Lu Chen was no stranger to the Beihai City Forum.
Claimed to be the top university student BBS in the country, Beihai City Forum was well-known for its popularity and reputation. When Lu Chen was still a student at Jianghai University, he used to hang out there, posting in the forums and even engaging in debates, and he had his own account there.
Though he hadn't logged in for a long time, the memories felt fresh and nostalgic.
This connection made him feel more fond of the group of girls sitting in front of him.
"I'm really glad you came to hear me sing."
Lu Chen waved over the sneaky Zhang, the waiter who had been glancing their way, and with a smile, said, "I'll treat you all to a round of Summer Breeze cocktails. Thanks for the support!"
Summer Breeze was a light, mint-flavored cocktail with low alcohol content, perfect for women to enjoy without getting too tipsy.
The girls all laughed, some excited, others shy, exuding the joy and energy of youth.
One girl in a white dress asked, "Your name is Lu Chen, right? They said you're still in university. Is that true?"
"Five Summer Breezes, put it on my tab!" Lu Chen shot a glare at Little Zhang, who had probably sold him out.
He nodded and replied openly, "Yes, I'm studying at Jianghai University. In about half a month, I'll graduate. So I guess you can consider me your senior?"
Little Zhang, feeling guilty under Lu Chen's stare, quickly dashed off to the bar to get the drinks.
The girls exchanged glances, then all greeted in unison, "Hello, Senior!"
A girl in a yellow dress added, "I've been to Jianghai University. I have a friend studying in the Art Department there. Maybe you two know each other. Could you give me your WeChat ID, Senior?"
This girl in the yellow dress, Ye Zitong, was quite pretty and had many admirers at her university. Normally, she acted aloof around guys and had never asked a boy for his contact information before.
However, she really loved Lu Chen's songs. Both My Old Classmate and Cinderella resonated with her, and Lu Chen's charming, cheerful personality— along with the fact that he was a senior from Jianghai University— naturally left a great impression on her.
"Sure, no problem!" Lu Chen readily agreed and gave them his WeChat ID.
The girls quickly took out their phones and added him as a friend on the spot.
From the conversation, Lu Chen learned that these girls were all students at Capital City Normal University. The girl in the white dress was named Zuo Xingtian, and the girl in the yellow dress was Ye Zitong. Both were sophomores majoring in Chinese Literature.
Zuo Xingtian, as her name suggested, was cute and sweet, while Ye Zitong stood out the most in terms of both looks and figures among the five girls.
Zuo Xingtian asked eagerly, "Senior Lu Chen, do you have full versions of the songs you sang? Since recording isn't allowed here, I'd love to bring them back for more people to hear."
She looked at Lu Chen with anticipation.
Lu Chen replied, "That's easy. Do you know Whale TV?"
"Whale TV?" Zuo Xingtian's eyes lit up. "Of course I do! I'm a Bronze Member there!"
Lu Chen chuckled, "Then it's settled. Search for the streamer Lu Fei— Lu as in 'land,' Fei as in 'fly.' You'll find my livestream channel, and there are full versions of both songs there. You're welcome to tune into my live streams anytime."
He was subtly trying to gain a few more fans for himself.
"So you're an online streamer too!" The girls exclaimed in surprise, all promising to check out his channel and show their support.
At this moment, Little Zhang brought over the cocktails, and Lu Chen bid farewell to the group of girls.
After he left, the four girls, as if they had planned it ahead of time, all turned to stare at Ye Zitong.
"What are you all doing?"
Feeling somewhat guilty under their gaze, Ye Zitong raised her glass and bit down on the straw, putting on an innocent expression.
The girl sitting across from her grinned and said, "Come on, confess! Has our ice queen's heart melted for Lu Chen, the senior? Spill the truth, or we'll have to get it out of you!"
"What are you talking about?!"
Ye Zitong blushed furiously, her face turning a charming shade of red. "Ice queen? I just like his songs a little, that's all. It's you all who have a crush, not me!"
Zuo Xingtian teased, "First you like his songs, then you'll like him."
The girl sitting across from her mimicked Ye Zitong's earlier words in a mockingly sweet voice: "I've been to Jianghai University, and I have a friend in the arts department there. Maybe you know each other? Senior, can I have your WeChat ID?"
She repeated Ye Zitong's words, drawing out the last "hmm" in an exaggerated, coquettish tone. The whole group burst into laughter.
The girls momentarily forgot they were in a bar and not their dorm room, and their laughter inevitably attracted curious looks from the other patrons around them.
Noticing the shift in the atmosphere, they quickly quieted down, sitting up straight and pretending to be serious.
This allowed Ye Zitong to escape further interrogation.
Initially, she genuinely only liked the two songs Lu Chen had sung. But after her friends' teasing, she couldn't help but feel a small flutter in her heart.
Could it be that her heart was truly starting to stir?
Her cheeks flushed again, and she quickly took a large sip of her Summer Breeze cocktail, trying to cover up what she thought were ridiculous feelings.
On the stage, someone else was singing a touching love song...
---
When Lu Chen returned to his tiny basement apartment, it was already 10:50 PM.
He didn't miss his scheduled livestream and quickly turned on his computer, logging into his Whale TV account.
His second livestream after signing with the platform was set to start right at 11 PM.
Although this time was already past the prime hour for online live streaming, Lu Chen didn't mind. He had arranged with Chen Jianhao earlier that from the next day onwards, his performance time at the bar would be pushed back to after 10:30 PM.
That way, he could fix his livestreaming schedule from 7 PM to 10 PM, just the right three-hour window!
Though it would be tiring, Lu Chen had no intention of giving up either platform for now. Whale TV could bring him fame and money, while Daylily Bar helped him expand his connections in the entertainment industry and open up more opportunities.
Time flowed by like water, and Lu Chen quickly settled back into his previously structured routine.
Every morning at 6 AM, he woke up on time, went for a run, and pushed himself to the point of exhaustion before dragging his tired body back home. After lunch, he organized the materials from his memories in his small apartment.
He usually ate dinner at a buffet restaurant, which wasn't cheap. But given his growing appetite, it turned out to be the most economical option. Besides, he could now afford it.
At 7 PM, work began.
In the world of Whale TV and online streaming, Lu Chen was a complete newcomer.
However, his performance on the livestream didn't feel like that of a rookie.
Lu Chen could use his clear, crisp voice to sing gentle folk songs or belt out soft rock with a slightly raspy tone. He could even crack jokes and tell stories that no one had heard before, his animated expressions keeping his viewers thoroughly entertained.
With the combined experience from his past lives as a wandering singer, actor, and freelance writer, along with the dream world memories, Lu Chen projected a unique charm online that set him apart.
He didn't rely on his looks, didn't go for cheap stunts, didn't pander for attention, and never used foul language or crude jokes. During his fixed three-hour livestream, Lu Chen treated his viewers and fans with utmost seriousness.
Attitude is everything.
Some viewers watched Lu Chen's stream once and left without following, but many others stayed and became loyal fans of his Lu Fei livestream, waiting by their computers for him to go live each day.
They loved his singing, his humor, and the way he interacted with them.
Lu Chen's popularity on Whale TV continued to grow. Most importantly, after surpassing 50,000 followers, his fan count rapidly shot up, reaching 70,000, then 100,000!
With a peak of over 150,000 concurrent viewers and daily tips exceeding 30,000 T, his stats were on fire!
Even after his rookie recommendation spot ended, slowing down the growth rate, Lu Chen had already set his sights on becoming one of the top streamers on Whale TV— a position he aimed to take over!
With youth on his side, he was ready to forge ahead!
(End of chapter)
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