Morning.
The relentless lifeform known as the alarm clock woke Lu Chen right on schedule.
He'd had a blissful dream all night.
But Waking from the Dream this time felt remarkably different, because nestled in his arms was a fragrant, graceful female form, curled up quietly under the warm covers, her body pressed tightly against his.
The intoxicating experience stirred Lu Chen's desire once more.
Sensing the shift in his body, the woman in his arms turned her head and opened her eyes with a soft, sleepy murmur.
"Good morning." Lu Chen smiled and greeted his girlfriend.
A soft blush spread across Chen Fei'er's delicate face, her sleepy charm and natural beauty were enough to drive anyone wild.
Unlike many celebrities who wouldn't dare show their face without meticulous makeup, this queen of pop, even barefaced in Lu Chen's arms, radiated a stunning, effortless beauty.
Lu Chen's self-restraint was crumbling. Taking advantage of her half-awake state, he pressed her down and began making bold moves. Chen Fei'er responded with gentle moans and playful resistance, fueling the intimate atmosphere in the bedroom.
But just when things were reaching their peak, Lu Chen suddenly stopped, deflated.
Chen Fei'er giggled softly, gave him a comforting kiss on the cheek, and whispered, "Next time... when the timing's right."
Last night, after reading Lu Chen's blog post with his poem "The Furthest Distance in the World," she was deeply moved, so much so that she couldn't suppress the fire in her heart and rushed over to his apartment.
Everything should've gone smoothly.
Unfortunately, Mother Nature had other plans, she was on her period. Poor Lu Chen had been left in an awkward situation. Still, Chen Fei'er had found a… creative solution to help him out, despite being a little inexperienced.
Lu Chen gave her a few hard kisses, then summoned the willpower to sit up. "Want me to take you home?"
Last night, her assistant A'Xuan had dropped her off, and after arriving, Chen Fei'er told her bodyguard to go back. It was her first night staying over at Lu Chen's apartment.
Chen Fei'er shook her head. "I already told A'Xuan to come pick me up around noon."
Which meant she'd be staying another half-day.
Lu Chen was overjoyed. "Then I'll go grab breakfast!"
For a celebrity like Chen Fei'er to carve out even half a day was no small thing, especially during the busy post-New Year period, when endorsement deals and appearances were in full swing.
Chen Fei'er wrapped her arms around him and asked, "Do you have any groceries here? As long as there's enough for breakfast."
Lu Chen nodded. "There's stuff in the kitchen and the fridge."
He was renting this apartment alone. His sister, Lu Xi, came by occasionally to tidy up and bring groceries so he could cook something for himself when needed.
"That's fine then, I'll make breakfast." Chen Fei'er smiled. "You go do your morning training. Don't skip it because of me. By the time you're back, breakfast will be ready."
She knew Lu Chen trained in martial arts every day, that's why he was in such excellent shape.
It was a good habit, and one worth keeping.
What more could Lu Chen say? His heart was full of warmth. He kissed Chen Fei'er goodbye and headed out for his morning run.
By the time he came back, Chen Fei'er had already prepared breakfast.
A pot of fragrant white rice porridge, golden pan-fried dumplings, crunchy pickled mustard greens, and spicy fermented bean curd, it was all laid out on the table and looked incredibly appetizing!
"I'm back!"
He shouted as he entered, immediately grabbing a dumpling with his hand and chomping down eagerly.
Who knew frozen dumplings could taste this good? What was even more surprising, Chen Fei'er could cook. And she wasn't half bad either.
Wifey material!
Lu Chen ate with a grin from ear to ear.
From the kitchen, Chen Fei'er peeked out and saw Lu Chen sneaking bites. She pouted and scolded, "Why are you using your hands? That's not clean! Go wash up before eating."
"Uh..."
Lu Chen swallowed the dumpling and squeezed into the tiny kitchen, wrapping his arms around her waist.
The pop diva, now wearing an apron she'd somehow found, had her long hair tied back and held a spatula in her hand. She looked every bit like a domestic little wife, and it made Lu Chen's heart burn with affection.
This, this is real life. He rested his chin on her shoulder, breathing in her scent, completely at peace. He wished this moment could last forever.
Unfortunately, Chen Fei'er didn't cooperate. She tapped his foot with her heel and huffed, "Don't mess around. The eggs are about to burn!"
Lu Chen chuckled and reluctantly let her go, washing his hands at the sink. By the time he sat down again, Chen Fei'er brought over a perfectly fried sunny-side-up egg.
That breakfast was cozy beyond words.
But Chen Fei'er had one small complaint: "This apartment is too small. I can barely turn around in the kitchen. You should really move, buy a place in Capital City."
Lu Chen smiled. "Got any recommendations?"
His current apartment was a small single unit, not bad in terms of facilities, and the location was great for work, being close to the studio.
But Lu Chen wasn't the same guy he used to be. His fame had grown immensely. It really wasn't appropriate to keep living in such a modest place.
