The official dinner was held in a local five-star hotel of the highest standards, luxurious yet low-key.
It rained heavily today, which is rare in this season, but the weather could not stop the star-chasing craze at all. Entertainment reporters and fans still rushed over after hearing the news and squatted outside the hotel to watch the stars attending the banquet.
When Qin Li and Ji Li arrived by car, the spotlights kept flashing like music, and the brightness was so dazzling that it was blinding even through the car window.
The hotel waiter arrived in time, opened the car door and handed the black gold umbrella forward, "Sir? Please."
Qin Li took the umbrella from him without thinking, his handsome features revealing unfamiliar politeness, "I can do it myself, thank you."
The waiter readily agreed.
The next second, he saw Qin Li holding an umbrella and turning around, reaching his palm towards the car, "Be careful, don't get wet in the rain."
Ji Li got out of the car with the help of Qin Li, and quickly let go of their tightly held hands, "I'm not that delicate, it doesn't matter if I get a little wet in the rain."
The interaction between the two people created a beautiful picture in the eyes of the photographer.
In the heavy rain, the black umbrella is their own world. One person lowered his eyes, the other raised them, and the warmth and love in their eyes when they looked at each other was enough to melt everything.
Someone in the crowd shouted anxiously, "It's Qin and Ji! Long Island Iced Tea! I love their movie!"
In an instant, everyone's eyes were focused on him.
Because it was not a formal red carpet event, Qin Li and Ji Li dressed very low-key, just wearing two suits of the same brand but different series. The former was more calm and majestic, while the latter was more aristocratic.
Perhaps it is the aura that only real lovers have. In the eyes of outsiders, the two of them are indescribably well-matched in every way, making people more and more addicted to taking pictures, and the more they scream, the more excited they become.
The sound of the photography cannons was loud and continuous, and the fans who came to join in the fun also cheered.
Although "Long Island Iced Tea" was mainly released in North America, it also achieved impressive box office results in countries such as Europe. In addition, at this year's Anna Film Festival, the two of them made a splash with the same movie and were both nominated for "Best Actor".
While some people feel it is unfair and protest, there will be others applauding it.
"Tsukiki! I like Tsukiki! You two look great together!"
"Ji, I like you so much!"
"When I saw Qin, I thought of Wen Qiong, who loved me till death. I love her so much!"
"Tsuki, I hope one of you wins the trophy!"
Ji Li maintained proper social etiquette and waved to his fans with a smile.
The waiter standing nearby came back to his senses from the cheers of the crowd. He adhered to the work standards and asked, "Gentlemen, please show us your invitation letters."
Ji Li took out the invitation letter and said with a joking smile, "Don't worry, we are genuine guests."
The waiter was distracted by his smile and bowed his head to invite him, "Come in."
It was not until Qin Li and Ji Li entered the hotel and were led to the banquet hall by special staff that the waiter breathed a sigh of relief and touched his hot cheeks.
To be honest, he is a homosexual.
As soon as "Long Island Iced Tea" was released, he bought a ticket to watch the work. From the moment Lu Yao, played by Ji Li, appeared, he fell deeply in love with this sunny and dazzling character.
Later, he was moved by the plot and story and went to the cinema to watch it no less than ten times. After the movie was released, he transferred this love to actor Ji Li.
This was the first time he fell in love with a Chinese actor, and it was also the first time he started to learn about other Chinese film and television works through Ji Li.
He heard that Ji Li was shortlisted for the final list of this year's Anna International Film Festival, but he didn't expect to meet him today!
Although it was just a brief exchange in the name of work, it was enough for him to savor and remember it for the rest of his life.
Ji's smile is so beautiful!
I hope Qin can always treat him with sincerity!
…
When Ji Li and Qin Li entered the banquet hall, many celebrities were already gathered inside. The glamour and beauty unique to the entertainment industry is particularly clear at this moment.
Qin Li casually brought over two glasses of champagne and took the opportunity to quietly say, "That waiter just now looked like your fan."
"How do you know?" Ji Li replied in Chinese.
"When you were jokingly handing him the invitation, his look of joy that he had to suppress was real." Qin Li's radar has always been very sharp.
Ever since Ji Li was stalked by a perverted fan in a hotel, he has been particularly concerned about the people and things that appear around his lover.
Ji Li touched his wine glass lightly and asked with a smile, "Teacher Qin Li, you are not jealous just like this, are you?"
