Chapter 383 Unexpected Honor
When the orange-red sunset meets layers of clouds, it weaves together a magnificent sunset—yes, magnificent.
Lu Yanhe would always have this word pop into his mind when he saw that sunset, as if the colors and environment associated with it were such emotional memories deep in his memory.
"Yan River".
Chen Ziyan's voice pulled Lu Yanhe out of his daze.
They are on their way to the China Television Directors Association Awards Ceremony.
This awards ceremony was broadcast live on CCTV, so they were going to CCTV's studio.
"What's wrong, Sister Ziyan?" Lu Yanhe asked.
Chen Ziyan said, "Although you have three nominations tonight, you should be mentally prepared. Judging from the competition in the categories of these three nominations, you basically have no hope of winning an award."
Lu Yanhe suddenly realized, nodded, and said, "I know, Sister Ziyan, I'm already mentally prepared for not winning the award."
“You not only need to be mentally prepared, but you also need to manage your facial expressions,” Chen Ziyan said. “You are already lucky enough and a favorite of awards. Don’t be disappointed or sullen at this time because you didn’t win an award. This will make people think you are greedy. There is no reason or logic to it. This is reality. Don’t ask me why. I don’t know why either.”
Lu Yanhe nodded with a smile.
"Okay, okay, I understand. I will definitely manage my expression well, and even if I am disappointed, I will not show it at all."
Chen Ziyan: "I keep my word."
-
Chen Ziyan's advice was reasonable.
The scale of tonight's awards ceremony also exceeded their expectations.
They hadn't even seen such a star-studded lineup of guests at the award ceremonies of the three major award ceremonies.
Popular actors and singers, including Li Zhibai, Yan Liang, Qin Zhibai, Song Linxin, Liu Zhiyin, Lang Xia, and Zhen Hongyu, attended tonight's awards ceremony, either as performers or as presenters, making the event seem very prestigious.
After Lu Yanhe arrived at the red carpet, he got out of the car alone; Chen Ziyan did not accompany him.
Zou Dong followed behind him, keeping a distance of about two meters, so that Lu Yanhe remained in his sight and could react promptly to any emergencies, while also ensuring that the media could get a solo photo of Lu Yanhe.
Wang Biao followed Chen Ziyan directly into the inner area through another passage.
Chen Siqi didn't come tonight.
Lu Yanhe originally wanted her to come along, but Chen Siqi said, "I have to prepare for my midterm exams, which are the day after tomorrow. If I don't prepare well and fail, I'll have to wait until my senior year to retake the course."
There was no other way, so Lu Yanhe had to come alone.
However, the cheers were still very loud and enthusiastic.
Lu Yanhe had no idea that so many people at the scene would shout, "Meng Bai, I love you!"
Meng Bai is the character he played in the movie "Late Spring".
Many viewers truly took this movie to heart.
Lu Yanhe was also very happy that everyone had such a deep impression of his portrayal of Meng Bai and liked it so much.
The red carpet host asked him, "Yan He, you have three nominations tonight. Have you thought about how many trophies you might take home tonight?"
"I've thought about it. I want to take all three home," Lu Yanhe said frankly. "But it's difficult, so we can only wait and see. Maybe I won't be able to take any home. In that case, I'll just have to take home the blessings from the audience."
The entire audience, especially his fans, erupted in screams.
Although she wasn't there in person, Chen Siqi, who was watching the live stream with headphones on, felt a chill run down her spine after hearing Lu Yanhe say those words.
"Why is it so greasy?" she couldn't help but complain.
Bai Yu, who shared an earphone with Chen Siqi, laughed loudly when she heard Chen Siqi's complaints.
Everyone else in the coffee shop looked over.
-
Chen Ziyan was already waiting for him inside the venue, accompanying him as he greeted and chatted with others before the awards ceremony officially began.
Especially the older generation of directors and actors. Lu Yanhe didn't know many of them and could only get to know them through Chen Ziyan's introduction.
But everyone was quite friendly and helpful to him, and they always offered him words of encouragement when they met.
People are quite interested in his future film and television projects, and almost everyone asks him a question or two. The main concern is still about the period sitcom "My Own Swordsman," since it's rare to combine period dramas with sitcoms, and everyone is eager to know what the final product will be like.
