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Su Shengbai did not remain in the presence of the reporters, but he knew that the people around him were whispering to one another about Gu Yaxing’s remark.

What past grievances? Such a perfectly aggrieved tone only made people even more imaginative. What was originally just mere speculation over a controversy had now become concrete because of one person’s words. Further, because Luo Ding had answered “yes” Su Shengbai’s own fans had nothing to say to counter it.

But what could Su Shengbai do? Refute Gu Yaxing on the spot? Impossible. Gu Yaxing was not Luo Ding, and would not let go of past enmity.

When Su Shengbai left the agency, it was just before their duo was about to usher in a big opportunity. At the time he had been worried that a long night will be fraught with bad dreams[1] so he had hurried away while hiding news of Cao Dingkun assisstance. This was equivalent to driving Luo Ding and Gu Yaxing, who were just about see dawn, back to the bottom again. As a result, for all these years, Gu Yaxing had never covered up how much he hated him. Even when Su Shengbai slowly became more famous using the resources Cao Dingkun provided, on the occasions when they met outside, Gu Yaxing was never pleasant to Su Shengbai.

Besides a boss who behind the scenes was not the same as the star on the stage. Su Shengbai needed to care about the audience’s impression and evaluation of him, Luo Ding was also the same, but Gu Yaxing had no such fear. No one would boycott watching Gu Yaxing’s films or avoid buying his CDs because he was not likeable, or his agents had past bad history.

Su Shengbai pretended to be fine, smiled and waved to the group of media people, straightened his back and then turned to go backstage. His female companion immediately pulled down his shoulder, took his arm and asked: “Su ge, are you all right?”

“It’s nothing.” Su Shengbai held his tongue and replied calmly.

Outside, the red carpet ceremony had ended.

There was a lot of discussion about the dispute that had just occurred. The hosts, the reporters and the paparazzi gathered in their respective circles to dissect Gu Yaxing’s short but incisive words.

Luo Ding’s fans were angry: “Those rumors were really are true! Sure enough, Su Shengbai is really shameless. If it wasn’t for Director Gu’s honesty, he would have poured dirty water on Luo Ding and confused black and white.”

“It serves him right, No lower limit. Seeking quick success and instant benefits “

“His group of brain-dead fans are still swearing at us. This time, we all saw that the exchange was filmed they should be careful not to have their faces slapped hard.”

“Ha Ha, if the media also broadcasts this, it would be even worse. Su Shengbai has no songs or albums out. What is he even doing here at this time?”

What was he doing here? This was what people in the media were also talking about.

In fact, Su Shengbai’s popularity with the media was not bad. He was smooth tongued, yet forthright.  He was also a very careful thinker. It was just that the relationship between an artist and the media could never be articulated simply through friendship. His relationship with these people was not good enough for them to help him without restraint. Usually he was met with an amiable response when he sent his greetings, yet when he stumbled, they were also happy to see it.

Su Shengbai’s smile in the photos were taken in three consecutive bursts of the camera. At the beginning, it was fresh and mild but by the end it was stiff and rigid. Although it was not very clear, it still could not escape the eyes of these people.

“You tried to steal a chicken only to end up losing your rice[2],” That was what everyone was saying.

He came to the red carpet cheekily intending to recapture a city for himself, but now he had lifted a rock and smashed his own feet, making things even worse.

All the media people glanced at the photos they had taken and some exchanged ideas. They also sighed with emotion thinking about the meeting between the two members of a disbanded group after so many years.

“Luo Ding is a person who doesn’t like to flaunt his true worth. Normally it’s not apparent but once he’s on camera his aura is imposing.  It was fine when Su Shengbai took pictures alone, but comparing those to this picture now, who would think he was the top in their group? “

In the picture, Su Shengbai had tried to show his best side in front of the camera. He was pale, thin and tall. His face was small, and his facial features were really attractive, but this was on the premise that there was not a better-looking Luo Ding beside him.

Luo Ding’s smile was different from Su Shengbai’s. As always, he was calm, yet his smile tugged at the corners of his mouth with ease and gentleness. It was as if he had taken all these battles on the big stage for granted. When you looked at him, you felt he was extraordinary.  

