Chapter 97: Bringing You Good Fortune!

After finishing the recording, it was already six in the evening.

On such a beautiful summer day in the Jiangnan region, Jiang Lun had no time to linger; he hurried nonstop to his next stage.

At eight o’clock that night, he was to hold his very first fan meeting at the Drum Tower campus of Nanda University.

This fan meeting was essentially a campus commercial performance, sponsored by Master Wang’s Herbal Tea and tied to their “Herbal Tea Enters Campus” campaign.

Before seven, Jiang Lun arrived at Nanda University. Guided by the event staff, he entered the university activity center. The venue was quite spacious, with a backdrop on the stage prominently displaying his portrait alongside the phrase “Positive Energy.”

After testing the sound system and tuning his guitar—a process that took less than ten minutes—he was ready. Without a band, carrying only his guitar, he planned to perform eleven songs all by himself.

A staff member approached him and inquired, “Hello, Jiang Lun! I’m Li Fangfang. The students will be entering soon. Shall we head over to the cafeteria for some refreshments first?”

“Now?” Jiang Lun checked his phone for the time. “Will we make it in time?”

“Yes, we have an hour!” Li Fangfang replied.

Jiang Lun nodded. “Alright then! I haven’t finished my meal yet. Is there still food available in the cafeteria?”

“Of course!” Li Fangfang smiled, “Just gather your things and come with me.”

He had little to pack, just securing his guitar in a safe spot, putting on his hat and black-rimmed glasses, and followed Li Fangfang out.

Mai Le and Chen Yingying came along as well, especially Mai Le, whose eyes sparkled at the mention of food.

Inside the cafeteria, Mai Le and Chen Yingying followed Li Fangfang to buy food, while Jiang Lun casually found a seat. Surprisingly, none of the nearby students recognized him.

It was understandable—his current attire resembled that of an ordinary student, and with the disguise of black-rimmed glasses, few would take a second look.

The students around him ate while scrolling on their phones. Jiang Lun took out his own and browsed Weibo.

He rarely followed other celebrities’ posts, preferring instead to read social news, especially trivial matters, which he found oddly entertaining.

Before he finished reading a trending topic, Chen Yingying and the others returned.

Li Fangfang had only bought a cup of milk tea, but Mai Le carried a tray stacked with four hamburgers and a rice bowl dish, along with various items like top-scorer beans and marinated eggs.

Chen Yingying held two milk teas, placing one in front of Jiang Lun and also handing him a hamburger from Mai Le’s tray.

“Can you really eat all this?” Jiang Lun asked, staring at the heap of food.

“I could even eat a basket of steamed buns!” Mai Le bit into a burger fiercely. “The lunch at the TV station was awful! Compared to the dinner Old Zhao prepared, it’s no contest!”

Jiang Lun shook his head in disbelief, glancing at the marinated eggs. Suddenly a wave of nausea stirred in his stomach, and he turned away with a frown.

Seeing this, Li Fangfang laughed and said to Jiang Lun, “You really don’t act like a star—no airs at all!”

“Hey! Stars are people too. Why put on airs?” Jiang Lun smiled.

Unexpectedly, Li Fangfang gave a wry smile. “You’re too easygoing. The stars we invited for previous events wouldn’t come to the cafeteria. Some wouldn’t even get out of the car until exactly eight o’clock, then stroll in right on time. And tonight, you’re performing solo with just your guitar. Last week, when Li Yun came, he brought a band, backup dancers—more than twenty people in total!”

Jiang Lun chuckled, “He has to pay all those people with the money he earns. I’m here alone; everything I make is mine!”

“Ha! You’re hilarious!” Li Fangfang laughed heartily. “By the way, let me brief you on tonight’s schedule while we’re at it.”

“Alright! I’m all ears.”

“It goes like this. In the middle, we’ll have a game. Also, two campus singers from Nanda will join you for duets. One is this semester’s campus competition winner, who wants to sing ‘Fireworks Fade’ with you. The other is from the guitar club and the university guitar fingerstyle champion this year. He wants to perform ‘Those Flowers’ with you!”

