chapter 49 clown

The next evening, Noah and Pauline arrived at the Emgrand Hotel in a BMW m760 to attend the ZhongHai City alumni gathering. The Grand Ballroom was expansive and illuminated with sparkling lights. A champagne tower and a professional band were playing cheerful tunes. Over a hundred men and women, dressed vibrantly, held champagne or red wine, chatting in small groups. The most eye-catching figure was a dashing man in a white suit with gold-rimmed glasses perched on his nose. He was none other than the former Student Union President of ZhongHai City, and the current Third Young Master of the Luo family in Tianhai City, Yves. Lulu and friends surrounded Yves like satellites, eagerly praising him. "Yves, you're truly the pride of our ZhongHai City alumni!" "Yves, is it appropriate for us to call you that? We should address you as Young Master Luo or Mr. Luo!" "Hey, Young Master Luo, I have a cousin who just returned from studying abroad, and she's stunning. How about I introduce you two?" Seeing a fellow alumnus trying to set up his cousin with Yves, Lulu immediately interjected with a grin, "John, spare us. Young Master Luo already has someone special in mind, and she's also our former classmate. Save your cousin the trouble." Everyone's surprise was evident upon hearing Lulu's words. They were all curious about which female classmate was so fortunate to have captured Young Master Luo's affection. Yves didn't directly address their inquiries, he smiled and asked casually, "By the way, where is Pauline?" Pauline! Upon hearing Yves mention Pauline, many people, even those who weren't particularly sharp, caught on. So, Young Master Luo's special someone was none other than the former campus belle of ZhongHai University, Pauline! As soon as Yves mentioned Pauline, someone whispered, "Speak of the devil, here comes Pauline." Yves, along with Lulu, Harvey, John Zhang, and others, turned their gaze towards the entrance. There, they saw a couple entering. The woman was dressed in an evening gown, her hair elegantly pulled up, revealing a fair neck and a seductive collarbone. She looked like a noble swan. Who else could it be if not the former campus belle, Pauline? The man beside Pauline was Noah. Noah was like wine, the kind that seemed ordinary at first glance but grew more flavorful the longer you savored it. His charm was subtle, not immediately evident. Because of this, many people's initial impression upon seeing Noah was that he might not be quite on par with the stunning Pauline before them. With the knowledge that Yves had feelings for Pauline, many tried to please Young Master Luo. When they looked at Noah, some couldn't help but view him with a certain level of scrutiny. There were even whispers, "A jewel in the mud." Noah and Pauline had just arrived at the gathering when Yves and the others approached, warmly greeting Pauline. Some were genuinely happy to see their old classmate, Pauline, while others had ulterior motives. Pauline greeted everyone with a bright smile and took the opportunity to introduce Noah, "I forgot to introduce you all. This is my husband, Noah." Noah nodded politely with a smile, acknowledging everyone. Yves squinted, his gaze coldly assessing Noah. This was the guy who embarrassed him in public with a Pagani Zonda yesterday. Yves deliberately asked, "Mr. Chen, where do you work?" Before Noah could speak, Pauline spoke up, "My husband recently completed his military service and is currently taking some time off." As Pauline finished speaking, John, a tall and burly figure, sneered, "So, he's unemployed?" Upon hearing this, Pauline's brows furrowed. Back in school, John was Yves's lackey, always trying to please him. Many students privately referred to John as Yves's lackey. Pauline retorted, "He's not unemployed, he's just taking a break. He can start working whenever he wants." John chuckled, "That's true. I heard that you're now the CEO of a company. When your husband wants to work, you can arrange it for him. But I wonder, does this count as your husband living off your success? Haha." Upon hearing this, Pauline's eyes flashed with anger. She was also very worried, afraid that Noah might lose his temper and slap John right then and there. However, Noah didn't get angry. Yves, on the other hand, pretended to be the voice of reason and rebuked John, "John, you've gone too far with your words." This was originally a provocation by Yves. After John taunted Noah, Yves was now pretending to be the good guy. A subtle smile played on Noah's lips, a smile that held a hint of mystery. Lulu took the opportunity to mediate, "That's right, everyone here is an alum. This gathering is for us to reconnect. No making fun of each other. Come on, let's all sit down and have a drink." Soon, everyone sat down and started to enjoy their drinks. Yves gave John a meaningful look, and John, catching on, immediately smiled apologetically at Pauline, "Pauline, you know I have a big mouth. What I said just now was a bit out of line. I apologize to you." Pauline sat beside Noah, calmly stating, "I didn't take it to heart." John chuckled and said, "That's good. Please don't blame me either. I'm just speaking for your sake. You were the campus belle of ZhongHai University back then, and now you're the CEO of a company. Yet, you ended up marrying such a useless man. I believe only someone like Young Master Luo can truly be worthy of you." As John spoke, the expressions of the people around varied. Yves, with a smile on his face, gazed