Chapter 395: Double Nomination

When the autumn wind rose, the leaves outside the window rustled, as if a scattering of jade trinkets had shattered across the ground.

Waking from an afternoon nap in such an environment, it felt as if the entire world were encased in a giant glass jar, possessing an unreal, fairytale quality.

The affair involving Huang Kai had been the talk of the town for two weeks, but it finally cooled down and was no longer frequently mentioned.

Li Bi had followed Huang Kai for three days, filming about eighty short videos, which he posted to his own account.

Afterwards, Arctic Light Video purchased the rights and edited them into a two-and-a-half-hour feature, titled "Huang Kai Behind the Heated Debate."

The video featured interviews with actors who had worked with Huang Kai, such as Lu Yan He and Chen Yu, as well as many staff members who had collaborated with him, both in front of and behind the scenes. Beyond that, it included footage of Huang Kai from those three days, covering both his work and his private moments.

Through these videos, what Li Bi actually wanted to convey was the image of Huang Kai as a person.

In the end, a confession from Huang Kai sparked significant attention and response. While this was partly due to the internet water army arranged by Xin Zixing, to a greater extent, it was the sincerity Huang Kai revealed that moved many people.

"I want to be an actor, so I cannot just stay in my original comfort zone and never step out. I understand that many people, out of a desire to protect me, hope I won't take risks. However, if we don't take risks, we will only ever see the world we see now."

Huang Kai looked into the camera, his eyes as calm as if filled with water, deer-like, containing many emotions that could not be understood at first glance, yet seemingly able to see into anyone's heart.

"I have actually been thinking about this for a while. Not responding is not because I am indifferent, but because I don't know how to respond. Rather than using words to explain why I chose to film such a project, I prefer to let the work speak for itself. An actor shouldn't explain too much. So, in the future, I might explain less and less. I hope you can feel that it's not that I don't care about you, but that I have chosen a way I believe is more appropriate to express that care. For myself, I want to be a true actor; for you, I hope I can live up to your continued support."

The matter finally came to an end.

This incident also had a profound impact on Lu Yan He.

Huang Kai had been famous for so many years and still encountered such situations; would he encounter them in the future too?

When meeting with Shang Yongzhou to discuss the script for *Road to Glory*, during a break, Lu Yan He curiously asked Shang Yongzhou if he had ever experienced such pain.

Shang Yongzhou said, of course.

"We are all very dependent on fans—though many refuse to admit it, even thinking of themselves not as stars but as actors, we all know that if there weren't a group of fans, or as they call them—film buffs, why would producers spend so much money to hire us to act? Is it really because our acting is exceptionally outstanding?" Shang Yongzhou said, "However, if you want to become a great actor, you must get rid of the mentality of pandering to fans. This doesn't mean you don't need fans to like you, but you must clarify one thing: your primary task is to make a good film, not a film that fans will like. I may sound cruel, but that is the reality. What we truly rely on to make a living is our work, not our fans. Fans will leave, they will disappear, but the work we have filmed will not."

Lu Yan He nodded thoughtfully.

Shang Yongzhou said: "Yan He, actually, I think you sometimes think a bit too much."

"Ah?"

Shang Yongzhou said: "You don't look like someone in their early twenties at all."

Lu Yan He felt a bit at a loss upon hearing Shang Yongzhou's evaluation of him.

Shang Yongzhou added: "I watched *Late Spring* again two days ago. I'm even a bit curious, since you think so much, how did you manage to act with such a lack of maturity in the film?"

Lu Yan He said: "I don't think so. Well, okay, maybe I do think a bit too much, but I won't become a very mature person just because I think a lot. It's precisely because there are too many things I can't figure out that I think so much."

Shang Yongzhou: "No wonder. I've watched many of your performances, whether it's *Late Spring* or *Seventeen Layers*, your greatest strength lies in the deep sense of story on your face, and it's never quite certain. This quality of being somewhat bewildered and lost... hmm, it's rare. In *Road to Glory*, you can amplify this side."

