Chapter 152: Sister Zhi Ling and the Golden Melody Awards

May 8, Tai Sheng, Wan Bei.

The fifteenth Tai Sheng Golden Melody Awards were held.

On the day of the event, the entire venue was packed with people, a constellation of stars.

Before entering the venue, the guests first walked the red carpet.

That is, the Star Avenue of the Golden Melody Awards.

At this moment, both sides of the Star Avenue were lined with excited fans, and journalists stood among them with cameras and long lenses.

Camera flashes flickered continuously, capturing the state of every guest present.

At the far end of the roadside were parked several satellite broadcast vans, live-streaming the grand ceremony.

Four hosts were assigned to this Star Avenue segment.

They were Hei Ren, LINDA, JOHNNY, and Lin Zhiling.

Ou Han Sheng also arrived on-site immediately to bring behind-the-scenes highlights to viewers.

Whenever a guest appeared, they stood on stage to explain the guest's background to the audience and TV viewers.

Including their achievements, representative works, and nominated awards.

As time passed, more and more stars entered, including:

Wang Fei, Wang Li Hong, Zhou Dong, Cai Yi Lin, Luo Da You, Shu Qi, Chen Yixun, Mo Wen Wei, An Qi Xuan, Dongfang Shenqi, Xu Ruo Xuan…

Each dressed in formal attire, moving with grace, shining brilliantly under the flashlights.

Especially when Wang Fei appeared, the audience on both sides of the Star Avenue erupted.

Host JOHNNY exclaimed excitedly:

"Next, welcome Wang Fei!"

The venue burst into gasps as a luxury van pulled to a stop at the far end of the Star Avenue.

Wang Fei wore a sleek black evening gown and warmly waved to the crowds on both sides.

"Wow, Wang Fei~ Tonight she's nominated for five awards: Best Album Producer,

Best Composer Award, Best Lyricist Award, Best Annual Popular Music Vocal Album Award.

Including this year, it's her fifth nomination—will she finally take home the Best Mandarin Female Vocalist Award tonight…?"

By Wang Fei's side, holding the arm of a man in a black suit—her longtime composer, Zhang Yadong.

This was the first time Cheng Chen had seen him since the music incident for the film Big City, Small Love.

Now, with the superstar Wang Fei on his arm, Dongzi looked immensely proud, striding confidently down the red carpet.

The album he personally crafted for Wang Fei, "Jiang Ai," was also an absolute favorite to win at this year's Golden Melody Awards!

After Wang Fei entered, a few more stars followed, before Cheng Chen finally made his entrance.

The only person accompanying Cheng Chen this time was his driver and bodyguard, Shi Qiang.

His manager, Su Qingya, had been left behind on the Mainland to handle Xinghuo's affairs and assist Ning Hao in preparing for the filming of "Stone."

When Wang Tianxiao learned Cheng Chen was coming to Tai Sheng for the Golden Melody Awards, she became ecstatic, as if she herself were going to receive an award.

She had long made plans with Cheng Chen to attend, but the day before departure, something happened in Tianhai.

She had to "with tears" see Cheng Chen off and stay alone in Jingcheng to handle matters.

The moment Cheng Chen appeared, the fans on both sides of the Star Avenue went wild.

"Cheng Chen! Cheng Chen!"

"Cheng Chen, you must win an award!"

"We love you so much, Cheng Chen!"

Many fans shouted Cheng Chen's name loudly, and the flashlights blazed like lightning.

Many journalists recorded every move of Cheng Chen in their cameras.

Cheng Chen's appearance was a surprise to the fans.

For media professionals, it was high-value, eye-catching news material.

Remember, Mainland singers appearing at the Golden Melody Awards are extremely rare—barely countable on one hand.

And the only male singer to ever win was Na Ying in 2001, who took Best Mandarin Female Vocalist and Best Lyricist Award for her album "Bitter Romance."

No male singer has ever appeared on the Golden Melody Awards stage to receive an award,

Not even been nominated!

So, setting aside all external factors,

Cheng Chen's presence at the Golden Melody Awards ceremony itself is a massive publicity stunt.

Cheng Chen, just stepping out of the car, was startled by the audience's enthusiasm.

He hadn't expected such high popularity in Tai Sheng.

In fact, ever since "Heaven Sword and Dragon Sabre" aired in Tai Sheng, he had already won over audiences.

In previous versions of "Heaven Sword and Dragon Sabre," the character Song Qingshu was always portrayed as bitter, cruel, and negative.

The actors cast were always cast with villainous faces, showing no respect for the novel.