“So it’s a first-place winner and a champion. No pressure at all!” Jiang Lun joked. “By the way, are there prizes for the game?”

“Yes! The prize is our herbal tea.”

“Then the game can’t be too hard!” Jiang Lun said. “How about this: you discuss with the host later and see if the difficulty can be raised a bit. Whoever wins first place, I’ll give my signed new album and new book as prizes to add some excitement!”

Li Fangfang chuckled. “This isn’t a gamble, but sure, I’ll tell the host. The students will be thrilled.”

“Oh, and those two singers who duet with me—I can’t treat them unfairly. They’ll each get a signed album!” Jiang Lun added.

Li Fangfang smiled, “That’s fine. You decide.”

After chatting for a while, Jiang Lun noticed students hurriedly leaving the cafeteria. He asked, “What’s going on?”

“Oh!” Li Fangfang glanced at her watch. “It’s ten minutes to eight. We should head to the venue!”

Only then did Jiang Lun realize—the students rushing out must be going to the event center to see him.

“Let’s go then!” he stood up at once. “We don’t want the students to wait too long.”

“Right!” Li Fangfang smiled. “I still have to tell the host about what you just said.”

The four left the cafeteria and reached the activity center in just a few steps.

Entering through the backstage passage, Jiang Lun immediately saw the dense crowd—many students had come, filling him with both excitement and gratitude.

At exactly eight o’clock, the fan meeting officially began.

The host took the stage, exchanged a few playful words, and then expressed gratitude in about a hundred words to Master Wang’s Herbal Tea for sponsoring the event before inviting Jiang Lun out.

As he stepped on stage carrying his guitar, cheers erupted from the audience.

“Jiang Lun! I love you!”

“Jiang Lun! Look here! I’m here!”

“Brother Lun! Keep it up!”

The fans gathered were not only students from Nanda but also from several other universities. Though tickets were not sold, they had obtained entry through various means—some paid high prices, others used connections.

“Thank you! Thank you all!”

Jiang Lun bowed and waved. A star’s strength lies in the passion of their fans. When they treat you well, you must give back twice as much. If you fail to cherish them and they drift away, your time in the spotlight is over.

“Hello, Jiang Lun! Is this your first time at Nanda?” the host asked.

“Yes!” Jiang Lun replied. “Actually, this is my first time doing an event inside a university campus. It’s a great honor to meet so many students and spend time with them.”

Although Jiang Lun had once been to the Central Academy of Drama, he had stayed less than half an hour then. This was truly his first time holding an event at a university.

The host continued, “I understand this is also your first fan meeting, truly a debut. What made you choose Nanda for your very first fan meeting?”

“I have to thank Master Wang’s Herbal Tea for the invitation. Without their opportunity, I wouldn’t even know when I’d hold my first fan meeting!”

Jiang Lun’s answer was diplomatic and considerate, making everyone happy. The host breathed a sigh of relief. “Alright then, enough talk. The stage is yours now. Please!”

“Thank you!”

Jiang Lun politely nodded and moved to the center of the stage, where a bar stool awaited him.

Clipping the microphone onto the stand and adjusting the height of the seat, Jiang Lun cradled his guitar, ready to sing.

Glancing at the crowd below, he added, “If any of you feel we’re too far apart, feel free to come closer to the front edge of the stage! I’m only bringing one guitar tonight and singing solo because I want to interact with you all up close.”

“Really?”

“That’s awesome! Let’s go!”

Immediately, someone dashed forward, followed quickly by many others.

Event staff came out to manage the crowd, but luckily the students were well-mannered, and after a few minutes of organizing, everyone found their spots.

Seeing the students surrounding him, Jiang Lun felt a surge of warmth and enthusiasm. Singing in this atmosphere reminded him of his early days performing in bars.

“The first song is ‘The You I Once Knew,’” Jiang Lun announced, strumming his guitar.

This song was widely known and one of his earliest hits. Every student there knew the words and softly sang along as his voice filled the room.

Without pause, he flowed into the second song, only naming it before the intro. After four songs in a row, the host stepped onto the stage from behind.