Finally, the applause slowly subsided.
Xiao He blinked, his gaze slowly sweeping over the people below the stage.
At this moment, Ning Jiaqi, who had sat down again, smiled and nodded slightly at him. Hou Rongxuan and Liu Zehang on the other side gave him a thumbs up. The other candidates also slowly withdrew their clapping and listened attentively. There was no resentment or regret on their faces, only the relief of being convinced by Xiao He.
Because she was wearing high heels, Liu Rulan, who was several steps behind Xiao He, also walked out from the internal passage on the side. She stood at the very front of the crowd, but in the most inconspicuous position. She crossed her arms and looked at him with a gentle yet proud gaze, and the corners of her mouth couldn't help but turn up.
Inside the live stream, as soon as Xiao He stood on the stage, the chat exploded with comments. Congratulations and cheers from netizens swept across the screen like a gust of wind, bringing not a storm, but a gentle breeze. The hidden worries and resentments, the deep love and pride, brought tears to the eyes of countless fans in front of their screens.
Xiao He looked at everyone in front of him, finally calmed himself down, adjusted the microphone, held the trophy in his hand, and said: "First of all, I would like to say to my fans who care about me and all my friends here that I am well and everything is fine. I am also very grateful to the organizers for arranging everything so that I can stand here without any burden, on this stage that is of great significance to me, and receive this important award."
"To be honest, a lot of special things happened during the filming of 'No Bait' and its release. It is a great honor for me that 'No Bait' was able to be successfully released, enter the public eye, and be liked by everyone."
“I am very grateful to Director Ning. Director Ning Jiaqi ultimately chose me to play his male lead, Shu Yuxiu. This role is really significant to me. It is no exaggeration to say that before Shu Yuxiu, I was still doubting myself, doubting whether I could play a role well, and doubting whether I could go far on this path...”
That period was also the most confusing time for Xiao He. When he opened his eyes, he even wondered whether he was Shu Yuxiu or the actor Xiao He.
Shu Yuxiu is cold, hypocritical, inhuman, and unscrupulous.
Xiao He, though seemingly warm-hearted, actually has a small circle of friends, few trusted acquaintances, and not much kindness. Before he had the system, he would actively choose to avoid and stay away from many things, and would never take the initiative to help.
Is using his system abilities to help others a genuine act of kindness, or is it because he wants to prove his rebellious spirit and try to fight against the "criminal" life arranged by the system?
What's the difference between him and Shu Yuxiu?
Did he successfully portray Shu Yuxiu, who, due to social injustice, decide to deceive others by any means to climb the social ladder, or did he successfully portray Xiao He, who, since the system's inception, has been suppressing negative emotions and deceiving himself into being kind and friendly?
One day, Xiao He even wondered if the system chose him because he had a kind of indifference to things that didn't concern him, a trait that even a good family upbringing couldn't erase.
Therefore, Xiao He hesitated, struggled, and even remained divided between good and evil.
It wasn't until Li Hanyue's accident that Xiao He suddenly realized that his hesitation wasn't about being a hero or a villain, but rather whether the matter aligned with his own wishes and will.
Why would he deny his current self because of his resonance with a villain? Doesn't his subconscious act of reaching out and saving people without hesitation already represent his true feelings?
Is being an actor what he wants?
Xiao He's thoughts drifted to the fans he had seen on the road, recalling their encouragement and praise, their support and expectations for him, and a slow smile crept onto his lips.
Perhaps, yes.
No one dislikes praise, and no one dislikes being the center of attention. He's just an ordinary person, and he's willing to be the center of attention.
Moreover, his fans are so lovely, and he really enjoys his life now.
So, do you want to expose those guys?
He admitted that he had chosen to turn a blind eye for the sake of profit; he was just that kind of materialistic person. As a boss and a source of capital, he would indeed have such considerations, so in the end he let things go and allowed the situation to deteriorate.
No one can be kind forever, not even a saint.
But now, in order to help his friends and more people, he is willing to do so.
Humans are inherently composed of dark sides, so why should he dwell on so many things?
Standing on this grand stage, facing the gaze of everyone here, Xiao He was certain and certain that he was now very clear-headed, and that all the things he had wanted to do in his mind, whether good or bad, were things he had done according to his own will.
Perhaps the existence of the system did indeed bring about earth-shattering changes to his life, leading him down a path he had never imagined before, but how he chose to walk that path was entirely his own decision.
"...Until now, until this moment, I suddenly understand the purpose of my coming here: to do whatever I want to do, to participate in and enjoy the stories of different worlds, to experience the lives of different characters, and to realize my value as an actor, a meaningful existence for society from my perspective—"
"Going forward, I will continue to do my best to create enough valuable and creative works for this society and for those who like me."
"Here, I would like to thank the organizers and the judges once again. Thank you all for giving me this opportunity to stand on this stage and share my thoughts with you..."
Xiao He raised the trophy in his hand, his gaze sincere and resolute, with the same fearlessness and confidence as always.
"I hope we can meet again in the future, and that we will both have grown a lot by then. Thank you."
As he finished speaking, thunderous applause erupted once again. Xiao He shook hands with each of the people on stage to express his gratitude, and then, holding the trophy, he stepped down from the stage and returned to his original position.
Even after he stepped down from the stage, countless eyes continued to watch him until he walked to his seat and sat down, at which point they gradually withdrew their gazes.
Without a doubt, Xiao He deserves this year's Best Actor award at the Baiming Awards.
There's nothing we can do; Xiao He's luck this year is truly unpredictable.
With the blockbuster "Yu Ye" at the beginning of the year as a foundation, and "No Bait" sweeping the global box office in the middle of the year, and now with two more works at the beginning and end of the summer season, this year is undoubtedly a year of take-off for Xiao He.
As is often the case, the winners of the Baiming Awards inevitably face online scrutiny. After all, public voting means that a large portion of the votes can be inflated. So, in the end, there will always be a few people who face widespread online criticism, and some Best Actress winners have even been ridiculed as "water queens" (meaning those who win awards without contributing to the vote).
Since Xiao He was nominated for Best Actor at the Hundred Ming Awards, many people have criticized °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° him for playing "villainous protagonists".
Many academics believe that villains should not be chosen as Best Actor winners, as this would have a negative value orientation, affect future development trends, and instill incorrect values in people.
So even though Xiao He's acting skills have clearly surpassed those of other young actors, and even many of his seniors, many people are still unwilling to vote for him.
But now, Xiao He has heroically saved lives, and many people at the scene witnessed this event, which has sparked a huge wave of discussion online. At this point, Xiao He has automatically occupied the moral high ground and is impeccable. Even if there are still some stubborn academics who do not approve of Xiao He, they cannot say at this time that Xiao He is unworthy of the position and cannot be the villainous actor.
It can be said that Xiao He won this award because of perfect timing, favorable circumstances, and popular support.
