From Flower Vase to Film Emperor in Hollywood

The air was gradually warming, and one could clearly perceive the intermingling of excitement and tension as it continued to spread.

Of the entire awards ceremony, now only the last award remained, yet it was also the brightest jewel in the Grammy crown, the most anticipated award of the night.

Despite the nomination list containing only five groups of artists, the guests inside the Staples Center were all exceptionally engaged, their anticipation steadily rising.

Being in that environment, the skin could clearly feel that slightly stinging heat, involuntarily drawn into this anxious vortex.

Neither nervous nor expectant, yet still unable to control the dry mouth and wildly beating heart, the boiling blood was quietly burning.

Perhaps, Anson was the only exception.

To be honest, he wasn't nervous at all, and even quite enjoyed the atmosphere.

Regardless of who ultimately won, he would stand and applaud, offering sincere congratulations. The sole objective of successfully concluding the halftime opening performance had already been fulfilled, and the August 31st Band winning Best New Artist was an overachievement. He considered tonight's Grammy Awards to be perfect.

"Did you notice? The Wanderers Choir?"

"Yeah, noticed. Dry lips, right? But it's not surprising. Their double CD album this year is indeed outstanding. They've been ignored all night. If it were me, I'd probably have a dry mouth too."

Anson lightly shrugged, "Hey, one should be content. We've already returned with a full load."

Miles carefully scrutinized Anson, but ultimately couldn't detect any nervousness or unease. He could see Anson's relaxation and contentment, which made him reveal a hint of embarrassment, and he sighed softly.

Anson noticed, "What's wrong, still nervous?"

Miles lightly shrugged, "A little bit."

Even though Miles kept trying to maintain composure, being in the Staples Center, surrounded by gazes and lights, his skin could feel that scalding sting, and he was ultimately unable to control his nervousness.

Lily and Connor were the same.

They kept telling themselves to relax, that tonight's gains had already far exceeded expectations, and they shouldn't be greedy; but anticipation still couldn't help but peek out.

Anson wasn't surprised, "Normal."

"Nervousness is because you care and because you expect. If one day your heart is like still water, taking it for granted that everything is deserved, then it will evolve into arrogance and overconfidence. By then, it will be too late, and you'll never find your original intention again. This current nervousness is also worth enjoying."

Miles was stunned, then chuckled directly, "Okay, I'll be a little more nervous."

Anson gently patted Miles's shoulder, "You can be a little bit more."

A smile crept onto the corner of his lips.

In such an atmosphere, the presenters took the stage under the spotlight.

Carlos Santana and Faith Hill, two legends, took the stage hand in hand, successfully triggering thunderous applause from the audience, pushing the atmosphere to a new climax.

Tonight, the Grammy Awards, in order to create buzz, all of the presenters were a pairing of one singer and one actor, playing it to the fullest within the limited framework of the awards ceremony; however, at the last moment, they broke the mold—

Both were musicians.

Carlos is a Latin music master, this guitarist has left his own strong mark in the long river of music history; Faith is a country legend, having twice won the Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance.

The Grammys' final arrangement of these two guests as the announcers of Album of the Year obviously had its own considerations, seemingly foreshadowing the birth of history.

It's just... everyone was guessing, what exactly was the Grammys' consideration, but no one could be 100% sure that this consideration was consistent with their own imagination.

Rustling sounds filled the Staples Center, the air surging and boiling.

Clearly, the entire venue was silent, no one making a sound; yet one could still clearly feel that agitation and clamor stirring the blood, unable to stop.

Imagine, even the audience was like this, let alone the two presenters?

Bathing in the spotlight, thousands upon thousands of scorching gazes all fell on the surface of their skin, that scalding heat penetrating the fabric and drilling into the blood vessels, boiling little by little.

Carlos joked with a straight face.

"Stop staring at me, I don't know the result inside the envelope either."

A soft burst of laughter rang out in the venue.

Carlos looked at Faith, signaling that Faith should open the envelope and reveal the answer.

Faith, however, handed the envelope over, "Carlos, I think you should do it, I'm worried the envelope in my hand is about to catch fire."

Another burst of laughter.

Carlos didn't refuse, taking the envelope and neatly opening the seal, pulling out the card inside to take a look.

The entire action was smooth and flowing, with no intention of building suspense or creating an atmosphere, so much so that the Staples Center didn't react for a moment, unable to keep up with the speed, and then Carlos had already seen the result.

In an instant, his heart suddenly contracted, and there wasn't a sound in the entire venue.

Everyone was staring at Carlos, trying to find some clues from his expression to confirm their own guesses and imaginations.

Carlos was slightly stunned, looking up at the audience seating.

That direction was…

The Wanderers Choir?

Could it be that The Wanderers Choir had reached the summit?

Unexpectedly, Carlos handed the card and envelope back to Faith.

"Ladies first."

Carlos politely gestured, Faith took the card back again, looking down at it.

"Oh."

Faith exclaimed.

The entire audience: Exclaimed what? Why exclaim? What does this mean?

Hearts were on the verge of exploding.

Then, Faith raised her head, looked forward, revealed a smile, and without waiting any longer, her voice came from the microphone.

"'Midsummer Midnight', August 31st Band."

Wait, who?

Gloria was stunned, reflexively jumping up, but then worried that she might have misheard, she paused for a moment, hesitantly looking around.

When she looked at the big screen again, the live camera of the venue director had already focused on Anson.

Ah!

Gloria went crazy, that tremor instantly surging from the soles of her feet to the top of her head.

Ah, ah, ah!

Gloria muttered to herself in a daze, "Midsummer Midnight! Midsummer Midnight!"

Until she could no longer control herself, screaming out loud.

"Ah, ah, ah, Midsummer Midnight!"

Jumping and shouting, every cell in her body was burning.

Archie simply stared blankly at the camera of the big screen with his mouth wide open, his brain completely crashing, losing the ability to react, suddenly tears bursting like a dam, but in the blink of an eye, he was laughing heartily again, like a madman.

But Archie didn't care about any of that.

He also dazedly followed Gloria, jumping up and down.

The voice in his head was shouting to his heart's content:

Midsummer Midnight, Midsummer Midnight, the summer of their youth will never end.

At this moment, the viewership of the 46th Grammy Awards reached its peak, exceeding 33 million in 1988, creating the highest viewership in exactly twenty years with a robust score of 35 million viewers instantly!