Chapter 31: PS-Chapter 30 Heating Up
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"Maybe waiting for your arrival..."
"Maybe waiting for your arrival..."
"Maybe waiting..."
The repeated ending faded away with the sound of the guitar. Lu Chen had just finished playing and singing a song titled "Cinderella."
For a moment, there was silence in the nearly full bar, and then applause erupted from every corner. Although it didn't shake the roof, the clapping was sustained and enthusiastic!
Performing this ballad once again, Lu Chen's guitar technique and vocal skills were flawless. What truly stood out, however, was the depth of emotion he infused into the song, making it feel more real and heartfelt, resonating with everyone present.
The praise and applause were well deserved!
"How do you all feel about him?"
In the VIP section on the upper level of Daylily Bar, six people were seated, including Chen Jianhao.
He smiled and asked, "Boss Chang, does this young man catch your eye?"
Although the tone was modest, there was a certain hint of pride and showmanship in his words.
Chen Jianhao was not a shallow man, but his joking target was a middle-aged man in his forties.
Chang Wei, the owner of Blue Lotus Flower Bar.
Chang Wei appeared lean, but not frail. Instead, he had a wiry, robust physique. His close-cropped hair and piercing eyes gave him a sharp, intense look, and his tasteful attire was complemented only by a red sandalwood bracelet on his left wrist, with no other accessories.
In Houhai's bar scene, Chang Wei was undoubtedly a top figure. He had extensive connections across all levels of society, and over the past decade, he had turned Blue Lotus Flower into the No.1 bar in the industry.
What earned him the most admiration, however, was his foresight. When the land where Blue Lotus Flower stands had already become quite valuable, Chang Wei had invested heavily to purchase the property outright. Now, the land's value had increased tenfold!
In the past decade, many famous vagabond singers have launched their careers from Blue Lotus Flower, some going on to become big names in the industry.
Chang Wei's support was indispensable, though he never boasted about it.
He and Chen Jianhao had known each other for ten years, and their friendship was close enough to allow for harmless jokes. However, despite Chen Jianhao's teasing, Chang Wei seriously nodded and said, "Not bad."
Chen Jianhao knew that for Chang Wei, the phrase "not bad" was high praise. Once, a famous vagabond singer performed at Blue Lotus Flower and received thunderous applause, yet Chang Wei's comment had only been, "It's alright."
Even with his level of self-control, Chen Jianhao couldn't hide his delight— this time, he was genuinely happy.
"It's really quite good!"
A middle-aged woman sitting to Chang Wei's left chimed in with agreement. "Both songs have a unique style, a typical nostalgic folk vibe. I haven't heard songs like this in a long time— it really brings back memories."
The woman, also in her forties, had a round and well-maintained appearance. Her fair skin was in excellent condition, but the crow's feet at the corners of her eyes betrayed her true age. Her graceful charm was still very much intact.
"If Brother Chang and Sister Chen both say it's good, then it must be great!"
Another man, with eyes that squinted when he smiled, joined in the banter. He teased, "Director Su, you're so close with Boss Jianhao, why don't you sign this young man quickly and make him feel some heartache?"
He directed his joke at Su Qingmei.
However, what he didn't know was that Su Qingmei had already been humiliated by Lu Chen a few days earlier. Bringing it up now was like rubbing salt in the wound— a near slap in the face!
Su Qingmei snorted and said, "Jianhao's little protégé is quite proud. We can't afford him."
The squinty-eyed man was a friend of Chang Wei's and also an industry insider. He wasn't aware of the situation, and if Su Qingmei had snapped at him for his joke, she'd lose face in the circle. So she held back, but her frustration was palpable.
Everyone seated there was sharp and perceptive. Hearing the frustration in her voice, they quickly caught on.
Realizing his mistake, the squinty-eyed man hastily added with surprise, "No way? Even Qingyu Media isn't good enough for him?"
He was not only trying to smooth things over but was genuinely astonished.
Although Qingyu Media was a relatively new player in the industry, having been established in Capital City not long ago, its background and strength were formidable. They had already recruited a number of talented professionals and were poised to make a big impact.
