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Looking out at the river from the Wangjiang Tower.
For most people in Jinling, being able to host a meal at Wangjiang Tower is a matter of great pride.
This century-old restaurant has maintained its freshness over the years, adhering to the traditions of Jiangnan cuisine while incorporating elements from Hunan, Cantonese, and international dishes, creating its own unique flavors that are revered by countless gourmets.
What is particularly commendable is that Jinling's Wangjiang Tower is the only one located by the Yangtze River; there are no other branches, making its flavors the most authentic, and naturally, its business is extremely popular, with reservations extending months into the future.
Especially the window-side seats that offer a view of the river are not just available to anyone with money.
This restaurant is only three stories high, designed in an ancient architectural style, with intricately carved beams and painted rafters that exude an antique charm.
Most notably, there are one hundred and eight palace lanterns hanging under the eaves, which shine brilliantly at night, making the entire building look magnificent and imposing!
When Lu Chen arrived at Wangjiang Tower, a bright moon had just risen over the vast Yangtze River.
The green willows along the riverbank provided shade, making him feel a sense of "the moon rises above the willow tops, and lovers meet at dusk."
On the top floor of Wangjiang Tower, also known as the upper floor, Lu Chen saw Chen Fei'er again.
The sweet song Heavenly Queen had changed into a white long-sleeve T-shirt with floral patterns, paired with black-blue denim shorts that revealed her two jade-like calves.
Her outfit, complemented by sporty shoes and colorful glasses, looked very fashionable and youthful.
Her long, glossy hair cascaded down smoothly, mostly draped over her shoulders, making her look very beautiful.
She had tied a small red gemstone bow on her head, adding a touch of playfulness.
"Sister Fei!"
Lu Chen admired her for a second, then naturally greeted her.
Chen Fei'er, who was scrolling through her phone, looked up, took off her glasses, and revealed a charming smile: "You're here."
Lu Chen nodded: "I'm here."
The two exchanged smiles, like long-time friends, with a mutual understanding that didn't require much small talk.
Lu Chen sat down across from her and curiously asked, "Where's Sister Zhang?"
Chen Fei'er replied, "It's just the two of us tonight."
Lu Chen's heart skipped a beat, and he jokingly asked, "Does this count as a date?"
Chen Fei'er smiled sweetly and countered, "Does a sister treating her brother to dinner count as a date?"
Lu Chen smiled wryly.
Chen Fei'er playfully rolled her eyes at him and handed over the menu: "I've ordered a couple of dishes; you can order a few more."
She added, "The food here is quite good."
"Then let's eat more!"
Lu Chen was not polite, took the menu, and quickly selected several dishes.
He was genuinely starving.
Since he started practicing martial arts every day, Lu Chen's appetite had at least doubled; he usually needed a lot of nutrition to replenish the energy he expended, not to mention that he had been busy and tired all day today.
He felt like he could eat a whole cow!
Most importantly, his intuition told Lu Chen that he didn't need to be pretentious or polite in front of Chen Fei'er.
After ordering, Lu Chen called over a waiter and instructed him to bring the dishes quickly.
Chen Fei'er smiled and asked, "Are you really that hungry?"
Lu Chen nodded and asked, "Sister Fei, what brings you to Jinling?"
Chen Fei'er explained, "I'm here for a brand endorsement event, and I saw on your blog that you were in Jinling filming an advertisement, so I thought to invite you to dinner."
Lu Chen asked, "When are you going back?"
"I have to attend the opening of the brand flagship store tomorrow, and if nothing unexpected happens, I'll return to the Capital City the day after."
She helplessly added, "I still have to go to the radio station for an interview later tonight; I can't turn it down due to personal connections."
As an artist, especially a famous one, time really doesn't belong to oneself.
Stars like Chen Fei'er have their schedules packed, leaving little room for personal time.
Because of this, breakups and makeups among couples in the entertainment industry are too common; everyone is too busy to care for family, and there's hardly any time for romance, making emotional connections quite fragile.
Many artists simply choose not to date or settle down before the age of 40!
Chen Fei'er is now 30 years old. Although she has had many rumors in the past, she has never had a real boyfriend.
The two chatted like friends, and the dishes were quickly served.
Wangjiang Tower truly lived up to its reputation; the dishes were visually appealing and delicious, making Lu Chen's mouth water. He didn't care about the lady in front of him and picked up his chopsticks to dig in.
Before he started eating, he didn't forget to serve some food to Chen Fei'er.
His mother had once told Lu Chen that if he was having a meal alone with a girl, he should always serve her first before eating himself, as this is the proper etiquette for a young man.
Lu Chen always remembered his mother's teachings.
When he was dating Wang Ying, he would serve her food every time they ate together, and it had long become a habit.
Lu Chen didn't think much of it, but when Chen Fei'er saw him serving food into her bowl, she was momentarily taken aback.
Aside from at home, no one really helps her with her food during meals.
