Chapter 44 一 The truth about Xingyuan’s identity has been revealed.
Behind, Bai Ruogu came, and Qi Qier held her breath, not daring to make a sound, watching her brother take the doll away with gentle actions, her face filled with excitement.
The doll tilted its head up, as if realizing something, and deliberately rubbed against Bai Ruogu’s arms, blinking at Qi Qier as if showing off.
Qi Qier: …
Was she seeing things?
Bai Ruogu attended the opening ceremony, personally lit three sticks of incense on the incense burner. He refused interviews under the media’s flashlights.
That night, the crew prepared a banquet, and thus, the web drama series started shooting in full swing.
The original novel of this drama can also be considered a “Renaissance”, using dog-blood plots and unfulfilled wishes to prop up the whole story.
After Bai Ruogu changed his outfit, his black hair was neatly done, dressed in white from head to toe, holding a folding fan, smiling in front of the camera. His character shared some similarities with Wei Huan, making it a natural performance for him.
Most male protagonists in the market are of the tough, passionate, and growth-type, from a young boy to a world-renowned figure. Wei Huan is different, he fell from the altar to the mortal world, and his personality is also gentle and unfathomable.
With the advancement of technology, characters can be projected into their younger selves using technology, which also highly restores the plot.
The scenes also began from childhood.
The background story was a chaotic era, with countries attacking each other, and the common people living in misery, yet Emperor Wei Qiao, despite having three thousand concubines in his harem, respected the empress.
He and the empress have a eldest son named Wei Yang. Wei Yang was sternly disciplined since childhood, any slight negligence resulted in severe punishment, thus he far surpassed his peers.
Wei Yang never knew what familial affection felt like from a young age. He grew accustomed to this life, thinking all parents in the world were like this.
He was cold by nature, possessing an air of authority even at a young age. Everything he did was very cautious, he was an excellent heir to the throne.
When he was eleven, due to his outstanding talent and being the emperor’s eldest son, he was proclaimed crown prince and resided in the Eastern Palace, officially standing above everyone else.
He once stood atop high places, looking down at the vast land, subconsciously taking it as his own.
But in the end, something unexpected happened.
The following year, the emperor and empress had their second child.
He stood below the stage, watching his father, the emperor, holding a baby and laughing heartily with the civil and military officials. In that moment, he suddenly realized that his father also had his own heirs in his heart.
Afterward, he saw the most amiable side of his parents, patiently coaxing their son, even if he urinated on them, they laughed heartily.
However, that son was not him, Wei Yang, but his younger brother from the same mother, Wei Huan.
He could still remember that when he was younger, he mispronounced a few words and his father ordered the Grand Tutor to beat him on the palms of his hands until they were broken.
He smiled wryly and turned away. Compared to father and son, he and Wei Qiao were more like lord and subject.
He always held a glimmer of hope for familial affection. He remembered reading many scripts, wasn’t the reason his father treated him strictly because he valued him?
As the crown prince, he should be strict with himself and excel in everything. As the eldest son, his parents should love him more.
He kept comforting himself like this, until…
“I regret it, I regret it.” A middle-aged man’s lament echoed through the night, his voice filled with authority. There was only one person in the entire imperial city who could have such a voice.
“What’s wrong, Your Majesty?” A gentle female voice came from inside.
“If I had known, I would have announced the crown prince a year later. Now Wei Yang has made no major mistakes, it’s not easy to depose him.” The emperor sounded somewhat regretful.
“Take it easy, you’re too hasty. Even if he doesn’t make mistakes this year, there will be mistakes in the following years. I know you want to pass the throne to Huan’er, but Huan’er is still too young to bear this burden. Let Wei Yang help deal with disasters for the time being.”
“Alright, alright… Sigh.”
Wei Yang’s heart sank like it had fallen into an ice cellar. He couldn’t cry, he just pursed his lips, his eyes reddening.
So that’s how it is…
He turned and left.
Mother must have forgotten, today was her birthday, and her son was still here in the palace.
The first scene soon ended.
In fact, the protagonist of this play was not Wei Yang but the still-infant Wei Huan. However, Wei Yang was a very important character, so much so that the first scene, which should have belonged to the protagonist, was given to him, becoming his stage.
The actor playing Wei Yang was none other than Zhang Yuqing under Bai Ruogu’s banner.
