Chapter 148: Most Popular Male Singer!

Amidst the music, the renowned Chinese lyricist, Teacher Yuan Shu, stepped onto the podium.

At the sight of Yuan Shu, the entire audience widened their eyes. After a moment of suspended silence, the crowd erupted into applause.

Teacher Yuan Shu was ninety years old this year. In previous years, his presence could still be seen on certain grand occasions, but in recent years, let alone on television, the only people likely to see him in reality were probably just his family members.

Some said he had fallen gravely ill; others said he had laid everything aside to enjoy the blessings of family life. There had also been numerous rumors claiming he had already passed away.

Seeing Teacher Yuan Shu take the stage today, almost everyone found it hard to believe.

Observing his still robust physique, the hearts hanging in everyone's chests finally settled. Many musicians of the older generation wept openly.

"Teacher Yuan Shu!"

The female host stepped forward to support him.

Yuan Shu, however, waved his hand dismissively and smiled, "No need, I can still walk!"

He walked up to the podium, gently stroked the microphone on the table with his trembling left hand, and flashed a smile to the audience below, "Back in the year 2000, the Chinese Music Awards presented the Best Lyricist award for the very first time, and the winner was me! Today, standing here to present the award for Best Lyricist to a new generation, I feel an unparalleled sense of honor. I have listened to all the nominated new songs this year. In fact, I have my own measure in my heart, and my own personal first place, but whether it is the same song as the number one voted by everyone else, I cannot say!"

His wit was sharp and humorous, bringing tearful smiles to many in the audience. He was still the same Yuan Shu; ninety years old in name only, still youthful and in robust health.

Yuan Shu picked up the envelope, slowly tore it open, and read from the card, "The 24th Chinese Music Awards for Best Lyricist of the year 2015, the winner is..."

He paused for a moment and said, "I will read the winners for the Hong Kong, Taiwan, and overseas regions first: Li Yongxian, for *Waiting for You Across the Ocean*!"

"Clap, clap, clap..."

A wave of applause rippled through the audience. A middle-aged woman walked up to the stage, bowed with her hands folded in greeting, shared an embrace with Teacher Yuan Shu, and accepted the trophy.

After she stepped down, Yuan Shu continued, "Now, announcing the winner for Best Lyricist in Mainland China..."

Everyone's heart was once again suspended in suspense, wondering whose name could possibly prompt Teacher Yuan Shu to build up such prolonged anticipation.

Especially the lyricists in attendance, whose palms were slick with sweat as they strained their ears to listen.

Yuan Shu, however, smiled slightly and said slowly, "Jiang Lun, for multiple tracks!"

"Gasp..."

Everyone was stunned. What? Multiple tracks?

Yuan Shu held up the card in his hand. "This must have been the committee's most agonizing choice, yet also the most fitting one. Because all five nominations for Best Lyricist belong to Jiang Lun. It is truly difficult to single out just one!"

"Jiang Lun!"

"Jiang Lun!"

"Jiang Lun!"

The audience members snapped out of their daze and began to cheer and shout Jiang Lun's name.

As for Jiang Lun himself, he had not anticipated this outcome. Although he had expected that the Best Lyricist award would likely be his, he never imagined it would be for a collective body of work rather than a single song.

In truth, let alone the committee, even he himself would have been hard-pressed to choose.

The lyrics to those songs of his were written by some of the most brilliant lyricists from another world. Which one of them was unworthy of winning Best Lyricist?

Jiang Lun walked onto the stage, shook hands and embraced Teacher Yuan Shu, and then accepted the trophy. "Thank you, Teacher Yuan Shu!"

"I've finally met you!"

Yuan Shu smiled gently, "What I said just now—my personal favorite in my heart is your song *Chrysanthemum Flower Terrace* [Note: translating the implied poetic context naturally], and it's also my absolute favorite from the past decade!"

"You flatter my humble work! Thank you for your high praise!"

Jiang Lun smiled. Everyone had different tastes; among the songs from the other world, there were many with lyrics superior to this one—he had simply happened to bring this particular piece forth.

Moreover, in the other world's 2011 Chinese Music Awards, the winner for Best Lyricist in the Hong Kong and Taiwan region happened to be Vincent Fang for this exact song.

