Lu Chen certainly knew who Liao Jia was.
He had listened to Liao Jia's songs back in middle school. In fact, his family still kept the Black Memory Band's album Antarctica at home. Classics like Green Vine Cottage and Old Fellow were well-known staples of Chinese rock.
But this was the first time they met in person, today.
So Lu Chen was quite puzzled: Why would Liao Jia seem hostile toward him?
Liao Jia had been in the industry for over twenty years, while Lu Chen had only debuted a few months ago. The two had never had any interaction before this.
Still, on the surface, Lu Chen remained calm and polite without missing a beat:
"Please take care of me."
Liao Jia's mouth twitched slightly. "You're too kind."
Logically speaking, Tan Hong should have sensed something was off, but he pretended not to notice. Instead, he pulled Lu Chen over to meet Yu Jiande.
"Director Yu, this is Lu Chen," Tan Hong introduced. "The songwriter of Love's Devotion."
Lu Chen immediately bowed respectfully. "Hello, Teacher Yu!"
"Hello, hello."
Yu Jiande smiled warmly. "Truly a promising young man. The song is well-written; it has essence, the right energy, and spirit."
Coming from a renowned director like him, this was rare and high praise.
Lu Chen responded humbly, "Thank you for your kind words, Teacher Yu."
Yu Jiande chuckled, "My old friend Wentian spoke highly of you. He said you've got real talent in songwriting."
Lu Chen instantly understood that the "Wentian" he mentioned must be Director Zhang Wentian. The two were contemporaries and good friends, so this wasn't surprising.
What was surprising was that Zhang Wentian had actually mentioned him to Yu Jiande.
That made Lu Chen feel a bit flattered and overwhelmed.
In the entertainment industry, if you're talking about who holds the most sway, directors are always at the top.
A heavyweight like Yu Jiande enjoyed a level of prestige and recognition that no ordinary celebrity could match.
He was also the only one present who could effortlessly command the attention of the dozen or so A-listers in the room.
Yu Jiande treated Lu Chen quite warmly. Whether it was due to genuine appreciation for his talent or otherwise, he even had his assistant give Lu Chen his personal business card, saying there might be opportunities to collaborate in the future.
That small gesture instantly made the other actors and celebrities view Lu Chen in a new light.
Combined with Tan Hong's endorsement, Lu Chen had unknowingly secured a place in this elite circle.
Even though the circle was only temporarily formed for the shoot and everyone would go their separate ways afterward, being accepted into it was a major success in itself. Earning recognition from its members wasn't easy.
Lu Chen genuinely felt grateful to Tan Hong.
To be fair, Tan Hong had always looked after him, while Lu Chen really hadn't had a chance to return the favor.
At least with Chen Fei'er, Lu Chen could write songs for her. But Tan Hong was already on the verge of retiring from the music scene.
The small internal meeting started promptly at 9:30 a.m. The host, of course, was none other than Yu Jiande. The great director efficiently briefed everyone on the content of the charity advertisement and the work arrangements.
He spoke for only about ten minutes before instructing everyone to move to the recording studio.
All 15 celebrities would be singing Love's Devotion together. Not only would the recording take place at Flying Stone Records' studio, but part of the MV would also feature behind-the-scenes footage of them singing.
Love's Devotion wasn't a technically demanding song. As a charity piece, it didn't require much vocal prowess. Most singers just needed a few takes to get it right. The heavy lifting would be done in post-production.
Tan Hong, Liao Jia, and Chen Fei'er went in one by one, sometimes two or more at a time. At the end, all 15 joined in a group performance, with recording and video happening simultaneously.
For lunch, everyone had takeaway boxed meals provided by Flying Stone Records. Despite the fact that these were high-value stars, no one complained about a simple meal costing a few dozen yuan.
After lunch, the entire team moved to a welfare institution under the Yanhuang Charity Foundation to continue filming.
For stars, especially top-tier ones, schedules were always packed. Getting so many of them to participate in a charity MV, for free, was no small feat.
As for Director Yu Jiande, to be honest, his main role here was to lend credibility and presence, rather than actual directing duties.
The charity foundation understood that perfectly. They weren't expecting a cinematic masterpiece, the main goal was to convey the core message. The real highlight was the appearance of 15 celebrities donating their time.
With everything thoroughly prepared in advance, the shooting at the welfare center went extremely smoothly. Director Yu personally manned the camera, and the scenes flew by quickly, so efficiently it felt like slicing through tofu.
Everything was wrapped up before sunset.
All that remained was the post-production work.
Such speed might seem shocking elsewhere, but for a celebrity charity MV, it was par for the course.
Once filming was done, everyone took a shuttle bus back to Flying Stone Records, then left for their respective destinations.
Just as Lu Chen was considering asking Chen Fei'er out for dinner, a young man in a suit suddenly stepped in his path.
The man had a buzz cut and wore sunglasses, looking sharp and well-trained.
He politely said to Lu Chen, "Mr. Lu Chen, Brother Liao asked me to check if you're free this evening. He'd like to have dinner with you and chat a bit. Would that be okay?"
Brother Liao? Liao Jia?
