After leaving the Star Destiny Art Training Center, Sister Li personally walked Lu Chen to the parking lot.
Lu Chen said, "Sister Li, there's no need to walk me any further. My car is just up ahead. See you after the New Year."
His visit to check in on the Little Tiger Group's training at the academy was the last task he had planned before leaving the capital. Now that it was done, he would drive back to Binhai with Lu Xi to spend the New Year together with their family.
Sister Li smiled and said, "Sorry to trouble you. It's truly Junzhi's good fortune to have you as his mentor!"
She hesitated for a moment before adding, "Lu Chen, that Jennifer grew up abroad. Her personality is, well… a bit different. I think she's okay as an ordinary friend, but anything beyond that… I hope you don't mind me being blunt."
Lu Chen didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "Sister Li, you're overthinking it. I don't have any feelings for Director He."
Right now, Lu Chen's career was on the rise, so much so that he barely had time to even date Chen Fei'er, let alone flirt around. Besides, he wasn't that kind of man.
In an industry filled with beautiful women and endless temptations, a young man like Lu Chen might've easily lost his way, if not for the profound life experience granted to him by the dream world memories. But the Lu Chen of today could look at all the stunning women around him with a calm and steady heart. He remained grounded.
As for Jennifer, yes, she was passionate and beautiful, but she is not Lu Chen's type.
Sister Li had only brought it up because she was close to Chen Fei'er and had personally invited Lu Chen to the Star Destiny Art Training Center. If something really did happen and Lu Chen was somehow "led astray," she'd feel partially responsible!
Seeing now that Lu Chen hadn't been tempted, Sister Li was finally relieved and smiled,
"Jennifer's not a bad person, just... her background's a bit complicated. Alright then, safe travels!"
Lu Chen smiled. Whether Jennifer's background was simple or complicated, it had nothing to do with him. He might not even visit the Star Destiny Art Training Center again.
Waving goodbye to Sister Li, Lu Chen drove off toward his studio.
The studio had already gone on holiday. Li Feiyu and Chen Xin had both left the capital the day before. Lu Xi was already waiting for him there, surrounded by piles of luggage and packages, mostly gifts for family and friends for the New Year. They weren't extravagant, but were festive and thoughtful.
With the luggage and his sister loaded into the car, Lu Chen hit the highway.
The Coastal Expressway stretched over a thousand kilometers, connecting the capital directly to Binhai. Lu Chen and Lu Xi sped along, and by a little after 9 PM, they arrived back in Binhai,
---Back home, at their place in Jinsheng Community.
"Brother!" Lu Xue was in the living room watching TV and when she saw her older brother and sister walk through the door, she immediately jumped up from the sofa and shouted, "Mom! Big Brother and Sister are home!"
Before her voice even faded, she leapt off the sofa, not even bothering to put on slippers, and ran barefoot toward Lu Chen.
She threw herself into his arms with such force that he almost lost his balance.
Lu Chen caught his little sister, shaking his head with a smile. She was a big girl now, but still acted like a kid. But in his heart, all he felt was pure joy, that deep, unmistakable happiness of coming home.
Lu Xi put down the bags she was carrying and glared at her younger sister, scolding,
"You'll be eighteen after the New Year and still act like this? Come down already! What kind of behavior is that?"
Unlike Lu Chen's indulgent attitude, Lu Xi was much stricter with their little sister. Lu Xue pouted but obediently got down from Lu Chen and took the paper bag from his hand.
"Brother, what gift did you get me? Brother, did you know you're a big celebrity at my school now? Everyone's asking me for your autograph!"
"Haha, I could get rich selling your autographs! Sign 500 for me, I'm going to save them up."
"Hehe, just wait, there's even a love letter someone asked me to pass to you."
"Even girls from other schools came looking for you…"
Lu Xue chattered away non-stop, holding onto Lu Chen as if trying to unload all the things she'd bottled up for weeks in one go.
Even though the drama "'Autumn in My Heart'" hadn't finished airing, Lu Chen had already become a household name in Binhai. His fame now was completely different from the last time he came home.
Even Lu Xue herself had become a center of attention at school, "She's Lu Chen's sister!"
Though she pretended to be annoyed when talking about it, in truth she was beaming with pride, like a child who got a big new toy and couldn't wait to show it off. Lu Chen was already getting a headache from her endless chatter, but thankfully, his mom came downstairs at just the right moment to rescue him.
"Lu Xue, stop pestering your brother," Fang Yun said, with concern in her voice. "You two must be starving. I'll make some late-night snacks."
Lu Xi chimed in, "Mom, I'll help you."
Mother and daughter headed into the kitchen, and even through the glass door, their conversation could still be heard clearly: "I heard the car outside earlier, did you drive home?"
"Yes."
"Driving is so exhausting and not safe either. Next time take the high-speed train, it's faster and safer, understand?"
"The timing didn't work out. We couldn't book tickets in advance, and when we finally could, they were sold out. Plus, we had to bring so much stuff."
"You don't even need to buy anything, everything they have in the capital, we've got here too."
Lu Chen sat on the sofa in the living room, enjoying a family-style shoulder massage from Lu Xue while listening to the familiar voices coming from the kitchen. His heart felt calm and content, as if all the hard work had been worth it, just for this one moment.
Unfortunately, this peaceful moment didn't last long. Lu Xue, who couldn't keep her mouth shut, shattered it in the blink of an eye.
"Brother, my classmates and I all watched your show 'Autumn in My Heart' with Chen Fei'er. They all said it's so good! They want to know what happens in the end, does Enxi's illness get cured? Do you two end up together? Even our teachers are watching. Teacher Zhang even asked me about you!"
"If my girlfriends knew you were back, I swear they'd---"
"Alright, alright!" Lu Chen finally surrendered, exasperated. "I'll sign some autographs for you, one hundred, okay?"
Lu Xue grinned mischievously: "One hundred isn't enough, at least three hundred! Oh, by the way, brother, are you and Chen Fei'er really…"
Lu Chen was puzzled: "Really what?"
Lu Xue leaned in curiously: "Are you really dating? Everyone says you two turned fake love into real love!"
Lu Chen sighed. "A kid like you shouldn't be nosy about adult matters. And don't go spreading rumors. I'll sign two hundred for you."
Lu Xue pouted, annoyed: "I'm almost eighteen, I am an adult! And sign at least three hundred!"
As the siblings bickered, Fang Yun and Lu Xi brought out the midnight snack.
It was a simple bowl of tomato and egg noodles, but Lu Chen was truly hungry. He polished off a large bowl without leaving a single strand behind, it was absolutely delicious. He'd eaten all kinds of fancy dishes, but this simple taste of home was something no hotel could ever replicate.
The feeling of coming home for the New Year, truly, nothing compares.
(End of Chapter)
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