Regarding the controversies surrounding him, many seniors have encouraged him not to be influenced by external voices, but to focus on his own work, as these voices will eventually pass.
The atmosphere that evening was something Lu Yanhe had never expected.
This was quite different from what Lu Yanhe had initially expected. He had thought he would face some suppression or cold shoulders—after all, he had received three nominations in one go.
When he came to his senses, he realized he had been too petty.
His nomination wasn't chosen by a few people, but by all the directors—those who have connections and can't get nominated through voting are the ones who should worry about being suppressed and ostracized.
-
"Yanhe, congratulations!" Xu Yiren, who had just met Lu Yanhe again, walked up to him and congratulated him with a smile. "You've set a record, getting three nominations in one year."
When facing the newly crowned Best Actress at the Red River Awards, Lu Yanhe politely addressed her as Sister Yiren.
Xu Yiren asked, "I saw in the news that you were injured while filming. Is your injury healed?"
Lu Yanhe nodded and said, "He's almost fully recovered."
"That's good. I was really shocked to see the news about your injury." Xu Yiren raised his hand to his chest to express his concern, and then said, "I heard that Zhang Lan came to see you, wanting to act in 'My Own Swordsman'?"
Lu Yanhe was somewhat surprised, wondering where Xu Yiren had learned this news.
Xu Yiren seemed to know what Lu Yanhe was thinking, smiled, and said, "Oh dear, there are no secrets in this industry. It's Zhang Lan again. Everyone's watching what her next project is."
Lu Yanhe smiled, shook his head, and said, "Sister Yiren, I didn't decide the actors for 'My Own Swordsman.' It was Aurora's business, and I don't know anything about it."
Xu Yiren immediately glared angrily at Lu Yanhe.
"How come you've learned Tai Chi at such a young age?"
Lu Yanhe looked at Xu Yiren, at a loss for words.
Fortunately, Jiang Yuqian arrived at that moment.
"Yan He." She walked gracefully to Lu Yan He's side, called out to him first, and then looked at Xu Yi Ren, "Yi Ren, you look beautiful today. I wish you a dazzling performance on stage later."
Xu Yiren is also nominated for Best Actress tonight.
Judging from her winning style at the Honghe Awards, she also has a chance to win an award today.
When Xu Yiren saw Jiang Yuqian arrive, he stopped asking about Lu Yanhe and Zhang Lan and instead asked her about it.
"Yuqian, have you heard? I heard that Zhang Lan wants to act in 'My Own Swordsman'." Xu Yiren took Jiang Yuqian's hand and asked.
Jiang Yuqian smiled. "How would I know about her? But why are you curious about this? Do you also want to act in 'My Own Swordsman'?"
Xu Yiren was taken aback, a hint of embarrassment at having his thoughts exposed showing on his face, but he immediately said, "I don't even know if there's a suitable role for me in 'My Own Swordsman'."
Jiang Yuqian said, "No, there really isn't."
Xu Yiren looked at her in surprise: "How did you know? You've already read the script?"
“I’ve read the scripts for the first few episodes, so of course I need to see if there’s a suitable role for me,” Jiang Yuqian said frankly, smiling at Xu Yiren. “After all, if I want to play the role, Yan He definitely won’t refuse.”
Lu Yanhe readily agreed and remained silent, supporting Jiang Yuqian.
Xu Yiren chuckled twice in surprise and said, "That's true, you two have such a good relationship."
She added, "However, Yuqian, you should be careful. Yanhe isn't single. We've all been through the age of his girlfriends. She's the age when she's most prone to jealousy. Don't make things difficult for Yanhe."
Jiang Yuqian: "This is so rare. I've known Yan He for so long, and this is the first time I've heard such a reminder. Okay, I'll remember it, haha."
Lu Yanhe stood silently to the side, pretending not to hear anything.
When the killing intent between women ignites, it is indeed sharp, possessing a fierce sense of confrontation without a blade.
As soon as Xu Yiren left, Jiang Yuqian turned around and glared at Lu Yanhe, "Zhang Lan came to see you? She's going to play the female lead in 'My Own Swordsman'?"
Jiang Yuqian's eyes were fierce.
Lu Yanhe quickly explained, "They came to me, but I didn't agree to let her act in the role, and Aurora also refused."
Jiang Yuqian's expression softened somewhat.