When Su Shengbai stood beside Luo Ding, he appeared shorter. His facial features were not as good as Luo Ding’s exquisite three-dimensional features, and his momentum was also suppressed. Basically, he had no room to maneuver. If these pictures were to be taken out, someone, who was ignorant of matters, might think that Su Shengbai was being intentionally blackened by others.

For Su Shengbai, to be able to come onto the red carpet of online media awards and to be interviewed by the hosts was naturally not through his own efforts.

Sitting backstage, he calmed down his anger. Soon he recalled the embarrassing scene which had just been filmed by all the reporters and hurriedly called his boss Jiang Changfeng.

Jiang Changfeng’s voice was always lazy. He guessed at once: “You fucked up?”

Su Shengbai was extremely ashamed: “I’m sorry, everything was going well, but strangely …”

“I only listen to results.” Jiang Changfeng sneered, “Forget it, you are not one to make a big deal over nothing. Were you photographed by reporters?”

“……Yep.”

“I see.”

Jiang Changfeng hung up the phone and looked around. Two assistants stood behind him and listened to him as he asked, “The red carpet is over, has anyone one come across the folks from Yaxing Studio? Did anyone see Luo Ding and Gu Yaxing?”

The two assistants glanced at each other and saw the surprise in each other’s eyes. But no one dared to ask more questions. Jiang Changfeng’s personal style was particularly overbearing. If his order was questioned, he would lose his temper.

“There he is!” The two assistants finally spotted Luo Ding, was being led into the waiting area at the entrance. They both felt as if they had been granted amnesty and had escaped from hell.

Immediately Jiang Changfeng stretched his legs, straightened his knees and stood up. He took two steps and then pulled out his mobile phone to fix his hair using the reflection on the screen.

*****

Gu Yaxing was furious: “I can’t leave you alone for a moment. These s*ns of b*tches, their consciences are blacker than ever. If you are not careful, you will be devoured!”

“What’s the matter? There will only be more of such things in the future.” Luo Ding patted him on the shoulder and thanked him for helping him out and. “Don’t be angry. I’m fine. Besides I can’t be easily taken advantage of. Fangyuan, bring over a bottle of water.” He continued.” You should drink some water and calm down slowly otherwise with so many cameras around your bad expression will soon be recorded.”

In fact, Gu Yaxing wanted to cry, but to maintain his boss image in front of Luo Ding he held back his tears and nodded his head.

Luo Ding did not really notice any of this. The lights backstage was dim, and he also needed to change his outfit. He had already rehearsed once in the morning, so he was not unfamiliar with the terrain here.

Suddenly he heard a familiar voice ringing beside him: “Luo Ding?”

This was a voice Luo Ding had listened to for decades. With his brow raised he glanced sideways, and the corners of his mouth twitched: “Director Jiang?”

Jiang Changfeng was a bit surprised. He was usually not exposed to the outside world, so it was quite unexpected for Luo Ding to recognize him at a glance.

In his heart he was a little surprised and happy. Could it be that Gu Yaxing often mentioned him? Or maybe … Luo Ding had long been thinking of changing agencies and had been carefully studying details on the bosses of the entertainment circle?

He waited for a while and realized that Luo Ding had only glanced at him when he had shouted and did nothing else, so he silently crossed out the second option.

“… Luo Ding,” Jiang Changfeng was a little annoyed at Luo Ding for neglecting him. He was the boss of an entertainment company. If it was not for the fact that Gu Yaxing was in attendance, he would not even have come to such a place. Although Luo Ding was currently popular, in his eyes, he was just a little star with no deep roots so he needed to be respectful and sincere. What the hell was this indifferent attitude?

Luo Ding knew Jiang Changfeng too well. Childish, arrogant, and paranoid. After decades of dealing with each other, he understood his character more clearly than he knew the soles of his own feet. This was a leech. Don’t make him feel interested, otherwise you could only wait for the next half of your life to be sucked dry.

