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On the night of May 20th, the very same day the 'Full House' film crew returned from Korea to the Capital City, many fans discovered that Chen Fei'er had updated her post on her Langchao (Wave) blog.
The post was simple, just two short lines: "A gift from someone special on 520. What do you all think, does it look good?"
Below the text was a single photo: a slender, fair hand resting on a laptop keyboard. On the middle finger glittered a ruby ring, its deep red gemstone glowing like pigeon's blood, encircled by tiny diamonds that shimmered brilliantly under the light. Against her snow-white skin, it looked exquisite and elegant.
Chen Fei'er's fans immediately exploded with excitement! Because what day was it? May 20th, Internet Valentine's Day!
Countless single fans took a critical hit straight to the heart and flooded the comments section with cries of anguish.
"Fatal blow from the blogger! Single dogs' HP -10000!"
"Another merciless public display of affection! I can't take it anymore, I'm turning from fan to anti-fan!"
"Hahaha, that someone must be Lu Chen. He gave her a ring, don't tell me that was a successful proposal?!"
"Don't jump to conclusions! Proposals are with diamond rings, and that's worn on the ring finger."
"I'm so jealous. That ruby is gorgeous. If someone gave me one like that, I'd marry him on the spot!"
"Lu Chen really knows how to be romantic."
Rubies are known as the stone of love. Their fiery red color is often associated with passion and romance, symbolizing warmth, eternity, and devotion in love.
Lu Chen had bought that ring during his trip to Seoul, saving it for this special day to surprise Chen Fei'er with a gesture of pure romance. As for the emotional damage she caused the single fans by flaunting it on her blog, well, that was purely collateral.
Of course, after seeing Chen Fei'er's post, plenty of fans flocked straight to Lu Chen's blog.
After all, if you're going to show off your love, you've got to do it as a pair! Chen Fei'er had made her move, so naturally, everyone expected Lu Chen to follow up. The already heartbroken single fans no longer cared about getting hurt again. If you're going to torture us with your sweetness, might as well go all the way!
But to everyone's surprise, Lu Chen didn't post a picture of the gift. Instead, he uploaded a new song, something he had just written, played, and recorded himself.
The title said it all: "With You Forever."
"Because I dreamed you'd gone away,
I woke up from tears today.
The night breeze drifts past my windowpane…
Can you feel my love again?
When we are old and gray,
Will you still be here to stay?
Watching our vows and lies
Fade slowly with time's tide.
So many once adored your beauty in youth,
But who will bear the years' cruel truth?
So many came and went through your life's span…
But With You Forever, I'll always be your man…"
Ever since the filming of 'Autumn in My Heart' last year, Lu Chen had devoted most of his energy to acting. It almost felt as though he had temporarily stepped away from the pop music scene.
Yet his presence and his legend still lingered in the world of music.
For countless fans, their deepest attachment was not to the "celebrity actor Lu Chen," but to the wandering singer who once sang on street corners, who poured his soul into songs. They missed that Lu Chen. They wanted new music, another album, another concert, something that could let them once again hear songs like My Old Classmate, Those Flowers, and The Brightest Star in the Night Sky.
Tonight, those long-awaited fans finally got a small piece of that wish.
Even if this song was written, for someone else.
"…When everything fades and feels plain,
Is there still a love that will remain?
Oh~~"
With You Forever was an impromptu creation, just Lu Chen's voice and a piano. The lyrics and melody carried his signature style: vivid yet simple, heartfelt yet natural, flowing gently with sincerity.
No lavish arrangement, no forced sentimentality, just raw emotion, distilled and genuine. It was precisely this honest expression that struck so deeply, touching everyone who listened.
As fans listened to this pure, unpolished new song, they could almost see him, Lu Chen seated at the piano, singing softly to Chen Fei'er.
What could be more romantic than that confession?
Especially those few lines:
"So many once adored your beauty in youth,
But who will bear the years' cruel truth?