affectionately at Pauline, making no effort to conceal his feelings for her. Pauline still held a protective sentiment for Noah in her heart. Seeing John repeatedly insult Noah, she couldn't sit still and was on the verge of losing her temper. However, Noah held her hand, signaling that she didn't need to stoop to the level of such a petty person. Noah calmly spoke, "Pauline, this alumni gathering doesn't seem very interesting to me. If there's nothing else, shall we head home early and rest?" Yves, witnessing Noah and Pauline planning to leave, became anxious. He had come prepared tonight and couldn't allow Pauline to leave like this. If she left now, how would he ever win her heart? So, he quickly said to Pauline, "Pauline, don't rush to leave. I remember in college, you had a great fondness for classical music and admired the renowned pianist Queenie. From what I know, she happens to be visiting ZhongHai City. I've already sent someone to invite her over to perform for us. Don't you want to see your idol perform live?" Queenie, a famous piano virtuoso, particularly excelled in classical music and held high international acclaim. However, Queenie rarely participates in commercial performances; she occasionally goes on international tours. Pauline has had a fondness for music since she was a child, particularly classical music. Pauline has loved music since she was young, especially classical music. She had been a fan of Queenie during her school days. Now, hearing that her idol would be performing live here, she felt tempted. However, in the end, she decided to leave. While she wanted to hear the pianist perform, she couldn't bear to let Noah stay here and be mocked by everyone. Noah sensed Pauline's eagerness to listen to the pianist. He calmly said, "Pauline, if you want to hear this pianist perform, we can stay a bit longer." Yves chimed in, "Yes, as soon as I heard that Queenie was in ZhongHai City, I immediately sent someone to invite her. She should be here soon." At that moment, Yves's aide, Shadow, returned from outside. Upon seeing Shadow, Yves promptly asked, "Shadow, how is it? Did you bring the pianist Queenie as I instructed?" The crowd turned their attention to Shadow. These men and women from the aristocratic circle took pride in the opportunity to hear the piano maestro Queenie perform live. They were all filled with anticipation. Shadow, looking ashamed, said, "Young Master Luo, I'm sorry, but I couldn't manage to bring Miss Queenie." Yves was both shocked and angry. "What did you say? Didn't I say I'd pay any appearance fee she wanted? And did you make it clear who I am?" A scion of the prestigious Luo family in the provincial capital, inviting Queenie, a piano virtuoso, to perform, had been rejected. Yves felt he couldn't afford this loss of face! Head bowed low, Shadow murmured, "It's not about money, Young Master Luo. I did tell her about your identity, but Miss Queenie is currently scheduled for a performance and couldn't make it." Yves expressed his dissatisfaction, "So, who is so powerful that when I, Yves, wanted Queenie to come and perform, they dared not release her?" Shadow whispered, "Young Master Luo, it's a dinner hosted by the Mayor and other leaders. Queenie is scheduled to perform for Mayor, so..." Yves immediately felt embarrassed. Although he was the Third Young Master of the Luo family in the provincial capital, compared to the Mayor of ZhongHai City, he didn't have that level of authority. He felt quite awkward and a bit disappointed, saying, "So, she's performing for the Mayor and the leaders. That explains it. I'll have to invite her another time. What a shame." Many people at the venue felt regretful. They had thought they would have the chance to hear the piano maestro perform live, but their hopes were dashed. Among the disappointed was Pauline. She knew Queenie often performed abroad, so missing the chance to hear her live was a rare opportunity lost. Noah noticed Pauline's disappointment. Suddenly, he smiled and said, "Pauline, if you want to hear the pianist perform, I'll give her a call and have her come over to play for you in person." Yves, Shadow, Lulu, Harvey, John, and others, upon hearing Noah's words, were momentarily stunned, and then they all sneered. Even Young Master Luo couldn't bring her, and yet this unemployed Noah thought he could call Queenie away from the Mayor and the leaders? Yves and the others had cold smiles on their faces. John, in particular, mocked, "Heh, take a look at yourself first. Even our Young Master Luo can't invite Queenie. You, a freeloader, dare to boast here?" Previously, John had been disrespectful to Noah, whom he treated like a clown, and Noah didn't bother to argue with him. But now, John was taking it too far, pushing his luck. Noah's face darkened, and he said coldly, "If I truly manage to get Queenie to come, how will you respond?" Seeing Noah, whom John regards as a freeloader, daring to talk to him in this manner, John immediately sneered. In front of everyone, John bent over, picked up the ashtray from the table, and emptied all the cigarette butts and ashes into a glass of red wine. He then disgustingly spat into the drink. Pointing to the repulsive concoction, John provocatively said to Noah, "If you can get Queenie here, I'll drink this down and leave from here; but if you can't bring Queenie, then you drink this down and leave. Do you dare to bet?" Noah's tone remained cold, "You're humiliating yourself. I'll leave you to drink that down."