Although they had worked together for a long time, Luo Ding actually did not like people who worked this way. Just look at Global’s exclusive contract for newcomers. It was extremely harsh even by industry standards. In his last life, Luo Ding had not been famous when he was discovered, and his wealth had been tied to their ship so he could not escape. That aside, now that he had finally gotten away, no one could convince him to follow Jiang Changfeng again. What’s more, the relationship between Global and Yaxing Studio was not good. As an artist of Yaxing Studio, he was justified in being cold to Jiang Changfeng.

Gu Yaxing asked indignantly: “Why are you here!?”

Jiang Changfeng was a little surprised. The personalities of these two people from the same company were really straightforward. Luo Ding dared to ignore him directly, and Gu Yaxing was angry.

Staring at the other person’s face, the marks left by the years could not be hidden. There was no trace of Gu Yaxing’s original youthful vitality. The corners of his eyes had fine lines, and his skin is not as fair as before. Additionally, because of long periods of worries his brows had been wrinkled in “chuan-shaped[3]” folds over the years. However, in Jiang Changfeng’s view, he was still pleasing to the eye.

“Why can’t I be here? I also have artists who are attending the awards ceremony, so its reasonable for me to be here. But you, on the other hand, when was the last time you attended such a big award ceremony? Are you nervous?”

Gu Yaxing’s lips twitched and he gritted his teeth and replied, “Just leave!”

“Oh,” Jiang Changfeng saw that the other party had ignored his jab, so he simply changed targets and found Luo Ding. “People go to higher places and water flows to lower places[4]. There is a big difference in the treatment and opportunities offered by big companies and small studios. On this point, Su Shengbai was smarter than you and knew to seize opportunities early. But it is not too late. If you are willing to come to Global, I can directly sign you with a professional agent and styling team. The treatment provided will not be worse than what you are receiving from Gu Yaxing and the resources are more abundant.”

As Jiang Changfeng spoke, he happily glanced at Gu Yaxing whose eyes had widened with anger and instructed his assistant to give Luo Ding a business card.

With a respectful attitude, the assistant held a business card with both hands and proceeded to hand it over. Almost immediately everyone’s eyes focused on Luo Ding. Gu Yaxing clenched his fists and felt extremely anxious and resentful in his heart.  

However, Luo Ding’s actions instantly dispelled his uneasiness.

Pushing away the hand of the other person who was handing over the business card, Luo Ding smiled apologetically, and said with a soft, but firm tone: “Yaxing Studio is very good so I don’t think this is necessary. Thank you, Mr. Jiang.”

The expression on Jiang Changfeng’s face did not look good.

Su Shengbai, who had accidentally come across the group, was worried when he saw this. He immediately drew close and began to persuade: “Luo Ding are you stupid? Such opportunities are rare. Have you not struggled enough in a small company?”

Luo Ding glanced at Su Shengbai with some deep emotion in his eyes making the latter feel guilty, but Gu Yaxing had no such scruples and retorted: “Su Shengbai, since you are shameless, you think that everyone in the world is the same? “

Su Shengbai frowned. “You should speak properly.”

“Am I wrong? When you left, what was the company like? Don’t say you don’t remember. You’ve been popular all these years, did you even ask whether Luo Ding had lived or died all these years? Now that he’s popular, you are trying your best to draw closer and talk to him. Is this not shameful? So, if I call you shameless, am I wrong?”

Su Shengbai was panicking in fear that Luo Ding would be dissatisfied with him as a result of these few sentences. He quickly interrupted Gu Yaxing’s heart-piercing words: “Don’t make trouble here! All these years I have been away I wanted to ask about Luo Ding, but you could not support him, and I also needed to work hard, where would I find the time? “

“I couldn’t support him?” Gu Yaxing sneered. “Yes, I can’t support him. Fortunately, he has the ability to support himself, and unlike you he won’t have to sell himself for popularity. You held on to Cao Dingkun’s thigh, turned yourself into a dog and begged him to reward you with food. All you have was given by Cao Dingkun. Now that something has happened to him you are looking like a homeless stray. Aren’t you slapping your own face by saying you worked hard?

Su Shengbai was really angry: “I warned you! Speak properly! Cao ge viewed me as a younger brother. Things were not as you have described!”

