Chapter 394 Double Nomination
When the autumn wind rises, the leaves outside the window rustle and whisper, as if scattered like shattered gems on the ground.
Waking up after a nap in this environment feels like the whole world is encased in a giant glass bottle, creating an unreal, fairytale-like atmosphere.
Huang Kairen's affair caused quite a stir for two weeks, but it finally cooled down and was no longer frequently mentioned.
Li Bi followed Huang Kairen for three days, producing about eighty short videos, which he then posted on his own account.
Later, Aurora Video bought the rights and edited them into a two-and-a-half-hour feature film titled "Huang Kairen Behind the Hot Discussion".
The video interviewed actors like Lu Yanhe and Chen Yu, who had previously worked with Huang Kairen, as well as many staff members who had collaborated with him, both on and off screen. In addition, it included footage of Huang Kairen over those three days, both at work and behind the scenes.
Through these videos, Li Bi actually wanted to convey the image of Huang Kairen.
Finally, Huang Kairen's confession garnered significant attention and response. While some of this was due to online trolls orchestrated by Xin Zixing, it was largely driven by the genuine sincerity Huang Kairen conveyed that touched many people.
“I want to be an actor, so I can’t just stay in my comfort zone and never step out. I understand that many people want to protect me and hope that I won’t take any risks. But if we don’t take risks, we will only ever see the world we see now.”
Huang Kairen looked at the camera with eyes that seemed to hold water and were as calm as a deer's, containing many emotions that could not be understood at first glance, yet it seemed as if he could see into the heart of anyone.
“I’ve actually been thinking about this a lot lately. Not responding doesn’t mean I’m indifferent; it’s just that I don’t know how to respond. Rather than explaining why I made this film, I prefer to let my work speak for itself. Actors shouldn’t explain too much. So, I might explain less and less in the future. I hope you can feel that it’s not that I don’t care about you; it’s just that I’ve changed to a way that I think is more appropriate to express my care. For myself, I want to be a true actor; for you, I hope I can live up to your continued support.”
-
The matter has finally come to an end.
This incident also deeply affected Lu Yanhe.
Huang Kairen has been famous for so many years, and he still encountered this situation. Will he encounter it again in the future?
During a break in their meeting to discuss the script for "The Road to Glory," Lu Yanhe curiously asked Shang Yongzhou if he had ever experienced such pain.
Shang Yongzhou said, "Of course."
“We all rely heavily on fans—although many people don’t admit it, or even feel that they are not stars, but just actors, we all know that if we didn’t have a group of fans, or as they call them, movie fans, then why would producers spend so much money to hire us to act? Is it really because our acting skills are exceptionally outstanding?” Shang Yongzhou said. “However, if you want to become a great actor, you must get rid of the mentality of pleasing fans. This does not mean that you don’t need fans to like you, but you have to understand one thing: your primary task is to make a good movie, not a movie that fans will like. I may sound harsh, but that’s the truth. What we truly rely on is our work, not our fans. Fans will leave and disappear, but the works we make will not.”
Lu Yanhe nodded thoughtfully.
Shang Yongzhou said, "Yan He, I actually think you sometimes overthink things."
"ah?"
Shang Yongzhou said, "You don't look like someone in their early twenties at all."
Lu Yanhe was somewhat at a loss when he heard Shang Yongzhou's evaluation of him.
Shang Yongzhou added, "I watched 'Late Spring' again a couple of days ago, and I'm even a little curious: if you think about so much, how come you acted so immaturely in the movie?"
Lu Yanhe said, "No, okay, I might be overthinking things, but I won't become a mature person just because I think a lot. I think a lot because there are too many things I can't figure out."
Shang Yongzhou: "No wonder. I've seen many of your dramas, whether it's 'Late Spring' or 'The Seventeen Floors.' Your greatest strength lies in the deep sense of story that your face conveys, and the uncertainty that always lingers. This somewhat bewildered and confused quality... well, it's quite rare. In 'The Road to Glory,' you can amplify this aspect."
“In ‘Road to Glory,’ I didn’t know how I should act or what kind of performance I should deliver.” Lu Yanhe said with a wry smile, “I feel like I’ve done a lot of preparation and design, but I still haven’t been able to internalize it into my own style.”
The main point is that the character Jiang Ying, played by Lu Yanhe, is the most outgoing and unconventional character Lu Yanhe has ever played in his acting career.
His previous roles involved complex and nuanced inner monologues, which didn't necessarily require much physical expression. However, Jiang Ying in "The Road to Glory" is cynical, arrogant, and short-tempered—characteristics that, when combined, represent a personality Lu Yanhe has never portrayed before. This clashes with Lu Yanhe's own personality, causing him to lose the immersive quality he had previously displayed in his acting.
