Chapter 121
After returning home, Yan Yunzhen was busy settling the two furry children, Yan Xiaoyang and Fat Tiger, while Lu Zixi took out his mobile phone and started calling his father.
He had originally planned to ask his father over the phone about his career abroad, but after just a few words, General Lu suggested that Lu Zixi bring Yan Yunzhen along for dinner. Lu Zixi checked the wall clock and saw that it was indeed almost time for dinner. Since neither he nor Yan Yunzhen had any special work plans tonight, he thought a face-to-face meeting would be a good way to explain things more clearly, so he agreed. So, the two of them drove out again and headed for General Lu's residence.
General Lu currently resides in a military-appointed nursing home. Having lost his wife and children early in life, and with no one around, he clearly finds the comfort of a nursing home with his old subordinates and friends more appealing than a standard single-family home. Lu Zixi, having been free, would sneak a break from his busy schedule to visit him. When Lu Zixi wasn't available, the old man would play chess and tend to his flowers with his guards, leading a comfortable life.
Lu Zixi had initially worried that his frequent visits to his father's sanatorium might arouse suspicion among the military or security personnel. Later, he realized he was overthinking it. The military had strict discipline, and his father held a high position, so many people were very secretive about high-ranking officials they didn't know well. No one dared to criticize him, and he felt relieved.
Since Lu Zixi had called to inform in advance and Yan Yunzhen's license plate number was registered at the guard post, he had no obstruction when entering the sanatorium. When Lu Zixi pushed open the gate where his father was, it was quiet and did not disturb anyone.
In the setting sun, Lu Zixi saw his father squatting by the flower bed, quietly pruning the branches. Several guards flitted around his father, busy moving flowers that couldn't withstand the cold and wind indoors. Behind them, in the flower bed, clusters of begonias were in full bloom, beautifully maintained. When viewed from afar, they resembled a shimmering, earthly haze.
Although Lu Zixi's mother died when he was very young, he still remembered that when his mother was still alive, she loved all kinds of crabapples. After his mother passed away, those flowers eventually withered because no one was good at taking care of them.
He also remembered how his mother scolded his father for being careless and clumsy. However, this general who had no knowledge of gardening and had spent his whole life in the military developed skills comparable to those of a gardener after retirement and cultivated a yard of crabapples with his own hands.
"It's so beautiful." Lu Zixi exclaimed sincerely.
General Lu heard the noise and turned to look at him: "Are you here? Come in and sit down."
Of course, Lu Zixi was too embarrassed to actually sit down. He just watched the group of people in front of him busying themselves. He and Yan Yunzhen handed the things they brought to the guard, greeted General Lu, and then tacitly took the initiative to step forward, rolled up their sleeves and prepared to help.
General Lu, however, reached out to stop the two men and insisted, "I'll do this myself."
Lu Zixi understood that this was his father's thoughtful gesture, so he turned around and helped the guards move the other flowers into the house.
The three of them didn't start their meal until General Lu had completely trimmed the branches and tidied up the yard.
During the meal, Lu Zixi explained the reasons and consequences of wanting to develop abroad. General Lu listened calmly, not even raising an eyebrow: "That's great. While you're still young, do whatever you want to do. If you don't try hard while you're young, you'll regret it when you're old."
Lu Zixi and Yan Yunzhen looked at each other and said cautiously, "But this means I won't be able to visit you for a long time. You..."
"What nonsense! You used to come visit me often?" General Lu rolled his eyes at him and waved his hand impatiently. "Don't bother me! I'll be satisfied if you don't cause me any more trouble and contribute more to the country."
"I thought you were annoying me..." Lu Zixi said halfway, and seeing his father's raised eyebrows, he immediately swallowed the rest of the words and replied obediently and quickly, "I know, Dad. If you miss me, just call me and video chat. Muah."
As he spoke, he even took out the hand-drawn WeChat video step-by-step diagram he had drawn earlier and stuffed it into General Lu's pocket. "If you don't know how to do it, just read the instructions. I drew them myself. If you don't like reading them, at least learn how to answer the video. I'll call you when the time comes."
General Lu was startled, and tilted his head as if a little uncomfortable. When he spoke, his tone was still fierce, but the volume automatically dropped an octave. A faint smile appeared in his eyes: "Where did you learn this? It's so corny."
When Lu Zixi saw his father's attitude, he knew that although his father appeared disgusted, he was actually very touched in his heart, and he immediately felt relieved.
It was decided that Lu Zixi would go abroad to develop her career. The three of them finished their meal quickly. Yan Yunzhen and Lu Zixi stood up at the same time and said they wanted to wash the dishes. In the end, they had to play rock-paper-scissors. Yan Yunzhen won and went to the kitchen with the dishes. Lu Zixi stayed and chatted with the old man.
General Lu stood on the porch, smoking a cigarette, and looked into the yard for a long time before asking, "Are the flowers in the yard beautiful?"
"It's quite nice." Lu Zixi answered carefully, "If it were me, I definitely wouldn't be able to take such good care of it."
General Lu smiled lightly.
"When you leave me, take this flower back with you. Before you go abroad, go visit your mother and give her the flowers." General Lu said, "This was her favorite flower back then."
Lu Zixi's heart ached, and he nodded solemnly: "Even if you don't tell me, I will go."
General Lu also nodded. "This flower was hard to come by. After I retired, I always wanted to grow flowers. Unfortunately, I didn't even know the name of this flower, and I didn't have any photos. I searched and searched, and I went to the flower and bird market when I had nothing to do. I was cheated several times before I finally found this flower."
"So forget about liking men. Even if you like aliens, so what? I've figured it out. Life is so short, why leave yourself with so many regrets?" General Lu patted Lu Zixi's shoulder. "Sometimes when I don't understand something, I just think about what you would do if your mother were still alive, and then I'll figure it out."
"If your mother were still alive, she would definitely agree to you filming and finding true love. She's the type of person who dares to love and hate..." General Lu looked at the sky, which was already dotted with stars, and sighed deeply. "Take that kid to see your mother, tell her that you have a partner, and make her happy."
Yan Yunzhen quickly finished washing the dishes and came out. General Lu personally picked out four pots of flowers for them. Yan Yunzhen looked at Lu Zixi in confusion, and General Lu said to Lu Zixi, "Keep two pots for you to play with, and bring the other two to your mother to see."
