The people put the matter about Jin Liwei's mysterious fiancée aside when the music awards officially started. The male and female hosts appeared on stage together with much pomp and circumstance. Their opening dialogue hyped the audience for the upcoming performances, and of course, the much-anticipated presenting of the awards later in the evening.
"We want to congratulate all of the nominees because just the fact that you're nominated is already a big achievement. There are many artists who are dreaming to be in your position. Being nominated means that you're all the best of the best. You should feel proud of yourselves," the female host said.
"Yes, very true," the male host agreed. "Regardless of whether you win or not tonight, you're all great and talented musicians that deserve our respect and congratulations. We wish you the best of luck!"
The opening act was by a popular boy band. Their high energy performance set the awards ceremony on the right note.
Everyone was having fun. Loud cheers arose from the audience whenever their favourite celebrities' reactions were shown on the big screens during the performances.
Jin Chonglin was seen sitting together with his older brother Jin Liwei on the very front row. They had the best seats directly in front of the stage. Excited and crazed screams almost drowned the current performance on the stage when both the brothers were shown on the big screens at the same time.
Just one of them was already enough to make their panties wet, but two of them together? Oh, how soaked their poor panties felt!
The current performer thought that the audience was cheering for him. Feeling excited, he performed even harder.
Since this was an important music awards, the productions of each of the performances were all lavish and spectacular. The performing artists, most of them also nominees themselves, brought their A-game. They wanted to be the most memorable performers of the night. This was an opportunity to boost their fame to greater heights.
During the commercial breaks in between the performances, the general audience's attention shifted from the stage to the celebrities sitting at the very front. They fangirled and fanboyed.
"Oh, it sounds like you didn't check her blog. She posted earlier that she's in a dressing room backstage preparing for her upcoming performance," Zhou Mei'er (a.k.a. CaptainBlackStar) told her comrade.
"Big Sister, look! The four Aunties are sitting right there!" Ming Li (a.k.a. LittlePhoenix) exclaimed while pointing at the front seats where the celebrities, socialites and other important figures sat.
Her fellow Black Stars followed the direction her finger was pointing at. And indeed, the four posh ladies were sitting at the best seats. Feng Wan and her three friends Si Xinyue, Bai Li and Kung Mian, all sat at the very front on the same row as the Jin brothers.
The Black Stars all looked shocked, delighted, envious and bewildered at the same time. They knew that the four posh ladies were rich just based on their appearances and bearing, but they never could have imagined that they were at such a level to be assigned seats beside the VVIPs like Jin Liwei. Even a big celebrity like Jin Chonglin was only given a seat at the very front this year because of his older brother.
But these feelings were all drowned by pride at seeing their fellow Black Stars sitting with the stars. Especially since Feng Wan and her three friends were all wearing black suits just like them. Granted, the posh ladies' suits were tailored and probably insanely expensive but it still showed everyone their allegiance to the Black Stars and of course to their Boss Iris.
When the commercial ended, the hosts stood on a mini-stage in another part of the arena. They began introducing the next act.
Male host: "When this next performer made her comeback after disappearing for two years, she took the music industry by storm, climbing fiercely up the music charts with her beautiful music that flows straight into our hearts. She disappeared again for a brief period before making her second comeback, successfully topping the charts even at this very moment."
The Black Stars started cheering, instantly knowing who the hosts were talking about.
Female host: "Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, she continues to amaze us with her unbelievable musical talent every time she makes a comeback. It's no wonder that she has received the most award nominations for tonight. I think you already know who's performing next."
Both: "IRIS LONG!!!"
Deafening cheers and applause.
The main stage was in complete darkness. The audience lowered their noise volume in order to concentrate on this much-anticipated performance.
In the front row seats, Jin Liwei knew immediately when his baby girl stepped on the stage. Even though he couldn't see her just yet because of the darkness, he felt her presence like a magnetic force.
A loud click and the spotlight hit the back-most part of the stage, showing the grand symphony orchestra in their full glory. The conductor waved his hands and the musicians all moved their instruments in ready-to-play positions. Their movements were so synchronized that it elicited cheers from the audience.
Another set of spotlights lit up the two sides of the stage. It showed a group of perfectly lined up people wearing long black hooded capes.
The symphony orchestra started playing a foreboding opening tune. Then the hooded people started marching slowly from the opposite sides of the stage towards the centre. All of them started humming loudly together, producing a dark vocal choir melody that raised the hair of the people listening.
"This is kinda creepy but so amazing…" an audience member commented under his breath.
Then a louder, more distinct and familiar voice began to hum on top of the eerie choir. The female voice sounded beautiful and powerful yet also mournful and fragile at the same time.
Everyone gasped at what they saw.
Their line of vision which was originally looking at the stage floor now shifted up to the air high above the symphony orchestra and the hooded choir.