Shang Yongzhou, however, said he wanted to amplify the character's sense of bewilderment and confusion.
This person's demeanor sounds very different from Jiang Ying's.
“In this play, you and I are like mirror images. Because I was diagnosed with cancer, I have been using silence, determination, and a feigned stable exterior to control my gradually collapsing inner world. You, on the other hand, use madness, recklessness, and impulsiveness to cover up your confusion, anxiety, and helplessness. We are both slowly finding our anchors in life on this journey, seeking peace,” Shang Yongzhou said. “That’s why I said earlier that you can amplify your confusion and anxiety. The more this is revealed, the richer your character will be, and the less one-dimensional it will be. In fact, the revised script is better. I always felt that the original script, which revolved entirely around my character, was a bit too thin. Although this story uses cancer and redemption as a starting point, it is definitely not just about the grand theme of living in the face of death. Its most fascinating aspect is its attempt to build a new order in a chaotic inner world. I think this is a very meaningful and valuable thing for everyone.”
Shang Yongzhou's words enlightened Lu Yanhe.
Huang Kairen's situation threw him into a state of mental turmoil, causing him to be constantly thinking about what he would do if he were in Huang Kairen's situation.
He panicked and felt lost because he couldn't get a clear answer to the pre-set scenario.
Having just experienced all of this, Lu Yanhe now understands even more the importance of the "inner order" that Shang Yongzhou spoke of.
At that moment, Lu Yanhe suddenly understood the meaning of classics that Chen Ziyan had mentioned.
-
Once October is over, November will arrive, and the film awards season will begin.
Chen Ziyan takes it very seriously.
Because Lu Yanhe has achieved remarkable results in the film industry this year, he has a good chance of making a breakthrough.
Whether it was the supporting male role in "Three Mountains" or the male lead in "Late Spring," both roles received widespread praise from critics.
Especially the former—
A cameo appearance in a play cemented Lu Yanhe's reputation as a genius.
As for "Late Spring," Lu Yanhe's performance was indeed good, but it didn't quite meet the selection criteria of domestic film awards.
In the past decade, no male actor has won an award for portraying a young person. Moreover, Chen Pinhe in "White Pearl" delivered an outstanding performance, receiving widespread acclaim at its premiere at the Venice International Film Festival.
In addition to these two films, Liu Teli, who just won Best Actor for "I Am a Mule", has released another film with excellent domestic reviews, "Upstairs", a dark comedy with a budget of six million yuan, which ultimately grossed 240 million yuan at the box office.
Liu Teli's performance was beyond words—this is a direct quote from a film industry veteran. And this assessment has been echoed by audiences.
Under these circumstances, Chen Ziyan didn't think Lu Yanhe had a good chance of winning Best Actor, so being nominated would be quite good.
"The main focus is on whether I can win Best Supporting Actor for 'Three Mountains'," Chen Ziyan said. "If I can win Best Supporting Actor, that will be enough."
Lu Yanhe asked, "Is there much hope?"
"Judging from the current situation, the chances are very good," Chen Ziyan said. "The competition for Best Actor is very fierce, this year is a big year, but for Best Supporting Actor... you are the actor with the most buzz, there is no supporting actor with a bigger impact than you."
Lu Yanhe nodded.
"Then I'll start praying every day from today onwards, praying that I can win an award."
"Haha." Chen Ziyan laughed, "I thought you were going to say that you need to prepare well for 'The Road to Glory'."
"I need to prepare well for 'Road to Glory,' and I also want to win the award," Lu Yanhe said frankly.
Chen Ziyan smiled and said, "Then let's wait and see if we can successfully bring back a trophy."
Lu Yanhe nodded.
-
The Fei Hong Awards announced its nominations first, with Lu Yanhe successfully nominated for Best Actor for his role in "Late Spring" and for Best Supporting Actor for his role in "Three Mountains".
Two nominations in one go.
Lu Yanhe is competing for Best Actor alongside Chen Pinhe, who was nominated for the main competition at the Venice International Film Festival for "White Pearl," and Liu Teli for "Upstairs."
In addition, Shang Yongzhou was also unexpectedly nominated for his commercial comedy "Go, Superstar!", which sparked a lot of discussion.
Some media outlets have described it as a competition among the leading male actors of the twenties, thirties, and forties.
This year's Fei Hong Awards garnered a lot of attention because three of their male actors were nominated for Best Actor.
A few days later, the Lingyun Award nominations were announced. Lu Yanhe and Chen Pinhe were still on the list, but Shang Yongzhou was not.
