Huayu: This top star doesn't play by the rules.

In early August, the 9th Chinese Golden Melody Awards ceremony was held as scheduled at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai.

Today, Chen Chao appeared on the red carpet in a dark gray custom-made suit. As a celebrity who has been very popular recently, his appearance naturally attracted the flashes and screams of the media.

"Chen Chao! Look this way!"

"Achao—!"

The screams of fans rose and fell, and Chen Chao, with a gentle smile on his face, waved to both sides and walked across the red carpet at a leisurely pace.

Occasionally, when a reporter shouts "Look here!", he will stop for a moment, glancing at the camera with a nonchalant and relaxed air.

When Chen Chao arrived at the interview area, the host handed him the microphone. "Hello, Chen Chao, you've received four nominations for your first Golden Melody Awards. How are you feeling?"

"I'm very nervous." Chen Chao said with a smile as he took the microphone from the host. "My palms are sweating, but I'm honored to be here. It doesn't matter whether I win an award or not. Of course, it would be even better if I could win one."

"Many music critics have called 'Love Letter' the strongest debut album in the last five years. What's your opinion on that?"

"It's all thanks to everyone's kindness," Chen Chao said with a smile and a slight bow. "I'm very happy that everyone likes my songs."

His words were perfectly measured, neither arrogant nor overly modest, and after asking a few more questions, the host let him in.

After entering the inner area, Chen Chao had just turned the corner in the corridor when someone gently tapped him on the shoulder from behind. "Chao!"

Turning around at the sound, Chen Chao was immediately greeted by his good friend Lu Han, who was wearing a white suit and had medium-length blond hair.

"Brother Lu?" Chen Chao was genuinely surprised to see Lu Han here. "You're here tonight too?"

"Since I had nothing else to do, I came over to support you." Lu Han put his arm around Chen Chao's shoulder and said in a low voice, "I just came from the red carpet and saw you being interviewed. What you said was indeed impeccable, not bad."

"Of course~" Chen Chao replied with a smug smile, raising his head slightly.

The two walked arm in arm toward the inner area, and occasionally passing artists couldn't help but cast curious or scrutinizing glances at Chen Chao.

After all, it's quite remarkable that a newcomer who has been in the industry for less than two years already has four nominations and such a close relationship with Lu Han.

.........

The first award presented was Best Mandarin Male Newcomer of the Year. When the host announced Chen Chao's name, neither he nor anyone else present was surprised, after all, the album "Love Letter" was indeed very strong.

But as he stood up, Chen Chao couldn't help but take a deep breath. As he passed Lu Han, he stood up and gave him a hug, patting him hard on the back. "Don't be nervous on stage, just say a few words."

Nodding, Chen Chao walked onto the stage, accepted the trophy from the presenter, and received enthusiastic applause from the audience as he raised the trophy.

After the applause subsided, he leaned closer to the microphone and said, "Thank you to the Chinese Golden Melody Awards, and thank you to everyone who has heard 'Love Letter.' This is my first award. Receiving this award is not only an affirmation of my work, but also an encouragement and motivation for me. I will work even harder in the future to create better songs. Thank you."

After the Best Newcomer Award, several other awards were presented, and then it was the turn of the Best Mandarin Album of the Year, which was once again won by Chen Chao. In addition, he was also nominated for the Top Ten Mandarin Albums and the Top Ten Mandarin Songs.

Winning two awards in one night, and being nominated for the Top Ten Chinese Albums and Top Ten Chinese Golden Songs, Chen Chao became the most dazzling person at the Golden Melody Awards that night.

When he appeared in the backstage interview area, the reporters with interview privileges practically wanted to shove microphones into his mouth.

When asked by reporters about his creative work, film and television works, and future plans, Chen Chao answered fluently and occasionally threw out a joke that made everyone laugh.

After the awards ceremony, the organizers arranged a small cocktail party, and Chen Chao followed Lu Han with champagne, getting to know many people in the music industry.

There were producers, veteran singers, and executives from music platforms, all shaking his hand with smiles. This inevitably reminded Chen Chao of something Huang Bo once said: "When you succeed, everyone around you is a good person."

After returning to his hotel from the party, Chen Chao turned his phone back on and found that many people had sent him messages.

The first message that caught Chen Chao's eye was from a certain Lin Gou: "Great job, A Chao, from now on we should call you a big star. Remember to save me front-row tickets for your concerts in the future."

Then came a message from Wang Sicong: "Great, it wasn't a waste of money investing in you. Let me know in advance when you release your next album, and I'll buy you a few hundred copies."

Besides them, Deng Chao and Chen He, Chen Chao's female friends also sent him messages. Zhao Liying sent a text message with a clapping emoji: "I knew you could do it. You're a good actor and a good singer. Keep it up."

Li Qin sent a long voice message: "Congratulations, Achao! I knew you could do it! I watched the live stream, and your outfit today was so cool..."

As for Li Yitong, she directly video-called him. In the video, she was wearing loose pajamas, nestled on the hotel bed, holding up her phone and smiling broadly. "Teacher Chen Chao is amazing! He actually won two awards! Should we send him a red envelope to celebrate together...?"

Meng Ziyi also chose to make a video call with Chen Chao. Unlike the mischievous little cat who likes to banter with Chen Chao, Sister Meng showed more of her clingy side, chatting with him for a long time before ending the video call.

............

Two days later, on the way back to the film crew in Qingdao from Hong Kong, Ji Ran also took the time to report some recent developments to Chen Chao.

"Bulgari has officially sent a letter saying they want to promote you from brand ambassador to brand friend, and the official announcement will be made next week."

"In addition, three other high-end luxury brands are in contact with us, one each in automobiles, watches, and leather goods. They all want to give you a very high title, and their offers are quite good."

"The sales of the physical album 'Love Letter' have increased again thanks to the Golden Melody Awards, and 'Coffee,' which you collaborated on with Lu Han, has also returned to the top ten of the hot songs chart, and the streaming data is also constantly growing."

The more Ji Ran talked, the more excited he became. He looked up at Chen Chao and said with great certainty, "Chao, you are now considered a top-tier artist among the new generation. You are a triple threat in film, television, and music, with works, reputation, and national recognition."