“A brother?” Gu Yaxing sneered. “Where did you go after his accident? Why did I not see you give him a befitting funeral?”

Su Shengbai was guilty. In Cao Dingkun accident, he did not think that his escape was clean enough and the thing he had feared most was that the public will take note of the details, so he naturally did not dare hold a funeral. He had also tried to avoid mentioning Cao Dingkun as much as possible. Now this was being used by Gu Yaxing as an attack, so he blocked it instinctively: “Since you can manage to pay attention to these things, it would be better for you to think about how to run your own small and broken company. Now you are relying on Luo Ding to consume his popularity. Luo Ding has a good heart to support you now, but it’s a pity that you are alone so you can only rely on yourself in the future. You are in your forties, you have no family, no career, no wife, no children, and your company is also in a precarious position. You really think you’re better than me… “

“Su Shengbai! Shut up!” Luo Ding mood had immediately soured when they mentioned Cao Dingkun’s name. Seeing that Su Shengbai’s words were becoming meaner, he scolded him sharply.

In agitation, Su Shengbai openly glanced at Luo Ding. Meeting the unconcealed sharp look in the latter’s eyes, it was like he had met his natural enemy, and the hair on the back of his neck stood up.

“Luo … Luo Ding?”

Luo Ding stared at into Su Shengbai’s eyes: “I am not staying in Yaxing Studio out of pity. This is my boss, Xiao Bai, conduct yourself properly.”

Su Shengbai had never heard Luo Ding be so critical. His fists tightened and his courage shrank.

“Also.” Luo Ding took Gu Yaxing’s shoulders to lead him away. He looked back at Su Shengbai before leaving, “I find that you have really changed a lot over the years.”

If the previous few words had made Su Shengbai a little worried, the current sentence undoubtedly scared him.

He was horrified to find that he had failed to control his temper in front of Luo Ding and had showed his sharp teeth and sharp mouth. Looking back at the mean words he had attacked Gu Yaxing with, he couldn’t imagine how much of an impact it would have on Luo Ding, who had always believed that Su Shengbai was harmless. And earlier … he had tried to take advantage of him on the red carpet too, that was also a big problem which needed to be explained …

He took two steps back and subconsciously looked back at Jiang Changfeng. He saw Jiang Changfeng staring in the direction that Luo Ding and Gu Yaxing were leaving in.

The lights were dim, and Gu Yaxing had walked quite far. His back had gradually arched down, and he raised his hand as if wiping his eyes, Luo Ding, who was still holding on to him, patted his back and comforted him softly.

Jiang Changfeng frowned and clenched his fists tightly. He retracted his gaze from the duo and glared at Su Shengbai severely.

Su Shengbai was anxious, afraid and puzzled: “?”

Jiang Changfeng simply ignored him and strode away. The assistant who was clutching on to the phone receiver hurried to catch up and whispered in his ear about the unexpected situation that had just occurred on the red carpet. Finally, at the end he asked: “How do you want us to fix things? Should we tell them to take out that statement directly, so it is not exposed? “

“No need!” Thinking of Gu Yaxing, who seemed to have been wiping his tears just now, Jiang Changfeng who was flustered in his heart replied grudge-fully, “Let them publish it! I don’t care! It’ll teach Su Shengbai a lesson! He does not know the immensity of heaven and earth[5]!”

The assistants blinked and looked at each other. It was no longer clear what the boss was thinking at any moment.

***

Gu Yaxing really cried. He had been pretending to be calm in front of Luo Ding the entire time.  Now that his calm façade was removed he could not restore it. He had to say that Su Shengbai’s vision was really fierce. Every word of that attack had directly hit a weak point. These were Gu Yaxing’s most vulnerable weaknesses.

With a paper towel covering Gu Yaxing’s face, tears were streaming down. He sniffed and chokingly said, “He’s a bastard.”

“Yes,” Luo Ding patted him, and echoed, “Su Shengbai is really a bastard.”

“And Jiang Changfeng.” Gu Yaxing added, “He is arrogant and inhuman.”

“Yes.” Luo Ding’s echoed the sentence sincerely. “He’s not human. He’s the most arrogant.”

