Teacher Liang calmed down as well. "You’re right. If this doesn’t work out, we can just try again next year. But I’m really not used to wearing clothes like this. It feels so restrictive, and the collar is way too tight. I feel like I can’t breathe."

"It’s just your imagination," Tang Li said, linking her arm through Teacher Liang’s. "I think it’s because your soul is so free and untamable, Teacher Liang. You can’t stand being restrained, physically or spiritually."

"You’re the one who gets me," Teacher Liang sighed. "Thank goodness this is only once a year."

"But then again, someone as talented as you must be the type who can’t stand being tied down either..."

Tang Li quickly objected, "What talent? There are tons of people more talented than I am..."

Old Liang’s eyes widened. "Is this what they call ’humblebragging’ online? That’s the biggest humblebrag I’ve ever heard."

Tang Li said, "Let’s hurry inside. It’s freezing out here. At least you’re in a three-piece suit. I’m just wearing a single fleece-lined top; I’m about to freeze to death."

Old Liang said smugly, "Heh heh, I even wore long johns. After all, I’m getting on in years. I learned the importance of staying warm a long time ago."

Despite his words, he quickened his pace to match Tang Li’s. The moment they entered the venue, their tense shoulders relaxed. Sister Hu was waiting with a wool coat and quickly bundled Tang Li up in it.

Tang Li sighed. "Walking the red carpet in winter is pure misery. Thank goodness I’m not a performer. You should go wait for Ye Qian. We can take care of ourselves."

Sister Hu quickly jogged over to wait by the banquet hall entrance. A manager has to dote on their own artist, after all, and Ye Qian was her cash cow.

The front row at the music awards ceremony was, of course, reserved for the various investors and bigwigs. Tang Li and Old Liang were seated right there in the front row. And why not? Tang Li was a shareholder in an entertainment company, after all. Besides, her reputation in the industry was soaring, so the organizers had naturally arranged a prime seat for her.

Old Liang leaned close to Tang Li. "I never thought I’d see the day I’d be sitting in the front row."

Tang Li replied, "It’s not that hard. We just have to produce an even better album next year."

Old Liang shuddered. "I’d like that too, but let’s take it one step at a time. Don’t give me too much at once. I need to catch my breath."

Tang Li smiled, her gaze lowered. "Alright. We’ll aim for slow and steady."

Every musician in attendance knew that for this year-end awards ceremony, the star of the show among the female artists was Ye Qian. The male artists all breathed a collective sigh of relief; after all, with the Ye Qian and Tang Li duo, their achievements were just too brilliant to compete with.

As for the other female singers, some were so jealous they were practically grinding their teeth to dust. While there were certainly those who genuinely loved the industry, many were in it for fame and fortune. Who didn’t want an award?

Watching Ye Qian give her acceptance speech on stage, one female singer remarked snidely, "I can’t believe she’s made such a comeback. She was divorced with a kid, her career had hit rock bottom, and now, look at her, a meteoric rise."

"It’s only because she found a powerful patron, isn’t it? What on earth does *she* see in her?"

"Who knows? Tell me, why did her patron have to be a woman?"

Ye Qian paid no mind to the gossip from the audience. She returned to her seat, gleefully clutching her trophy. Glancing one more time at Tang Li and Old Liang in the front row, Ye Qian lowered her gaze, her smile especially bright.

The final award was for Best Album of the Year. When he heard the host announce his name, Old Liang was still in a daze. Tang Li gave his arm a tug. "We’re up."

Old Liang quickly snapped out of it. "Oh, right! Li Zi, did we really win?"

"Of course. This glory belongs to us." It was the first time she had personally accepted an award meant for Tan You, and Tang Li was incredibly excited too. This was evident in the way she walked, her pace a little faster than usual.

"Yes, this glory belongs to us." Old Liang easily kept pace with Tang Li. "I’ve got to say, Li Zi, I don’t know why, but working with you just feels so effortless."

Tang Li gave him a sideways glance. "You were complaining the whole time about how hard it was before."

"The process was difficult, but the results are fantastic."

Chatting in low voices, the two of them soon made their way onto the awards stage. While practically everyone in the industry recognized Tang Li’s face, this was indeed her first time appearing on a stage to accept an award.

After taking the trophy from the host, Tang Li smiled and glanced at Old Liang. "You first?"

Old Liang was especially deferential. "No, you go ahead. I need to gather my thoughts."

Tang Li cleared her throat and glanced at Old Liang again. "Alright, I’ll go first then. The primary credit for this award goes to Teacher Liang. I’m completely tone-deaf, and yet I’m incredibly demanding. Aside from contributing the lyrics, the arrangement, demos, post-production, and everything else was handled single-handedly by Teacher Liang."

"You really worked hard on this collaboration, Teacher Liang."

Old Liang returned the compliment, raising his trophy. "It wasn’t hard work at all. I can handle much more. Our director has high standards, but as you can see, those high standards produce excellent results. It makes spending months in the recording studio, straining my voice to sing those sweet little pop songs, all worth it."

His and Tang Li’s witty banter quickly filled the venue with waves of laughter.

Old Liang continued, "The director is just being modest. She may be tone-deaf, but her dancing is absolutely incredible."

The artists who were in on the secret laughed even louder. After all, when Ye Qian first broke the news, no one could believe it. Who would have thought that such a sweet and adorable dance was actually performed by the cool, aloof Tang Li?

Tang Li wasn’t the least bit offended. "Life isn’t easy, so you’ve got to be multi-talented, don’t you? And it looks like our results aren’t half bad."

Her expression turned more serious as she spoke. "Thank you all for your support. We will continue to work hard in the future to produce even more outstanding albums."

Old Liang also smiled. "I look forward to our next collaboration, Director."

The two left the stage, trophies in hand, as the presentation for the Golden Melody of the Year awards began. It was already a huge accomplishment for a singer to have one hit song make the list in a year. But Ye Qian? She took up half of the top ten spots.

And they were all high up on the list, too. The results made the other singers smile wryly.

One male singer remarked, "Is this the talent of a top-tier screenwriter? She either stays quiet, or she comes out with a royal flush."

The singer next to him also sighed. "Thankfully, she only has a soft spot for Ye Qian. If she started doing this for other artists... I dread to think."

After the awards ceremony, everyone began to disperse. Ye Qian was clutching her trophies, looking like she was about to start jumping for joy. She jogged over to Tang Li. "Director, shall we head back together?"

"Can’t go back just yet. The company is waiting for us to start the celebration party," Tang Li said with a shrug. "Let’s go. I’ll give you a few days off to get into the right headspace. After all, you have to join the new film set in a few days."

Ye Qian’s excitement quickly faded. "Oh, that’s right. I’m starting on set soon."

She clenched her fists as she spoke. "Film Emperor Xie won the Best Actor award for his role in your production. If Teacher You wins an award too, then all the pressure will be on me. I can’t mess this up, or it will tarnish your reputation."

Tang Li said, "Don’t put so much pressure on yourself about winning or losing. You’re still young and have many years of acting ahead of you. Look at Film Emperor Xie and Teacher You Li. The number of productions they’ve starred in is probably greater than your age, right?"

"All told, you’ve only been in a handful of productions, right? Of course, it’s good to have lofty goals."