Lu Yanhe received nominations for both Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor at the three major film awards, making him the talk of the town.
-
The news spread throughout the entire crew on the set of Friends Season 2.
Yin Xincheng's face was filled with admiration.
"Yan He's achievement is too exaggerated. He has received two nominations. He's really amazing."
Yan Liang congratulated Lu Yanhe in the group chat and smiled when he heard Yin Xincheng's sentiments.
"He said he was going to visit the set, why hasn't he come yet?" Zhan Yun asked, then looked at Yan Liang, "Yan Liang, ask him when he's coming to visit us? We've been waiting for him for so long."
Yan Liang said, "It's probably hopeless. He's preparing for a new drama and will be joining the crew soon, so he's very busy."
Zhan Yun immediately snorted, "He even said he'd have time to come see us. What a liar."
"Next time I'll see when everyone has time, and I'll organize a get-together," Yan Liang said. "Sigh, it's mainly because everyone is too busy, and it's really hard to find the time."
"You have the nerve to say that? You're the busiest one among us." Zhan Yun immediately glanced at Yan Liang. "Since filming started, we've had several get-togethers, but have you ever attended any of them?"
Yan Liang immediately put his hands together in apology and said, "I will definitely participate next time."
Yan Liang was busy mainly because, in addition to filming, he also had to record "Idol Era" and attend many events and commercial performances at the end of the year, all of which Zhou Ping'an had arranged for him beforehand.
Basically, whenever he's not filming, his schedule is all booked up.
The cast of "Friends" are all quite busy. The show has a huge influence on young people, especially college students, and everyone is heavily influenced by their characters.
During the filming of the second season, almost every day a large group of fans waited outside the filming location just to catch a glimpse of them during the brief time they went in and out.
Zhan Yun suddenly whispered, "Chen Ziliang is here."
So, the people who were chatting and joking with each other stopped talking about these personal topics and started discussing the script.
In the second season, Chen Ziliang joined as the new "sixth man".
The other actors couldn't change this "sixth man" arranged by Beijing TV, but they themselves knew clearly in their hearts that they hadn't accepted Chen Ziliang into their circle at all.
Aside from Lu Yanhe's reasons, the main reason was that as soon as Chen Ziliang arrived, Jingtai tried to make his character the core protagonist of the second season.
It was only through the joint protest and opposition of the other five actors that this incident was prevented from happening.
Because of this incident, their already ambiguous relationship with Chen Ziliang deteriorated further.
On set, the atmosphere was usually quiet whenever Chen Ziliang was present, because no one would take the initiative to speak, especially not to Chen Ziliang.
However, today Chen Ziliang took the initiative to speak to them.
He was somewhat unexpectedly excited, as if he had been stimulated by something.
"Did you know that Lu Yanhe was also nominated twice for the Lingyun Awards?" Chen Ziliang asked them.
The others exchanged glances and nodded.
Yan Liang looked at him and asked, "Why would you care about this?"
Chen Ziliang said, "It feels like the whole world is talking about this. It's impossible for me not to care. It's really incredible. He's only been acting for a short time, and he's already become so famous. It feels like as an actor, especially a male actor, it's very difficult to do better than him."
Yan Liang: "It must be a real shame for you. You finally decided to switch careers and become an actor, but then you ran into Yan He. You must have been under a lot of pressure, right?"
"Why would I be under pressure? My main job is as a singer, acting is just a hobby." Chen Ziliang shrugged. "You people whose main job is acting are the ones under a lot of pressure."
"We're not trying to compete with anyone, so what's the pressure?" Yan Liang said calmly. "We're all lucky to have become famous because of the show 'Friends.' We're more content than competing with others, because we know that we've already achieved a lot."
Chen Ziliang exclaimed, his face full of sarcasm, "What you've said has shocked me. When did the entertainment industry produce someone as content as you? Even Lu Yanhe knows to admit his ambition, so why are you pretending to be so content?"
"You can't talk about ice with a summer insect," Yan Liang said. "If you can't understand, then let's talk less."
Chen Ziliang and Yan Liang looked at each other, creating a subtle sense of confrontation.
Wen Minglan stood up and said to Yan Liang, "Yan Liang, there's a scene coming up, will you rehearse with me again?"
Yan Liang then withdrew his gaze and nodded, "Okay."
Chen Ziliang's gaze swept across the faces of everyone present, and each person looked at him with a cold, indifferent gaze.
The barriers between him and them were very, very deep.
-
"I didn't even expect to be nominated... I'm basically just a runner-up."
Shang Yongzhou smiled and shrugged, clearly not taking the nomination to heart and knowing he had no chance at all.
