Time changes everything, and in the entertainment world, hot news is like a summer storm, it comes fast and vanishes even faster.
Because neither Lu Chen nor Chen Fei'er's studios cooperated, and the couple themselves made no effort to stir up hype, vanishing from the public eye entirely, the media quickly lost interest. Aside from the fans still noisily debating online, the press no longer cared to indulge in one-sided fantasies.
After all, there's no shortage of gossip in the entertainment industry, this female celeb is feuding with another, that male idol is facing "coming out" rumors, real or fake, scripted or staged. If you want material, there's an endless supply of ot out there.
If Lu Chen and Chen Fei'er break up one day, or one of them cheats, then it would be worth reporting.
And that's exactly what Lu Chen and Chen Fei'er wanted. They waited until the buzz had settled down before quietly returning to the country. During this period, they didn't post any more romantic content online, not just to cool the topic, but also to spare the single folks from heartache.
Happy times always fly by. Once back in Capital City, the two had to part ways again to focus on their own careers.
Though she was madly in love with Lu Chen and had more wealth than she could spend in a lifetime, Chen Fei'er had no plans to retire from the entertainment world just yet. She loved singing, acting, and standing in the spotlight, she truly loved her profession, and she wasn't ready to trade it all in to become a stay-at-home wife.
Maybe someday, when she was tired and weary, she'd marry Lu Chen without regret, withdraw from the limelight completely, embrace a quiet life of cooking and raising a few kids, and grow old happily by his side.
Lu Chen fully supported her decision. His own career had just started to take off, and this was his moment to shine. He didn't want to mix love and work, either.
They understood and supported each other, and that's the only way a relationship can last and eventually bloom into something lasting.
Breakups and hookups are a dime a dozen in showbiz, and neither Lu Chen nor Chen Fei'er wanted to become just another statistic.
On the very day they returned to Capital City, Chen Fei'er immediately dove into recording her new album.
As for Lu Chen, he threw himself into rehearsals with the Nirvana Band, prepping for their upcoming performance at the 72H Grasslands Music Festival.
He had even written two brand new songs for this highly anticipated event.
The 72H Grasslands Music Festival began in the early 1990s, originally founded by several major record companies and seven renowned music figures from the entertainment circle. The first-ever festival, then called the MiSound Open-Air Music Festival, was held in Chaoyang Park, the Capital City.
That inaugural festival featured 32 independent singers and 11 bands, drawing over 10,000 attendees, a massive turnout at the time, and became a major event in the pop music scene.
Among those 32 singers and 11 bands were notable names like Black Crow Band and Sky Band, well-known symbols of China's rock music. But there were also plenty of unknowns. Several of those independent singers caught the industry's attention during the festival, paving their way into the spotlight. Over time, participation shifted from open registration to invitation-only due to overwhelming demand.
Eventually, the MiSound Festival moved to Wild Mountain Park near the New Era Art Center and was renamed the 72H Grasslands Music Festival, which had now been held for 19 editions.
Though it experienced a few interruptions over the years, 72H still held tremendous influence within the pop music world and was especially beloved by true fans of live music.
The 72H Grasslands Festival is known for inviting only the most unique and talented performers, from well-established musicians to street singers. As long as someone had a distinctive style or original compositions, they had a shot at standing on that stage, performing in front of tens of thousands of music lovers, and catching the eye of top entertainment agencies.
Many successful artists and bands like Qin Kaixuan, Xu Liwen, Gu Nazha, Cao Lun, Red Express Band, and Wednesday Band all got their big break through this festival, going from unknowns to nationwide sensations!
This year marked the 20th edition of the 72H Grasslands Music Festival, and it featured the largest number of invited independent singers and bands in its history. With a wave of sponsorships, the event was especially grand this time around.
Just after the Lantern Festival, a steady stream of indie singers, bands, and music fans began arriving in Capital City from across the country, setting up tents right on the festival grounds at Wild Mountain Park.
Not all of these early arrivals had official invitations, many came out of pure devotion, making the long journey as a kind of pilgrimage, simply to be part of this major gathering of alternative music lovers.
In the entertainment industry, the 72H Grasslands Festival has a nickname: "The Non-Mainstream Music Festival."
Because here, what truly shines isn't pop ballads, upbeat radio hits, or formulaic chart-toppers, but genres like rock, heavy metal, R&B, rap, postmodern experimental music, and folk, all the so-called "non-mainstream" styles.
So while 72H enjoys tremendous fame, it rarely features mainstream superstars. Instead, the lineups are filled with seasoned indie singers, struggling newcomers, and underground musicians. If you go on stage singing bubblegum pop, you'll likely be booed off by the crowd.
Freedom, individuality, boldness, and creativity, these are the soul of 72H. It's like a giant magnet that draws in talented musicians who haven't yet had their big break.
The fans who arrive early? They're the real deal. Not everyone has the luxury of time and money, it's not uncommon for people to take unpaid leave and spend five or six hours, or longer, on a high-speed train just to stake out a prime viewing spot at the venue.
By March 3rd, the southern portion of Wild Mountain Park, near the New Era Arts District, had transformed into a colorful sea of tents. The bright reds and greens stretched from the grass in front of the stage all the way up the hillside several hundred meters away. Seen from above, the scene was nothing short of breathtaking.
The performance stage was nearly complete, the backdrop and lighting were in place; only the audio equipment had yet to be installed.
On the morning of March 4th, the opening day, six towering outdoor speaker systems, each taller than a person, were finally positioned across the venue. The LED screen behind the stage began running test visuals, and with that, the atmosphere buzzed to life.
The crowd swelled by the hour. Entry points into the park began implementing crowd control measures, and security lines were set up far from the main stage. Loudspeakers continuously broadcast safety reminders, and media reporters began mingling among the fans.
Lu Chen and Nirvana Band arrived at Wild Mountain Park just before noon.
Technically, Lu Chen didn't need to arrive that early. His performance was scheduled for around 8 PM, and arriving after sundown would've been perfectly acceptable.
But Lu Chen had long admired the 72H Grasslands Festival by reputation. He'd never had the chance to see it in person, and now, with an opportunity to perform on that very stage, he couldn't resist coming early, to feed his musical soul, so to speak.
As for Wang Jing and the other members of Nirvana, while they had attended 72H before, this was also their first time performing on its stage, they were all visibly excited and even a little nervous.
But the moment Lu Chen appeared in front of the stage, someone in the crowd immediately noticed him…
(End of Chapter)
You can read ahead up to 60 chapters on my patreon https://www.patreon.com/darkshadow6395