Gu Yaxing was finally satisfied and nodded: “Open the door and let Fangyuan come in. I heard him knock a few times.”

Wu Fangyuan had spared no effort to find a bottle of water. On his return, the backstage area was deserted, and instead they were all in the lounge.  When he entered the room, he felt a subtle tension in the atmosphere. As he did not know what had happened, he asked, “What’s wrong?”

Gu Yaxing, who was holding his forehead in his hand, waved at him and said in an impatient voice: “Don’t ask, get Luo Ding changed. He is performing later.”

Wu Fangyuan did not dare to ask more. Although Gu Yaxing usually did not emphasize his seniority, once he showed such an attitude, Wu Fangyuan was a little afraid of him.

******

The online media music award ceremony had always been broadcasted live by cooperating TV stations. With more and more famous guests, its viewership rating was higher and higher, and as such the broadcasting equipment used had also improved and was now sufficient to meet various unexpected needs.

The hosts were two specially invited movie stars. They were not too young, and while they had some clout in entertainment circles, it was not worth much, so they could host the invited guests without stealing their limelight.

The hosts were both slick old fellows, so they sung their chorus in unison to stir up the atmosphere, causing fans in the audience to cheer and wave their light sticks. The personages sitting in the front rows were tonight’s invited guests and at first glance, especially the first two rows, the stars were indeed shining brightly.

Nearly 80% of them were actual singers, while the remaining 20% ​​were also involved in the music industry in some way.

Overall, the atmosphere was a bit tricky.

This year’s popularity award was expected to be snatched by a dark horse that came in mid-way. From the beginning of summer, the rankings of the music scene had started to suffer some setbacks. First, Zhang Wenwei seemed to have been confidently in the lead, then Pan Yiming, who had disappeared from the music scene for a long time, shot to the sky and squeezed Zhang Wenwei into second place with both hands. However, when everyone thought the situation was finally settled, Luo Ding also came out.

Several of his songs swept the Internet without any dispute, and Zhang Wenwei, who had initially thought that he would win the award, only got third place in the end. As for the other singers who came in behind these three, there was simply no limelight left for them.

All those present were industry seniors who had been popular for many years and had accumulated a strong fan base, however, now they had been trampled by a hitherto unknown singer. To say that the situation was not embarrassing was impossible.

Especially Zhang Wenwei, he had it worst. It must have been dissatisfying to lose to Pan Yiming, but now he failed to even get second place.

However, in fact, these singers had very good relationship.

Pan Yiming was sitting on the left hand side of Zhang Wenwei, wearing a long silk dress, with light colors, exquisite makeup, and impeccable manners.

In front of beauties, even a mean man will be a bit more forgiving, not to mention that in Zhang Wenwei’s point of view, Pan Yiming was also another pitiful person who had also suffered a similar plight.

After the last guest wrapped up their performance, the sound of cheering lingered in the audience and it was time for Luo Ding to perform. Zhang Wenwei leaned over and gestured in Pan Yiming’s direction.

Pan Yiming looked at him with a grin.

Zhang Wenwei said, “Where did you say this Luo Ding fellow came from? This is just an EP and it is said that it is widely popular both at home and abroad. Is it just hype?”

Pan Yiming narrowed her lips and responded, “He’s talented.”

“I remember that you filmed an MV with him. Your MV was so popular in Japan, so his sales in Japan must be depending on your popularity.” Zhang Wenwei did not know whether this was a coincidence or not. He sighed and shook his head. “I didn’t expect that after only a few months, he directly pushed you down. His appetite is really not small.”

Knowing that the other party was still unwilling to believe in Luo Ding’s talent, Pan Yiming didn’t explain much. The longer you stay in the entertainment circle, the more sophisticated your conspiracy theories will be. Zhang Wenwei was not to be blamed for this. If Luo Ding was not her friend, subconsciously, she would also have probably also maliciously speculated about his intentions.  

But those who are capable will not be neglected no matter where they go.

On stage, the host had only mentioned the word “newcomer” when sudden cheers from the audience almost overturned the roof.

