I Heard That I Am Poor

Chapter 95: Thank you for coming by my side

As Yu Nian walked alongside Yu Nian, he listened to Rong Yue speak on his phone.

“As for whether the Doucai Chicken and Stone Pattern Cup is from the Xiao family, it’s uncertain. After all, this object has not appeared in the world for a long time. As for the Xiao family of Ning City, there is indeed only Xiao Yingke left, but this Mr. Xiao has already passed away, with no wife or children in his lifetime. So the elderly lady who consigned the cup definitely isn’t the Xiao family’s wife. However, she did mention being related to the Xiao family, so there might be some distant connection there, but it’s hard to say.”

Yu Nian was surprised. “Mr. Xiao Yingke has passed away?”

“Yes, he was the last direct descendant of the Xiao family in Ning City,” Rong Yue sighed. “Nian Nian, I know what you’re worried about, but you purchased this cup legitimately. Remember, because of this incident, you were unfairly labeled as gullible and with too much money to spare, right?”

The bodyguard opened the car door, and Yu Nian stood still, preparing to get in. At that moment, he heard someone shouting from a distance, “Gu Xuanning!” Yu Nian turned around, smiled, and waved in the direction of the voice.

Knowing that Yu Nian was on his way to the Golden Melody Awards, Rong Yue chuckled on the other end of the phone, “I won’t say much now. You go ahead and take care of things. When the time comes, I’ll watch the live broadcast too!”

Yu Nian felt a little embarrassed, “Alright, I’ll do my best.”

The sunset disappeared below the horizon, and the colorful evening glow adorned the sky. The lights at the venue had all been turned on. Sitting in the car, Yu Nian could faintly hear the screams of fans from the event.

Yu Nian was making the final confirmation, “Your outfit looks fine, and you’re wearing all the accessories, the watch, and cufflinks. I specially arranged for reporters to take pictures of you, so the photo quality is guaranteed. Anything else? Oh yes, this is your first time walking the red carpet alone, remember not to walk too fast and leave enough time for photographs!”

After agreeing one by one, Yu Nian lowered his head and adjusted the immaculate cuffs that didn’t even have a single wrinkle. Unable to resist, he picked up his phone and dialed Xie You’s number.

The call was answered almost instantly, and Xie You asked Yu Nian, “Feeling nervous?”

Hearing Xie You’s voice, Yu Nian subconsciously exhaled and didn’t hide it, “Yes, very nervous.” He looked out of the window and continued, “It’s different from the Golden Pine Award. I never had high expectations for the Golden Pine Awards; it was more of a laid-back attitude, and winning or not didn’t matter much. But for the Golden Melody Awards…” He bluntly expressed his ambition, “I want to win.”

Without directly answering that question, Xie You’s voice was soft and magnetic, “Nian Nian, I’m baking a cake right now.”

“Cake?” Yu Nian was surprised, but then he remembered one of the “takeout” items Xie You had sent him before, a small crooked cake, and smiled, “Then, Mr. Xie, good luck with your cake!”

“Thanks,” Xie You complained in a low voice, “Baking a cake is much harder than handling official documents.”

Imagining Xie You’s distressed expression at the moment, Yu Nian burst into laughter.

His attention shifted, and the topic expanded from cakes. The two chatted about this and that until Yu Nian was reminded by Meng Yuan from the front, “It’s time for you to walk the red carpet.”

After ending the call, Shi Rou quickly said, “Nian Nian, did you hear someone calling you ‘Gu Xuanning’ just now? The GIF of you turning around and waving has already been reposted tens of thousands of times! The trending rankings are intensely competitive today, but the fans of the ‘Gu Xuanning’ character managed to push you up to the twentieth spot!”

Even Meng Yuan was amazed, “That’s really true love. But Nian Nian, your fanbase is so diverse now – fans who love your looks, fans who admire your talent, fans who are mothers and sisters, fans of your music, fans of your roles, it’s all very diverse!”

Shi Rou added in a hushed voice, “And there are CP fans too!”

Yu Nian didn’t catch on immediately, “What CP fans?”

“YouYu CP fans!” Shi Rou said with a grin, reciting a slogan, “YouYu girl, relying on imagination, never giving up!”

Yu Nian couldn’t help but clear his throat, and finally, he turned his head slightly and laughed.

