The crew of "Shining Stars" then experienced both joy and sorrow.
Zhang Mo won the Best Actor award again, while Iman missed out on the Best Actress title.
Finally, amidst everyone's tense yet expectant gazes, the host revealed the final grand prize—
Finally, the winner of the 31st Best Television Series award is—
"Hidden stars shine brightly!"
When the name was mentioned, thunderous applause erupted, and everyone in the crew stood up.
Amid cheers, the host announced: "History is rich and profound. 'Shining Stars' engraves the brilliant moments of our predecessors and commemorates their shining spirit, becoming a blockbuster work of the year—"
"Congratulations!"
Congratulations, Director Wen!
People around him offered their congratulations. Wen Hongyuan took his wife Tan Yuan's hand, smiled, and raised his hand to greet the people around him.
Iman also lifted her red dress, stood up with Xiao He's help, and followed beside Xiao He, smiling and waving at the various cameras.
On the big screen, the young people's smiles were genuine and sincere, carrying a youthful spirit that many people no longer possess. Their passion for acting on their hearts regardless of the outcome was a moving sight for many in the audience.
Xiao He saw himself on the big screen out of the corner of his eye. His smile remained unchanged, and he waved to the camera. Then he followed the crew to the bright stage in front of him, accepting the gaze of everyone in the audience.
This is the art palace of China's performing arts circle. Many outstanding actors from China are gathered in the audience. The moment they step onto this stage, they are destined to become the most dazzling stars of the night.
Xiao He stared intently at the stage, the dazzling stage bathed in the surrounding spotlights, then shifted his gaze without changing expression, focusing on the audience below.
He saw many people.
Some were people who had chatted with him before, some were familiar faces who frequently appeared online, and one of them was Qin Lezhang.
Qin Lezhang's expression wasn't very pleasant, but somehow, the two of them actually made eye contact from a distance.
Qin Lezhang twitched the corners of his mouth and mouthed to Xiao He from a distance: "Loser."
So what if he made it to the big stage? He was just riding on the coattails of the production team. In reality, he was nothing but a loser who didn't win a single award.
Xiao He wasn't angry; he just smiled and nodded at him, as if he hadn't received any provocation at all.
The eyes of the masses are discerning. Even if he hadn't won an award, when faced with the roles he played, the audience couldn't utter a single word about his "poor acting skills."
And Qin Yuezhang?
From now on, they'll all be minor characters.
Xiao He calmly withdrew his gaze.
"Thank you everyone, thank you to our producers and screenwriters, thank you to Fruit Video, Jiaxing Entertainment, and Taidong Entertainment..."
Finally, director Wen Hongyuan spoke on behalf of the audience. Holding the trophy in his hand, he looked at the crowd below the stage, his heart filled with complex emotions, and began to thank the investors and producers of the production team one by one.
As the last award presented at the ceremony, its prestige was self-evident. Even Wen Hongyuan, who had received awards several times before, couldn't help but lose his voice while speaking. In the end, Tan Yuan took the microphone from him and delivered his thank-you speech in a clear and organized manner.
This award is a recognition of the entire crew and a source of pride for them all!
Amidst this joyful atmosphere, the host called all the award recipients onto the stage for a group photo.
Aside from the Best Actor and Actress, the rest of the cast of "Shining Stars" were undoubtedly standing in the center. Even though Xiao He didn't have anything in his hands, he stood behind Zhang Mo and managed to get a shot of him.
The camera pans out a dazzling array of stars, while a young man with nothing in his hands stands in the back row, his handsome face particularly striking. There is no regret on his face; instead, he smiles with high spirits, full of anticipation and longing for the future.
This can be seen as a complete end to his period of confusion when he first entered the entertainment industry.
During the filming of "Shining Stars", he met Sister Liu, established his own studio, and got to know more and more directors and investors. He was no longer Xiao He, who was clueless about the entertainment industry and had to fight alone.
The male supporting character's defeat will not be the end for him, but rather the beginning of a new journey.
Xiao He never doubted it.
...
After stepping down from the stage, the crew held a simple celebration banquet.
Those who won awards naturally became the focus of the banquet, with one person after another offering toasts, until they shook their heads in frustration.
After the merriment, Wen Hongyuan raised his glass and toasted each of the main creators who had not won an award.
