Huayu Entertainment: The Birth of a Succubus Top Star

Zhong Yating humbly sought guidance, and Gu Zhiyan naturally explained patiently.

Gu Zhiyan helped her break down the details: "Fang Lei's seduction never relies on exposing skin or physical contact, but on the battle of eyes. When you lie on the sofa looking up at me, don't just try to please me. You should hide resentment, jealousy, and the wishful thinking that he will waver in his heart in your eyes."

All your probing is an attack disguised as vulnerability; even if rejected, you must not panic.

Gu Zhiyan reached out and gently gestured to her shoulder line posture: "The looseness of the sundress means you don't need to deliberately puff out your chest. Relax your shoulders and neck, and lower your chin slightly. The broken beauty you see when looking up is more lethal than deliberate coquetry. Shen Haoming's aloofness is a calmness from top to bottom. You should approach him with an almost humble approach to create a strong contrast."

Following Gu Zhiyan's instructions, Zhong Yating repeatedly adjusted her demeanor, lying down, raising her eyes, and reciting her lines. The two of them looked at each other closely and whispered to each other, creating a tender and subtle atmosphere.

Zhong Yating sometimes gets too immersed in her role, her eyelashes tremble slightly, her lips purse slightly, and her eyes mist up with tears. The image of her obsessive and infatuated love in the play is already beginning to take shape.

After several rehearsals, Zhong Yating suddenly understood and looked at Gu Zhiyan with admiration: "Brother Xiaoyan, no wonder your character has such a rich sense of depth, even considering such subtle physical emotions."

Gu Zhiyan smiled faintly and reminded him, "When we're filming tomorrow, don't be reserved. Just let go of the state you've just worked on. This shot will become your highlight moment in the whole series."

"Brother Xiaoyan, I'm still not sure. Can you act it out with me again?" Zhong Yating quickly said.

She hadn't even gotten to her main task yet; the rehearsal couldn't end just like that.

Gu Zhiyan nodded and said, "Alright, I'll go with you one more time."

The rehearsal continues.

Zhong Yating reclined on the sofa, her gaze lingering on Gu Zhiyan, her eyes sparkling with a mixture of innocence and desire: "I know you think I'm willful, but I'm just too scared. Haoming, Xu Yan can have your marriage, your family background, but all of these should have been mine, shouldn't they?"

Gu Zhiyan frowned slightly, took a step back, and said in a cold and restrained tone, "Fang Lei, wake up, it's all over between us a long time ago."

Upon hearing this, Zhong Yating turned slightly to the side, her collarbone faintly visible, and lowered her voice, carrying a seductive air of feigned weakness: "What if I don't want it to end?"

As soon as she finished speaking, she suddenly straightened up and reached out to hug Gu Zhiyan's neck.

Gu Zhiyan was caught off guard and was pulled down by the sudden force.

This is different from the script!

However, a qualified actor must be able to handle the improvisations of his co-stars and respond well.

In the play, Fang Lei did not succeed.

Off-screen, she got what she wanted.

……

The next day, during the filming of this scene, Zhong Yating perfectly portrayed Fang Lei's crazy obsession with doing something she knew was impossible, and nailed it in one take.

Even the director praised her highly, saying she acted so well!

The afternoon sun was blazing at the film and television base. The crew of "Give Me Your Dazzling Light" had just finished filming a three-hour indoor scene. The staff quickly adjusted the lighting and camera positions, while the actors took a break.

A low-key black van slowly pulled up outside the film set, and Liu Yifei, dressed in a simple light apricot casual suit, stepped out of the car.

The news spread quickly, and many staff members and young actors on set secretly glanced at it.

Chung Yating, holding the script, saw the person approaching from afar, her eyes filled with surprise.

This is a fairy-like beauty!

Gu Zhiyan was sitting on a lounge chair reading a script when she saw the immortal approaching. She stood up and greeted him with a smile.

The fairy sister had told him before she came that the Magnolia Awards ceremony was about to be held, and she planned to stay for a few more days this time so that she could travel to Shanghai with Gu Zhiyan to attend the ceremony.

Da Tiantian quickly stepped forward, smiling as she hugged the fairy sister. The two sisters walked to a quiet rest area on the set and sat down on a sofa. Gu Zhiyan also followed with Zhong Yating.

As a new family member, Zhong Yating naturally had to meet and get to know her sisters.

The fairy sister was very warm towards her friend Zhong Yating, holding her hand and asking her how she was doing.

Da Tiantian then started talking about how hard Zhong Yating was studying and how she planned to take the Tsinghua University postgraduate entrance exam, which made the fairy sister exclaim in surprise. She then showered Zhong Yating with praise until she blushed.

