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

Chapter 68

At the awards ceremony venue, Lu Ji couldn’t enter, so they had to park at the rear entrance.

The organizers had arranged for a high-end sedan to pick up Zhou Chenxi and take him to the main entrance of the red carpet.

Once Zhou Chenxi got out of the car, the flashing camera flashes instantly surrounded him.

The intense lights startled Zhou Chenxi. He hadn’t noticed the numerous reporters and photographers around him as he came from a turn. It turned out that the red carpet procession was starting from here.

The organizers had previously explained to Zhou Chenxi how to walk the red carpet and what to do when he reached the end, as well as various other details once inside the venue. Even Zhi Qi had gone over the procedure with him.

However, when he arrived at the scene, Zhou Chenxi completely forgot everything. He walked down the red carpet with a stiff, forced smile.

Following the host’s guidance, Zhou Chenxi stopped at the entrance of the venue.

The host introduced him, saying, “Welcome our Zhou Chenxi!”

Zhou Chenxi received the microphone from the staff with a stiff, awkward smile.

The host asked, “Why do you look so nervous, Xixi?”

Zhou Chenxi replied, “Do I?”

However, he forgot to bring the microphone close to his mouth, so his voice didn’t come through.

The host said, “…Could you try raising the microphone a bit?”

Zhou Chenxi responded, “Oh, oh!” and quickly lifted the microphone higher.

At the red carpet event, there was a live stream arranged by the organizers, and fans eagerly watched it. As soon as Zhou Chenxi appeared, the barrage of comments scrolled rapidly:

– “Xixi looks so handsome today!”
– “Has anyone figured out the brand of his clothes? Doesn’t look like a familiar brand. Can someone find the same outfit?”
– “He looks both funny and adorable. I noticed Xixi was walking hand in hand when he was nervous.”
– “But seriously, I’ve noticed that Xixi always shows his eight teeth when he’s nervous. So cute…”
– “His facial expressions are on point!”
– “Go, Xixi, don’t be nervous. You’re the best!”

The host asked Zhou Chenxi, “Is there anything you’d like to say to your audience and fans who support you?”

Zhou Chenxi replied, “Thank you!”

Applause echoed from outside the red carpet.

Zhou Chenxi handed the microphone to a nearby staff member, walked over to a signing wall to autograph his name, and then entered the main venue.

Fans went wild with comments:

– “Xixi walked the red carpet for only one minute…”
– “Haha, the fastest red carpet in history!”
– “Noooo! Let me see more of the baby!”
– “Forget the red carpet, Xixi should hurry inside. I saw his hand trembling while holding the microphone.”
– “The host was dumbfounded when Xixi walked so quickly. It felt like he didn’t get to say a word. The red carpet world has witnessed a landslide of laughter!”

Indeed, Zhou Chenxi didn’t expect he could stay on the red carpet for a while, take more photos, or anything like that. Inside the venue, he started looking for his seat.

Since the entire cast and crew of “The Pinnacle Battle” were nominated this time, Zhou Chenxi was assigned a seat on the left next to Ren Qian and on the right next to Xie Xueyu.

Zhou Chenxi spotted Ren Qian at once. He had already arrived, wearing a suit and sitting in his place peacefully, looking quite gentlemanly. Zhou Chenxi went over to greet him, saying, “Professor Ren.”

Ren Qian smiled gently, a far cry from his usual playful self. He stood up politely, giving way for Zhou Chenxi to pass. As Zhou Chenxi walked past him, Ren Qian extended his hand.

Zhou Chenxi reacted with confusion, asking, “???”

Ren Qian maintained his smile, squeezing out a few words through his teeth, “Hurry, shake hands, beware of tomorrow morning’s entertainment news saying we don’t get along!”

Zhou Chenxi: “…” Is it that scary?

Zhou Chenxi quickly extended his hand and shook hands with Ren Qian.

Both of them politely nodded and took their seats. Ren Qian returned to his composed demeanor.

Zhou Chenxi: “…”

Being an actor is really not easy, and mastering the art of facial expressions is a must!

He finally understood why there were so many reports of disputes and fights over prime spots at fashion galas and award ceremonies the following day. It turned out the reporters loved to speculate about such things.

After a while, as an expression of seniority looking out for a junior, Ren Qian whispered to Zhou Chenxi, “You know who you’re competing with today among those nominated, right?”

Zhou Chenxi nodded.

“That’s good,” Ren Qian maintained his smile. “Remember to keep an eye on everyone and be attentive to your surroundings. If they make any unusual movements, you have to manage your expressions well because the camera will immediately focus on you.”

Zhou Chenxi: “…”

“A couple of years ago, I attended an award ceremony at the Capital Television Festival,” Ren Qian continued, “I had a competitor back then, Left He Xu. He accidentally stumbled in the aisle, and the cameras quickly cut to me. At that moment, I was having an animated conversation with the director, you know? I had a rather exaggerated smile.”

Zhou Chenxi: “…” He could already guess the outcome.

Ren Qian said, “Then they said I seemed to be gloating when Left He Xu embarrassed himself and that I almost laughed out two big front teeth.”