Zhang Yuqing was very excited when he heard the arrangement, never expecting such an important role to fall on him. Since then, he had been studying the script day and night, practicing his acting skills diligently.
Finally, today, he showcased his talents, embodying the minds of both children and adults, the ignorance they should have, the loss and sadness of losing familial affection—all displayed with almost explosive acting skills, giving this drama a spectacular start.
The director couldn’t help but applaud, and Bai Ruogu also walked over to praise him.
When Zhang Yuqing saw Bai Ruogu, he was momentarily stunned, then excitedly rubbed his hands together.
“Thank you, President Bai,” he said earnestly.
“If it weren’t for you giving me this opportunity, I would never have had today’s performance.”
Bai Ruogu patted Zhang Yuqing’s shoulder, and Zhang Yuqing scratched his head in embarrassment.
The filming continued, and with this outfit, Bai Ruogu filmed the following scenes. His acting was equally superb, and the director couldn’t help but give him a thumbs-up.
“Actors from your Xingsu company are indeed different, each one is so outstanding!”
Just as the shooting of <Dusty Life Palace> began, the annual Blue Star Film Festival also commenced. During this time, films of various genres were showcased, and the Blue Star jury would select major awards based on the works.
<Light Years> had signed up for the festival as soon as the film was released, and it was also hailed by the media as the biggest dark horse of the event.
Now, as the festival approached, unsurprisingly, when the list was released, <Light Years> secured sixteen award nominations, covering almost all major categories.
The entire film industry was in an uproar, and as a result, Xingsu was also pushed into the limelight.
One piece of good news after another arrived, and Bai Ruogu messaged Zhuri Laoshi.
[Teacher, have you heard about the film? It’s likely to win many awards.]
Zhuri: [Thank you, and congratulations.]
Bai Ruogu’s eyes flickered, and before he could continue to ask, Zhuri Laoshi continued to send a message.
[I’ll be watching you receive the award in front of the screen. Keep it up.]
Bai Ruogu fell silent for a moment, then replied with a simple “Okay.”
The festival began grandly, with many renowned interstellar actors attending.
Amidst the waves of cheers, Bai Ruogu also entered the venue.
The voices from the audience reached their peak, with some even fainting.
Meanwhile, the entire interstellar scene was broadcasted live, with billions of viewers tuning in to watch the awards ceremony.
As Bai Ruogu took his seat, the camera immediately focused on him, and the barrage of comments flooded the screen.
[Ah, big brother looks so handsome!]
[Wuwuwu, it’s the awards ceremony today, just thinking about big brother’s identity makes me want to cry.]
[Love big brother, love Xingyuan.]
At the same time, discussions about <Light Years> flooded the StarNet.
[Just thinking about the plot makes me restless.]
[But luckily it’s fiction, it’s just a story after all.]
[Wuwuwu, still feeling so sad, my Xingyuan, how will he live on in the future!]
After the host finished the opening speech, the atmosphere reached its climax. The lights converged, all eyes were on the stage, and excerpts from the nominated films were played on the big screen.
“The winner of the Best Actor award for this year’s Blue Star Awards is——”
Everyone tensed up, only to hear the host chuckle and loudly announce, pointing to the thin figure below.
“Bai Ruogu from <Light Years>!”
“Ahh!!” The whole venue erupted, and the screen switched to a clip of Bai Ruogu in the film.
It was a scene of war, a fair-skinned youth following a tall man covered in bloodstains, muttering something while kicking pebbles under his feet.
“Wait for me, I’ll come find you once I graduate.”
[Wuwuwu, burst into tears.]
[Xingyuan, promise me, don’t look for him T^T.]
In the darkness, a man with deep blue eyes quietly watched the screen, giving a bitter smile and taking a sip of strong liquor.
Bai Ruogu received the award amidst the attention of everyone. He wasn’t very happy, just maintaining a polite smile, which led to various speculations from the outside world.
The host continued to shout: “The winner of the Best Director award is——”
“Li Huai from <Light Years>!”
“Ahhhh——”
“The winner of the Best Visual Effects award is——<Light Years>”
“This is too incredible?!” Someone exclaimed.
Bai Ruogu remained silent, just lowering his gaze to the floor, smiling quietly.
“The winner of Best Cinematography——<Light Years>”
“Best Art Direction——<Light Years>”
“Best…”
One by one, the awards were presented, bringing the entire audience to a frenzy and pushing the atmosphere to a fever pitch. The entire galaxy joined in the cheers, their spirits soaring. <Light Years> gained even more fame, its reputation reaching distant light-years away.
