Chapter 49: Rejecting the Peach Blossom Tribulation, Keeping a Heart as Solid as a Rock, Expressing Understanding and Love Stronger than Gold
In early April, the Academy Awards ceremony was held at the RKO Theatre in Los Angeles.
In recent years, Luo Guoyun has kept a low profile and has never appeared in the spotlight. Even if the media occasionally takes photos of him, they will not allow them to be published.
Xiao Xiangyue walked the red carpet arm in arm with renowned actress Miss Hepburn. Both possessed not only impeccable facial features but also a striking aura of elegance. Miss Hepburn wore a long white dress, while Xiao Xiangyue opted for a more formal white shirt and black suit. The striking combination of handsomeness and elegance, the other beautiful and elegant, dazzled the audience. Staff cleared the area for the two, leaving ample time for the media to take photos.
Miss Hepburn and Xiao Xiangyue were old friends. Whenever Xiao Xiangyue gave concerts around the world, Miss Hepburn would fly to support him. They admired each other's talent and felt a deep appreciation for each other. She was delighted to hear that Xiao would be attending the Oscars this year and had already agreed to walk the red carpet with him.
The official dinner following the awards ceremony was packed with media, but Luo Guyun was absent. Yi Han, acting as the president of a Hong Kong film company, accompanied Xiao Xiangyue. The high-end cocktail reception following the dinner was cleared, with media and those of lower status barred. This was typically reserved for the wealthy and powerful. Luo Guyun also arrived, thinking Yue'er was tired after a long day, so he decided to just socialize and pick him up.
During this time, the Moren Group was in talks with a Greek shipping magnate about a potential ocean shipping project. The magnate's granddaughter, Miss Catherine, was immediately drawn to Luo Guoyun and tried every possible means to get close to him, appearing to be quite persistent in pursuing him.
Seeing him appear at the cocktail party, she hurried to greet him, holding his arm tightly, wishing she could hang her whole body on him. Wherever Luo Guyun went, she followed, as if to declare her sovereignty. As soon as Luo Guyun sat down, she was even bolder, and simply sat on his thighs, half of her breasts exposed, her huge breasts pressed tightly against his chest. In public, Luo Guyun couldn't push her away, but he had no way to avoid her, so he could only let her stick close to him. Afraid that Xiao Xiangyue would misunderstand, he tried his best to wink at Yi Han, hoping that he would help him out. Yi Han deliberately teased him and pretended not to see. He whispered, "Fame attracts envy. Just now at the banquet, a few guys used the round-robin tactics to persuade Yue'er to drink. In front of the media, Yue'er couldn't refuse. Although Miss Hepburn and I helped him out in time, we also drank several glasses of brandy."
Luo Guyun stole a glance at Xiao Xiangyue, who was sitting on a sofa not far away. He saw that he was engrossed in a conversation with a few directors and didn't seem to notice him. He thought to himself, if Yue'er was being taken advantage of like this, he would not care about his dignity at all. He would definitely push the person away and pull him away.
Just as he was thinking, a tall and handsome man, holding a bottle of wine in one hand and a glass of wine in the other, walked up to Xiao Xiangyue and then stood up. Luo Guyun's sight was blocked and he couldn't see what he was doing. It seemed that he was preparing to drink again. He was very anxious and didn't care about his manners. He lifted Catherine who was leaning on his arms. He took two steps at a time and heard the man say, "Don't you Chinese people say that it is better to hurt the body than to hurt the feelings? What's the matter? Mr. Chalaid, are you looking down on me?"
Yi Han also came over on crutches. He said coldly, "Mr. Henry! Mr. Xiangyue just gave you some face for the sake of the media. What? Are you trying to take advantage of me?"
This Henry was a famous Hollywood movie star and one of the most handsome men on the list, perhaps ranked sixth or seventh. He was the one who had been leading Xiao Xiangyue in drinking at the dinner earlier.
Henry recognized Yi Han, but not Luo Guyun. A bit drunk, he stumbled and pushed him, his tongue tangled. "You... where are you from, you Oriental kid? Get out of here... get out of here!" Xiao Xiangyue raised her hand without a second thought and slapped Henry across the face, giving him a resounding slap.
Henry covered his beaten face and rushed over with a bottle of wine. Although Yi Han's legs were disabled, his martial arts skills were still there. With one grab, he threw him to the ground. Henry, under the influence of alcohol, simply lay on the ground, pointing at Xiao Xiangyue and throwing a hysterical tantrum: "I heard that the Moen Building in Manhattan is yours! Grove Manor is yours too! Why? Why? I started working hard when I was a teenager and suffered so much! I finally got to where I am today! You are an oriental boy, but you seem to be born with everything! What tricks did you use!" His handsome features were distorted by jealousy, and he howled: "This is unfair! It's unfair! Miss Hepburn was supposed to walk the red carpet with me! When you come, the eyes of the whole world are on you..."
