From unemployment in crosstalk to top star in Chinese entertainment

Then, Yu Liang felt as if someone had a handle on him.

This reminded him that Gao Qisheng, the character he played, was a fishmonger, while Zhang Yuqi played a fisherman in "The Mermaid."

Besides "The men who want to date me are lining up all the way to France," another classic line is, "I'm going to beat her up right now and make her fish head soup!"

Yu Liang looked down at his crotch.

If Sister Yuqi keeps playing like this, she might really end up drinking fish head soup.

"Alright, Yu Liang, stop pressing," Wang Churan said.

She was afraid that Sister Yuqi might suddenly wake up and see them.

"Thank you, I feel much better now."

After hearing Wang Churan's words, Zhang Yuqi quietly withdrew her hand.

Yu Liang took a deep breath. "Oh, okay."

He then turned around and, taking advantage of Wang Churan's inattention, gave Zhang Yuqi's curves a hard squeeze.

I don't need to charge any interest.

Zhang Yuqi closed her eyes and silently uttered the 3C certification.

"I need to use the restroom," Wang Churan said, getting up and then standing up while holding onto the edge of the bed.

Yu Liang shuddered in fright.

"Don't disturb Sister Yuqi, let her sleep a little longer," Wang Churan instructed.

Yu Liang nodded.

"Why don't you get up too?" Wang Churan felt that it wasn't right for Yu Liang to stay in bed.

"Okay, sure."

Then Wang Churan slowly walked towards the restroom.

"Let me help you a bit," Yu Liang said, getting up and quickly walking forward when he saw that she had difficulty moving.

"Okay, sure."

Wang Churan's ears turned red, simply because she thought of the scene of Yu Liang rubbing her stomach earlier, and that this guy's hands were not well-behaved, almost touching the upper part several times.

"I'll be waiting for you at the door. Let me know when you're done."

"Okay, sure."

Wang Churan closed the door.

This hotel is different from the one in Hengdian; it doesn't have glass, and the bathroom is separated by a wall. Yu Liang can't see what's happening inside. Similarly, Wang Churan can't see Yu Liang.

Yu Liang knew that Zhang Yuqi had already woken up.

To get revenge on Zhang Yuqi for taking advantage of him earlier, he tiptoed to Zhang Yuqi's bedside to avoid being discovered by Wang Churan.

He jabbed at Zhang Yuqi again, who was pretending to be asleep.

Zhang Yuqi opened her eyes, and before she could speak again, Yu Liang casually picked up a steamed bun and stuffed it into her mouth.

Zhang Yuqi's eyes widened.

No, this guy probably has some kind of weird fetish!

Wang Churan heard the noise inside. "What's wrong? Yu Liang?"

Just then, the sound of a toilet flushing came from inside, and Wang Churan came out.

"Come on, let me help you." Yu Liang quickly stepped forward.

"I think I heard Sister Yuqi wake up."

Yu Liang nodded. "Yes, Sister Yuqi was saying she was hungry as soon as she woke up. She's eating steamed buns right now."

At this moment, Zhang Yuqi also sat up and glared at Yu Liang while Wang Churan wasn't paying attention.

"Sister Yuqi, are the steamed buns delicious? Yu Liang just bought them," Wang Churan said to Zhang Yuqi.

Zhang Yuqi straightened her clothes and said, "Mmm, delicious." Then she put on her shoes.

She couldn't help but curse Yu Liang in her heart, "Damn it, he hit me so hard, now both of my breasts hurt."

"Alright, I still have scenes to film later. Since you don't have anything else to do, I'll head back now." Yu Liang glanced at the time. Now that both girls were awake, he wouldn't gain anything by staying here any longer, so it was better to leave decisively.

A few days later, the release date of "Reboot: The Lost Tomb" was officially announced ahead of schedule.

On its premiere day, it received a score of 8.6 on Douban and was broadcast on both Tencent Video and iQiyi. Within 10 hours, its popularity on Tencent Video exceeded 1000, and within 24 hours, it exceeded 9624, topping the popularity charts on both platforms.

The barrage of comments flooded in:

[Damn it, Yu Liang has another new drama airing, and my wife isn't sleeping with me properly again.]

Wasn't this guy the most obedient before? Why won't he go sailing and work on a ship?

[Upstairs, you're even suggesting he go into the sex industry? If he goes, your wife will follow him in too!]

[Yu Liang's acting skills are getting better and better. I'm reporting him for cheating. I insist on a urine test.]

[Zhu Yilong is doing well; he's even able to film a TV series with Yu Liang.]

[The upstairs neighbor's reversed Heavenly Gang]

Some even commented on Weibo's trending topics that Yu Liang is the best actor and the most handsome actor to portray Zhang Qiling.

However, this entry was quickly overshadowed by a trending search term: "Outstanding Young Actor of the May Fourth Movement, Yang Yang".

Zhu Yilong watched the barrage of comments on the show's screen, all praising "Little Brother," and knew the outcome was as he had predicted. If nothing unexpected happened, Yu Liang would be promoted to a higher level this year.

