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"Butterflies fly, just like childhood running with the wind,
The colors of youth, brighter than the sea, higher than the sky!
Butterflies fly, flying toward castles in the future,
Opening windows to our dreams, letting growth be faster and more beautiful!
Butterflies fly, "
Lu Chen struck the final chord and looked at the three people in front of him. "So, what do you think of this song?"
Sister Li, Chen Fei'er, and Zhang Junzhi all burst into applause in unison!
Lu Chen laughed, placed his right hand over his heart, bowed slightly, and said, "Thank you!"
Sister Li couldn't help asking, "Lu Chen, what's the name of this song?"
Chen Fei'er answered, "It should be called Butterflies Fly, right?"
Lu Chen gave her a thumbs-up. "Smart!"
Chen Fei'er rolled her eyes at him. "What's smart about that? It's just basic deduction."
What truly surprised her was how different this song's style was from Lu Chen's past works.
It wasn't a folk ballad or a love song; it was more like a youthful children's pop tune.
This kind of song had been done before, but most were categorized as "mainstream positive energy" works, typically produced by state-run educational institutions. Since the entertainment industry had fully commercialized, new songs in this category had become almost nonexistent.
Chen Fei'er had sung some of those mainstream pieces before; she knew this market well.
Private music labels and media companies usually target older age demographics. Kids in their early teens can't even buy concert tickets on their own. How could they attract the interest of these companies, let alone have music tailored for them?
As for younger children, the market was already flooded with classic and international nursery rhymes. There was no need to compose new songs; the old ones were enough to keep cashing in.
So this tween and early teen demographic had long been overlooked, intentionally or not. A few companies had tried testing the waters in the past, but they either lost money or failed to produce any noteworthy work.
That's why Lu Chen's Butterflies Fly was such a breath of fresh air!
Its light, catchy melody and uplifting lyrics struck just the right balance, staying within the pop genre while also being perfectly suited for teens around 13 to 15 years old. It couldn't have been a better fit for the newly proposed "Little Tiger Group."
At that age, this was exactly the kind of music young people should be listening to, and singing! And because of that, it was obvious: this couldn't have been a song Lu Chen had just lying around. But if it was something he created on the spot… how could it be this flawless?
If it weren't for the presence of Sister Li and Zhang Junzhi, Chen Fei'er would've wanted to crack open Lu Chen's head to see just how many creative miracles were hiding in there. It was both impressive and awe-inspiring.
Lu Chen turned to Sister Li. "I'll give you the sheet music for this song tomorrow. It can be included in Little Tiger Group's debut album. What do you think?"
Sister Li beamed. "I couldn't be happier! This song should definitely be the title track. But you'll have to write two more for them later, that's the only way we'll ensure the album's sales!"
When she brought her son over tonight, her goal had just been to build rapport with Lu Chen. She hoped he'd give Zhang Junzhi some musical guidance to help smooth his path forward.
After all her years in the industry, Sister Li understood one truth very well: relationships are everything.
Honestly, she hadn't been thrilled about her son pursuing a career in showbiz. But since it was what he loved, she would do everything in her power to create opportunities for him.
Take for instance the role she secured in Autumn in My Heart, that was all part of the plan to build his resume. As Zhang Ailing once said, "One must become famous young."
Starting at 15 wasn't even that early.
But what Sister Li didn't expect was that while she came looking for a glass of water, Lu Chen handed her the whole ocean.
The Little Tiger Group idea was nothing short of brilliant. If anyone else tried to launch a tween boy band like this, it would probably flop. But with Lu Chen behind it, everything changed.
Just look at MSN, their success was living proof.
And in a group setting, Zhang Junzhi would have teammates, meaning he wouldn't feel alone.
Sister Li's gratitude toward Lu Chen was beyond words.
Lu Chen nodded and said, "There's no rush on the album. The priority is forming the group. They'll need training in dance, vocal technique, and stage presence. Once I finish shooting this TV drama, I'll help with the album."
Building a boy band or girl group isn't just about throwing a few kids together. It usually requires months or even years of training before they're ready to debut.
Groups like MSN are rare exceptions, they succeeded because they had strong fundamentals, worked extremely hard, and had Flying Stone Records pouring resources into their debut.
Such success stories are hard to replicate.
Zhang Junzhi had just turned 15. There was no need to rush, he still had to balance school.
Sister Li nodded. "Then we'll wait for you and Fei'er in Capital City."
She turned to her son and tapped him lightly. "Well? Aren't you going to thank your Brother Lu Chen?"
Zhang Junzhi grinned. "Thank you, Brother Lu Chen! From now on, I'll be counting on you and Sister Fei'er!"
Lu Chen chuckled helplessly.
Sister Li gave her son a sharp look. "Smooth talker."
Then she stood up. "I won't disturb the two of you any longer. Xiao Zhi and I will head back first."