Or rather, casting a too-handsome Song Qingshu would overshadow Zhang Wuji, so Song Qingshu always appeared as a comic villain.

In Lai Dao's version of "Heaven Sword and Dragon Sabre," Cheng Chen's portrayal of Song Qingshu looked unmistakably like a young swordsman.

He truly suited ancient costume—wearing green robes, holding a gentleman's sword, his elegant demeanor won over countless fans.

Moreover, Cheng Chen's Song Qingshu was portrayed with deep, unwavering emotion, making him even more beloved by audiences.

Until last year, when Cheng Chen's godlike album "Hualiao Wanjian" caused a sensation across Asia.

Only then did Tai Sheng fans realize that the heartbroken Song Qingshu was also a singer.

And every song on this album, whether lyrics or composition, was exceptional—each one so beautiful it left people breathless.

In Tai Sheng, sales were even more explosive, completely wiping out Zhou Dong's private territory here!

Moreover, last year's Cheng Chen chart domination saw no shortage of support from fans in Tai Sheng!

But Cheng Chen rarely paid attention to news from Tai Sheng—he'd never even set foot here before this trip.

So he had no idea just how massive his pull was in Tai Sheng!

Host Johnny meanwhile stepped in to introduce:

"It's Cheng Chen! This young singer has been the hottest name over the past two years.

He achieved godlike status with his debut album, setting a miracle of over a million copies sold in its first month!

Tonight, he's nominated for five awards: Best Mandarin Male Singer,

Best Popular Music Album, Best Composer Award, Best Album Producer Award.

Let's all look forward to his haul tonight—welcome him!"

Cheng Chen waved to the fans on both sides, then calmly stepped onto the red carpet and walked toward the venue.

Yet walking alone down Star Avenue, he seemed oddly lonely.

Other singers had companions walking the red carpet beside them—but Cheng Chen walked alone, creating an awkward scene.

Of course, Cheng Chen didn't mind; it was his first time here, no experience, and walking alone wasn't a problem.

But if this got back to the Mainland, he wondered how the media would spin it…

Suddenly, cheers erupted from the fans on both sides.

It turned out Zhi Ling, last year's crowned "Tai Sheng's Number One Beauty," was walking slowly toward Cheng Chen.

She reached his side, smiled slightly, and said:

"Mr. Cheng, would you mind inviting me to walk the red carpet with you?"

Cheng Chen nodded and extended his hand:

"Of course—it's my honor."

Though he didn't understand why Zhi Ling had come to help him,

he accepted her kindness all the same.

At that moment, host Johnny on stage explained:

"It seems Zhi Ling didn't want her idol walking alone. Let me share a little secret:

Zhi Ling said backstage that tonight, the one she's most looking forward to is Cheng Chen—she's actually his fan!"

Hearing Johnny's words, the crowd's mood calmed down.

After all, a fan approaching her idol was nothing unusual in well-developed Tai Sheng entertainment.

Still, many of Lin Zhiling's male fans and Cheng Chen's female fans felt their hearts break right there.

At 1.73 meters tall, Lin Zhiling linked arms with 1.83-meter-tall Cheng Chen as they walked the red carpet.

This handsome couple instantly drew countless glances, becoming the center of attention.

When they reached the stage, Lin Zhiling whispered softly:

"Mr. Cheng, welcome to Tai Sheng. Min Min is filming in the Mainland and couldn't make it—she asked me to take good care of you."

Lin Zhiling's voice was soft and sweet, dripping with charm—it sounded incredibly gentle.

No wonder a single underwear ad poster had once sent elementary schoolers into a frenzy.

Hmm, Cheng Chen glanced at her front—sure enough, she had the goods!

Only then did Cheng Chen realize Zhi Ling and Jia Jingwen were close friends.

He'd thought his own good looks had drawn this beauty's attention—and that she was chasing him!

"After the awards, let me treat you to dinner—just to thank you for tonight."

Cheng Chen said politely.

"Okay, I'll hold you to that. By the way, Johnny was right—I really am your fan, hehe~"

Lin Zhiling smiled faintly, stepped away in her high heels, her figure swaying gracefully as she left.

This woman, who had spent years in the entertainment industry, eventually faded from the spotlight after marrying and moving to Japan.

At 45, she publicly announced she had married love, and netizens flooded her with blessings.

Ever since, any move she made was overanalyzed by Mainland media.

They claimed her forearms had grown thicker, her face noticeably fuller.

