CH 75

Chapter 75: The Awards Ceremony is Here!!!

People look good to a certain extent, but the difference is not that big. Sometimes an 8/10 handsome guy becomes more distinctive than the other handsome guys around him, which causes their beauty filter to improve.

For example, Shen Jintai tonight. The spotlight was on him. As the hottest candidate for the golden bell, he had the posture of a spirited young man.

Bai Qingquan, Shen Jintai, and Zheng Siqi had agreed to a unified tone before walking the red carpet: “I am very happy to be nominated. I am looking forward to <The East Palace is Coming> to win the best TV series tonight!”

The more momentous the occasion, the more cautious you need to speak. Anything can happen before the award is given, even if they all felt that Shen Jintai had the highest chances out of all of them. Bai Qingquan felt that Zheng Siqi’s best supporting actor also had a good chance, such so his voice was in high spirit.

However, The East Palace was not tonight’s finale. It was the crew of <Once Upon a Time in Kansai> that was led by veteran actor Chen Fang. He was also a popular candidate for the golden bell. As such the red-carpet host will naturally wouldn’t let this point go.

“Teacher Chen, as the winner of the two-time Guohua Awards, won’t you be more experience? How sure do you think you are tonight about winning your third emperor trophy?”

Chen Fang was a big shot in the film and television industry. He had a very calm attitude as he smiled, took the microphone, and said: “I have won awards and have been very happy with them. Before the announcement, everything is uncertain. The other actors shortlisted this year are very talented. It’ll depend on how the judges choose.”

The host was mischievous and continue to ask with a grin: “The East Palace crew have just come by, with their two best actor nominees. Have you seen this drama? What do you think of their performance?”

“Host you’re very bad,” the media people joked.

Chen Fang chuckled: “Of course I have watched the drama. Their performances were spectacular, otherwise they wouldn’t have been nominated. They are both young, in their early twenties. When I was their age, I was still running around.”

—

“Yeah, the three of them seem to be in their early twenties. What was I doing when I was in my twenties?!”

“If Shen Jintai takes the golden bell, he should be the youngest person in the history of the Guohua Awards, right?”

“The spring breeze is full of horseshoe disease, and you can see all the Chang’an flowers in one day*!”

*Verse from the seven-character quatrain “After Dengke” written by Meng Jiao. It’s used to describe wishful thinking, happy mood.

“I think The East Palace has the most nominations. Two of the three best actor, best director, and best TV series. Its worthy of winning any of these as they are all justifiable.”

“Please give best actor and make up for Li Xu’s regrets!”

“The more you talk about it, the more nervous I am. If Shen Jintai doesn’t win the award, I will cry!”

—

Not only netizens were weary, but Shen Jintai himself was also extremely nervous. This was the first time he attended an awards ceremony. When he raised his eyes, he saw those he knew and didn’t know. They were all big stars.

The award ceremony officially began at 8.

<The East Palace is Coming> was the first to take the lead in winning the best cinematography and best screenwriter award. When the video clip of <The East Palace is Coming> was played on the big screen, the audience burst into applause.

Meng Xiaosheng, who was usually calm, erupted into tears when she received the award. Shen Jintai was deeply moved when he saw it. It wasn’t easy for her. Such a big drama attracted the attention of the whole nation, and the pressure was beyond imagination. In the end, although the ending she set for Li Xu was criticized by netizens, the industry still affirmed her artistic creation.

“Next, we’re presenting the award for best supporting actor. Guests of honor are…”

The closer it got, the more nervous everyone became. The higher the chance of winning, the more tense they were. Bai Qingquan didn’t think he had a chance of winning so he was relatively less uneasy. He turned his head and glance at Shen Jintai beside him, cocked his eyebrows, and motion Shen Jintai to smile.

Shen Jintai could still laugh, but Zheng Siqi couldn’t. This is not only the first time he had participated in the awards ceremony, but he was also a newcomer who has just entered the showbiz industry. This award would mean tremendously to him. He was too jittery. When the five candidates competing for best supporting actor were shown on the big screen, only Zheng Siqi’s face was the most honest and direct. The tension was written all over his face.

As soon as the picture of Zhou Ying came out, the climax inside that small box exploded.

