Finally, the applause slowly died down.

Xiao He blinked his eyes, his gaze slowly sweeping over the people below the stage.

At this moment, Ning Jiaqi, who had sat back down, wore a smile and nodded slightly towards him. On the other side, Hou Rongxuan and Liu Zehang both gave him thumbs-up gestures. The other nominees in their seats gradually stopped clapping, their expressions turning attentive. There was no resentment or regret on their faces, only a sense of relief at having lost to Xiao He, convinced of his superiority.

Having worn high heels, Liu Rulan had been several steps slower than Xiao He. She now emerged from a side internal passageway, standing at the very front of the crowd yet in the most inconspicuous spot. She crossed her arms, looking at him with a gentle and proud gaze, the corners of her mouth uncontrollably curving upwards.

Meanwhile, in the live stream room, the moment Xiao He stood on the stage, the bullet comments had already started buzzing. The congratulations and cheers from netizens swept past like the wind, bringing not a storm, but a gentle breeze. The hidden worries and unwillingness, the deep love and pride, caused countless Little Box fans in front of their screens to quietly redden their eyes.

Xiao He looked at everyone before him, finally calming his emotions. Only then did he adjust the microphone, holding the trophy in his hand, and said, “First, I want to extend a message of peace to the fans who care about me and to all the friends here on site. I am well, everything is fine. I am also very grateful to the organizer for arranging all the subsequent situations, allowing me to stand here without any burdens, on this stage that holds immense significance for me, and to receive this important award.”

“To be honest, a lot of special things happened during both the filming period and the release of ‘No Bait’. It is a great honor for me that ‘No Bait’ was able to successfully premiere, enter everyone’s view, and gain your affection.”

“Here, I am also very grateful to Director Ning, Director Ning Jiaqi, for ultimately choosing me to portray his male lead, Shu Yuxiu. This role truly holds very significant meaning for me. It’s not an exaggeration to say that before Shu Yuxiu, I was still doubting myself, questioning whether I could portray a role well, questioning whether I could walk far on this path…”

That period was also the most confusing time for Xiao He. When he opened his eyes, he even pondered whether he was Shu Yuxiu or the actor Xiao He.

Shu Yuxiu was cold, hypocritical, utterly inhumane, and would stop at nothing.

But he, Xiao He, appeared enthusiastic, yet in reality, his circle of friends was small, he had few recognized friends, and he didn’t possess that much kindness. Before having the System, when he encountered many situations, he would actively choose to avoid and distance himself, and would never proactively offer help.

Was using his System ability to lend a hand to others truly an act of genuine kindness, or was it because he wanted to prove his spirit of resistance through this action, attempting to rebel against the “criminal” life arranged by the System?

What was the difference between him and Shu Yuxiu?

Was it that he successfully portrayed Shu Yuxiu, who, due to societal injustice, decided to deceive others without scruples and strive to climb upwards, or was it that he successfully revealed the Xiao He who, since the System’s appearance, had been suppressing negative emotions and deceiving himself into being kind and friendly?

One day, Xiao He even thought that perhaps the System chose him precisely because there was an innate sense of indifference in his bones, a feeling of detachment, that even a good family upbringing couldn’t erase.

So Xiao He hesitated, struggled, and even amidst good and evil, he still felt a sense of fragmentation.

It wasn’t until Li Hanyue’s incident that Xiao He suddenly realized his hesitation was never about being a righteous character or a villain per se, but about whether the action aligned with his own wishes and will—

Why should he deny his current self because of a resonance with a villain? Didn’t his subconscious act of reaching out, his unreserved act of saving people, already represent his inner self?

—Was being an actor what he wanted?

Xiao He’s thoughts drifted to the fans he had seen on the road, to the words of encouragement and praise they had spoken, to their defense and expectations of him. The corners of his mouth slowly curved upwards.

Perhaps, yes.

No one dislikes praise, no one dislikes a life where they are the center of attention. He was an ordinary person, and he was willing.

Moreover, his fans were so lovely, and he also enjoyed his current life.

—Then, did he want to expose that group of people?

In the past, for the sake of profit, he chose to turn a blind eye. He admitted this; he was just such a mundane person. Having become a boss, having become capital, he did have such considerations, so in the end, he let things be, allowing the situation to deteriorate.

No one is forever filled with goodwill, not even a saint.

But now, for the sake of helping a friend, helping more people, he was willing.

Humans are inherently composed of dark facets. Why should he dwell on so many things?

Standing on this grand stage, facing the gazes of everyone here, Xiao He was certain, absolutely certain, that he was now very clear-headed. All the things he had wanted to do, whether good deeds or bad deeds, were done according to his own heart.

Perhaps the existence of the System had indeed turned his life upside down, setting him on a path he had never imagined before, but how to walk this path was entirely his own decision.

“…Until now, until this very moment, I suddenly understand my purpose in coming here: to do anything I want to do, to participate in and enjoy stories from different worlds, to experience the lives of different characters, to realize my value as an actor, a socially meaningful existence from my own perspective—”

“Next, I will continue to do my best to create sufficiently valuable and innovative works for this society and for those who like me.”

“Here, I once again thank the organizer, thank the judging panel, thank everyone for giving me an opportunity to stand on this stage and speak some heartfelt words…”

Xiao He raised the trophy in his hand, his gaze sincere and resolute, carrying the same fearlessness and confidence as always.

“I hope that in the future, we can meet again. When we meet again, may we both have gained more growth. Thank you.”

As his words ended, thunderous applause erupted in the venue once more. Xiao He shook hands and thanked each person on the stage one by one, then, holding the trophy, walked down from the stage and made his way back to his original seat.

Even after stepping off the stage, countless eyes still followed him. It wasn’t until he reached his seat and sat down that the gazes gradually withdrew.

Without a doubt, Xiao He was the well-deserved Award-Winning Actor of this year’s Bai Ming Award.

There was just no helping it; Xiao He’s luck this year was truly unbeatable.

Starting the year with the hit ‘Corner Also’ as a foundation, sweeping global box office in the middle of the year with ‘No Bait’, and now having two more works at the beginning and end of the summer season—this year was undoubtedly a year of takeoff for Xiao He.

In contrast, as usual, the winners of the Bai Ming Award inevitably faced online skepticism. After all, with public voting, it meant a significant portion of the results could be influenced by inflated traffic. So, going round and round, there would always be a few people subjected to questioning across the entire internet. There were even a few past award-winning actresses directly mocked as the “Water Queen.”

Since Xiao He was nominated for Best Actor at the Bai Ming Award, a major criticism from many outsiders was “villain protagonist.”

Many traditionalists believed that a villain could not become an Award-Winning Actor, as it would set a bad value orientation, influence future development trends, and convey wrong values.

So, even though Xiao He’s acting skills clearly surpassed others in his current age group, and even many seniors, there were still many people unwilling to vote for him.

But now, Xiao He had bravely saved someone. Many people at the scene had witnessed this event firsthand, and it had sparked a huge wave of discussion online. At this point, Xiao He automatically occupied the moral high ground, leaving no room for criticism. Even if there were still stubborn traditionalists who didn’t favor Xiao He, it was not the right time to say Xiao He lacked the virtue for the position or that a villain couldn’t be an Award-Winning Actor.

It could be said that Xiao He’s acquisition of this award perfectly aligned with the right timing, geographical advantages, and human harmony.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep