Mr. Zhou Doesn’t Want to Work Hard Anymore!

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After being nominated for two awards, Zhou Chenxi became busier. Many scripts and teams that felt good started approaching him, hoping to collaborate with him.

Zhou Chenxi carefully selected two scripts, turning down other variety shows and endorsements. After all, his main focus needed to remain on acting. Moreover, his older brother also sent him several endorsement contracts and proposals, which were adjusted multiple times to meet Zhou Chenxi’s needs. It was as if his brother was determined to give Zhou Chenxi money, and Zhou Chenxi was almost overwhelmed by the choices.

In addition to the previous Xixi Sichuan Pepper Potato Chips, there were also new Xixi cakes and Xixi nuts recently released. Fans who were big spenders hurriedly bought these snacks, almost filling up their snack cabinets at home.

Of course, there were also several contracts from the Lu family’s cosmetics line in the mix. So Zhou Chenxi’s recent endorsement activities were split between the Lu family and Zhou Xin.

Initially, fans said that ever since they found out Zhou Chenxi was the second young master of the Zhou family, they noticed that he had taken up all the endorsements that Zhou Xin could have taken, praising Zhou Chenxi as a money-making prodigy who was self-sufficient.

Later on, it was discovered that Lu family had quietly changed their cosmetics promotional posters several times, and without exception, all of them featured Zhou Chenxi’s photos.

Fans started shipping them, loudly proclaiming, “Hope the CP is real.” Not being from the same family but entering through the same door, Lu Zong himself was a magical CEO who would personally appear on TV shows to promote his own cosmetics. After being together for a long time, they were indeed becoming more and more alike.

Later on, Zhou Xin’s snack products multiplied, and there were rumors that they would establish a high-end snack shop under the “Xixi” series brand in the future. When that time came, they would have Zhou Chenxi endorse the entire store, giving fans a new point of excitement.

The big brother went all out to steal his little brother’s attention.

Of course, these storylines were purely fan fiction and typically circulated quietly within the Hope Mini Writing and Hope CP fan community.

The first rule of “Hope” chat groups was that accounts like “@Zhou Chenxi’s Global Fan Club” and so on were not allowed to enter. This was prominently displayed as the first rule in the community guidelines, indicating how strict the chat moderators were in preventing this particular account from infiltrating their space.

After a period of back-and-forth communication, the account had reached an agreement with the chat moderators. Fans were allowed to engage in a limited amount of daydreaming, but it couldn’t go too far and potentially harm Zhou Chenxi’s image. After this agreement was reached, the account representing the fan club no longer meddled in chat group affairs. However, given that the moderators and the fans themselves had an agreement, fans in the chat groups couldn’t engage in overly excessive daydreaming, with the limit being set at “above the neckline.”

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Furthermore, some fans who were passionately shipping the CP sometimes got so excited when posting that they forgot to use the appropriate tags, and their posts wouldn’t be counted in the chat group. Immediately, the “@Zhou Chenxi Global Fan Club” would swiftly alert them, politely reminding them to delete their posts.

The CP shipping environment and experience were quite poor.

As a result, CP fans gradually shifted their focus. They started creating private groups for discussions without restrictions, no policing, and it felt great!

In these fanfictions, they could write about anything from the top of their hair strands to the bottom of their hearts, with no limitations on what they could write or imagine, enjoying the ultimate CP shipping experience. CP fans had once again found their happiness.

In May, Zhou Chenxi attended the Golden Flower Awards ceremony.

Since Lu Ji transferred to another hospital, there hadn’t been any updates about Luo Xinghe. It seemed like this matter had quietly passed.

The actors nominated for the “Best Newcomer Award” were all very talented. Usually, winning this award indicated a promising future for the recipient.

The committee responsible for the selection consisted of professionals in the film industry, and they had a sharp eye. They had worked in the industry for decades and generally did not make mistakes in their assessments. Bestowing this award not only represented recognition but also served as a prophecy of the newcomer’s future according to these industry experts.

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Hence, both fans and Zhou Chenxi took this award ceremony very seriously.

Zhou Chenxi had never participated in similar events before. At most, he would watch them on TV to get a glimpse, and even the scene where Luo Xinghe won an award was something he had only read about in books.

This time, attending the event himself, Zhou Chenxi was extremely nervous. He paced around the styling studio, constantly stopping in front of the mirror to check his outfit for any possible flaws.

“You already look very handsome,” Zhi Qi said, feeling dizzy from watching him. “Stop for a moment. The awards ceremony will last several hours, just sitting there could give you a sore back. Why don’t you rest for a bit and recharge your energy?”