After a brief chat, the topic naturally turned to the upcoming 30th Shanghai TV Festival Magnolia Awards.

Da Tiantian spoke first, her tone tinged with emotion: "The Magnolia Awards ceremony is just a few days away. This year's Best Actress competition is truly a battle of the gods. You were nominated for Huang Yimei in 'The Story of Rose,' and it's all over the internet. Many viewers consider you a top contender."

The fairy-like woman picked up a bottle of mineral water and took a sip, her expression calm and composed, showing none of the tension that the outside world portrayed: "I'm already very satisfied with just getting a nomination."

"Haha, that's just polite talk," the fairy sister laughed. "Of course I want to win the award, but the competition is too strong. Song Jia, Yan Ni, Ma Yili, and Yang Zi, each of them has submitted a very substantial work, so no one can predict the final result."

The competition for Best Actress at this year's Magnolia Awards was exceptionally fierce, widely regarded as a head-to-head clash between established middle-aged actors and popular young performers, making it one of the most intense competitions for the title of Best Actress in recent years.

Song Jia, Yan Ni, and Ma Yili have all won the Magnolia Award for Best Actress, demonstrating their strong abilities. Among them, Song Jia is considered one of the top contenders due to the positive reception of "When the Mountain Flowers Bloom" (9.6 rating) and her breakthrough role.

The "Fairy Sister" won several "precursor awards" for "The Story of Rose" and was one of the biggest favorites.

Yang Zi is the first actress born in the 90s to be nominated for Best Actress for two consecutive years. Coupled with the jury chairman's statement about "mentoring newcomers," the award results are full of suspense.

Gu Zhiyan listened quietly and slowly said, "The Magnolia Awards judges have their own system of judging criteria. Awards are inherently uncertain. Nominations are an affirmation of the industry, but one should not be bound by the final result. An actor's long-term success depends on one memorable role after another. Trophies are just icing on the cake."

The fairy sister nodded slightly, deeply agreeing: "You're absolutely right. Online public opinion always likes to bet on the outcome in advance. The higher the popularity, the more expectations and controversies will follow. I always remind myself to keep a calm mindset. Whether I win the award or not, it won't affect my continued dedication to acting."

Da Tian Tian joked with a smile, "No matter what the outcome, the Magnolia Awards red carpet will definitely be full of stars, and I'll go with you all then."

"Okay, okay, let's go together, sister and sister." The fairy sister smiled so hard her teeth showed.

Seeing Zhong Yating's eager expression, Da Tiantian asked, "Yating, do you want to go too?"

"Yes, Sister Tian Tian, ​​I want to go with you," Zhong Yating nodded, asking expectantly, "Is that okay?"

The fairy sister chimed in, "Why not? Let's go together. We can leave the leave request to little Yan."

"No problem," Gu Zhiyan said with a smile.

Asking for leave for Zhong Yating was a piece of cake for him.

Upon hearing this, Zhong Yating immediately beamed with joy.

………………

"Did the Magnolia Awards give you any hints?"

That evening, after a night of passion, Gu Zhiyan asked.

The fairy-like woman nestled in Gu Zhiyan's arms and said softly, "She contacted me to attend the banquet held the day before. She implied that, but you know she would never say it outright."

Gu Zhiyan shook his head: "Don't take these kinds of hints seriously."

The fairy sister from her past life was taken for a ride; the Magnolia Awards are just using her as a traffic generator.

Later, they even staged a "one-year anniversary of Liu Yifei's escape from the Magnolia Awards".

This time, since the Magnolia Awards have given a hint, let's confirm it!

Although Gu Zhiyan told the fairy sister not to take it seriously, he already had a plan to make it happen.

The screenwriters, directors, and actors on the judging panel for this year's TV drama category are all acquaintances, including Professor Shui Mu, a scholar whom Gu Zhiyan is also familiar with.

He's very familiar with the bigwigs in Shanghai's entertainment circle, so it's possible to pull some strings.

Of course, this can't be said so bluntly; it's best left unsaid.

Why can't the fairy sister receive this award?

Which award doesn't have behind-the-scenes manipulation?

Over the next few days, Gu Zhiyan contacted many people, and some of them were in the capital, so he met up with them for a meal.

Some people will only be seen again in Shanghai.

A few days later, Gu Zhiyan, Fairy Sister, Da Tiantian, and Zhong Yating traveled to Shanghai together.

After arriving in Shanghai, Gu Zhiyan met up with Da Mimi, Zhang Jingyi, and Bai Binghun. After a deep conversation, Gu Zhiyan went out to meet the people she had arranged to meet.

The fairy sister's award should be a sure thing, but as for Gu Zhiyan's own award, he didn't care much.

