Fifteen minutes later, Lin Xuan breathlessly ran over to open the door for Rong Xu. Outside, Rong Xu looked at Lin Xuan with a beaming smile. Upon seeing him, the smile on his lips widened, and he asked in an extremely gentle tone: “Couldn’t you let me in first and leave him outside alone?”

Lin Xuan let out a surprised “ah,” then he subconsciously looked up at the man standing behind the young man. 

Just then, Qin Cheng also lowered his eyes, casually glancing at him. The Chinese pop star immediately shivered and said in a trembling voice: “This… if I let you in, who would stop Crazy Qin… stop him outside? He’d tear down the door to get in.”

Rong Xu was slightly surprised, seemingly not expecting Lin Xuan’s mind to be so sharp and his reaction so quick today.

After opening the door, Rong Xu brought his clingy “family member” inside.

The house was now clean, and apart from various foods and drinks, everyone in the Crazy Qin group was obediently sitting on the sofa, watching a ball game. Upon seeing Rong Xu, Wen Xuan and the other three turned around and smiled, waving: “Hi, long time no see, Rongrong, Qin Cheng, welcome to our party.”

Their smiles were so sincere, and their gazes so earnest, that Rong Xu almost thought they had truly been watching the game seriously.

Among everyone present, Chu Qi had the worst acting skills; even Lin Xuan’s acting had been praised by Director Xu. Other than that, everyone else had won Triple Gold awards for Best Actor/Actress. When they performed in unison, anyone would think they were genuinely welcoming Qin Cheng.

Since he’s here, make him feel at home.

This saying wasn’t for Qin Cheng; it was for the members of the Qin Fengfeng group.

Since Qin Cheng was here, how could they possibly kick him out? Besides, in their group, except for Rong Xu, probably no one could drive this man away. So, for the rest of the time, Rong Xu experienced a remarkably peaceful group gathering for the first time.

In previous gatherings, even if they said just one sentence, they had to complain about Qin Cheng. But this time, everyone was all smiles and harmony, welcoming Qin Cheng’s participation with the most sincere smiles.

As if oblivious to the unusual behavior of these award-winning actors and actresses, Qin Cheng raised a glass of champagne and calmly said: “You’re really welcoming me to your group?”

Wen Xuan’s mouth twitched, and she quickly smiled: “Of course, Qin, you are very welcome to join our Qin Feng… no, our Friendship Group. Our group only talks about feelings, not money. Everyone gets along well, bottoms up. Come on, come on, drink… uh, wine… I’ll drink! I’ll drink!” Saying so, under the man’s meaningful gaze, the Best Actress awkwardly chugged the champagne.

Wen Xuan: QAQ Is she bitter? She’s bitter inside!

Everyone ate, drank, and chatted for a while, talking about their recent schedules and some gossip they knew. As they talked, they naturally brought up the recently concluded Academy Awards ceremony.

 Towards the end, Rong Xu looked at the group members’ resentful expressions, sighed softly, put down his wine glass, and turned to James, saying: “Just chatting is boring. Let’s play finger-guessing. James, do you have any whiskey at home? I feel like having whiskey.”

James immediately nodded: “I do, but isn’t whiskey too strong?”

Lin Xuan also said: “Using whiskey for finger-guessing, wouldn’t that be a bit much?”

Qin Cheng, however, frowned: “Aren’t you allergic to whiskey?”

As soon as these words fell, everyone looked at Rong Xu in surprise. The latter smiled calmly and retorted: “But I want to use whiskey for finger-guessing.”

Qin Cheng pursed his lips: “You’ll have an allergic reaction.”

Rong Xu thought for a moment, then nodded slightly: “That makes sense. Then how about… I play finger-guessing, and you drink?”

Qin Cheng: “…”

Crazy Qin Group members: “!!!”

Without another word, James stood up and left: “I’ll get the drinks! I have several bottles of whiskey at home, all given to me when I filmed in Russia last year. I’ll be right back, you guys play first, I’ll be right back!”

Lin Xuan also stood up: “James, wait, you can’t carry that many bottles. I’ll help you!”

Now even the deliberately mischievous Rong Xu was stunned: “…” How many bottles are they planning to bring?!

