couldn't help but smile. Just then, a question came from beside her: "What are you thinking about? You seem so happy." It was Gu Huailang.
They sat in the company's conference room, waiting for Wei Ye to prepare all the necessary materials so they could begin discussing the preparations for the new album.
Meng Fanxi gave Gu Huailang a meaningful look: "It's nothing."
The fact that the movie cannot be released at the moment does not affect their other work. Their schedule is very full. The new album that fans have been calling for must be put on the agenda. Since the members' acting experience has reached a certain level, even Zhang Yang and Xu You have accumulated some filming experience.
For this album, they plan to interpret the stories in the songs, and the theme of each song will be created around the story to enhance the narrative.
The album preparations proceeded smoothly, and excellent film scripts kept pouring in. Meng Fanxi professionally balanced every aspect.
After working hard, he received good news: "Simple Things" will finally be released next year.
Amidst their busy schedule, Meng Fanxi and Gu Huailang welcomed the promotion period of "Simple Little Things". At this time, the scripts in their hands were basically all about the male lead. Many people in the industry joked that Han Jinze had made a profit. They were both very popular during the filming, and their popularity was even increased when the film was released. Han Jinze would probably wake up laughing in his dreams.
Indeed, Director Han was overjoyed throughout the entire promotional period, and he couldn't stop smiling at the record-breaking pre-sales.
Especially when the film was opened to the industry in advance, the critics gave it rave reviews, praising the rivalry between Meng Fanxi and Gu Huailang to the sky. Fans of the group, fans of only one actor, and fans of the couple screamed after reading the reviews, and the public's curiosity was also reached its peak.
After its release, the movie was not as simple as its name suggested. The box office kept breaking records every day. This low-budget movie received huge returns. What was even more terrifying was that its reputation continued to improve. Meng Fanxi and Gu Huailang were the two names people talked about most during that time.
...
The 60th China Film Golden Phoenix Awards ceremony was held as scheduled at Taiyuan Theater.
The film "Simple Things" was nominated for three awards: Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Director, thanks to its unique filming techniques and perspectives, as well as the brilliant performances of the male lead and the second male lead.
Generally speaking, commercially oriented films are not favored in terms of awards, so the fact that they were nominated for three awards this time is already a great honor for the entire crew.
The film finished the year in the top ten at the box office and was also nominated for awards. Han Jinze was even more grateful that he had chosen Meng Fanxi, which made the film so successful.
The idea in my mind became more and more firm.
Meng Fanxi and Gu Huailang walked onto the red carpet with the crew. The two exuded confidence and charisma, having long since shed their naivety from their early days. They were now completely at ease in the face of such a grand occasion.
The host asked Meng Fanxi: "This is your first time being nominated for the Best Actor award. I also noticed that all the members of VIER will be gathered here. How do you feel at this moment? Are you confident that you can win the award?"
Meng Fanxi maintained a proper smile and said, "It is an honor to be shortlisted. All of us are very happy to be invited to participate in this annual event. We will enjoy every moment."
He didn't answer whether he was confident of winning the award, because the truth was that he was confident, but saying it out loud would definitely cause criticism such as being immodest, so he avoided the question.
Lin Ruohe's film, in which she made a cameo appearance, was nominated for Best Film. Naturally, Lin Ruohe attended the ceremony. Although Ren Yuchen is now deeply involved in the television industry, he is also a well-known actor and would not be absent.
As for the other two singers, Zhang Yang and Xu You, the former composed the theme song for "Simple Little Things" which is very popular and was invited to perform live this time, while the latter was directly invited by the organizer without any reason.
Having received the invitation and with his teammates all there, he naturally wouldn't refuse.
There is a waiting room before the ceremony officially begins. The organizer will send a host to the waiting room for random interviews and will also start a live broadcast to allow the audience to see the actors' private social interactions.
The six members of VIER naturally gathered together, forming a unique landscape. Many actors frequently looked over there, and the camera also looked in that direction. Some acquaintances who met during the filming came over to chat and say hello, and left after saying hello. It seemed that no one could destroy the magnetic field of the six people together.
