Chapter 113 A good man is always there...
The Wen family mansion is a three-story villa with a rooftop garden. The ball is held in the courtyard on the first floor, but guests can also go up to the rooftop to relax.
When Wen Heqing heard that Lu Lin and his wife had arrived, he came over to greet them personally.
"Commander Lu, Mrs. Lu, it's an honor to meet you again."
The group shook hands, and Lu Lin said, "Sorry to bother you."
Wen Heqing smiled and led them inside; "What are you saying? We wanted to invite Commander Lu to dinner before, but you've been too busy with official duties. Luckily Mrs. Lu is here, otherwise we probably wouldn't have been able to invite Commander Lu."
Shen Rong smiled and said, "You make it sound like I'm some kind of amazing person."
Wen Heqing joked, "That's exactly what Jia Shi told me, that his brother-in-law couldn't make the decision."
Lu Chang chuckled, while Lu Lin's face darkened.
Their group first went to see Old Madam Wen. The old lady was getting on in years and rarely saw anyone. The Wen family did this to show how much they valued Lu Lin.
Hu Peifang wisely refrained from going with them and instead went to find someone she knew.
Grandma Wen held Shen Rong's hand and praised her repeatedly. Knowing that they had a son, she asked about the child.
As they were exchanging pleasantries, a man and a woman walked in from outside.
"Didn't I ask you to go and entertain the guests? Why did you come back again?" Seeing the two of them, Grandma Wen's smile softened.
The woman snuggled up to her and said coquettishly, "Mom, can't I come over and rest my feet for a bit?"
Her eyes kept glancing at Shen Rong beside her; Old Madam Wen always doted on her youngest daughter.
"This is my youngest daughter, Wenxin. This is Commander Lu and his wife. And that is the third young master of the Lu family."
After exchanging greetings, Old Mrs. Wen pointed to the man next to her daughter and said, "This is someone Commander Lu must also know, Shao Jie."
Lu Lin smiled and nodded: "Grandma, you can just call me Tianming."
Lin Shaojie smiled and stepped forward to greet Lu Lin: "I've already met Commander Lu, but this is my first time meeting Mrs. Lu."
Shen Rong smiled and shook hands with him. This Lin Shaojie was a smiling tiger; anyone who didn't know better would think he was some ignorant young master.
Lu Chang stepped forward, interrupting Shen Rong's scrutiny, and excitedly grabbed Lin Shaojie's hand: "Director Lin, I heard you just arrived in Shanghai and already handled a major case, arresting several spies. Could you tell me more about it?" His eyes shone brightly, full of curiosity.
Her face was hidden, and it was hard to look at her.
Lu Lin glared at Lu Changfei, but the man completely ignored him.
Lin Shaojie looked at Lu Chang in surprise: "I didn't expect that Third Young Master Lu would find out so quickly. I have already reported this matter to Commander Lu in detail."
"Call me Chunshan, Brother Lin. You don't know, my brother never talks about business at home." Lu Chang shamelessly tried to get close to him, revealing his purpose.
"All the major newspapers want to report this big news, and they all want to interview you, Brother Lin. Do you think I can get there first?"
Shen Rong shook her head and chuckled. He really loved this job. She stepped forward to introduce her brother-in-law: "Director Lin, Chunshan is a reporter from the Newspaper."
Since Lin Shaojie worked under Lu Lin, he naturally knew everything about the Lu family. For Lu Lin's sake, he couldn't simply refuse Lu Chang's request.
"Of course, but I haven't been able to find much time lately..."
Lu Chang raised his hand, overjoyed: "It's alright, I can come to you. When you have time, I'll ask you a couple of questions, and I can also write about your daily work."
Lin Shaojie looked at Lu Lin, seemingly unsure of what to do: "This..."
Lu Chang understood and immediately looked at his elder brother: "Brother, I promise I won't disturb your work."
Lu Lin frowned, clearly disapproving at first glance. Lu Chang tugged at his sister-in-law's sleeve, asking her to put in a good word for him.
Sighing, Shen Rong had no choice but to make up an excuse: "Actually, it's a good opportunity to let the public know how the government operates. It's good to give you some publicity!"