Firstly, her fame is so great that others dare not offend her; secondly, she doesn't particularly like it when others do that.
Unless it's her family.
Lu Chen was certainly not Chen Fei'er's family, but when she saw him naturally serving her food, she felt not a hint of disgust, but rather a subtle shyness and joy, an emotion she couldn't quite articulate.
Chen Fei'er indeed had a good impression of Lu Chen.
He was tall, handsome, and not effeminate, and he possessed exceptional talent. What was rare was that he had his own opinions, with a tolerant and easygoing personality that was neither arrogant nor impatient, giving off the vibe of a charming big boy next door, outstanding yet not unattainable.
Unfortunately, there was a bit of an age gap between them.
Lu Chen was 22 years old, while Chen Fei'er was 30, an eight-year difference.
Chen Fei'er knew that age wasn't a problem; with her status and position, she could like anyone without issue, but this mental barrier nevertheless prevented her from pursuing a deeper relationship with Lu Chen.
However, after seeing Lu Chen's blog post by chance yesterday and realizing they were both in Jinling, she couldn't help but reach out to him, leading to today's visit and tonight's dinner!
Chen Fei'er felt relaxed around Lu Chen; he didn't exhibit the usual nervousness that young artists often show when interacting with established stars, behaving naturally as if they were old friends.
She could tell that Lu Chen was also attracted to her, yet he didn't actively pursue her, which showed his rationality.
Of course, even if Lu Chen did pursue her, Chen Fei'er wouldn't agree.
Yet, at the same time, a rebellious thought emerged in her mind, prompting her to tease this big boy a little.
"Thank you."
Chen Fei'er said softly.
Lu Chen was surprised: "No need to be polite, Sister Fei, eat up! If the food gets cold, it won't taste good!"
You're such a pig!
Chen Fei'er was genuinely exasperated with him; she angrily picked up a piece of honey-glazed lamb chop from her bowl and took a heavy bite.
It was as if she was biting into Lu Chen himself.
Lu Chen felt a bit confused, but his attention was quickly drawn back to the delicious dishes being served one after another.
To be honest, at that moment, Chen Fei'er's charm didn't quite compare to the delicious food in Lu Chen's eyes.
Fortunately, Chen Fei'er was unaware of this.
She felt a bit downcast.
Meanwhile, a hundred meters away on the Yangtze River embankment, Fan Fan, hiding in the bushes, was over the moon.
Although there were many mosquitoes here, and he probably had quite a few bites, the reporter was completely unfazed, fully focused on his DSLR camera, snapping away at Wangjiang Tower.
This was big news!
The sweet song Heavenly Queen was secretly dining with someone, and the date's identity was none other than Lu Chen, a newcomer in the show business community, and it was happening in Jinling, not the Capital City.
Teacher-student romance? Sibling love? Heavenly Queen infatuated with a young newcomer? A handsome man and a beautiful woman, Chen Fei'er secretly meeting a folk music talent?
If it had content, it had content; if it had a scoop, it had a scoop!
Fan Fan felt incredibly lucky; even while slacking off in Jinling, he managed to catch a big fish.
This was definitely going to be a headline in the entertainment section!
Fan Fan was convinced of this because neither Chen Fei'er nor Lu Chen had brought assistants with them.
Typically, when artists and their friends, especially male and female friends, dine together, they often bring their respective assistants to avoid misunderstandings about dating.
Even if paparazzi caught them, they could easily explain it away.
Rumors are a double-edged sword; some artists like to use them for publicity, but many stars are reluctant to get involved, fearing they might lose fans and popularity, attracting backlash from loyal supporters.
In Fan Fan's view, there was definitely something going on between Chen Fei'er and Lu Chen; it was highly likely they were secretly dating, and their relationship had a traceable history, not something that appeared out of nowhere.
Moreover, even if it wasn't true, what did it matter?
The photos would serve as solid evidence, and with Fan Fan's eloquent writing, it was 99% likely to make the entertainment headlines tomorrow!
Unless something unfortunate happened, like Wang Bin getting arrested.
The more Fan Fan thought about it, the happier he became, snapping photos while internally shouting, "Don't just focus on eating; show some affection! Hold hands! Feed each other! Please add some juicy details!"
Unfortunately, such intimate moments never occurred.
After finishing dinner, Lu Chen and Chen Fei'er left Wangjiang Tower, parting ways at the entrance.
There was no scene that Fan Fan had hoped for.
Chen Fei'er quickly got into her Mercedes and left, while Lu Chen walked alone towards the riverbank.
Right in the direction where Fan Fan was hiding.
Fan Fan was startled.
He thought Lu Chen had spotted him and hurriedly packed away his camera and gear.
But Lu Chen had no idea that a paparazzi was lurking nearby, capturing the scene of him dining with Chen Fei'er.
He was merely taking a stroll by the river to digest his meal and enjoy the night view of the Yangtze River.
Thus, he didn't notice the quietly disappearing Fan Fan.
(End Of This Chapter)