Chapter 136: Forgot the Lines

Lin Chuan won an award.

Walking on air, he rose to his feet, stepped onto the red carpet, and made his way up to the stage step by step under the gaze of everyone present.

This was his second time taking the awards stage today, yet his feelings were entirely different.

The first time he went up, he performed "Where Did the Time Go." He had felt quite calm, with perhaps only a touch of nervousness—nothing more. To claim he wasn't nervous when facing so many stars and veterans seated in the audience would simply be a lie.

This time, Lin Chuan was equally nervous, but excitement outweighed everything else. Receiving an award! For someone like Lin Chuan, a newcomer who had debuted only a few months ago yet now stood on such a grand stage to accept an award, the immense pressure struck him instantly.

At this moment, all eyes were focused on him—whether it was the hosts on stage, Teacher Chen Dong, or Teacher Zhou Qingming.

Whether it was the numerous celebrities in the audience or the fans holding up light boards in the back and shouting his name at the top of their lungs, everyone's attention was fixed upon him.

Taking a deep breath, Lin Chuan tried his best to steady his emotions, walked slowly toward the two veteran teachers, and bowed deeply.

The award Lin Chuan had won bore titles such as "Most Engaging Television Song," "Most Popular Interlude," and "Top Ten Television Golden Melodies."

A single song, "Farewell Poem," had swept three awards in one fell swoop. This was neither a miracle nor a myth; such occurrences had happened before, though they were exceedingly rare.

Standing on the stage, Lin Chuan's mind was still somewhat dazed. Just moments ago, he had thought he was out of the running, believing that any awards tonight would have nothing to do with him.

Yet... happiness had arrived far too suddenly. Just when he had abandoned all hope, his name was called, and he had even received nominations for three separate awards.

Teacher Chen Dong smiled faintly, his eyes filled with appreciation. He had always held this young man in high regard, and naturally, Lin Chuan had not disappointed him.

"Well, young, talented, and with a boundless future, my boy," Zhou Qingming said with a warm smile, nodding as he looked him up and down.

Lin Chuan offered a modest smile. "Teacher Zhou, you flatter me."

After a few polite remarks, none of them wished to waste any more time. After all, this was no ordinary place, and with so many people waiting in the audience, how could they linger in idle chatter?

At that moment, the giant screen behind them began playing a clip from *Loyal Heroes of Illustrious Families*, showing the fifth Han brother locked in fierce combat on the battlefield, accompanied by the strains of "Farewell Poem."

The presentation ceremony officially commenced. A rather plump, middle-aged man walked onto the stage with a beaming smile, followed by two etiquette hostesses, each holding a tray.

Approaching Lin Chuan, the middle-aged man shook his hand warmly. Then, the host on the side began speaking rapidly.

As for what was actually said, Lin Chuan failed to retain it—or rather, he hadn't heard it at all, for his attention was completely captivated by the two etiquette hostesses.

Well... no, to be precise, he was captivated by the trays they held.

A gleaming golden trophy and two gold-rimmed certificates.

When the middle-aged man handed these items over, Lin Chuan felt a sudden, heavy sinking in his hands, almost failing to hold onto them... They were so heavy.

It wasn't the physical weight, but rather the honor and recognition they represented that felt truly monumental to Lin Chuan.

Immediately afterward, the middle-aged man, Teacher Chen Dong, and Teacher Zhou Qingming stood on either side of Lin Chuan. Numerous reporters in the audience frantically pressed their camera shutters, flashes blinking incessantly.

When all of this concluded, Lin Chuan prepared to step down. The awards had been collected; why stay if not to leave? Did he expect them to chase him off?

However, just as he was about to turn—before he had even made the pivot—the host approached him.

"Mr. Lin Chuan, congratulations! Winning three awards all by yourself. At this thrilling moment, is there anything you would like to say?"

Anything to say? An acceptance speech? Of course there was! Before coming here, Lin Chuan had rehearsed this scenario in his mind more than once and had even crafted a deeply moving acceptance speech for himself...

Yet, the moment he raised the microphone and parted his lips to speak, no sound emerged. Had he suffered a mental blank?

Indeed, Lin Chuan had forgotten his lines.

At that very moment, holding the trophy and certificates in his arms while facing the sea of celebrities and fans in the audience, his mind went completely blank. Not a single word of the speech he had meticulously prepared remained.

Giving a soft laugh, he tried his best to mask his awkwardness, forgetting for a moment that he was merely a singer, not an actor.

How could all his clumsiness and concealment escape the sharp eyes of those veteran actors? The first to chuckle at the sight were Director Chen and Editor Huang, seated closest to the stage.

They were soon followed by Mu Qing, Teacher Chen Dong, Teacher Zhou Qingming, and several other unfamiliar celebrities.

"Um... to be able to receive this award today, I am deeply moved. Well... I want to thank my agency, I want to thank my discoverer, Director Chen, as well as Teacher Chen Dong who has given me support and help in the past, and..."

Just like that, Lin Chuan rattled off the names of everyone he could think of who had ever helped him, regardless of whether they were present at the venue or watching the live broadcast, rambling on in a dizzy blur...

The host, Li Su, at first stood by quietly and listened. But when Lin Chuan had already named over a dozen people to thank and showed no signs of stopping, the host could no longer maintain his composure.

Taking advantage of a brief pause when Lin Chuan seemed to be pondering who else he might have missed, the host stepped in swiftly.

"Ha-ha, it's easy to see that Mr. Lin Chuan is very nervous. And understandably so, considering he is a newcomer who has just recently debuted. To stand on this stage and sweep three theme song awards—that is no small honor... But on the other hand, every single one of Mr. Lin Chuan's songs is a classic. To mention just one, that song we heard earlier, *Where Did the Time Go*, is a truly rare masterpiece..."

The host skillfully rescued the situation while taking the opportunity to shower Lin Chuan with further praise.

As he walked off the stage holding his trophy and certificates, Lin Chuan remained in a daze... Ah, despite usually appearing low-key and relatively composed, once confronted with such a grand spectacle, he was bound to lose his footing just like anyone else.

This went to show that Lin Chuan's experience and exposure in handling such major events were still severely lacking.