Perhaps because he had spent so much time with Yu Liang, he had long considered Yu Liang a friend and was happy for him. So, he, who rarely took the initiative to contact others, unusually picked up his phone and sent Yu Liang a WeChat message.

"Yu Liang, are you going to the Shanghai Quality Awards this year?"

Yu Liang, who had just finished work, was stunned. He didn't expect that the taciturn Brother Long would take the initiative to send him a message.

Yu Liang knew about the Shanghai Quality Ceremony.

The annual TV drama awards ceremony, based in Shanghai, is held first every March and is the first major awards ceremony in the film and television industry throughout the year.

Being invited means officially entering the mainstream of television dramas; winning an award means firmly establishing oneself as a powerful actor.

"It's been a long time since we last contacted each other, Brother Long," Yu Liang replied to the message.

A short while later, Zhou Jiajia also sent a message to Yu Liang.

Yu Liang clicked on it and found that the content was also related to the Quality Ceremony.

"Yu Liang, remember to attend the Shanghai Quality Awards next week."

Subsequently, Zhou Jiajia forwarded an official invitation from the TV Drama Quality Ceremony to Yu Liang via email.

Yu Liang glanced at the list and saw that he had been nominated for the Annual Quality Newcomer Award and the Best Supporting Actor Award for his role as Teng Zijing in "Joy of Life".

As for why it wasn't nominated for "Reboot: The Lost Tomb," it's because "Reboot" is a web series and wasn't broadcast on any satellite TV channels, so it couldn't be used to participate in the selection.

He glanced at the final signature; the main creative team was Shanghai Broadcasting and Television Station and the Shanghai JA District Government.

"Go, are you going to see Brother Yaolong?" Yu Liang asked again after seeing that Zhu Yilong had replied to his message.

Similarly, Yu Liang also sent a message to Guo Qilin.

"Go ahead, bro, I got an invitation too," Guo Qilin replied. Like Yu Liang, Guo Qilin was also nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Fan Sizhe in "Joy of Life".

Then, Yu Liang glanced at Wang Churan, who was not far away.

"Are you going to the Shanghai Quality Awards?" Yu Liang asked Wang Churan.

Wang Churan nodded.

"Okay, let's do it together." Yu Liang smiled slightly.

He suddenly remembered what Li Xiaoran had said to him before.

A woman's life is a process controlled by hormones.

Each month has four phases: a week of madness, a week of annoyance, a week of desire, and a week of pain.

He calculated the dates, and by the time the Quality Ceremony would be held, Wang Churan would be...

To Yu Liang's surprise, Zhang Yuqi, Long Ni, Lin Jiachuan, and Zhang Songwen were not among those invited.

Yu Liang later learned that the Quality Ceremony was evaluating the previous year's satellite TV dramas.

Zhu Yilong was invited to the Quality Ceremony because of the TV series "The Story of Minglan".

Yu Liang remembers that in his previous life, Zhu Yilong was nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the Magnolia Awards for his role as the second male lead in this drama.

As for why Zhu Yilong, a top star, played a supporting role, it's because both "Guardian" and "The Story of Ming Lan" were filmed in 2017, and he only became a rising star after "Guardian" became a hit in 2018.

Of course, his time as a top-tier celebrity was not long. Two years later, seeking a breakthrough, he began to try to transform into a serious actor.

Later, in 2022 and 2024, he won the Golden Rooster Award and the Hundred Flowers Award for Best Actor respectively for his role as Mo Sanmei in "Life's Big Events".

"Yu Liang, are you going to the Quality Awards?" Zhang Yi walked over and overheard.

"Yes, Zhang Yi." Yu Liang turned his head. "What, you're going too?"

"Yes." Zhang Yi nodded.

As far as he knows, Zhang Yi mainly participated in the filming of "Operation Red Sea" directed by Lin Chaoxian last year, so he did not have any TV series released.

Zhang Yi smiled faintly: "I was invited to be an award presenter."

Yu Liang suddenly realized that Zhang Yi was already a double winner of the Magnolia Award and the Golden Eagle Award for Best Actor.

"Zhang Yi, Versailles, right?"

-

One week later, in Shanghai.

The event was a lively and bustling affair.

At the entrance to the red carpet, celebrities from all walks of life filed in.

The photography areas on both sides were packed with cameras and microphones, and the sound of shutters clicking was constant.

The red carpet event started at 1 p.m., with celebrities arriving, waiting, getting their makeup done, and the media taking their places.

At 2:30, the red carpet event officially began.

The newcomers and supporting actors left first.

For example, Bai Lu, who was still a relatively new actress at the time, and Li Naiwen and Liu Yijun, who had played supporting roles for many years, were among them.

Next came the lead actors, A-list celebrities, and representatives from the drama's publicity team.

For example, Wu Chun and Zhang Tianai from the cast of "Martial Universe", and Tong Yao and Dong Zijian from the cast of "Like a Flowing River".

