The stage glittered with starlight.
Behind the screen was a massive LED display.
The screen showed information about the current Era Music Awards, as well as nominations from several major entertainment companies.
The venue was decorated magnificently, even surpassing the stages of most variety shows.
After all, this was the most dazzling entertainment event in the music industry.
The audience was not made up of ordinary fans, but thousands of singers from the Chinese music scene.
To be invited to a music awards ceremony, one had to be at least a second-tier singer, or a viral internet sensation.
In the front rows of the audience were many popular singers, even song kings and queens had been invited to attend, lending prestige to the event. Of course, the program team had merely sent out invitations without specific requests for attendance.
However, for such a good opportunity to be seen, even if the program team hadn't invited them, those song kings and queens would have come regardless.
Even individuals who had reached such a level still needed attention.
Besides these individuals, there were a few who were specifically invited by the program team.
These were Liu Huan and Han Qi, two legendary singers referred to as the "national team."
Their seats were in the VIP section of the audience, offering the best view in the house.
Singers like Liu Huan and Han Qi were naturally not there to receive awards, but were specifically invited to add weight to the event.
Apart from these two, there was also Yin Na.
Although the program team had invited her, they had only arranged her seating among the song kings and queens.
However, Yin Na was not very satisfied. She brazenly approached Liu Huan and Han Qi to foster connections, and the program team had no choice but to add a seat for her, so the three of them sat together.
“The three of us together feels like we’re back in the days of ‘The Masked Singer’,” Yin Na said, completely uninhibited, sighing and looking at Liu Huan and the other man with a smile.
“Speaking of ‘The Masked Singer,’ we were the judges who witnessed Ting Yu’s ascension to godhood,” Liu Huan, being good-natured, picked up the conversation with a smile.
“Who would have thought back then that Dark Night Rabbit would be Ting Yu, and in the blink of an eye, his achievements have surpassed us industry veterans,” Han Qi sighed.
Back then, Ting Yu had participated in ‘The Masked Singer’ wearing the Dark Night Rabbit mask. Among them, only Mo Yan had guessed correctly; the others were all kept in the dark.
However, this was also normal. Who could have imagined that a producer whose songwriting was already at a divine level would have no flaws in his singing, and even possess a variable vocal range that left the judges in disarray?
“It’s a pity that Teacher Mo Yan has retired from the industry. Otherwise, if he were here, all four of us judges would be reunited,” Yin Na chimed in.
Han Qi glanced at her and said nothing.
He was mentally complaining.
As if you were very familiar with Teacher Mo Yan.
“Haha, Yin Na is right. We haven’t gathered since ‘The Masked Singer’ ended. It’s a shame Teacher Mo Yan retired,” Liu Huan, seeing the slightly awkward atmosphere, played the role of the peacemaker.
“Who said I didn’t come?”
As soon as he finished speaking, a light chuckle came from behind him.
Liu Huan and the other two were momentarily stunned, then turned their heads to look.
They saw Mo Yan, accompanied by Shen Jinghong, walking towards them.
Mo Yan, as the most respected composer in the domestic entertainment industry besides Ting Yu, had immense prestige and seniority even after retiring. As he walked, singers on both sides greeted him.
Mo Yan smiled and responded to them one by one.
“Didn’t Teacher Mo Yan retire? How is he attending the music awards ceremony?”
“If Teacher Mo Yan hadn’t retired, he would have won at least five or six awards. But after retiring, they probably won’t give him any.”
“Ridiculous. Can’t he attend just because he retired? Teacher Mo Yan has the seniority, and he’s also the biggest ‘Rain Fan’ in the domestic industry. Everyone knows Ting Yu is the main focus tonight, so of course he has to be here.”
“I really miss the days when several composers battled for the top spots on the charts!”
The singers whispered amongst themselves.
Although Mo Yan’s arrival was somewhat surprising, it wasn’t unexpected, given his consistently positive attitude towards Ting Yu, even earning him the title of the domestic industry’s number one ‘Rain Fan.’
“Teacher Mo Yan, we were just mentioning you, and you’re here! Have the staff arrange another seat,” Yin Na said, patting the seat beside her and inviting him.
“Sometimes, I truly envy her thick skin…” Han Qi muttered softly.
Liu Huan’s lips curled up in agreement.
Even they felt too embarrassed to invite Mo Yan, yet this Yin Na shamelessly acted like an old acquaintance.
“Heh, no need to trouble the program team. I have a seat over there.”
Mo Yan greeted Liu Huan and the other man, then pointed to a seat not far away.
That area was even more significant.
Composers Jiang Qian, Fang Lingyu, and Chen Shuhao!
“Oh, alright then, Teacher Mo Yan, let’s get together later if you have time,” Yin Na said with a smile, waving her hand.
Mo Yan nodded noncommittally, then smiled at Liu Huan and Han Qi.
He then walked to the adjacent seat.
“Teacher, where do I sit?” Shen Jinghong, seeing that there was only one seat in that area, was instantly taken aback.
“Don’t you have your own seat?” Mo Yan was dumbfounded.
“But… all the singers there are female. I want to sit with you, Teacher,” Shen Jinghong said meekly.
Mo Yan was furious, and slapped him on the head.
“Get lost! If I gave you this seat, could you sit still?”
After saying that, he ignored Shen Jinghong and sat down.
Then, he began chatting with Jiang Qian, Fang Lingyu, and the others beside him.
He no longer paid attention to Shen Jinghong.
Shen Jinghong held his head, his face full of grievance, and walked towards the back.
Along the way, many singers greeted him, but he didn’t respond. He walked through a few aisles and finally saw his seat. The audience seating was somewhat similar to a cinema. Shen Jinghong’s seat was in the middle, and the seats on the outer side were occupied by several scantily clad female singers.
“Excuse… excuse me, please let me pass.” He was unaccustomed to chatting with women.
“Oh, it’s Teacher Gu Yun! I’m Xiao Ya. Can you write a song for me?”
“Teacher Gu Yun, I’ve always admired you. Do you have time to come to my hotel after this to discuss a song?”
The group of female singers looked at Shen Jinghong as if they were wolves eyeing a lamb.
Although Shen Jinghong wasn’t comparable to Ting Yu, he still had potential.
“Can you please move?” Shen Jinghong said impatiently.
“Unless you go to their hotel to write songs for them, I won’t let you pass.”
“Hehe, Teacher Gu Yun, if you want to get in, you can step over me.”
“Ouch, my leg is numb. You can use your hands to move my leg.”
The female singers pointed at their bare legs and coquettishly said to Shen Jinghong.
“You won’t let me pass!” Shen Jinghong was enraged.
He directly used brute force to push aside those snow-white and alluring legs.
Screams of pain and gasps of surprise erupted.
Shen Jinghong finally reached his seat and plunked himself down.
He turned his head and grinned triumphantly at the female singers, “If you want songs, go find Xinghui. Threats like this are useless against me. I’m a grown man, and you think you can block me?”
After speaking, he ignored the astonished and bewildered looks of everyone, leaned back in his chair with pride, and closed his eyes to rest.