Lu Chang nodded: "Don't worry, I will definitely give you a big compliment."
Lu Lin looked at Lin Shaojie, who shrugged indifferently: "I'm fine with anything." Actually, if Lu Chang's report could intimidate those people, it would save them a lot of trouble.
Lu Lin hummed in agreement: "Then let's submit a report."
This could be considered an agreement, but Lu Chang knew that given his older brother's personality, if the report wasn't written well, he would definitely be rejected with a cold face, so he had to think carefully about how to write it.
After listening for a while, seeing that they had finished their conversation, Wen Wenqing smiled and said, "Alright, why are you still talking about official business after get off work hours? The dance party outside has started, let's go over."
Wen Wenxin wanted to stay and keep her mother company for a while, so Lin Shaojie left with them. Shen Rong noticed that Wen Wenqing was a little cold towards him and wondered what was going on.
Lin Shaojie and Wen Wenxin are very close. Hearing that the two families are about to have a wedding, Wen Wenqing doesn't seem to think much of Lin Shaojie.
Wen Wenqing naturally noticed Shen Rong's confusion and jokingly explained, "Director Lin and I are not on the same wavelength and can't see eye to eye. Fortunately, he doesn't want to marry me."
Everyone laughed at his words.
As the music started, Lu Lin reached out to invite Shen Rong to dance, and Shen Rong smiled and took his hand.
A bold young lady invited Wen Wenqing to join her, but he politely declined because he saw Lu Chang standing alone.
Where is your dance partner?
When he first came in, he remembered that there was a beautiful lady next to Lu Chang.
Lu Chang sighed: "That's my sister-in-law's friend. She said she wanted to come to your family's dance party to see what it's like. How could I dare to actually use her as a dance partner? I don't even know where she went."
Wen Wenqing has older brothers and sisters, so he naturally understands his helplessness.
"Let's go, I'll find you another female companion."
Lu Chang smiled and put his arm around his shoulder: "You have to look pretty."
Wen Wenqing suddenly remembered someone and said mysteriously, "I thought of someone, Miss Xiangqin, a big star in Shanghai. She's a guest I specially invited. But whether you can get her to dance depends on whether you have the ability to make her smile."
Xiangqin is a renowned aloof beauty, and not many people can catch her eye. To dance with her, it's not enough to just have money; you also have to be pleasing to her.
The more he said that, the more interested Lu Chang became: "Then I have to see for myself."
Miss Xiangqin had just finished singing two songs and went to her room to rest. To avoid being disturbed, she specially sent someone to guard the door. When they saw Young Master Wen personally bringing his people, no one dared to stop them.
Wen Wenqing knocked on the door politely, and only entered after hearing a voice inviting him in.
"Miss Xiangqin, you've worked so hard today. Please forgive me if I haven't taken good care of you."
Singing at the Wen family ball is something many stars would fight for, so how could Xiangqin feel it was hard work?
"Young Master Wen, what are you saying? Our Xiangqin is truly honored." The speaker was the film company's boss.
He was able to attend the Wen family banquet only because someone else arranged it; he and Wen Wenqing had only met a few times.
"Young Master Wen." Xiangqin changed into a cheongsam and came over to greet Wen Wenqing.
Her voice was very distinctive. Lu Chang, who had been looking around the room, immediately turned around when he heard her speak and exclaimed in surprise, "Oh, it's you!"
Wen asked them, "Do you know each other?"
Lu Chang tried to approach, but the film company boss stepped forward to block him.
He didn't know this person at all. What if she was a fanatical opera fan of Xiangqin and accidentally hurt someone in a moment of excitement? Xiangqin was his cash cow.
He was a little unsure, so he looked at Wen and asked, "Young Master Wen, who is this gentleman?"
Lu Chang knew he had scared them, so he didn't come any closer. He waved to Xiangqin and said, "Do you remember me? I stepped on you at the cake shop yesterday."
Xiangqin nodded and smiled at him.
Wen Wenqing stepped forward and patted Lu Chang on the shoulder: "You two actually know each other."
