webnovelfull Chapter 552
Chapter 552
Lu Qingfeng turned his head in surprise.
My first thought was whether someone had gone into the wrong private room. It wasn't until I saw Shen Ruishu and Zhong Huaiyi, and the camera following behind them, that I belatedly realized what had happened.
"Happy birthday to you."
Xia He and Luo Haoming, who were still arguing, also started singing "Happy Birthday."
He pursed his lips, smiled, and stood up.
A cake with candles representing his nineteenth birthday was placed in front of him.
"You guys startled me. I really thought Sister Xiahe and Brother Luo had a fight."
He said this to conceal his true feelings.
Because he rarely has this kind of experience, such arrangements always evoke a sense of emotion in him, just like the first time someone celebrated his birthday in this world.
But he was ashamed to show such overwhelming emotions, so he used these words to cover them up.
In short: arrogant.
"It was arranged by the director; we were just carrying it out."
Xia He said with a grin.
"Make a wish."
Shen Ruishu said.
Lu Qingfeng nodded.
Cross your hands and make fists, then close your eyes.
The boy's eyes were truly beautiful; when closed, they formed elegant lines, and his thick eyelashes were clearly visible in the flickering candlelight. The people in the room watched him quietly.
Lu Qingfeng was thinking about his eighteenth birthday.
After a period of hard work, his life finally improved, and a fan sent him a gift. He still clearly remembers every item in the package.
School uniform, shoes, computer, books, and that birthday cartoon paper wishing him a happy birthday.
Many of these items are no longer in use, but he has preserved them well, while he continues to use laptops and the like.
In the evening, I had dinner with Sister Xiuxiu at a Northeastern Chinese restaurant. The owner was very hospitable, and Sister Xiuxiu asked him to make a wish and what he wished for.
He didn't say it, because he thought it wouldn't work if he did.
Actually, it's because I can't tell anyone my wishes when I'm eighteen.
His wish at the time was that none of this was a dream, and if it was, he hoped it would continue forever.
A year has passed in the blink of an eye, and in that year he has achieved even greater success, publishing several novels, releasing an album, and holding his first solo concert...
He is putting into practice the many possibilities of life step by step.
The unease and sense of unreality that I felt at the beginning of the journey have gradually dissipated during this process.
All that has passed is but a prologue.
He silently made a new wish in his heart.
……
The joyful birthday dinner ended after 10 p.m., and everyone started walking back.
They were traveling in a six-seater minivan, so Lu Qingfeng and Shen Ruishu rode in the same car.
Because of this gathering, everyone got closer and chatted about some interesting things. Lu Qingfeng looked out the window, and a portrait on a roadside building caught his attention.
He hummed a tune.
Luo Haoming, who was sitting next to him, looked over.
"What song is this? It sounds so familiar."
"La Vie en Rose"
Lu Qingfeng turned his gaze away from the window.
"Is it the song by that Queen of French Chanson?"
Zhong Huaiyi, who was in the front row, struck up a conversation.
"Who is it?"
Xia He asked curiously.
"Edith Piaf is a very old singer. She seems to have been born in Belleville. Her life story is quite legendary. She suffered from keratitis when she was young and went blind, but later she miraculously regained her sight."
"She survived two car accidents and narrowly escaped death both times. 'La Vie en Rose' is her representative work, which you young people may not know much about."
Zhong Huaiyi introduced himself to everyone.
Lu Qingfeng happened to see Piaf's portrait and suddenly remembered this song.
Her name is also quite interesting. In colloquial French, it means "sparrow," and "chanson" is the Chinese translation of the French word "chanson," which literally means song.
Now it carries French secular songs.
"Qingfeng sings very well, keep singing, let us listen too."
"Shen Ruishu, who was sitting in the passenger seat, said."
"Teacher Shen, I don't know the lyrics, so I can only hum the tune."
"That's okay too."
"alright."
Lu Qingfeng continued humming the song.
……
The next morning, Lu Qingfeng and his companions arrived early at the Gare de l'Est platform in Paris, waiting to board the famous Orient Express.
Compared to the previous two days, the number of people in the production team has decreased by more than half.
Unfortunately, the ticket price was too high, so most of the staff, except for essential personnel, took the high-speed train first and will rejoin in Munich.
"This platform is so dilapidated, it feels like it could be a filming location for a medieval movie."
Looking around, Xia He complained.
Compared to the exorbitant ticket prices, the dilapidated platform retains its industrial revolution-era style—rough and dilapidated.
Lu Qingfeng thought this place was quite suitable as Platform Nine and Three-Quarters in Harry Potter, which was actually located at King's Cross Station in London in the original book.
In contrast, the Orient Express maintained its luxurious, old-money style.
The train has a silver-white roof, a blue lower body, and each carriage is marked with gold lettering indicating the operating company of the Orient Express and the journey from its origin to its destination.
This train was marketed as luxurious from the very beginning, and its interior decoration and services have been upgraded many times to cater to the needs of the upper class.
During the middle of World War I and World War II, some carriages remained in France, while others were requisitioned by Germany. It wasn't until the end of the war that a wealthy British man collected and renovated them, putting them back into use.
This is what Lu Qingfeng and the others are seeing right now.
Unlike other trains, the Orient Express station had a wooden reception desk where passengers first exchanged their tickets for paper ones, while their luggage and belongings were taken away for safekeeping by a designated person.
Then I boarded the train.
The interior is extremely luxurious, with velvet curtains, light gray carpets, crystal chandeliers, and dazzling public spaces in the Artdoce style of the 1920s and 30s.
The lines are clean, the colors are vibrant, and it features extensive use of brass and gilded decorations.
The intricate carving techniques of Neoclassicism, along with the extensive use of silk, velvet, and other fabrics, created a sense of aristocracy favored by old European money.
The entire Orient Express has eighteen carriages, including three restaurants, one bar, two staff-only carriages, and the rest have been converted into private rooms.
Led by the train attendant, the group found their respective compartments.
Two people can stay in one treasure chest, and Lu Qingfeng and Luo Haoming are seated together.
Once opened, the interior space is decent, including a private bathroom. Apparently, there are also deluxe king-size rooms with an entire carriage's worth of space, but the price is outrageously high.
After the two finished getting ready, they prepared to go to the public space to meet up with Shen Ruishu and the others. During this time, a waiter wearing a vest came over and brought them French desserts.