Zhou Chenxi took one of the “Xixi Mini Cakes” from the side, opened it, and took a bite. He asked, “What time does it start, and when does it end?”

Zhi Qi checked the ceremony schedule and replied, “It starts at 2 PM and, including the red carpet, it should last for at least three hours.”

Zhou Chenxi inquired, “Is there a concession stand inside?”

Zhi Qi gave him a peculiar look as if to ask, “What are you thinking?”

Zhou Chenxi said, “Alright then.”

He quickly devoured the mini cake and didn’t dare to drink too much water.

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Having previously discussed the experience of attending award ceremonies with Ren Qian, she mentioned that most of the female stars who attended such events began fasting from the day before. This was because the formal attire they wore was quite tight, and in order to maintain the best and most comfortable condition, they typically only had a bit of fruit to fill their stomachs.

In addition to this, they couldn’t consume too much water either. Some people naturally had a propensity to retain water, and if they drank water the night before, their faces would swell up like balloons the next day, which wasn’t considered professional.

Moreover, at these major events, many fashion brands collaborated with celebrities, providing them with the latest seasonal clothing. This served as a form of indirect advertising and promotion.

Celebrities walking the red carpet in the brand’s attire would be photographed by the media and featured in magazines and websites. Fans would quickly identify and share similar styles. Some fashion brands didn’t even need fans to do this themselves, as they would collaborate with celebrities to create photo shoots, which they would release on their websites early.

Zhou Chenxi didn’t need to collaborate with any brands, so he had eaten quite well the previous night. However, he still refrained from consuming too much today.

Zhi Qi had initially considered finding a brand collaboration for Zhou Chenxi. In fact, several brands had expressed interest in him.

Zhou Chenxi was good-looking, tall, and slender, and he had a high level of popularity. He was the ideal collaboration candidate for brands at the moment. Unfortunately, Zhou Chenxi had turned down these offers.

This was because his brother had already prepared a suit for him.

Previously, Zhou Chenxi used to buy clothes for his brother, but this time, after hearing about Zhou Chenxi’s nomination, Zhou Mingxuan took the initiative to have a suit tailor-made for him at a studio he frequented. The style was very attractive, with the waistline slightly cinched, accentuating Zhou Chenxi’s height and figure.

The designers at this studio were well-known, and their handcrafted custom suits exceeded the prices of most luxury brands on the market. Moreover, they didn’t require celebrities to advertise for them. Every year, their clothing designs set the fashion trend in the industry.

With such a brother, what did it matter if he missed out on a few fashion resources?

What surprised Zhou Chenxi even more was that, after learning of his nomination, Lu Ji also had a set of clothes custom-made for him.

The outfit was designed by a designer with a reputation on par with Zhou Mingxuan’s. What was truly magical was that Lu Ji didn’t even have Zhou Chenxi’s measurements taken. He had the clothes made and delivered directly to Zhou Chenxi.

After trying it on, Zhou Chenxi found it to be a perfect fit, with only a slight adjustment needed at the back. Zhou Chenxi was astonished and asked how Lu Ji knew his measurements. Lu Ji replied, “I just need to hug you more.”

Zhou Chenxi blushed, but then realized that his measurements were available on his Baidu Baike page. Although it hadn’t been updated in a while, Zhou Chenxi had maintained the same physique throughout, except for a brief period during the filming of “The Pinnacle” when he gained a bit of muscle and then quickly slimmed down again. So, his measurements hadn’t changed significantly.

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As a result, Zhou Chenxi brought the outfit back home. When his brother saw it and asked where it came from, Zhou Chenxi had no choice but to tell him that Lu Ji had given it to him.

Although Zhou Mingxuan didn’t show it on his face, Zhou Chenxi could tell he wasn’t very pleased.

So Zhou Chenxi decided to wear the outfit his brother had given him for the Golden Flower Awards and the one from Lu Ji for the Starry Moon Awards.

Sometimes, being caught between Lu Ji and his brother could be quite troublesome.

After finishing the mini cake, Zhou Chenxi stood up straight, waiting for the time to head to the event venue.

Only award presenters, industry professionals, and nominated actors could enter the awards ceremony. Others couldn’t get in. However, Lu Ji had promised to pick him up if he had time today.

So Zhou Chenxi was eagerly anticipating it, constantly looking outside the studio.

Not long after, a familiar car slowly approached, and the car window rolled down. Lu Ji was sitting in the back seat and waved at him.

Zhou Chenxi happily said, “Zhi Qi, you can go to the venue by yourself. Lu Ji is here to pick me up!”