So many came and went through your life's span…
But With You Forever, I'll always be your man!"
They moved people to tears, stirring deep emotions.
What truly touches the heart is not just the lyrics or the melody, it's the truth of the feeling behind them. Words and music alone can't contain love that deep; they merely help to express it.
Because love is not about taking, it's about giving.
Love is devotion without regret.
Love is the joy of being needed by the one you cherish.
Anyone could hear it, Lu Chen was confessing his love to Chen Fei'er through that song. Even though fans had long grown accustomed to the couple's sweetness and romance, hearing With You Forever on this particular day still stirred an indescribable emotion in everyone's hearts.
"With You Forever, I'll always be by your side!"
Within just half an hour of Lu Chen's "520" blog post going live, reposts had already exceeded ten thousand, and the number of comments had doubled. What's more, many musicians from the entertainment industry left likes and heartfelt messages after listening to the song.
"I think Chen Fei'er must be the luckiest woman in the world today."
"A beautiful song, gentle, romantic, and full of that lyrical folk-ballad charm."
"There's a trace of melancholy in it, but it's exactly that touch of sadness that makes love feel so real."
"Honestly, I hope Lu Chen stops filming TV dramas, he belongs to the world of pop music!"
"Hearing this song on such a special day feels like a blessing."
The immense reach of the Langchao Blog platform meant that Chen Fei'er's photo and Lu Chen's song dominated the headlines of every major entertainment section the very next day. The media unanimously hailed it as "The Most Romantic Confession of 520!"
One internationally renowned jewelry company even reached out to both of their studios, hoping to sign Lu Chen and Chen Fei'er as joint brand ambassadors.
By then, however, the two had already left the Capital City and headed to Jinling Film Studios to continue filming 'Full House'.
As the saying goes, "The flowers you plant may not bloom, but the willows you plant by chance will shade the whole path." Following the "Jeju Island Incident" and now this "520 Confession," the buzz surrounding 'Full House' had skyrocketed, without any deliberate marketing push. Online and across the media, the show was fast becoming one of the most highly anticipated TV dramas of the upcoming summer season.
Reporters began flocking to Jinling Studios, chasing the 'Full House' crew for exclusive scoops. Though their presence caused some minor disruptions to filming, the co-producers and investors could hardly stop grinning.
Under normal circumstances, it would take several million yuan in publicity spending to generate this kind of media frenzy.
Everyone was convinced that when 'Full House' finally premiered, it would deliver phenomenal ratings. Working with Lu Chen, it seemed, had once again proven to be the best business decision possible!
Meanwhile, the frequent appearances of 'Full House' and its two leads in entertainment headlines kept drawing massive attention from fans and viewers, while at the same time putting heavy pressure on rival productions.
Last year's 'Autumn in My Heart' had been a breakout success with record-breaking ratings, which prompted many film and TV companies and talent agencies to chase similar projects. By now, at least seven dramas of the same genre were in production, including Xiangnan TV's Boundless Love.
That series had cast Zhang Liwei and Hu Yang, the pair who rose to fame in the hit drama Blue, as its male and female leads.
With its star-studded lineup and big-budget production, it was widely expected to go head-to-head with 'Full House' during the summer season.
True to its reputation for aggressive marketing, Xiangnan TV quickly fired up its full publicity engine. Facing 'Full House''s soaring popularity, they couldn't sit still.
Rumors about Zhang Liwei and Hu Yang "turning reel romance into real love" flooded entertainment pages, along with all kinds of on-set gossip, anything to grab the public's attention.
Other new dramas, though less competitive in quality, also refused to stay silent.
They poured money into promotion campaigns, and for a while, the entertainment world was buzzing nonstop with gossip and hype, dazzling and chaotic.
Then, on May 27th, Lu Chen quietly returned to the Capital City alone to record an episode of New Star Show for the Jing TV variety channel.
(End of Chapter)