The battle for traffic in Chinese entertainment

Chapter 530 The Grammys' Ugly Dignity Revealed

"No, the whole 'battle with Taylor Swift for over ten hours' thing is fake. You've really stole the show, Manman. Aespa, you did meet with them yesterday, but nothing happened. I've noticed you're checking up on me. Why didn't you always verify and record who I slept with before? Did Sister Rong make you do it? Uh, okay. When I said 'no,' I meant I didn't initiate it."

"It's so annoying. It's just normal interaction between young people. Why do they have to be so calculating? Just ignore them. Besides, they're newbies who just debuted. They can't handle any resources. Sending them small gifts is enough. No way, how could it possibly backfire? Wait, Manman, you're actually afraid of SM Entertainment? Hahaha! Okay, I knew it. You just want to banter with me. Okay, okay! Okay."

After hanging up the phone, Xu Xing released his hand from Liu Zhimin's head.

Hey! Senior!

Actually, Ms. Liu Zhimin, who was so infatuated that she was almost boring, was quite obedient, but Xu Xing didn't want any accident to interrupt her call with Sun Man.

Finally able to catch her breath, Ms. Liu Zhimin took a long time to recover from her dizziness before looking up at Xu Xing, who was swiping on her phone, somewhat dazed.

It seemed Xu Xing had suddenly lost interest in her—oh! His large, strong hand moved back to carefully monitor her heartbeat! Well then… let's continue!
Feeling a sense of relief at being back in place, Xu Xing also felt a little gratified.

After trying it out, I felt even more that Ms. Liu Zhimin's appearance was really not outstanding, and she couldn't even maintain the cold and aloof look for more than ten seconds.

Her body proportions aren't great, but at least she's got some curves.

Moreover, as she herself described herself, a "physical fan, and even a die-hard fan," Hsu Hsing could genuinely feel her yearning for her idol.

He does whatever he's told, showing amazing perseverance. He learns quickly and has good comprehension. Overall, he's pretty good!
Let's give them a reward!
There were many things to do on the awards day, so Xu Xing didn't have time to waste in bed.

The fangirl was incredibly satisfied once again!

...Their problem is that they laugh too much like crazy girls, but Xu Xing can't blame them for being too infatuated with her.

So much so that when Xu Xing saw Ms. Liu Zhimin finally display a different expression besides her brokenness and silly grin at breakfast, with a hesitant look on her face, Xu Xing was pleasantly surprised.

"speak."

Xu Xing encouraged her.

“Um,” Liu Zhimin hesitated for a moment before speaking, “Yesterday, when I first arrived at the recording studio, was it Winter (Kim Min-jung) who left?”

"is her."

Xu Xing admitted it.

"Oh oh oh!"

Liu Zhimin forced a cautious smile. In fact, she went to the recording studio during the day to try her luck after discovering that Jin Wenting was missing last night.

"Then, Oppa, you and her..."

“Hmm,” Xu Xing nodded, “The difference is that she came before you, so I didn’t bring her back to the villa. Don’t have any other thoughts. You are a group, and you mustn’t ruin the relationships between the team members. Only by working closely together can you possibly reach the top in the future. As the captain, you need to pay even more attention to this.”

As a senior, although I did some things that I shouldn't have done, there are still some things I should say.

Xu Xing genuinely wanted to be a good senior, but they were too proactive. A lone girl wandering around outside the recording studio late at night, completely disregarding the safety issues in Los Angeles.

It would be a problem if we got photographed by paparazzi.

So Xu Xing had no choice but to let them in. She originally wanted to give them a few words of advice and then have the driver take them back to the hotel, but they immediately pounced on Xu Xing.

no way!
Then hold the soundproofing panel firmly.

Xu Xing had already fulfilled her duty as a senior during the day, and at night she would also show them what a senior's strictness was!
Actually, Kim Min-jung, as the official visual of Aespa, was prettier than Yoo Jimin at this stage. She had better proportions and was also more attractive.

While Xu Xing was checking her WeChat messages, she even asked Xu Xing what kind of expression she needed for the photo.

The problem was that Xu Xing had to be careful about her newly manufactured nose bridge, and because Xu Xing only tried it briefly, she was quickly defeated and lost her fighting ability. Fortunately, Xu Xing acted quickly, otherwise her nose would have directly hit the soundproofing panel.