Yan Yunzhen understood a little bit. Lu Zixi opened the trunk and put the flowers in it. When his father turned around, he kissed Yan Yunzhen on the cheek and said, "I'll take you to meet my parents."
The three of them stood at the door and talked for a while. Lu Zixi and his father repeatedly assured him that they would be careful and would definitely come back before the New Year. Then he left, taking the crabapple flowers for his mother, looking back every few steps.
Mother Lu was buried in Lu Zixi's hometown. In order to ensure the vitality of the flowers, the two flew to Lu Zixi's hometown with the flowers the next day.
To reach the cemetery, one had to drive through a winding mountain road. Lu Zixi stared out the window, remaining silent until the car passed a certain point. Then he spoke, "That's where I fell off a cliff in my previous life."
For a long time, that section of mountain road was cordoned off, and no one was allowed to pass. Now that the ban has finally been lifted, the mountain still bears the dark marks left by the violent collision, reminding people of what happened here.
Yan Yunzhen stepped on the accelerator without pausing for a moment and said calmly, "I know."
Lu Zixi turned to look at him in surprise.
"After you got into the accident, I returned home," Yan Yunzhen continued. "I personally went to the scene, climbing over the cordon as a representative of Yuanhong to cooperate with the police investigation. But when I arrived, there was only a pile of scrap metal after the violent collision, with no trace of you. So from that moment on, I had the absurd thought that maybe you weren't dead, that you were still hiding in some corner of the world, waiting for me to find you."
"Fortunately, I waited."
Lu Zixi felt a little emotional and melancholy: "It's a pity that we wasted so much time before."
"Then I'll make it up to you later." Yan Yunzhen looked forward with a firm look in his eyes.
The car stopped at the entrance of the cemetery. Lu Zixi bent down to register with the guard, but was recognized by the fashionable guard. He and Yan Yunzhen had to sign again before he put on the prepared sunglasses and baseball cap and walked into the cemetery.
But when he arrived at his mother's grave, Lu Zixi took off all the decorations. He wanted his mother to see what he looked like now.
Lu Zixi placed the flowers on his mother's tombstone, delivered the words his father wanted to convey, and briefly recounted his own experiences. Finally, when it was time to introduce Yan Yunzhen, he suddenly fell silent.
"Mom," he finally said, "This is the person I like. His name is Yan Yunzhen, and he treats me very well. I will be fine. I don't need your spirit in heaven to bless me, because I already have the best things I can have in this world. I just need you to look after me, look after me, him, and Dad. We will all be fine."
He paused, then continued, "And brother, I don't want to dwell on the past grudges anymore. I won't leave him alone. I will do my best to help him quit drugs. You can rest assured."
Yan Yunzhen gently placed his hand on Lu Zixi's shoulder. Lu Zixi subconsciously raised his hand to hold it and turned to look at him.
"Let's go." Lu Zixi said softly.
So they walked down the stairs without looking back, the warm autumn sun shining brightly on their backs like a mother's caress.
——————
Entering the overseas market was a little easier than Lu Zixi had imagined. It was not known whether it was because the title of Doux's new product experience officer was a global one, or because the video footage of Lu Zixi's catwalk had indeed been recognized by the casting director, or because Yuanhong and Yan Yunzhen's guarantee made it difficult to refuse. After Yan Yunzhen contacted the overseas casting director, the other party quickly responded to the message, but was not too confident. They just said that the role was currently recruiting actors from all over the world, and that Lu Zixi was welcome to audition.
Since the overseas contempt chain does exist, Lu Zixi thinks this is already a pretty good result. All he has to do is to demonstrate his strength with dignity. If the other party can give him enough recognition and respect, and he can meet the other party's expectations and requirements for the role, then everyone will be happy.
Although the audition abroad was bumpy, Lu Zixi finally proved with his powerful acting skills that elves do not have to have blonde hair and blue eyes. Black hair and brown eyes can also portray the agility of a forest elf deer, and thus successfully stayed in the crew.
When this blockbuster news reached back to China, the Golden Phoenix Awards happened to announce the shortlisted works and nominations at the same time, and "Looking for Mr. X" and "Clinic No. 58" were both on the list.
Lu Zixi noticed that Zhou He was nominated for Best Director for "Looking for Mr. X," and that the screenwriter, Wang Tengfei, was also nominated for Best Screenplay for the film. However, Zhou He had previously won the Golden Phoenix Award for Best Director, so he probably wasn't too impressed. He was probably more concerned about the Qianqiu Awards, which would be announced at the beginning of the following year.
He himself was nominated for the Golden Phoenix Award for Best Newcomer and Best Supporting Actor for "Clinic No. 58". Lu Zixi originally thought that this was about it, but when he looked down, he found that he and Yan Yunzhen were nominated for Best Actor for "Looking for Mr. X" and "Clinic No. 58" respectively. He confirmed it over and over again before he dared to believe his eyes.
No need to guess, the current domestic entertainment headlines are probably all about the two people being nominated for Best Actor at the same time, and Lu Zixi being nominated for Best Newcomer and Best Actor at the same time. Even Lu Zixi, who just won an important supporting role in a big foreign movie, seems inferior in the face of such shocking news.
Firstly, being nominated for both Best Newcomer and Best Actor simultaneously is unprecedented in the Golden Phoenix Awards' history, with only two individuals, both highly respected veterans, having made such an arrangement in the past twenty years. The fact that this decision was made after careful consideration demonstrates the profound recognition Lu Zixi has received from true industry insiders.
Moreover, Lu Zixi and Yan Yunzhen were nominated for Best Actor at the same time, which is equivalent to a direct conflict of interest. Yan Yunzhen's previous care for Lu Zixi could be seen as a senior helping a junior. Now that Lu Zixi has suddenly become powerful and famous, and is even starting to catch up with Yan Yunzhen's footsteps, there are definitely many people who want to watch the fun and wait for the two to part ways.
Crucially, the Golden Phoenix Awards announced that Lu Zixi's standing and prospects within the industry were unaffected by his previous gay scandal. Directors still dared to use him, investors still backed him, and audiences were still willing to watch him. Whether it was out of appreciation for his talent or a desire to avoid provoking Yuan Hong, Lu Zixi's position within the industry was firmly established.
