Volume One, Chapter 117: The Award Ceremony in Progress

As soon as those words were spoken, countless comments flooded the screen.

“Hahaha, this is hilarious! Jiang Yu must have completely forgotten about this guy.”

“What was I even expecting?”

“Hey upstairs, let me tell you, you were hoping Jiang Yu would get into a fight live on air!”

It wasn’t just the viewers watching the livestream who reacted this way.

Many people inside the venue also couldn’t help but laugh when they heard Jiang Yu’s answer.

Even Su Muyu covered her mouth to chuckle softly, while the exuberant Yang Weiwei slapped her thigh in amusement.

The host looked awkward. A friend had once told them Jiang Yu was a black hole during interviews—but nobody expected it to be this much of a black hole.

In a corner, a displeased face appeared, eyes blazing with anger.

“Jiang Yu!”

Wang Linkai ground his teeth and hissed out the name.

This host was from Star Entertainment. The reason for asking such a question was because Jiang Yu’s current fame was so high; they wanted Wang Linkai to ride on his popularity, but instead, he ended up with nothing!

Jiang Yu had even forgotten who he was!

The host looked at Jiang Yu’s expression, slightly bewildered. The puzzled look truly didn’t seem feigned.

They had prepared many answers and ways to respond, but never imagined the answer would be that Jiang Yu forgot the person entirely.

The host gave an embarrassed smile and could only say, “Thank you, Teacher Jiang Yu,” before turning to interview someone else.

After the host left, Zhou Muren and Yang Weiwei, sitting in the front row, couldn’t help but turn around and give Jiang Yu a thumbs-up.

Once his interview was over, Jiang Yu ran into a few acquaintances.

“Old Wang, you’re here too? And Old Liu, haha, I didn’t see you earlier!”

Wang Xianjun, chairman of the Music Association, and Secretary-General Liu Banshan approached with smiling faces.

“Hahaha, didn’t expect you, kid, to have so many nominations!” Wang Xianjun said with a grin.

Liu Banshan also smiled warmly: “I’m looking forward to presenting you with an award!”

Jiang Yu laughed heartily twice: “Just nominations so far. Whether I actually win is another story!”

“Who says? We’ve all listened to your songs. Though they’re sealed, I’m absolutely certain there’s an award in there for you!” Wang Xianjun confidently patted Jiang Yu’s shoulder.

“Then I’ll take your word for it, Old Wang. If I win, I’ll definitely buy you a drink.”

At that moment, all interviews concluded.

The host returned to the stage to take control of the proceedings.

“Oh, it’s starting!” Wang Xianjun said upon hearing the host, then looked at Jiang Yu. “Alright, kid, go back to your seat.”

“Got it!”

Jiang Yu nodded and returned to his seat.

“Not bad, little brother. You even know the president and secretary-general of the Chinese Music Association?” Yang Weiwei turned her head in surprise.

Jiang Yu had only debuted a few months ago but was already acquainted with such figures.

Jiang Yu grinned: “The song for the National Day military parade was a collaboration between me and the two elders.”

---

“You mean the ‘March of the Steel Torrent’?” Zhou Muren immediately asked upon hearing Jiang Yu.

Jiang Yu nodded.

Receiving confirmation, shock flashed in their eyes. They had already overrated Jiang Yu but still underestimated his abilities.

They had heard that song; its quality surpassed many so-called top composers in the market by a large margin.

“Brother, after this event, I definitely want to collaborate with you on a song!” Zhou Muren said immediately.

Jiang Yu smiled and nodded: “No problem at all, big brother. We’ll talk about it privately later!”

Seeing Jiang Yu’s agreement, Zhou Muren turned around satisfied and looked at the two hosts on stage.

These two hosts truly had some skill: humorous, witty, articulate, and kept the whole event under control perfectly. They must often host such gala activities.

Finally, it was time for the awards to be announced.

The first award: Best Newcomer.

Usually, the lightest awards were announced first, moving toward the highest honors later.

The host slowly read out the nominees for Best Newcomer.

Jiang Yu, Wang Linkai, and a few other newcomers.

Photos and performance clips of the nominees appeared on the big screen.

