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Golden Crown KTV, Room 158
The music had just faded out when Lu Chen found himself momentarily speechless. He glanced at Chen Fei'er, who was leaning against his shoulder.
The celebrated "Sweet Song Heavenly Queen" tilted her head slightly, her long, silky hair cascading over the sofa. Her delicate face was flushed, her starry eyes half-lidded, and a faint scent of alcohol lingered on her breath.
Chen Fei'er was drunk.
At her insistence, Lu Chen had accompanied her to this upscale KTV lounge on the top floor of the mall. They had ordered half a case of Budweiser— small bottles— and an array of snacks.
Between singing, drinking, and playing dice games, Chen Fei'er had been in high spirits all evening. Lu Chen had enjoyed himself too.
It had been a long time since he'd felt this relaxed— just letting loose, not worrying about anything.
And the person he was sharing this moment with? None other than an actual queen of the music industry.
Out of the twelve 330ml bottles, Chen Fei'er had downed five. If Lu Chen hadn't stopped her, she might have kept going. Now, the alcohol had hit, and she was fast asleep against his shoulder.
But what really left Lu Chen speechless was how much trust this "Heavenly Queen" had in his character.
If he had any bad intentions…
His gaze drifted to her peaceful, porcelain-like face, and a mischievous thought suddenly crossed his mind.
"Sister Fei? Sister Fei?"
He called her name softly, twice. No response.
A wicked grin appeared on Lu Chen's lips as he slowly extended his "sinister" hand toward the unsuspecting Chen Fei'er.
Gently, he pinched her cheek.
"Well, well… Look who's fallen into my clutches. Even if you scream, no one will come to save you."
Then he chuckled like a villain in a soap opera and retracted his hand.
That alone was enough to satisfy his mischievous side!
For a moment, he even toyed with the idea of snapping a picture and captioning it:
"Breaking News: Playboy Gets Chen Fei'er Drunk at KTV— Heavenly Queen's Fate in Peril!"
The sheer absurdity of the thought made him laugh to himself.
After amusing himself with the fantasy, Lu Chen dropped the act and pulled out his phone to call Chen Fei'er's assistant.
She was too drunk to get home alone— someone needed to come pick her up.
After relaying their location, he ended the call.
Just as he set his phone down— he froze.
Chen Fei'er had turned her head.
Her chin now rested lightly on his shoulder, and her lips curled into an enchanting smile— one that could make kingdoms fall.
Her gaze was hazy yet playful as she murmured, "Is this the kind of smile you were looking for… sir?"
Lu Chen wanted to dig a hole and disappear.
So… she wasn't actually drunk?!
Busted.
With nowhere to hide, he could only admit defeat with a sheepish grin. "Sister Fei… I was wrong…"
Chen Fei'er burst into laughter.
"Admitting your mistake is a good start, but mistakes must be punished."
She smirked and held up two fingers.
"As your punishment, you owe me two new songs— good ones! Otherwise…"
She raised her fist playfully. "I learned Taekwondo, you know!"
Lu Chen let out a dramatic sigh of relief. "Two songs? Deal!"
Chen Fei'er was clearly pleased with herself. She grabbed her bag and stood up. "Come on, let's head down. We'll wait for Sister Zhang at the entrance."
Sister Zhang was her assistant.
After settling the bill, they took the elevator downstairs, where Sister Zhang was already waiting by the entrance with other staff members nearby, ready to escort her at a moment's notice.
Before leaving, Chen Fei'er turned to Lu Chen. "I won't see you off, and don't drive yourself home. Be safe, okay?"
Lu Chen nodded. "Got it, Sister Fei. Goodnight."
Chen Fei'er blinked. Then, out of nowhere, she stood on tiptoe—
—and kissed him lightly on the cheek.
Lu Chen instantly froze.
At the entrance, Sister Zhang was also stunned.
Having been by Chen Fei'er's side since the very beginning of her career, she was more than just an assistant— she was practically family. Yet, in all these years, she had never seen Chen Fei'er show such open affection toward any man!
Chen Fei'er, however, remained perfectly at ease. She smiled and said, "Thanks for making me so happy tonight. Consider this my way of saying thank you— don't overthink it!"
With a playful wave, she turned and walked away, her laughter like the chime of silver bells lingering in the air.
Lu Chen stood there, watching as her figure disappeared into the night. After a long moment, he reached up and touched the faint, lingering warmth on his cheek.
He let out a wry smile.
If the paparazzi in Capital City had secretly snapped this moment, there was no doubt he'd be making headlines by morning!
She really wasn't afraid of causing a stir.
But in reality, when the headlines hit the next day—September 18th—the person dominating the news cycle wasn't Lu Chen.
It was Wang Bin.
[Wang Bin Arrested—Another Big Star Joins the "Prison Drama"!]
[How Did the "Good Man" Wang Bin Fall from Grace?]
[Chaoyang District Residents Strike Again—Counting This Year's Celebrity Arrests!]
[A Star's Downfall at 40—Wang Bin's Fall from the Top!]
