It was a whole morning.
Su Yuehong had Chen Feng try out all the instruments in her studio.
Folk guitars, electric guitars, basses, keyboards, guzheng, yaoqin, even ancient accordions, harmonicas, and erhu suona—he tried them all.
Chen Feng basically mastered them effortlessly.
There was no hesitation.
He could play a song with any of them.
He even played different songs all morning.
As a result, Su Yuehong and Erma, plus two little fanboys, the four of them were completely petrified.
Is this one person?
This is a whole damn band.
He was simply omnipotent.
It was at this moment that Erma realized he truly intended to use all the Yi instruments to accompany her ethnic dance.
This was also a gimmick, right?
It would definitely be eye-catching then.
...
At noon.
Su Yuehong treated them to lunch.
The three of them had a simple hot pot meal nearby.
Su Yuehong guaranteed that the instruments would be taken care of.
They would be ready in two days.
Chen Feng also felt relieved.
Then the three of them started chatting idly.
During their conversation, Su Yuehong also spoke of her current predicament.
Without channels or a guide, it was too difficult to make a name for herself in the music industry.
Chen Feng thought for a moment and casually asked, "The only person I know with some background and influence is Hongren Entertainment in Hong Kong. They also do entertainment, make movies, and promote singers. Do you want to try?"
"Hong Kong?"
Su Yuehong thought about it, then shook her head, "Forget it, I’ll just keep waiting for opportunities. I don’t really like working with people from Hong Kong."
"Alright then."
Chen Feng didn't insist.
A few minutes later.
Chen Feng suddenly asked, "Oh, right, I got your number from Lin Zu. You've always been in touch with him, haven't you?"
"Lin Zu? Always."
Su Yuehong smiled and said, "Lin Zu is like a phone book. And he's in touch with everyone. If you want to find a classmate or an alumnus, just go to him directly."
"Haha. That kid is having such a good time in Macau that he's forgotten to return. Do you know he's with a rich woman?"
Su Yuehong was stunned, looking at Chen Feng in confusion, "Didn't he already get dumped?"
"What?"
Chen Feng was startled, "Dumped?"
"Yeah."
Su Yuehong thought for a moment, "It seems like it was last weekend. I heard a friend in Hengdian mention it. They said Lin Zu went back to Hengdian to hang around film crews again. Apparently, he was broken up with by the rich woman from Hong Kong, so all his previous resources were cut off."
"..."
Chen Feng fell silent.
They broke up so quickly?
Lin Zu hadn't mentioned it to him.
When he called this morning, it sounded quite noisy on his end, indeed like he was on a film set, and he did say he was filming on a set.
Chen Feng had thought Song YaWen had arranged it for him.
Turns out he went to hang around film crews himself.
Seeing Chen Feng's serious expression, Su Yuehong smiled and said, "You just need to know about this, don't ask him, and don't talk about it. He's thin-skinned and embarrassed to tell other people."
"Don't worry, we won't talk about him anymore. Come on, let's eat. Erma, you eat too."
"Mmm, I've been eating."
"Come on, let's eat."
...
After lunch.
Chen Feng and Erma said goodbye to Su Yuehong and left the building.
It was cloudy outside.
The air was damp and cold.
The two of them walked along the road, strolling and digesting their meal.
They chatted as they walked.
"Erma, what are your plans after the show?"
"None yet."
Erma shook her head and said frankly, "I originally thought that if I participated in this kind of show and gained fame, big companies would sign me. But I was too optimistic."
"No one sought you out?"
Chen Feng looked at her in confusion.
Given her looks, and the fact that she was at least the overall champion of the Yunnan-Guizhou region, surely someone would have approached her, right?
Erma smiled helplessly, "Some people did approach me, but they were all involved in live streaming. They wanted me to enter the live streaming industry. As for film and television companies, there really weren't any."
Chen Feng: "..."
Erma continued, "I also know that my becoming champion wasn't due to any unique acting skills, but rather to geographical advantage and fan support. So I've come to terms with it. After the show ends, if there are no opportunities, I'll just go back to my hometown."