"And those lines of yours—'A sudden turn of the head, and there that person stood, where the lanterns were dim'—truly wonderful. Drop by my place for a visit when you have time, and let's have a chat!"

Yuan Shu clasped Jiang Lun's hand in both of his, tapping the back of it with his right hand, unable to conceal his fondness.

"No problem, I'll come visit you at your home as soon as I return to Beijing this time!"

"Good, good!"

Yuan Shu laughed heartily. Looking at the two of them, more than a few people in the audience were consumed by envy and jealousy.

The ceremony had to go on. Jiang Lun helped Teacher Yuan Shu down the stage, handed him over to the staff, and then returned to his seat clutching his trophy.

"Xiao Jiang, congratulations, congratulations! This is already your third one, isn't it?"

As soon as he sat down, Su Hong from the row in front turned around to speak to him.

"Pure luck! Pure luck!"

"Still calling it luck? Every single nomination was your song; it's thoroughly well-deserved!"

"Thank you, Sister Su Hong!"

"..."

The next award was Best Composer.

The winner for the Hong Kong and Taiwan region was Fan Xuanxuan, while the Mainland award once again fell into Jiang Lun's pocket.

"Four awards already. Does the committee plan to leave anyone else a crumb this year?"

"Indeed! I was hoping to contend for Best Composer this year myself! Sigh..."

"Still, Jiang Lun's songs this year are genuinely well-written."

"Well-written or not, he's still a young musician!"

"Mhm, winning this many awards will probably inflate his ego!"

"Quite right! These post-90s youngsters have the talent, but lack the right mindset!"

"..."

The subsequent awards likely had nothing more to do with Jiang Lun.

Best Arranger, Producer of the Year—the winners for both the Hong Kong and Taiwan region and the Mainland were two veteran, highly established musicians.

Group of the Year naturally had nothing to do with Jiang Lun, as he was not in a group.

Most Fashionable Artist of the Year, Media-Recommended Singer of the Year, Media-Recommended Rock Singer of the Year, Best Male Live Performer of the Year, Best EP of the Year... none of these went to Jiang Lun, nor did he even receive nominations for them.

Jiang Lun didn't mind, however. These awards weren't unimportant, but judging by the nomination criteria, they were clearly tailored for veteran artists.

Take Best Male Live Performer, for instance: the winner for Hong Kong and Taiwan was Xiao Taiyang, and for the Mainland, Liu Nan. Both were veteran artists with over twenty years in the industry; Jiang Lun simply couldn't compare to that seniority.

However, in the category of Album of the Year, Jiang Lun did win, sharing the Mainland trophy with album producer Li Qing.

Although Jiang Lun's name was on the winning list, he generously handed the trophy over to Li Qing. Though Li Qing pretended not to care, he gripped the trophy tightly the moment he held it.

"We are about to announce the most anticipated awards of the night!"

The male host stood on stage and proclaimed, "Best Male and Female Singers, Most Popular Male and Female Singers—where will these accolades fall tonight? Let us anticipate it together!"

"Now, let us invite tonight's award presenter... Teacher David, to present the 2015 Most Popular Male and Female Singers!"

As the female host finished speaking and the background music swelled, a woman in her fifties walked onto the stage. She was the vice-chairperson of the Chinese Musicians Association and a professor at the Central Conservatory of Music.

At every year's Chinese Music Awards, the Most Popular Male Singer was presented by her.

The Most Popular Singer awards were meant for idol-level artists, differing from the Best Singer categories which prioritized pure vocal prowess. The former relied on multi-channel public text-voting and online web polls, whereas the latter were chosen directly by the committee.

David stood before the podium and delivered a thoroughly official speech, commending all the award-winning musicians of the year while encouraging those who had not won.

Finally, she tore open the envelope in her hand and announced with crisp, perfect articulation, "And now, I announce that the Mainland winner for Most Popular Male Singer is... Jiang Lun!"

"..."

The entire hall fell into a profound silence. Jiang Lun, Liu Nan, and Zhang润 sat dumbfounded, the words they had just spoken still lingering in the air...

The audience members were the first to snap out of it, especially Jiang Lun's fans, who instantly erupted into ear-piercing screams and applause.

It formed a stark contrast to the desolate quietude of the rest of the venue.