On this night, with the entire galaxy cheering, the final award also concluded.
“The winner of the Best Screenwriter Award is——”
“<Light Years> Zhuri!”
In the dark, the man finished his last sip of wine and watched the scene on the screen.
“Let me go! I want to take him back, let me go!”
Half-drunk, he held the wine bottle, leaning on the table, and laughed deeply.
“Please, Zhuri, come to the stage to receive the award. Please, Zhuri…”
On the dazzling stage, the host repeated the call again and again, but no one appeared. He looked towards Bai Ruogu in the audience, who kept his head down and remained motionless.
In the darkness, the man smashed the wine bottle to the ground with force, raising his head with sharp eyes.
The next second, he stood up, grabbed his coat, and threw it over his shoulder, the gold epaulettes on his shoulders gleaming.
As the door opened, numerous soldiers stood neatly outside, waiting. The Marshal, who was inspecting the troops outside, turned at the sound and saw the man who had drunk a bit too much.
He laughed wildly, “You always complain about my drinking, yet here you are, drunk!”
“Shut up!” The man’s thin lips parted slightly, his eyes fierce.
The Marshal, sensing the situation, composed himself and turned to shout at the tens of thousands of soldiers, “Move out, to planet Ketan!”
“Yes!”
Countless warships started, a vast array rushing into space.
Planet Ketan had been unlucky, facing an invasion from foreign enemies. The Emperor, helpless, could only seek aid from the Interstellar Federation.
The fires of war spread across planet Ketan. The Emperor knelt in the general’s cemetery, staring blankly at the towering tombstone. Behind him, the sounds of gunfire filled the air.
The movie <Light Years> was not just a hit, it was so popular that even people on the remote planet Ketan knew about it.
“Why couldn’t Xingyuan take Eisley away? Isn’t Xingyuan Eisley’s family?!” This was the question he heard most these days.
“But who knows? Who can prove it?” he murmured.
“The entire interstellar population saw it! Hundreds of millions of people can attest to it!” a young student retorted.
He bowed his head and smiled, his eyes bloodshot as he looked at the urn before him.
“Perhaps this is what you really meant by hiring someone to make a movie?”
Suddenly, the sound of artillery ceased, the midday sun dimmed, and shadows fell over his vision.
The sound of engines roared in his ears, many and noisy.
The hatches opened, and soldiers scouted ahead, with many people lined up as if welcoming someone important.
He moved his legs and turned around, looking up.
He saw a man in military uniform, surrounded by thousands of people, walking towards him step by step in his leather boots.
Twice they met: once, he was driven away from here, and once, he arrived at his plea.
Days and nights of war had left him exhausted and he didn’t want to stand. He just looked up at the tall man and smiled bitterly, pleading.
“Thank you for coming in person. I’ll leave my planet in your hands…”
Before he could finish, a hand in a white glove reached out to him, the voice hoarse.
“You know what I want.”
The Emperor paused and finally smiled.
With complex emotions, he held the urn and raised it above his head, “It’s yours.”
The Marshal had been casually smoking a cigar, but when he turned and saw that scene, his expression changed.
The cigar fell.
He watched as his long-time political rival, upon seeing the urn, took off his gloves and held it tightly.
The once stern and strict Chief of Staff, now in this moment, abandoned his formality and, like a child, hugged the urn and cried.
Taw’s Note: From the start, I had a feeling that the movie was based on a true story, but I didn’t expect Hua Xingyuan = Chief of Staff?? 🤯
I even guessed that maybe the emperor from planet Ketan is Hua Xingyuan’s friend, Xu Mo, or even Hua Xingyuan himself. Stupid me.
I had a hunch that maybe the movie reminded the emperor of something bad and a slight idea that maybe the story is true but knowing that the story is 100% true makes me wanna cry so bad. The fact that the only way for the Chief of Staff to get the ashes was for him to make a movie. I can’t imagine the pain he went through writing that script but I’m glad he was able to get the ashes. I’m guessing Hua Xingyuan is a fake name. I wonder Zhuri is his real name or his pen name. I also wonder if Bai Ruoguo found out that the script is a true story. I went all the way back to chapter 6, to think that guy was the Chief of Staff. Maybe Zhuri is the name or nickname of the real Eisley.