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The welcome banquet didn't end until 9 PM.
Director Zhong Yue of the Broadcasting Department had an impressive alcohol tolerance. Along with his assistant, he held his own against the repeated toasts from Zhang De, Lu Chen, and the others. Even after going through four or five bottles of red wine, he was only slightly tipsy by the end.
Qian De Media had already booked rooms for their guests at this same hotel.
Lu Xi followed her younger brother Lu Chen to the business suite he was staying in. Chen Fei'er was with them too. Both women had had quite a bit to drink. Their cheeks were flushed, their eyes slightly hazy as they sat on the sofa whispering to each other.
Lu Chen had also drunk a lot, but thanks to his training over time, his tolerance was high, and he remained quite sober. He busied himself boiling water and brewing tea to help the others sober up.
Just as he was moving about, Lu Xi suddenly said, "Lu Chen, sit down. I have something to ask you."
Her tone was serious.
Lu Chen was surprised but obediently sat down. "What is it, sis?"
"What is it, you ask?" Lu Xi gave a faint, cold smile. She glanced at the slightly drunk Chen Fei'er sitting beside her and asked directly, "Tell me the truth, are you and Fei'er dating?"
"Ah!"
Chen Fei'er wasn't drunk enough to mishear that. Her face instantly flushed, almost like blood would drip from her cheeks. While a few close friends already knew the truth, Lu Xi was Lu Chen's sister, his closest family member.
That made it an entirely different matter.
Lu Chen paused for a moment. Then, he suddenly reached out and held Chen Fei'er's hand. He replied seriously, "Yes."
"So it is true!" Lu Xi let out a long sigh. She had suspected there was something between the two, and now she finally had confirmation.
It felt a little strange.
In Lu Xi's heart, Lu Chen had always been the little rascal who liked to trail behind her, the one the family needed to care for and protect. That was exactly why she had come all the way to the capital, to support him.
And now, to suddenly realize that her younger brother had grown up, had a career, and even found someone to love, it was almost surreal.
But… why did it have to be Chen Fei'er?
Lu Xi felt like she was dreaming. Was she really going to have a future sister-in-law who was a top-tier Heavenly Queen of pop music?
Come to think of it, Lu Xi had been a fan of Chen Fei'er herself!
She was proud of Lu Chen for being exceptional enough to win someone like Chen Fei'er over, but at the same time, she felt a faint, inexplicable sense of loss.
And when Lu Chen openly held Chen Fei'er's hand and confirmed their relationship, Chen Fei'er was overwhelmed with sweetness. Her eyes shimmered with emotion, her entire expression soft with affection.
As a superstar in the Chinese pop industry, Chen Fei'er had never felt insecure before. But after starting a relationship with Lu Chen, she couldn't help but occasionally worry about their future, afraid of what might go wrong.
Now, all those uncertain feelings had completely vanished.
Lu Chen felt her emotions at that moment and instinctively tightened his grip on her hand.
Lu Xi noticed all this and said, "Fei'er, then you'll have to keep a close eye on Lu Chen. He's always had a way with girls. Back in college, "
"Cough, Cough!"
Lu Chen cleared his throat in embarrassment. "Sis!"
Chen Fei'er giggled, "Lu Xi-jie, don't worry. I will."
She shot Lu Chen a playful glance, as if saying, Caught you red-handed now!
Although Chen Fei'er was older than Lu Xi by a few years, because of her relationship with Lu Chen and to keep things affectionate and casual, she followed Lu Chen's lead in calling Lu Xi "jie" (sister), skipping any awkwardness about formal titles.
She gently pulled her hand away from Lu Chen, then grabbed Lu Xi's arm and said, "Lu Xi-jie, why don't you sleep in my room tonight? Tell me all about Lu Chen when he was younger, okay?"
Lu Xi finally smiled. "Alright!"
With that, the two women got up and left together, leaving behind a speechless Lu Chen all alone. The next morning, everyone regrouped in the hotel lobby and boarded vehicles provided by Qian De Media to head to the film studio.
Accompanied by multiple representatives, Zhong Yue first visited the set of 'Autumn in My Heart'. He then carefully watched the first three completed episodes of the drama.
Although the footage provided by the crew was still in raw form, no post-production or dubbing, Zhong Yue was a seasoned veteran in the industry. As the director of programming at Haijin Satellite TV, he had reviewed countless television dramas. His sharp instincts had been honed over years of experience.
He had already read both the 'Autumn in My Heart' script and the novel chapters Lu Chen had been serializing on his blog. But a good script or story was no guarantee of a good show.
There were far too many cases where brilliant scripts were ruined by bad directors or poor acting.
Even though Haijin Satellite TV had already decided to acquire the drama, Zhong Yue still maintained a cautious and critical attitude. He had to be responsible for the network's programming quality.
But after watching the footage, he was genuinely impressed.
This drama had real potential to become a hit!
The first three episodes were incredibly engaging. The opening twist, two babies swapped at birth, created instant suspense. The emotionally charged story of swapped lives sparked a strong desire to keep watching.
