Chapter 137: So It Was Them

A small detail, however, did not attract much thought. Everyone simply assumed it was a switching error by the broadcast director.

The ceremony had been going on for nearly two hours. Once Jiang Yan finished her acceptance speech and stepped off the stage, it was time for a scheduled intermission. After exchanging greetings with those around him, Lu Yuanqing pulled Su Chen toward the smoking area to chat.

"Su Chen, you need to prepare your acceptance speech."

"The Best Composer award is coming up right after the break. This award is definitely yours!" Lu Yuanqing pulled out a cigarette, took a drag, and said with a smile. Having spent several months with Su Chen, he knew Su Chen didn't smoke, so he didn't offer him one.

Su Chen shook his head but remained silent.

"What’s wrong? You don't believe me?" Seeing Su Chen’s reaction, Lu Yuanqing’s eyes widened.

"It’s not that, it’s just..." Before Su Chen could finish, Lu Yuanqing interrupted him.

"You’re a newcomer, so you might not fully understand; the Golden Melody Awards are, at the end of the day, centered on the songs themselves."

"Although the biggest awards are for Best Male and Female Singer, in the eyes of many, the Best Composer award is just as important."

"Because, after all, there have to be good songs first before they can be sung!"

"According to past experience, the composer behind the winning song for Best Male or Female Singer is almost always the recipient of the Best Composer award. It’s practically a done deal."

"Wait, I thought I told you this before?" As he spoke, Lu Yuanqing realized he was repeating himself to Su Chen.

Su Chen smiled helplessly. "Brother Qing, let me finish!"

"Alright, alright, go ahead!" Lu Yuanqing immediately gestured for Su Chen to speak.

Su Chen organized his thoughts and said in a slightly low voice, "I feel like things might be a bit precarious this time!"

"Hm? How so?" Lu Yuanqing paused, looking at Su Chen in confusion.

Once Su Chen finished analyzing the situation regarding the seat label and the camera shots, Lu Yuanqing’s brows furrowed.

"The camera shot, I think it’s understandable to call that a mistake."

"But the seat swapping you mentioned is indeed suspicious!"

"If someone really did that intentionally, once you sit in that seat, you might truly offend the singer who swapped with you."

"I know the person you swapped with; they are quite petty, and they might try to trip you up later!" Lu Yuanqing said, then looked at Su Chen with doubt. "But do you think it could just be a coincidence? Are you overthinking it?"

"You shouldn't have any enemies, right?"

Su Chen smiled bitterly and shook his head. Since he had transmigrated, he had kept a very low profile. He truly didn't have anyone he had severely crossed.

"I do know that Imperial Entertainment and Jiang Yan’s company don't get along."

"But even if they were to pull some strings, it would be directed at Jiang Yan; it shouldn't affect you, right?"

Hm? Su Chen’s body stiffened slightly. "Who did you say?"

"Imperial Entertainment?" Lu Yuanqing noticed Su Chen's reaction and found it strange.

"Yeah, every year, the Golden Melody Awards are sponsored by an entertainment company."

"Even though they aren't the organizers, they exercise most of the organizers' powers. Besides the final list of winners, they participate in every other aspect!"

"This year's sponsor for the Golden Melody Awards is Imperial Entertainment."

After saying this, Lu Yuanqing leaned in closer and whispered to Su Chen, "The official line is that they don't participate in the judging, but to be honest, they still have a little bit of influence."

"I was actually worried that Jiang Yan’s Best Female Singer award would be affected. Seeing her win it now, I feel much more relieved. It must have been the result of a power struggle between Jiang Yan's company and them."

Having heard Lu Yuanqing’s words and combined them with his previous suspicions, Su Chen instantly grasped the crux of the problem.

Imperial Entertainment—they really were like ghosts that wouldn't go away! Since he had transmigrated, he had almost no dealings with them, except for that chart-topping incident a while back.

Just because of that? They were far too vindictive! They really wouldn't miss any opportunity to suppress him!

Thinking of Chen Qianyang’s previous actions, Su Chen’s expression suddenly turned strange. Could what Chen Qianyang did be considered indirectly ruining Imperial Entertainment’s plans?

"I was wondering where you two had run off to!"

"So you were hiding here smoking!"

"Cough, cough, cough! It’s choking me! Put it out!" Just then, Jiang Yan’s voice drifted over. "What are you two whispering about?"

Lu Yuanqing took a deep drag, stubbed out his cigarette, tossed the butt into the disposal bin, and then recounted what Su Chen had told him.

"Hm? Your issues with Imperial Entertainment aren't over yet?" Jiang Yan immediately sensed that this might be the reason.

"What history does Su Chen have with Imperial Entertainment?" Lu Yuanqing asked curiously.

Jiang Yan shot him a look, then explained how Su Chen had previously signed with Imperial Entertainment. She knew very little, mostly just information she had gathered from Wen Yan—basically that Su Chen had signed with them while at Jiang Art, and later terminated the contract due to vocal problems.

"So that’s what happened."

"I used to lament that it was a pity you weren't in front of the camera with your looks! So that was the reason!" Lu Yuanqing exclaimed after hearing the explanation.

"Your business isn't finished yet?" Jiang Yan repeated.

"Yeah, that whole affair was quite complicated," Su Chen replied in a low voice.

Jiang Yan wanted to ask more, but Lu Yuanqing gave her a look, and she stopped. Probing into others' private matters wasn't polite, and Lu Yuanqing was very tactful in that regard.

"If that's the case, then the upcoming award ceremony might..." Jiang Yan said with some concern. Her company was constantly at odds with Imperial Entertainment; she knew their tactics and methods best—they would stop at nothing, no matter how underhanded.

"Don't worry, I'll handle it!" Before Jiang Yan could finish, Su Chen responded with a smile.

Seeing this, Jiang Yan and Lu Yuanqing said nothing more.

Twenty minutes later, the ceremony resumed. After a few more awards were presented, it finally reached the segment for Best Composer of the Year. As per custom, the hosts were swapped for two other singers.

"Alright, now we move on to another one of our important awards!"

"Although the Best Singer award is what everyone is chasing, in my opinion, the Best Composer is just as important!" Li Kang held the microphone and began the introductory remarks.

"Why is that?" His co-host was also a singer, named Yu Yixin.

"Because the composers are our 'Song Masters'! Without songs, how would we sing?" This drew a round of applause from the audience. As a singer himself, he shared common ground with the performers below.

"That’s true, I suppose!" Yu Yixin agreed.

"There have been many excellent songs this year."

"For example, 'Flight,' 'A Thousand Songs,' and 'Decency.'"

"I’ve listened to each of them more than ten times."

"Which one is your favorite?"