Lu Chang looked somewhat annoyed: "I didn't have time to ask her name yesterday. I didn't expect her to be a big star." Then he suddenly realized, "That's right, someone so beautiful must be a big star."
Wen Wenqing patted the boss who was standing between the two: "Boss Yun, don't worry, this is Young Master Lu."
Mr. Yun didn't react for a moment. He had never heard of the name Young Master Lu in Shanghai. Could he be a newcomer?
The newcomer deserved to be personally entertained by Wen Shao. He wondered if the person in charge of Shanghai was also surnamed Lu. Could they be from the same family?
Wen Wenqing nodded slightly.
Boss Yun immediately beamed, took a step back, and wiped the fine sweat from his forehead: "So Young Master Lu knows our Xiangqin, what a coincidence!"
Xiangqin was pushed forward two steps by him, and she gave a curtsy: "Young Master Lu."
“Call me Chunshan. So your name is Xiangqin. That’s a beautiful name.” Lu Chang’s eyes lit up.
Xiangqin, remembering Uchida Eiko's instructions, smiled sweetly at him.
Even the aloof beauty smiled. Wen Wenqing clapped her hands and said to Lu Lin, "It seems you've found a dance partner."
Shen Rong danced one song and then refused to leave the stage. Lu Lin was also asked to leave. Hu Peifang came to see her once during her rest period.
"The former Queen of the Dance Kingdom is now a shadow of her former self!"
Shen Rong rolled her eyes at her: "I can't compare to you. I saw you flitting around the whole place like a butterfly."
Hu Peifang secretly pounded her foot: "What can I do? These men won't talk to you unless they dance."
Shen Rong hadn't asked her about her future plans. Did she really want to be a movie star?
Hu Peifang laughed and said, "I don't care about being a movie star adored by thousands, but do you know how much money you can make by making movies?" She raised her eyebrows.
Even a minor celebrity like her, who only has a few scenes, can easily earn a hundred dollars a month, let alone a big movie star.
“They earn at least this much.” She gestured; if movie stars can earn this much, film companies must earn even more.
"You're not thinking of starting a movie company, are you?" Shen Rong exclaimed in surprise.
Hu Peifang laughed: "I'd like to, but unfortunately I have neither connections nor funds, and I don't understand this industry, so I can't make a living from it."
She moved closer to Shen Rong and whispered in her ear, "I have a little idea. You see, I'm not young anymore. It looks like I'm out of luck becoming a big star." To become a big star, you need someone to promote you. How could she find a rich man?
“I was thinking that film companies actually employ many minor stars like me. Each company uses its own people, so I was wondering if I could control them all and make some money from them.”
She lowered her voice even further: "Look at those women in the brothels..."
Seeing Shen Rong looking at her, she blushed slightly and hurriedly explained, "I definitely won't do that. We're looking for legitimate work."
Shen Rong smiled and nodded: "I know, he's an agent."
Isn't this just like a celebrity management company in later generations?
Hu Peifang has always been very clever, so it's no wonder she thought of this.
"Do you think it's feasible?" Hu Peifang asked her with some trepidation.
Shen Rong's face didn't show the disdain she had expected, only admiration: "That's amazing, but..."
"Changing industries might be a bit difficult for you." You'd need resources and connections at film companies, and would there be any stars willing to work with you?
Hu Peifang said confidently, "You don't need to worry about that. I didn't start out doing very well. If those minor stars are kept in the film company and suppressed, they will never get ahead in their lives and can only pick up scraps left over from others. Who would want that?"
Wasn't she unwilling too? She waved the fan in her hand, already having made up her mind.
When people saw Shen Rong there, they flattered her in twos and threes. Hu Peifang was pushed aside, but she didn't mind. On the contrary, she smiled even more brightly.
Someone exclaimed, "That's Miss Xiangqin, isn't it? The man dancing with her is a stranger."
The ladies all turned their gazes toward her, and one plump woman frowned: "This kind of movie star..." with a hint of disdain.
"I've heard that this Miss Xiangqin is extremely pure and virtuous, and she doesn't usually socialize with people. This gentleman must be no ordinary person." Someone chuckled, and everyone could hear the teasing in their voice.
