Chapter 65: Photo Reveal in the Chat Group

Unlike his aloof demeanor in the group chat, in real life, Lu Yuanqing was exceedingly talkative. No sooner had they gotten in the car than he began chatting with Su Chen as though they were old friends, asking about this and that. Names like “Jiang Yan” and “Jiang Jing” slipped out inadvertently, leaving the two young girls who had just been in the car stunned and bewildered.

It wasn’t until the car drove away again that Lu Yuanqing took a closer look at Su Chen.

“Su Chen, are you sure you’re not a celebrity?”

Su Chen shook his head, chuckling.

“Tsk tsk, with your looks!”

“It’s a real pity you’re not in the entertainment industry!”

Su Chen joked, “Brother Qing, if I debut, will you back me up?”

Lu Yuanqing’s eyes lit up.

“Really? You’re not joking?”

“If you decide to debut, of course I’ll have your back!”

Suddenly, as if thinking of something amusing, he went on, “If you entered showbiz, you and Jiang Yan would be a perfect match!”

Mentioning Jiang Yan, another idea flashed in his mind. He picked up his phone and aimed it at Su Chen.

“Don’t move, let me take a picture of you!”

With a click, he snapped the photo and immediately sent it to the celebrity group chat.

[Lu Yuanqing: @Everyone, can you guess who this is? /image]

No sooner had he sent the message than the group erupted.

[Ji Xiangyang: No matter who it is, they’re not as handsome as Brother Qing!]

[Luo Zhe: This guy almost rivals how I looked in my youth!]

[Jiang Jing: @Luo Zhe, have you no shame?]

[...]

Everyone in the group knew Su Chen was coming to the capital, but no one was sure of the date. So, nobody connected the picture to Su Chen.

[Jiang Yan: Huh? Brother Qing, you’ve picked up Su Chen?]

Just then, Jiang Yan appeared in the group.

Her message instantly set off a storm.

[Ji Xiangyang: Damn! You’re saying this is Su Chen?]

[Luo Zhe: @Jiang Yan, is it really that brat Su Chen? Are you sure?]

[Jiang Jing: So handsome! @Jiang Yan, no wonder you spend your nights out!]

[...]

Seeing Lu Yuanqing’s antics, Su Chen shook his head helplessly.

“Brother Qing, you really play dirty! I wanted to keep a bit of mystery!”

Lu Yuanqing just laughed loudly.

With no other choice, Su Chen picked up his phone and replied in the group.

[Su Chen: Hello everyone, I can confirm it’s really me, accept no substitutes!]

[Su Chen: Everyone’s welcome to come meet up in the capital!]

Hearing Su Chen’s confirmation, the group instantly became lively.

[Ji Xiangyang: Su Chen is actually this handsome! Is there no justice in the world?]

[Jiang Jing: Su Chen, it’s truly a shame you’re not a celebrity!]

[Luo Zhe: No wonder Jiang Yan moved so fast. If I were a woman, I wouldn’t let him go either!]

[Jiang Yan: Do you have a death wish?]

And so, the commotion ended in laughter.

Lu Yuanqing didn’t drive Su Chen straight to his hotel. Instead, after exiting the Fifth Ring at one of the offramps, they wound their way through small roads, eventually arriving at a courtyard called “Secret Grove Cottage.”

The environment here was very tranquil. Strangely, as soon as they entered, the nearby noise faded significantly, as if it were a world apart. Even though Su Chen had lived two lifetimes, he couldn’t help but praise it as a true “paradise on earth.”

“What do you think? Not a bad environment, right?” Lu Yuanqing was clearly very familiar with the place, guiding Su Chen as they walked.

“Only people within the industry usually come here, so there’s no pressure. I like to come here to relax whenever I have free time. It’s just that drinking alone isn’t much fun without good company. Now that you’re here, we can have a proper drink!”

Su Chen nodded in understanding. Being a public figure was actually exhausting, with almost no privacy. Even just going out meant worrying about being recognized—paparazzi, fans asking for pictures or autographs could happen at any moment. Only places like this offered a real breath of relief—perhaps every celebrity’s utopia.

After winding through corridors, they arrived at a private room with a folding screen. Passing through a wooden door, they stepped onto a terrace overlooking a pond. The terrace was furnished with wooden tables and chairs, exuding elegant charm.

Once seated, Lu Yuanqing beckoned for a waiter.

“What would you like today, Brother Lu?”

“Bring out the bottle of wine I have stored here, and make us a few of your signature dishes!”

The waiter hurried off to prepare.

“You celebrities really know how to enjoy life! Ordinary folks don’t have the money or time to rest in places like this,” Su Chen said with a smile, watching Lu Yuanqing sprawl in his chair, greedily inhaling the fresh air.

Lu Yuanqing opened his eyes. “I wouldn’t call it enjoying life! As someone who’s half-unemployed, I’m just sneaking a bit of leisure in the midst of hardship.”

Su Chen chuckled. “Brother Qing, that’s not a funny joke!”

Seeing Su Chen’s disbelief, Lu Yuanqing shook his head and explained, “To outsiders, I’m a superstar. Wherever I go, I’m showered with flattery. But who really understands the difficulties behind it all...”

After Lu Yuanqing’s explanation, Su Chen finally understood. Generally speaking, superstars commanded high fees, whether for endorsements or appearances. If you wanted a superstar to attend, you had to pay a hefty sum. Because of this, many companies and shows opted for popular but less expensive celebrities. That way, they got the publicity without spending as much—a much higher cost-performance ratio.

So Lu Yuanqing’s current situation was rather awkward: he had the title of superstar, but few jobs to take. This was a stark contrast with Earth. On Earth, even the priciest stars were still affordable for many shows, and sometimes, multiple superstars would be invited to the same program!

Hmm?

At that thought, an idea suddenly sparked in Su Chen’s mind—Earth, variety shows...

He quickly suppressed the urge to speak. There was no rush; they had just met and it wasn’t time to talk about such things yet.

Once the food and wine arrived, they ate and chatted idly. As the host, Lu Yuanqing was quite attentive to Su Chen’s comfort, keeping the conversation light and casual—nothing like the image of celebrities in the entertainment industry. Su Chen, for his part, was relaxed and nonchalant, occasionally cracking a dry joke that made Lu Yuanqing find him all the more entertaining.

“By the way, let me take another look at the place you’re looking for,” Lu Yuanqing said once they were nearly finished eating, remembering the purpose of Su Chen’s trip to the capital.

Su Chen took a photo from his inner pocket and placed it before Lu Yuanqing, who examined it closely.

“Luo Zhe was right—this photo does look a bit like the houses in Nanluo Lane!” The picture hadn’t been very clear in the group chat, but now, seeing it in person, Lu Yuanqing found it vaguely familiar.

“Oh? Can you pinpoint the exact location?”

Lu Yuanqing shook his head. “The street and houses do resemble that area, but I can’t be sure. You’ll have to visit in person to find out.”

Su Chen nodded.

“And this photo, where’s it from?”

Su Chen explained, “It was my father’s keepsake before he passed away.” It hadn’t been convenient to say this in the group, but since he was asking for help now, there was no reason to hide it.

Lu Yuanqing was surprised. “Do you know when it was taken?”

Su Chen shook his head. “Judging from how old it looks, probably last century.”

After he finished, he saw Lu Yuanqing’s expression turn meaningful. “If that’s Nanluo Lane from the last century, it’s no ordinary matter.”