Chen Fei'er's pretty face immediately flushed pink. She quickly stood up too. "I'll walk you out, Sister Li. Let's chat a bit more on the way."
Sister Li giggled, "Oh, how embarrassing! It's my fault, I came at the wrong time."
Her smile was full of teasing intent. If her son hadn't been present, she would have definitely thrown in a few jokes at their expense.
Lu Chen felt a little dejected as he walked Sister Li, Chen Fei'er, and Zhang Junzhi out of the room.
Tonight's opportunity had been quite rare. He'd finally managed to break down a bit of the barrier between him and Fei'er and was hoping to enjoy a warm, romantic evening together. But that plan had been inadvertently derailed by the unexpectedly oblivious Sister Li.
Chen Fei'er, though a mature woman, was still quite reserved and cautious when it came to matters of intimacy. She wouldn't let Lu Chen cross that line easily. And now that the moment had passed, she likely wouldn't be coming back to his room again anytime soon.
The long night quietly slipped away.
The next morning, Lu Chen got up early and called Li Feiyu to go out for a jog.
Feiyu was your classic male otaku, outside of his daily work, he avoided standing if he could sit, and avoided sitting if he could lie down. Most of his free time was spent glued to a computer, and his physical fitness was far from ideal.
But if you want to be a qualified assistant, a healthy body is non-negotiable.
After working with Lu Chen for a while, he had come to realize this himself, so he voluntarily asked to start training alongside Lu Chen.
But they had barely run a kilometer when he was already gasping for air, tongue out, and struggling to keep up.
Lu Chen chuckled, "You're in terrible shape. No wonder you still haven't won over Sister Little Mei. You really need to step up your game."
Li Feiyu's pursuit of Little Mei could practically be turned into a drama series. Even though Little Mei was now the receptionist at Lu Chen's studio, and seemingly right within reach, Feiyu still hadn't made any meaningful progress.
As he put it himself, he was still in the 'probationary phase', and nowhere near scoring a home run.
Li Feiyu grimaced. "One step at a time, one step at a time..."
Lu Chen shook his head. "Then you keep jogging slowly. I'm picking up the pace."
He surged forward, running along the riverbank, quickly leaving Li Feiyu in the dust.
Autumn in Jinling was beautiful. This ancient capital carried a charm distinct from Beijing. While both cities were rich in history, their character and atmosphere were very different.
Running through the morning mist, Lu Chen could feel the full beauty of the city sink in.
After two hours of exercise and a hearty breakfast, Lu Chen returned to the hotel.
He and Chen Fei'er took her car together and headed for the film set to rejoin the crew.
The first two episodes of Autumn in My Heart had already been completed, and the third episode was currently being filmed in an orderly fashion. If things went smoothly, both Lu Chen and Chen Fei'er, as the main leads, would formally make their debut appearances the day after tomorrow.
Today, apart from checking on the filming progress, the two of them were also scheduled for their character lookbook shoot.
In the TV industry, character styling photos, also known as costume stills, are crucial. These are the photos taken after actors are fully styled and made up to portray their on-screen personas. Based on the script's descriptions and the director's vision, photographers, in coordination with the art department, makeup, wardrobe, and lighting teams, experiment and finalize the character's look.
Sometimes the right look is found in one shot. Other times, it takes multiple trials. Once finalized, the images become key references for the makeup team during the shoot and are also used heavily in marketing campaigns.
As the male and female leads of this drama, Lu Chen and Chen Fei'er's character photos were especially important , not just for production, but for upcoming promotional material.
Normally, weekend dramas start airing after 6 to 8 episodes are filmed.
While Autumn in My Heart's broadcast partner had yet to be officially announced, PR and promotion couldn't afford any delays. After all, everything hinged on one thing:
Ratings.
Ratings were, and always would be, the most important indicator of a TV drama's success.
Several makeup artists and stylists spent over an hour working on Lu Chen and Chen Fei'er to achieve the desired looks.
Lu Chen's styling was relatively straightforward. With his sharp features and handsome appearance, he didn't need heavy makeup, just enough to enhance his bone structure and presence.
Dressed in a custom-made dark blue suit, paired with a crisp white shirt and tailored trousers, his sculpted physique from regular training completed the look. The result? Pure idol charm.
Chen Fei'er, with just a touch of light makeup, wore a simple white dress. Though it looked inexpensive and understated, paired with her long, flowing hair and delicate features, she exuded a beauty so pure it was hard to believe she was nearly thirty.
When the two stood side by side, exchanging smiles for the camera, the entire crew, from photographers to stylists, couldn't help but feel stunned.
They were just too perfect together.
From height to appearance, to aura, and even the subtle chemistry between them, they were a match that was incredibly rare in the entertainment industry.
(End of Chapter)