So she simply had the driver take her away.

Miss Liu Zhimin arrived shortly after... She was slightly stronger in combat, so Xu Xing had no qualms about it.

In addition, it was already quite late, and Xu Xing was also preparing to leave. Feeling that Miss Liu had behaved well in the car, he brought her back with him.

Before she even got out of bed, Sun Man told her that Li Chengzhu had called her to ask for resources.

funny.

Ai Bao is still waiting for Xu Xing's call, and Teacher Yang and Teacher Zhao's competition is still delayed. It was only before coming to the United States that Xu Xing really wanted to stick with Dou De.

This gave Xu Xing the opportunity to take a nap with them.
“…I know, I will.” Yoo Jimin said earnestly, then forced a smile. “I definitely won’t let Oppa down! Let’s start restoring the glory of SM Entertainment’s girl groups with Aespa!”

She even clenched her fist in excitement.

Xu Xing patted her head with even more satisfaction. If she continued to follow SM's packaging strategy, her cold and aloof mature woman image would only become more and more convincing.

A few more words of encouragement!
Then, as Xu Xing finished breakfast and was about to leave, Liu Zhimin suddenly asked, as if by some strange twist of fate.

"Does Oppa prefer Yoona unnie or Irene unnie?"

"Do you want to compete with them?"

Xu Xing asked with a smile.

She was so embarrassed that she didn't know what to say.

Ms. Liu Zhimin's true personality may be quite good, but Xu Xing doesn't have time to specifically find out about it right now.

After this experience, I don't know when I'll be interested again.

Finally, Liu Zhimin suddenly asked Ning Yizhuo about it.

"I didn't want to sleep with her. But she's Chinese, so don't bully her."

Let me say another word in support of my fellow villager!
Heading to the hotel, giving interviews, trying on custom-made suits, getting styled, shooting photos and videos, and exchanging pleasantries with visiting singers, such as Billie Eilish.

The night before last, when Ms. Taylor finally managed to get Xu Xing to temporarily let her off the hook, she questioned the relationship between Xu Xing and Billie, convinced that Xu Xing, being so strong, must have slept with Billie.

But there really isn't.

Billie's appearance is really problematic. She used to have the best figure, but after letting herself go, she became like a tank. As a heavily promoted Generation Z queen, she is also unattractive.

Now her head is covered in a patch of poop-green.

As things stand now, she is grateful to Hsu Hsing for her early recognition and for her recommendation within Interscope. She will help Hsu Hsing refute some of the doubts, and a light friendship is enough.

During this meeting, Ms. Billie also emphasized...

"There are many doubts from the outside world about you and about us, but we don't need to pay attention to those voices. We'll let our music speak for itself!"

After gaining popularity and being heavily promoted by the Academy, Ms. Billie's words also took on a broader scope.

Hsu Hsing wished her the best of luck in winning the grand prize. Billie modestly said a few words before saying that she hoped Hsu Hsing would bring her good fortune, just as he had said.

The singers who visited Hsu Hsing also included Tsai Chin-ni, whom we haven't seen in a long time.

He had previously wanted to terminate his contract and switch to Zhengrong, but after consideration, Zhengrong decided not to poach him, so he temporarily stayed put.

—Even if Cai Jini doesn't act, his approach is still based on big marketing and high investment, which won't make the company much money. It's not worth making enemies for him.

However, Xu Xing, a teacher whom Cai Jini has always respected, agreed to release a version in collaboration with him when "stay" is officially released, as a way of giving him a boost.

Cai Jini is the most enthusiastic singer in China besides Xu Xing to try his luck in the US, and he also has the best results. With Xu Xing's help in contacting big-name producers and the continuous efforts of his fans, his single released at the end of last year finally broke into the Billboard Top 10.

Although it dropped off the charts after only 13 weeks, it's still a remarkable achievement.

Xu Xing would certainly appreciate this proactive attitude.

After rumors circulated that Xu Xing would be collaborating with Cai Jini on the song "stay," Hou Minghao's fan, Tao Mei, once again mocked Xu Xing's fake brotherhood marketing, arguing that she included Cai Jini but not Hou Minghao.

