"How much have you drunk today?" Chen Fei'er blocked Lu Chen at the door, pouting with mock anger. "I told you to drink less! Every time you come home reeking of alcohol… if this keeps up, you won't be allowed in this house anymore!"
Lu Chen looked helpless. "I don't want to, really. It's just impossible to refuse."
Ever since he announced the new drama on Langchao Blog, all kinds of people seeking cooperation had come knocking. Some could be politely turned down, but others were people he couldn't ignore for the sake of relationships. The past few days had been a nonstop cycle of banquets.
Tonight, the guests were Zhang Gan and Zhang De, owners of Qiande Brothers Studios. Back when Autumn in My Heart was shooting, Zhang De personally oversaw operations at Jinling Film City, taking care of every problem for the crew. The smooth completion of the drama owed a lot to him.
Although Qiande Studios had earned a substantial profit from Autumn in My Heart, they had invested real money up front. Sharing the benefits was only fair, and the friendship and cooperative relationship established between them couldn't be ignored by Lu Chen.
With someone else, given today's competitive environment, they might have been brushed aside for lack of clout. But Lu Chen's character and integrity made him incapable of such cold-blooded behavior. For the new drama, he even gave Qiande Studios a small share.
Of course, their portion was much smaller than for Autumn in My Heart, but the brothers were extremely satisfied and even praised Lu Chen for being loyal and true to friends.
Looking at the confirmed collaborators for Lu Chen's new drama makes this clear: Capital City TV, Zhedong Satellite TV, Crown Studios, Flying Stone Records, SPG. Compared to these industry giants, Qiande Studios was barely a small fish in the pond.
That afternoon, Zhang Gan and Zhang De came together to corner Lu Chen in the Workshop, insisting on taking him out for a meal. They were accompanied by Director Fang Hui and Zhang Liwei, who had played Cui Xinai, among others.
In this situation, it was impossible for Lu Chen not to drink. To protect his voice, he avoided spirits but drank plenty of beer. Although he reeked of alcohol, at least he wasn't drunk.
In show business, one cannot always act freely. Unless you stay home as a male otaku, social obligations are unavoidable.
Chen Fei'er, with over a decade in the industry, understood this perfectly. Yet seeing Lu Chen come home smelling of alcohol every day still made her worry. She couldn't help scolding him a little: "Next time, just say your stomach can't handle alcohol. I'll prepare some vitamins for you to take. Who told you to drink? Take your medicine!"
"My wise wife!" Lu Chen pulled Chen Fei'er into a hug, grinning. "I'll listen to you!"
He bent down and planted a deep kiss on her face.
Chen Fei'er's body went soft at his embrace, and she shot him a playful glare. "Easy for you to say."
Lu Chen kicked the door closed with his foot, his hands sliding down her slender waist as he scooped her up. With a mischievous smile, he said, "Come on, let's take a bath together."
Chen Fei'er's cheeks flushed as she clenched her fists and tapped his chest. "I don't want to!"
Her punch had almost no force.
The bath lasted nearly an hour. When Lu Chen emerged, he felt refreshed, completely sober, while Chen Fei'er, still in his arms, looked like a delicate lotus just out of water, soft, radiant, and impossibly beautiful.
Lu Chen carried her to the bedroom bed and pulled a thick stack of manuscript paper from the nightstand drawer, handing it to her.
"What's this?"
Chen Fei'er leaned lazily against the headboard, unwilling to move, but her eyes lit up at the sight of the thick stack. "The new script?"
Lu Chen smiled. "Exactly."
The new drama script had been finalized just a few days ago. Because there were significant changes from the original story, Lu Chen had put a lot of effort into completing it, revising many scenes multiple times.
Based on the original work but surpassing it, this script reflected Lu Chen's own creative vision. He had spent far more time on it than Autumn in My Heart, which is why he was only showing it to Chen Fei'er now.
Taking the manuscript, Chen Fei'er straightened her posture.
The stack of papers weighed only a few hundred grams, but she understood the weight of what it represented.
This new drama involved tens of millions, possibly even over a hundred million in interests!
"Take your time reading."
Lu Chen dressed as he spoke. "Please give me your valuable feedback."
Chen Fei'er barely glanced at the manuscript, looking up in surprise. "You're going out again?"
Lu Chen shook his head, smiling. "Not going out, just doing a live stream to meet the fans online."
Chen Fei'er understood.