The elongated limousine slowly came to a stop, and the staff opened the car door. Yu Nian stepped onto the red carpet. On both sides of the red carpet, there were continuous camera shutters and flashes, along with countless fans’ support light boards.

As Yu Nian’s figure appeared on the big screen at the venue, screams erupted, and the host’s voice rang out, “Next up on the red carpet is the famous singer, renowned songwriter, and actor, Yu – Nian!”

This time, Yu Nian walked the red carpet alone, wearing a fitting smile on his face and cooperating with the media’s photo requests. When he heard the fans cheering, he also responded. He walked all the way to the end of the red carpet and signed his name on the board before being led to the center by the male and female hosts.

The female host, wearing a white evening gown, held her cue card and smiled, “Congratulations to Yu Nian for the movie ‘Ancient Road’ surpassing 1.5 billion at the box office!”

The male host pretended to be puzzled, “Wait, this is the Golden Melody Awards, why are we talking about movies?”

The female host chimed in, “You’re right! Let’s switch topics. So, Yu Nian, your new single is coming out in July, right?”

Yu Nian nodded, “Yes, the new song is ready, and I can’t wait to share it with everyone!”

The male host looked into the camera, “I’m really, really looking forward to it! I believe all the fans must feel the same way!”

Yu Nian smiled, his eyes forming crescents, “Thank you, I will continue to work hard!”

As they entered the venue, the seats were already half-filled. The organizers had arranged the seating in a strategic manner. To Yu Nian’s left was Yu Qing, who had arrived earlier, and to his right were Sun Mengze and Wei Lu, both of whom had been judges on “Let Me Sing” with him. They were all familiar faces.

Sun Mengze joked, “Nian Nian, have you prepared your acceptance speech?”

Yu Nian didn’t feign modesty, “My manager wrote a paragraph for me to memorize. I’m not sure if I’ll get to use it, but it’s always good to be prepared. Otherwise, I might go up there and not be able to form a coherent sentence, which would be embarrassing.”

Sun Mengze agreed, “Exactly! When I won my first major award when I was young, I stood there for half a day and only managed to blurt out ‘Thank you, everyone.’ In an instant, the media gave me the nickname ‘Mr. Four Words.'”

Yu Qing chimed in, “And that’s why the second time you won an award, you spoke like a river, and your award acceptance speech lasted nearly ten minutes?”

Sun Mengze replied, “This is called taking practical action to redeem oneself from past embarrassment!”

Everyone burst into laughter.

Before they could chat further, the big screen on the stage displayed the opening sequence, and the crowd fell silent.

The Golden Melody Award is the largest and most prestigious music award in the industry, often hailed as the highest honor for singers. It has been held for thirty-nine years and commands millions of viewers on various live-streaming platforms. The comment section was flooded with messages even before the awards ceremony began, with the names of countless singers flashing by.

Following the predetermined procedure, after the opening performance, the first major award presented was the Album of the Year at the 39th Golden Melody Awards. Two veteran singers walked hand in hand onto the stage, exchanged customary greetings, and then read aloud, “The nominees for the Album of the Year are as follows.”

The large screen changed, and the names of the nominees for Album of the Year appeared: Bai Yan with “Letting Go”; Xue Yalin with “Forest Fairy Tale”; and Yu Nian with “Elegant.”

The screen showed the images of the six nominated artists, and the presenter adjusted their glasses before announcing, “The winner is… Yu Nian with ‘Elegant’!”

In the instant when the winner was announced, the comment section exploded!

[As expected, it’s ‘Elegant’! I knew it! My favorite album of all time!]

[Aaaaaah, Yu Nian is off to a great start! He looks amazing in that slim-fit suit!]

Yu Nian went up to the stage, accepted the trophy from the presenters, and bowed slightly to express his sincere gratitude. After the two veteran singers left the stage, Yu Nian stood behind the microphone stand.

[Fans from the neighboring fandom are saying that Yu Nian’s manners are truly impeccable; his character shines through in every detail!]

[Subconsciously bending down to show respect to the senior artist, smiling and saying thank you, and waiting until they leave before speaking further. Aaaaaaah, his voice is still so mesmerizing! And he looks so good! I couldn’t resist any longer, I’ve become a fan!]