Even Lu Xi had brought it up with him.
So, even without Chen Fei'er saying anything, buying a new home was already in Lu Chen's plans.
Just over six months ago, when he was still working gigs at Daylily, he wouldn't have even dared to dream of buying property in Capital City, where housing prices had soared like crazy.
Even places outside the Fifth Ring Road were going for 20,000 to 30,000 RMB per square meter. High-end complexes in the city center? Easily over 100,000 RMB per square meter. Way out of reach for the average person.
Even now, if it weren't for the massive success of 'Autumn in My Heart', with its lucrative IP deals, Lu Chen, who had only recently paid off family debts and reclaimed the family villa, still wouldn't have the money to buy in Capital City.
It's just too expensive!
Of course, if he was going to buy, it had to be a good property.
"Then you're asking the right person!"
Chen Fei'er proudly tilted her chin. "I have a place in Zicheng Garden. Three hundred square meters, five bedrooms, two living rooms, three bathrooms, fully furnished. I could sell it to you at a discount."
"Zicheng Garden?"
Lu Chen was momentarily stunned. "Your apartment? Where is it located?"
Zichengyuan was a high-end residential complex near Beijing's Third Ring, close to the Second Ring Road. It launched in 2007 and was handed over in 2009, developed by the renowned Wanlong Group in the capital.
Chen Fei'er had reserved this unit back in 2007. It was a duplex on the 17th and 18th floors with a great layout. But after buying it, she never lived in it or rented it out, just left it there, waiting for its value to appreciate.
After leaving her former agency and setting up her own studio, most of Chen Fei'er's income went into investing in apartments and commercial properties. This Zichengyuan unit was one of her many assets.
Within industry circles, Chen Fei'er was well-known for her love of real estate. Some developers even proactively courted her to promote their properties, hoping her celebrity image would elevate the brand's prestige.
This simple investment strategy had seen her assets multiply several times over the years, she was, without exaggeration, a true wealthy woman.
"I only paid six million for that fully furnished apartment in 2007," Chen Fei'er said proudly. "Now it's worth at least thirty million!"
Lu Chen had only one word: "Respect."
"You're amazing. But I can't afford it."
Chen Fei'er giggled. "If you can't afford it, just owe me for now. You'll have to buy a place eventually, so better it goes to me than someone else. I'll let you pay it off slowly, you'll get there one day."
Lu Chen teased, "Can I pay with my body?"
"Permission granted," She said with a straight face. "But first, sign a servitude contract. From now on, you work only for me, food and lodging covered. I'll even give you a hundred yuan a day as pocket money. Deal?"
Lu Chen laughed. "That's actually a pretty sweet deal. Tempting… though a hundred yuan seems a bit too generous."
Chen Fei'er burst out laughing, shooting him a flirtatious glare.
The couple lingered over their breakfast, chatting and joking sweetly. By the time they finished, it was already past nine in the morning.
Lu Chen gave his sister Lu Xi a call, then turned off his phone, leaving work and business behind for the day. He and Chen Fei'er nestled together on the sofa, enjoying this rare slice of intimacy, whispering sweet nothings.
Around noon, Lu Chen finally turned on his computer and logged into the New Vision TV website.
The night before, the final episode of 'Autumn in My Heart' had aired on Haijin Satellite TV. Both Lu Chen and Chen Fei'er were eager to see how the ratings turned out.
At exactly 12:00 PM, the homepage updated its viewership rankings.
'Autumn in My Heart' – 3.04%!
Over 3%!
Although they had anticipated it, and mentally prepared for a strong number, seeing the final episode's rating cross 3% still brought them immense joy.
If memory served, no domestic TV drama in recent years had surpassed the 3% mark. 'Autumn in My Heart' had undeniably made history.
A modest investment, cast of unknowns, produced by a second-tier studio, and a non-mainstream storyline...
And yet it delivered phenomenal, record-breaking viewership!
If this didn't qualify as a miracle, what would?
Chen Fei'er couldn't resist planting a kiss on Lu Chen's cheek. "This is amazing!"
This number wasn't just about fame and accolades, it translated to real profit.
Lu Chen's studio, Chen Fei'er's studio, and Qiande Brothers Films had a performance-based contract with Haijin TV. If the average national viewership surpassed 0.25%, the per-episode license fee increased by 100,000 yuan for every additional 0.10%.
With the series' average sitting well above 2%, Haijin TV now owed them an extra 30 to 40 million yuan! And with a hit like this under his belt, Lu Chen's next drama would easily command double the investment and returns. Potential investors would be lining up at his door.
Chen Fei'er beamed. "Quick, check your blog!"
Lu Chen logged into his Wave Blog account. Sure enough, Haijin Satellite TV had posted an official celebratory blog entry for the finale and its record-breaking 3% rating, and they @'d both him and Chen Fei'er.
(End of Chapter)
You can read ahead up to 60 chapters on my patreon https://www.patreon.com/darkshadow6395