Qin Li raised his eyebrows and took a sip of wine.
The love in the waiter's eyes was neither naked nor overly crazy. He probably had no inappropriate thoughts about Ji Li, so he certainly didn't need to be on guard against his 'rival in love' everywhere.
Ji Li looked around and continued to lower his voice and said, "Help me find out where this Jin Chengyu is?"
"What?" "Nothing? I just want to see what he looks like in person."
As soon as he finished speaking, the sharp-eyed Qin Li pointed to a place and said, "It should be the one wearing a white suit."
Ji Li looked in the direction he directed and saw a tall figure wearing a white tuxedo with a black bow tie made of crystal at the collar.
From this angle, the curve of his profile is very gentle, with an obvious and seductive smile, he really looks like a 'noble fairy'.
Of course, this exaggerated yet inexplicably appropriate nickname was given by Kim Seung-woo’s Korean fans.
Kim Seung-woo is one year older than Ji Li is today, but he debuted as a child star in South Korea and started to enter the international film scene after he was eighteen years old. This year, he was finally successfully shortlisted for the Ana International Film Festival with the art film "Along the Coastline".
The reason why Ji Li was curious and concerned was because of what Qin Li said to him in the hotel -
Initially, Jin Chengyu's team had taken the initiative to fight for the role of Lu Yao in "Long Island Iced Tea". From the film team's initial dissatisfaction and rejection to repeated auditions later, he finally became the first backup candidate in the film's casting list.
However, Cameron was still not satisfied.
The director wanted an actor who fit the role in the script at first glance, not Lu Yao who was "acquired", so the contract was stuck and not signed for a while.
Coincidentally, at that time, Director Adolf made a mutual recommendation to Cameron's team and Oak Star Company, which led to a new opportunity.
In other words, if Ji Li had given up on the script, the actor who plays "Lu Yao" in the movie now would most likely be Jin Chengyu.
"It really fits Lu Yao's image." Ji Li turned his gaze and muttered in a low voice.
Just imagining the scene of Qin Li and Jin Chengyu filming together, Ji Li felt more and more how correct his original choice was.
To be honest, he felt a little sad when he thought about Qin Li filming intimate scenes with other actors.
Qin Li disagreed, "In my heart, there is only one Lu Yao. No one else is like him, no matter how good they are."
Ji Li was brought back to his senses by his words and smiled faintly.
Yes, every role has its destined destiny, and every actor will encounter his own role.
Although Kim Seung-woo was not destined to be in "Long Island Iced Tea", he was successfully shortlisted for the Anna International Film Festival with another movie.
From this point of view, Ji Li sincerely admired his strength.
Qin Li mentioned again, "The person standing next to him seems to be Director Norwegian."
"Who?" Ji Li didn't react for a moment.
"If Director Cameron is the godfather of art films, then he is the god of commercial films," Qin Li replied.
Every film he makes is a hit and he is one of the famous directors who has never failed.
Ji Li took a serious look and recognized the famous director. "...It seems that Jin Chengyu is making new connections?"
"Which actor who comes here doesn't want to make new connections?"
"That's true."
Qin Li looked around and caught a glimpse of several familiar directors. "Let's go. Director Cameron is not here today. I will take you to meet some directors and producers first."
"good."
Such occasions are used to make connections. As long as you can seize the opportunity, you may get a film resource that can serve as a springboard.
To outsiders, it was Ji Li's first time to attend such an international banquet, but his calm demeanor and generous conversation were enough to win the favor of a number of directors and producers.
The friendly conversation lasted for nearly half an hour before Qin Li and Ji Li moved away from the crowd and slowly retreated to the dessert corner.
"Baby, take a break. I just saw a famous film visual director and I want to take the opportunity to talk to him."
Although the movie "Doomsday Evolution" is still being filmed, Qin Li needs a heavyweight and capable behind-the-scenes director, and he wants to take the opportunity to make an invitation.
"good."
Ji Li watched Qin Li walk away and simply found a place to sit down. To be honest, he hadn't fully adjusted to the jet lag yet and was feeling a little tired.
However, before Ji Li could relax, a strange voice sounded beside him, "Hello, Mr. Ji."
Ji Li glanced sideways and realized it was Jin Chengyu. To show politeness, he immediately stood up and nodded, "Mr. Jin? Hello."