Han Jinze walked over at this moment, and the six people who were chatting and joking suddenly became serious, calling out "Director Han" and greeting him.
Director Han was no longer the serious man he was when he auditioned Meng Fanxi; instead, he became kind and gentle, looking at the six of them with tender and loving eyes.
He said, "Don't be shy. Vansi is the male lead in my movie, so you are all male leads in my movies too."
That was an overstatement, and they dared not respond carelessly, so they could only reply with a smile.
Meng Fanxi sensed that Han Jinze was definitely up to something and wouldn't make baseless accusations, so she looked at him suspiciously.
Seeing that everyone looked wary, Han Jinze stopped joking and leaned over to say in a serious tone, "Don't be nervous. I just wanted to say that I've specially created a script for the six of you. I'll send it to Will Company after the awards ceremony. Maybe you'll really become the male leads in my movie."
Everyone felt a bit confused after hearing this.
Xu You was surprised to find him involved, and almost lost control of his expression: "So sudden?"
Their reaction was also within his expectations. Han Jinze explained earnestly, "Actually, I had this idea when you came to visit the set. But if the film hadn't done well, I wouldn't have been able to ask for it. I'm very satisfied to be nominated for three awards this time, so I have the confidence to extend an invitation to you."
"Don't worry, I'll communicate directly with your company. If you don't want to, you can say so through the company. It won't affect our personal relationship."
Aside from Meng Fanxi and Gu Huailang: It seems like this has nothing to do with your personal life...
As the ceremony was about to begin, everyone officially entered the venue. Once inside, they could no longer chat as casually as they had in the waiting room, and everyone had to maintain the best possible facial expression while seated.
Meng Fanxi sat with the entire crew in the front row, with Gu Huailang sitting next to him.
Things have changed. He and Gu Huailang appeared together at the Golden Phoenix Awards, but things were different now. Back then, they were rivals, but now they were teammates encouraging each other.
As the highest-level ceremony in China, the Golden Phoenix Awards have extremely rigorous award presentation process and performances, making the entire ceremony solemn and ceremonial.
Zhang Yang's performance started early in the middle. Compared to the previous guests who either lip-synced or sang off-key with trembling voices, he had even breath control and immediately drew people into the story. Even though the screen behind him was just a simple background image, almost everyone who heard the song was reminded of the movie plot.
Meng Fanxi listened intently. If it weren't for the formal occasion making it inappropriate to take out his phone, he would have really wanted to record a segment to document yet another extraordinary performance by Zhang Yang.
After the performance, Meng Fanxi and Gu Huailang were excited and clapped loudly, completely unaware that the scene was broadcast globally and later turned into memes.
Soon, the first award that's worth watching will be announced.
Best Supporting Actor Award.
The award was presented by a veteran actor who had played many classic supporting roles and the actor who won Best Supporting Actor in the previous year. The two of them, one playing a supporting role and the other a comedian, unexpectedly created some chemistry.
When the candidate box appeared, Meng Fanxi was nervous for Gu Huailang. In his eyes, Gu Huailang's performance in the candidate clip was better than all the other candidates. If he were a judge, he would definitely vote for him.
"...The winner of the Best Supporting Actor award is—"
"Gu Huailang!"
Meng Fanxi breathed a sigh of relief, smiled, and quickly stood up to congratulate Gu Huailang. However, Gu Huailang didn't seem so happy. When he hugged Meng Fanxi, he hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped: "But..."
Meng Fanxi immediately knew what he was thinking. According to some common rules, if a film is nominated for both Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor at the same time, it can usually only win one of the awards. It is not possible for the same film to win both awards at the same time.
Gu Huailang's winning the award may also mean that the Best Actor award will go to someone else.
Meng Fanxi believed that what was meant to be his would eventually be his, and if he couldn't have it this time, there would always be another chance.
He patted Gu Huailang's back hard: "Watch your expression! What's mine will always be mine. Are you looking down on me?"
After a lighthearted joke, Gu Huailang's expression improved, and he went up on stage.
He thanked everyone, including his grandmother, and finally gave a solemn thank you to Meng Fanxi in the audience.
