Chapter 26: Rosamund Kwan

"Does it look good?"

April 28th, evening, the sky hovering between dusk and dark. The entire venue for the Hong Kong Film Awards was ablaze with lights. Beyond the tens of meters of red carpet stood a dense thicket of long lenses and microphones. Two or three thousand fans and moviegoers were held back by security guards, their hands linked to form an impenetrable barrier around the viewing area.

While waiting to walk the red carpet, Lin Jianlu arrived fashionably late, yet Brigitte Lin found him immediately. Together with Sylvia Chang, who had traveled from afar to present an award, they began to spin in circles, showing off their evening gowns.

Deep-cut back, shallow V-neck in front, revealing cleavage; the back plunged so low it nearly reached the small of her back.

Sylvia Chang rolled her eyes, and Gigi Leung, who was nearby with the crew of *Full Throttle*, wore a sour expression—both she and the other actresses had opted for much more conservative attire.

Sylvia Chang was only a year older than Brigitte Lin, but having effectively retired from acting, she focused primarily on directing and talent management, rarely taking on film roles. She was a veteran. Brigitte Lin, however, continued to receive a steady stream of offers following *Swordsman II* and *Dragon Inn*. Although she had deliberately reduced her workload, she remained an active actress.

As an actress, one needs visibility. You have to consider the eye-catching effect of your attire on the red carpet, whereas a director can afford to be indifferent.

Brigitte Lin’s ensemble was not only daring but undeniably attention-grabbing. Mostly, from a distance of one meter, one could see she had filled out a bit, though she was still far from being called "fat." Her proportions remained balanced, and her waist was still slender. Moreover, her skin was incredibly delicate, smooth as cream.

However, Lin Jianlu turned his head and, pretending to whisper, said in a voice that was anything but quiet: "You've definitely gained some weight!"

Sylvia Chang burst into laughter.

Brigitte Lin was both angry and amused. "Hey! You’re going too far!"

In the end, Lin Jianlu walked the red carpet with Sylvia Chang on his left arm and Brigitte Lin on his right. They were older, but Lin Jianlu was at the peak of his popularity. As they walked down the carpet, the shouts of "Lu!", "Little Lu!", and "I love you, Little Lu!" reached a record-breaking decibel level. Even the crew of *Full Throttle*, who hadn't yet stepped off the carpet, couldn't help but look back. The award organizers were no angels either; they were insiders who likely knew exactly what they were doing—wasn't this lineup clearly meant to stir up trouble?

Yet, the two veterans and Lin Jianlu—who, while not a veteran, had long since stopped caring about such things and was only focused on finishing up so he could go home and have some braised pork knuckle—didn't take the situation seriously at all.

As they walked, Sylvia Chang even tugged on Lin Jianlu’s arm. When he leaned in, she whispered with a smile, "Tomorrow, there will definitely be reports saying you have a thing for older women!"

Lin Jianlu laughed heartily, acting as unrestrained as if he were in his own courtyard, looking nothing like someone walking a red carpet.

When they reached the interview area, the reporters, naturally, tried to stir the pot. "No, Gigi and I are good friends. We have a great relationship; she even appeared in my music video for 'Ten Years,' which will be out soon. But we aren't dating!"

"Huh? Hahaha, Brigitte Lin? Of course I love her! What does that have to do with age?"

As he spoke, he draped an arm around Brigitte Lin and kissed her on the cheek in front of everyone, then turned and did the same to Sylvia Chang. He was so uninhibited that he seemed to disregard the organizers and the reporters entirely.

Brigitte Lin and Sylvia Chang both laughed.

For a moment, the scene left everyone—those waiting to enter and those about to step off the carpet—absolutely stunned.

They went inside.

Gigi Leung was in a foul mood. She glanced left and right, and although she knew people were surely watching, she couldn't help but take a tissue from her palm and vigorously wipe Lin Jianlu’s lips. Looking both melancholy and worried, she said, "Don't try to play the villain on purpose!"

Lin Jianlu smiled and waved it off. "No way! How is this being a villain?"

At most, it was just a popular newcomer showing some personality, or perhaps being labeled "high-profile and flirtatious"—it didn't matter!

Eventually, she walked away. As a newcomer attending such an important ceremony for the first time, her manager, Ge Fuhong, still needed to take her around to meet the big names. Lin Jianlu, however, had no interest in such things and politely declined.

Instead, others came to him to initiate introductions.

Suddenly, Jackie Chan walked over and shook his hand. "Your album is selling like crazy! I had someone buy it to listen, wow, it's great! Let’s have dinner sometime!"

