331: Chapter 331 Spring Festival Gala Rehearsals Begin

The trailer for "Feng Shen" had not been released yet, as the special effects were still being rushed, so they released the previously filmed video of the young idols riding horses instead; it was at least an earnest attempt at promotion.

Honestly, a screen full of muscular men and raw hormones was certainly easy on the eyes.

In the video, the young idols were shirtless, laughing and tumbling about, then riding horses across the grassland. They looked quite bright and sunny.

Lin Chuyan had sharp eyes and even spotted Qiao Wei in the mix... He was smiling so goofily that it inexplicably reminded him of a husky.

In all fairness, the aesthetic of this video was completely different from Lin Chuyan's Vogartis commercial. If one had to compare, they both had their own merits, right? Regardless, he couldn't see how one supposedly "crushed" the other.

However, the video editor was mischievous. They created a comparison video, starting with the "Feng Shen" footage but set to a comedic BGM. Paired with the footage of the young idols laughing and goofing around, it made them look like the dim-witted sons of a wealthy landlord.

In the second half, when Lin Chuyan appeared, the BGM suddenly shifted—low, heavy drumbeats struck like hammers against the heart, accompanied by the low-frequency hum of synthesizers that echoed with a metallic texture. The entire melody built an oppressive atmosphere; cold and stern, it felt as if one had been thrust into a battlefield without smoke.

On screen, Lin Chuyan was expressionless, wearing a Vogartis suit that clearly cost a fortune, riding a tall, majestic horse as he galloped toward the camera.

The wildest part was that the creator had even added a filter to Lin Chuyan's footage, making the contrast between the two even more exaggerated.

Because of the tags #Lin Chuyan# and #Feng Shen#, this comparison video inexplicably ended up on the Bilibili trending list. Later, editing accounts on Douyin followed suit, clipping and posting it there, and the results were surprisingly good...

The producers of "Feng Shen" had originally hoped that this group of young idols would attract a wave of fans. While there was some effect, it was significantly diminished by this whole mess—a result likely no one had anticipated.

However, this couldn't be blamed on Lin Chuyan; it was the work of random netizens, so they just had to accept their bad luck.

Since they were only back for two days, and the news of their trip to his hometown had been exposed, the couple simply stayed home the next day and went nowhere, obediently keeping his parents company.

However, there was one thing that happened right before they left that Ruan Xingyu teased him about for a long time. It started because Su Lanxin was suddenly curious and wanted to hear the song the two of them were going to sing at the Spring Festival Gala.

Honestly, Lin Chuyan was reluctant at first... "Mom, you'd better not listen to my song, 'dragon fist'."

"Why? Don't tell me even you think it sounds bad?"

Lin Chuyan nearly lost his cool: "... It's rap! Rap! Young people like it; I'm afraid someone your age won't be able to handle it."

That was highly offensive.

"Just sing it! I want to see just how bad it is!"

Lin Chuyan really didn't want to sing, but in the end, he was forced to do an Acting piece. That wasn't the main issue, though; the problem was that he was told to stop before his Acting performance had even finished...

Su Lanxin: "It's over."

"What's wrong?"

"I was originally planning to invite your aunts and uncles over to watch the Spring Festival Gala together, but now I'm having second thoughts."

Lin Chuyan: "..."

Su Lanxin continued to fire away: "No, I should still invite them. If something that sounds this bad can still make it onto the Spring Festival Gala, doesn't that just go to show how capable my son is?"

Lin Chuyan: "..."

Su Lanxin didn't want to be mean, but acapella 'dragon fist' was truly beyond her comprehension.

When Ruan Xingyu began to sing 'as you wish', Su Lanxin finally understood the meaning of the phrase, "Like hearing celestial music, one's ears are suddenly cleared."

Su Lanxin hit the nail on the head with every word: "Xingxing, your Singing Ability is great. When you have time, please teach Xiao Yan more."

Ruan Xingyu struggled to suppress her laughter: "Of course, Auntie, I will! I'll start teaching him tonight when we get back!"

Su Lanxin nodded, then pulled her aside, holding her hands and chatting for quite a while.

While his parents were around, the young couple was quite well-behaved, getting along with a sense of mutual respect. Sometimes when Lin Chuyan tried to reach out and put an arm around her, he couldn't; Ruan Xingyu was thin-skinned and would immediately swat his hand away.

In the evening, after returning to Beijing from Guangdong Province, they lay on their sofa at home, finally able to cuddle openly.

"So, what did my mom say to you right before we left?" Lin Chuyan asked, quite curious.

"She just told me to teach you Singing, hahaha!"

"No, I mean what she said when she pulled you aside for a private chat."

"Oh, she said that if you ever bully me in the future, I must remember to tell her, and that she would definitely be on my side. She also told me that if I'm ever dissatisfied with you, I should just say it directly. She said that most men don't understand hints and roundabout ways of speaking, and that being direct is the only way to make a relationship last. Finally, Auntie was very straightforward and said that from now on, you belong to me, and she and Uncle won't interfere."

Ruan Xingyu understood perfectly well that the meaning behind Su Lanxin's final remark wasn't that she wouldn't care about them, but rather that she wouldn't interfere with the relationship between her and Lin Chuyan, so there was no need to worry about any mother-in-law issues.

Lin Chuyan pulled his girlfriend a little tighter: "My mom is right, but there's one thing I disagree with—I would never bully you."

Ruan Xingyu kissed him on the cheek: "Keep up the good work!"

Lin Chuyan rubbed his cheek and started Acting cheeky again: "Wait, that's not right. At night, after the lights are off, I'm still going to bully you a little."

"Pfft, pfft, pfft! Give me my kiss back!"

"Alright, then I'll give you a kiss too."

But Ruan Xingyu had clearly underestimated him. They agreed on a kiss, so why were his hands wandering?

Over the next two days, Lin Chuyan remained extremely busy, as the Spring Festival Gala production team began scheduling their rehearsals.

Ruan Xingyu's stage design wasn't complicated; both sides agreed that the overall design should revolve around the lyrics—it is precisely because our predecessors bore the heavy burdens that we enjoy the peace and tranquility of today. They wanted to create a visual effect that captured this contrast.

However, when it came to the cheongsam look proposed by the production team, although it would certainly accentuate her figure, Ruan Xingyu rejected it, hoping for a better alternative. Her reasoning was that it looked a bit too 'petit-bourgeois' and didn't quite fit the expression of the song 'as you wish'; it even created a somewhat incongruous conflict. Director Yu, being open to suggestions, agreed to take her opinion into account.

As for Lin Chuyan, Director Yu had actually taken to heart the design he'd suggested during his audition—"give me a big drum for the intro so I can play it myself"—and even came up with a new idea: "Doesn't 'dragon fist' have an interlude in the middle? How about... you perform a set of martial arts?"

Lin Chuyan nodded: "Sure, Director! Just give me some time!"

He really thought this was a good idea, and he already had his own thoughts on how to perform the martial arts. As for the costumes, both sides reached a consensus: just like the song, it had to be a fusion of traditional and modern styles. As for how to fuse them? It's 'dragon fist', after all; at the very least, they needed some dragon elements! There was no rush to figure out the specifics just yet; they still had time to look for more inspiration!