Even Lu Zixi hadn't fully anticipated this. He understood the principle of not having your cake and eating it too. Given the prevailing circumstances, he had already prepared himself for his career to be affected by rumors about his sexual orientation. This string of awards had him feeling a bit bewildered.
Finally, it was Yuanhong’s public relations team that brought the news from China, and Lu Zixi finally understood why this happened.
The most crucial point is that no matter how ambiguous the previous suspension bridge incident was, he had not truly come out. Rumors were just rumors. As long as he did not hold a press conference to announce his relationship with Yan Yunzhen, anyone who dared to make a fuss about it would be sued for defamation by Yuanhong.
The fairness of the Golden Phoenix Awards also played a significant role. Lu Zixi is a formidable talent, unmatched by any newcomer in the past two years, and his performances are all worthy of Best Actor status. If he were excluded from the nomination simply because of a few scandals, it would seem that this long-established domestic award has lost its respect and dignity.
All these factors combined have led to the current situation.
Many people predict that Lu Zixi is likely to win this year's Best Newcomer or Best Supporting Actor. Although Yan Yunzhen won the Golden Phoenix Award for Best Actor many years ago, it is not impossible for him to win it again. There have been precedents in history for double-crown Best Actor awards.
However, some believe the Golden Phoenix Awards are prone to gimmicks, and rarely is the winner unpredictable. Take, for example, the year Yan Yunzhen won Best Actor. Fellow nominees included Yan Yunzhen's former partner, Lu Zixi—a highly respected veteran, a popular actor whose status was just one trophy away from becoming a true legend—and a long-time, highly talented actor. The clash of the titans raged right up until the moment the awards were presented, leaving no one feeling both unexpected and predictable. This year's awards were so carefully planned that it felt like a rigged operation.
Lu Zixi was browsing information online when he soon received a work email from Yuanhong, reminding him and Yan Yunzhen to return to China before December 1st, as the Golden Phoenix Award ceremony would be held on that day.
December 1st is Yan Yunzhen's birthday, which is exactly one month later. Lu Zixi and Yan Yunzhen had originally canceled all their work schedules and planned to relax on that day. It can only be said that it was a coincidence.
Lu Zixi smiled bitterly and started making phone calls to cancel orders and the original arrangements for that day. With the help of Yuanhong's assistant, he tried to free up as much time as possible to return home.
He didn't really mind having his schedule disrupted, after all, artists were always busy; he was just a little regretful that the birthday surprise he had prepared in advance for Yan Yunzhen fell through, but if he was lucky, he could think of a better plan to implement.
A month passed quickly. For Lu Zixi, this month was busy and fulfilling. The same was true for his online fans and bystanders.
Lemon posts about "envying Lu Wenqi" were posted one after another on the Internet. In just two years, he went from being an inconspicuous food blogger to a nominee for the best actor in a top domestic award. He was slandered and smeared by his former employer, and was slapped in the face many times. He was in dangerous situations where he was almost assassinated, but survived. Those who offended him were ruined, and the companies that offended him went bankrupt on the spot. What level of luck does a son of destiny have to have such good luck!
And more people were eagerly watching Yan Yunzhen's reaction.
Yan Yunzhen immediately went online to repost Lu Zixi's Weibo post about his nomination for the Golden Phoenix Award for Best Actor, and expressed his congratulations. After that, he never appeared again, continuing to remain invisible on the Internet.
He didn't even mention that he was nominated, and it was the studio that released the news, giving fans something to celebrate.
Such a simple operation has been quickly deconstructed into countless answers.
Lu Zixi's meteoric rise to fame made many realize that if he continued to leverage Yuanhong's platform, it was only a matter of time before he became the company's next pillar. Most people believed that friendship didn't exist in the entertainment industry. People died for money, and birds perished for food. In the world of fame and fortune, no senior would tolerate such a promising junior.
Some have maliciously speculated that Yan Yunzhen was using this method to express that, as a former Golden Phoenix Award winner, he didn't care about the results of this year's Golden Phoenix Awards. No matter how promising Lu Zixi was, he was still a junior, and it would be difficult for him to reach a level that could threaten him. Yan Yunzhen was using this method of overt praise and covert criticism to give Lu Zixi a warning.
But some people also think that Lu Zixi belongs to Yuanhong, and Yuanhong belongs to Yan Yunzhen after all. It is not a bad thing for Yan Yunzhen that Yuanhong has a few more first-line actors. Therefore, Yan Yunzhen's forwarding this time is just to help Lu Zixi become more successful.
Of course, there are also many people who believe that Lu Zixi and Yan Yunzhen are in a romantic relationship. They think that Yan Yunzhen is using this method to slap the faces of those with ulterior motives, and they all say that they have come across it.
...And the person involved, Lu Zixi, wanted to say that things were really not as complicated as they imagined. Yan Yunzhen's train of thought was sometimes surprisingly simple. He just saw it while browsing Weibo and forwarded it, that's all.
Don't ask, the only thing you need to know is that he saw Yan Yunzhen complete the forwarding operation in one go, then he slapped his head and remembered that he forgot to switch to the secondary account, and then he said to himself, "Forget it, just leave it like that. It would be even worse if it was screenshotted if deleted." So he left this Weibo post on his homepage, which was very inconsistent with his personality, with the full text of "Lu Xiaoyang, go for it."
Thinking of this, Lu Zixi couldn't help but cover his face.
At this moment, Lu Zixi heard someone knocking on the door outside the lounge. He quickly put down his phone, opened the door and walked out.
Due to their busy schedules, Yan Yunzhen and Lu Zixi finally managed to carve out two days to return home. Excluding the round-trip travel and rest time, they had to start preparing for the awards ceremony almost as soon as the plane landed. Therefore, upon returning home, the two rushed directly to Yuanhong without even going back home.
As we all know, most film awards are part of a film festival, usually held at the closing ceremony. So, after the film screenings in the first few days, on the final day, all the nominated actors and actresses will arrive at the closing ceremony, walk the red carpet, take their seats, and wait for the awards to be announced. Therefore, preparing a red carpet look has become the most important thing besides the awards, especially for female stars. Every year, there is an endless stream of reports about them studding the red carpet at major award shows.
