You were supposed to have a fake marriage with the diva, so how did you become her father?

Chapter 345 Two Lifetimes

Upon entering the hall, the interior decorations were even more elaborate than those outside.

A huge backdrop hung on the stage, with the words "Premiere Press Conference of 'The Starry Night'" written in large characters, next to which were photos of Tan Yu and the female lead.

There were hundreds of chairs in the audience. The front row was occupied by the main cast and guests of the production team, while the back row was occupied by ordinary audience members.

Tan Yu was talking to the director on stage when he saw Lu Ran come in. He jumped off the stage, ran to Lu Ran in three steps, and hugged him tightly.

"Brother Lu! You're here!"

Lu Ran almost lost his balance when Shen Yuege hugged him so tightly that his cane tilted. Shen Yuege quickly steadied him.

"Let go of me." Lu Ran patted Tan Yu on the back. "What kind of behavior is this, hugging and cuddling in public?"

Tan Yu let go of him and said with a grin, "I was just so excited. I'm relieved that you could come, Brother Lu."

"Don't worry about it. I didn't direct the show, so whether it flops or not is none of my business."

"It's related! You wrote the script, and if you don't come, I always feel like something's missing. With you here, I feel at ease."

Lu Ran looked at him and couldn't help but laugh: "Alright, alright, stop standing here. Go do what you need to do. I'll just sit down in the audience."

Tan Yu led him to the front row, arranged for him to sit in the middle, and instructed the staff to pour him a glass of water before returning to the stage.

The press conference has begun.

The host first introduced the main members of the production team, followed by speeches from the director, producer, and lead actors.

Tan Yu, as both the director and the male lead, also said a few words.

He was in much better shape than before, standing on the stage and speaking fluently without any nervousness.

Lu Ran leaned back in his chair, his right leg crossed in front of him, looking at Tan Yu on the stage with a slight upturn at the corners of his mouth.

This kid was born for this.

Standing in front of the camera, she completely changed.

This change wasn't feigned; it was a genuine immersion into the role.

This ability is not something everyone possesses.

During the Q&A session, a reporter stood up and asked Tan Yu, "I heard that Lu Ran wrote the script for this drama, is that true?"

Tan Yu nodded: "It's true. Brother Lu wrote the script himself, and I took over the project myself."

"Did Lu Ran come today?"

"They're here. They're right here in the audience."

All eyes turned to Lu Ran.

The flashbulbs started popping and crackling, making it impossible for him to open his eyes.

The reporter walked over with a microphone: "Mr. Lu, may I ask how you came up with the idea to write this script?"

Lu Ran took the microphone, thought for a moment, and said, "I just wanted to write a story about love and dreams. Tan Yu is a young man with dreams, and I felt this story would suit him, so I wrote it for him."

"What are your expectations for the ratings of this drama?"

"Of course I have expectations, but I value the audience's reaction more. Ratings are just a number; what matters most is whether the audience likes it."

Do you think the audience will like it?

Lu Ran glanced at Tan Yu on the stage. Tan Yu was looking at him nervously, his hands gripping the microphone so tightly that his knuckles were white.

"Yes," Lu Ran said, "because it's a good story, and the actors performed well. A good story plus good actors—there's no reason it shouldn't be liked."

After listening to the lecture on stage, Tan Yu seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, his shoulders slumped, and a smile appeared on his face.

Lu Ran handed the microphone back to the reporter, leaned back in his chair, and continued watching the press conference.

The next segment is showing trailers.

The organizers played the edited trailer on the big screen. It was less than three minutes long, but it included the essence of the entire series.

Looking at the images on the big screen, Lu Ran felt a mix of emotions.

He had read "The Starry Night" more than once in his previous life.

He remembers all those classic scenes, lines, and music clearly.

Now these images are presented to him in a different form; the actors have changed, the scenes have changed, but the feeling remains the same.

It's the same story, the same emotions, and the same captivating power.

After the trailer finished playing, the entire audience erupted in enthusiastic applause.

Tan Yu stood on the stage, his eyes slightly red.

He took the microphone, his voice slightly choked: "Thank you everyone. Thank you to the producer, thank you to all the cast and crew. I especially want to thank Brother Lu; without his script, there would be no drama. I will continue to work hard and live up to everyone's expectations."

He bowed, and the applause grew even louder.

After the press conference, Tan Yu dragged Lu Ran backstage and insisted on treating him to dinner.

"Brother Lu, you really helped me out today, I have to thank you properly."

"No need to thank me." Lu Ran followed him, leaning on his cane. "I just told you the truth."

"That wasn't the truth, it was reassurance." Tan Yu pushed open the door to the backstage dressing room and invited him in. "You have no idea how nervous I've been these past few days, I haven't been able to sleep well. When you said 'Yes, because it's a good story' backstage just now, I immediately felt at ease. I don't know why, but I just believe what you say."

Lu Ran sat down on the sofa, putting her right leg on the coffee table: "So you're not nervous anymore?"