Everyone gathered around. The organizer of the cocktail party knew Luo Guyun and asked politely, "General, what are your orders?" Luo Guyun said coldly, "Drag this crazy man out! Don't let him appear in front of Mr. Xiangyue again."
On the way back to Grove Manor, Xiao Xiangyue turned his face to the window and said nothing. Luo Guoyun thought that his mood was affected by Henry's incident, so he took his hand and said to him, "Yue'er, does your hand hurt from hitting someone? Let me rub it..." Xiao Xiangyue pulled back his hand and said angrily, "If it weren't for Henry, Yue'er would have rushed over and grabbed my brother and left!"
Luo Guoyun then realized that he was jealous of Catherine... Intentionally teasing him, he shouted, "Yue'er, this is like the governor setting a fire but not the people lighting a lamp! You walked the red carpet arm in arm with Miss Hepburn, and the photo of that perfect match was spread all over the world! Do you know that brother is also jealous? But he has no place to express it!"
Xiao Xiangyue shouted, "How can they be the same? Miss Hepburn is beautiful and dignified, Yue'er and she are just friends! It's obvious that Catherine has bad intentions towards my brother!" Luo Guyun teased him again, "Yue'er was a jealous person when she was a child, and now it's even worse, she has become a jealous jar!" He quickly took off his shirt, rolled down the car window, and with a wave of his hand, threw the snow-white clothes into the wind. He said with his upper body naked, "I guess these clothes that Catherine has stained on them are an eyesore to Yue'er! It's better to throw them away!" He seemed to be talking to himself, "You don't have to go to the signing ceremony with the Greek shipping king tomorrow, we don't need this business!" Xiao Xiangyue glared at him, "You have to go! How can you not go? Business is important!" Luo Guyun shouted, "Yue'er is a money-grubber! For the sake of business, she doesn't care if someone has bad intentions towards her brother!" He said angrily, "If Yue'er were an ancient monarch, she might sacrifice her brother for the so-called "business", and even a marriage alliance is possible..."
Unable to convince Luo Guyun, Xiao Xiangyue simply leaned over and took the bulge of his muscular chest into her mouth, sucking and licking, her eyes full of seductive provocation. Luo Guyun's breath hitched, and he glanced around to see if he was on the street. He swerved, driving down a quiet alley, and stopped in front of a clump of trees. He shoved him into the back seat and quickly ripped off his clothes. He fumbled for the moisturizing cream he always kept in the car and rubbed it on the back of his head.
The guards following behind were puzzled as to why the car ahead had suddenly swerved. Wu Fang, sitting in the passenger seat, was familiar with the two men's behavior. Thinking of the shirt thrown out the window, he understood and ordered, "Stay alert a hundred meters away!"
The Greek shipping magnate's luxury cruise ship, like a palace on the sea, is quietly anchored in a private port in Santa Monica, Los Angeles.
Today marks the signing of a multi-billion dollar ocean cargo shipping partnership between the Morn Group and the Shipping King Group. The Shipping King, taking the deal so seriously, specially sailed one of the world's most prestigious luxury cruise ships from the Mediterranean to the Pacific. The signing ceremony took place in the ship's large conference hall.
The sunset at Santa Monica Beach is extremely famous, and Xiao Xiangyue has always wanted to see it. However, there are too many people who come to watch the sunset every day. A few years ago, when there was a concert in Los Angeles, she went there with Luo Guyun. She was recognized and many tourists surrounded her asking for autographs and photos. As a result, she didn't get to see the sunset and almost ran away. Later, Luo Guyun wanted to use his connections to clear the area for him to come, but Xiao Xiangyue refused, unwilling to mobilize a large number of people for her small wish. Today, due to the signing of two major consortiums, hundreds of distinguished and important guests gathered. The Los Angeles government specially dispatched military and police to impose martial law on the nearby beaches. Luo Guyun took the opportunity to watch the sunset on the beach with Xiao Xiangyue and had a great time.
It was almost dusk, and Xiao Xiangyue urged, "Shouldn't we hurry and attend the signing ceremony?" Luo Guyun hesitated, "...I've already asked Yi Han to sign on behalf of the consortium, so it doesn't matter if we don't go." Xiao Xiangyue said anxiously, "I heard from Secretary Fang that many important guests have been invited today, and my brother will be giving a speech at the dinner. How can I not go?" Luo Guyun said, "These things are insignificant compared to Yue'er's mood. But Catherine always makes Yue'er unhappy, so let's not go..."
