Back when Lu Chen was negotiating with Qiande Film & Television, he put forward certain demands regarding the director and the male lead.
In the rules of the entertainment industry, what he was asking for was essentially the biggest piece of the pie in the production.
So it wasn't entirely unreasonable that when he first negotiated with Baolong Pictures, Zhu Minghe thought Lu Chen was biting off more than he could chew, he simply dismissed 'Autumn in My Heart' without hesitation. You couldn't really call that a huge mistake.
Zhu Minghe just lacked a bit of patience; he had no idea the female lead would turn out to be Chen Fei'er.
Qiande's situation, on the other hand, was different. Their business manager, Lu Yi, approached Lu Chen first. After understanding the proposal in more detail, and considering Qiande wasn't particularly strong as a company, they were clearly in a weaker position.
So even though Lu Chen didn't make any demands later on, Qiande still gave full consideration to his opinions, especially when casting the key supporting roles.
Among them was Cui Xin'ai, the second female lead in the drama. The role had a heavy presence in the storyline and shared many scenes with the male protagonist, so Qiande deliberately sent Lu Chen audition VCRs of seven shortlisted actresses.
Lu Chen picked Zhang Liwei from those seven.
He didn't know her personally; he simply felt her appearance and aura were a perfect match for the character. After a successful audition, she was signed.
Once Zhang Liwei officially joined the production and learned how she had been selected, her gratitude toward Lu Chen was overwhelming.
In the entertainment world, talent alone is never enough to guarantee success. So many skilled performers are buried by the industry, held back by countless hidden rules and political games.
Even for an unpopular new drama, casting actors isn't a simple matter. For someone like Zhang Liwei to be chosen for such an important role purely based on her own merit, that was extremely rare.
Zhang Liwei had no major fame, no noteworthy past projects, and hadn't "sacrificed herself for art," as some might say.
Once shooting began, she found her collaboration with Lu Chen incredibly smooth. He never put on airs, and he always patiently explained the character's emotions and motivations, helping her quickly integrate into the crew.
What surprised her was how young Lu Chen was. He had only done commercials and music videos before, yet his acting and theoretical knowledge were incredibly solid, he had the presence of a seasoned veteran.
As a formally trained actress with multiple dramas under her belt, she found herself a step behind him.
But most importantly, Lu Chen didn't have any ulterior motives.
Zhang Liwei had spent several years in the entertainment world and understood how valuable opportunities were. If someone like Lu Chen, who held such a prominent position in the crew, had shown interest in her romantically… she honestly wouldn't have minded making a small sacrifice.
At the very least, he was handsome, wasn't he?
But Lu Chen never gave off that vibe. He always treated her with respect and courtesy.
Her habit of calling him "Teacher Lu" was genuinely heartfelt.
Even if he was a few years younger than her.
Lu Chen, however, found it a bit awkward.
He joked, "Sister Liwei, you call me Teacher Lu but call her Sister Fei, are you doing this just to mess with me?"
He'd corrected her several times, but she never changed.
Zhang Liwei and Chen Fei'er both laughed. Zhang Liwei grinned and said, "Alright then, from now on I'll call you Big Chen!"
The 'Autumn in My Heart' production was the most harmonious set Zhang Liwei had ever worked on. There were no fights, no scheming. Chen Fei'er had the biggest star power but never acted like a diva, even toward the most junior staff, she was always polite and respectful.
Lu Chen, being the screenwriter, male lead, and investor, held an extremely important role. But he was friendly, talented, and worked seamlessly with Chen Fei'er. The two of them even referred to each other as "sister and brother."
Both Lu Chen and Chen Fei'er supported director Fang Hui wholeheartedly. Since Qiande wasn't an overbearing production company, there was no factional infighting in the crew. All the actors cherished the opportunity, and everyone worked together as a team. Shooting progressed smoothly, and it looked like they might even finish all 20 episodes ahead of schedule.
Now that 'Autumn in My Heart' was seeing rising ratings and had become the dark horse of the year-end drama season, everyone was benefitting. The atmosphere on set was better than ever.
Zhang Liwei knew that even teasing Lu Chen a little wouldn't bother him.
In fact, she was starting to develop feelings for this sunny young man.
Lu Chen, however, didn't think much of it. He called everyone together and began that day's shooting.
From morning until nightfall, they worked continuously. Only after dark did director Fang Hui call it a wrap.
In a temporary rest area, Chen Fei'er was so tired she could barely speak.
She had the heaviest scenes that day, with several shots needing multiple retakes before they passed.
Fang Hui was becoming more and more attuned to the production and increasingly demanding with her actors. Scenes others thought were already good enough, she insisted be redone until they were perfect.
The pressure on Chen Fei'er was enormous.
With no one else around, she leaned on Lu Chen's shoulder and murmured, "Once we finish this drama, I want a proper break."
Lu Chen chuckled, "By the time we finish, it'll be New Year's. You'll get a holiday!"
Chen Fei'er shifted her position slightly and nestled into his arms, her eyes half-closed.
"When I was a kid, I always looked forward to New Year's. I'd get new clothes and all kinds of delicious food… But now, New Year's barely feels like anything. I spend New Year's Eve at the TV station."
