Chapter 80: "Regret"

As Bai Yufei stepped onto the stage to present the award, Zhang Yuan's eyes widened as she stared fixedly at her, clearly full of anticipation. It was obvious Zhang Yuan was fervently hoping to hear her own name announced by Bai Yufei as the winner.

Bai Yufei's movements on the stage were poised and graceful, every gesture radiating personal charm. She was the type who, no matter where she was, always aimed to be among the very best. This drive had enabled her to transition from the film industry to the music world, achieving remarkable success in both. Her personality was inseparable from her achievements—whatever she did, she strove to be number one.

Bai Yufei began following the ceremony’s protocol, introducing the four nominees.

As she did so, the breaths of many in the audience seemed to catch; one could see at a glance how tense everyone was. This award was the most prestigious so far, and to any individual, winning it meant gaining top-tier benefits.

Most of them belonged to their own small circles—one person's win would bring considerable gains to their entire group. Such alliances were common in the entertainment industry, a perfectly normal occurrence. Even in the world Zhang Yuan had known before, similar cliques had existed, sometimes even giving rise to scandals.

Nominee: Wu Yingying
Nominee: Chen Yi
Nominee: Yu Wu
Nominee: Zhang Yuan

Every time a nominee’s photo appeared on the big screen, applause would erupt from the audience.

When the final nominee, Zhang Yuan, appeared on the screen, her heart tightened with anxiety. She was the fourth to be introduced, which meant Bai Yufei would soon announce the Best Female Singer. The atmosphere reached a fever pitch.

Meanwhile, the live broadcast's chat was flooded with comments, fans frantically cheering for their idols.

“Yingying, I've been waiting so long for you to win Best Female Singer—can you please get it this time?”

“Sis Ying, go for it! Win that Best Female Singer!”

“Yu Wu, you’ve got this! This year is yours!”

“This award belongs to our Chen Yi! Who else could possibly take it?”

“Just quietly popping in—Zhang Yuan, go! May a dark horse miracle happen!”

“Who does your Chen Yi think she is, daring to compete with our Yingying?”

“I second that—Best Female Singer is ours this year.”

Though the winner hadn’t been announced, the chat was already ablaze with arguments, the fans even more anxious than their idols.

“I hereby declare the winner of this year’s Chinese Golden Melody Award for Best Female Singer is…” After all four nominees had been introduced, Bai Yufei prepared to reveal the recipient.

She opened the envelope with the winner’s name, glanced at it, and then closed it again.

At that moment, Zhang Yuan was so tense she could hardly breathe. No female singer would not want this award—Zhang Yuan was no exception. She knew her chances were slim, but hope, even if slight, is always there.

“I announce the winner of this year’s Chinese Golden Melody Award for Best Female Singer is Yu Wu—congratulations to Yu Wu!” As Bai Yufei spoke, the result was revealed.

Zhang Yuan’s anxiety vanished, replaced by a faint sense of disappointment and regret, but mostly by relief. Before the result, she’d been on edge; now that it was over, she found herself letting go.

This is often the way of things in life—once the result is known, it no longer matters so much.

Zhang Yuan encouraged herself: “It’s alright, you’re still young. There’s always next time. If you keep at it, you’ll outlast them all.”

After her little pep talk, Zhang Yuan felt much calmer. Just then, her phone lit up with a new unread message on WeChat.

“Huh? Who’s this from?” She checked her contacts to see who had messaged her at this moment.

When she opened it, a smile tugged at the corner of her lips.

The sender's name was Zhou Xiaoran.

It turned out Zhou Ran had sent the message right after Bai Yufei announced the winner, specifically to comfort Zhang Yuan.

Zhou Ran had thought, since Zhang Yuan cared so much about the award, she might be feeling a bit down, so he’d sent a message to cheer her up—just doing what he could.

There weren’t many words in that message, just a few simple lines.

“Oh, my dear Yuan, don’t be sad! It’s just an award. Next year, we’ll try again. If need be, I’ll help you!”

Reading Zhou Ran’s message, all Zhang Yuan’s lingering disappointment and sadness melted away, replaced by laughter.

“Hahaha, alright, it’s a deal! Next year, you’ll have to write a song for me and help me win an award! A gentleman’s word is his bond—you can’t take it back!”

She replied at once, her spirits instantly lifted—after all, she’d just managed to score a few songs from Zhou Ran for free.

“Wait… why does this feel a bit off?” Zhou Ran, sitting in the audience at the awards ceremony, read her reply and felt momentarily reassured—his goal had been achieved.

But a moment later, he realized something was amiss. He’d somehow talked himself into writing songs for Zhang Yuan for nothing.

Still, after thinking it over, he didn’t mind much. It was already part of his plan to write for others, after all.