When he arrived at Xiao He's place, he joked with a smile, "I heard that your studio and Lao Ma went to form a new film crew. Why didn't you think of inviting us?"
The "Old Ma" that Wen Hongyuan mentioned is Ma Qianyou, the current executive producer of "The Imperial Decree".
"Well, it's all small investment. The main creative team is a group of recent college graduates. They built their own team and are just doing small-scale work, so we were too embarrassed to hand the script to you, Director Wen."
Xiao He took a sip of his drink and took the initiative: "So, Director Wen, what are your plans lately? If you have any good roles, you must consider me. I'm really eyeing the scripts you have."
Wen Hongyuan thought for a moment, then said seriously to Xiao He, "I'm about to take on a crime thriller, and the villain role in it would be perfect for you. But are you sure you want to play a bad guy again?"
Xiao He was taken aback.
"As you saw at this awards ceremony, the villainous characters did have acting skills, but to break through prejudice and gain more honors, being a villain alone is far from enough."
Why did Meng Zetian lose to the opposing police officer?
Because the right path is ultimately the outcome that many people accept and can accept in their hearts.
No matter how many external factors there are, the judges on the panel will ultimately have their own biases and choices when voting.
Upon hearing Director Wen's words, Xiao He fell silent.
"You've been in the industry for almost two years now, right? It seems like you're constantly jumping from one project to another without a break." Wen Hongyuan patted Xiao He on the shoulder. "If you haven't made up your mind yet, you might as well relax and change your perspective. If you keep playing these kinds of roles, you'll feel very depressed."
Xiao He thought about how he had felt somewhat depressed while playing the role of Shu Yuxiu recently, and felt that he had been affected by the character of Shu Yuxiu. He couldn't help but nod.
"Okay, I understand. Thank you for reminding me, Director Wen," Xiao He replied. "The studio has indeed been receiving fewer scripts lately, and I'm planning to ask Sister Liu to help me choose a slightly easier role."
Wen Hongyuan: ?
Wait a minute, I told you to take a break, not to choose an easy film crew!
Wen Hongyuan looked at Xiao He, a complex expression in his eyes: "Then good luck, and take care of yourself."
Being young is great; when you roll up your sleeves, you're really reckless.
He's getting old; he's not going to compete with these young people anymore.
Wen Hongyuan shook his head and turned to look for Iman.
Everyone was very happy at the celebration banquet.
When everyone finally dispersed, Xiao He saw Liu Rulan and Xiao Chen who had come to pick him up.
Liu Rulan stepped forward, looked at Xiao He's still relatively clear eyes, and nodded slightly: "How much did you drink?"
"A little bit."
"Okay, get in the car."
Xiao He got into the car, Xiao Chen started the engine, and Liu Rulan leaned against the passenger seat.
The car moved slowly forward, the neon lights on both sides of the road constantly shining into the car through the windows, and then flashing past as the car drove away. In the suddenly cool night, the car fell into a long silence.
After an unknown amount of time, two voices rang out simultaneously—
Don't be too discouraged by this award ceremony—
"The arrangements after the awards ceremony are—"
Both of them paused for a moment.
Liu Rulan observed Xiao He through the rearview mirror and found that the young man in the back seat did not show any signs ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) of dejection or frustration after his defeat. His eyes shone even brighter under the flashing neon lights. She chuckled and followed his words, saying, "You have half a day off after the awards ceremony. You have to go back to the film crew tomorrow afternoon."
Xiao He hesitated for a moment, then asked, "What's the plan after 'No Bait' ends? Have you not been receiving any scripts lately?"
"Xingchen Entertainment has indeed had some impact on us. Fortunately, we haven't found any good scripts for you yet. Once this awards ceremony controversy passes, we'll gradually start inviting you to write scripts again."
The award loss will not affect Xiao He's current popularity and influence, nor will it diminish his acting skills and work ethic.
So the script that's meant to come will eventually come.
Xiao He thought for a moment and said, "Sister Liu, you can broaden the scope a bit. I don't really care about TV series or movies, like those righteous characters who kill a lot of people?"
Liu Rulan asked suspiciously, "...What kind of strange request is this?"
Xiao Chen burst out laughing: "Haha, Brother Xiao, you really haven't forgotten your original intentions!"
