CH 106

Chapter 106 – The Best Is Together

I hope my little wish can come true.

Under Ling Yi’s guidance, the camera quickly turned towards the wronged Cheng Qiang, who “treated artists harshly.” Unable to figure out if he should laugh or cry at this moment, Cheng Qiang immediately said that they were going to have a party after the event. 

Having stopped crying on-stage now, Ling Yi took the microphone and spoke, while still sniffling a bit, “Then-then you’re the one who said it ah.”

Everyone laughed again.

As soon as Ling Yi finished his words, he stretched out his hand and gave the microphone to Lu Yuan, who hadn’t expected this. “I can also talk?”

The host laughed. “Everyone can talk ah, isn’t this the group award ma?”

Lu Yuan said with a smile, “I haven’t won an award for a long time, thank you all very much. As a matter of fact, how could I, back when I had just been set aside and then debuted, imagine that I would stand on this stage one day? So maybe that’s what a dream is ba; no matter what reality is, as long as you follow your dream and work hard, you will surely reach a place you couldn’t even imagine in the beginning.”

He passed the microphone to He Ziyan, at which point the host also chimed in, “In fact, Ziyan was also nominated for the best composer award, right? Isn’t it a bit of a pity you didn’t win?”

He Ziyan replied modestly, “No, no, I’m a novice who has just switched to composing, and I don’t even have any prior training, so I’m already very lucky just to be nominated. In fact, getting the group award is more fun than winning my own.” He restrained from cracking his usual jokes, and there was a sincere smile on his face. “It is my greatest honor to have a family that people can be so proud of.”

On hearing his words, the audience applauded, and many fans, who were holding lanterns, shed tears.

“Okay, then congratulations again to our Kaleido for winning the Group of the Year award!”

The six members held hands and bowed deeply to everyone again. This scene was captured on film by many fans, and it was the brightest moment these six boys had experienced so far.

The fans were the people who knew them best. Not everyone knew the criticism, cold reception, and repeated blows these six people had suffered along the way to here, but all of their fans had made note of it in their hearts. They had watched Kaleido blaze a trail through a thorny path filled with brambles, go from being a small group that had been ridiculed by tens of thousands of people when they had debuted to reach their present status today, step-by-step. They had watched as these six people faced defeat, only to crawl up again, cover each other’s wounds, and then continue fighting.

And they knew better than anyone that Kaleido deserved the glory of this moment.

Once they returned to their seats, the artists and friends all around them turned their heads, clapping and congratulating them. It was only then that Fang Juexia, who was in a trance, understood that the feeling of having won an award was a reality. 

This heavy golden trophy held different meanings for each of the six people. At least, for Fang Juexia, it meant an open door, signifying that his long dark corridor had come to an end.

Beyond the door stood his five bandmates, as well as the colorful kaleidoscope of the whole wide world.

After the award for Best Group of the Year, they entered the section for the smaller awards. After the awards for Best Song in a Dialect and Best Folk Song were presented, another award for creation was ushered-in—the Best Lyrics of the Year award.

The award presenter was an influential American music producer, both at home and abroad. He was straightforward and generous, not speaking too much when he came onstage and directly announcing the nominees. 

He Ziyan, seated on the far left, started clapping. “Here it comes, here it comes, here comes Xiao Pei.”

“God bless me, let me win for once.” Lu Yuan began to worship Bodhisattvas.

Ling Yi grabbed Jiang Miao’s arm. “I’m so nervous that I want to go to the bathroom, Miao Ge.”

“Bear with it ba.” Jiang Miao couldn’t laugh or cry; he felt like he was taking care of children.

Fang Juexia, who had been quite calm all night, suddenly felt his heart beat faster, especially when he saw “Break Through” appear on the big screen, with the three characters that signified Pei Tingsong appearing in its lyricist column. Clearly, he could maintain his calm even during the announcement for such a major award as the Best Group of the Year, but now he couldn’t control his nervous tension.

Four songs had been nominated, and the other three were all ballads, mainly love songs. However, they were all written by senior writers in the lyrics circle, and one of them had already won the Best Lyrics of the Year award twice before. Pei Tingsong was the one with the lowest qualifications on the list.

But when it came to lyrical patterns and artistic conception, “Break Through” wouldn’t lose there. 

If only he can win the award… Fang Juexia prayed silently in his heart.

However, the finalist himself seemed much more calm. Prior to this, Pei Tingsong hadn’t paid any attention to the list of nominees. This was the first time he had seen it, and his reaction was especially genuine. “The lyrics of this song are very good…. Ah, this one is also good. I have it in my playlist…”

Fang Juexia couldn’t help grabbing his sleeve and turning his head to him, his words like those to comfort a child during a competition. “It’s okay, it’s our first time being nominated for this.” Then he added, “Don’t be nervous ah.”

It was like he was saying it out loud for himself to hear.