All the artists in the front row looked back subconsciously. The auditorium was facing the center and the area occupied by blue light sticks was incredible. At this moment, they were all waving hard. It was unknown where the fans had found such enthusiasm.  

All the artists were a bit envious, because fan support only made idols appear more awesome in front of others.

Zhang Wenwei glanced back. His gaze was still a little unwilling, but he didn’t talk anymore.

The host seemed a little startled and waited for the cheers to stop slowly before joking while laughing: “Oh my God, this is really the best cheer I have heard tonight. Are you so sure that I am talking about the person you are expecting? Who is it?! Indeed, he is the only newcomer to become a finalist this year! “Although his tone was lighthearted, his attitude was serious. Sales could be faked, and data could be falsified, but no matter how much money was on offer, paid fans could not imitate the enthusiasm of genuine fans.

The host also now had a brand new understanding of Luo Ding’s popularity.

“Okay! I dare not let everyone wait for a long time. I’m afraid that if I drag this on, everyone will throw their shoes at my face.” The host laughed, waved his arm and pointed at the screen. Let’s welcome Luo Ding, the winner of this year’s popular singer award to bring you his new song! “

Although it was a slow song “Worry” that won the award, for the final live performance, Luo Ding and Gu Yaxing deliberated for a long time, and settled on “Dream”.

The stage was too big, and the venue was not fully filled but fans were very excited. On such an occasion, a simple slow song could not suppress the atmosphere. This was Luo Ding’s first award show. The more intense the music and the more provocative the dance, the hotter the live interaction will be and likewise, the more his impressive his performance.

Dance was his strength, and the physical strength he had built up while preparing for filming had also caused him to feel stronger than before. Although singing while dancing was a bit tiring, it was not particularly difficult.

The roof of the auditorium was really about to be overturned. The fans were screaming wildly, such that even onlookers could not help but swell with passion.

The rhythm of the music slowly suppressed the high-pitched screams, a large number of backing dancers spun out from backstage, the lights flickered on and off, and as the song’s intro approached the end of the drum beat, Luo Ding jumped out from the stage’s lift platform!

His landing posture was perfect and impeccable. He lowered his head and pressed his one hand against his headset handsomely. When the lights hit his face, he slowly raised his head.

The big screen showed his sharp eyes pointedly staring at the auditorium in real time.

A killing glance!

Fans were about to faint. Other than crazily screaming Luo Ding’s name, they had no idea what else to do. Even the fan support teams for other guests around Luo Ding’s fans were very excited. When they saw Luo Ding’s gaze, they couldn’t help but scream a few times.

Even before his voice was heard, the atmosphere was already hot.

Luo Ding knew how to look his best on stage. At this moment, he combined this innate advantage with his acquired experience into an impeccable performance. No one understood where his momentum came from, but with a glance at the stage one could easily find him as he was the most dazzling person there.

The dance moves of the live show were not very complicated. Thus, whether the choreography looked good depended entirely on the dancer’s skills and understanding. Luo Ding was thin. He had a thin waist and long legs, and his skin was fair. He already had the most suitable body type for the big screen. In addition, his dance moves were extremely powerful. He was twice as relaxed and confident as the accompanying dancers. The effect on stage was no worse than the actual performance in the MV, which made people feel the oppression of being attacked face to face even more clearly.

His silky singing voice slowly flowed out from the speakers. A performance of this intensity will naturally not be as impeccable as a quiet recording. But this was the benefit of dance music. Every word that bit into the beat sounded even more exciting. His breathless singing also caused people to not wonder whether he was truly singing. For a moment, even those who were sitting in the seats reserved for singers and who had been prepared to criticize him had nothing to say, let alone the fans in the audience who were about to lose their minds.

There was definitely a reason for “Dream’s” popularity. The highly inspiring accompaniment, the meaningful and positive lyrics, and Luo Ding’s dance interpretations, all combined together, created a high-end, divine, brainwashing tune.

A young man full of dreams longed to stand on stage, and through all his efforts and his lack of fear of hardships, he finally achieved success.

The meaning of the lyrics combined with the dazzling youth who stood in the center of the stage filled fans with so much excitement and emotion that they could only cry at the end.