Among the newcomers, there weren’t many strong contenders. The most formidable were Jiang Yu and Wang Linkai, with no one else standing out beyond them.

Seeing the list, almost everyone assumed this award would go to Jiang Yu without question.

According to protocol, the winner’s name would be sealed and opened live by the presenting guest.

“The winner of this year’s Chinese Golden Melody Awards, Best Newcomer is…”

The experienced presenter paused before raising his voice.

“Wang Linkai! Congratulations!”

The camera immediately focused on Wang Linkai sitting in the back.

He looked ecstatic, embracing those beside him warmly, then walked excitedly to the stage amid background music.

Yet everyone present, including the celebrities, turned to look at Jiang Yu.

Before the announcement, everyone thought the newcomer award belonged to Jiang Yu.

The comment section exploded.

“What’s going on? Not Jiang Yu?”

“Heh, Wang Linkai? Who’s that? Some no-name?”

“I admit he has some talent, but come on, his opponent is Jiang Yu — one from heaven, the other from earth.”

Onstage, Wang Linkai accepted the trophy from the judges and delivered a passionate acceptance speech.

Next to Jiang Yu, Su Muyu gently held his hand. Jiang Yu, however, was unbothered, a slight smile playing at the corner of his mouth as he shook his head, signaling that he was fine.

Yang Weiwei and Zhou Muren, seated in front, also turned around.

“Jiang Yu…”

“Don’t worry, Brother Zhou, Sister Weiwei. I’m fine. Winning would be my fortune; losing, my fate. It’s no big deal. There are other awards yet.”

---

“That’s right, there are more awards to come!” Zhou Muren smiled. “Little Jiang, don’t panic. You’ll definitely win something this time.”

Next was the Best Music Video award. Jiang Yu hadn’t released any albums yet, so this award was naturally out of his reach.

It was awarded to Yang Weiwei.

Music played, and Yang Weiwei’s breakout music video appeared on the big screen.

She gave a slight smile and stepped onto the stage.

“I’m very happy to receive this award. Thanks to my fans for their support and the behind-the-scenes staff. Without them, I wouldn’t have won.”

After her speech, she walked off the stage.

Next came the Best Group award.

Sweet Candy, the girl group, was among the nominees.

Music played as several young women took the stage one by one, winking at the camera with perfect timing.

Admittedly, such teams, who danced well and wore revealing outfits, were extremely popular.

Especially those pairs of long, fair legs, forming a beautiful sight—a flame in the winter, making everyone feel warm inside.

They were all adults; let’s be honest, don’t tell me you truly like this group’s songs!

Onstage, Zhao Yiyi looked arrogantly at Jiang Yu.

“See? I won an award.”

However, she noticed that although Jiang Yu’s gaze was on the girl group, he wasn’t looking at their faces. His eyes were fixed elsewhere, which made her furious.

Even though I won, you can’t even give me a proper look?

Sweet Candy left the stage.

The awards ceremony then moved on to a weightier honor: Song of the Year.

Nominated were Jiang Yu’s “At the Crossroads Where the Phoenix Flowers Bloom,” Zhou Muren’s “Only You,” and a fresh-faced singer named Wu Hanhan’s “Big Bowl Dry Noodles.” The other two nominees were unknown to Jiang Yu.

Viewers in the livestream saw the nomination list.

“Wow, this group is like a battle among gods. I predict it’ll be either Zhou Muren or Jiang Yu!”

“Based solely on play counts, Zhou Muren still falls short of Jiang Yu. On music platforms, Jiang Yu’s song ranks first, far surpassing Zhou Muren’s second place. But considering other factors, it might be Zhou Muren.”

“As for ‘Big Bowl Dry Noodles,’ forget about it. Although it’s among the top played, everyone knows how those numbers came about.”

Because this award carried significant weight, Liu Banshan hosted the presentation.

When he tore open the exquisite card, surprise flickered in his eyes. He never expected this song to win the award.

But now was the moment of presentation, and Liu Banshan composed himself.

“The winner of the Song of the Year award is—‘Big Bowl Dry Noodles.’”

“Congratulations to Wu Hanhan.”