Pei Tingsong looked at him and smiled. That smile was like a high school boyparticipating in a school sporting event. He could tell at a glance that Fang Juexia was the one who was actually really nervous, so he deliberately said, “No, I’m very afraid now, what should I do? Feel my chest.” Then he took Fang Juexia’s hand and put it on his chest. Fang Juexia really believed him, and when he stuck his palm against him, he felt that his heart was beating very fast.

“It’s okay. Anyway, we’re still…”

What they didn’t expect was for that award presenter, who wasn’t following the guidelines or order to the event, to announce the result directly, “The winner is—Pei Tingsong!”

Amidst boiling cheers, the camera swiveled towards the caught off-guard Pei Tingsong. Both of them were a little confused, and Pei Tingsong was still holding Fang Juexia’s hand against his chest. This shot made the fans more excited, as if it wasn’t the winner’s shot, but the NBA’s live “kiss cam” —where whoever appeared on the big screen would have to kiss the person sitting beside them.

They remained frozen that way for about a second or two before Fang Juexia suddenly realized what was going on and quickly pulled his hand out from under Pei Tingsong’s hand, his neck flushed.

How was this an award ceremony? This was practically catching two people having an affair. 

Although Pei Tingsong was also a little confused, he quickly shifted states, and stood up with a rather gentlemanly smile, while motioning to his bandmates. “Come up with me ba.”

The others shook their heads and waved their hands, encouraging Pei Tingsong to go up by himself. He didn’t have any other way, so the group’s maknae could only walk onto the stage alone. Wearing a tailored black suit, he wasn’t the same as he usually was, an outstanding temperament always surrounded him, but there was much more maturity in him right now. 

After receiving the trophy, Pei Tingsong hugged the award presenter. The other side also laughed and joked to him, “Let’s work together next time.” Pei Tingsong also communicated with him in English, “It’d be my pleasure.”

Standing in front of the mic stand, Pei Tingsong held the trophy in his left hand and put his right hand behind him. After a pause of about a second, he laughed. “I’m a little happy, because I just made a small bet while seated, and now, I have won.” He looked in Fang Juexia’s direction and laughed very childishly. “I hope my little wish can come true.”

Hearing Pei Tingsong make such a puzzling remark aimed at him on such an important occasion, Fang Juexia pursed his lips, trying to ease his embarrassment. Fortunately, everyone else didn’t know what Pei Tingsong was talking about, otherwise the camera would have turned to him again, and his red face would be shown to everyone.

If he had known earlier that Pei Tingsong would really win the prize, he would have simply refused.

“In fact, I really didn’t prepare an acceptance speech, because the finalists are all major senior lyricists, each one of them very excellent. I only came here with the mindset of viewing some performances. But I’m good at talking freely, so I’ll just give a casual speech, and everyone can just casually hear me out.

“All of the songs that were nominated are songs that I really personally like. They are all worthy of deliberation and are very much made up of valuable lyrics. Maybe finally selecting me was more about giving encouragement to new people ba. What’s more, the song “Break Through” is about an original musician’s attitude of breaking through a siege when in a surrounded environment, and not being afraid of challenges. Therefore, this honor belongs to all original artists, and also belongs to every lyricist in the industry.”

These words were very sincere, without having too much of a pretense of modesty. The camera was aimed at the other finalists, and the senior lyricists all smiled and clapped, showing their support and encouragement for the newborn calf.

Pei Tingsong looked down at the trophy in his hand. “In fact, this trophy should belong to the whole Kaleido. It is my bandmates who formed the core of my inspiration and creation, and let me have something to write about. But they don’t want to come up, maybe because they’re afraid that Ling Yi will cry until he gets dehydrated ba.”

The people underneath the stage started laughing again, and the camera focused on Ling Yi. Ling Yi shook his head very calmly, expressing that he really hadn’t started crying again. 

The corners of Pei Tingsong’s mouth drew up. “Speaking of that, I also want to thank the people who ‘helped’ leak our song, it’s only because of you that I could write ‘Break Through.’ After all, anger is also a source of inspiration.”

This remark was too straightforward, and people hadn’t expected this 20-year-old boy, even while standing on the BMA stage, to still be this cutting. However, leaking a song was very shameful and malicious competitive behavior in the music industry, and after hearing Pei Tingsong’s frankness about it, everyone couldn’t help applauding him.

“But in fact, the best words of this song, in my heart personally, were those written by my bandmate Fang Juexia.” Through the fresh flowers and the red carpet, he looked at Fang Juexia with gentle eyes. “If simple anger was the core of the whole song, it would be too intense. It was the addition of his words that harmonized and unified all the emotions, allowing the song to achieve the balance of artistic conception, and even adding a bit of indifference that exists in life to it.

“He’s really a very talented musician.”

Fang Juexia smiled modestly into the camera lens and put his hands together.

Looking away from his lover, Pei Tingsong continued, “As everyone knows, I study philosophy. My sage predecessor Aristotle said, ‘Dignity does not consist in possessing honors, but in the consciousness that we deserve them.’”