And most importantly, Lu Chen's performance toward the end of episode three was absolutely stunning.
Yes, stunning!
Ever since Lu Chen released 'Autumn in My Heart', writing the script himself and taking on the male lead role, skepticism both inside and outside the entertainment industry had never ceased.
People questioned: A young singer-songwriter barely a year into his debut, he can act?
The general assumption was that 'Autumn in My Heart' was nothing more than a vanity project, just another "idol drama" relying on good looks and trendy young stars, using eye candy and sculpted bodies to win over fans rather than genuine acting chops.
Most people believed Lu Chen only had a shot because of his connection to Chen Fei'er.
But after watching the raw episodes, Zhong Yue realized how laughable those criticisms were. Lu Chen's performance wasn't just passable, it was on par with seasoned, professionally trained actors, maybe even one of the brightest highlights of the entire show.
Ironically, it was Chen Fei'er's acting that came across as slightly weaker in comparison, with her visuals and styling doing much of the heavy lifting.
On the directing side, Fang Hui's handling of 'Autumn in My Heart' was clearly masterful. Her framing carried that uniquely feminine sense of purity and emotional delicacy, perfectly capturing the tone and atmosphere of the story.
Of course, the production wasn't without flaws. But for a project at this level, Zhong Yue was genuinely impressed, enough to double down on his decision:
He was going to secure exclusive premiere rights for Haijin Satellite TV.
After watching the footage, the group had lunch together. In the afternoon, they headed to a top-tier music production company in Jinling.
According to the original plan, Lu Chen and Chen Fei'er would record the theme song for 'Autumn in My Heart', a duet.
The song, along with promo stills and a teaser trailer, would serve as core materials for the show's publicity campaign.
This Jinling-based studio, one of the best equipped in the region, had cleared half a day for them, thanks to Flying Stone Records pulling some strings.
The song's music arrangement and accompaniment had also been personally overseen by Lin Zhijie, who worked overtime at Flying Stone Records to finish it on time.
When Lu Chen and the production team arrived, the recording room was already fully prepared, every microphone, monitor, and soundboard tuned and waiting.
Despite being the largest and most advanced recording room in Jinling, it had never hosted a celebrity on Chen Fei'er's level.
Still, with more than a decade in the industry, countless studio sessions behind her, Chen Fei'er remained completely unfazed.
Lu Chen, too, had long since toughened up.
The two stepped into the booth, slipped on their monitoring headphones, and began their first take in front of a live camera.
The theme song for 'Autumn in My Heart' had been carefully selected by Lu Chen to suit both the show and Chen Fei'er's vocal strengths.
It would also be included in her upcoming album.
Lu Chen had many duets in mind from his memories of past love songs, but finding one that truly matched the essence of this story was no easy task. While the final choice wasn't absolutely perfect, it was emotionally on point and stylistically compatible.
The song was called "Your Eyes."
As the instrumental began, Lu Chen sang the opening verse:
Loving you, I forgot to awaken,
I'd rather close my eyes and sleep forever.
Let me sleep through this lifetime and the next,
Because you are my destiny.
Love is a dead end,
Those truly happy don't need to chase.
Let the seasons come and go,
I'll still drift with you, untethered.
Don't let Your Eyes,
See this world's heartbreak again.
In storms and rain, let us cling to each other,
I'll kiss your heart with my pain.
Looking into Your Eyes,
Too many tears won't stop falling.
I ache for every step you took for love,
Dreams of hardship reveal the truest heart!
Lu Chen and Chen Fei'er alternated verses, then harmonized together with flawless coordination.
Lu Chen's voice was crystal-clear, like a polished glass statue, untainted, almost sacred.
Chen Fei'er's voice was angelic and emotional, filled with a trace of sorrow and longing, yet unwavering in its devotion and strength.
It was just their first take, and though they'd only rehearsed a few times, the emotion they poured into the performance felt like it had been practiced for a lifetime. Their feelings burst forth, flowing seamlessly into every note.
That raw emotion gave the song a soul.
"Your Eyes" wasn't your typical sugary love duet, nor was it melodramatic heartbreak fare. Instead, it was tender, poignant, and deeply sincere.
The emotions embedded in the music mirrored the drama's storyline:
You saw me, I found you.
The world faded, leaving just the two of us.
And in your eyes, I saw everything I ever needed.
"Don't let Your Eyes see heartbreak again... Let us depend on each other through wind and rain."
That's the purest kind of love.
In the control room, everyone was holding their breath.
Producer Zhang De, Director Zhong Yue, Lu Xi, Fang Hui, Assistant Li Jie, Li Feiyu, the studio's sound engineer, and more than a dozen others were utterly silent, afraid of missing even a single note.
Inside the booth, Lu Chen and Chen Fei'er gazed into each other's eyes. In that moment, they saw all the unspoken emotions reflected back at them.
Their hearts were in sync.
Words weren't needed. Their song said everything.
Maybe their love, like the story they were telling, would face many obstacles, but right now, in this moment, it was perfect.
Warm.
Joyful.
And completely, unforgettably sweet.
(End of Chapter)