Zhi Qi: “??”

Zhi Qi stood up and indeed saw Lu Ji sitting in the car outside. Zhou Chenxi adjusted his clothes and went over. Lu Ji personally got out of the car to open the door for Zhou Chenxi, and then he got back in himself.

Zhi Qi thought, “This is serious. I need to make some preparations for public relations in case one day Lu Ji and Zhou Chenxi make their relationship public.”

Fortunately, Zhou Chenxi was an actor and not an idol. When Heaven Prosperity initially planned Zhou Chenxi’s future, they had asked Zhi Qi if they should mold Zhou Chenxi more into an idol. After careful consideration, Zhi Qi had followed Zhou Chenxi’s wishes.

He had always wanted to be a pure actor. In the past, Zhou Chenxi didn’t even have a say in choosing his roles, but now, he was the top actor at Heaven Prosperity Entertainment, and he had the final say in how he wanted things to go.

Furthermore, there were rumors that Heaven Prosperity was currently in talks with Zhou Xin’s company, and Zhou Xin might be interested in acquiring Heaven Prosperity.

This matter is quite a long story.

Although Heaven Prosperity had improved its situation considerably, especially with Zhou Chenxi as an A-list actor in the making, it was still a small company. Additionally, due to historical issues, the company’s leadership had been considering the company’s future development direction. Zhou Xin’s people happened to reach out to them, and they started thinking about the possibility of being acquired by Zhou Xin.

Moreover, Zhou Xin’s offer was indeed attractive. Although it meant transitioning from working for themselves to working for Zhou Xin, they believed that with a big tree to lean on, the future prospects of Heaven Prosperity would be very promising.

It was also said that after Zhou Xin acquired Heaven Prosperity, the company would directly fall under Zhou Chenxi’s name, meaning that Zhou Chenxi would be their boss in the future!

The boss’s opinions naturally deserved respect.

Zhou Chenxi was unaware of all this; he had only heard his brother mention that they would find an appropriate way to transfer his share and dividends from his work at Zhou Xin. He didn’t know if Zhou Mingxuan had thought of using Zhou Chenxi’s money to buy Heaven Prosperity because he was upset about the wedding arrangement, or perhaps he just wanted to keep his younger brother’s financial interests firmly in his own hands. After all, his younger brother wouldn’t be foolish enough to, later on, give himself away to Lu Ji through the company, right?

What Zhou Mingxuan didn’t know was that, for Zhou Chenxi, anything was possible. After all, he was already completely smitten with Lu Ji’s charm.

“Hey,” Zhou Chenxi got into Lu Ji’s car and smiled at him, saying, “Do I look good today?”

Lu Ji praised him without hesitation, “You look great.”

Zhou Chenxi fidgeted a bit uncomfortably to avoid wrinkling his suit. He said, “I wonder if I’ll be able to win an award today.”

“Whether you win an award or not, you are the best leading actor in my heart.”

Lu Ji’s comforting words made Zhou Chenxi’s heart swell with joy, and he decided, “I’ve already made up my mind.”

Lu Ji asked, “About what?”

“Recently, Zhi Qi has been acting strange, saying that I call the shots for our future. I just want to be an actor, and I never planned to be an idol. So, once I find a suitable opportunity, I’ll make our relationship public, okay?” Zhou Chenxi suggested.

Lu Ji furrowed his brow slightly and pondered for a moment before saying, “Wouldn’t that be too hasty?”

“Why would it be?” Zhou Chenxi responded.

I even want to marry you.

He swallowed that statement back.

Lu Ji explained, “Your career is just starting, and you have a long road ahead. There’s no need to rush into this now. It might be better to wait until you’re more established before considering it. What do you think?”

“Okay,” Zhou Chenxi agreed.

Lu Ji’s reasoning made sense, especially since he was managing an entertainment company, which allowed him to take a more forward-looking approach.

However, Lu Ji’s real intention was to ensure that the initiative to go public would come from his side first. This way, in case fans had objections, he could say it was his unilateral decision, ensuring that Zhou Chenxi wouldn’t be negatively affected.

Both had their own thoughts as the driver took them to the Golden Flower Awards ceremony.

Author’s note: Brother: How can I stop my younger brother from throwing money around?

Thanks to “Shenqi’s Rabbit,” “Zaizai,” “Nancy,” and “Tianxiao” for the nourishment!

1TL: YSIAD “You can support me if you like my translations by leaving a comment below, or by sending me a Ko-fi. Thank you ️”

1TL: YSIAD “You can support me if you like my translations by leaving a comment below, or by sending me a Ko-fi. Thank you ️”