Lu Chen raised an eyebrow, tucked the phone he had just pulled out back into his pocket, and said, "No problem."
Under the young man's guidance, Lu Chen boarded Liao Jia's car.
Liao Jia's ride was a JEEP G790 Pathfinder off-roader, a rugged vehicle with powerful performance, priced at over a million yuan.
In the industry, Liao Jia was well known for his love of making friends and traveling.
It was said he once formed a convoy with friends to cross the uninhabited zones of western Xinjiang , a typical free-spirited rocker.
Upon seeing Lu Chen, this rock 'n' roll big brother asked,
"Can you handle spicy food?"
Lu Chen was momentarily caught off guard, but still nodded. "I can!"
"Good."
Liao Jia reached out and patted the buzz-cut young man who had just gotten into the driver's seat. "Xiao Li, head to Siming Street."
Then he turned to Lu Chen and said, "Siming Street has the most authentic Sichuan cuisine. There's a place that does spicy crayfish just like home. I had it once and couldn't forget it. Figured this was the perfect chance to get another taste."
Lu Chen smiled.
"Since you're recommending it, Elder Brother Liao, it must be great."
"Don't call me teacher."
Liao Jia waved his hand. "That sounds awkward. Just call me Elder Brother Liao."
Lu Chen responded, "Alright, Elder Brother Liao."
Liao Jia grinned. "You're probably wondering why I invited you out to dinner, huh?"
Lu Chen tested the waters. "Elder Brother Liao, is there something you want to talk to me about?"
He was genuinely puzzled. When they first met earlier, Liao Jia had seemed openly hostile toward him. But now, that hostility had vanished.
It seemed like the guy just wanted to treat him to dinner and have a chat to get acquainted.
But Lu Chen knew it wasn't going to be that simple. Liao Jia definitely wasn't acting on a whim.
Liao Jia said, "Let's talk while we eat. We'll sort everything out on Siming Street."
Ding ling ling,
Just as Liao Jia finished speaking, Lu Chen's phone suddenly rang in his pocket.
"Excuse me," he said, fishing it out and answering.
"Lu Chen, where are you?"
It was Chen Fei'er on the line.
Earlier, with so many people around at Flying Stone Records, they couldn't openly interact, but their minds were in sync.
Lu Chen replied, "I'm in the car. Elder Brother Liao invited me to dinner."
"Elder Brother Liao?" Chen Fei'er's tone shifted slightly before she said, "Alright then. Just don't drink too much."
Lu Chen didn't think much of it and replied, "Got it."
After ending the call, Liao Jia suddenly asked, "That was Chen Fei'er, wasn't it?"
Lu Chen: "Uh…"
He hadn't expected Liao Jia to guess so accurately. Did he really recognize her voice?
Liao Jia chuckled.
"No need to hide it. Brother Tan already told me, you and Fei'er are seeing each other."
Lu Chen was speechless.
He and Chen Fei'er had been keeping their relationship under wraps, but there was no way to hide it from everyone. Tan Hong and Fei'er were practically like brother and sister, so it made sense he'd know.
What was surprising was that Tan Hong had actually told Liao Jia about it.
That was… a bit unusual.
Tan Hong wasn't the kind of person who enjoyed gossip.
And suddenly, something clicked for Lu Chen.
Liao Jia patted his shoulder and said warmly, "Lu Chen, you're the luckiest man in the world!"
"You know, I've actually liked Fei'er for a long time, chased her for at least ten years. But she never once saw me that way. Just treated me like an ordinary friend."
So it was true. Lu Chen knew Chen Fei'er had many admirers. She had been the subject of numerous dating rumors, none of them true, but the sheer number was enough to prove how desirable she was.
He hadn't expected that Liao Jia was one of those admirers, too.
Lu Chen gave a wry smile. "Should I say I'm honored?"
Liao Jia laughed heartily. "I'm jealous, no doubt about that. Fei'er's never dated anyone before. You're her first. I had Xiao Li bring you over because I wanted to see for myself, what kind of man could make Fei'er fall for him."
His laughter carried a trace of melancholy. "And now I see it, you're definitely more handsome than me!"
Lu Chen replied mildly, "Fei'er isn't that shallow."
Liao Jia's words left Lu Chen a little uncomfortable. More handsome? Sure, it might be true, but the way he said it made it sound like Lu Chen was just a pretty boy, and that was the only reason Fei'er was with him.
Liao Jia laughed again. "You're right. You've got more talent than I do too. At least I could never write a song like In Spring."
Liao Jia had written quite a few songs in his career, but most of his true classics were written by others.
Lu Chen shook his head, not offering any explanation.
Between two people, things like looks or talent were just surface-level. What mattered most was the feeling between them.
If that feeling didn't exist, then no matter how handsome or gifted he was, he could never have won Chen Fei'er's heart.
But there was no need to explain that to Liao Jia. Those who understand will understand. Those who don't, maybe they never will.
Outside of his vagabond rocker image, Liao Jia was just a regular guy. His joy, anger, sorrow, and laughter were no different from anyone else's.
But there was one thing he said that was absolutely right:
Lu Chen was the luckiest man in the world.
(End of chapter)
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