"In *Road to Glory*, I don't even know how I should act or what I should look like." Lu Yan He said, between laughter and tears, "I feel like I've done a lot of preparation and design, but I still haven't been able to internalize it into something of my own."

The main issue was that the character Jiang Ying, played by Lu Yan He, was the most extroverted and uninhibited character he had encountered since he began acting.

Previous roles had all been complex, with a lot of internal monologue, and perhaps not as much physical expression. But Jiang Ying in *Road to Glory*—cynical, arrogant, and hot-tempered—these traits stacked together created a personality Lu Yan He had never played before. This also didn't match Lu Yan He's own personality, and he suddenly lost the sense of immersion he had in previous acting roles.

Yet Shang Yongzhou said he should amplify the quality of being bewildered and lost in this character?

It sounded like this quality was very unlike Jiang Ying.

"In this film, you and I are actually like mirror images. Because I have been diagnosed with cancer, I have been using a silent, firm, and feigned stable exterior to control a gradually collapsing inner world, while you are using a crazy, unbridled, and reckless exterior to cover up your confusion, bewilderment, and helplessness. Both of us are slowly finding the anchors of our lives on this journey, to find peace in life." Shang Yongzhou said, "That's why I said just now that you can amplify the part of your character that is bewildered and lost. The more this part is revealed, the richer your character will be, and it won't be too one-dimensional. Actually, the revised script is better. I always felt that the initial script, which revolved entirely around my character, was a bit too thin. Although this story uses cancer and redemption as a catalyst, it is definitely not just about the grand theme of living towards death. Its most charming aspect lies in the attempt to build a new order in a chaotic inner world. I think this is a very meaningful and valuable thing for everyone."

Shang Yongzhou's words made Lu Yan He suddenly enlightened.

Huang Kai's affair had caused his state of mind to become chaotic, which was why he had been affected and kept thinking about what he would do if he encountered a situation like Huang Kai's.

The preset scenario, because he couldn't find an accurate answer for a moment, made him panic and feel at a loss.

Precisely because he had just experienced all this, Lu Yan He understood at this moment how important the meaning of "inner order" that Shang Yongzhou spoke of was.

It was also at this moment that Lu Yan He suddenly understood what Chen Ziyan meant by the significance of a classic.

Once October passed and November arrived, the film awards season began.

Chen Ziyan took it very seriously.

Because Lu Yan He's achievements in the film field this year were fruitful, there was a good chance to make a push.

Whether it was the supporting role in *Sanshan* or the lead role in *Late Spring*, both were roles that received widespread praise from critics.

Especially the former—

A guest appearance in one scene established Lu Yan He's reputation as a genius.

As for *Late Spring*, Lu Yan He did act well, but it didn't quite fit the evaluation standards of domestic film awards—

For the past ten years, there hadn't been a young male actor who won an award for playing a young person. Moreover, Chen Pinhe in *White Pearl* also displayed very outstanding acting skills, receiving widespread acclaim at the premiere of the Venice International Film Festival.

And besides these two films, Liu Teli, who had just won Best Actor for *Is It a Mule or Is It Me*, had another film released with excellent domestic word-of-mouth called *Upstairs*, a black comedy with a budget of six million that ended up taking 240 million at the box office.

Liu Teli's performance was beyond reproach—this was the original statement of a film bigwig. And this evaluation was supported by the audience.

Under these circumstances, Chen Ziyan was not optimistic that Lu Yan He could win Best Actor, so just getting a nomination would be quite good.

"The focus is still to see if we can win Best Supporting Actor with *Sanshan*." Chen Ziyan said, "As long as we can win Best Supporting Actor, that's enough."

Lu Yan He asked: "Are the hopes high?"