That she'd lost her former liveliness, her eyes now dull and weary, utterly devoid of their former brilliance.

Someone even deduced from her post "Peace and simplicity is happiness" that she was being abused at home.

Cheng Chen could only say: everyone lives their own life.

But still—two Zhi Ling sisters both living in Japan, enjoying their quiet lives—the Japanese are raking it in…

After watching Zhi Ling depart, Cheng Chen walked toward the venue.

This Golden Melody Awards ceremony was packed with stars—nearly half the singers famous in later years were here.

Lin Jun Jie, Dai Pei Ni, Cai Jianya, Liang Jingru—all were not native Tai Sheng singers.

They were all nominees, and except for the battle-hardened Wang Fei, every other nominee looked extremely nervous.

As for Wang Fei, she was unquestionably taking home the Golden Melody Award tonight, ending her five-year streak of runner-up finishes.

Cheng Chen remembered that after winning this award, Wang Fei apparently offended many Tai Sheng media outlets.

It was said that after defeating five other powerhouse female singers to win Best Mandarin Female Singer,

she said almost nothing on stage.

She maintained her signature "Fei-style coldness," leaving the audience stunned.

This infuriated the Tai Sheng media—and then, Tao Zi Jie's comment as host made everyone feel the queen's icy arrogance.

The host asked her:

"Who do you think has the best chance of competing with you for the award?"

Wang Fei replied without hesitation:

"I'm rooting for myself! As for my thoughts, that's it!"

Afterward, some media tried to continue interviewing her, but Wang Fei simply said:

"Why so many questions!"

Regarding her thoughts on attending this ceremony, Wang Fei said:

"It's been too long—I didn't know what to do sitting in the audience."

Throughout the entire interview, Wang Fei's "non-style coldness" made people feel she was truly too arrogant.

As the backstage host said:

"Wang Fei is just too popular on the mainland—so popular she has no manners at all, it's terrible!"

At that moment, when Cheng Chen read this report, he merely sighed inwardly:

Non-jie is awesome!

"Welcome everyone to the 15th Tai Sheng Golden Melody Awards, hello everyone, I'm the host Tao Jing Ying."

Today, the sole host on stage was Tao Jing Ying.

Some younger audience members might not be very familiar with her.

She enjoys extremely high popularity in Tai Sheng, being both a singer and a host.

She is known for her sharp, humorous hosting style and has won the affection of many viewers.

She was originally discovered by Tai Sheng's "legendary" singer Zhang Yu Sheng.

She debuted as a singer and later successfully transitioned into hosting.

Back then, Tao Jing Ying was a journalism student, and Zhang Yu Sheng was an upperclassman in the foreign affairs department.

Both joined the school's guitar club; later, the man entered the music industry and pulled her into the music scene.

They sang together songs like "I Can't Love You Bit by Bit" and "Zhi Zhuo."

By the way, she also appeared as a guest on the future show "The Strongest Brain…"

The audience below erupted in applause, while Cheng Chen sat quietly watching.

He also spotted Zhou Dong, whom he had briefly met backstage at the Spring Festival Gala.

Zhou Dong smiled and nodded at Cheng Chen, who returned the gesture with a smile.

"Today, we've all gathered here to celebrate this grand occasion.

On behalf of the Golden Melody Awards Committee, I welcome you all once again!"

After the opening remarks, there were some performance-style dances.

The venue's speakers echoed the songs entered in this competition.

On stage, host Tao Jing Ying delivered witty remarks, frequently making the stars below laugh heartily.

Once the atmosphere warmed up, the host said:

"Let's now present the first award of the 15th Golden Melody Awards: Best Music Video Director.

This year's nominees are: Xu Ren Feng for 'Your Kindness to Him' from 'SOFRESH,' Zhang Shi Lin for 'Maji Brother' from 'Machi.'

Zhou Ge Tai for 'Can't Hear' from 'The Power of Love,' Xiao Ya Quan for 'Just Listen Quietly' from 'The Secret of Time.'

Huang Zhong Ping for 'No Leaving' from 'Jiang Ai,' Kuang Sheng for 'Class 2-3' from 'Ye Hui Mei'… Congratulations to all nominees!"

As Tao Jing Ying spoke, some people stood up and bowed to the audience.

On the large screen above, their respective album music videos appeared.

When Wang Fei's 'Jiang Ai' and Zhou Dong's 'Ye Hui Mei' were announced,

Cheng Chen could clearly feel the atmosphere in the venue grow more intense.

This is reality—some songs are so popular that even the directors of their music videos are invested with unique emotion.