Recently, Lu Chen had set aside all other work for her new album, making considerable sacrifices.
Her eyes softened with affection. "Then go ahead."
Lu Chen leaned down to kiss her. "I'll be right outside."
"Mm."
After Lu Chen left, Chen Fei'er returned her attention to the script. Her gaze fell on the first page, where four bold characters caught her eye:
'Full House'
Han Zhien was an online writer. Since her parents passed away, she had been living in a house called "Full House," her parents' final inheritance.
As a writer who hadn't achieved much success, Zhien did various odd jobs to make ends meet. To maintain ownership of the house, she lived frugally, saving every penny.
No one expected, however, that Zhien's best friend, Xi Zhen, together with her boyfriend, would use underhanded means to trick Zhien into signing over the property. They lured her abroad for a trip and secretly sold "Full House," disappearing without a trace.
On the plane, Zhien met the superstar Li Yingzai and ended up vomiting on him, leaving a deep impression on both of them.
After returning from her trip abroad, Zhien found her house completely empty, everything was gone. It was then that she realized she had been deceived by the person she trusted most. She now had nothing.
At that moment, the superstar Li Yingzai, whom she had met on the plane, suddenly appeared at her door, dragging moving luggage. He said he had purchased "Full House" with his own money, but seeing Zhien with nowhere to go, he took pity on her and allowed her to stay, even hiring her as his housekeeper.
"What an interesting story!" Chen Fei'er became completely absorbed while reading, forgetting the passage of time.
Meanwhile, as Chen Fei'er read the script, Lu Chen had already logged into the Whale TV live streaming room.
He was now a celebrity spokesperson and the top star broadcaster on Whale TV, with a fan following exceeding five million.
Although this number might have been slightly inflated by the platform, his popularity was undeniable. Even though he rarely hosted live streams personally, each session attracted countless fans who came to watch and interact.
Tonight's live stream had no prior announcement, yet within just a few minutes of going live, over 100,000 fans flooded in, and the number was climbing at an astonishing rate.
Top-tier star broadcasters like Lu Chen automatically trigger notifications to their followers on the platform. Fans can simply click a link to join from either a desktop or mobile device, convenient and effortless.
As a result, more and more fans joined the live stream.
"Oh my, what day is this?"
"Jackpot! Lu Chen himself is streaming live!"
"Wow, the background looks unfamiliar, is this Lu Chen's new home? Looks great!"
"This is so touching… I thought I'd never see Lu Chen on Whale TV again, crying!"
"Brother Chen, hi!"
"Stop arguing, let Lu Chen sing!"
"Brother Lu Chen, when will you shoot the new drama?"
"Wow!"
Countless messages and greetings flooded the screen, accompanied by a rain of Fish Balls, Whale TV's gifting items.
Although gift revenue meant little to someone like Lu Chen at this stage, what mattered most was the enthusiasm and support from his fans.
He was truly moved. To have such a fanbase was an incredible blessing.
Hands clasped over the microphone, he said, "Thank you, everyone. I'm really sorry, work has been too busy lately, and I haven't had much time to chat with you live. I hope you can forgive me!"
Lu Chen had set up a live streaming station in his new home, complete with a computer, microphone, and equipment placed near the piano in the loft. Tonight was the first time he used it.
He had been too busy recently. Aside from a brief, informal stream at the 72-Hour Grassland Music Festival, he hadn't appeared on Whale TV at all.
Now that Chen Fei'er's new album had been recorded and the new script completed, he wanted to make it up to his fans.
"It's okay, we know you were busy making Chen Fei'er's album!"
"We understand, streaming once a month is already enough. Keep it up, Lu Chen!"
"We feel for you!"
"Take care of yourself, Brother Lu, don't overwork. We'll always support you!"
"It's fine, we can always see you on TV anyway."
"I've watched Autumn in My Heart three times, crying every time! Please give us a new drama!"
"Ten thousand tons of copper balls!"
Fans were easily pleased, especially the hardcore ones. They understood that a star like Lu Chen was constantly busy and couldn't spend much time streaming online.
Lu Chen's sincerity deeply touched them. Because they empathized with him, just seeing him live was enough; they asked for little else.
He chatted with the fans, answering their most pressing questions: about Chen Fei'er's new album, the upcoming TV drama, and his daily life and work. It was like a live online interview session.
As time passed, the number of fans in the live stream exceeded one million.
Lu Chen's immense popularity was undeniable!
(End of chapter)