The two sat side by side on the beach, facing the sea. Xiao Xiangyue lay on Luo Guoyun's back, hugged his neck and said, "If brother thinks Yue'er cares about Catherine, then he underestimates me! How can others influence or sow discord between us? ... When I first arrived in Shanghai, there was a secretary named Tao who made so many rumors in front of Yue'er, saying that brother was cheating on me, but Yue'er didn't take a word of it! Not to mention that so many years have passed... Doesn't Yue'er understand brother? Besides, brother is so charming, it's inevitable that he is coveted by all kinds of people! Are we going to hide and disappear just because we are afraid that Yue'er will be unhappy?"
Luo Guyun threw him from his back into his arms and shouted, "Yue'er, you are so thoughtful! For so many years, I haven't heard you mention the surname Tao at all! Do you know how much effort your brother put into finding the traitor back then?" Xiao Xiangyue sighed, "Hearing those things will pollute your ears, so why mention him?" Luo Guyun hugged him and said emotionally, "We both have the same thoughts! The more filthy this world is, the more we want to do our best to give each other a piece of pure land..."
Xiao Xiangyue lay on her back in his arms, saying playfully, "Well, brother and Yue'er made a pinky promise! No matter what happens, no matter what the circumstances, we will always love and cherish each other! Only death can separate us! And... never doubt each other!" Luo Guyun chuckled, "Yue'er is really good at making brother happy! Yue'er just blurted out our wedding vows, how frivolous! Where's the sense of ceremony and solemnity?"
The two boarded the cruise ship, changed into the formal attire their secretary had prepared in advance in the luxurious suite on the top floor, and appeared at the banquet, surrounded by a large entourage. The lavish banquet hall held hundreds of tables. Luo Guoyun, Chairman of the Moen Group, delivered a brief speech, outlining his prospects and wishing both parties a happy cooperation. The guests responded with enthusiastic applause.
Prince Brooke was also present and was very happy to see Luo Guyun: "Brother, you are late again! I thought you thought this deal was not big enough and would not show up again!"
At the banquet, the guests toasted each other. Luo Guyun was a strong drinker, but Prince Brooke was not so strong and soon became tipsy. The prince's attendants helped him back to his room to rest, but he insisted on dragging Luo Guyun with him. Among the guests were many members of the Moon Fan Club, who seized the opportunity to take photos with Xiao Xiangyue. Luo Guyun looked around and saw Yi Han and his men entertaining guests from table to table, making the hall very noisy. He ordered the guards and secretaries to take good care of Xiao Xiangyue, and he and the prince's attendants helped him back to his room.
After finally appeasing the prince, Luo Guoyun walked through the corridor lined with luxurious suites, preparing to return to the main hall. Suddenly, a door opened and pulled him in... It turned out to be Catherine!
Catherine rushed over and hugged him and kissed him madly, dragging him to the bed while kissing. Luo Guoyun broke free from her, straightened his clothes and said, "Miss Catherine, please respect yourself!" He turned and tried to leave. Seeing that he was indifferent, Catherine simply unbuttoned her clothes, took off all her clothes, leaned against the headboard naked, and looked at him teasingly: "I don't believe it! If you are a man, you won't be tempted?"
Luo Guyun picked up the clothes on the ground and threw them back at her, saying calmly, "Miss Catherine, you may have a misunderstanding about what it means to be a man! Do you think that if you see a naked woman, you will pounce on her without any regard for her, then you are a man? No, you are wrong! A man is one who protects the people you want to protect and keeps the people you love from getting hurt!"
Catherine burst into tears: "You...you are a cold-blooded animal!" Luo Guyun chuckled: "If I get entangled with you, it will not only be cold-blooded, but also very melodramatic! Goodbye!"
When Xiao Xiangyue lost sight of Luo Guyun for a moment, she quickly apologized to the guests who were crowding around asking for autographs and photos, then led her men to look for him. As soon as she reached the corridor, she saw him striding out of the luxurious suite, with Miss Catherine, half-dressed, chasing after him from behind. Luo Guyun calmly took his hand and said, "Yue'er, let's go!"
Witnessing this scene, Secretary Fang and his wife, along with guards like Wu Fang, were puzzled. Shouldn't a situation like this be a chaotic mess? Why were these two men so calm, as if nothing had happened?
After dinner, everyone enjoyed drinks and chatted in the bar.