"Sure! But I'm heading back to the capital tomorrow. Whenever you're in the capital, Big Brother, I'll treat you."

"No problem! It’s a deal. You treat in the capital, I treat in Hong Kong!"

"It’s a deal!"

He had high emotional intelligence; after a few words, they were acquainted, and he turned to continue socializing.

A moment later, Sylvia Chang brought Sammo Hung, Eric Tsang, and Yuen Biao over to introduce them. Sammo Hung didn't offer a standard handshake but instead reached out and grabbed his arm, testing him. "Wow, you've trained?"

"Military boxing. I learned a bit of Baji and Pigua from my comrades."

"Want to spar sometime?"

"Sure!"

Sammo Hung carried himself with the aura of a true boss. "You're a handsome kid. It's time for Hong Kong to push some new blood. Any interest in acting in movies? Shall I set up a project for you?"

Lin Jianlu smiled while reaching out to shake hands with Eric Tsang and Yuen Biao. "I'm useless at it. Just for show—I can't do action scenes!"

Sammo Hung laughed. "You'll learn to do them once you need the money. Of course you don't want to now!"

He turned to Sylvia Chang. "Hey, you're his manager, don't keep him poor! Trick him into buying stocks, real estate, hoarding red wine, and buying a yacht. He'll spend it all in a year, and then he'll come to me to film!"

Old friends as they were, Sylvia Chang didn't fall for it, hitting back directly. "If he needs money, I'd rather have him record an album. One hundred million, two hundred million in box office—he can sell that easily! Why would he need to risk his life for you?"

Sammo Hung laughed heartily.

Yuen Biao suddenly raised a hand. Being short and standing a bit away, he patted Lin Jianlu on the chest and winked. "Hey, little brother, I go to the capital often. I've been hiring a lot of action choreographers from the mainland lately. Let’s grab a drink?"

Lin Jianlu raised an eyebrow, formed a phone gesture with his thumb and pinky, and held it to his ear. "One call! Food and drinks are on me!"

"Awesome!"

They soon walked away, and Lin Jianlu began searching for where the hell the food was. Wasn't this supposed to be an awards banquet? Surely they could provide some cold cuts? Why couldn't he find anything?

Suddenly, a figure appeared before him, and Lin Jianlu turned around instantly.

"Wow, Miss Kwan, hello!"

Rosamund Kwan was truly, incredibly beautiful. She reached out and shook Lin Jianlu’s hand. "Little Lu, I love your songs. Could you sign one for me later?"

"Your word order is a bit off. You should say, 'Could you sign one for me?'"

"Then... could you sign one for me later?"

"No problem, I'll sign three!"

"Hahahaha, you really are witty! Everyone says you're very interesting!"

"Who's 'everyone'?"

"Huh?"

"Those people who praised me as interesting—trouble you to tell them when you go back: praising someone behind their back doesn't count as being a friend! Next time, please praise me to my face!"

Rosamund Kwan covered her mouth and laughed.

When she finished, her eyes seemed to glisten as she looked at Lin Jianlu. "All of Hong Kong loves 'Cold to the End' and 'Ten Years,' but let me tell you, I'm different. I like your song 'The You of the Past' the most. Wow, I feel like there's a Buddhist nature in that work! And... it's especially... vast!"

"Ah... Buddhist nature..."

This topic actually stumped Lin Jianlu for a rare moment.

But it didn't matter; Rosamund Kwan didn't notice. Having finally encountered Lin Jianlu, she seemed to want to pour out all her love for "The You of the Past" and talked non-stop.

Not far away, Brigitte Lin walked by, staring at them. Lin Jianlu caught her eye and winked, causing Brigitte Lin to chuckle as she walked away.

"So, I just can't sing well. Actually, many people have written songs for me, and I've tried very hard to learn, but I just... can't make them hits! You sing so well, is there any chance you could give me some pointers?"

Lin Jianlu took a deep breath. "How about... you disfigure yourself?"

Rosamund Kwan paused for a moment before grasping the high-level compliment. Her face lit up with delight, even though her life had never been short of praise for her beauty. "Thank you!"

"Do you have time tomorrow to go for tea?"

"Tomorrow? Tomorrow won't work. I have to go home! I'm missing the braised pork knuckle from the capital!"

"Braised pork knuckle? You mean pig's trotter? Is it delicious?"

"Delicious! Come to the capital sometime, and I'll treat you!"

"Okay! It's a deal! In Hong Kong, I'll treat you, and when you go to the capital, you treat me!"

"Deal!"