February 22nd, The Lantern Festival.
With the arrival of the fifteenth day of the Lunar New Year, the festive period officially came to an end. Schools began reopening, and society as a whole returned to its usual fast-paced rhythm.
After signing the endorsement contract with Zhonghua Auto, Lu Xi kept up the momentum and helped Lu Chen secure two more advertising deals, one with Thunderbird Watches and another with Lanjie Daily Chemicals, netting another 10 million yuan.
With funding for the new drama project basically secured, Lu Chen wasn't in a rush to publicly announce the shooting schedule.
On the day of the Lantern Festival, he visited his new home.
The property was transferred to Lu Chen by Chen Fei'er, located in Zichengyuan, a premium residential complex in Capital City.
Zichengyuan was developed by Capital Wanlong, one of China's top real estate giants. Located between the Second and Third Ring Roads and close to Yuyuantan Park, the complex was completed in 2007 and was considered a true high-end, high-value property.
The unit was #1701 in Building 7, a two-story duplex totaling 300 square meters, featuring five bedrooms, two living rooms, and three bathrooms, a world apart from the modest single-bedroom apartment Lu Chen currently rented.
More importantly, Zichengyuan had excellent property management and strict security. Living here, Lu Chen no longer had to worry about paparazzi or hidden cameras. Of course, the property fees were also quite steep.
Given its close proximity to the New Era Art District, once the sublease for his other apartment was finalized, Lu Chen decided to make the move.
The property had already been officially transferred to his name. Since Chen Fei'er had it fully renovated beforehand, Lu Chen only needed to bring over his personal belongings to move in, incredibly convenient.
The interior decor was impressive, clearly the work of a renowned designer. The European minimalist style blended with tasteful artistic elements, creating a space that felt both luxurious and tranquil.
The first floor included two bedrooms, a spacious living room, kitchen, dining area, and bathroom. The living room was large enough to host small gatherings with friends. The kitchen and dining space were pristine, showing no signs of ever being used.
Everything from sofas, furniture, kitchenware, and appliances were top-tier brands. Even though Lu Chen wasn't an expert in home decor, he could easily tell that Chen Fei'er had poured at least 2 to 3 million yuan into this home.
In Zichengyuan, property prices started at 100,000 yuan per square meter. For such a prime layout and floor level, selling it to him for 30 million was definitely a discounted "friends and family" price.
Of course, compared to the price she paid when buying it years ago, Chen Fei'er had made a handsome profit. Over the past few years, property prices in Capital City had skyrocketed, even areas beyond the Fifth Ring Road were going for 20–30k per square meter, becoming completely unaffordable for ordinary people.
Had Lu Chen not caught a lucky break and entered the entertainment industry, he wouldn't even be able to afford a house in neighboring Hebei province, let alone in Zichengyuan.
"I only lived here a few times," Chen Fei'er said with a smile as she held Lu Chen's hand, "But I arranged for someone to come in regularly and clean, so everything's spotless."
She looked positively giddy, like she had just bought a brand-new home for herself.
As one of the top-earning singers in the country, bringing in tens of millions, sometimes even hundreds of millions annually, Chen Fei'er had a passion for real estate. She never invested her money in financial products, instead, she poured most of it into property: villas, apartments, commercial spaces, you name it.
And that conservative investment strategy had paid off big, yielding returns far greater than her main career.
With wealth and connections in the industry, Chen Fei'er had full control over her career and life. She didn't need to rely on any management company and lived far more freely than most artists.
As they walked up the spiral staircase, Chen Fei'er smiled mysteriously and said, "I have a gift for you."
Lu Chen was curious. "What kind of gift?"
She giggled and gave no reply.
Upstairs was an entirely different world. The small landing area had been transformed into a mini bar and tea lounge, with large windows that opened onto a landscaped balcony filled with lush green plants. It was the kind of place that made you want to sit down, drink tea, read a book, and enjoy the dazzling Capital City skyline.
Opposite the bar stood a brand-new upright piano. The golden harp logo embedded on its body gleamed subtly, a clear sign of its prestige.
This expensive Steinway piano was the housewarming gift Chen Fei'er had prepared for Lu Chen!
Lu Chen was stunned and overjoyed. "Thank you!"
Chen Fei'er gave him a playful glare, as if blaming him for being too polite.
Lu Chen laughed, wrapped an arm around her slender waist, and pulled her into an embrace, lowering his head to kiss her soft lips.
It was a long, passionate kiss, full of affection and gratitude, ending only when Chen Fei'er's face turned crimson.
She gave him a gentle push and said shyly, "Try the piano."
Lu Chen nodded, sat down in front of the piano, and opened the lid. He tested the tone and tuning first.
The tone of this hundred-thousand-yuan Steinway was outstanding. Though an upright piano couldn't compare to a grand, it was more than luxurious for home use. The tuning had clearly been handled by a professional, Lu Chen couldn't detect a single flaw.