"Go back and do what?"
"Go back to raising silkworms."
Erma smiled sweetly, "Singing and performing are just hobbies of mine. As a daughter of the Da Liang Mountains, I have many other skills. I'm not without options. I can raise silkworms, knit and embroider, and I have many crafts. I won't starve."
Chen Feng chuckled.
This girl was quite interesting.
After walking for a while, Chen Feng suddenly asked, "What if... I'm just saying 'what if', but if I started a film and television media company, would you be willing to sign with me?"
"Ah?"
Erma was stunned and stopped.
She looked at Chen Feng in astonishment.
Chen Feng also stopped and looked at her, smiling, "Interested?"
Erma blinked, "Are you joking or serious?"
"Serious."
"Are you really planning to start a company?"
"I have that intention."
Erma slowly nodded, "No wonder you haven't signed with a company yet. With your current popularity and traffic, someone should have wanted to sign you a long time ago."
"Yes, some people did want to sign me."
Chen Feng let out a long breath and said, "But I don't intend to sell myself."
"But starting from scratch must be very difficult, right?"
"It is difficult."
Chen Feng smiled, "Any job has its difficulties. Just like your silkworm rearing and weaving, to an outsider, that's also a skill as difficult as ascending to heaven."
"It's not that exaggerated."
Erma laughed.
"The principle is the same. Anyway, managing myself feels more grounded. Letting others manage me always feels like I'm not in control. Just like some top female stars, they don't even have autonomy over what clothes to wear on the red carpet. Just thinking about it feels sad."
Erma nodded, "You make a good point."
"So, will you consider it?"
"Yes."
Chen Feng looked at her suspiciously, "You're not even going to think about it?"
"By intuition."
Erma looked directly into Chen Feng's eyes and said frankly, "From the day I first met you until now, you've given me a feeling of four words: omnipotent. And constant surprises. Based on a girl's intuition, I will agree. On the contrary, you're spending your own money to start a company; if you sign me and I can't make money for you, won't you lose a fortune?"
"Haha, whether I can make money can't be seen now."
Chen Feng chuckled and reached out, "Never mind the future for now. At least you've agreed now, so I wish us a happy cooperation in the near future."
"Mmm."
Erma generously reached out her hand.
The two of them firmly grasped each other's hands.
Erma probably never dreamed that this one handshake would create her future path to Global fame in film and television.
The two of them set off again.
Their subsequent conversation felt even more like that of close friends.
The sense of distance was completely gone.
About ten minutes later.
Just as the two were about to hail a taxi back to the Actor Cabin, Chen Feng received a call.
It was from Rosa.
Chen Feng immediately answered the phone and said with a smile, "Little wildcat, are you coming back?"
"..."
A muffled sob was vaguely heard from the phone.
Chen Feng's heart sank, and he frowned, asking, "What's wrong, Rosa?"
"A Feng, my dad, my mom... they got divorced."
Chen Feng was stunned, "Divorced?"
"My father cheated."
"..."
An ominous premonition welled up in Chen Feng's heart.
"A Feng, wuwu, my parents have already agreed to a divorce. I chose to stay with my mom. We... we might be immigrating to New Zealand."
Chen Feng: "..."
"A Feng, wuwu, will you... will you come to New Zealand with me?"
Chen Feng looked up at the overcast sky, and fine lines of rain were slowly falling, wetting his face.
He was silent for a moment.
Before Chen Feng could answer, a crying sound came from the phone.
Then, the call ended.
Chen Feng slowly put down his phone, his eyes much dimmer.
Beside him.
Erma seemed to notice his unusual mood and asked softly, "What's wrong with you? What happened?"
Chen Feng took a deep breath and murmured, "My girlfriend's parents got divorced. She's with her mom, and they're immigrating to New Zealand. She asked if I would go with her, and I didn't answer."
Erma: "..."
The rain began to fall harder.
In winter in Jiangnan, this rain chilled one's heart to the bone.