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The MV for "Not Yet Lovers" was filmed over two days at North Music College.
Originally, it could have been completed in one day, but Fang Hui had a great feeling about it and added more scenes, resulting in several extra shots. In the end, she still felt there wasn't enough preparation.
Lu Chen, however, didn't mind. Filming an MV was a fresh experience for him. Even Mo Ran from the dream world had never filmed an MV, let alone himself, and he found it very interesting.
His biggest gain wasn't just finding the feeling of acting but getting to know Fang Hui.
Fang Hui is a distinctive female director in her 40s. She has an ordinary appearance, even a bit unattractive, but possesses a delicate heart and a unique understanding of that hazy youthful love.
The plot of the MV wasn't extensive, but Fang Hui handled it exceptionally well. Her fame in the show business community isn't very great but her directing skills and talent are undeniable!
Inviting this director to shoot MSN's first title MV was undoubtedly a very wise decision by Flying Stone Records.
During the shooting process, Lu Chen communicated with Fang Hui and was greatly impressed. Fang Hui also had a good impression of Lu Chen; it was like a talent scout discovering a prized horse or a sculptor finding a rare gem, unable to help but reveal some of her thoughts.
Currently, the domestic film market is undergoing a transformation. After more than a decade of being inundated by foreign commercial blockbusters, domestic audiences have begun to tire of popcorn movies that rely on special effects and CGI.
The prosperity brought by economic growth cannot fill spiritual needs. When a "visual feast" becomes synonymous with boredom, people crave higher pursuits.
As a result, many films with unique characteristics and depth, such as nostalgic films, youth films, and comedies, have gradually captured a portion of the market, showing great potential.
Fang Hui is precisely targeting the youth film market. She wants to shoot a low-budget youth film by the end of this year or early next year, aiming for a Valentine's Day release in 2016.
However, the problem is that while Fang Hui can assemble a team and secure some investment, she has been unable to find a suitable theme. Or, more accurately, a script that makes her heart race!
Fang Hui feels that if she can finalize a script, then Lu Chen would be one of her ideal choices for the male protagonist. Lu Chen's looks and acting skills make Fang Hui extremely satisfied.
Of course, her ideas are still just on paper for now. Perhaps for this reason or that, she might give up, or perhaps she finds a suitable script, but Lu Chen may not be the right protagonist.
Fang Hui didn't promise Lu Chen anything, but they exchanged contact information happily and Lu Chen kept this matter in mind.
However, for Lu Chen at this moment, filming movies wasn't important; what mattered was that he was going home! The day after finishing the MV for "Not Yet Lovers," Lu Chen returned to Binhai with Lu Xi.
He was back in his real home.
"Ah!"
Fang Yun, who was chopping vegetables in the kitchen, turned her head when she heard the sound of keys in the door. Upon seeing Lu Chen and Lu Xi enter, she couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, "Why are you back?"
The knife almost cut her finger.
The first to enter, Lu Chen smiled and said, "Mom, my sister and I are here to give you a surprise!"
In fact, it wasn't just a surprise. On October 18th, there would be a platter concert in Hangzhou, where he would perform two songs as an invited vagabond singer. The performance contract had been signed the previous week.
A platter concert is one where many vagabond singer artists are organized together by a performance company or agency to hold a concert, with compensation calculated based on their popularity.
Compared to high-profile solo concerts, platter concerts carry much less risk and are more likely to gain audience recognition. Currently, this market is quite large, and most vagabond singers have participated in one or more platter concerts. Some artists even specialize in "snatching" platter gigs, making a considerable profit.
The performance contract signed by Lu Xi for Lu Chen wasn't very high, only 150,000, but it was relatively appropriate for his current status in the show business community, albeit slightly on the low side.
However, since the performance would take place in Hangzhou, which is considered Lu Chen's semi-home ground, and the organizers included Zhedong TV, Lu Xi didn't hesitate to make the decision.
In fact, during this time, many performance companies had approached Lu Chen's workshop, but Lu Xi had been selective and not taken on just any offer.
Lu Chen's positioning is not that of a second or third-rate singer.
Since he was going to perform in Hangzhou, he definitely wanted to come home and see his family, which led to today's surprise!
"Brother!"
Lu Xue burst out of her room, screaming as she leaped into Lu Chen's arms. Her relationship with Lu Chen had improved significantly.
This was partly because Lu Chen had secretly given her a lot of pocket money, and as his fame grew, she had become something of a star at school, even earning the teachers' attention.
"Look, look, this is Lu Chen's sister!"
"Who is Lu Chen?"
"You don't know Lu Chen? He's the one who sings 'My Old Classmate,' 'Those Flowers,' and 'In the Night Sky.'"
"Oh, she's Lu Chen's sister!"