Jin Chengyu raised his glass with a smile, and while drinking, he looked Ji Li over inconspicuously.
There was an inexplicable offense in the seemingly ordinary gaze, which made Ji Li feel a little uncomfortable.
"I've wanted to meet Mr. Ji for a long time. He debuted less than three years ago and made his first foray into the international film industry when he landed the role in James Cameron's Long Island Iced Tea."
"There are very few actors like you who can enter the Vienna Film Festival at such a young age."
"I think Mr. Ji is not only hardworking, but the team behind him should also be very reliable."
It sounded like a compliment, but in fact, it was a thorn in the side. The more Ji Li listened, the more uncomfortable he felt. "Mr. Jin? You're too kind. Speaking of age, we are about the same age."
He debuted as a child star, entered the international film scene at the age of eighteen, and was regarded by Koreans as a proud representative of young actors... Wouldn't it be more exciting to tell others about such an actor's career?
"If there's nothing else, I'll leave first." Ji Li smiled perfunctorily, and his initial admiration and goodwill had dissipated a lot.
He could sense that Kim Seung-woo was hostile toward him, probably because he was concerned about the role in "Long Island Iced Tea".
Jin Chengyu did not stop him, but the moment Ji Li turned around, malicious contempt appeared in his eyes, and he uttered an inaudible sentence in Korean.
"A despicable and disgusting thief who only steals other people's things."
“…”
Ji Li's steps suddenly froze.
If other people didn't understand Korean, the matter might have just passed by, but what a coincidence was that Ji Li had filmed a Sino-Korean joint venture movie in the real entertainment industry.
At the beginning, in order to be able to communicate normally with Korean actors, he specially took a minor in Korean.
Although he was not proficient in the language after not communicating for such a long time, he still had no problem understanding some vulgar words.
nausea? Thief?
A layer of coldness gathered in Ji Li's eyes. He was willing to maintain etiquette in such an international banquet hall, but that didn't mean he would accept other people's malice without fighting back.
Ji Li turned around and asked with a half-smile, "Mr. Jin? Who are you calling a thief?"
“…”
Jin Chengyu was speechless for a moment when he saw Ji Li's aura suddenly cooling down. He never expected that Ji Li could actually understand what he was saying?
"Mr. Ji? You must have heard me wrong. I didn't say anything."
"You should know that the casting of Long Island Iced Tea lies with the director. Compared to Mr. Kim Seung-woo who was repeatedly rejected, I was at least chosen by Director Cameron. How can I be called a thief?"
Ji Li tore through this appearance with a sharp insight.
Jin Chengyu's face changed, and he retorted without thinking, "Who cares about gay movies? The relationship between men is the most disgusting."
The true disgust in his heart was greater than the rational thinking of his brain. By the time Jin Chengyu reacted, it was too late to take back what he had said.
Kim Seung-woo is a straight man who can't stand the love between two men.
At the beginning, it was his management team who forced him to try "Long Island Iced Tea". Due to the popularity of executive director Cameron, Kim Seung-woo concealed his true thoughts and pretended to be able to accept same-sex relationships to try the performance.
No matter how good the disguise is on the surface, it cannot overcome the growing disgust in the heart.
How can Jin Chengyu integrate with Lu Yao when he treats his role inconsistently?
Cameron, who has seen countless people, must have seen Kim Seung-woo's condition, so he refused to sign him.
After learning that "Long Island Iced Tea" was not selected, Kim Seung-woo's team was very disappointed, but he himself did not have any extra emotions.
Until February this year, "Long Island Iced Tea" became a huge hit after its release, while "Along the Coastline", in which he starred, was an art film released at the same time and had a very dismal box office.
The huge gap between the two finally caused Jin Chengyu's regret and dissatisfaction, and also made him feel inexplicably jealous.
With his acting skills, he will surely receive more applause and praise for starring in "Long Island Iced Tea"! After all, compared to Ji Li, who debuted less than three years ago, he has a longer acting career as a child star.
If this happened in Korea, Ji Li would have to call him "senior" respectfully.
After all, the failure of the movie box office did not affect his selection as the "Best Actor" based on his real ability. It only shows that he is more capable than Ji Li, who relied on the box office success of the movie.
Ji Li saw his expression and sneered, "Deep down in your heart, you don't want to accept this movie, but now you accuse me of 'stealing' your opportunity?"
