Best Actor
Before the festive atmosphere of the Lunar New Year had completely dissipated, Jiangcheng welcomed another grand event in the film and television industry—the 36th Golden River Awards ceremony. The media and fans on both sides of the red carpet remained enthusiastic, and the flashes of light illuminated the night sky as if it were daytime.
However, unlike previous years, this year's Best Actor competition seems shrouded in an indescribable, subtle atmosphere to discerning observers. On the nomination list, Chu Yiran and Su Jing's names are prominently displayed side-by-side.
Chu Yiran was nominated for Best Actor for his role in "The Secret of Xuanyun Temple: The Fake Taoist Priest Goes Up the Mountain." This film was a commercial and critical success, and his portrayal of a Taoist priest who is both serious and humorous and cultivates his mind in the city has deeply impressed audiences. His acting is delicate and nuanced, vividly depicting the character's growth and transformation. He has been praised by the media as a "breakthrough performance" and is a hot candidate for Best Actor this year.
Su Jing's nominated work is the niche art film *Breaking the Night*. This film, with its heavy subject matter and obscure narrative, suffered a dismal box office performance, a stark contrast to Chu Yiran's critically acclaimed and commercially successful film. Even more lamentable is that Su Jing's career has been almost entirely on a downward spiral lately. He suffered a serious injury and spent over half a year in rehabilitation before returning to the screen. His first major comeback project, *Autumn Wind*, despite its strong cast, received a lukewarm reception. His portrayal of the emperor was criticized by many critics for "formulaic acting, lacking his past brilliance and depth," questioning whether his injury had affected his performance. Despite his fans' continued insistence, compared to his former peak and the currently popular Chu Yiran, Su Jing has undoubtedly experienced a "flop" in the public eye.
On the red carpet, Chu Yiran, in a well-tailored dark blue velvet gown, exuded confidence and charm, interacting with the media and fans with ease and poise, undoubtedly one of the highlights of the evening. Su Jing, on the other hand, opted for a composed black suit, his expression calm, maintaining his usual politeness and aloofness in front of the cameras.
Whether it was intentional on the part of the organizers or not, the two bumped into each other in the back interview area after walking the red carpet one after the other. The media, of course, would not let this opportunity pass, and countless microphones instantly blocked their way.
"Professor Su, what are your expectations for this collaboration with Professor Chu?"
Su Jing glanced at Chu Yiran beside her and said seriously, "I'm really looking forward to having scenes with Teacher Chu. He's an excellent actor."
"Teacher Chu, you said before that you and Teacher Su were incompatible by nature, but now you're cooperating again. Does that mean you've reconciled?"
Chu Yiran looked at the camera, a faint smile playing on her lips: "It was a misunderstanding before. Now that we're working together, we'll only talk about work."
The simple answer eased the atmosphere considerably, and Chu Yiran and Su Jing exchanged a smile, adding a touch of tacit understanding.
After finally finishing dealing with the media interviews, Su Jing and Chu Yiran were just about to go to the dressing room to rest when they ran into Shen Ruoqing in the corridor.
Shen Ruoqing wore a beige fishtail dress, adorned with dazzling crystals. Her large, watery eyes were fixed on Su Jing as she spoke in a flattering tone, "Su Jing, congratulations on your nomination. I watched 'Breaking the Night,' and you acted very well."
Su Jing didn't even look at her directly, and said to Chu Yiran, "Let's go."
Seeing the two about to pass her, the pent-up shame and anger suddenly overwhelmed her reason. Shen Ruoqing abruptly turned to Chu Yiran, her carefully maintained elegant mask shattering to reveal her sharp and sarcastic side: "Chu Yiran, what right do you have to stand here, someone who climbed to the top through underhanded means? You think you can rise to the top just by hooking up with Su Jing? Who knows how many shady methods you used to climb this far?!"
The harsh slander sounded particularly jarring in the quiet corridor. Chu Yiran paused, his gaze suddenly turning cold, but before he could speak, Su Jing beside him abruptly turned around. He took a half-step forward, subtly shielding Chu Yiran behind him, his tall figure exuding an invisible pressure. The light fell from above, casting cold shadows in his deep eyes.
Su Jing's voice wasn't loud, but it carried a resolute chill: "What right do you have to stand here, you who got to where you are by relying on your father? You'd better stay away from Chu Yiran from now on!"
Shen Ruoqing was frozen by the undisguised disgust in his eyes. Her face turned ashen, her lips trembled, but she could no longer utter a word.
Su Jing stopped looking at her and pulled Chu Yiran away.
Su Jing walked quickly, his pace revealing obvious irritation. Chu Yiran was being pulled along by him, and the force on his wrist made him stagger.
"Why do you hate Shen Ruoqing so much?" Chu Yiran frowned, somewhat puzzled by Su Jing's attitude.
Su Jing didn't answer, but pulled him into the dressing room: "Take a rest, the awards ceremony will officially begin later."
——
As the awards ceremony reached its climax, Lin Wanxing, as the presenter for the Best Actor award, held an envelope in her hand, deliberately prolonging the suspense and causing the entire audience to fall silent.