Zhou Chenxi: “…” That’s unfortunate.

“Fortunately, I won the Best Actor award that year. If it were Left He Xu, I’d probably be labeled as an ugly person in their eyes,” Ren Qian settled back in his seat, placing both hands on his knees and elegantly crossing his legs. “Just maintain this smile, and no matter what happens, don’t panic.”

Zhou Chenxi forced a smile and said, “The city is so scary; I want to go back to the countryside.”

“But don’t worry,” Ren Qian reassured him, “you can’t prevent baseless rumors. Just focus on being yourself.”

Zhou Chenxi quickly adjusted his expression, revealing exactly eight teeth, no more, no less, just perfect.

The award ceremony proceeded smoothly, but the waiting time was always the hardest. Zhou Chenxi lost track of how long he had been sitting. Finally, he heard the host announce, “Now, we’ll present the next award, the Best Film Award!”

The presenters took the stage, exchanged a few jokes to liven up the atmosphere, and then declared, “This year’s winner of the Golden Flower Award for Best Film is ‘The Tale of the Cat Demon’!”

The audience applauded, and as one of the directors and producers, Luo Tao went on stage to accept the award. He said, “Thank you to the presenters, and thanks to the organizers for giving our cast and crew this opportunity. To receive this award, we owe it all to our generous financiers. Thank you to our benefactor, Mr. Ren Qian, and the stunning Miss Xie Xueyu. You’ve provided both talent and funds, and I love you both. If there’s a chance, let’s work together again. Of course, what I’m most thankful for is Zhou Chenxi. He brought me two financiers in one go. Zhou Chenxi, let me hug your thigh.”

The audience burst into laughter.

After Luo Tao finished joking around, his expression became serious again. He concluded his acceptance speech and left the stage.

On the live streaming platform, fans were chatting:

“Those two financiers Luo Tao mentioned are Zhou Xin and the Lu family, right?”

“I hope for some interactions between the Hope CP on stage.”

“Did Zhou Chenxi bring the investment from the Lu family?”

“He must be joking; would Mr. Lu get swayed by someone for their looks?”

“Reply to the last comment; he would.”

“Haha, but no matter what, Mr. Lu is doing great; the box office for ‘The Tale of the Cat Demon’ was fantastic. The investors must be making a fortune.”

“You can only say that Mr. Lu has a discerning eye.”

“You can only say that Chenxi is like a lucky little cat bringing wealth.”

In the barrage comments, fans were discussing their favorite CP while they weren’t paying attention to the fact that the “Best Newcomer Award” was also being announced.

Likewise, they showed a short video introducing the nominees. The host announced the award, and the presenter added some playful remarks. Then, the senior actor responsible for presenting the award declared, “The winner of the Best Newcomer Award at the Golden Flower Awards is… Zhou Chenxi!”

All the cameras focused on Zhou Chenxi, who couldn’t contain his surprise, and his bewildered expression was projected onto the large screen on the stage.

Experienced actors knew to expect the cameras, but Zhou Chenxi’s inexperience in such situations led to a momentary loss of control. Fortunately, the audience responded with laughter, as they understood the situation, and it was taken in good humor.

Zhou Chenxi had thought about this moment before, but his nervousness caused him to forget everything he had prepared. After regaining his composure, he walked up to the stage to receive the award.

At that moment, he suddenly felt grounded, as all his past experiences rushed into his mind like a tidal wave. He experienced a profound sense of “being alive.”

Zhou Chenxi remained silent for a few seconds, then approached the microphone and said, “Thank you, everyone.”

The room fell silent, waiting to hear what he had to say next.

But Zhou Chenxi surprised them by admitting, “I’m sorry; I had a prepared acceptance speech, but I forgot it.”

The audience reacted with amusement:

Barrage comments:

“Haha! Don’t be nervous, Chenxi!”

“Cheer up, Chenxi!”

“I usually memorize lines quickly,” Zhou Chenxi honestly said, “but today, I was just too nervous. I don’t usually mess up when acting. So, all you directors, please don’t let my blunder at this awards ceremony discourage you from casting me in your films. I’m available for work in the second half of the year.”

The audience burst into laughter.

The barrage comments couldn’t help but chime in:

“Chenxi, what are you even saying? Don’t oversell yourself; you’re almost a sold-out product! Are you leaving room for anyone else to breathe?”

“Directors, look at this child; he needs more roles to film!”

“Oh my, I’m going to die of laughter!”

After some joking around, Zhou Chenxi’s nerves eased a bit, and he finally remembered the essence of an acceptance speech: gratitude. He continued, “Thank you to the director, thank you to my co-actors, and thanks to the behind-the-scenes crew…”

He expressed his gratitude to everyone he could think of, and finally said, “Thanks to my brother and Lu Ji. Thank you to them.”

Then Zhou Chenxi left the stage.

The barrage comments went crazy:

“6666!”

“Lu Ji and his brother are together, so, please tell me, who is more important, Lu Ji or his brother?”

“Brother is in front, so brother is more important.”