The presenters were Song Wei and another veteran actor*. Song Wei spoke as the veteran actor opened the envelope. After reading it, he smiled and handed it to Song Wei: “You should read it.”

*Reminder: the term they use here is old drama bone (老戲骨) which applies to veteran film and television actors who as extremely skilled in their profession. Generally, they have worked in the entertainment industry for many years. They are highly respected and highly praised for their acting skills and are widely known by the audience. || I want to clarify because the weight is not just “an actor who been in the industry for a long time” but “a very amazing actor with superb acting skills who’s extremely dedicated to their profession”.

With such a move, Shen Jintai and the others were about to jump out of their hearts!

“Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!” The squatting netizens exclaiming.

Song Wei took it, smiled slightly, lowered her head and leaned to the microphone and said, “The winner of the 50th World Guohua Awards for Best Supporting Actor is…”

She looked in the direction of the East Paalce crew: “<The East Palace is Coming>, Zheng Siqi!”

“Congratulations to Zheng Siqi for winning the 50th Guohua Awards for Best supporting actor!”

“YES!” Shen Jintai, Bai Qingquan and others couldn’t help calling out. Shen Jintai shook his fists with both hands and raised them excitedly. There was thunderous applause in the audience. Zheng Siqi’s eyes turned red in an instant as he got up to hug Shen Jintai beside him.

After hugging Shen Jintai, he hugged Bai Qingquan, the director and others again. Guo Rui patted him on the shoulder from ear to ear. Zheng Siqi buttoned his suit and walked towards the stage.

“Oh my god, I’m going to cry!”

“I’m already crying. The prince has won the award, wuwuwu!”

“Did you see Shen Jintai just now? The moment he raised his fist and cheered, it really made me burst into tears!”

“Li Xu is also going to win the award. Please, please!”

As Zheng Siqi took the stage, a thick male voice said: “Zheng Siqi, played the crown prince Zhou Ying in the costume masterpiece <The East Palace is Coming>. In his debut, he created a restrained but moving affectionate image with a natural and delicate performance, which touched the hearts of thousands of audience members. His wonderful performance is the heart of this film.”

The live TV broadcast gave Shen Jintai a shot at this time. Shen Jintai in the shot stretched out his hand to wipe the tears from the corners of his eyes.

“Ahhhhhhhhh, Jintai Qiongying! Jingtai Qiongying! I didn’t cry when watching the episodes, but I’m crying now watching the award ceremony!”

“Congratulations to Zheng Siqi! Shen Jintai, good luck!”

After Zheng Siqi took the stage, he slowed his pace. Every time he opened his mouth, it seems like he was about to cry. He was only 20. Still a student. And now he had won best actor in his debut. It was only natural that he was beyond excited.

“…I would like to especially thank the company, the East Palace crew, and the director for giving me the opportunity to play the role of Zhou Ying. This is my first drama. I believe that no matter how many series I act in the future, I will never forget this role. Finally, I would like to thank Li Xu and Shen Jintai.” He looked at Shen Jintai passionately: “I have gained a lot by acting with you. Without Li Xu, there would be no Zhou Ying, and without Shen Jintai, there would be no Zheng Siqi who is standing on this stage now. Thank you!”

The camera was pointed at the audience capturing Bai Qingquan smiling as he patted Shen Jintai on the shoulder. Shen Jintai stood up and applauded with a smile, tears in his eyes.

Immediately after, <The East Palace is Coming> unfortunately lost to <Once Upon a Time in Kansai> for best director.

“Director Guo Rui is a pity, but it is a good thing for Shen Jintai!”

“Yes, The East Palace had won all the nominations before, and if it took best director too, it may put Shen Jintai’s award in an awkward position. The Guohua Awards would not award everything to the same drama.”

“Ahhhhhhh, if Shen Jintai wins best actor and The East Palace best TV series, it will be considered a success!”

The best actor was in the penultimate place. When the finalists were announced, <The East Palace is Coming> dominated, because the names of Bai Qingquan and Shen Jintai were read out one after the other.

“<The East Palace is Coming>, Bai Qingquan.”

Zhou Jing on the big screen came out, and the audience applauded emphatically. Before the voice lowered it broke out again.

“<The East Palace is Coming>, Shen Jintai.”