“If you choose her, I’ll really get angry,” Jiang Yuqian said.
Lu Yanhe was both amused and exasperated.
"Understood, Sister Yuqian."
Jiang Yuqian: "It's fine if you work with her, but you wrote the script yourself and you have the right to choose the actors. If you choose her to play the role under these circumstances, I will be slapped in the face."
In the entire entertainment industry, everyone knows that Jiang Yuqian and Lu Yanhe have a good relationship, and everyone knows that Jiang Yuqian and Zhang Lan are mortal enemies who are fighting tooth and nail for each other.
Jiang Yuqian's words were not serious at all.
Lu Yanhe: "Don't worry, Sister Yuqian."
-
After the awards ceremony officially began, everyone took their seats.
One minute it's an awards ceremony, the next it's a performance.
Because it was a live broadcast, everyone was very cooperative. No one left midway or took out their phones to play. Nobody knew when the camera would come on, and everyone was watching the stage very attentively.
The gala lasted for more than three hours, with four commercial breaks in between.
During the break, the scene became noisy and chaotic, just like a vegetable market.
Lu Yanhe is a bustling and lively place.
Many people approached him to chat, including producers, directors, and other actors.
Lu Yanhe could only deal with them one group at a time, and didn't have time to find Li Zhibai and Yan Liang.
During the last commercial break, Lu Yanhe couldn't hold it in any longer and had to go to the restroom.
He could only apologize to the people surrounding him and hurriedly went to the restroom.
Surprisingly, there was a long queue at the restroom.
Lu Yanhe felt a headache coming on, but he could only wait in line.
Then, Chen Pinhe came out of the restroom.
As soon as he appeared, all eyes and attention were drawn to him.
After all, he is one of the top male actors in the country.
Chen Pinhe smiled and nodded to them, preparing to leave, when his gaze suddenly swept over Lu Yanhe and lingered on him for a moment.
Lu Yanhe was also taken aback.
He figured that since he was the junior, he should take the initiative to greet him, so he said, "Hello, Teacher Chen."
Chen Pinhe nodded to him, his expression indifferent, and said nothing before turning his gaze away and walking forward.
-
Chen Pinhe is here tonight as an award presenter to award the Best Actor prize.
The first two awards were unsurprising and had nothing to do with Lu Yanhe.
Lu Yanhe knew he had no chance of winning the last award. He was surprisingly relaxed and not nervous at all. If he had a chance of winning, he probably would have been nervous.
When Chen Pinhe uttered the words "He Dahong," the entire audience burst into applause.
Lu Yanhe also clapped.
So far, no miracles have occurred tonight.
Lu Yanhe stood up along with many others and applauded the veteran actor who had been acting for over thirty years.
He went on stage to accept the award, and he was very happy, all smiles.
"After acting for half my life, this is the first time I've received a prestigious award," He Dahong said with a smile.
Unlike many excited award recipients, He Dahong appeared relaxed and showed no signs of excessive excitement.
“I thought it was Lu Na. I watched the whole series of Seventeen Floors. Lu Na’s portrayal of the genius was really good,” He Dahong said. “To have such a skillful ability to create a character at such a young age, without having received professional training, is amazing.”
The camera immediately switched to Lu Yanhe.
Lu Yanhe immediately stood up, clasped his hands together, and bowed to He Dahong to express his humility and gratitude.
He Dahong then went through all the other nominated male actors before mentioning that he had won the award.
"Winning an award is certainly a happy thing, but for an actor, winning awards is secondary; doing what you love is the most important thing," He Dahong said. "I love acting, and being able to keep having roles to play is enough for me."
After he finished speaking, he bowed to the audience and stepped down from the stage.
The applause from the audience grew even louder.
Next up is the Best Director award.
Chen Lingling accepts the award.
Lu Yanhe applauded for her with great joy.
As always, Chen Lingling was unpretentious, saying, "I've filmed so many movies and won quite a few awards, but I still value the Directors Guild Award. After all, I voted for myself, haha."
The whole audience burst into laughter.
As a result, a major upset occurred in the Best Television Series award.
The winner was none other than Friends!
Lu Yanhe was completely stunned and taken aback.
He knew the show was good, of course. However, before he came, Chen Ziyan had emphasized to him many times that sitcoms like "Friends," which are just for laughs and lightheartedness in the eyes of many middle-aged and elderly people, basically had no chance of winning awards. The reason it was nominated was because of its influence and good audience reputation.