A few years ago, Rong Xu had said he stood with the group members. Today, he was sweet-talked and reluctantly forced by a certain man to bring him along, so helping his friends prank Qin Cheng a little was fine. 

However, Rong Xu never expected that he alone was no match for seven group members. A certain man could only resignedly drink glass after glass.

In the end, everyone was drunkenly disheveled.

Xia Muyan was better off; she didn’t like drinking much, so she was responsible for settling everyone into James’s guest rooms. Among them, Wen Xuan was the most troublesome. 

While others would pass out as soon as they got drunk, Wen Xuan actually went wild while drunk, pulling Best Actress Xia for several kisses and even trying to grope her.

Finally, only Rong Xu and Qin Cheng remained.

After Xia Muyan saw Wen Xuan into the bedroom and confirmed she was asleep, she went downstairs to the living room. 

Although Rong Xu hadn’t had whiskey, he had drunk quite a bit, and she needed to escort these two into a guest room as well. 

However, the moment Xia Muyan stepped downstairs, she heard a series of ambiguous sounds coming from the living room.

Her steps slowly halted, and a trace of helplessness and embarrassment flashed in her light apricot eyes. A minute later, Xia Muyan couldn’t resist and quietly walked into the living room, only to see a tall, handsome man pressing a beautiful young man onto the sofa, kissing him wantonly and wildly.

The two kissed passionately, Rong Xu holding Qin Cheng tightly, and Qin Cheng pressing down on him fiercely. 

During the kisses, there were shy, lewd smacking sounds, and Qin Cheng’s hand had quietly slipped under the young man’s shirt, only to be stopped by Rong Xu.

“Mm… to the guest room…”

Rong Xu, who hadn’t had whiskey, still maintained some sobriety. He saw Qin Cheng’s dissatisfied expression, wrapped his arms around the other’s neck, and leaned in for a soft kiss. Only then did the man’s expression improve slightly. 

But Qin Cheng was so drunk he only wanted to keep kissing his beloved, to take off the other’s clothes. So, at Rong Xu’s strong insistence, he had to pick up his beloved horizontally, slowly walk towards the guest room, while wildly and wantonly kissing the tempting lips, unwilling to let go for even a second.

Finally, they entered the only guest room on the first floor and firmly shut the door. The sound was well insulated, but what was happening inside was easily imagined.

Xia Muyan hid by the cabinet, her gaze calmly fixed on the distant door. After a long time, she raised her hand to cover her face, giving a bitter smile and a soft sigh, finally completely letting go of the unrequited crush from years ago that had ended without a trace.

Someone like Qin Cheng would never fall in love with anyone else in this life.

That statement was wrong. It was only because that “anyone else” wasn’t Rong Xu that he wouldn’t fall in love, perhaps.

Thereafter, the Qin Fengfeng group officially gained another member. Although this member was never added to the discussion group by other members, he began to occasionally join the group’s gatherings, making the other group members want to cry but forcing them to swallow their frustration.

By April, the annual Golden Phoenix Awards officially arrived.

2048 was the year of “The Zeroth Law,” the year this classic film was hailed as a masterpiece.

At the Golden Phoenix Awards, “The Zero Law” continued to win twelve awards. This time, Sr. Holt finally won Best Director, and Best Picture was still “The Zeroth Law.” However, there was no dual Best Actor incident at the Golden Phoenix Awards; the ceremony only announced Rong Xu’s name, and this young Chinese actor finally received his first Golden Phoenix Award for Best Actor in his life.

For all fans following entertainment news, they suddenly realized a question at this moment—

Rong Xu had already won Best Actor at both the Oscars and the Golden Phoenix Awards in the same year.

It is well-known that the American Academy Awards, the Chinese Golden Phoenix Awards, and the Berlin Golden Bear Awards are the three major “Triple Gold” awards in the film industry. Since these three awards were established, they have a history of over a hundred years. However, no actor has ever managed to win all three major awards in the same year.

Whether it was Best Actor/Actress, or Best Supporting Actor/Actress, no one had ever achieved a “Triple Gold Grand Slam” in a single year.