The big screen showed a clip of Li Xu wearing a red mink robe and rocking in a small chariot. Several gold powders on the scene burst into tears. The audience broke out with more enthusiastic applause than any previously before. Shen Jintai’s heart was caught in his throat. He looked at the stage with a smile to the camera. Bai Qingquan stretch out his hand and pressed his knee. Shen Jintai turned his head to him and then took Bai Qingquan’s hand and held it. This move was projected on the big screen. Gold powder and moonlight powder will never be the same again!

The best actor was presented by Cao Hua, the queen of the previous year. She first teased all the candidates. When she finally mentioned Shen Jintai, she smiled and said: “I have watched you act, and it will be terrifying in the future. This is your first time participating in the Guohua Awards. I believe that it won’t be the last. I hope to have the opportunity to cooperate with you in the future!”

Shen Jintai had forgotten to thank her, and only kept smiling mechanically.

Cao Hua opened the winning roster with a smile, took it apart and glanced at it, raised her eyebrows, and then smiled. Close-ups of the faces of the five candidates appeared on the camera.

Mrs. Yan excitedly grabbed Yan Qiuchi’s hand. Yan Qiuchi was silent, only sitting straight up. Bai Qingquan was an artist in their company, but he only has Shen Jintai in his heart at this moment.

“What’s her expression? Surprise? Upset?”

“Ahhhhhhh, my heart is about to jump out!”

“Shen Jintai, Shen Jintai, Shen Jintai!”

Cao Hua lowered her head slightly and approached the microphone: “Chen Fang from <Once Upon a Time in Kansai>! Congratulations!”

The moment when the winner was announced, the micro-expressions of the candidates were the most memorable. Shen Jintai’s maintained his demeanor. In the close-up, he immediately smiled as he looked at Chen Fang in the front row. Bai Qingquan’s expression showed some surprise.

“Damn it!”

“Upseting!”

“Down the stove*!”

*Down the stove (倒灶) = means bad. The expression generally refers to all kinds of unfortunate and troublesome things.

“Chen Fang is also a popular candidate. He acted well in <Once Upon a Time in Kansai>!”

“I see tears in Shen Jintai’s eyes. I don’t care. I don’t care. I’m going to cry!”

Yan Qiuchi had always been a worldly person since he was a child. After graduation, he started his career and can stabilize anything he encountered, but at this moment, he was at a loss. It’s not that he didn’t expect it. Award ceremonies can change in a heartbeat, so everyone was mentally prepared. But the moment he heard the result, he felt as if something heavy had slammed into his heart all at once. He immediately look towards Shen Jintai, but he was far away and could only see his back.

He thought that Shen Jintai may be stable on the surface, but he must be very disappointed in his heart. Yan Qiuchi couldn’t help but feel distressed as his breathing shorten.

Mrs. Yan was even more shocked. She said “Ah” directly and her face remain rigid, not smiling again throughout the rest of the ceremony.

The Internet had already exploded.

“Li Xu can’t get the best actor for a role like this?! What an international joke. The judges are blind.”

“I guess it’s the subject matter. It was a place fighting drama and also a villain role… it would be hard to win.”

“Oh my god, Li Xu’s incomprehension actually extended to Shen Jintai. I saw that some gold powders say that they cried when they saw Shen Jintai’s expression at that very moment.”

“I’m not a gold powder but I can understand that kind of mood. I don’t know if this wave of abuse is a good thing or a bad thing for Shen Jintai.”

In the end, <The East Palace is Coming> won the grand prize, Best TV series, but wasn’t enough to comfort the hearts of gold powders.

After the initial consternation, Shen Jintai sat under the stage for long time. His energy had eased. When The East Palace won the grand prize, he was really happy for the whole crew.

After the award ceremony ended, Mrs. Yan stood up immediately: “I’m going to see Xiao Jin.”

Yan Qiuchi walked out with her and saw Shen Jintai through the crowd. Bai Qingquan had leaned on his shoulder and whispered something, but Shen Jintai expression remained unchanged as no emotions could be seen.

Tons of gold powders had come today, and it was discussed that if Shen Jintai won the golden bell, he would celebrate his achievements. Everything was already in place, but it was a pity things didn’t go as planned. Shen Jintai felt that he should still meet the fans and calm their emotions.