"Don't be nervous anymore." Tan Yu poured him a glass of water. "Anyway, it's airing the day after tomorrow, there's no use being nervous. You might as well prepare for your next project."

"The next movie? There's a next movie already?"

"I'm in talks with a few scripts, but nothing's been decided yet. I want to wait and see how this drama is received. If it's well-received, I'll choose a good script and film it properly. If it's not well-received, I'll take on some minor roles to reflect and clear my head."

Lu Ran looked at him, somewhat surprised: "It's not easy for you to think that way."

"Brother Lu, you taught me this." Tan Yu sat down opposite him. "You said that the road of an actor is long, it's not about who runs the fastest, it's about who goes the furthest. I don't want to go fast, I want to go the furthest."

Lu Ran laughed: "When did I say that?"

"Last time at Sister Yuege's studio, I was eavesdropping on your conversation with President Shen."

"You little brat."

Tan Yu chuckled and scratched his head.

The two chatted for a while longer, and Tan Yu asked about the theme song of "The Starry Night".

"Brother Lu, have you listened to the theme song? It's sung by Xu Manxue."

"I listened to it. It's good, very suitable for her. Her voice is on the cooler side, and it has a lot of flavor when she sings songs with regret and memories."

"I sang the ending theme song 'Looking at Each Other'," Tan Yu said, looking a little embarrassed. "My singing skills aren't great, and I had to record it several times before it was good enough. Xu Manxue spent the whole afternoon in the recording studio coaching me, and her voice was almost hoarse."

"So how did you sing? Was it listenable?"

"It's listenable. It's just not very good."

Lu Ran couldn't help but laugh: "You yourself said it doesn't sound good, so how can the audience think it sounds good?"

"That's not what I meant," Tan Yu quickly explained. "When I said 'able to hear,' I meant at least I wasn't off-key. But compared to professionals, it's definitely far from good. Xu Manxue said my voice is okay, just lacks practice. She told me to sing more and it will get better gradually."

"Then practice more," Lu Ran said. "Who knows, you might even be able to hold a concert someday."

Tan Yu was so startled by his words that he almost jumped up from his chair: "Brother Lu, don't joke with me. I'm an actor, what kind of concert would I hold? Fans buy tickets to come in, listen to me sing a couple of songs, and then listen to me tell a couple of jokes? That's not a concert, that's a stand-up comedy show."

Lu Ran laughed so hard his right leg trembled a few times: "That works too. You can sell tickets for a stand-up comedy show."

"Brother Lu!"

"Alright, alright, I'll stop teasing you." Lu Ran's smile faded, and she looked at him seriously. "The song 'Looking at Each Other' isn't particularly difficult, and the melody isn't complicated, but it requires a lot of emotion. Did you feel that way when you recorded it?"

Tan Yu thought for a moment and said, "There's a line, 'Through the transparent glass window, your tears fall on my heart.' When I recorded that line, I remembered a scene from the drama, the shot of Zhong Tianqi watching Xia Zhixing leave. My tears started flowing then, and my throat tightened. Xu Manxue shouted in the control room, 'That's the feeling, that's the feeling.' That version was approved."

Lu Ran nodded after listening.

now it's right.

No matter how many techniques a song has or how elaborate its arrangement is, it's lifeless if it doesn't have emotion in it.

Even with flaws, life is still alive when there are feelings involved.

Tan Yu doesn't understand singing techniques, but he played that role and knows what the character was feeling at that moment.

He brought that feeling to the song, and the song came alive.

"Alright." Lu Ran stood up, leaning on his cane. "I should go. When the show airs the day after tomorrow, just watch it and don't overthink it."

"Okay." Tan Yu stood up to see him off. "Brother Lu, when will your leg be better?"

"Soon. The cast will be removed next Monday."

"Will I be able to walk normally after it's removed?"

"No. You'll need to do rehabilitation training, which will take about a month."

"Then don't go running around for the next month." Tan Yu helped him walk out. "Stay at the company and let your leg recover before you start doing anything else."

"Aren't you struggling too? At least I'm struggling sitting down, you're struggling standing up. You're much more tired than me."

Tan Yu was left speechless by his words, opening his mouth to refute, but found that he was indeed more tired than Lu Ran.

Filming, recording, promotion, press conferences, live broadcasts—they're busy all day long.

But he didn't feel tired.

Because he is doing what he likes.

This is enough.

Lu Ran got into the car, and Shen Yuege started the car and drove out of the TV station's parking lot.

"How was the press conference?" she asked as she drove.

"That's good." Lu Ran leaned back in his seat. "Tan Yu is a promising kid."

"Didn't you always say he was reliable?"

"He is reliable. But today I found him to be even more reliable than I thought. He is calm and composed. This kind of mentality is rare among young people."

Shen Yuege glanced at him: "You're young too."

"I'm different. I'm mentally mature."

"How much bigger?"

"Several decades older."

Shen Yuege couldn't help but laugh: "Why don't you just say you've lived two lives?"

Lu Ran was taken aback for a moment, thinking to himself, "You were right."

...