Even though he'd acquired countless precious memories from the Dream World, Lu Chen never used those gifts to slack off. He had always worked hard to improve himself in every way, and he had never stopped learning.
Take the piano, for instance. Lu Chen's skills had barely surpassed beginner level at first. But now, he could likely pass an amateur Level 8 or 9 exam, and there was still plenty of room for growth.
Leaving aside the memories from the dream world, Lu Chen was undeniably talented when it came to music.
Chen Fei'er said, "Play a song, will you?"
Lu Chen smiled and asked, "I play, you sing?"
Chen Fei'er thought for a moment, then replied, "You play and sing. I'll record it."
She really did pull out her phone, opened the camera app, and pointed it at Lu Chen, ready to film.
Lu Chen chuckled helplessly, sat up straight, placed his fingers gently on the smooth piano keys, and said seriously, "This song is dedicated to the most beautiful, intelligent, and proud Miss Chen Fei'er!"
Chen Fei'er's hands trembled a little, and she struggled to hold back her laughter as she steadied the phone and resumed filming.
Then, Lu Chen began to play the intro.
To Chen Fei'er's surprise, the melody, while beautiful, was completely unfamiliar.
It was a brand-new song.
Though she had long grown used to Lu Chen's seemingly endless musical creativity, at this very moment, she still felt overwhelmed with joy, this was a song written just for her!
"I heard the sound of winter's departure,
I woke up in a certain month of a certain year.
I think, I wait, I look forward,
But the future can't be arranged just because of that.
Cloudy sky, dusk, outside the car window,
In the future, someone is waiting.
Look left, look right, look ahead,
How many turns does love have to make to arrive?
Who will I meet, what kind of words will we say?
The one I wait for, how far in the future is he?
I hear the wind from the subway and the crowd,
Lining up, holding a ticket with love's number…"
The elegant melody, upbeat tempo, and simple lyrics carried a hint of melancholy and longing, yet Lu Chen's heartfelt delivery turned it into a powerful expression of love and devotion.
The only audience was Chen Fei'er. She sat listening, her eyes gradually softening, full of emotion.
"...I fly forward, across the sea of time,
We were once hurt in the name of love.
I see the dream's path is a bit narrow,
Meeting you was the most beautiful accident.
One day, the answer to my riddle will be revealed..."
When Lu Chen sang the line "Meeting you was the most beautiful accident", he turned to glance at Chen Fei'er.
Yes, Meeting you was the most beautiful accident.
Chen Fei'er bit her lip, torn between laughing and crying, and had a sudden urge to throw herself into his arms.
She stopped recording and lowered her phone, locking eyes with Lu Chen. The air between them was silently filled with the sweetness of love.
Lu Chen only sang the song once. After he finished, he stood up and asked, "Do you like it?"
In response, Chen Fei'er dove into his arms and kissed him passionately.
After a long, lingering kiss, the two snuggled into the couch together. Chen Fei'er leaned against Lu Chen's chest, absentmindedly playing with her phone, and asked, "What's the name of this song?"
Lu Chen replied, "Meeting."
"Meeting..." She softly repeated the title, then suddenly sang:
"I fly forward, across the sea of time,
We were once hurt in the name of love.
I see the dream's path is a bit narrow,
Meeting you was the most beautiful accident."
She had an incredible memory, she sang the lyrics without a single mistake, and her pitch was nearly perfect.
Lu Chen was honestly impressed. Chen Fei'er had only heard the song once, and yet her rendition was nearly indistinguishable from the original in his memories. And with her heavenly voice, she captured the mood of the song beautifully.
"You think I should include this in my new album?" She asked.
Lu Chen smiled. "As long as you like it."
Her new album's tracklist had already been finalized, but if she loved the song enough, changing one track wouldn't be a big deal.
Chen Fei'er grinned and replayed the video clip of Meeting she had just recorded on her phone.
After watching it again, an idea struck her. "What if I upload this video to my blog?"
Lu Chen paused for a second, then smiled. "If that's what you want."
If this video, clearly private and intimate, were posted online, their relationship would be semi-public at that point. There'd be no hiding it anymore.
But so what? It was bound to happen eventually, and now wasn't a bad time.
The massive success of 'Autumn in My Heart' had already made Lu Chen and Chen Fei'er the fans' dream couple, with countless netizens shipping them and shouting "Get together already!"
Hearing his response, Chen Fei'er looked up at Lu Chen and asked, "Really?"
Lu Chen nodded. "Really."
Giggling, she selected the video, typed in a title, and posted it to her blog.
After hitting upload, she tossed her phone aside like she'd just completed a major life mission. Then, she stood up, pulled Lu Chen to his feet, and said: "Come on, let's go check out the bedroom!"
(End of Chapter)
You can read ahead up to 60 chapters on my patreon https://www.patreon.com/darkshadow6395