Who knew that as soon as he walked outside, he saw a sea of golden light signs. Fans stood in the night waving their signs and glows sticks chanting: “Jintai! Jintai! The gold powder is here, shouting for you and sending you a sea of gold!!!”

Shen Jintai’s nose began to sour as he almost burst into tears. He quickly got into the car and when the door closed, the tears started to fall. He didn’t feel wronged, at least not for himself. His team members hurriedly follow as they rush to the car.

Shen Jintai was sitting in the backseat with no lights on. Li Meilan glanced at him and said: “It’s okay. It’s your first drama. There will be more opportunities in the future.”

The car door suddenly opened, and Mrs. Yan got in: “Xiao Jin.”

Yan Qiuchi stayed outside, standing near the car door. He vaguely saw Shen Jintai face that shook his heart.

“I’m not aggrieved for myself. I’m just… it’s…” Shen Jintai wiped his eyes: “I just feel sorry for my fans, and for Li Xu.”

He probably didn’t act well enough.

“Isn’t it just the golden bell? Is it that rare? It’s not that big of a deal. In the future there will be lots of emperors waiting for us.” Mrs. Yan was bitter: “Forget it. Let’s make a movie and take the movie emperor instead!”

Shen Jintai smiled, eased his emotions, got out of the car, and walked towards his fans.

The gold powders were cautious. They were also heartbroken tonight. They were afraid of Shen Jintai’s state, so they didn’t dare say more words of comfort.

Shen Jintai comforted them with his words:

“It’s okay, victory or defeat is commonplace for soldiers!”

“Yes, I will definitely take it in the future.”

“I’m sorry to not live up to everyone’s expectation.” Shen Jintai said with a smile.

“No, no!” the little girls shook their hands one after another: “You are already great.”

Truly great. He acted so well. Although he lost the trophy, he was also an uncrowned emperor.

Shen Jintai took the flowers from the fans, smiled and took a photo with them. He then got into the car. Next, he was going to attend the celebration banquet of The East Palace.

“It’s okay if you don’t want to go,” Mrs. Yan said: “Everyone can definitely understand.”

Shen Jintai “Auntie, I’m really fine. I’m not that fragile. Regardless of the movie awards or the television awards, I have seen this situation a lot. I was inexplicable for a while just now, and that has passed.”

He wasn’t sure why he felt this way. It’s very common to have bad luck*, and it’s relatively rare to be optimistic and acutally win the award. In fact, he witnesses these things plenty of times, but this was his first experience, and he didn’t HOLD* it.

*Term here is down the stove which was explained earlier. I used the translated meaning.

*Translations help: originally written in English. I still don’t know what it’s meaning is unless it’s just really means hold in English.

How could he not go to the celebration banquet? Their crew was the biggest winner tonight. <The East Palace is Coming> won best TV series, which was their collective honor.

“When the celebration is over, you will come to my house for a few days.” Mrs. Yan said: “Qiuchi will also be at the celebration banquet. When it’s over, go back together with him.”

When Mrs. Yan was about to get out of the car, she suddenly saw the watch on Shen Jintai’s wrist and though she was seeing things. She was afraid that she had made a mistake, so she squeezed his wrist and stared at it again. After a long while, she suspiciously let it go.

“I like this watch very much.” Shen Jintai said to her with a smile.

Mrs. Yan was a bit perplexed. When she got out of the car, she remembered the watch Yan Qiuchi was wearing. It seems to be exactly the same!

As the CEO of Sunshine Media, the TV series he had invested and produced had achieve great ratings and awards. It should have been a joyous night for Yan Qiuchi. However, since Shen Jintai didn’t win, and seeing his tears in the backseat of the unlit dark car, his mood was like he had hit rock bottom.

Throughout the celebration banquet, his eyes almost never left Shen Jintai. He was talking and laughing as if nothing was wrong, but Yan Qiuchi felt that all his tears were in his stomach.

It’s too hot to go to the stove*, and whoever does will be greatly disappointed. He himself felt very lost.

*It’s basically referring to the same idiom down the stove. Translated another way would be high expectation can lead to greater disappointment.

“Are you okay?” Bai Qingquan asked Shen Jintai in a low voice when there was no one around.

“I’m alright. How about you?” Shen Jintai asked.