"Judging from the current situation, the hopes are high." Chen Ziyan said, "The competition for Best Actor is very fierce; this year is a big year, but for Best Supporting Actor... you are the actor with the most buzz. There hasn't been a supporting actor with a bigger response than you."

Lu Yan He nodded.

"Then I'll start praying every day from today, praying that I can win the award."

"Haha." Chen Ziyan laughed, "I thought you were going to say you would prepare well for *Road to Glory*."

"*Road to Glory* must be prepared well, and I also want to win the award." Lu Yan He said bluntly.

Chen Ziyan smiled, "Then let's wait and see if we can successfully bring home a trophy."

Lu Yan He nodded.

The Feihong Awards were the first to announce the nomination list, and Lu Yan He successfully received a nomination for Best Actor for *Late Spring*, and at the same time, a nomination for Best Supporting Actor for *Sanshan*.

A double nomination in one go.

Competing with Lu Yan He for Best Actor were Chen Pinhe, who was shortlisted for the Main Competition Unit of the Venice International Film Festival for *White Pearl*, and Liu Teli for *Upstairs*.

In addition, Shang Yongzhou also made a surprise entry with the commercial comedy *Come On, Big Star*, sparking quite a bit of discussion.

Some media outlets said it was a competition among the top male actors of the three generations: the twenties, thirties, and forties.

This edition of the Feihong Awards gained countless topics because the three of them were all nominated for Best Actor at the same time.

A few days later, the Lingyun Awards also announced their nominations; Lu Yan He and Chen Pinhe were still on the list, but Shang Yongzhou did not appear on the nomination list.

Of the three major film awards, Lu Yan He was double-nominated for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor for both, with unparalleled momentum.

On the set of the second season of *Friends*, this news spread throughout the entire crew.

Yin Xincheng's face was full of admiration.

"Yan He is too exaggerated; double nominations for both, really amazing."

Yan Liang congratulated Lu Yan He in the group chat and smiled when he heard Yin Xincheng's exclamation.

"He said before he would come to visit the set, why hasn't he come yet?" Zhan Yun asked, looking at Yan Liang, "Yan Liang, ask him when he's coming to hang out with us? We've been waiting for him for a long time."

Yan Liang said: "It's probably unlikely; he's preparing for a new film and is about to join the crew, so he's very busy."

Zhan Yun immediately snorted, "Then he still said he had time to see us, what a liar."

"Next time I'll see when everyone is free, and I'll organize a gathering for us all to get together." Yan Liang said, "Sigh, the main thing is that everyone is too busy, it's really hard to coordinate the time."

"You have the nerve to say that, you're the busiest among us." Zhan Yun immediately squinted at Yan Liang, "Since filming started, we've had several dinners, look at how many you've attended."

Yan Liang immediately put his hands together in apology and said: "I will definitely attend next time."

Yan Liang was busy mainly because, in addition to filming, he was also recording *Idol Era*, and there were many events and commercial performances at the end of the year, all of which had been booked for him by Zhou Ping'an earlier.

Basically, as long as he didn't have scenes to film, his time was all booked up.

The cast of *Friends* were actually all quite busy; the influence of this show among young people, especially college students, was too great, and everyone had been labeled with a strong character filter.

This time, filming the second season, there was almost a large group of fans waiting outside the filming location every day, just to see them during the brief moments they entered and exited.

Zhan Yun suddenly whispered: "Chen Ziliang is here."

Consequently, the people who were still laughing and joking, teasing and complaining to each other, stopped talking about these private topics and started talking about the script.

In the second season, Chen Ziliang's addition became the new "sixth person."

The other actors couldn't change this "sixth person" arranged by the Beijing TV Station, but they were clear in their own hearts and had not accepted Chen Ziliang into their circle at all.

Besides the reason involving Lu Yan He, the main reason was that as soon as Chen Ziliang arrived, the Beijing TV Station tried to make his character the core lead of the second season.

It was the other five actors who jointly expressed their protest and opposition that prevented this from happening.