The actor who came closest to the Triple Gold Grand Slam before was Qin Cheng. That year, Qin Cheng won Best Actor at the Oscars and the Golden Phoenix Awards for his film “Twilight Sound,” but he did not win Best Actor at Berlin. That awards ceremony became a regret in the hearts of many movie fans, because they didn’t know how many years it would take for such a superstar, so close to a Triple Gold Grand Slam, to appear again.

But now, another Rong Xu had emerged.

Best Actor at the Oscars and Best Actor at the Golden Phoenix Awards were already in his hands. Could he win Best Actor at Berlin, becoming the only Triple Gold Grand Slam winner in history and officially achieving legendary status? This question garnered the attention of film enthusiasts worldwide.

Huge anticipation brings huge pressure.

After filming wrapped on his new movie, Rong Xu began preparing for his global concert tour in the second half of the year. This was his first solo concert, and perhaps his last. He had to be meticulously prepared, with no room for error.

When interviewed by reporters, Rong Xu was often asked about his thoughts on the Triple Gold Grand Slam. Facing such questions, he always smiled calmly and said: “I will work hard, but we Chinese have an old saying, ‘Do your best, and leave the rest to fate.’ Regardless, I will do my absolute best and continue to work hard in the future.”

In June, Rong Xu held the first show of his global concert tour in S City, Huaxia . The 30,000-seat stadium was completely sold out! All 30,000 fans sat in the audience, excitedly waving their silver glow sticks. Despite it being his first concert, Rong Xu showed no fear.

His voice was perfect, his stage presence powerful.

A true star is indeed very different from ordinary people. Perhaps many internet celebrities now, after plastic surgery and Photoshop, don’t look worse than celebrities in photos. Some internet celebrities are even naturally good-looking enough to become stars. But ultimately, they are not stars. When they stand next to true stars, their aura is significantly inferior, never matching the latter.

A star, if not the brightest star, then what is a star?

However, even among singers, there are only a handful of kings and queens who can command a live audience of 30,000. Rong Xu wasn’t particularly good at dancing, but he could still perfectly drive the concert atmosphere. Catchy songs led to 30,000 people singing along in unison multiple times, their voices resounding through the sky.

For this premiere, Rong Xu invited Chu Qi, Lin Xuan, and American sweetie pop star Kris Bleyman to guest. The Rong Yan Concert S City stop, at the end of June, concluded amidst the cheers of the audience.

Next up was the Berlin Film Festival and Golden Bear Awards ceremony in early July. Rong Xu directly scheduled his second concert in Berlin, the day before the Golden Bear Awards ceremony. The concert proceeded as planned, becoming the biggest news on the eve of the Golden Bear Awards.

At the Golden Bear Awards ceremony the next day, the host also brought up Rong Xu’s concert. The British female host deliberately exaggerated: 

“Yesterday, my daughter attended the concert. After coming back in the middle of the night, she sang loudly, singing all night long. Today, my makeup artist had to apply three layers of powder just to cover my dark circles. Regarding this, Rong, do you have anything to say to me?”

Rong Xu in the audience blinked innocently, causing a burst of laughter.

The awards ceremony continued. Rong Xu’s fans worldwide anxiously awaited the announcement of the Best Actor award, but they didn’t know that the person in question was calmly watching the show, enthusiastically applauding the winners.

“Not nervous?” A deep, magnetic male voice sounded from beside him.

Rong Xu turned to look at Qin Cheng, his lips curving: “Why should I be nervous?”

Completely unexpected by the young man’s answer, Qin Cheng said: “Then why aren’t you nervous?”

Rong Xu smiled softly: “My goal is to win one award a year. That’s my goal, because no one in the entertainment industry can guarantee they’ll win an award every year. Sister Xuan can’t, James can’t, Asato can’t, and you can’t either. But I’ve already won two awards this year, so I’m content.”

Contentment brings happiness. This phrase is easy to say but incredibly difficult to achieve.

Gazing at his beloved’s gentle and calm smile, Qin Cheng watched quietly for a moment, then secretly hooked his fingers with the other’s hand beneath. He held the small hand contentedly and said in a steady tone, “If you get it, you’ll surpass me. At least I’ve never achieved the Triple Gold Grand Slam.”