He's already won the Magnolia Award for Best Actor twice, so whether he wins this time or not doesn't matter much. It would be great if he could win, but it doesn't matter if he can't.

Gu Zhiyan's competitors this time are all formidable, including Jin Dong (Northwest Years), Yu Hewei (I Am a Criminal Police Officer), Wang Xiao (Ordinary People's Song), and Wang Baoqiang (Chess Player).

In the drama, Jin Dong transforms from a naive revolutionary into a builder. His performance not only received praise from CCTV, but his touching crying scenes and impassioned speech clips also quickly went viral online.

Although some viewers felt his lines were somewhat dramatic, the industry generally agreed that it marked a milestone in his transition from an elite persona to a historical drama.

Yu Hewei brilliantly portrayed a complex character who rises from a grassroots police officer to the head of a special task force, and his micro-expressions during interrogation scenes were hailed as "textbook-level".

However, although the formulaic plot of crime dramas has diminished the novelty of the characters, his unique "killer gaze" still created countless highlights for the series.

Wang Baoqiang focuses on realism, and his portrayal of a migrant worker chess player has sparked widespread social discussion. The clever use of Hebei dialect in his original voice also adds a lot of authenticity to the performance.

Although the niche nature of the Go theme limited the series' popularity, the high praise from professional Go players in the long review section on Douban proves its brilliance.

Wang Xiao vividly portrays the helplessness and struggle in life through the role of a middle-aged working person. In particular, the "subway collapse scene" resonated with many working people and was even hailed as the "2025 version of 'Dwelling Narrowness'".

However, the series is less competitive in terms of awards, as its influence is mainly limited to a specific circle and it lacks impactful classic scenes.

Comparing the past five Best Actor winners, it can be seen that most of the winners came from mainstream or historical dramas, such as "The Age of Awakening" and "Meritorious Service". From this point of view, Gu Zhiyan's biggest competitors are Jin Dong and Yu Hewei.

Gu Zhiyan delivered a textbook-level performance in "Joy of Life 2," achieving overwhelming popularity across the internet, and his role as Fan Xian resonated deeply with audiences.

The only drawback is that historically, very few dramas adapted from ancient costume IPs have won the Best Performance Award at the Magnolia Awards.

However, very few does not mean none, and as a currently popular actor in the Chinese entertainment industry, Gu Zhiyan has a very high probability of winning an award.

After the nomination list was officially announced, industry media and film critics generally regarded Gu Zhiyan and Yu Hewei as the biggest favorites to win the championship.

……

On the evening of June 27, the Lingang Performing Arts Center in Shanghai was brightly lit as the red carpet for the 30th Magnolia Awards 6th Anniversary Ceremony officially began.

Media and photographers gathered, and the main creators of each film crew walked the red carpet one by one. The live broadcast followed the whole process, and many scenes immediately went viral online.

Midway down the red carpet, Gu Zhiyan made a slow and steady entrance, wearing a dark gray, handmade custom-made suit without any elaborate jewelry embellishments, exuding a simple and composed demeanor.

This time, Gu Zhiyan gave the opportunity to be the grand finale to the "Fairy Sister." In fact, even without Gu Zhiyan, the grand finale of this event was originally arranged for the "Fairy Sister."

The sound of camera shutters filled the air as the red carpet host stepped forward for a brief interview, taking the opportunity to bring up the unprecedentedly fierce competition for Best Actor this year.

"This year's Best Actor competition is attracting a lot of attention, and the vast majority of viewers and film critics believe that you, Mr. Yu Hewei, are a strong contender. What are your thoughts on this competition?"

Gu Zhiyan smiled faintly and answered politely and with restraint: "Every nominated actor has put in their best efforts to create a character with unique strengths. Awards are inherently uncertain, and judges have independent evaluation criteria. More valuable than the final result is the recognition that the industry can see."

After walking through the interview area, Gu Zhiyan happened to run into Da Tiantian and Zhong Yaya, who had come together.

Da Tian Tian wore a creamy white fishtail dress, looking gentle and elegant; Zhong Yating wore a light apricot-colored gauze dress, her eyes sparkling. The camera captured the three chatting, and this candid photo quickly spread on social media.

Not far away, the cast and crew of "I Am a Criminal Investigator" made a collective appearance.

As one of the top contenders for Best Actor this year, Yu Hewei was immediately surrounded by reporters.

When pressed by reporters about his confidence in winning the trophy, Yu Hewei smiled calmly and said, "Being nominated is already a pleasant surprise. I take everything in stride."

Don't be fooled by his calm demeanor; he's actually completely numb. Every time he runs into Gu Zhiyan, he never gets any awards.

Damn, Gu Zhiyan is practically his nemesis.

Even before the awards ceremony started, he already had a bad feeling!

What a pity!