He was sitting in front of Mrs. Huang from Longyan Film Industry, chatting with her.
Mrs. Huang came to talk to him about a project, and she started by offering her congratulations.
Huang Tai said, "The fact that a commercial comedy like 'Go, Superstar!' can bring you a nomination shows how much the judges recognize your performance. This time, you and Yan He are performing together in 'Road to Glory.' I'm sure the two of you will be vying for various awards. We'll have something to watch next year."
Shang Yongzhou: "I was quite surprised that Yan He agreed to act in this movie."
Mrs. Huang said with a smile, "This kid is quite unexpected. So far, he hasn't taken on a single big film. I heard that all the big films that approached him have rejected him. Maybe he doesn't want to act in commercial blockbusters. Several of our company's commercial film projects haven't included him in the list of candidates for the male lead. I was curious and asked why, and they all said that Lu Yanhe has high standards and wouldn't accept the role."
“Yan He definitely doesn’t refuse commercial films,” Shang Yongzhou explained for Lu Yanhe. “Actually, in China, as you know, the distinction between commercial films and art films is not the same as it is abroad.”
“Yes, but the project I came to you about, ‘Burning Fire,’ is directly aligned with international production standards. It’s a large-scale international project spanning across Asia, and we’ll be bringing in actors from various Asian countries to form an international cast,” Mrs. Huang said. “It’s aiming to be a commercially successful film that will have an impact throughout Asia.”
Shang Yongzhou said, "Longyan Film Industry is very bold, investing 500 million yuan in this project in one go."
Mrs. Wong said, "Actually, when converted to US dollars, the production cost is less than one hundred million US dollars, which is still incomparable to those Hollywood blockbusters. To be honest, we haven't established channels around the world, so we don't have the confidence to do bigger projects. This time, we made 'Burning Fire' to open up the Asian market first."
"Can people from other countries accept such a fantasy story about Chinese sorcerers?"
“Asia is actually quite familiar with traditional Chinese culture, and the cultural gap isn’t that big,” Huang Tai said. “Moreover, there are also elements from other countries’ traditional cultures in the film. From the beginning, it’s been set against a broad Asian backdrop, including Thai witchcraft and Japanese Onmyoji… For such a blockbuster, we really need you to lead the way, Yongzhou.”
Shang Yongzhou said, "Mrs. Huang, you know my habit. Before I finish filming 'Road to Glory,' I can't be sure if I'm in the right state to take on this movie. I'm used to not thinking about the next movie before I finish filming a movie, because it will affect my concentration."
“Yongzhou, I will definitely respect your habits. I just wanted to let you know in advance so that after you finish filming ‘Road to Glory,’ you don’t have to let others take your schedule,” Mrs. Wong said.
Shang Yongzhou's approach to accepting roles is well-known in the industry. Because of this, many film companies keep a close eye on his schedule. Usually, as soon as he finishes filming a movie, a large number of scripts will be sent to him—or they will already be in the hands of his agent, waiting for him to finish filming so they can give them to him as soon as possible.
Shang Yongzhou nodded. "I promise you, I won't take on any other roles until I've finished reading the script for 'Burning Fire'."
"Okay." Huang Tai achieved his goal and smiled.
"Am I the only main character in this movie?" Shang Yongzhou asked again.
Mrs. Wong said, "No, there are five main characters, and you form the core of the main character group."
Shang Yongzhou suddenly understood and nodded.
This is a common setup in commercial fantasy blockbusters; it's not unusual.
Mrs. Wong said, "There is one role that I would like to invite Yan He to play. Although people in the company say that he may not be able to play it, I will still contact him and talk to him."
-
This time, Lu Yanhe won two major awards for "Late Spring". As the film company of "Late Spring", Longyan Film Industry is naturally beaming with joy.
"Late Spring" received nominations for several important awards, including Best Film, Best Director, and Best Screenplay, but in the most prestigious acting category, only Lu Yanhe received a nomination.
The other actors received high praise, but perhaps because they were newcomers and had much room for improvement in their acting skills, none of them received a nomination.
Huang Tai went to Zhenhua University to find Lu Yanhe.
"You absolutely must attend these two film award ceremonies," Mrs. Wong said with a beaming smile. "If it's difficult to get leave from school, I'll help you ask."
Lu Yanhe immediately waved his hand and said with a smile, "No need, Mrs. Huang, it's no problem. It's all in the evening, and it's all being held at Yuming. I don't have classes in the evening, so I can make it."
Huang Tai looked at Lu Yanhe with eyes full of affection.
"You are so outstanding, I really wish you were my son."
