The Chinese reporters looked embarrassed after hearing Sir Lu Jianhong's words. Despite this, they still had to do their job and continued to ask him questions. Some of them even began asking Lu Zihao.
It took great courage to ask Lu Zihao because he looked quite scary. Even though there was a seemingly perpetual smile on his face, giving him a devilishly roguish appearance, the scar on his face made him look dangerous.
Jin Liwei was also scary and intimidating, mainly because of his cold and indifferent expression, and also because of his wealth and status as the most powerful man in the country's business world of his generation.
In contrast, Lu Zihao was scary and intimidating not only because of the scar on his face but also because he had this inexplicable aura that made it appear as if he could kill someone in cold blood. Of course, the reporters didn't believe that he was a killer, but they still couldn't help but feel that way, especially when standing in front of him. He was charismatic but also made the alarm bells ring inside their minds.
"Mr. Lu Zihao, c-can I ask a…question?"
A faint smile was on Lu Zihao's mouth, but his eyes looked sharp and predatory. "What is it?" he asked in a tone that could either be interpreted as amused or disinterested.
"Uhm…you have been seen accompanying Iris—I mean, Miss Iris Long the other day when she met up with Maestro Ludovico De Luca and Enrique Valdez at a café. You seem close to her. Are you friends with her? How did that two of you meet? When we still didn't know that Miss Iris is engaged to CEO Jin, many of us assumed that you're her fiancée. What do you think about this misunderstanding?"
Lu Zihao raised an eyebrow at the reporter before saying in a lazy manner, "You said that you were only going to ask me a question, but you asked so many. Now I don't feel like answering any of them."
The reporter coughed in embarrassment but didn't give up. He shoved the recorder closer to Lu Zihao, silently indicating that he still wanted an answer to his questions.
"Heh…fine." Lu Zihao shrugged, and then glanced at Iris and Jin Liwei who also now returned to answering questions from the other reporters. "I'm too lazy to answer all of your questions, but this is all you have to know. Am I friends with Iris Long? Hmmm… You can say that. She and I…we are brother and sister. Jin Liwei is also my brother. I already have this brotherly bond to both of them even before knowing that the two knew each other and are in a relationship. She is my sister and I see her that way. Malicious people who insist on colouring my sibling relationship with her in a bad way deserve a hard beating. Don't you think so?"
The reporter shivered under Lu Zihao's direct gaze. He was actually one of the "malicious people" Lu Zihao was referring to. Originally, he planned on adding a love triangle angle in his report, speculating about Lu Zihao having unrequited love for Iris Long but unable to openly express his feelings because she was already engaged to his best friend. This kind of scenario would certainly add drama to his report and possibly make it sensational.
Now, however, he scrapped the idea. Lu Zihao's faint smile looked like the devil's smile in his eyes. What if Lu Zihao went ahead and gave him a hard beating? Or worse, kill him in cold blood! Too dangerous! The reporter's logic told him that it was impossible for Lu Zihao to be so dangerous, but he didn't want to risk it. So he just nodded and ran away.
Later, foreign reporters also started interviewing Iris and Jin Liwei. The Chinese reporters were squeezed out. A few of the foreign reporters knew Iris Long, especially those who were familiar with the European classical music scene. She even had a couple of fans among them because of her piano album, "Rebirth Melodies".
Some of them were even able to dig out information about her being a skilled translator and interpreter from her work at this year's international business conference hosted in China. Knowing this, they didn't bother speaking to her in English and interviewed her in their native languages. Of course, she answered their questions in their language, impressing many of them.
Jin Liwei was also quite impressive, answering in English and also a bit in French and Spanish. Whenever he had difficulties expressing himself in either French or Spanish, Iris would help him out, either by translating or directly answering in his stead.
The foreign reporters thought that the couple was very outstanding. Like the Chinese reporters, they first thought that Jin Liwei treated Iris Long as a trophy wife. But they changed their minds after learning more information about Iris and seeing her help out Jin Liwei with her excellent language skills.
'This woman is not flower vase. She's a queen in her own right and is as formidable as the king. This is a king and queen standing side by side, rather than the king taking the lead while the queen serves as a decoration,' the reporters thought to themselves.
Then Wei Lan headed to where Iris and Jin Liwei were beinginterviewed. She made new friends with the other VIP guests who were all very accomplished in their respective fields. There were other distant members of European nobility, famous fashion designers, actors and actresses, models, and other influential personages.
Some of the reporters remembered seeing the viscountess and Iris Long shopping together the other day. They only thought that perhaps the two women were friends. It was possible, especially since both were Chinese. It was only the Chinese reporters who knew the real relationship between the two.
Everyone was shocked after hearing what she said. What did she say?! They looked at Vizcondesa Lan and at Iris Long. It was only then that they noticed the resemblance between the two women. One thought ran through their minds at that moment.
Iris Long was a viscountess' daughter?!!!