He looked at Jin Chengyu and said in a loud voice, "Where do you get the nerve to do this?"
Jin Chengyu took his question as a blatant provocation and his expression immediately turned ugly.
"Ji Li, stop pretending! Your management team is just copying my path and competing for my resources. If this isn't stealing, then what is it?"
Faced with the sudden blame, Ji Li almost laughed out of anger.
Jin Chengyu saw his expression and added, "Don't pretend to be innocent. Natural mineral water is the brand I have been in contact with!"
“…”
It was the first time that Ji Li heard about this. He reacted for two seconds before he couldn't help but sneered, "Sorry, why are you everywhere?"
The endorsement was obtained by Yu Fuya on his behalf, and the cooperation between the two parties has always been pleasant, with no overlapping of spokespersons from the beginning to the end.
"I got the movie role and the brand endorsement, so you firmly believe that I am copying your path?"
Jin Chengyu asked arrogantly, "What else?"
"You lost the movie, but I got it, so you lose and I win. You didn't get the endorsement, but I got it, so you lose and I win."
Ji Li decided the outcome with just a few simple words. "The entertainment industry believes in the principle that the winner is king. You don't have the ability to get the resources, so you can blame me?"
How many years has it been?
Is the idea of 'the weaker one is right' still popular? Who is the white lotus?
"Please understand that it was you who missed the movie because you hated homosexuality, not me who took your role away!"
"Has the Natural brand drafted a preliminary contract with you? If you think the brand has breached the contract, you can confront them face to face! You are afraid of offending the brand, so you only dare to accuse me behind my back. Do you think your behavior is glorious?"
"Just because you've touched a resource doesn't mean you own it, and you can't put your stamp on it. Then why don't you just tell the whole world that the Earth is yours?"
Jin Chengyu was left speechless by Ji Li's series of fluent verbal attacks.
His face turned red and he was embarrassed for a long time. He could only force out a sentence through his teeth, "Anyway, you Chinese actors are always using despicable means. You think it's fair to register for two places with one movie?"
"Mr. Jin, if you feel it's unfair, you can go directly to the organizing committee of the film festival to protest."
Qin Li's cold voice sounded from behind.
Ji Li glanced sideways and found that there were quite a few people following his lover, all of whom were outstanding actors nominated for this year's 'Best Actor and Actress'.
Qin Li met his puzzled gaze and explained in a low voice, "We were all nominated for the same award, and we originally planned to get together and chat."
Unexpectedly, as soon as they arrived, they heard the final verbal argument between Ji Li and Jin Chengyu.
At this moment, Qin Li's thought of protecting his baby came to his mind. He looked directly at Jin Chengyu, who was trying hard to maintain a smile, and questioned him in a deep voice.
"The male and female protagonists of the same movie can be nominated for 'Best Actor' and 'Best Actress' respectively. The two male protagonists of the same movie cannot be nominated together, otherwise it would be unfair?"
"Mr. Jin? So you're saying that gay movies are inferior?"
“…”
The sharp question hit Jin Chengyu's throat directly, freezing him in place and making it difficult for him to speak.
The other actors who were watching were all silent, but there were different emotions in their eyes—some were enjoying the show, some were surprised, and of course some were secretly laughing at Jin Chengyu's stupidity.
There is indeed competition among actors nominated for the same award, but we are all actors, so how can we not control our emotions and speak out our true feelings?
Now Qin has cunningly raised the topic to "homosexuality". If he says a bad word, those homosexual rainbow supporters will tear him to pieces on the Internet!
Jin Chengyu calmed down from his initial panic and smiled again, "Mr. Qin? You misunderstood. Love knows no borders, let alone gender. How could I feel that gay movies are inferior?"
The two sides had just spoken in low voices, and no one would have heard them. Now, as long as he refused to admit the last sentence, Ji Li would be unable to do anything to him?
"I'm kidding, Mr. Ji. Long Island Iced Tea has been nominated for two Best Actor awards. You have the highest chance of winning. I'm just a runner-up."
When talking about the word "runner-up", he also specifically mentioned actors such as Javier and Christopher, who were all nominated for this year's "Best Actor".
Ji Li and Qin Li looked at each other and understood what Jin Chengyu meant.
Not only is the concept blurred, but the intention is also to deliberately provoke competitive hostility from other male actors.
There was a moment of silence.