Because of this incident, their already unclear relationship with Chen Ziliang became even worse.

On the filming set, basically as long as Chen Ziliang was present, the atmosphere would be relatively quiet because no one would take the initiative to speak, especially to Chen Ziliang.

However, today Chen Ziliang took the initiative to speak to them.

He was unexpectedly excited, as if he had been stimulated by something.

"Do you know the news that Lu Yan He was also double-nominated for the Lingyun Awards?" Chen Ziliang asked them.

The others looked at each other and nodded.

Yan Liang looked at him and asked: "Why do you care about this?"

Chen Ziliang said: "It feels like the whole world is talking about this, it's impossible for me not to care. It's really incredible; how long has he been acting, and he's already this famous, famous like a raging fire. It feels like as an actor, especially a male actor, it's basically very difficult to do better than him."

Yan Liang: "It's indeed quite a pity for you; you finally decided to change tracks and prepare to be an actor, only to run into Yan He. The pressure must be great, right?"

"What pressure? Anyway, my main job is a singer, acting is just a hobby." Chen Ziliang shrugged his shoulders, "You people whose main job is acting are the ones under pressure."

"We aren't trying to compete with anyone, so why would we be under pressure." Yan Liang said indifferently, "We are all people who were lucky enough to become famous because of the show *Friends*. Compared to competing with others, we are all quite content because we all know that being able to get everything we have now is already very rare."

Chen Ziliang let out a 'wow', his face full of sarcasm, "What you said makes me feel shocked. When did someone as content as you appear in the entertainment industry? Even Lu Yan He knows how to admit his ambition, what are you pretending to be so content for?"

"Summer insects cannot talk about ice." Yan Liang said, "If you can't understand, then let's talk less."

Chen Ziliang and Yan Liang looked at each other, vaguely forming a state of confrontation.

Wen Minglan stood up and said to Yan Liang: "Yan Liang, there's a scene later, can you rehearse with me again?"

Yan Liang then withdrew his gaze and nodded, "Okay."

Chen Ziliang's gaze swept across the face of everyone on the scene, and everyone was looking at him with a cold, indifferent gaze.

The barrier between him and them was very, very deep.

"This nomination... I didn't even expect it myself, it's basically just to make up the numbers."

Shang Yongzhou smiled and shrugged his shoulders, obviously not taking this nomination to heart, knowing he had no chance at all.

He was sitting in front of Mrs. Huang of Long Yan Pictures, chatting with her.

Mrs. Huang had come to talk to him about a project and congratulated him as soon as she arrived.

Mrs. Huang said: "That a commercial comedy like *Come On, Big Star* could bring you a nomination shows how much the judges recognize your performance. This time you are acting in *Road to Glory* with Yan He, presumably the two of you will launch a charge at the major awards later; next year will be worth watching."

Shang Yongzhou: "I was quite surprised that Yan He agreed to act in this film."

Mrs. Huang smiled and said: "This child is quite unexpected. So far, he hasn't accepted a single blockbuster. I heard that all the blockbusters that went to him were rejected. Perhaps he doesn't want to act in commercial blockbusters either. Several commercial film projects in our company didn't include him as a candidate for the lead role. I was curious and asked why, and they all said Lu Yan He has high standards and wouldn't accept them."

"Yan He definitely doesn't refuse commercial films." Shang Yongzhou explained for Lu Yan He, "Actually, in our country, you know, the distinction between commercial films and art films is not the same as abroad."

"Yes, but the project I came to you for, *Burning Fire*, we are directly aligning with international production. This is a pan-Asian international big project that will find actors from various Asian countries to form an international lineup." Mrs. Huang said, "It is aimed at being a commercial film with influence across all of Asia."

Shang Yongzhou said: "Long Yan Pictures has great courage, taking out 500 million in one go to produce this project."