Hou Minghao has already focused on acting, occasionally releasing a few Chinese songs as a treat for his fans. He'd much rather make movies in Hollywood than waste time and effort trying to climb the Billboard charts…who wouldn't?
But with your movie "Zhu Xian" flopping and your TV series "Douluo Continent" just flopping, it will be difficult for Zheng Rong to make any progress. Ordinary Hollywood movie projects affect the prestige of top stars, so it's better not to go.

This year's Grammy Awards had little to do with Tsai Chin-ni. In previous years, he might have been able to get an entry, but this year, with no audience, it won't be easy to sneak into an inner-circle seat.

The music academy could use its historic breakthrough in viewership ratings across Asia to gloss over the controversy surrounding its current allegations of rigging and cheating.

This goal can be achieved by Xu Xing.

This is Hsu Hsing's first performance at the Grammy Awards ceremony, and fans all over the world are incredibly excited.

Although Xu Xing has hosted many small online concerts via live stream over the past year, this one is a Grammy!

Cai Jini arrived in the United States after the Lunar New Year and is preparing for her next comeback single.

After learning that Xu Xing had landed, Cai Jini had been wanting to visit him, but Xu Xing had been so busy the past two days... really busy, and only today did she have time to see him.

Let's give a shout-out to senior Hsu Hsing-senior for his exemplary conduct!
Then, she took the initiative to tell Cai Jini, who was extremely looking forward to it but still tried her best to control herself from asking any questions.

"I just finished talking with John this time. The official release date for 'Stay' is set for May 7th. You can plan your schedule accordingly."

When it was initially decided to release the studio version of "stay" before the official release of Hsu Hsing's English album to maintain buzz, everyone expected the latest release date for "stay" to be February.
They never expected Blinding Lights to be so terrifying, so exaggerated that it showed no sign of leaving the top ten.

The release date of "Stay" has been delayed again and again.

Cai Jini was stunned for a moment, then immediately became anxious.

"Wasn't it supposed to be summer vacation? Why so early? Won't this affect Xing-ge's 'Blinding Lights' grades? Couldn't it be a few months later?"

"It's a few months late, more than a dozen months late. I'm talking about May 7th next year."

Xu Xing said in a serious tone.

Cai Jini was instantly dumbfounded.

"No, no way, Brother Xing, Brother Xing, I..."

They can't even speak anymore.

"For you, the sooner 'Stay' is released, the better. Why are you still pretending? Do you like acting?"

Xu Xing complains.

Judging from the fact that Cai Jini came to the United States to produce the single after the Spring Festival, the release of "stay" in May was definitely much later than his team expected.

Cai Jini scratched her head awkwardly.

"The sooner the better, but... but we can't let it affect Xing-ge!"

"So it's May 7th next year."

"...Is it really next year?"

"This year!" "Oh my god!!! Thank you so much, Brother Xing! I really don't know what to say, I don't know how to thank you enough. You know, ever since I entered the entertainment industry, I've felt incredibly insecure. I've experienced so much backstabbing and intrigue since I was very young. Only Brother Xing has always been incredibly sincere, helping me without asking for anything in return. Sometimes I wonder, what have I done to deserve Brother Xing's trust? I ask myself every day, have I lived up to Brother Xing's expectations? Will I let Brother Xing down? I...I..."

Cai Jini, who had managed to squeeze out tears, was too embarrassed to continue speaking.

Because Xu Xing's brows were furrowed high, and she looked disgusted.

He even waved his hand directly.

He gestured to Cai Jini that she could leave.

Cai Jini stood up nervously, and as she was about to turn around, she suddenly knelt down on the ground with a thud.

"I was wrong, Xing-ge, I shouldn't have said that."

"Okay, let's go, the awards ceremony is about to begin."

Xu Xing continued to wave her hand.

But it wasn't until Hsu Hsing stated that it wouldn't affect her opinion of him or the collaboration on "stay" that Tsai Chin-ni left with regret and reluctance.

If a beautiful woman were to lick him like that, Xu Xing wouldn't have any objections.

But damn it... his previous WeChat posts were never like this!
Grammy! Grammy!

At 3:30 p.m., the results of the category awards were announced one after another from the audience.