The images of the five nominees flashed across the huge screen in turn. When the scene of Chu Yiran looking back from the mountaintop in "The Secret of Xuanyun Temple: The Fake Taoist Priest Goes Up the Mountain" appeared, with clear and insightful eyes that also conveyed a compassionate understanding of the world, a number of cheers rang out from the audience.
The camera then cut to the nominees' seats. Chu Yiran sat upright with a polite smile on his lips, but his clasped fingers on his knees tightened slightly, revealing his inner turmoil. Su Jing, sitting not far from him, also maintained a calm expression as the camera panned across him, but his eyes were fixed on Chu Yiran's position.
"The winner of the Best Actor award at the 36th Golden River Awards is—" Lin Wanxing, dressed in a fiery red dress, playfully waved the envelope in her hand before finally reading out the name, "Chu Yiran! Congratulations!"
A burst of enthusiastic applause erupted instantly. A spotlight shone directly on Chu Yiran, bathing him in a dazzling halo. Before he could even react, Su Jing beside him stood up first and extended his hand directly to him: "Congratulations."
Chu Yiran subconsciously reached out his hand, and the moment their palms touched, Su Jing secretly pulled him up, as if countless unspoken words were flowing from his fingertips.
After the two let go, Zhao Lingyi, who was in the front row, was so excited that he was like a child. He rushed over and gave Chu Yiran a big bear hug, patting his back hard. His voice trembled with excitement: "Brother Ran! Awesome! I knew it was you! You're amazing!"
"Thank you." Chu Yiran's heart was pounding as she accepted everyone's blessings and walked step by step toward the award stage.
When he reached Cheng Zixuan's side, he stood up and gave Chu Yiran a light hug, offering a simple congratulatory message: "Congratulations, Brother Ran."
Then Zhou Xiaoxiao squeezed in, wearing a beautiful evening gown, her eyes sparkling. She excitedly grabbed Chu Yiran's arm and shook it gently: "Teacher Chu! You're amazing! Congratulations! We must celebrate tonight!"
Then, Chu Yiran walked to Shen Zheyu's side. He still had that refined and elegant appearance, wearing a light-colored suit, with gentle eyes and a tender smile on his lips.
He stepped forward and gently embraced Chu Yiran, his embrace unlike Zhao Lingyi's, but carrying a calming power that soothed the soul. He whispered in Chu Yiran's ear, his tone full of relief and pride: "Yiran, congratulations, you did it."
The short walk to the stage felt incredibly long amidst the spotlight and deafening applause. Chu Yiran climbed the steps one by one, his gaze sweeping across the audience. The familiar faces, illuminated by the interplay of light and shadow, seemed to faintly overlap with certain scenes from the depths of his memory.
In a daze, he felt as if he wasn't walking at the Golden River Awards ceremony, but rather stepping on the cold jade steps of the Golden Palace, passing through the howling sandstorms of the northern desert battlefield, and sweeping through the quiet courtyard of the Taixu Temple... Images of his past and present lives spun and overlapped rapidly in his mind like shattered glass.
He finally stood in front of the microphone, and Lin Wanxing smiled as she handed him the dazzling trophy. It was heavy, with the cool touch of metal, yet it felt as if it were burning his palm.
He took a deep breath, suppressing the lump in his throat and the tears welling in his eyes. His gaze slowly swept over the faces below the stage, filled with blessings and expectations. His voice, carried through the microphone, resonated throughout the hall, trembling slightly yet exceptionally clear and sincere:
"Thank you, thank you to the judges, thank you to the crew... thank you to everyone who supported me." He paused, his gaze becoming distant and profound, as if looking through the bustling scene before him to a more distant time and space. "Along this journey, I have experienced a lot... and lost a lot. But at this moment, standing here, what I want to say most is gratitude."
His voice calmed down: "...I am grateful to everyone who is still by my side at this moment."
The camera panned across the audience. Lin Wanxing clapped her hands while her eyes reddened. Zhao Lingyi, Cheng Zixuan, and Zhou Xiaoxiao were waving and cheering. Shen Zheyu smiled gently, and even Su Jing rarely smiled.
After the awards ceremony, everyone left one after another. A reporter waited backstage and asked Su Jing a pointed question: "Su Jing, you missed out on the Best Actor award this time, and the winner was Chu Yiran, who has a close relationship with you. What do you think?"
Speaking into the microphone without hesitation, Su Jing said frankly, "Chu Yiran's performance in 'The Taoist Priest Goes Up the Mountain' is evident to all. He truly deserves this award."
That night, the CP fans waiting in front of their screens went wild, and the "Jing Ran" CP super topic was boiling. Hashtags such as #SuJingDeservesTheName# and #TheRoseIRaisedWithMyOwnHands# quickly rose to the top of the trending searches. Fans frantically edited the past interactions between the two, adding captions such as "The rose I raised with my own hands, I am willing to fall for you", and were so engrossed in the romance that they were completely lost in it.
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