These discussions greatly satisfied the vanity of the young girl. Her recent days had been quite enjoyable, with a smile on her face every day.
Although Lu Xue wasn't a shallow girl, she understood how precious these good times were after experiencing family changes. She hugged Lu Chen tightly like an octopus, as if holding the entire world.
Lu Xi couldn't help but roll her eyes. Lu Xue stuck her tongue out at her sister, looking quite pleased with herself.
Lu Chen hugged his sister back, saying, "Hmm, you've gained a lot of weight."
"Where?!" Upon hearing this, Lu Xue flared up like a cat that stepped on its tail, jumping down immediately, "Where?!"
Lu Chen chuckled.
Lu Xue, feeling guilty, said, "I've only gained a couple of Jin at most, not a lot!"
She pouted at Lu Chen, extending her hand, "Where's my gift?"
While the two siblings were playing around, Fang Yun hurriedly took off her apron and said, "I'm going to the supermarket to buy more vegetables. You two are something else, coming back without calling first!"
Lu Chen and Lu Xi exchanged smiles. Lu Xi had intended to call, but Lu Chen had insisted on surprising their mother.
Lu Xi said, "Mom, I'll go with you."
For Lu Chen, nothing was happier than having the family gathered together, enjoying his mother's cooking. With Lu Xi's help, Fang Yun prepared a full table of dishes.
By the time they started eating, it was already completely dark outside. Lu Xi opened a bottle of red wine bought from the supermarket, pouring it for Fang Yun, Lu Chen, and herself, even giving Lu Xue half a glass.
Fang Yun's eyes turned red. Only those who have lost something understand its value. In the past, it was common for the family to eat together, but now Lu Chen and Lu Xi were working hard in the Capital City, and such days wouldn't be frequent in the foreseeable future.
The atmosphere in the small living room felt a bit heavy. Lu Xue, being clever, quickly said to Lu Chen, "Brother, you have to sign more autographs for me; my classmates want them!"
Lu Chen laughed, "You've told me ten times already. This time, I brought back a lot of CDs; I'll just give you some!"
The production and discovery of the "My Old Classmate" CD album were all handled by Flying Stone Records. By the time he arrived in Binhai, the CDs had already been fully produced, and the surrounding products were also being rushed.
Thus, he brought back dozens of them.
Lu Xue was overjoyed. "That's great!"
She leaned in and kissed Lu Chen on the cheek, "You're the best, brother!"
Lu Chen grimaced. "It's all greasy!"
Fang Yun and Lu Xi laughed, and the previously heavy atmosphere dissipated.
Lu Xue shot her brother a glare but then curiously asked, "Brother, are you really with Chen Fei'er?"
The rumors about Lu Chen and Chen Fei'er had made headlines in the entertainment news, and Fang Yun and Lu Xue were certainly aware of it. Fang Yun was quite pleased, but it turned out to be a false alarm.
Lu Xue, however, was not giving up, thinking about how cool it would be to have a Heavenly Queen as her sister-in-law— it would be simply amazing!
Lu Chen didn't know what to say. "Haven't we already clarified that? I only collaborated with Chen Fei'er; you're still a child, focus on your studies and don't worry about adult matters!"
Lu Xue pouted. "I'm already eighteen."
Fearing she would keep nagging, Lu Chen said to Fang Yun, "Mom, I sold some shares and made some money, so this time I plan to pay off all the debts at home!"
Clatter!
Fang Yun dropped her chopsticks onto the dining table, astonished. "What did you say?"
She could hardly believe her ears!
Lu Xi gently said, "Mom, it's true. Lu Chen partnered with someone to start a company, and now that the company has appreciated in value, the money he made can not only pay off our debts but also help us reclaim the villa that was taken by the bank."
Fang Yun was left speechless.
When Lu Qingsheng faced business difficulties, he borrowed a total of 15 Million from friends and family. After going bankrupt, he could only repay about 5 Million, leaving her and the three children with nearly 10 Million in debt.
Fang Yun had borne this burden alone. She once thought they would never be able to pay it off, but unexpectedly, in just one year since Lu Chen went to the Capital City, he had suddenly stepped onto the path of a star, sending back over 2 Million in total.
Now, with 7 million still owed, Lu Xi was aware of the situation.
Now Lu Xi was saying they could pay it all off and even reclaim the villa?
How much had Lu Chen earned?
Fang Yun truly couldn't believe it; it felt unreal, like a dream. Lu Xue, with her innocent mind, jumped up, "Really? Can we move back there?"
In that villa, she had her most beautiful memories. Lu Chen affectionately ruffled his sister's hair, "Of course it's true; we can go home!"
This had always been his dream. He once thought it would be impossible to achieve, but now he believed it could be done in just two or three years.
Finally, the clouds parted, and the moon shone bright!
(End of this chapter)