Due to his hasty rise to fame, Lu Zixi still does not have his own personal studio. He is very calm and confident in using Yan Yunzhen's image designer. Yan Yunzhen doesn't know how much money he has added to the other party, and the other party does not seem to have any objection to the fact that his customers suddenly increased from one to two.
At this time, the image designer came over with the dress provided by Doux and asked Lu Zixi to try it on. Lu Zixi didn't think too much and went into the fitting room to change into it. When he went out, he happened to bump into Yan Yunzhen who had also changed clothes. He was silent for a moment when evaluating his boyfriend's appearance, and then he said: "You are really that serious!"
Yan Yunzhen replied righteously: "Very much!"
Lu Zixi was almost amused by him.
Since Lu Zixi now has a contract with doux, he usually wears custom-made doux clothes in similar public occasions. Yan Yunzhen also has his own endorsement brand and needs to wear clothes from the endorsement brand. Lu Zixi never expected that when the brand styles are very different, Yan Yunzhen still managed to put together a suit that matches his clothes very well.
Fortunately, male actors are different from female actors. The only thing that changes with their suits is the material and fabric, and there is not much room for change in the style, so it is not too obvious. But if the two of them wear this outfit, it would be strange if it does not become a hot topic.
After hearing Lu Zixi's explanation for refusing to wear couple outfits, Yan Yunzhen actually laughed: "Do you think that since we are wearing very different clothes, it won't be on the hot search? The popularity of the red carpet is inevitable. Does it have anything to do with what we wear?"
...That's true.
Lu Zixi knew that Yan Yunzhen's nickname "Walking Headline" was not earned for nothing, but Lu Zixi still felt a little powerless to complain about his desperate mentality.
He looked around Yan Yunzhen twice, and the more he looked, the more he felt that the suit made his broad shoulders and narrow waist look good, and his temperament was outstanding. As he looked at him, the knot in his heart disappeared, and he even showed a little softness in his heart.
Such a person who is so powerful outside and can call the shots at home, just happens to be so cautious when dealing with him. He holds her in his hands for fear of dropping her, holds her in his mouth for fear of melting her, and tries all kinds of ways to hold her and coax her for fear of making her angry. Lu Zixi felt a little bit sorry when he thought about it.
"That's it." Lu Zixi sighed, "It's really beautiful."
While the designer was looking for a more suitable tie, Yan Yunzhen hugged him from behind, lowered his head, leaned close to Lu Zixi's earlobe, and whispered in his ear: "You just want me to look good."
Lu Zixi was left in tears and laughter by his childish remarks: "What? What do you want from me? I even replaced my person."
"I don't know." Yan Yunzhen continued to hug him, "Anyway, I like you."
The designer came back with a bunch of ties and kicked the door open. Yan Yunzhen let go of him. In order to hide his embarrassment, Lu Zixi went to pick out ties to match Yan Yunzhen.
Yan Yunzhen raised his head and obediently let Lu Zixi tie his tie. Lu Zixi kept an eye on the designer. As soon as the designer left the house, he grabbed Yan Yunzhen's tie and pulled him towards him.
Yan Yunzhen quickly raised his hands, looking innocent: "What did I do wrong again?"
Unexpectedly, Lu Zixi kissed him on the lips.
"Happy birthday." Lu Zixi winked at him.
Yan Yunzhen's expression changed from innocence, confusion, and shock, and finally to secrecy.
He raised his eyebrows, slowly took the tie from Lu Zixi's hand, tied one end around Lu Zixi's wrist, and put the other end into his pocket.
"Birthday present." Yan Yunzhen said.
This time, the designer knocked on the door consciously. Lu Zixi quickly broke free from his hand and ran to open the door.
Absolutely! He should have known that he could never win against this old rogue by playing ambiguously.
——————
The Golden Phoenix Awards ceremony began at 8:00 p.m. in the indoor theater. Outside the theater, there was a red carpet less than 20 meters long for filming and pre-interviews. The entire process was broadcast live simultaneously on the Internet and television media. Reporters from major media outlets had already set up their cameras and long guns around the theater, waiting for the actors to appear.
The order in which the actors and other nominated industry insiders walk the red carpet is generally based on the crew. This means that Lu Zixi and Yan Yunzhen, as two film actors, will walk together no matter what, becoming the dividing line between the production teams of the two films "Clinic No. 58" and "Looking for Mr. X".
The Internet was also in an uproar about this.
Many people said that it was already impressive enough that the two male stars walked the red carpet together once before at the Yuanhong Dinner. No one expected that the couple could withstand the pressure of public opinion and do it twice, which was really a show for passers-by.
This time, the two of them got out of the same car again. Yan Yunzhen bent down skillfully to open the door. Lu Zixi put his hand on his arm and stepped out of the car lightly.
The spotlight focused on the two of them in an instant. Lu Zixi narrowed his eyes slightly, and his eyes were shining from the roots of his eyelashes to the tips of his hair. His demeanor was calm and composed, as if he had walked the red carpet of award ceremonies countless times. This time he was just here for sightseeing and didn't care about the result at all.
The reporters surrounding the periphery looked at each other, and saw the same disbelief in each other's eyes.
It was understandable that Lu Zixi was not nervous on the red carpet of Yuanhong's dinner party. After all, it was just an ordinary public occasion, and people with better psychological quality might not feel anything.
But the red carpet at the award ceremony is different. It is the focus of everyone's attention. Everything that happens next may determine the development trajectory of their acting career. How can he be as calm as Yan Yunzhen, who has won the Golden Phoenix Award for Best Actor next to him!
Then they discovered an even bigger highlight.
Although the clothes worn by the two people are not from the same brand, they complement each other very well. Even the ties are of the same texture and dark pattern in solid color, which is low-key and luxurious. Although it is said that people walking the red carpet together always have to have some elements that echo each other, which will appear more harmonious, but they are all male and female stars, how can two male stars do this!
With so many factors at play, the reporters didn't even know where to begin. The two were halfway there when someone, as if waking up from a dream, squeezed through the crowd and reached out with a microphone. Holding up their own microphone, they shouted, "Mr. Lu Wenqi, are you confident you'll win the Best Actor award this time?"