Bai Qingquan smiled and said: “I’m definitely fine since I knew I didn’t have a chance. However, I feel a little bit aggrieved for you. Teacher Chen Fang is a good actor, but for him, it’s a normal performance. In terms of TV series and character popularity, it’s not comparable to you. You used to… how you acted in the past versus how much progress you are making now… Shouldn’t they encourage it? I don’t understand what the judges are thinking*.”

*Clarity: He’s saying Chen Fang is a good actor but he’s a veteran actor who’s extremely experience so while good, it’s just like a normal day for him compared to Shen Jintai who used to be a shitty actor but look at him now. With this in mind, giving Shen Jintai the award would be more motivating and encouraging than a veteran.

Shen Jintai: “This is just the beginning, and we will all have opportunities in the future.”

“Why don’t you drop your new project? Although it’s a big production, it’s a war movie and has limited acting room. Come and film <When You’re older> with me. The script is very touching. Sun Sihai asked some time ago to ask you if you wanted to act in it. The two of us are strong together and with me playing rival scenes against you, it’ll be easy to draw inspiration.”

“I have already signed the contract.” Shen Jintai said.

After the end of The East Palace, film contracts poured in. Monsoon Entertainment and Shen Jintai’s team selected a war movie project. To hold their end of the bargain, they fought for him to be the second male lead in this film and felt it was it was most suitable for him. His role would be a pilot.

The reason for their choice was simple. There was still more than half a year before the filming of <Welcome Rain on a Spring Night> started. This role was also one that liked men. Monsoon felt that it would be detrimental to Shen Jintai’s future development. Although his sexual orientation is well known, it is still necessary to avoid it as much as possible in the selection of films, so he won’t be typecast.

The war film was more focused on action scenes and has relatively few literary scopes. However, acting in it would lead him to a wider range of audiences. With the help of Monsoon PR department, even a person like Shen Jintai, with a ton of black history, was able to secure a second lead role in the movie. This film was also the condition stipulated by Shen Jintai before he signed with Monsoon.

“Then there’s no way.” Bai Qingquan said: “Just think, the two of us acting together would create so many topics. We won’t have to worry about the box office.”

Not only will they join forces again, but Shen Jintai still had Li Xu’s aura on him. Sun Sihai had considered him after his exit since he received the most same-sex related scripts.

Guo Rui discovered that Yan Qiuchi’s eyes had been staring at Shen Jintai all night. With his keen observation, he felt that things were not so simple.

Guo Rui: “I don’t know if I will have a chance to cooperate with him again in the future.”

“Hm?” Yan Qiuchi turned his head.

Guo Rui smiled and said: “Shen Jintai, it’s a pity that he didn’t win best actor.”

Screenwriter Meng Xiaosheng was even more regretful. The character she devoted her best efforts to write actually fell off the list.

“It’s normal to divide the pork*.” Yan Qiuchi, a person who often speaks collectedly, was displeased for the very first time: “They are engaged in balanced tactics and will not give all the prizes to The East Palace.”

*Refers to what Yan Qiuchi says after. They couldn’t give all the awards to a single series, so they had to divide up the awards somehow. You can’t hog all the pork to yourself.

“I owe him a golden bell award, and I hope I will have the opportunity to cooperate with him in the future.” Guo Rui asked Yan Qiuchi: “The boss has no opinion, right?” He was after all the CEO of Sunshine Media.

“The casting rights for your projects are not always given to you.” Yan Qiuchi said.

“But it turns out that I didn’t choose wrong, did I?” Guo Rui looked at Shen Jintai with a smile.

Yan Qiuchi took a sip of his wine. After drinking the wine, his body was hot, and his heart was even hotter. He sat in the car as he watched Shen Jintai, Bai Qingquan and others say goodbye. He wasn’t sure what Shen Jintai and Bai Qingquan was talking about, but they dawdle for over 10 minutes.

Didn’t they talked for a long time during the banquet, and they still haven’t finished their conversation?!

In the night Bai Qingquan looked pure and beautiful contrary to Shen Jintai’s heroicness and sharpness.

“As soon as this banquet is over, it really means The East Palace is finish.” Bai Qingquan said: “I don’t know if there’ll be any opportunities for everyone to get together in the future.”

“I don’t know about others, but we can’t lose touch.” Shen Jintai said: “Contact me often.”