A guard ran in and said in panic: "Report to the general! Miss Catherine climbed out of the deck and asked the general to see her immediately, otherwise she...she will jump into the sea and commit suicide!" Luo Guyun stood up: "The wind is strong on the side of the ship, how about Yue'er be here, brother will be back soon?" Xiao Xiangyue glared at him, took his hand, and walked to the deck.
Many people had gathered on the deck. Catherine stood outside the ship's side, holding the railing with one hand, her body leaning backward. If she let go, she would fall into the sea. The old ship owner was extremely anxious. He saw Luo Guyun as if he had seen a savior: "My granddaughter has been willful since she was a child. Please, General, try to save her..."
Luo Guyun took off his suit, draped it over Xiao Xiangyue, and whispered in his ear, "No matter what happens later, Yue'er stay where you are, don't come over." He winked at the guards behind him, and two guards immediately stood in front of Xiao Xiangyue.
Luo Guyun took a few steps forward and extended his hand to Catherine: "Come here." Catherine sobbed and said: "After all, you still can't bear to see me die!" Luo Guyun said: "It doesn't matter whether you live or not! But if my lover saw someone die in front of him, I'm afraid he would feel uneasy!"
Catherine laughed bitterly: "Well... you are really cruel enough..." She let go of the hand holding the railing and was about to fall into the sea. In a flash, Luo Guoyun flew over the railing, grabbed Catherine's waist with a dagger, and swung her around. The two rolled several times on the deck before stopping. He hit Catherine on the back of the neck with his elbow, and she fainted immediately. Luo Guoyun stood up, patted the dust off his body, and said to the old ship owner calmly: "Take your granddaughter back and discipline her well."
Back at Grove Manor, the two bathed and went to bed. Xiao Xiangyue imitated Luo Guoyun's flying action to save Catherine, her face full of envy: "This move of retrieving the moon from the bottom of the sea is so neat and tidy, without any delay, it's really beautiful!" She sighed and said, "Alas, my brother has no sympathy for Miss Catherine. It's a bit regrettable..."
Luo Guyun yelled, "Yue'er, your demands are too high! You want her to be decisive and efficient, without any delays, and yet you also want her to be gentle and considerate! How can I possibly do that?" Xiao Xiangyue looked at him cunningly, "This isn't the first time I've encountered something like this, so of course I can do it!"
The two had always been surrounded by numerous romantic interests, with numerous suitors. Xiao Xiangyue, needless to say, even had a room dedicated to her at the Conservatory of Music, where she stored love letters from around the world. During their global tours, Xiangyue's fans often acted wildly, but thanks to their experienced security and thorough precautions, no consequences were caused.
One day, after arriving at the Royal Academy of Music, a female student was strolling through the campus when she stumbled upon the handsome Luo Guoyun. She was immediately attracted to him. Learning he lived in Mr. Charade's courtyard, she frequently found excuses to visit, delivering books or food, but was always blocked outside by the heavy snow. Unwilling to give up, the student often lingered outside the courtyard. One day, seeing Luo Guoyun alone, she approached him and confessed her love. He ignored her and walked away. She clung to him, tugging and tugging. Overheard by the heavy snow, he rushed over, dragged her away, slapped her repeatedly, and scolded her for shamelessly attempting to seduce her master. Shame and anger, the student fled to the rooftop of the teaching building, threatening to jump. Worried about Yue'er's distress if something happened to him, Luo Guoyun went to the rooftop himself, where they spent hours chatting. He told her the story of how he met his beloved when he was ten, married her when he was sixteen, endured war, experienced separations and reunions, was shot twice, and had his life hanging by a thread several times, yet they had supported each other to this day. He vowed to be together forever and would never do anything else in his life... The female student was deeply moved and burst into tears...
In May, the inaugural Grammy Awards ceremony was held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. Hundreds of leading figures in the music world from around the world attended the event. Xiao Xiangyue served as both a judge and the main initiator and organizer. Despite having a well-organized organizing committee, he personally handled many aspects of the event. Luo Guoyun, as chairman of the Yunyue Foundation and a sponsor, was originally only responsible for providing financial support. Fearing that his overwork might strain his health, he also sought resources and offered advice. The two of them were very busy preparing for this event.
Postwar Japan gradually restored order. Watanabe Shinji, now president of the Tokyo University of Music, was invited to Los Angeles.
Jin Er felt a little uneasy meeting his old classmates. At the celebration banquet after the awards ceremony, he found an opportunity to pull Xiao Xiangyue aside and said sincerely, "The war is history. The perpetrators have been duly punished. My uncle Watanabe Yu was sentenced to death by hanging, and my cousin Watanabe Hiko committed suicide by seppuku... But we shouldn't have severed our ties over this..."