“Luo Ding !!! Luo Ding !!!”

“I love you!!!!!!!”

As the music on the stage drew to a close, the dancers quickly shortened the distance between each other. Luo Ding leaped to the middle, sang the last note, lowered his head, and slowly raised it again.

His sharp eyes gradually took on a smile.

The hair on his forehead was damp with sweat and clung to his skin. With the eye makeup that seemed to also be thickened by sweat, he was extremely sexy.

“I love you all.” He gasped, stopped singing, gazed at the area within the audience where his fans had gathered, and bowed deeply, “Thank you.”

Ah ah ah ah ah!!!!!! Luo Ding!!! Luo Ding!!!”

“Luo Ding !!!!!!!!!”

“Luo Ding !!!!!!!!!”

Their voices were already hoarse, but everyone was still shouting his name. Tears and sweat were gushing out involuntarily.  Except for crying and shouting, their heads were blank. It took a while for even the host to find his voice. As he tried to start talking, he was not at all able to fight the deafening shouts at the venue without a microphone. Luo Ding noticed his embarrassment, stretched out his long fingers and tapped at a point on the center of the lips.

He smiled softly and said, “Everyone be quiet, okay?”

“Okayyy!!!!!!!”

After the last shout, the venue quickly became much quieter. Only those who were close to the audience could still hear the cries of the group that despite being extremely suppressed was still overflowing.

The corners of the mouths of the two hosts twitched and they looked at each other in shock. After so many years of attending various awards shows, Luo Ding’s segment was simply the most fierce and passionate one in their memory. Even onlookers like themselves had felt an urge to scream alongside the crowd.

This was the inflammatory nature of these fans.

For Luo Ding to win this popularity award, it was really not without reason.

“It must have been tiring to dance …” The hostess opened by saying something meaningless, and then suddenly came back to her senses. Barely able to look away from Luo Ding’s face, she laughed twice and said, “Oh my God, you can’t stand too close to me. Currently newcomers are really terrific. I’m afraid can barely resist pouncing on them.”

What she said was not entirely a joke. After dancing, the sweaty young man was handsome and dazzling. It was fine when she looked from a distance but up close the light texture of the thin layer of sweat was just too attractive.

She had resisted the urge to reach out to touch his skin, so in a voice that was softer than the other host she asked: “Do you want to say something to everyone?”

Luo Ding’s breathing was still not even. He was silent for a while. His eyes blinked and through the large live broadcast screen, the shadows cast by the eyelashes appeared fragile.

“It’s been a very hard journey,” Luo Ding said softly, and slowly raised his eyes and swept through the auditorium. “You gave me all this, thank you.”

The sound of crying was louder, but no one screamed. Most people had covered their mouths with one hand and waved their light stick to signal that they had heard him.

The youth on the stage and the fans in the auditorium looked at each other for a long time through the lens of the camera.

The ratings of live broadcast began to rise rapidly after Luo Ding appeared.

With this first award show, Luo Ding had appeared for the first time in front of the audience before his two projects aired. Professional camera work and high-definition equipment had retained the live broadcast atmosphere as much as possible. Thus, this scene will also be permanently preserved, becoming a milestone on his journey to fame.

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[1] A long night fraught with bad dreams meaning undue delay may bring trouble.; A long delay may give rise to many a hitch.; A long delay means many hitches.;

[2] Meaning to try to gain an advantage only to end up worse off

[3] I assume its this chuan character

[4] rén wǎng gāo chù zǒu shuǐ wǎng dī chù liú  (人往高处走，水往低处流)i.e “people go to higher places and water flows to lower places” –  Meaning that “good employees will switch to better paying companies if they can.

[5] not to know the immensity of heaven and earth — have an exaggerated opinion of one’s abilities; not to understand things

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Translator Notes:

Su Shengbai’s mask falls off publicly. Luo Ding appears to have started to break of any pretense of relations. Good. Everything is coming together nicely.

Thank you Martha and Kofi Supporter A for your donations via Kofi. Your gifts serve as fuel every time I unduly delay. 😀

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