The plump woman scoffed, "He's no ordinary rich man, is he? Putting on an aloof facade, isn't he just trying to snag an even richer catch? I wonder whose son this silly young master is?"
He looked quite young, but he probably came from an extraordinary family. I don't know what he said, but it made the aloof beauty blush.
Hu Peifang looked at Shen Rong, who in turn looked at Lu Chang, who was grinning foolishly in the dance floor. He was jumping around like a monkey.
Has he met a girl he likes?
Hearing the increasingly vulgar discussions around her, Shen Rong couldn't bear it any longer. She cleared her throat and smiled, saying, "That idiot looks like my brother-in-law."
Everyone was silent for a minute.
Someone awkwardly tried to smooth things over: "Young Master Lu is handsome and has a charming demeanor."
Shen Rong smiled and nodded: "He's just playful and not very steady. Is this Miss Xiangqin very famous?"
Seeing that she didn't seem angry, everyone felt much more relaxed, having almost offended someone.
Someone came over and introduced her: "She sings very well and is often invited to sing at Qianyuelou. She has a lot of fans."
Thinking of how close she and Lu Shao were, she changed the subject: "But she is very virtuous and I haven't heard any scandalous news about her."
The plump lady, however, looked rather unpleasant. She was the one who had first called the young master a fool, and knowing she had offended someone, she stepped forward to apologize.
"They were just joking around, you don't need to take it to heart," Shen Rong replied with a smile.
Everyone praised Mrs. Lu for her magnanimity and said all sorts of flattering things.
Hu Peifang whispered to her, "Mrs. Lu is quite a figure in Shanghai now. Doesn't she feel a little flattered?"
Shen Rong laughed and pushed her away: "Get lost."
She didn't feel flattered, but rather a little embarrassed, especially when those older women fawned over her, addressing her with utmost respect and sometimes their flattery was just too direct.
On the second-floor balcony, Grandma Wen could tell what her daughter was thinking just by looking at her daughter's expression.
"Shaojie has been good to you, why bother with this little bit of glamour?" She knew her daughter was upset because she saw those ladies and young women surrounding Mrs. Lu.
Her daughter has always been the center of attention, but now that someone of equal status has come to Shanghai, she feels resentful.
Wen Hexin snorted coldly: "I don't care about a bunch of sycophants. Mom, don't you know why I'm angry?"
Grandma Wen stroked her daughter's hair: "Shaojie is already a rare young talent. He won't be subordinate to Lu Lin forever. With the Wen family's background, it's only a matter of time. As for Mrs. Lu, with your family background, you don't need to flatter her."
Wen Hexin bit her lip, but if she married Lin Shaojie, she would never be the most eye-catching person in such social occasions.
"My older brother and sister are really something. Why did they have to send Lu Lin to Shanghai?" Wen Hexin complained. Since they wanted her to marry Lin Shaojie, why didn't they just promote him directly?
Now she's even considered inferior. After all, Shen Rong is Shangguan's wife. If she encounters her in social situations in the future, she'll still have to bow her head.
Grandma Wen sighed, "But with Shao Jie's current qualifications, he can't control these forces in Shanghai."
The Japanese were wary of Lu Lin, whom they had faced before, not the inexperienced Lin Shaojie.
Wen Hexin looked at the man in the crowd: "Mom is saying that Lu Lin is more capable than Shao Jie."
Grandma Wen also looked over, nodded, and said with some regret, "What a pity."
Wen Hexin immediately understood what she was regretting.
It's a pity I met such a good man too late; he already had a wife and children.
She scoffed inwardly, but didn't think so. It's never too late to meet a good man. Didn't her older sister already have a wife and children when she met her brother-in-law? In the end, he still divorced his wife and married her older sister.
Her eyes flickered, as if she had thought of something, and a smile appeared on her lips.
Grandma Wen understood her daughter. Seeing that her expression was off, she warned, "Lin Shaojie is not one of your previous boyfriends. Don't mess around."
Wen Hexin didn't take it to heart.
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