The red carpet event will begin at 6 p.m.

It officially started at 8 PM.

There's not much to say about the red carpet. It was a Grammys without an audience, and only a few media reporters were allowed to attend. It was probably the quietest red carpet Xu Xing ever walked.

Just as Xu Xing finished her reflections on stepping onto the red carpet, she suddenly heard a chaotic commotion nearby, followed by the sound of her own name.

It turns out that the protesters were overseas fans demonstrating against the Grammys' disregard for "Blinding Lights." They held up signs and banners, saying it was the biggest disgrace in Grammy history.

Xu Xing bowed in their direction to thank them, waved to them, and made a gesture of wearing a mask, meaning that they should go back for hygiene and safety.

Unfortunately, they shouted even more frantically.

Xu Xing couldn't stay on the red carpet for too long, and since she couldn't persuade them, she didn't go to see them again.

So even as Xu Xing walked into the Los Angeles Convention Center, she could still hear their voices.

According to Taylor, who entered later, they were still protesting when she walked the red carpet.

"They're so cool! If it were me, I'd be moved to tears!"

Ms. Taylor's words seemed normal, but Xu Xing inexplicably felt...

"I suddenly realized a problem."

Xu Xing pondered.

"What?" she asked casually, while complaining again, "Ugh, this mask is really uncomfortable to wear."

Xu Xing glanced at her floral mask and wanted to tell her that she had brought this upon herself.

Ms. Taylor wore a floral dress today, covered entirely in flowers—not printed, but embroidered with all sorts of flowers of different sizes and colors all over the light gauze dress.

She may think she's very pretty, but she really does deserve to be described as "pink and delicate".

If she were in her early twenties, when she was at her youngest and thinnest, she would probably look good. But now, the flat-chestedness that people used to mock has become quite prominent, and she's not particularly fair-skinned. Xu Xingzhen thinks she looks far better in the blue floral print outfit she wore during the video recording.

The worst part was not only the dress, but she also wore a matching floral mask. The mask was embroidered with countless tiny flowers, making it look thick and stuffy.

Before she put it on—walking the red carpet without a mask—Xu Xing specifically asked her if she really wanted to wear this mask. She put it on right away.

This is still outdoors.

The Grammy Awards ceremony was held on the roof of the Los Angeles Convention Center, where a temporary tent was erected and decorated with greenery to create a rooftop garden scene.

The space is open-plan, and if you turn your head to the side, you can see the large logo of the Lakers' home arena, Staples Center. Last season, the Lakers' vice president won his championship with the team, and now, there are still... two months until the defending champions are eliminated in the first round and sent home to fish.

In short, the mask Ms. Taylor wore was the thickest; she chose it herself.

"what is the problem?"

Before it officially started, Ms. Taylor pulled down her mask to get some fresh air and asked again.

"I noticed that everyone sitting here is someone who will receive an award today, except for me."

Xu Xing felt somewhat melancholy.

Hsu Hsing-wei's nominee for Best Pop Duet was in a subcategory where no one went on stage to accept the award, and the results were announced in the pre-show that started at 3 p.m.

Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande's "Rain On Me" won an award, making history as the first time two female singers have won an award for a duet.

This significance made the fans want to fight for Xu Xing, but they couldn't shout their voices out loud.

Moreover, both this song and "Exile" were top-rated for a week, although "Exile" was overshadowed by "Blinding Lights".

After the red carpet began, fans came in groups to protest, which was probably partly due to their dashed hopes.

Before walking the red carpet, Xu Xing saw that the results were causing a huge uproar online. Ariana Grande's fans felt that they had gotten revenge for the fact that the entire album "Thank U, Next" was suppressed by "Old Town Road" on the charts two years ago. Before the nominations for "Folklore," which had received explosive reviews, were announced, Gaga's fans decided to enjoy themselves and clear away the lingering tension.

Well, for Ms. Taylor, the final general category and several major category awards that will be presented later are the truly important ones.

But Xu Xing has already been removed from the nomination list, yet she's still sitting here.

The rooftop space wasn't large, about the size of a typical wedding venue, and was set up with twenty small round tables. The musicians present wore masks and sat in pairs.

Xu Xing sat at the same table as Ms. Taylor, the leftmost table in the first row.