The order of the red carpet at the Quality Awards Ceremony is: small to large, group to individual, popular and middle-aged stars first, then established veterans, and finally top stars, leading actresses, and TV Kings and Queens as the grand finale.

The order of appearance is a comprehensive ranking based on star power, achievements, popularity, and relationship with the organizer.

The waiting area was filled with celebrities.

Zhang Ruoyun, Li Qin, Xin Zhilei, Guo Qilin, and other key members of the cast and crew of "Joy of Life" gathered together.

Soon after, the host announced the names of Wu Jinyan's "Story of Yanxi Palace" cast, and it looked like it was almost their turn.

Zhang Ruoyun and Guo Qilin both looked towards the entrance.

"Dalin, where's Yu Liang? Why hasn't he arrived yet?"

Zhang Ruoyun asked Guo Qilin.

Guo Qilin shook his head. "I don't know."

Then, Yu Liang's assistant, Xiao Zheng, ran over and said, "Teacher Yu Liang said that you can go first, as he and Teacher Zhang Yi will be the final performers."

"What?" Zhang Ruoyun and Guo Qilin were shocked.

"No, he just abandoned us like that?"

Li Qin and Wang Churan, who were standing nearby, all laughed.

"He's really something, managing to latch onto Zhang Yi's coattails."

At this time, Zhang Yi won two Best Actor awards and a nomination for Outstanding Actor at the Feitian Awards for his role in "Chicken Feathers Flying to the Sky".

The Quality Ceremony is a bellwether for the Magnolia Awards, so Zhang Yi, who is currently enjoying great popularity, was naturally the final figure on the red carpet at this awards ceremony.

At the Quality Awards Ceremony, in addition to TV dramas that have already been broadcast on satellite TV, some TV dramas that are about to be broadcast will also be invited to walk the red carpet as a promotional team.

Therefore, Zhang Yi bringing Yu Liang to the final performance was entirely in accordance with the organizer's rules.

A short while later, the host, Si Wenjia, appeared in a burgundy short evening gown, her voice clear and loud.

"The crew of 'Joy of Life' is coming up next," she introduced, holding up her cue cards.

The host then guided the "Joy of Life" cast to stand in the media area, smiling as he asked, "Ms. Ruoyun, the first season of 'Joy of Life' has just finished airing, and viewers are eagerly awaiting the second season. Could you give us a sneak peek at the progress?"

Zhang Ruoyun took the microphone, chatted briefly about the recent filming, and when asked by the host about his figure management, he was quite frank:

"Actually, I've been on a diet recently. I can't help it, my good friend Yu Liang made me look a bit plain in the first season."

"In order to get rid of the title of 'country bumpkin from Danzhou,' I have to do some exercise."

He paused, then added, "Now that Fan Xian has entered the city, he should also cultivate a certain air of refinement."

The media and fans at the scene all laughed.

Host Si Wenjia chuckled and chimed in, "Speaking of Yu Liang, I personally really like his portrayal of Teng Zijing. Why isn't he walking with you today?"

Zhang Ruoyun and Guo Qilin exchanged a glance and then shrugged.

"Him," Guo Qilin said quietly, "got on Zhang Yi's good side and went to be the finale."

Another burst of laughter erupted from the audience.

As the red carpet ceremony progressed into its later stages, the atmosphere in the waiting area gradually became tense.

Yu Liang and Zhang Yi stood side by side in the shadows of the entrance passage. From this angle, they could see wave after wave of celebrities walking down the red carpet.

The leading actors of hit dramas, top-tier celebrities, and leading actresses.

The flashes were constantly going off.

Deng Lun and Yang Zi had just walked past when Dilireba and Yang Mi were standing in the media area being interviewed. Zhu Yilong followed behind Luo Jin and Tang Yan, his steps steady, his profile illuminated by the flashing lights.

Zhang Yi turned his head and glanced at Yu Liang.

Are you nervous?

Yu Liang didn't try to be brave. He looked at the dense crowd and cameras surrounding the red carpet and took a deep breath: "A little."

Zhang Yi smiled and said in a nonchalant tone, "Don't worry, most of these people are here to see Hu Ge."

Yu Liang was taken aback for a moment, then gave a wry smile. Zhang Yi's words were too blunt—meaning don't overthink it, it has little to do with you.

A soft laugh came from behind.

Hu Ge walked up from behind and playfully punched Zhang Yi. The two, who were about to collaborate on "The Climbers," had already met before and were quite familiar with each other.

Yu Liang subconsciously took a half step to the side.

Before this, the waiting area was packed with people. Hu Ge was always surrounded by a circle of artists who came up to greet him, while Yu Liang just watched from afar.

At that time, he was standing behind Zhang Yi. Hu Ge's gaze swept over him as if it were any other staff member present.

The crowd has dispersed. The staff has cleared the waiting area, leaving only the last three groups of final guests.

The surroundings suddenly fell silent, with only the faint sound of camera shutters clicking on the red carpet in the distance.

Hu Ge then truly noticed the young man standing next to Zhang Yi.