Xiao Xiangyue held no grudges and complained, "How could we have lost contact? Xiangyue is still wondering why Jin'er hasn't come to Sweden to see me for all these years?" Jin'er was a little surprised to see him so nonchalant. "Xiangyue's global tour concerts didn't come to Japan, and Jin'er thought it was because of the shadow of war!"
Luo Guyun deeply lamented the Japanese crimes against Yue'er, and indeed, he had deliberately avoided Japan for the concert. However, Xiao Xiangyue had no memory of those eight years, and he didn't know how to explain it to Jin'er.
Jin Er said, "Xiang Yue shouldn't keep dwelling on the past. We can't let a handful of warmongers affect our friendship!" Xiao Xiang Yue said, "Of course!" Jin Er added, "If Xiang Yue has truly forgiven Japan, as a lifetime honorary professor at the Tokyo University of Music, Jin Er would like to invite you to give a few lectures and meet with the students."
"This..." Xiao Xiangyue hesitated. Although he himself had no memory of it, he knew that Luo Guyun didn't even want to mention Japan, let alone go there.
Seeing that he was hesitant, Jin Er continued, "Students will repeatedly appreciate every music album of Xiangyue. Many works have also been selected into textbooks. Decades ago, Mr. Chalaide visited our college several times for academic exchanges, but you, little Mr. Chalaide, have never been there once. Isn't that wrong?" Xiao Xiangyue also felt ashamed and didn't know what to say for a moment.
"Xiangyue is now world-famous and a leading figure in the global music industry. Does she look down on me, her old classmate?" Jin Er became even more dissatisfied when he saw that he remained silent. Xiao Xiangyue was anxious and held Jin Er's shoulder and said, "Jin Er, what are you talking about? It's not what you think..."
The day after the Grammy Awards, Luo Guoyun, Xiao Xiangyue, and Yi Shui and Yi Han, who had come to support the ceremony, boarded a special plane from Los Angeles to Texas to attend a wedding in the heavy snow.
Daxue has been staying in Houston since the Spring Festival to prepare for her wedding with Anthony, which is scheduled for May 8th.
The private plane for the two of them is a palace in the sky, extremely luxurious. In addition to being equipped with a restaurant, bar, conference room, etc., there is also a comfortable big bed in the private space where they can lie down and sleep.
The plane was sailing smoothly at an altitude of 10,000 meters. Xiao Xiangyue sat on the sofa by the window, looking at the sea of clouds outside the porthole, feeling a heavy burden on her mind.
Luo Guyun's face was full of concern: "Yue'er has been too tired recently. Why don't you go lie down and rest for a while? I'll call you at dinner time." Xiao Xiangyue looked up at him and whispered: "Jin'er wants to invite me to meet the students at Tokyo University of Music..." Luo Guyun suppressed his smile: "Japan? Why go to Japan? No!" Xiao Xiangyue hurriedly said: "If you don't want to go, then don't go! Yue'er was just talking..."
The sky outside the porthole was already dark blue. The waiter brought the dinner carefully prepared by the chef, and the brothers gathered around the table, enjoying the delicious dishes while drinking. Luo Guyun, who had interrupted Xiao Xiangyue's words decisively before, now looked at his face carefully: "Does Yue'er really want to go to Japan?" Xiao Xiangyue forked a piece of frog leg meat sprinkled with chopped celery and fed it to his mouth: "Brother, you said you don't want to go to Japan, of course you have your reasons. Let's not talk about it." Luo Guyun frowned and said: "No, Yue'er must want to go in her heart..."
Yi Shui burst out laughing beside him: "You two... you're just being so affectionate! Are you so reluctant to let the other person suffer even the slightest bit of unhappiness?"
Yi Han also laughed and said, "What are you worried about, Third Brother? The songs Yue'er composed in those eight years are least likely to be heard in Japan!" Luo Guyun touched his head and said, "...This, Second Brother said is the truth!"
"Taiwan has frequent trade exchanges with Japan. In a few years, mainland China may also restore diplomatic relations with Japan! We must keep pace with the times! Third brother, there is no need to cling to the old calendar!" Yi Shui said.
Yi Han added, "Japan's economy is recovering quickly, and its semiconductor technology is world-leading. Aren't we planning to build a large electronics company in Taiwan? Otherwise, I'll accompany my third brother and Yue'er to investigate!"
Yi Shui said loudly: "If Yue'er wants to go, then go! Are you afraid of him? Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated in a hundred battles! Although Japan has been defeated, it is still ambitious. Then I will go with you to test the strength of the little Japanese!"
Luo Guyun finally made up his mind: "In that case, after we finish this busy period, before winter comes, we will go to Japan."
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