"Who?"
Hearing the woman's words, her female companion and the man beside her looked at her with some confusion.
"Oh, it's nothing—just someone we know."
The woman chuckled and gestured subtly toward her other companion. When the second woman followed her gaze, she immediately spotted Jiang Hai sitting at a distance.
"Why is he here?"
Her reaction was just as surprised.
"I have no idea. But if you're curious, go ask him."
Saying that, the first woman took her friend and walked toward Jiang Hai. The man, seeing they knew him, hesitated for a moment before deciding to follow.
"Well, well, why is our Mr. Monopoly sitting here all alone, eating crepes like a sad tourist?"
Her voice teased as she approached Jiang Hai.
Hearing the unfamiliar voice, Jiang Hai looked up in confusion. His eyes scanned the group before settling on her with uncertainty.
"Uh… are you talking to me?"
He pointed to himself, puzzled.
"Don't play dumb. Don't tell me you don't remember who I am."
The woman's expression shifted slightly, clearly irritated. Was this guy seriously pretending not to recognize her? Did he not keep up with entertainment news? She was famous, for crying out loud!
"Ahem… haha..."
Jiang Hai gave an awkward cough. In truth, with his memory, it was nearly impossible to forget them—especially these two.
They were close friends of Selena Gomez and had been openly hostile to him. Jiang Hai had met them when Selena took him to the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. At the time, he hadn't thought he'd ever see them again. Yet here they were—unexpectedly—in France.
Yes, Jiang Hai recognized the two women. One was the world-famous singer and actress, Taylor Swift—with whom his relationship was less than warm—and the other was Ellie Goulding, another friend of Selena's.
"You? A big star like you? What are you doing here? Don't you have a packed schedule?"
Jiang Hai raised an eyebrow. Since he couldn't avoid the encounter, he decided to speak frankly. Pretending would only make things more awkward, and Jiang Hai hated awkwardness.
"You really don't keep up with anything, huh? I'm here in the UK for a competition. And Ellie's British, remember?"
Taylor said proudly, though Jiang Hai couldn't understand what she had to be proud of.
"Well, sorry, but I don't follow entertainment news or music. If you ever act in a movie, maybe I'll take notice."
He replied honestly.
Taylor looked like she wanted to strangle him. But she knew Jiang Hai's stubborn nature. No amount of irritation would faze him.
"Taylor, wait… is this guy really your friend?"
The man behind her finally spoke up, stepping forward cautiously.
"Uh… I guess you could call him that," Taylor replied after a short pause.
"Hello, I'm Tom Hiddleston. Also British."
He smiled and extended a hand toward Jiang Hai.
Jiang Hai stood up and shook his hand. The face was familiar. After a moment, it clicked.
"Oh! Loki?"
He asked hesitantly.
"Yes, I play Loki in the Marvel movies."
Tom chuckled. "Didn't expect you to recognize me."
Indeed, Tom Hiddleston was the actor who portrayed the Norse God of Mischief in Thor, Thor 2, and The Avengers. Jiang Hai knew him, but like many actors, Tom probably didn't enjoy being typecast.
He had acted in many films, but unfortunately, Jiang Hai hadn't seen any of them.
"I really like your role—uh, what's your name again? Tom… Hiddle…"
Jiang Hai trailed off, struggling to pronounce it.
"Hiddleston."
Tom corrected gently.
"Hiddleston… right. Mr. Hitler—uh, I mean, Hiddleston!"
Jiang Hai quickly caught himself. His accent made it worse. Tom chuckled awkwardly.
"It's fine. Happens more often than you'd think," he said, clearly resigned to mispronunciations.
"Alright, enough with the names. You still haven't answered my question: why are you here?"
Taylor interjected, getting to the point.
"I'm here for a wine competition. My estate makes wine. I've never been to Europe, so I thought I'd come along."
"You? Wine? I thought you were all about cattle and seafood," Taylor said, incredulous.
"I do that too. But I also grow grapes," Jiang Hai said proudly.
"Oh? Then as your friends, shouldn't we get a taste?"
Taylor grinned slyly.
Jiang Hai scratched his head. He'd only brought 120 bottles, and he needed some for the Brussels competition. Glancing toward the distance, he spotted Dulles Gerard and waved him over.
Seeing the signal, Dulles approached quickly.
"What can I do for you, boss?"
Despite their friendly relationship, Dulles was strict about formality in public. Jiang Hai didn't mind. It felt nice to be called "boss" sometimes.
"Got any extra bottles? These three… uh… friends want a taste."
Dulles nodded and left with a polite "Please wait a moment."
Watching the interaction, Taylor raised an eyebrow.
"You really do act like some old-school noble."
She smirked. "You've even got the butler to match."
Jiang Hai ignored her and returned to his crepes. The cider was surprisingly good.
Soon, Dulles returned carrying a tray with three goblets and a decanter of wine, already decanted.
From a distance, both Ellie and Tom's eyes lit up.
Tom, who had grown up in privilege—attending elite schools like Eton College and studying classical literature at Cambridge—was no stranger to high-end wine. Even from afar, he could tell the wine's quality was impressive.
Ellie, though from a more modest background, had tasted plenty of luxury since rising to fame. She, too, recognized the wine's quality immediately.
Taylor, on the other hand, had grown up on a Christmas tree farm. Though she was now a global superstar, she wasn't exactly a wine connoisseur. Her music—rooted in country—had little to do with fine wine and gourmet experiences.
To Jiang Hai, country music mostly reminded him of that tune: "My hometown is in this village, born and raised in this village!"—wait, was that even country music? Honestly, he didn't really understand music.
"This wine looks good," Tom said, stepping forward to take the tray. Trying to show some gentlemanly charm, he poured himself a glass and gave it a swirl, inhaling deeply.
He certainly looked the part.
Ellie followed suit, sipping delicately.
"It's very mellow," she said softly. "Not overpowering."
"Uh, is this really that good?" Taylor asked, taking a glass uncertainly.
"Just try it," Tom smiled, then took a sip. His eyes lit up, genuinely impressed.
Ellie's expression turned dreamy as she tasted it. Even Taylor nodded slightly—she might not know wine, but she knew what tasted good.
"This is… unique. The flavor lingers, and the aftertaste is so smooth—it's hard to describe," Tom said, clearly enjoying it.
Ellie nodded enthusiastically beside him.
"Is it that good?" Taylor glanced at Jiang Hai skeptically.
"Does this wine have a name?" Tom asked, turning to Dulles.
"Yes," Dulles replied with a warm smile. "It's called First Love. It's one of the wines from our estate. We also have Passionate Love and Parting, but we only brought First Love this time."
He explained the names—they were developed by him and Jiang Hai.
Though all three wines were made similarly, the sugar content and fermentation times varied. First Love had a lower sugar content with a slightly tart finish. It left a touch of sweetness behind, giving it emotional complexity.
Passionate Love was sweeter, rich and addictive—just like being swept up in love.
As for Parting… well, Jiang Hai didn't like it much. Too bitter. He preferred sweetness—both in wine and in life. Red wine and coffee just weren't his thing.
(To be continued.)