After receiving the award and returning from backstage, Gu Huailang apologized softly, "I was being stubborn. You can definitely do it."
Meng Fanxi slapped him with a smile, sounding annoyed.
The process proceeded quickly, and the presenter for Best Actor slowly emerged from behind the scenes.
It turned out to be Lin Ruohe and Ling Gaohan, the actor who won Best Actor last year.
Upon seeing Lin Ruohe, Meng Fanxi thought, "No way."
The scene of Ren Yuchen presenting an award to Gu Huailang in his previous life flashed before his eyes.
No way, that's not right. In their past lives, the audience had a sense of nostalgia for their group's early disbandment, which was a selling point.
Now, it should just be a normal award presentation by Lin Ruohe, right?
Why hasn't the captain said anything yet?
Well, it's also possible that the organizers signed an agreement preventing them from disclosing details related to the awards ceremony.
Meng Fanxi had already prepared himself for the possibility that he might not win the award, but Lin Ruohe's appearance stirred up a ripple in his heart once again.
The two engaged in a normal conversation. Meng Fanxi maintained excellent control over his expression, but he felt somewhat restless inside.
Each candidate's segment was played on the big screen, with Meng Fanxi's segment receiving the most attention. When the camera switched to Meng Fanxi's candidate frame, he appeared remarkably calm.
Then, Lin Ruohe handed the envelope with the winner's name on it to Ling Gaohan.
Ling Gaohan opened the envelope, took out the card, and raised an eyebrow after seeing the name: "The 60th China Film Golden Phoenix Award is awarded to..."
Even if he were to be reborn, Meng Fanxi's heart would still involuntarily race at this point.
Then, keeping everyone in suspense, he handed the task to Lin Ruohe: "You do it."
Lin Ruohe tried to maintain a calm expression, but she couldn't help but smile broadly just before she uttered the name.
"Congratulations, Vansie! 'Simple Little Things'!"
Lin Ruohe, who is usually very elegant and proper, almost shouted it out.
Gu Huailang almost immediately roared and stood up excitedly. Although his roar was drowned out by the cheers that swept through the entire venue, the camera clearly captured the expression on his face that was even more excited than when he won the award.
For a moment, Meng Fanxi's mind went blank. He sat there, staring blankly at the five candidate boxes on the screen that had become one, with his dazed expression on it.
He only came to his senses when he stood up and hugged Gu Huailang, realizing with a start that this was reality, and that he had really done it!
A complex mix of emotions welled up inside him, including surprise, astonishment, emotion, and joy, and he hugged the director and crew members around him one by one.
The background noise from the host was less composed than before, his tone excited: "...Meng Fanxi won Best Actor, and his teammate Gu Huailang just won Best Supporting Actor. The lead actor and supporting actor of a movie both won awards, and two members of a group both won awards. VIER's fans must be incredibly proud of them..."
Instead of rushing onto the stage, he walked back along the aisle of his seat.
There, Ren Yuchen, Xu You, and Zhang Yang, who had been invited to attend the ceremony, had already stood up. Upon seeing him approach, they excitedly left their seats and embraced each other tightly.
Gu Huailang followed closely behind and hugged him.
On stage, Lin Ruo and Han Xiao watched this scene with tears in their eyes. If the host hadn't gestured for them, they would have wanted to go down and hug the members.
The lights and everyone's focus converged on one point. Meng Fanxi faced Lin Ruohe's gentle gaze, with the warm protection of his teammates on his back, and walked towards the podium with firm and powerful steps.
(End of article)
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A note from the author:
The main story is finished! I'll be updating with some extra chapters and fixing bugs later. Thank you all for your continued support; without your clicks and encouragement, I can't imagine how I could have persevered. From May to October, Meng Fanxi moved forward, experiencing many things big and small at work, but the writing experience gave me a lot of strength.
My next book was originally planned to be an infinite flow novel, but I anticipate it will be a very long novel that will test my energy and time, so for now I'd like to start with a novella. All three books are available for pre-order in my column and in the author's notes. If you're interested, you can click to check them out. A special thank you to every reader who has added this to their collection [kiss]. Thank you everyone (bows).
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