This new company has limitless potential. Recently, Qingyu Media teamed up with Blue Lotus Flower Bar to co-host Music Night, and countless people are eager to find a way to make an appearance.
While others are scrambling for the chance, Lu Chen actually turned down Su Qingmei's offer. It's hard to believe!
The man's opinion of Lu Chen immediately plummeted—singing well, handsome too, but absolutely no brains!
Chen Jianhao felt a bit awkward and coughed twice before saying, "Little Lu is a bit laid-back and doesn't want to be tied down by contracts. Young people think differently from us old-timers."
Chang Wei glanced at Su Qingmei, then casually remarked, "As long as the music's good, that's all that matters. Count him in."
No one objected, not even Su Qingmei. It was a small matter, after all.
"Brother Lu!"
Meanwhile, Lu Chen had just finished his performance and hadn't yet reached the backstage area when a waiter stopped him.
Lu Chen blinked in surprise, then smiled. "Brother Zhang, what's up?"
Lu Chen knew all the staff at Daylily Bar, having been one of them before. However, he wasn't particularly close with this waiter Zhang; they merely knew each other from work.
In the past, Zhang hadn't been so enthusiastic toward Lu Chen, and there was even a hint of flattery in his tone now.
"Oh, don't call me 'Brother,'" Zhang quickly waved his hand, saying, "Brother Lu, you're now a signed vagabond singer. Just call me Little Zhang."
Becoming a signed singer didn't necessarily warrant such respect. The real reason was a fellow worker named Little Gao, who was rumored to have been fired for offending Lu Chen and couldn't even find work in Houhai anymore!
Lu Chen sighed and said, "Brother Zhang, just say what you need to. No need to be so formal."
Zhang awkwardly smiled, then pointed toward the back. "The customers at table 27 want to have a word with you. They're all university girls— two of them are really pretty!"
He raised his eyebrows and grinned as if missing this opportunity would be a huge regret.
Lu Chen couldn't help but laugh and replied, "Alright, I'll drop off my guitar and head over. Thanks."
He knew Zhang had likely received a tip, which explained the enthusiasm. But Lu Chen didn't mind— it was a small favor, and being kind is better than having people curse you behind your back. Having worked as a waiter himself, Lu Chen understood the hardships of the job and how tough it was to earn a bit of extra cash.
Zhang was overjoyed. "Great! I'll go tell the customers. Thanks, Brother Lu!"
He scurried off happily while Lu Chen stored his guitar backstage and headed to table 27.
True to Zhang's words, there were five girls sitting at the table, clearly university students from the nearby campus, two of whom could be considered beauties.
"Hello!" Lu Chen greeted with a smile. "Welcome to Daylily."
With five people already seated at the table, Lu Chen didn't try to squeeze in, planning to chat briefly before leaving.
The girls were shy, glancing at each other before one finally stood up, gathering her courage. "Hello, we saw your video on a forum and came to hear you sing. You're amazing!"
"Forum?" Lu Chen was puzzled. "What forum?"
"The Beihai City Forum!" The girl excitedly explained. "You're already famous there. A video of you was posted in the 'Freedom Zone' section, and it has over a hundred thousand views! It's just a short clip, though, so we came tonight to see you live."
Once the conversation started, the other girls became braver and joined in, chattering away.
"We heard some people came last night but didn't see you. They thought they went to the wrong place!"
"We're lucky we got to see you in person."
"Hehe, live performances are way better— the sound quality in the video was terrible."
"Hey handsome, are you going to sing again?"
So that's what happened! Lu Chen nodded, surprised that someone had secretly filmed his performance and uploaded it online.
Whoever did it clearly didn't know Daylily's rules—such a person deserved a spanking!
---
At the same time, in dorm room 415 of Capital University, Xiao Mi was sitting at her desk reviewing notes when she suddenly sneezed loudly.
She rubbed her nose, then massaged her sore, stiff backside, feeling inexplicably bewildered.
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(End of Chapter)
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