This sentence being uttered here couldn’t help but make people feel that it was very arrogant, but when Pei Tingsong said it, it seemed fitting—because he was worthy. 

When he looked down below the stage, his handsome brow wasn’t filled with pride, but his self-confidence was a light that would never fade away.

“Therefore, the thing I am most honored about isn’t being able to stand here, but that I could stand here and defend my dignity with originality.” With that, he gently put his right hand, which had never been shown this entire time, on his chest and bowed. “Thank you everyone.”

A close-up of him appeared on the big screen. Ling Yi, sitting on one side, suddenly exclaimed, “Yi? Is that a tattoo on Xiao Pei’s hand?”

Lu Yuan also saw it. “Yeah, isn’t this the place where he was injured last time? He said a kitten had bit him.”

It was only at this time that the somewhat slow Fang Juexia discovered that on Pei Tingsong’s hand, which was on his chest, there was a black arc right at the place where the thumb met the palm of the hand.

No, it wasn’t so much an arc as the outline of bite marks. 

No wonder Pei Tingsong didn’t let him take his gloves off, and when he was on-stage, he had kept his hand behind his back. All these details could now be traced back to this.

Only at the last moment of glory did Pei Tingsong put Fang Juexia’s bite on his heart to express his gratitude. That was the modesty he had learned from Fang Juexia, and it contained all his love.

At this moment, Fang Juexia’s fingertips were paralyzed, and the grand award ceremony around him turned into a melting oil painting. The colors were mottled and flowed down, but only his heart kept floating, moving towards Pei Tingsong.

Everything around him had been muted, and he seemed to fall into an illusory night blindness, with nothing to see, everything shrouded in an all black background. Only Pei Tingsong was lit up, as he smiled and walked towards him step by step. 

When he sat down, he handed the trophy he had won to Fang Juexia. In the midst of his warmth, he carried a trace of childish censure as he said, “How good it would have been to go up together.

“We would have looked so good standing up there together.”

Together.

This word was familiar to Fang Juexia, who had grown up speaking Cantonese, and it was full of romance. In that moment, when Pei Tingsong had blurted it out, he seemed to have already been standing up there with his lover.

Like establishing two poles—the white eustoma grandiflorum and the black knight camilla.

They were the best match for each other.

When he showed Ling Yi the trophy in his hand, Fang Juexia’s eyes weren’t on the glory he had won, but on Pei Tingsong’s right hand. “When did you get a tattoo? And you even hid it from me.”

“The day before yesterday. Actually, I wanted to show it to you once this was over.” Pei Tingsong didn’t cover things up and told him openly, “One of my classmates tattooed his grandmother’s picture on his chest. I thought it was very cool, and I also wanted a tattoo. Did you know? The tattoo artist was a Ukrainian, and his work is very good, but he speaks very poor English. As a genius who is proficient in Chinese, English, and Spanish, I had to resort to body language to communicate with him. By the way, he said that tattoos represent clan marks in primitive tribes, and also signify reaching adulthood….”

Pei Tingsong was like a child, and kept telling Fang Jueixa about his experience, but before he could finish his story of the Ukrainian tattoo artist, Fang Juexia started asking questions.

“Why did you tattoo this?” He once again commented on his unconscious drunken behavior. “It’s not cool at all.”

“I think it’s very cool.” Pei Tingsong looked at his hand. The singer on-stage was singing a very emotional ballad, and so he drew closer to Fang Juexia. “Lower your head.”

Following his instructions, Fang Juexia lowered his head and saw Pei Tingsong tilt his left foot to his side, slightly pulling up his pants and exposing his ankle. Fang Juexia was stunned; it turned out, there was also a tattoo on his ankle— a black X.

At that time, when they were in a meeting, he had hid under the table and used a marker to play a prank on Pei Tingsong.

His heart softened, completely melting into this idea that his young lover had worked so hard to hide. “How-how can you also get that tattooed…”

The corners of Pei Tingsong’s mouth drew up, and he drew close to him and said in a soft voice, “Because I want to preserve all the marks you give me.”

He smiled and touched the bite mark on his hand. That had been from him giving the tattoo artist a picture of his scabs from before, and it had been precisely redrawn from the original image. The tattooing process was very painful, and had made him recall the feeling of being bitten by Fang Juexia, that night when he was alone with him for the first time.

“You were born with a beautiful birthmark. This is a gift from God to let everyone who has seen you recognize you at a glance.” He moved Fang Juexia’s bangs aside, revealing the light red mark. “My skin is very mediocre, with nothing special. Fortunately, I can still carve the marks you gave me, anyway…”

Below the show, the lights in the audience were always dimmed. Within that dim field of vision, Pei Tingsong’s eyes were really distinct, and what was flashing in his eyes was the greatest loyalty this young boy possessed.

“I just want you to recognize me.”

—

Juurensha: Our PTS has grown so much! He’s so romantic now!