Rong Xu chuckled, “Getting a Grand Slam means surpassing you? First, tell me, what’s in it for me? There’s no reward.”

“Get it, and we’ll go public.”

The smile on his lips suddenly froze. Rong Xu fell silent for a moment, then asked, “What did you just say?”

Qin Cheng turned his head and looked at him intently: “Get it, and we’ll go public. Xiao Xu… do you dare to take this gamble?”

His clear eyes trembled slightly. Rong Xu opened his lips, seemingly wanting to say something, but when he was about to speak, not a single word came out. The two quietly stared at each other like this, neither speaking first, as if unable to break the silence. Until suddenly, a loud voice boomed from the speakers—

“Rong Xu! ‘The Zero Law’!”

Rong Xu suddenly turned to look at the stage, only to see Old Liu standing there, smiling and waving the envelope in his hand towards him.

Inside the venue, applause roared; they had witnessed the birth of the world’s first Triple Gold Grand Slam. Online, fans were already celebrating excitedly: Rong Xu won the Berlin Best Actor, he won the Berlin Best Actor! The only Triple Gold Grand Slam in the world, he truly shattered entertainment industry records!

By the time Rong Xu came to his senses, he was already on stage, accepting the award.

The applause gradually subsided. Scanning the surroundings, Rong Xu slowly tightened his grip on the trophy. His gaze suddenly met the man’s, but the next moment, as if unable to bear such an intense stare, he suddenly looked away.

Qin Cheng was suddenly stunned. He pursed his lips, closed his eyes, and began to listen to his beloved’s acceptance speech.

Initially, it was still the most clichéd thank-you speech, thanking investors, producers, crew members, and also him. Then, he began to speak about the deeper meaning of “The Zeroth Law,” stating that the film aimed to call on people to focus on emotions and not gradually neglect the deep-seated communication and interaction within human hearts due to high technology.

After saying this, Rong Xu’s voice paused for a moment, then finally slowly resonated: “Lastly, I also want to say that whether in the past, present, or future, I will always want to film more works, try more roles and lives. Cinema, never stops; human emotions should not be sealed away by indifference…”

“Thank you!”

Amidst the fervent applause, the fingers tightly gripping the armrest of the chair instantly relaxed. Qin Cheng slowly let out a breath, opened his eyes, and looked at the young man descending from the stage. He watched Rong Xu walk step by step to his side, reach out a finger and hook his palm, a apologetic voice softly ringing out: “It was too sudden… I wasn’t ready…”

Qin Cheng said in a low, gentle voice: “It’s okay, next time.”

Rong Xu nodded: “Mm…”

The awards ceremony officially ended. Berlin’s nightscape was like a dream. Looking at the Brandenburg Gate in the distance, the newly crowned Best Actor, the Triple Gold Grand Slam winner, raised his head and kissed his lover’s lips, seemingly with a hint of helplessness and apology.

The gamble at the awards ceremony seemed to have never happened, and Qin Cheng didn’t show much disappointment. 

At the peak of their intimacy, he gently kissed the physiological tears that spilled from his beloved’s eyes, and finally, embracing the deeply sleeping Rong Xu, he leaned into his ear, nipping at his soft earlobe, and softly sighed: 

“I finally understand why they say people in love are blind. Xiao Xu… whatever you do, I’ll be happy, and I’ll never be angry with you, okay?”

His answer was a mumble from Rong Xu as his earlobe was bitten, followed by a snuggle in his arms.

To truly fall in love with someone is to be in a losing position from the start, never to recover.

The two had been together for almost five years, always hidden in the shadows, never making their relationship public. Even in recent years, many people would jokingly say, “I wouldn’t be surprised if Qin Cheng and Rong Xu got married someday,” but what they truly thought deep down was probably that they never imagined these two would actually be in a romantic relationship.

Qin Cheng also understood that Rong Xu was still young, only twenty-four years old. In the past, he had a significant period of career growth, so delaying the public announcement of their relationship was understandable. 

But now, his young man had achieved the Triple Gold Grand Slam, an accomplishment that even completely surpassed his own, yet in the end… Rong Xu still couldn’t say it.

Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, Qin Cheng hugged his beloved tighter, no longer overthinking, and slowly drifted off to sleep.