Across entertainment pages, major news portals, and social media feeds, the shocking news of Wang Bin's arrest for drug abuse exploded like wildfire. The media went into overdrive, pulling back the curtain on yet another dark corner of the entertainment industry.
Wang Bin wasn't an A-list megastar, but as a seasoned industry veteran with a career spanning film, television, and music, he had long been respected. He had built a reputation as a role model— a "good man" of the modern era.
Yet, that carefully crafted image crumbled in an instant.
The entertainment world was in shock.
Reports claimed Wang Bin wasn't just a casual user—he had been involved in drug-fueled gatherings, and several of his industry friends had been arrested alongside him. This clearly wasn't a one-time mistake, but something far more entrenched. Worse still, multiple artists were now implicated.
Though the media refrained from revealing full names, they dropped cryptic hints, using initials like "L" and "C"— enough to set the rumor mill ablaze.
Gossip forums and blogs erupted with speculation. Innocent celebrities, caught in the crossfire, had no choice but to issue urgent public statements clarifying their innocence.
The chaos sent gossip site traffic soaring to record highs.
But for Lu Chen, all of this was just background noise.
His focus was elsewhere.
His debut album, My Old Classmate, had been available on WeChat Music for ten days. Sales had already hit 347,202 copies, closing in on 350,000. And with the 500,000 mark being the platinum threshold, it was now only a matter of time.
For an independent singer-songwriter who had just made his official debut, these numbers were nothing short of a miracle. A celebration was well deserved.
More importantly, the success of My Old Classmate had reignited enthusiasm for original Chinese music, proving that nostalgic folk songs still held enormous market potential.
The genre Lu Chen had pioneered—"Campus Folk Songs"— was quietly gaining momentum.
More and more entertainment companies and indie musicians had begun taking notice. Some were even preparing to jump on the trend, eager to claim a share of this rising market.
Lu Chen had unknowingly started something big.
More and more people were reaching out to Lu Chen directly. Calls to his workshop and Lu Xi's phone were increasing by the day!
"Right now, seven record labels have approached us for songs. I've sent out our pricing quotes, but none of them have responded yet."
Inside the general manager's office, Lu Xi sat with a stack of printed documents, briefing Lu Chen on their latest business developments. "Two of them seem quite serious. I think we can negotiate, but it mainly comes down to price and copyright terms."
Following the success of My Old Classmate, Lu Chen had instructed Lu Xi to raise his asking price to 350,000 yuan per song, while retaining key copyrights— especially for covers and international distribution.
That price put him on par with the industry's top-tier songwriters. To outsiders, it might have seemed outrageous, scaring off some potential buyers.
But Lu Chen had no intention of selling songs cheaply. As the saying went, scarcity creates value.
With a vault of timeless classics in his mind, he wasn't about to let them go at bargain-bin rates.
On one hand, he refused to mass-produce songs as if they were factory goods. On the other, he wanted to set a precedent—his music had a price, and if you wanted it, you had to pay for quality.
Now, he had the confidence and financial stability to stand firm.
He had already paid off a quarter of his family's massive debts, significantly easing his burden. And if his crowdfunding campaign went smoothly, clearing the rest would be a breeze.
In this position, Lu Chen saw no reason to compromise.
In fact, he knew one thing for sure— his songs would only become more valuable in the future!
350,000? That was just the starting price!
Without hesitation, Lu Chen said, "The price is non-negotiable. If they want additional copyrights, raise the price accordingly."
Lu Xi nodded, unsurprised. She fully agreed with his stance.
Flipping to another page, she continued, "Regarding endorsements, we have three companies in discussions. One of them, Silver Horse Advertising, is offering a deal for Senqi Sportswear. I think it's a solid offer, and I was planning to move forward with it."
"Senqi Sportswear?"
Lu Chen's interest was piqued. "What's their offer?"
Senqi was an up-and-coming brand targeting the youth sports market. Given their heavy ad spend across major media platforms, it wasn't surprising that they were looking for new faces.
For most celebrities, endorsements were a major source of income.
Top-tier stars could pull in tens of millions— or even over a hundred million yuan— annually from endorsements alone. In recent years, as both the global and domestic economies rebounded, consumer spending had surged, driving endorsement fees even higher.
Lu Xi laid out the details:
"Silver Horse Advertising is offering 800,000 yuan per year. The deal mainly involves shooting promotional posters and a TV commercial. If they require additional promotional appearances, your appearance fee will be negotiated separately."
800,000!
It was only a fraction of what A-list stars earned, but for a newcomer, it was an excellent deal— especially since commercials and posters also served as free publicity.
Lu Chen nodded. "Sounds good. You handle the negotiations."
In the past, several advertisers had approached him, but their offers were either too low or the contracts were unreliable— Lu Xi had rejected them all without hesitation.
But Senqi Sportswear had a solid brand position— mid-range, sporty, and health-conscious— a perfect fit for his image.
Lu Xi smiled. "I think we can push for an extra 100,000. If your popularity grows just a little more, they'll agree for sure!"
Lu Chen laughed.
Neither of them could have expected that, just days later, his fame would truly soar to the next level!
(End of Chapter)