Mrs. Huang said: "Actually, converted to US dollars, the production cost is less than 100 million US dollars, which still can't compare to those Hollywood blockbusters. To be honest, it's because our channels around the world haven't been established yet, and we don't have the confidence to do bigger projects. This time we are doing *Burning Fire*, actually, just to open up the Asian market first."

"Can people from other countries accept such a fantasy story about Chinese sorcerers?"

"Asia is actually quite familiar with traditional Chinese culture; the cultural gap is not that big." Mrs. Huang said, "Moreover, there are also settings from the traditional cultures of other countries inside. From the beginning, it was a pan-Asian big background: Thai witchcraft, Japanese onmyoji... For such a big film, we really need you to lead it, Yongzhou."

Shang Yongzhou said: "Mrs. Huang, you know my habit. Before I finish filming *Road to Glory*, I cannot ensure whether my state can take on this film. I am used to not thinking about the next film before finishing one; it will affect my concentration."

"Yongzhou, I definitely respect your habit. I just wanted to say hello to you first, so that after you finish filming *Road to Glory*, you won't have your schedule snatched away by others." Mrs. Huang said.

Shang Yongzhou's habit of accepting roles was known in the industry. Because of this, many film companies were eyeing his schedule. Generally, as soon as one of his films wrapped, a large number of scripts would be sent over—or had already been sent to his agent, waiting for him to wrap so they could give them to him immediately.

Shang Yongzhou nodded, "I promise you, before I finish reading the script for *Burning Fire*, I will not accept any other films."

"Okay." Mrs. Huang achieved her goal and smiled.

"Is there only one lead in this film?" Shang Yongzhou asked another question.

Mrs. Huang said: "No, there are five leads, with your character as the core, forming a lead group."

Shang Yongzhou suddenly understood and nodded.

Commercial fantasy blockbusters were generally set up like this; it was not strange.

Mrs. Huang said: "There is one character among them that I want to invite Yan He to play. Although people in the company say he might not necessarily act, I will still contact him and talk about it."

This time, Lu Yan He was nominated for two major awards for *Late Spring*. As the film company for *Late Spring*, Long Yan Pictures was naturally also beaming with joy.

*Late Spring* received nominations for several important awards such as Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Screenplay, but in the most high-profile acting award category, only Lu Yan He received a nomination.

Although the other actors were also highly rated, perhaps because they were newcomers just starting out, and there was still a lot of room for improvement in the maturity of their acting skills, none of them received nominations.

Mrs. Huang specifically went to Zhenhua University to find Lu Yan He.

"You must attend these two film awards ceremonies." Mrs. Huang said with a beaming smile, "If it's hard to ask for leave from school, I'll go help you ask."

Lu Yan He immediately waved his hands and said with a smile: "No need, Mrs. Huang, it's no problem. They are all in the evening and are held in Yuming, I don't have classes in the evening, I can make it."

Mrs. Huang looked at Lu Yan He, her eyes full of affection.

"You are really too excellent; I really wish you were my son."

Lu Yan He hurriedly shook his head in embarrassment and said: "No, no, I still have many shortcomings that need improvement."

Mrs. Huang said: "Yan He, although Liu Bige found you for the collaboration on *Late Spring*, now I really treat you as one of my own. I won't hide anything from you or speak in riddles. If you need help in the future, whether it's someone to help you film a script you wrote or anything else, I'll tell you clearly: as long as you ask me, I will definitely use all my strength to help. Looking at you is just like seeing Liu Bige back then. I can't help it; I just like talented people, so when he didn't have the opportunity to be a director himself in France, I spent a lot of effort to persuade him to come back. Of course, you are actually much luckier than him; you don't need my help to do very well and be very outstanding."

Lu Yan He hurriedly thanked her.

Actually, the feeling Mrs. Huang gave him was very strange; there was a sense that although this person was very utilitarian and direct, it didn't make him feel uncomfortable.

She was truly full of enthusiasm and had a sense of inclusivity. The things she said about helping him also made him feel sincere, not just empty social pleasantries.