Lu Zixi tilted his head to hear clearly, and said very simply to the microphone held towards him, "No."
The reporter was speechless for a moment, but then he kept asking, "Why? Is it because you don't have confidence in your performance, or is it because Yan Yunzhen is such a great example that you think you can't surpass him?"
"It's because the results haven't come out yet," Lu Zixi said sincerely. "If I said I was confident but didn't win Best Actor, it would be embarrassing. The press release would say, 'Lu Wenqi missed out on Best Actor, but had previously expressed confidence.' But if I said I wasn't confident, but won Best Actor, the press release would say, 'Lu Wenqi won Best Actor, and the person involved said he didn't expect it.' I think the latter is better."
The reporters around him immediately burst into laughter, and even Yan Yunzhen couldn't help but curl the corners of his mouth.
The reporter's attempt to stir up trouble failed, and he had to leave in a huff. Seeing that Yan Yunzhen was in a good mood, the other reporters nearby boldly handed the microphone to Yan Yunzhen: "Mr. Yan Yunzhen, as a former Golden Phoenix Award winner, do you have any predictions for this year's Best Actor?"
Yan Yunzhen usually had a neutral attitude towards entertainment reporters, proving that the reporter had already mentally prepared for Yan Yunzhen to give him an official answer of "no" or "I'm looking forward to it too." However, it seemed that Yan Yunzhen was in a really good mood today and answered this difficult question directly: "If it's just a prediction and no responsibility, then it's Lu Wenqi."
The reporter was overjoyed and quickly asked, "Can you give a reason?"
"There's no real reason. Publicly, being nominated for Best Actor is proof of his ability. Personally, I'd be very happy if he won," Yan Yunzhen said. "It's like when your company hands out year-end bonuses to outstanding employees and your colleagues ask you to predict the outcome, you'd hope that person would be you or a friend, even though you might verbally tell your colleagues that you're looking forward to the result, too."
This wonderful and apt metaphor caused another burst of laughter among the reporters, and made Director Zhou He, who was walking in front, look back frequently, wanting to know what happened next.
Lu Zixi really didn't expect Yan Yunzhen to be able to joke with the reporters. He gently touched his shoulder and indicated that there was a female guest behind him who was wearing a skirt and suffering from the cold, so he had better walk faster.
After receiving the interesting answer, the reporters stopped making things difficult for them and made way for them. Lu Zixi and Yan Yunzhen then walked smoothly to the shooting area of the official camera and stood there. After the host finished the introduction, they walked to the signature wall, signed their names, and walked into the theater together.
The seats in the Grand Theater were still allocated according to the crew, so Lu Zixi and Yan Yunzhen sat together again. On Lu Zixi's left were Zhou He and other finalists of "Looking for Mr. X", and on Yan Yunzhen's right were the post-production staff of "Medical Clinic No. 58".
From this we can see that there is an overlapping crew member from the two films who was nominated, that is director Zhou He. The seating arrangement could have placed Zhou He between the two of them, but by coincidence, this situation did not occur.
"Nervous?" Zhou He saw that it was Lu Zixi sitting next to him, so he smiled and chatted with him, and then greeted Yan Yunzhen who was standing next to him, "I've heard everything. Now the online rumors about your relationship are spreading like wildfire. I was thinking, how can it be so mysterious? You two must be fine, and today's meeting is indeed the case."
Yan Yunzhen smiled and said, "Director Zhou is a discerning person."
Zhou He also smiled, and spoke after a while: "There is still a long way to go. I am very optimistic about Lu Wenqi. Don't worry about temporary gains and losses. What is yours will always be yours."
Lu Zixi realized that Zhou He had something else in mind, but before he could ask what Zhou He was going to say, the award ceremony on the stage began.
After the award ceremony begins, countless cameras will be aimed at the actors in the audience. Lu Zixi didn't dare to chat with Zhou He anymore. He had to sit up straight and listen to the host on the stage introduce the details of the award ceremony.
When the host mentioned the crew of "Clinic No. 58" and the crew of "Searching for Mr. X", Lu Zixi subconsciously interacted with the camera skillfully. He just became a little alert, worried that his abnormality would be discovered by others, when he heard Zhou He beside him say to the people on the other side with emotion that the sense of camera is really innate. Look at Lu Wenqi, he has never participated in an award ceremony, but he is very good at capturing the camera.
Lu Zixi suddenly felt a little embarrassed and straightened his back a little.
According to the custom of the Golden Phoenix Awards, group awards, such as the Best Feature Film Award, will be at the front, followed by non-actor awards, such as Best Original Score and Best Director, and then individual awards, with Best New Actor and Best Supporting Actress at the front, and Best Actor and Best Actress at the back.
Zhou He didn't win the Best Director award this time, but he's not worried about it. After all, he's already won the Golden Phoenix Award, so whether he wins again or not won't be a big deal. Wang Tengfei won the Best Screenplay award for "Looking for Mr. X," but he's a bit of a genius and doesn't seem to care much about material things.
At the end, the camera swept to the other crews, and everyone was full of nervousness. But when it came to the two crews where Lu Zixi and Yan Yunzhen were, everyone looked calm and out of tune with others, which was amazing.
Soon the awards came to the final individual awards. The Best Newcomer award was won by a new actress who was only sixteen years old. Her lively performance in a feature film about left-behind children made Lu Zixi couldn't help but applaud. Lu Zixi thought it was very appropriate for such a true newcomer to win the Best Newcomer Award.
If Zhou He knew some inside information and wanted to tell him that the Best Newcomer award had been given to someone else, it would be understandable that he shouldn't be disappointed. But does Lu Zixi seem to be... such a petty person?
When the actress was giving her acceptance speech, Lu Zixi couldn't help but glance at Zhou He beside him, and Zhou He gave him a wry smile.
Lu Zixi immediately understood that Zhou He wanted to tell him that he would not be eligible for the Best Supporting Actor award.
The Best Actor award is most likely to go to Yan Yunzhen, so does that mean he will not win anything this time?
Lu Zixi was a little surprised, but to be honest, he didn't mind much. It was just that the public opinion would be a bit unpleasant, and it would trouble Yuanhong's public relations department again.
What he never expected was that the Best Supporting Actor award was soon announced, and the winner was Tianhan, no, it should be said that the actor who played Tianhan before him, Lin Muyuan.