Suddenly, a loud and firm voice rang out, "No way! Mr. Kim Seung-woo? He looks down on gay art films. He even said gay relationships are the most disgusting!"
Everyone looked towards the source of the sound, and a young man in waiter's uniform walked out.
Ji Li recognized the person immediately. It was the waiter who greeted guests.
The young waiter met Ji Li's gaze, and unprecedented courage surged in his heart, and he opened the video recorded on his mobile phone.
Not long ago, he finished his welcoming work and entered the inner hall by pushing the wine tower. After discovering Ji Li resting in the corner, he couldn't help but want to secretly take two photos as a souvenir out of his fans' love.
Before the waiter started filming, Jin Chengyu ran over to greet Ji Li, and then the scene just now happened.
He was afraid that Jin Chengyu would harm Ji Li, so he secretly recorded everything, which made him even more angry at Ji Li who was straightforward and hardworking.
"Who cares about gay movies? Relationships between men are the most disgusting."
Kim Seung-woo's words in the video immediately caused the actors watching to frown.
"You are a hotel waiter, secretly recording the conversation between celebrity guests! What are you doing..."
"Mr. Jin? Please don't change the subject!"
British actor Christopher was the first to speak out, "You say homosexuality is disgusting, but you also say that love knows no gender. This hypocrisy is really disgusting!"
Spanish actor Javier also spoke out firmly, "Mr. Kim, I openly support homosexuality, and your words make me feel very uncomfortable!" Both Spain and the United Kingdom have legal same-sex marriage, and most people have good wishes for love. Kim Seung-woo's criticism obviously hit them right in the heart.
All love between two people who love each other is beautiful, so how can it be disgusting?
The person who said this is the most disgusting!
Jin Chengyu's face was as red as a cooked shrimp. He never expected that his bad words would be recorded in the private banquet hall.
The most terrifying thing is that the agency team is not qualified to enter the banquet hall. If this matter is not stopped in time, what if it gets out?
American actor Paul Lawrence is not an advocate of homosexuality, but as an actor who has been nominated for the "Best Actor" at the Anna Film Festival three times, he has always believed that strength is supreme.
He has also seen Qin and Ji's movies. They are both good actors with excellent acting skills. In addition, the box office is booming and the plot is excellent. Why can't they be nominated?
Paul looked down on Jin Chengyu's pettiness and said, "How can your country produce such an unconfident actor? Is it because you have no ability that you feel inferior?"
"The film festival's shortlist is fair. Everyone has a one in six chance. If you think you're just a runner-up, don't take us with you!"
The arrogance of strength versus the conceit of a guilty conscience.
Paul's words made Jin Chengyu feel so ashamed that his face turned pale and he could hardly even raise his head.
He just wanted to say a few words to attack Ji Li secretly, but how come things got bigger and bigger, and in the end he was the target of the crowd attack?
Ji Li and Qin Li looked at each other and silently withdrew from the forefront of the storm.
Director Norwegian stood up from the crowd and met Jin Chengyu's gaze with great disgust. "Mr. Jin, from now on, you don't have to ask your agent to come to me. I won't give you the opportunity to participate in my movie."
Jin Chengyu was completely dumbfounded!
He came to tonight's banquet with only one purpose, which was to obtain better commercial film resources.
For a whole hour, he followed the Norwegian director and tried his best to please him, and finally got the qualification to appear in his commercial film. How could it be gone just like that?
"Director Norwegian, I..."
"I'm sorry, but I have a gay lover and I'm still totally gay, and I'm afraid you'd feel disgusted if you were to participate in my movie."
This one sentence was enough to show why he rejected Jin Chengyu.
Not only that, Norwegian Fu also turned around and looked for Ji Li and Qin Li, "Mr. Ji?, Mr. Qin?, can we talk? If there is a chance in the future, I would like to invite you to cooperate? "
If a pie falls from the sky, it would be a waste not to pick it up.
Ji Li smiled and thanked sincerely, "Of course, thank you Director Norway for the invitation."
Jin Chengyu watched Ji Li, Qin Li and Director Norwayfu walk away talking and laughing, while he was surrounded by everyone's cold gazes, feeling extremely tormented.
Ji Li once again "robbed" him of his chance, but how could he have the right to call the other party a "thief"?
In public, he is the clown!
The author has something to say: #叽哩: You make a living by your own ability!
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