The stage lights were brilliant. Xiao He had already adapted and walked onto the stage with composure.
As he moved, the camera appropriately focused on Xiao He's face.
Xiao He's outfit today finally had some sense of design. Moving away from the stiff texture of a sharp suit, he wore a soft-textured New Chinese-style black jacket paired with black wide-leg pants designed to elongate his silhouette. He exuded an air of calm and leisure, carrying a bit of that free-spirited nature Song Chenye had when retiring from the martial world, as if the character had stepped out of the screen.
"Thank you all for your love and recognition of Song Chenye, and thank you to the judges for your recognition of me—"
Xiao He paused. Although he had mentally rehearsed his speech countless times, when it came time to actually say something to the camera, he found himself at a loss for words.
For him, winning tv king this time came both easily and with difficulty.
It was easy in the sense that everything seemed to fall into place naturally. Once "chronicles of chasing the wind" aired, it rose with the wind and soared into the sky, just like its name.
It was difficult because he had played so many supporting roles in TV dramas, from Mu Ze at the very beginning to Yin Qi, whose popularity later skyrocketed. It seemed that only now had he finally brought Song Chenye, a Male Lead, onto such a grand stage.
"Actually, I really like the character of Song Chenye."
Finally, thinking of his outfit today that was intentionally styled after the character, Xiao He simply continued from the perspective of Song Chenye: "There are many character traits of Song Chenye that I think I might never be able to learn—his frankness, his integrity, his chivalry, and his indifference to fame."
"I've always felt that staying true to one's original intentions on the path of growth is a very difficult thing. It seems that once life reaches a certain point, one inevitably ends up at a crossroads, choosing a path that their former self never imagined."
"But my friends, I want to tell you that while life may indeed be a series of choices that cannot be reversed, how we walk the path ahead is still in our own hands. There's no need to give up on your original intentions, and don't let your current steps go to waste. The future is long and full of challenges, but your future self will surely look back across the years and give your past self the most perfect answer."
"Here, I want to once again thank my fans, my family, friends, and partners. From beginning to end, you have been the reason I've stayed true to my original intentions, and you are indispensable characters in these long years. Thank you so much for your love, and thank you for your support and understanding..."
Xiao He transitioned from Song Chenye to himself, from the character in the show to his life outside of it. His impromptu words were actually more moving than the speech he had prepared beforehand.
It wasn't until Xiao He stepped off the stage that many people in front of their screens seemed to wake from a dream, excitedly posting their opinions and congratulating Xiao He on his success.
【Congratulations, Brother Xiao! The best Xiao He, the best Song Chenye!】
【Brother Xiao is being too modest. How could someone who can portray the very soul of Song Chenye not possess his core qualities? Brother Xiao, you deserve this.】
【Congratulations, Xiao He! The youngest tv king in history! Well-deserved!】
【Congratulations, Brother Xiao! I just realized that "chronicles of chasing the wind" is actually Brother Xiao's first TV drama as the Male Lead! The prestige of winning an award with his very first Big Male Lead role speaks for itself.】
【Oh my god, so "chronicles of chasing the wind" is really Brother Xiao's first work as the lead? Why do I feel like I've been enjoying Xiao He's works for many years?】
【Haha, this just goes to show how excellent Brother Xiao is. Truly, talented people will succeed sooner or later. Congratulations! Following Brother Xiao feels like reading a power fantasy novel! He's really taken us through all sorts of ups and downs along the way.】
【Hahaha, who else is there? A double hit as tv king and Best Actor! Now he's only missing a ten-billion-yuan box office record.】
【Actually, if we count the box office of all the projects Brother Xiao has participated in, between "The Thief Alliance" series and his solo film "No Bait," he could already be considered a ten-billion-yuan box office Best Actor in the mainland, right?】
【That's not how it should be calculated. Xiao He wasn't a main character in "The Thief" series. It's a bit of a stretch to count those box office numbers toward him. Although many stars nowadays claim the box office of movies they only briefly appeared in, our Brother Xiao doesn't need that kind of fluff. Let the actual results speak for themselves! Anyway, reaching ten billion is only a matter of time!】
【Based on actual Billing and character contribution, Brother Xiao only has three films that can truly be counted as his, right?】
【"Law of the Jungle" was a dual Male Lead film, and Brother Xiao was Second Billing, so his share of the box office definitely counts. "No Bait" is unquestionably his as the Male Lead, and "making the best of a bad situation" also had him as the Second Male Lead, but those in the know understand that Brother Xiao carried the entire domestic and international box office; it's already good enough that he wasn't held back. As for "the thief catcher 2," which is currently in theaters, Brother Xiao is also the Second Male Lead, but since the final box office isn't in yet, let's not count it for now. So, calculated this way, Brother Xiao is still some distance away from ten billion.】
【I checked, and "the thief catcher 2" currently has a box office of 1.7 billion. The final total might settle around 1.8 or 1.9 billion. If you add "the thief catcher 2," Brother Xiao's total should be just around 8 billion. Given his current box office draw, he's probably just one movie away.】
【Huh? "the thief catcher 2" is so popular, I feel like everyone around me has seen it or is seeing it for a second time, yet the box office is only 1.7 billion? That's only a little bit better than "making the best of a bad situation"...】
【??? 1.7 billion is already insane! Why don't you look at the overall market for Wuxia films nowadays? Breaking one billion relies entirely on strong word-of-mouth. Do you think this is easy?!】
【Fun fact: there's no news yet on "Interdimensional Standoff" starring Brother Xiao and Brother Shu. Given the production speed of sci-fi films, it will likely choose next year's Spring Festival Film Season. The box office will definitely be massive then, and Brother Xiao will have no problem breaking ten billion.】
【Right... then I'm satisfied. Waiting for the mainland ten-billion box office, Best Actor version of Brother Xiao.】
【So satisfying! I just can't stand those people who do a cameo or a bit part and then casually ride the coattails of other people's multi-billion box office achievements. I just want to ask, is all that box office yours? How do you have the nerve to claim it as your own contribution? It's a joke.】
【Looking forward to it! And I heard Brother Xiao and the others are about to go to Hong Kong to film, and they're collaborating with Director Zhuang again. I feel like the next hit movie is about to rise!】
【Hiss, that's hard to say. Brother Xiao's team hasn't released any itinerary news. I heard a rumor that the film Brother Xiao is shooting this time isn't planned for release in the mainland, so the domestic promotion will be very low-key.】
【Ah? What's going on? For real? The Xiao He + Director Zhuang combo isn't coming to the mainland this time? Then how will they get their box office numbers?】
【Then he shouldn't do it. Brother Xiao has such strong momentum right now, why bother acting in something like that...】
The enthusiasm of the originally excited fans was gradually dampened by this sudden news.
However, out of trust for Brother Xiao, they weren't swayed. Instead, they began to look forward to this "Forbidden Film" created through the collaboration of Xiao He and Zhuang Hongyi, hoping for the surprises it might bring in the future.
After finishing the award ceremony, Xiao He was unaware of his fans' trust and expectations.
After completing the final work handover in Shanghai, Xiao He and the rest of the Film Crew flew to Hong Kong together to start a brand-new life on set.
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