Maybe he looked a little surprised at that moment, the camera stayed on Lu Zixi's face for a long time, and did not move away until Lu Zixi started clapping.
Lin Muyuan's winning of the award can be said to be a surprise.
Lin Muyuan once played an important supporting role in a niche art film and was discovered by Tianhan, thus embarking on the road to stardom. This person has no close relationship with Tianhan, so Tianhan's bad deeds have nothing to do with him. His award does not mean that Tianhan will be forgiven by the industry. Simply based on his acting skills, Lu Zixi honestly thinks that he is still slightly inferior to himself. In addition, the Golden Phoenix Awards do not favor art films, which surprised him.
Moreover, Lu Zixi believed that he was not the only one who felt surprised, otherwise Zhou He would not have spoken like that just now.
But since he was shortlisted, he had a chance of winning the award, and Lu Zixi did not intend to question the final outcome.
He heard the cell phone in Yan Yunzhen's pocket start to vibrate wildly. Yan Yunzhen took advantage of Lin Muyuan's surprise to open his phone to check the message, and his face looked unhappy.
"What's wrong?" Lu Zixi asked.
Yan Yunzhen shook his head.
"Tell me." Lu Zixi was persistent.
"Yuanhong told me that some media outlets have already snatched up the materials and started saying some unpleasant things on social media." Yan Yunzhen hesitated for a moment, but still complied with Lu Zixi's wishes. "There's still one last award, don't worry."
Lu Zixi knew that he was definitely the focus of everyone's attention. Unless Lin Muyuan stepped down from the stage, he would never be released from in front of the camera. Playing with his mobile phone under such a high-definition camera was tantamount to seeking death, so he insisted that Yan Yunzhen tell him all the news on the Internet.
But Yan Yunzhen never opened his mouth to say those harsh words.
Things like "Nominated for three awards but won nothing" and "lost to a 16-year-old high school student with zero acting experience and an unemployed person whose company had closed down" were ridiculed to the utmost by the media, and the words were as harsh as they could be. Yan Yunzhen really couldn't say anything. Pressed to the point of desperation, he could only helplessly say, "It's just the same old garbage you see. No need to ask any more questions."
Everyone regarded this reversal as a slap in the face. A lot of people were waiting to see Lu Zixi make a fool of himself, waiting to see him show his fear in front of the camera, waiting to see his composure turn into restlessness, waiting to see him become insecure and timid in front of the media.
However, Lu Zixi simply changed his sitting position and made himself more comfortable.
Now even Zhou He looked at him in surprise.
"Since I already know I'm just a runner-up, I won't hold it back," Lu Zixi shrugged and said very naturally, "I'll keep trying next time."
Zhou He looked at him with a look that gradually changed from pity to praise: "You will definitely succeed next time."
Listening to Lin Muyuan's incoherent and tearful acceptance speech on the stage, Lu Zixi folded up his own acceptance speech and put it in his pocket: "It was all in vain. Alas."
Yan Yunzhen's face still looked unhappy. If the camera was facing him at this time, there would surely be something to worry about.
The following Best Supporting Actress award was given to a new actress who played a witness in a suspense film. The result was similar to what the public had predicted. The segment ended quickly and two senior actors who had won the Golden Phoenix Award for Best Actor came on stage. They would serve as presenters and present the award to the new Best Actor.
The two seniors introduced several candidates one by one according to the process arrangement. Movie clips flowed across the big screen. Lu Zixi looked up and watched each person's performance clip carefully.
It’s not that he cares a lot about the result, but it would be a lie to say that he doesn’t feel anything at all. Everyone wants to be recognized by others, but this time, maybe he is destined to miss the Golden Phoenix Award.
On the stage, two seniors were making final preparations before announcing the Best Actor winner.
"Hey, Uncle Li, do you still remember your experience of winning the Best Actor award that year?" A senior asked another award presenter, Li Shiping, with a smile.
Li Shiping was one of the only two seniors before Lu Zixi who were nominated for Best New Actor and Best Actor at the same time. Lu Zixi had an impression of him and thought he was an old senior with great artistic ethics.
Li Shiping smiled amiably and replied, "Of course I remember. I was 23 years old at the time, having just graduated from the Film Academy less than a year ago, and my first film was nominated for the Golden Phoenix Award. I was so overwhelmed by the sight of so many senior filmmakers and big stars around me, that when the host announced the winners of the Newcomer Award, I clapped my hands so hard I forgot I hadn't won."
There was a good-natured laugh from the audience, and another senior asked, "So, when you later heard that you were the winner of the Best Actor award, what was your reaction?"
"I didn't react at all," Li Shiping laughed. "It was the senior next to me who pushed me and said, 'Shiping, you've won the award, come on up!' I just went up to the podium in a daze."
"Then please invite the third person in the history of the Golden Phoenix Awards to be nominated for both the Best New Actor and Best Actor awards, and the second person in history to be nominated and win Best Actor, to come on stage to receive his award. He is—" The senior on the stage spread out his cue card and read out the name at the same time as Li Shiping, "Lu Wenqi! Please come on stage!"
The audience was silent for two seconds. Yan Yunzhen was the first to react and took the lead in applauding. One after another, the entire theater erupted into thunderous applause.
With twists and turns, this year's Golden Phoenix Awards is really exciting!
Most of the actors sitting in the audience were well-informed and experienced in social relationships. If Lu Zixi really went back without gaining anything, they could imagine what those unscrupulous media would do.
Now Lu Zixi did not win the Best Newcomer and Best Supporting Actor awards, but he did win the Best Actor award. Those media outlets that rushed to mock him must be regretting it now.
They are happy to see these media outlets get humiliated, so they applaud especially loudly.
Lu Zixi was completely stunned and looked at Yan Yunzhen at a loss. However, Yan Yunzhen pulled him up, hugged him, and praised him loudly in his ear for being great.
Zhou He, who had seen everything, coughed lightly, hugged Lu Zixi politely, and signaled Yan Yunzhen with a helpless look to keep a low profile.
Fortunately, Lu Zixi was a man who had seen a lot of storms and had excellent psychological endurance, so he was not scared by this small scene. He was just a little surprised just now, but now he has completely reacted.