"For the film *Late Spring*, our Long Yan will do our best to help you charge for the awards. However, I will also tell you the truth: the competition for Best Actor this year is a bit big, and *Late Spring* is an ensemble film. Your character's screen time is not as much as Chen Pinhe and Liu Teli's. Their films are almost their solo shows, with all the glory on them alone." Mrs. Huang said.

Lu Yan He nodded and said: "I know, Mrs. Huang, it doesn't matter. Being able to get a nomination is already a great encouragement."

"Having this mentality is the best. You are still very young, and there is a long road ahead." Mrs. Huang said.

"Hmm." Lu Yan He nodded.

Mrs. Huang smiled again and said: "I also know that you have many projects lined up, so I must hurry and tell you that there is a film later with a very important character we want to invite you to play."

The Feihong Awards ceremony was held on November 9th.

After finishing his class, Lu Yan He hurried out of the classroom at 5:40 and ran towards the school gate.

Other students in the school saw him, and some even showed expressions of surprise.

"Isn't tonight the Feihong Awards ceremony? Why is he still at school?"

"Is he not attending the awards ceremony tonight?"

Lu Yan He couldn't even care about their discussions; he ran to the school gate and was picked up by Zou Dong.

The vehicle that came today was not the usual nanny van, but a motorhome with a relatively large space.

As soon as he got into the car, Wang Biao took his schoolbag.

Chen Ziyan said: "Hurry up and change clothes."

Lu Yan He went to the back to change into a formal suit and leather shoes, then sat down, and the makeup artist did his makeup and hair styling.

The makeup artist smiled and said: "This is the first time I've done styling for an artist in such a rush."

"There are only thirty minutes, Sister Lan, I'm counting on you." Chen Ziyan said.

"Don't worry, leave it to me. Boys are simpler; if it were a female artist, it would be an impossible task." Sister Lan said.

Because the space inside the car was limited, Sister Lan couldn't even bring an assistant into the car and had to handle it all by herself.

Wang Biao became her temporary assistant, helping her pass tools and do odd jobs.

Chen Ziyan took this opportunity to give him some instructions.

"A lot of veteran artists have been invited to the awards ceremony tonight. If you recognize them, take the initiative to greet them; if you don't recognize them, call them 'Teacher'. Don't be negligent in etiquette; you must be thorough in every aspect to avoid being photographed and made into a story." Chen Ziyan said, "From the moment you arrive on the red carpet until the end of the awards ceremony, it will be broadcast live. You never know when the live camera will cut to you."

Lu Yan He sighed, "This is too torturous. Why do they have to have such a long live broadcast?"

Chen Ziyan: "Everyone loves watching live broadcasts now, so the organizers naturally follow the trend and do live broadcasts. There is one more thing: the film *Burning Fire* is being watched by the entire entertainment industry. I estimate that many people will come to probe you for news tonight. Keep your mouth shut and just say you don't know anything."

"Hmm."

"I also didn't expect this film to receive so much attention." Chen Ziyan said, "After the news that you and Shang Yongzhou were among the invited leads was leaked, Mrs. Huang was furious, immediately ferreted out the mole, and kicked the person out without any hesitation. But the news was leaked and couldn't be taken back. Everyone knew about this project and was trying their best to find out information. I have received I don't know how many calls. Haven't any friends come to ask you about it?"

"No." Lu Yan He shook his head, "No one has come to ask me."

Regarding this matter, Lu Yan He was quite surprised. If Chen Ziyan hadn't said so, Lu Yan He wouldn't have known that this news was already flying all over the entertainment industry, because really, not a single person had come to probe him for information. Everyone seemed to not want to disturb him with such matters.

Lu Yan He finished his styling in the motorhome on the way to the awards ceremony, then hurriedly changed cars, and managed to arrive at the waiting area at the agreed time without being late.

He took a deep breath, letting his state of mind calm down. ===== CHAPTER 396 =====