As one of the top-tier stars in the music industry, Chen Fei'er was flooded with performance invitations during the Chinese New Year, many of which were impossible to decline.
For example, the CCTV Spring Festival Gala, this year, Chen Fei'er had a solo performance slot. That's something countless artists would kill for.
But for next year's Gala in February, she won't be participating.
Lu Chen held her hand and asked, "How about spending the New Year at my place this year?"
"Huh?" Chen Fei'er's body instantly tensed, a faint blush rising to her cheeks. "Go to your house?"
Of course she knew exactly what Lu Chen's invitation meant.
Lu Chen smiled. "Yeah. My mom and little sister would be thrilled to meet you."
Chen Fei'er slowly relaxed again, her face still tinged red. "It's too soon. I'm not ready yet."
In traditional Chinese thinking, going to a boyfriend's home for New Year's, and especially meeting his mother, was practically equivalent to meeting your future in-laws.
Lu Chen was a little disappointed, but he understood.
Feeling a bit guilty, Chen Fei'er reached out, wrapped her arms around his neck, and gave him a passionate kiss.
Ding-ling-ling~~
But just as their lips touched, Lu Chen's phone started ringing insistently. He really wanted to ignore it, but the ringtone wouldn't stop. Reluctantly, he let go of the beauty in his arms and answered the call.
To his surprise, the caller was Qin Hanyang.
"Brother Qin?"
Qin Hanyang's familiar voice came through: "Lu Chen, are you busy right now?"
Lu Chen gestured to Chen Fei'er and smiled, "Just finished filming. What's up, Brother Qin?"
"I'm in Jinling. It's been a while, let's have dinner together tonight!"
Lu Chen was delighted: "You're in Jinling too? Where are you? I'll send someone to pick you up."
Qin Hanyang laughed: "No need. I'm with Director Dong and Manager Su, we've booked a table at the Qinhuai Restaurant. Why don't you come straight over? We'll be waiting!"
"No problem!"
Lu Chen agreed readily: "I'll be there in an hour."
After chatting a bit more, he ended the call and turned to Chen Fei'er: "I won't be able to have dinner with you tonight. Qin Hanyang's in town, and some people from Qingyu Media are with him."
If it had just been Qin Hanyang, Lu Chen might've brought Chen Fei'er along. But with Qingyu Media there, it wasn't convenient.
Chen Fei'er understood completely: "Got it. Just don't drink too much, and try to come back early to rest."
Like a gentle wife sending her husband off to a business dinner.
Lu Chen felt a surge of warmth in his heart and couldn't resist lowering his head for another kiss, but Chen Fei'er laughed and blocked him.
"You smell like sweat, go shower and change first. Otherwise, you'll be late."
Lu Chen grabbed her hand, stole a quick kiss anyway, and laughed heartily as he got up to leave.
He called Li Feiyu, returned to the hotel, took a quick hot shower, changed into a clean outfit, and the two of them hailed a cab to Qinhuai Restaurant.
Located beside the Qinhuai River, they arrived at the restaurant just before 8 PM.
They found the private room Qin Hanyang mentioned. Inside were six people.
Aside from Qin Hanyang, Dong Yu, and Su Qingmei, there were two other men and a woman whom Lu Chen didn't recognize.
"Brother Qin, Director Dong, Manager Su," Lu Chen greeted politely as he walked in "Sorry I'm late, thank you all for waiting!"
The table had six plates of cold appetizers and drinks, all untouched. Clearly, they'd been waiting for him.
Everyone, including Director Dong, stood up.
Director Dong smiled, "We're the ones imposing on you. Thanks for making time to meet us."
Lu Chen replied with a grin, "Director Dong, you're too kind."
Dong Yu, General Manager of Qingyu Media, was as elegant and poised as ever, a beautiful woman with mature charm and sophistication.
Lu Chen had worked with her before, though it had been a while.
Standing beside her was Su Qingmei, still as flirtatiously charming as ever. Her Chanel suit accentuated her perfect figure, and her eyes shimmered with amusement. "Teacher Lu, since you're late, three drinks as punishment!"
Hearing her call him "Teacher Lu" made Lu Chen shiver, goosebumps all over. It was just too… cloying.
He forced a smile.
"Fair enough."
Turning quickly to Qin Hanyang, he stepped up and gave him a big hug.
"Brother Qin! Long time no see!"
Nowadays, Lu Chen didn't need to give face to Su Qingmei or even Dong Yu, but Qin Hanyang was an exception.
Qin Hanyang was surprised at first, then laughed and gave him a hearty slap on the back.
"Long time no see!"
Everyone was busy these days, and opportunities to meet were few and far between.
But the friendship remained unchanged.
Letting go, Lu Chen asked: "Is the Panghuang Band not here? What about Sister Na?"
Qin Hanyang explained: "They're in another city, there's an event in Jinling tonight. And Sister Na… she's pregnant."
"What?!" Lu Chen's eyes widened. "Sister Na is pregnant?"
Qin Hanyang nodded. "Yeah, I just found out too. She's staying home now to rest and take care of herself."
Now that was a truly unexpected piece of news!
(End of Chapter)
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