“Have you studied language? The word ‘和’ (and) signifies coexistence.”

“LS, 6666!”

“Brother is family, so for now, he is ahead. In the future, when Lu Ji becomes family, brother will move to the back.”

“You shippers really are something, haha!”

“The one who mentioned ‘family’ at the front, can you please write a detailed essay of ten to twenty thousand words? I really want to read it.”

People were passionately discussing, and they didn’t notice that someone using the Weibo account “@Zhou Chenxi Global Fan Club” posted a barrage comment at the end: “Brother is more important.”

After the awards ceremony, Zhou Chenxi was starving since he couldn’t leave early. He endured until the ceremony ended, went on stage for a group photo, and then finally left through the back entrance.

Most of the actors left through the main entrance, and there were fewer people at the back entrance. Zhou Chenxi looked around and spotted Lu Ji’s car not far away.

He hurried over, and Lu Ji was sitting in the back seat with a laptop, working.

Zhou Chenxi said, “Lu Ji!”

Lu Ji looked up, smiled, and said, “Is it over?”

He got out of the car and opened the door for Zhou Chenxi.

Zhou Chenxi got into the car, and the driver in the front said, “Mr. Lu went back to the office to take care of some matters, bought a cup of coffee, and then came back.”

Zhou Chenxi glanced to the side and indeed saw a cup of coffee next to Lu Ji.

Lu Ji said, “Shall we go?”

“Sure!” Zhou Chenxi happily replied, “I’ll let Zhi Qi know he doesn’t need to come pick me up!”

Lu Ji had watched a bit of the live stream, but he had other things to do, so he only caught Zhou Chenxi’s award. He asked, “Are you happy about winning the award?”

“Yeah!” Zhou Chenxi proudly showed him the trophy. “I want to put this at home. Before, all the awards were in brother’s cabinet, but from now on, my cabinet will also be filled with awards!”

When Lu Ji was studying, his cabinet was filled with academic achievement awards like “Top Student” and “Math Competition Winner,” while Zhou Chenxi’s cabinet only had a few certificates from art competitions, which barely filled a small section.

Lu Ji smiled and said, “I’ll make a special room for you in our home to display your trophies.”

That’s right! In the future, Lu Ji’s home would be his home!

Zhou Chenxi happily said, “Great! So, in the future, can I just leave the trophies at your place instead of bringing them home?”

Lu Ji’s expression softened as he gently said, “No, it’s our home.”

The driver in the front of the car turned the steering wheel unconsciously, thinking, “Mr. Zhou is really proactive! That’s great; this way, the lady won’t have to worry about Mr. Lu being lonely if he finds a companion in the future.”

The Zhou residence.

Zhou Mingxuan watched the live broadcast of the awards ceremony while he was on a business trip for his company. As soon as he returned home, he asked the housekeeper to clear a display cabinet in the study to make space for Zhou Chenxi’s trophies.

While cleaning the cabinet, the housekeeper said to Zhou Mingxuan, “Young Master, now that the Young Master has a partner, he might not come home as often in the future.”

He just wanted to gently remind Zhou Mingxuan, hoping that he wouldn’t be too sad in the future.

Zhou Mingxuan replied with an “Hmm” and looked at the cabinet. He said, “But we should still leave some space for him.”

Half an hour later, Zhou Chenxi returned home, keeping his hands behind his back and trying to be discreet.

Zhou Mingxuan knew that Lu Ji had picked him up in the afternoon, and when he saw Zhou Chenxi without the trophy, his expression didn’t look good. He asked, “Why are you acting so sneaky? Why didn’t you bring the trophy back?”

“Ta-da!” Zhou Chenxi produced the trophy from behind his back. “How could I? Brother also deserves credit for this, so it should belong to both of us!”

Zhou Mingxuan’s face brightened slightly.

Zhou Chenxi asked, “Do you mind, brother?”

Zhou Mingxuan didn’t respond.

Zhou Chenxi lowered his head and glanced at him secretly, saying, “Okay, then I’ll take it back to my own room.”

“Stop,” Zhou Mingxuan said, “Let me have a look at it.”

Zhou Chenxi happily handed over the trophy.

Zhou Mingxuan examined it and seemed satisfied.

Zhou Chenxi observed his brother’s expression and said, “Originally, Lu Ji told me he wanted to set up a room in his house and use it to display my trophies.”

Zhou Mingxuan’s expression darkened instantly.

Zhou Chenxi quickly added, “But later, I thought it over and decided my house is spacious enough, so I’ll take them back home.”

Zhou Mingxuan’s expression softened.

Zhou Chenxi breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that Lu Ji was right; his brother might not agree to have the trophies at Lu Ji’s place. So, for now, he would try to please his brother. When the time came for his brother to fully accept Lu Ji and stop disliking him, he could consider moving the trophies to Lu Ji’s house.

No, it would be their home with Lu Ji.

It was indeed a wise decision. He was quite clever!

Author’s note: Thanks to “sarahte,” “鬼話連篇,” and “天瀲” for their support!

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 ️”