The winner of the Best Female Singer award was Ling Wanying, who excels in both singing and songwriting. Yu Nian took advantage of the camera not facing his direction and secretly took a photo of the trophy with the album’s design on it, then quickly sent it to Xie You.

Right at that moment, the presenter announced, “The winner of Best Male Singer at the 39th Golden Melody Awards is Yu Nian!”

The camera shifted, and Yu Nian looked up, blank for two seconds before realizing – he won?

The live comment section burst into laughter.

[Hahaha, Yu Nian’s bewildered expression! It’s like when you’re playing with your phone in class, and the teacher suddenly calls on you to answer a question! So adorable!]

[Aaaaaah, well-deserved! Yu Nian, stop playing with your phone now!]

After receiving Best Male Singer, Yu Nian had just returned to his seat and barely settled down when the announcement came, “The winner of Best New Artist at the 39th Golden Melody Awards is Yu Nian!”

Under the camera’s gaze, Yu Nian turned his head to ask Yu Qing, mouthing, “Me?” Yu Qing nodded with a smile, and for the third time, Yu Nian went up on stage.

[Hahaha, is he asking, ‘Sister, is it me again?’ Did they read it wrong? Is it really me?]

[Hahaha, the little expression on Yu Nian’s face. Okay, we’ve got meme material!]

The Best Band, Best Group, and Best Music Video awards had nothing to do with Yu Nian. However, the camera seemed to favor him, constantly cutting to his shots. On one occasion, it captured Yu Nian earnestly taking a photo with the award trophy, quickly stowing away his phone in three seconds, as if nothing had happened, and then sitting back in an orderly manner.

After a performance by a new rising group, the award for Best Lyricist was presented. Among the nominees was Si Ning.

When the final winner was announced, a picture of Yu Nian along with the name “Si Ning” froze on the big screen. The same scene was repeated for the Best Composer award.

Yu Nian stood behind the microphone stand, and as he delivered his thank-you speech, the comment section was already filled with characters.

[No one can stop Yu Nian now! How many awards has he won? Five already! I feel a bit sorry for him, running up and down like in a relay race! Even if he’s not physically fit, he has to catch his breath!]

[Hahaha, did anyone notice that Yu Nian’s acceptance speeches are getting shorter and shorter? Did he forget to speak after winning five awards? So adorable!]

[OMG, I almost didn’t realize that ‘Si Ning’ is Yu Nian! Impressive! He got three awards, and his alias got two awards! Can I bow down to this big shot?]

By the time Yu Nian received the award for the Most Popular Male Singer, the comments were already expressing calmness.

[To sweep all six major awards like this, if we look back, hasn’t it only been Lin Zhou over a decade ago? I still listen to Lin Zhou’s songs till now, and I’m sure ‘Elegant’ will be on my playlist ten years later! This is probably the power of classics!]

[Those fans who are criticizing him should stop being so bitter. Even non-fans can see that he absolutely deserves it! Honestly, in recent years, the music industry has been overwhelmed by popularity, and it’s hard to come across really impressive songs that give you chills. So, with talent, vocal skills, and good looks, it’s not surprising that Yu Nian won so many awards in one go!]

[The Most Popular Male Singer award is voted for one vote at a time, and many non-fans genuinely like his songs, so that’s why they voted for Yu Nian. Nian Gao girl is going to cry. Nian Nian is amazing! Thank you for creating so many beautiful songs!]

At this moment, on the stage, Yu Nian, dressed in a Hersey’s high-end suit, stood behind the microphone stand. He glanced at the award trophy in his hand, leaned closer to the microphone, and said, “Actually, I’m out of words.”

Laughter erupted from the audience.

Yu Nian thought for a moment before speaking again, “The main reason is that before coming here, neither I nor my manager expected me to win six awards, so I only memorized one acceptance speech.”

The audience responded with soft laughter and applause.

“Thank you very much to the organizers and my supportive fans. I will repay you with double the effort and better works.”

Yu Nian looked down at the audience, and a smile flickered in his eyes like rippling water. After the room quieted down, he continued, “I want to thank my grandparents. They raised me and taught me the values of life, what love is, and gave me the courage to face both the good and bad in this world.”

“Lastly, I want to say,” His gaze softened involuntarily, and a corner of his heart became as soft as cotton candy. Yu Nian raised his hand and reverently kissed the ring on his middle finger. Facing the camera, he said the final words, “Thank you for coming by my side.”