Time waits for no one. Lu Zixi straightened his clothes and walked towards the podium.
As he was walking on stage, the host had already finished reading the prepared speech for the Best Actor award. Senior Li Shiping personally presented the award to Lu Zixi. Lu Zixi took it with both hands and bowed 90 degrees to the two seniors to express his gratitude.
The two seniors smiled and gave their seats to Lu Zixi, asking him to give his acceptance speech.
"Actually, regarding the acceptance speeches... I originally memorized them, but now I've forgotten them," Lu Zixi explained honestly. "And I only memorized the Best New Actor and Best Supporting Actor speeches. I didn't memorize the Best Actor speech."
The audience laughed again. Lu Zixi looked at Yan Yunzhen and found him sitting in the shadows, smiling gently.
He suddenly felt at peace.
"To be honest, I really didn't expect to win the Best Actor award. I'm very grateful to the judges for recognizing me. Thank you." Lu Zixi gathered his thoughts and bowed to the judges. "Next, I want to thank the entire crew of 'Searching for Mr. X'. It was everyone's concerted efforts that helped me present such a recognized character like 'Mr. X'. Thank you Director Zhou for choosing me and patiently teaching me. Thank you screenwriter Wang Tengfei for staying up late to revise the script for me. Thank you to every actor, logistics, and post-production team member who was present and absent. Thank you."
As he spoke, he bowed again to Wang Tengfei and Zhou He in the audience.
"Finally, I want to thank some people and friends." Lu Zixi said, bowing to Yan Yunzhen, "I want to thank Senior Yan Yunzhen for choosing me when I knew nothing about acting, guiding me, and allowing me to enter a whole new world of acting, and find a career that I love and can fight for my whole life. I also want to thank him for always being with me, no matter whether I am old, sick, or dead, rich or poor."
Lu Zixi was talking about things in his previous life, and he believed that Yan Yunzhen could understand.
"And my friends, who accompanied me and helped me through my most difficult times, helped me overcome numerous difficulties. Even though they couldn't arrive at the scene, I am still very grateful for their help." Although the system might not hear what he said, Lu Zixi still said seriously, "I will always remember this friendship."
"Of course, the most important thing is to thank all the audience friends for their kindness. I will continue to work hard to be worthy of the trophy handed to me today," Lu Zixi raised the glittering golden phoenix in his hand, "Thank you everyone!"
After saying this, he bowed again and walked off the stage amid applause.
Yan Yunzhen had been standing there applauding. When he saw Lu Zixi coming down from the stage, he quickly walked up to him and gave him a deep hug.
"It's really great!" Yan Yunzhen patted him on the back, not feeling any resentment at all about being rejected by him. Instead, Lu Zixi felt that he was even more excited than himself, and his chest was shaking in resonance.
It wasn't until the moment he got close to his ear that he heard Yan Yunzhen's hoarse yet magnetic voice, gently and firmly coming through the noisy applause and cheers: "I'm proud of you."
Lu Zixi's eyes were sore and he almost wanted to kiss him.
After leaving the stage, Lu Zixi and Yan Yunzhen declined all interviews and got into the same car again.
They have to rush back to the overseas film sets as soon as possible to continue their busy work.
But in the car, Yan Yunzhen kissed Lu Zixi directly. Lu Zixi didn't know why Yan Yunzhen was so excited all of a sudden, but he also responded enthusiastically and actively. Yan Yunzhen raised the partition in the car and kept kissing Lu Zixi's earlobe: "You are really great, I am so proud."
"According to the time in your birthplace, you haven't finished your birthday yet, right?" Lu Zixi asked with a breathless smile, "Do you want to open your present?"
Yan Yunzhen stopped for a moment, as if he was thinking about the pros and cons.
Finally, he gave up thinking and asked the driver to take another route through the car phone.
Lu Zixi was pressed under him and blinked in confusion.
"Yuanhong has a private jet." Yan Yunzhen kissed his forehead, "I'll take you flying."
Lu Zixi was confused.
——————
When Lu Zixi finally got up from the bed with a sore back, it was already dawn.
He didn't know how he got off the plane, nor did he know how he took a car back to Yan Yunzhen's apartment. All he could remember was Yan Yunzhen's irresistible movements.
He barely held up his waist and saw a small note on the bedside table. It was Yan Yunzhen who told him that he had left breakfast for him, but it was obviously already noon. He turned around and saw that Yan Yunzhen had placed his trophies in a newly built display cabinet, carefully storing them away. In contrast, Yan Yunzhen's own trophies were scattered all over the place, and he didn't know which ones were in China and which were abroad.
It seems that Yan Yunzhen really doesn't mind being suppressed by him. Last night, Lu Zixi kept wondering whether he was so energetic because he was excited or disappointed. In order to comfort him, he cooperated with him very well. Now he thinks that he was probably really excited and sold himself for nothing.
Since it was already December 2nd, a bitter winter, Lu Zixi opened the curtains and found that it was snowing again.
No wonder it's so quiet.
Yan Yunzhen heard the noise and walked in from outside. He brought some light food and held the plate in front of him: "Would you like some food?"
"You've already fed me." Lu Zixi glanced at him unhappily, and after thinking about it, he decided not to argue with himself. He slowly went to the bathroom to brush his teeth and wash his face, then came back and leaned in Yan Yunzhen's arms to eat breakfast.
Yan Yunzhen kissed his ear. Lu Zixi dodged to the side and heard Yan Yunzhen ask in his ear: "One good news and one bad news, which one do you want to hear first?"
"Bad news." Lu Zixi said without hesitation.
"The bad news is that what you said at the awards ceremony yesterday caused misunderstandings. When you introduced the people you thanked at the end, you said 'thank you to some people and some friends,' and then introduced me and my friends separately. So I'm not your friend, but 'some people,' and many people found this statement intriguing," Yan Yunzhen explained. "Also, you said at the end that I will always be with you, no matter old age, sickness or death, rich or poor... This is what we said in our wedding vows."
"So you were suddenly so excited last night..." Lu Zixi suddenly realized, "You did it, I just said it subconsciously."
"The good news is," Yan Yunzhen coughed lightly and changed the subject, "the shortlisted works for the Qianqiu Awards have been announced, and the nominations have been announced early this year."