Bai Qingquan looked at Shen Jintai. His feelings of regret pooled up again: “I’m so disappointed that you didn’t get the golden bell award tonight.” He stepped forward and hugged Shen Jintai.

Shen Jintai patted him on the shoulder. His heart was filled with emotions: “At least I have your affirmation. Don’t you hate me?”

Bai Qingquan laughed as he gave him a pat on the back and let him go. “It’s still the same as I said before. I’m very happy to have introduced you to The East Palace and very happy to get to know you again.” He extended his hand and the two shook hands.

When Bai Qingquan got into his car, Yan Qiuchi opened the door of the car and saw another young man running over.

“Jintai!”

It was Zheng Siqi.

Shen Jintai turned his head and said: “President Ji is still looking for you.”

“I just went to meet fans.” Zheng Siqi said: “Are you going back?”

Shen Jintai nodded: “There are too many people today. I haven’t had the chance to officially congratulated you yet.”

Zheng Siqi said: “It’s a shame that you didn’t win.”

Shen Jintai: “It’s already enough if one of us won.”

Zheng Siqi stretched out his arms. His body was a little stiff as Shen Jintai hugged him. Zheng Siqi held onto him for a long time while remaining silent. They both knew that after today, Li Xu and Zhou Ying will be a thing of the past. A living drama in their memories but no longer in their reality.

The light from the streetlamp projected a bright beam onto Yan Qiuchi’s eyes.

Shen Jintai got into the car: “Sorry to have kept you waiting.”

Yan Qiuchi said to the driver: “Drive.”

There was a faint smell of alcohol in the car. Shen Jintai casually found a topic and said a few words, then laid down in the back seat and didn’t speak again. The award ceremony was exhausting. He had started with various interviews and trying on different outfits and the like early in the morning. His itinerary was full and lively all night. He can finally lie down and relax for a bit. He tilted his head sideways and look at the night view outside the car window. It was late in the night. There were few cars on the road and few lights on in the high-rise buildings.

Shen Jintai wasn’t aware that Yan Qiuchi was staring at him while he was gazing outside the window. Yan Qiuchi took off the watch in his hand, put it in his pocket, and then said: “It’s okay.”

“Hmm?” Shen Jintai turned his head, his thoughts heavy.

“You still have a long way to go.” Yan Qiuchi said: “This is just the beginning, and there will be plenty of awards in the future.”

He wanted to give Shen Jintai a hug, just like Zheng Siqi and Bai Qingquan. He felt that Shen Jintai must’ve been devastated tonight but kept it all bottled in. Unfortunately, he had no reason to hug Shen Jintai. The relationship between the two of them wasn’t comparable to colleagues who acted together.

Yan Qiuchi raised his hand and patted the back of Shen Jintai’s hand twice, then he withdrew them. His hands were very hot, but Shen Jintai’s were cold. He wanted to heat him up filling his hands and his heart with warmth.

Shen Jintai didn’t perceive his affection. He remained still, laying on his side as he raised his head and said: “I will be in many more works in the future, win many awards, and be a successful actor that everyone will know my name.”

‘That’s great.’ Yan Qiuchi thought: ‘That would be great.’

He also believed that this day would eventually come.

The author has something to say:

I would like those who didn’t like it to drift apart and those who like it will always be with you.

It’s really common an overheated stove, probably in order to suppress the desire for promotion.

Jintai is flying slowly, dad will always be with you!

Kinky Thoughts: I’m gonna be honest… I kinda teared up when Shen Jintai didn’t win. I truly feel his passion and dedication to acting in this chapter. Also remember this is his second time. His first was when he was on his way to accept his award (after a lifetime of hard work mind you) and he was killed in an accident that led him to transmigrate.

Author: I promise no more dog blood. Lots of fluffiness in the future!

Award Ceremony: snubs Shen Jintai.

Me: … … … … THE FUCK AUTHOR?!

On a side note: I can see why some reviews say they don’t like the ML now, hahaha. It’s not so much that he’s bad but more so that Shen Jintai and Bai Qingquan just have such good chemistry together. Author you’re devoting so much emotional growth between the two that it’s overshadowing Yan Qiuchi’s emotional growth.

Also I think the author is male… not female, though I’m not 100% sure.