"My goal is to take home one award."
It was after 9 p.m., prime time for people to be online. With mobile internet usage becoming increasingly mainstream, Wave Blog, the country's largest social platform, naturally boasted a massive online user base.
The moment Lu Chen posted his reply, countless fans immediately took notice.
Lu Chen's rise was inseparable from the support of his loyal fans. Looking back at his path to fame, the internet had played a central role every step of the way.
He had more online supporters than anywhere else, with the ever-growing Lu Family Army as the prime example. Many core members had been devoted followers since his early days of livestreaming.
Lu Chen had never forgotten where he came from. After hitting it big, he paid even more attention to interacting with his fans online.
Even while pulling all-nighters on the film set in Hong Kong, he still made time to chat on his blog and share updates about how work was going.
This approach had built him an extraordinarily loyal fanbase. His fans didn't view him as an unreachable idol; instead, he felt like a down-to-earth friend they simply didn't get to see very often in daily life.
His latest reply set off another wave of excitement, and comments flooded the post.
"One award? Boss, you're being way too modest!"
"You need to win at least three! Best Male Singer, Best Lyrics, and Best Composer!"
"What about Best Album?"
"Give Best Album to my Fei. It's all staying in the family anyway."
"If my Chen doesn't win at least two major awards, I'll livestream myself eating a keyboard on my blog. I swear it!"
"Count me in!"
Some comments were hilarious, others wildly exaggerated, but they were overwhelmingly full of praise and support. Most fans firmly believed Lu Chen was set for a big night.
This was a clear testament to his immense popularity. Even though he had spent the past month off in Hong Kong shooting his movie, his follower count on Wave Blog had kept climbing.
More and more people were falling in love with his songs and projects. Quite a few had first discovered him through the hit dramas 'Autumn in My Heart' and 'Full House', then started listening to his music and eventually joined his fandom.
Naturally, as fans, they all wanted to see Lu Chen triumph at the Global Chinese Music Awards.
After all, the inaugural Chinese Golden Melody Chart represented the absolute highest honor in the Chinese pop scene.
For Lu Chen, having such a passionate, kind, and endearing group of fans was deeply heartwarming. He tried to reply to as many comments as he could, completely losing track of time.
When he finally put away his tablet, he realized Chen Fei'er, who had been curled up in his arms, was already fast asleep.
---
December 31, Saturday, the final day of 2016.
The dreary rain that had lingered for days finally cleared, giving the capital a rare sunny afternoon at the end of December.
The early winter weather wasn't particularly biting yet, and women in long dresses were out everywhere, happily braving the breeze to show off their style and youthful energy.
By late afternoon, the roads surrounding the National Centre for the Performing Arts were already under traffic restrictions. Farther out, gridlock had completely taken over, forcing traffic authorities to dispatch extra personnel to manage the flow.
Before dusk fell, the welcome and signature wall was set up outside the main entrance of the building. A vibrant red carpet stretched over a hundred meters, lined on both sides by countless reporters carrying massive telephoto lenses, waiting for the ceremony to begin.
Behind the media line stood a massive crowd of spectators, mostly young people. Many held glowing signs bearing their idols' names or waved glow sticks. Their excited faces pushed the energy in the air to a fever pitch.
Large numbers of security officers were on high alert.
They knew a star-studded lineup would be walking the red carpet tonight, bringing together top talent from mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. Once the fans caught sight of their favorites, controlling the crowd would become a massive challenge.
A little after 5 p.m., the lights flanking the welcome wall flared to life. The crowd gathered in the plaza outside the venue reached its absolute peak.
Fortunately, several massive livestream screens had been set up around the area to disperse the audience. Otherwise, the space alongside the red carpet would have been completely impassable.
At 6 p.m., pedestrians were restricted to leaving the area; no new entry was permitted.
Under everyone's watchful eyes, the first black VIP car pulled smoothly to a stop at the head of the red carpet.
The door opened, and a middle-aged man in a suit stepped out.
In an instant, thousands of camera flashes erupted, illuminating him entirely. Clearly accustomed to the spotlight, he maintained a composed smile and waved to the crowd on both sides.
"Yu Ming!"
The plaza immediately burst into deafening cheers.
The elegant middle-aged man was Yu Ming, a heavyweight figure in the domestic pop music scene.
Having debuted in the late 1980s and surged to prominence in the early 90s, he had released over a dozen solo albums over three decades, winning over generations of fans with his folk-style tracks and romantic ballads.
It was only fitting for Yu Ming to be the first guest to walk the red carpet at the inaugural Global Chinese Music Awards.
Bathed in camera flashes and riding the roaring cheers of his fans, Yu Ming walked the long red carpet alone with quiet confidence.
After him, a steady procession of megastars, legends, and idols from across the mainland, Hong Kong, and Taiwan made their appearances.
"Tan Hong!"
"Liao Jia!"
"Su Yingying!"
"Liu Gangsheng!"
"An An!"
One iconic name after another echoed across the plaza in front of the National Centre for the Performing Arts. The flashes never stopped.
The Chinese music scene was celebrating its first true Golden Melody Chart, a genuine moment of collective glory.
Lu Chen was the twelfth guest to arrive.
Though this wasn't his first red carpet, the deafening cheers and dazzling wall of light that greeted him as he stepped out of the car still made his heart race.
Tonight, the National Centre for the Performing Arts was the grandest stage in Chinese pop music.
Would it be his stage, too?
Lu Chen took a deep breath.
Looking into the crowd, he spotted fans desperately holding up glowing signs with his name.
"Lu Chen!"
"Lu Chen!"
The star-studded lineup before him hadn't dimmed his popularity in the slightest. Countless fans were shouting his name, while dozens of lenses swung around to lock onto him.
This was his moment of glory, too.
The sensation was intoxicating.
Lu Chen offered a slight smile, then turned around and extended a hand back toward the interior of the car.
He hadn't come alone.
"Chen Fei'er!"
---
(End of Chapter)
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