Lu Yanhe quickly shook his head sheepishly and said, "No, no, I still have many shortcomings that need improvement."
Huang Tai said, "Yan He, although Liu Bige found you to collaborate on 'Late Spring,' I now truly consider you one of my own. I won't beat around the bush with you anymore. If you need any help in the future, whether it's writing a script and needing someone to help you direct it, or anything else, I'll be very clear with you. Just ask me, and I will do my best to help. I see you just like I saw Liu Bige back then. I can't help it; I just like talented people. So when he didn't have the opportunity to direct in France, I went to great lengths to persuade him to come back. Of course, you're actually much luckier than him. You don't need my help to do so well and be outstanding."
Lu Yanhe quickly expressed his gratitude.
Actually, Huang Tai gave him a very peculiar feeling. It was as if she was a very pragmatic and direct person, but he didn't feel uncomfortable with her.
She was genuinely passionate and had a great sense of compassion. Her words of help made him feel sincere, not just empty promises.
"We in Longyan will do our best to help you win awards for 'Late Spring,' but to be honest, the competition for Best Actor this year is quite fierce. 'Late Spring' is an ensemble piece, and your role is not as prominent as Chen Pinhe and Liu Teli's. Their films are almost entirely solo performances, with all the spotlight on them," said Mrs. Huang.
Lu Yanhe nodded and said, "I know, Mrs. Huang, it's okay. Getting a nomination is already a great encouragement."
"It's great that you have this mindset. You're still very young, and you have a long future ahead of you," Mrs. Huang said.
"Mm." Lu Yanhe nodded.
Mrs. Wong smiled and said, "I know you have many projects lined up, so I have to tell you right away that we want you to play a very important role in a movie."
-
The Fei Hong Award ceremony was held on November 9th.
After finishing his class, Lu Yanhe hurriedly left the classroom at 5:40 and ran towards the school gate.
When other students at the school saw him, some of them looked surprised.
"Isn't tonight the Fei Hong Award ceremony? Why is he still at school?"
"Isn't he attending the awards ceremony tonight?"
...
Lu Yanhe ignored their comments and ran to the school gate, where Zou Dong picked him up in the car.
Today, instead of the usual nanny van, a larger RV has arrived.
As soon as he got on the bus, Wang Biao took his schoolbag.
Chen Ziyan said, "Hurry up and change your clothes."
Lu Yanhe went to the back to change into formal leather shoes, then sat down, where a makeup artist did his hair and makeup.
The makeup artist laughed and said, "This is the first time I've ever done a celebrity's styling in such a rush."
"Only thirty minutes left, Sister Lan, it's all up to you," Chen Ziyan said.
"Don't worry, leave it to me. It's easier for guys, but for female celebrities, it's an impossible task," Sister Lan said.
Because of the limited space inside the car, Sister Lan couldn't bring her assistant in; she had to manage everything herself.
Wang Biao became her temporary assistant, helping her hand over tools and doing odd jobs.
At this time, Chen Ziyan explained some things to him.
"Many veteran artists have been invited to the awards ceremony tonight. If you know them, greet them. If you don't, say 'Hello, teacher.' Don't neglect etiquette. Be sure to be polite to everyone so that no one takes pictures and makes a fuss about it," Chen Ziyan said. "From the moment you arrive on the red carpet until the end of the awards ceremony, there will be a live broadcast. You never know when the live camera will cut to you."
Lu Yanhe sighed, "This is too torturous! Why do they have to do such a long live stream?"
Chen Ziyan: "Everyone loves watching live streams now, so the organizers naturally followed the trend and did a live stream too. There's another thing, the entire entertainment industry is watching the movie 'Burning Fire' right now, and I guess a lot of people will come to you tonight to ask you for information. You should keep your mouth shut and say you don't know anything."
"Um."
"I didn't expect this movie to get so much attention," Chen Ziyan said. "After the news got out that you and Shang Yongzhou were both invited to star in the film, Huang Tai was furious. He immediately found the mole and kicked him out without any hesitation. But once the news got out, it couldn't be taken back. Everyone knows about this project and is trying their best to find out more. I've received countless calls. Don't you have any friends asking you about it?"
“No.” Lu Yanhe shook his head. “No one has asked me.”
Lu Yanhe was quite surprised by this. If Chen Ziyan hadn't told him, he wouldn't have known the news was already circulating all over the entertainment industry, because no one had actually asked him about it. It seemed everyone was unwilling to bother him with such matters.
Lu Yanhe finished his styling in the RV on his way to the awards ceremony, then hurriedly changed vehicles, managing to arrive at the waiting area on time.
He took a deep breath to calm himself down.
(End of this chapter)
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