"I was nominated for Best Actor for 'Looking for Mr. X,' and you were also nominated for Best Newcomer for 'Looking for Mr. X,'" Yan Yunzhen said. "The competition for the other nominated works is also very strong. I don't know who will win in the end, but..."
"But this is also great!" Lu Zixi also became happy. "The Qianqiu Awards are so picky, just being nominated is great!"
"By the way, you were nominated when I won the award?" After receiving Yan Yunzhen's affirmative answer, Lu Zixi became more convinced. "I remember you were nominated once a few years ago. The Qianqiu Awards usually get one or two nominations, but not three. The third nomination has a 90% chance of being selected. There's a high chance that you'll be selected as the Best Actor of the Qianqiu Awards this time!"
Lu Zixi turned around and looked at Yan Yunzhen's expression. He knew that he must have understood this as well. He kissed him on the cheek and said, "That's great. In this case, my plan can be realized."
Yan Yunzhen looked at him in confusion, while Lu Zixi clapped his hands: "Wait two more months, you'll win the Best Actor award, I tell you."
Two months later, the results of the Qianqiu Awards were announced before the Spring Festival. Yan Yunzhen successfully won the Qianqiu Award for Best Actor, and Lu Zixi was elected the Qianqiu Award for Best Newcomer, returning home with a full load.
The next day, the two of them dominated the headlines at home and abroad, and the top search was always Yan Lu Luoxue's white hair.
Click on the first one and you can see a street shot that was taken by chance.
@The No. 1 Yan Lu fan on the Internet: Groom, please exchange... trophies? [Picture] [Picture]
In the picture, the two are standing opposite each other in the church, holding the Best Actor trophy, and cheers to the snow. The snow falls on their hair, as if they have grown old together overnight.
Yuanhong has never come out to refute the rumors, nor has he come out publicly. The relationship between the two maintains a delicate balance between being banned and covered up. People who are willing to understand will soon find out, and people outside the circle who don't know anything about it will not be disturbed.
Lu Zixi and Yan Yunzhen’s Weibo posts also low-key posted a photo that required careful observation to realize it was a family photo.
The cat Fat Tiger and the lion dog Yan Xiaoyang, who have always been suspected of living in the same family, snuggled together intimately, with the cat's tail wrapped around someone's finger. Beside each of the two little guys was a trophy that had just been given as a token of love.
And outside the camera, there must be someone holding a camera to capture this warm scene.
Two people, a cat and a dog, no one missing.
Lu Zixi's accompanying words are, Thank you fate.
Yan Yunzhen’s caption is, everything is the best arrangement.
Positioning, church.
The author has something to say: The main story is finally finished! Thank you all for your company along the way, there will be a few more extra chapters to be dropped.
In addition, I quietly ask the author to collect and pre-collect. The next book will be "After I became a popular koi fish, I became a clean stream in the entertainment industry". The copy is as follows. You can see it by clicking on the column. There are also completed articles and other articles to be written waiting for your visit. If you like it, please collect it__
The text is as follows:
He Chen had experienced too much luck in his life, until one day he traveled through a book and became the popular and popular character with a tragic ending in a BL novel set in the entertainment industry.
Taking advantage of the fact that he is still a little-known figure in the entertainment industry at the beginning of the story, He Chen decides to keep to himself and remain obscure until the end of the original story. As the saying goes, as long as I have no ambition, no one will notice me!
When filming the Lunar New Year movie, each actor bought a lottery ticket as a lucky draw.
——A week later, hot search: He Chen, the actor from the movie "Five Million Dollars from Heaven", won five million in lottery!
While filming a martial arts drama, He Chen found a jade artifact in the mountains behind the crew and handed it over to the country.
——An actor named He accidentally discovered important cultural relics that were lost in my country during the war.
While filming a reality show, He Chen hid in a corner to avoid the camera and happened to meet two lost children.
——Shocked, a celebrity assisted the police in solving a kidnapping case while filming a reality show.
At some point, a sentence began to circulate on the Internet.
Repost He Chen, the human-shaped koi, and you too will get lucky
Koi He Chen: Hesitant to speak, hesitant to speak, jpg
...Superstition is bad.
Three years later, He Chen won the most authoritative and prestigious Best Actor award in the film and television industry. When he held the trophy in his hands, fans cheered and the entire internet was boiling!
He Chen: ...You may not believe it when I tell you this, but I don’t know what happened either, that’s all.
————
He Chen, a human-shaped koi fish, once traveled through a book and became the popular bottom in a sadistic and erotic novel.
The original owner relied on his amazing talent and looks to become a top star in the entertainment industry in just a few years. Countless men fell for his suit pants, but he also died in a love affair, with a miserable end.
He Chen: The hand holding the book is shaking slightly.jpg
Fortunately, when he traveled through the book, He Chen was just a popular young actor who had just emerged.
He decided from this moment on to stay away from the gossips of the entertainment industry and quietly become an unknown.
But he used every trick he could think of, yet he still enjoyed immense love and care, hurtling towards superstar status...
In this regard, the audience has something to say -
I just saw He Chen’s advertisement on TV. A cat that was lost for a week came back by itself. Can you believe it?
I just spent half an hour criticizing He Chen for making money online, and immediately caught a cold and had a fever and couldn't speak. Can you believe it?
As long as you praise him, good things will happen. Do you believe it?
In this regard, the bigwigs in the circle also have something to say -
I fell asleep listening to He Chen’s variety show and I didn’t suffer from insomnia?
The niche art film invested in He Chen became a hit in the blink of an eye?
Why is it that the better we treat He Chen, the luckier we become?
He Chen is such a great treasure in the world, no, he must be praised!
At this time, a big man holding Marxist dialectical materialism passed by.
Zhu Lu: Let’s reject superstition and start with me.
He Chen: Boss, you are right! Boss, save me!
A cool and materialistic CEO top x everyone loves the little koi bottom
Zhu Lu x He Chen
1v1, daily updates, sweet sand sculptures
Thank you to the little angels who voted for me or irrigated nutrient solution during 2020-03-23022020-03-2904
Thanks to the little angel who cast the mine: the most miserable young master of Kongsang;
Thanks to the little angels who provided nutrient solution: Xizi and Alan (10 bottles);
Thank you very much for your support. I will continue to work hard!
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