In the early hours of the morning, Xiao He returned to the hotel reeking of alcohol.
Liu Rulan had already arranged for Xiao Chen to wait. Knowing that Xiao He had returned safely, she immediately instructed Xiao Chen to bring over the hangover soup that had been prepared in advance.
Xiao He did not refuse, finished the whole thing in one go, and then thanked him.
He was no longer wearing his black trench coat, but only a white shirt and a black waistcoat. After finishing the hangover soup, he casually pulled off his tie and threw it on the sofa, then leaned back lazily on the sofa.
Xiao He has completely lost his "domineering aura" from the camera; now he's just a salted fish that has lost its motivation.
"How's it going on your end?" Liu Rulan asked. "There's an unprecedented amount of discussion about you online right now. We definitely found the right person to design our red carpet outfits this time; the internet is full of positive reviews."
After the on-site entertainment reporter took photos of Xiao He, he almost did not hesitate and immediately sent the photos and information from the front line back to China.
Although there were live broadcasts of Cannes in China, the visuals from the live stream were still far less impressive than the photos taken on-site.
Even though it was already two or three in the morning in China, the moment these photos were sent back to China and uploaded to the internet, they instantly attracted a huge number of night owls.
In the photo, Xiao He exudes the aura of a gangster boss, practically a dangerous weapon walking among the crowd. His trench coat, paired with a cane and ring featuring Eastern elements, successfully blends the dark aesthetics of East and West, giving him both the arrogance of a suit-wearing thug and the unruliness of an Eastern hero. He seems to be a villain that protagonists should naturally look up to.
These photos are extremely well-preserved, not because the reporters were particularly skilled at taking pictures, but simply because Xiao He was the most dazzling presence in the crowd from any angle. The moment he entered the frame, the people around him were blurred, making it impossible to look away.
So almost the moment the photo appeared, it became the wallpaper image on many people's phones or computers.
【I thought his racing suit from a while back was already pretty cool, but I never expected that Xiao Ge would reach such a new level of coolness today.】
【I'm licking it.】
【No, Xiao Ge was so cool that time! Absolutely amazing!】
【I thought Xiao He would just show up in a black suit like before, but it turns out he's fooled me again today.】
【Haha, who understands the helplessness of those fashion bloggers who automatically skipped Xiao Ge when reviewing red carpet events? I almost thought Xiao Ge was really giving up on the fashion industry.】
【Is Brother Xiao really that handsome? In my mind, he's still a villain wielding a knife.】
【Holy crap, isn't he handsome? I thought he was incredibly charming when he wore a plaid shirt, I was totally smitten, and now that he's a mob boss, I'm even more smitten, okay?】
【Upstairs, are you sure you weren't just experiencing a surge of adrenaline and your heart was pounding because you were terrified upon seeing people?】
【Ahem, anyway, that's the gist of it. Every time I see Xiao He, I feel breathtakingly handsome; he's truly captivating.】
【Diagnosed with arrhythmia, it is recommended to see a doctor.】
【Brother Xiao was already rumored online to be a gangster's son, and with this latest development, it seems he really can't shake off that label anymore, hahaha...】
【I used to prefer long trench coats, but now I'm totally blown away by the mid-length trench coat Xiao Ge is wearing! I need to buy one too!】
【As an aside, the outfit Xiao He is wearing is from a special collection by the designer of G brand. It looks like a custom-made piece. I'm not sure about the exact price, but there was a similar outfit worn at a previous fashion show, and that one cost $20,000.】
【Damn it, a trench coat costing over 100,000 yuan, is this for real? Tears streamed from the child's mouth.】
【Fun fact: This trench coat isn't for everyone; it's very unflattering and can make you look disproportionate. Unless you're very confident about your figure, it's best to avoid it.】
【Okay, thank you. I'll calm down in a second.】
It caused a sensation not only domestically but also internationally. Short videos featuring Xiao He's appearance at Cannes were everywhere. With strong support from official media, almost every video of Xiao He's appearance went viral. Foreign netizens watched the video repeatedly and expressed their fervent love for Xiao He.
Thanks to Xiao He's sudden rise to fame, the title of the upcoming film "No Bait" has also successfully come into the view of many people.
It's no exaggeration to say that because of Xiao He's red carpet appearance, the overseas box office of "No Bait" will increase by several percentage points.
This red carpet event was undoubtedly a huge success.
However, that's not what Xiao He and Liu Rulan are concerned about right now.
"You mean Shield Shroud suddenly invited you to collaborate and play a role in their game?"
Liu Rulan was startled.
"Moreover, it's one of their most popular Eastern fairy tale IPs. I heard they're willing to give me the lead role, with a hefty fee."
Liu Rulan frowned: "If I remember correctly, the actors arranged before were from Japan?"
She sensed a conspiracy.
The other side of the shield screen has never collaborated with Chinese actors.
Why did we break our principles this time?
Xiao He shrugged: "I don't know, but I always feel like something's off."
Moreover, their relationship with Han Jae-woo is so strained. Han Jae-woo collaborated with Shield Screen on "12 Evils" one minute, and then they collaborated with Shield Screen on another movie as the male lead the next. It seems like they're at odds with each other.
Of course, for people in these business circles, friction between actors is child's play and nothing to worry about.
Therefore, they may not have considered Xiao He and Han Zaiyu's thoughts at all.
"Are you interested?" Liu Rulan continued to ask.
Xiao He shrugged, unmoved: "Do they still have any credibility left after all these years?"
"And what's the point of letting foreigners film the stories of an ancient Eastern country? Do they even have the historical depth they possess to film it for us?"
In any case, as far as Xiao He knows, none of the imported Oriental series in /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ recent years are good-looking.
Add to that the chaotic cultural correctness over there... Xiao He would rather run away as soon as possible.
“That’s true—” Liu Rulan hesitated, “So you refused?”
"They didn't directly refuse, but it was pretty much the same attitude."
Liu Rulan looked at Xiao He with a complicated expression: "Shield Screen, as a well-known Hollywood film industry capital, has always been in contact with the Cannes selection committee. If you accept their invitation this time, it can be considered as accepting the support of their capital. Maybe this year's Best Actor award can really be won by you."
Although these are three internationally renowned awards with high prestige both domestically and internationally, and relatively good reputation and fairness, they must admit that anything selected by humans is bound to have some bias.
Unfortunately, they have very few insiders in international award selections, so the award selection is naturally less biased.
Although "No Bait" is a good film and Xiao He's acting is excellent, no one can talk about the kind of wish-fulfillment plot of winning the Best Actor award without considering reality.
Aside from the other two awards, Cannes itself is more commercially oriented, focusing more on star power and mainstream Hollywood films. In other words, "No Bait" and Xiao He are indeed more suited to Cannes' awards, making this Xiao He's best chance to win Best Actor.
If we can use this opportunity to build a closer relationship with Shield Curtain and leverage Tannis's connections—if they put in the effort to do so—it might be worthwhile to go.
"I don't care."
Xiao He stared calmly at Liu Rulan with his dark eyes.
He entered the industry never to grovel and beg for an award.