Her album producers were waiting in the back, just waiting for the results to be announced so they could go on stage together to accept the award.

There were very few people sitting here. Xu Xing glanced around and saw that most of them were still nominated and the results hadn't been announced yet.

"Um, it seems... it's not entirely certain that I'll win the prize!"

Ms. Taylor was suspicious.

John could give Hsu Hsing a general overview of the public relations situation, so as Universal's top singer, she would only know more.

However, there is still a theoretical possibility that "it hasn't been officially announced yet, so it's hard to say for sure."

Seeing Xu Xing purse her lips, Ms. Taylor was taken aback.

Xu Xing always wore a perfectly timed smile in front of her—except for the night before last, this was the first time she had seen her with such a slightly aggrieved yet adorable expression.

After inexplicably uttering a bunch of begging words the night before last that still make her blush, she finally realized that she was indeed older than Xu Xing.

She felt much better now, but this was still a concern for Xu Xing...

"You co-wrote 'folklore', this album wouldn't be possible without you!"

Ms. Taylor emphasized this point earnestly.

But the awards ceremony also officially began.

Ms. Taylor quickly pulled up her mask, and didn't forget to look over again, giving Xu Xing an approving look.

The fans always think that Taylor Swift is a warm-hearted older sister, and she is indeed a bit like that, just like Hsu Hsing can make everyone feel like they are bathed in a spring breeze.

During the boring awards ceremony, all Xu Xing had to do was stand up with Ms. Taylor and give the winners a round of applause when the awards were announced.

When the ceremony was almost an hour in, the Best Country Music Award was presented. Hsu Hsing and Taylor left first because their live performance would be shown after the award ceremony.

Let's pretend it's a live performance.

After the approximately 11-minute video finished playing, the two returned to their seats, and this time many of the guests looked at Xu Xing.

The song "Blinding Lights" that just played reminded everyone that it dominated almost the entire second half of last year, and it still shows no sign of leaving the Top 10.

The Grammys ignored the incredibly successful single, yet invited Hsu Hsing to sing it. It's as if the Grammys slapped themselves in the face, or perhaps they both looked down on Hsu Hsing's music and couldn't bear to part with her huge popularity, revealing their ugly side.

Last year's Grammy Awards ceremony only garnered 1870 million viewers, the lowest number since 2008.

This year, viewership in the US will most likely continue to decline.
Overseas, with the confirmation of Hsu Hsing's attendance, various organizations generally predict that viewership will increase significantly.

This man, using only the screenwriter's name and his image on the promotional page, made a Chinese drama a global sensation.

The topics raised by Ms. Taylor's subsequent live performances, following Xu Xing's, are exploding and spreading on social media around the world.

Many people thought that Hsu Hsing's arrival was an attempt to curry favor with the Grammys, who looked down on him, and that he would at most sing a duet with Taylor Swift on "Exile," but surprisingly, he actually sang "Blinding Lights."

Xu Xing came to prove that "Blinding Lights" fully deserved a Grammy. But what about the Grammy?

Is the intention to imply the absurd notion that "performance equals affirmation"?
Xu Xing hasn't had time to check the online drama yet.

As dusk fell and Hsu Hsing was about to yawn, the Album of the Year award was announced.

Folklore.

Taylor Swift's three album covers make her the first female singer to achieve such an accomplishment.

Xu Xing stood up and applauded in celebration.

She stood up in disbelief, excited and overjoyed, and gave Xu Xing a light hug with her fists clasped together. She also hugged the other album producers who came up to her.

She led her production team onto the stage, and when she turned around and saw Xu Xing sitting down, Ms. Taylor immediately turned back to invite Xu Xing to come on stage with her.

Xu Xing smiled and declined several times before she finally gave up.

Then, when giving her acceptance speech, Taylor said that without Hsu Hsing, there would be no "Exile" or even "Folklore," giving Hsu Hsing an exaggerated thank you and also praising Hsu Hsing's incredible musical talent.

It's mainly about music.

Regarding their relationship, Taylor expressed her gratitude to her boyfriend, recounting how they spent time together in isolation during the pandemic, collaborating on the album.

Um... there's nothing wrong with our relationship.

(End of this chapter)