The producers and director Bai Jingnian were all stunned.
This was an award they themselves hadn't expected.
At this moment, everyone sitting next to Lu Yanhe turned around to congratulate him. Only then did Lu Yanhe realize that he was also a key member of the creative team for this drama, serving as both the screenwriter and lead actor.
The producer and Bai Jingnian went on stage, and Hu Siwei was also pulled onto the stage.
Hu Siwei was so excited that the first thing he did after going on stage was to look for something in the audience.
"Yan He, Yan He, where are you? Come up here quickly! And Yan Liang, you're both here tonight, come up together!"
Two of the six main actors from Friends came tonight.
Lu Yanhe and Yan Liang were both called up to the stage.
Lu Yanhe didn't know how to describe his feelings at this moment.
That's incredibly strange.
Bai Jingnian was extremely excited, his excitement overflowing. "I, I swear, I never dared to dream that this award would fall to our 'Friends'!"
Many people in the audience cheered and applauded to encourage them.
Bai Jingnian suddenly choked up.
“When He Dahong received the award earlier, he said that winning the award was secondary, and the important thing was being able to act in the plays he loved. But I also want to say that after working in this industry for so many years, it’s really, really difficult. Sometimes you really need encouragement and recognition from your peers.” Bai Jingnian’s eyes welled up with tears as he finished speaking.
Hu Siwei stood beside him and patted him on the shoulder.
"It's so difficult to make a show that isn't well-received by the market. We put in so much effort to get this team together. I want to express my special gratitude to Lu Yanhe."
Bai Jingnian suddenly pointed at Lu Yanhe, startling Lu Yanhe who was whispering to Yan Liang.
The entire audience was watching them.
Bai Jingnian said, "If Lu Yanhe hadn't taken over the screenwriting job and written such a good script, we wouldn't be where we are today. If Lu Yanhe hadn't firmly believed that this show would be a good show and that I could make it well, we wouldn't be where we are today. If Lu Yanhe and his friends hadn't given up and persisted in using their efforts to get the audience to watch this show, it wouldn't have won this award. Yanhe will not participate in the sequels, but to me, you will always be a part of 'Friends,' forever."
Lu Yanhe was moved by Bai Jingnian's unexpected words.
He sighed helplessly, clenched his fist, and suddenly turned away.
I couldn't help but shed a few tears.
The audience erupted in applause once again.
Bai Jingnian: "It's a pity he didn't win the Best Screenplay award today, but it's okay, he won the Best TV Series award today!"
Hu Siwei walked over to Lu Yanhe and pulled him aside, insisting that he say a few words.
Lu Yanhe sighed heavily, his eyes still a little red.
"I was all set to go home and sleep, and then this surprise happened right at the end. I'm still in a daze." He scratched his head.
The audience erupted in good-natured laughter.
"Friends is a script I wrote, but it's a collaborative work of all of us involved," Lu Yanhe said. "I regret that I couldn't continue working with everyone, which is probably why the director said those words to me specifically tonight. Director Bai Jingnian is a very, very good director. He's so experienced, yet he respects young people like me so much. It's not that he respects me because I'm a star, but because he respects the opinions of every one of us creators. Moreover, he never hesitates to use his influence to highlight our brilliance."
“Producer Hu, well, without you, I wouldn’t be here on Friends. I only got to know you as a director. A work of art is art, but art is made up of all the different jobs. Without the efforts of everyone in front of and behind the camera, art is not art, just a crude craft.”
"Because of everyone in front of and behind the camera, Friends has become a work of art that you have recognized. I will always regard it as my proudest masterpiece, and I will always be with it."
After Lu Yanhe finished speaking, he bowed, took two steps back, and gave his seat back to someone else.
Yan Liang put his arm around Lu Yanhe's shoulder.
"Yes, very much so."
Hu Siwei turned around and looked at Lu Yanhe.
His face showed gratitude, apology, and many other complex and indescribable things.
Lu Yanhe looked at him with a smile, his eyes were clear and devoid of any other emotions, only joy at this honor.
He also told Hu Siwei not to think too much, to enjoy the honor of this moment, and then to share it with everyone.
That's enough.
(End of this chapter)
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