Chapter 40

"Really?" After greeting his friends and acquaintances of the same age as Adam, Li Xu asked his cousin again.

"Of course, especially the part where you showed off your skills, it made you look very cool," Eleanor said with a smile, "Caroline was even captivated by it."

"Is that so?" Li Xu raised an eyebrow at this and looked around, but didn't see the familiar figure.

"Speaking of which, you can also have moments of lacking confidence," Eleanor teased him at this point.

"After all, this is my coming-of-age ceremony. It can be imperfect, but it can't go wrong," Li Xu shrugged, "These are the two pieces I'm best at, but the better I am at them, the more likely something could go wrong, right?"

Eleanor didn't say anything, but after looking at him for a moment, she laughed, "It's really unbelievable. You can argue with Grandpa, but now you're worried about not playing the piano well at your coming-of-age ceremony?"

Can I say this is my first coming-of-age ceremony in two lifetimes? Li Xu rolled his eyes at her. However, it felt good to have moments of tension and fuss.

"I was also forced into it. If I didn't find a way, I would have to be obedient and let them control me," Li Xu said with a fake smile, "I'm not like you, Ali, who can do whatever she wants."

"Don't be so hypocritical, Eddie," Eleanor immediately interrupted, "I'm just a... rebellious girl, while you already have your own career."

Her expression was somewhat displeased, "Or are you starting to change, like Grandpa and my uncle, your father?"

"Alright, I apologize," Li Xu immediately raised his hands.

Eleanor Louise Li is five years older than Li Xu and is not a reincarnated person, so like many children from prestigious families, she went through a rebellious phase. I don't want this, I have the right to decide my own life, I want to pursue freedom, and so on.

This isn't a problem; large families have a lot of experience dealing with such children. Look at how George W. Bush was wild in school but still followed Barbara's arrangements after graduation, such as running for office and joining the military.

However, unfortunately, when her uncle and aunt passed away, she was just over ten years old. She lived with her father for a while, then with her grandfather, and then with her maternal grandfather, eventually rotating between these three places. This loosened the family's control over her.

As a result, her rebellious phase was extended, and she looked down on all the family's arrangements. After graduating from university, she had a falling out with her grandfather and went out on her own, working as a waitress in a café, a receptionist in a large company, and a salesperson in a clothing store.

Of course, none of these jobs lasted long. Even after the falling out, her grandfather wouldn't allow her to do these jobs. Although she wanted to resist, she couldn't find external support. She had only interacted with the upper echelons since childhood, and in the end, she had to half-surrender and become a journalist at The New York Times after old Edward intervened.

However, although she disliked her grandfather and was somewhat cold to old Edward, she got along well with Li Xu and envied him for being able to fight for his voice since he was 12. This time, she came to support his coming-of-age ceremony.

"Don't think too much, Ali. When you have accumulated enough experience and want to do something, I can help you get some venture capital," Li Xu said at this point.

"I'll consider it," Eleanor replied with a faint smile, saying nothing more.

This attitude pleased Li Xu. If it were the Eleanor who had just graduated from Harvard, even if Li Xu's words were tactful, she would have changed the subject with a changed expression. If it were old Edward, she might have directly and firmly rejected it.

At that time, she was still full of thorns, believing that only what she earned by herself was truly hers. Accepting help from others meant it wasn't hers.

However, after two years of tempering, it seems she has grown. Li Xu hopes his cousin can help him in the future.

Eleanor inherited her grandmother's appearance, but her hair color is a bit darker. Her grandmother had standard blonde hair and blue eyes. Since she studied media in college and grew up in a high society, she is also very sensitive to fashion.

Li Xu had previously mentioned to his father that he wanted to make a mark in the fashion industry to complement the media group's plans. If Eleanor could grow, she would be a suitable candidate in both media and fashion.

After all, blood ties are still a strong bond.

After a brief chat, Li Xu said goodbye. This was his birthday party, and even if the older generation had his parents to receive guests, he still needed to greet his peers.

However, there were many awkward situations. The most typical example was his godfather, Randolph Hearst, the fourth son of William Hearst, born in 1915, who was about to turn 65.

Generally, a godfather should be someone older and have a good relationship with the paternal side, while a godmother is usually a friend from the maternal side. However, their family was a bit special, so Li Xu didn't have a godmother and had an additional hat-wearing relative in Japan.

Randolph Hearst was just one of the many heirs of the Hearst family and never controlled the family's power. When Li Xu was born in 1962, his uncle was still alive, and old Edward was only in charge of Far East affairs, so it was quite appropriate to have him as Li Xu's godfather.

This wasn't a big deal, but the key was that Randolph's youngest child, Victoria, was about the same age as Li Xu, while his oldest child, Catherine, was born in 1939, not much younger than old Edward.

So, when his five children stood together, it was somewhat awkward for Li Xu to go and greet them, and there were quite a few similar situations.

However, a bigger awkward moment soon came.

"Hey, happy 18th birthday, Eddie." A teasing and provocative female voice sounded in his ear.

"Thanks, Carol, it's great that you could make it," Li Xu said without hesitation, turning around and hugging the other person warmly, which drew a low laugh from the crowd.

"Eddie!" The other person couldn't maintain her previous attitude and called out in annoyance, giving him a light punch.

"What's wrong, Carol?" Li Xu, though feigning confusion, didn't let go until a young man about his age cleared his throat, "Eddie, can you let go of my sister now?"

"John? When did you get here? I didn't see you just now!" Li Xu immediately let go of the girl, feigning surprise, and went up to hug the other person.

"I tried to get here as soon as possible, but... you know, traffic," the other person shrugged helplessly.

"It's fine, it's great that you could make it," Li Xu laughed and patted his arm, then turned to the girl who was trying to slip away, "Where are you going, Carol? It's not right to say hello and then leave, is it?"

The girl immediately stopped, glaring at him with hatred, then forced a smile, "I see you and little John are chatting happily, I didn't want to disturb you."

"We haven't even started chatting yet, sister," the young man said, spreading his hands and not hesitating to undermine his sister.

This drew a burst of laughter, and the girl, who had been frowning, couldn't help but laugh as well.

The young man about Li Xu's age was John Fitzgerald Kennedy II, and his sister, of course, was Caroline Kennedy.

"Anyway, I'm glad you could come to my 18th birthday party, Carol," Li Xu whispered to Caroline after the laughter subsided.

To his surprise, she rolled her eyes, "Don't think I'm happy, Eddie. I didn't want to come in the first place."

"Really?" Li Xu widened his eyes, feigning surprise, "Then why did you come?"

"Because someone has something on me," Caroline continued to roll her eyes. If any other woman did this repeatedly, it would seem foolish, but she only became more charming.

Caroline was really beautiful. Being the same age as Eleanor, she was 22, as her birthday was in November, and she was in the prime of her youth.

Her brown hair fell smoothly, and her features were exquisite, surpassing her mother—her father had often said that Jacqueline's eyes were a bit wide, and while her profile and three-quarter view were very appealing, her front view was less so.

Not only that, her sense of style was inherited from her mother. She wore a short-sleeved purple-blue dress that exposed her small shoulders and delicate collarbone. It was simple but elegant and graceful, making her very popular wherever she went.

"Oh? Who? What do they have on you? Do you need my help?" Li Xu said with a righteous tone, as if it had nothing to do with him.

Caroline clearly gritted her teeth at his audacity, then took a deep breath, pursed her lips, and looked around warily before whispering, "Someone seduced me when I was still underage and is now using it to blackmail me. If I don't do what he says, he'll sue me and make it public."

"Such a shameless person?" Li Xu first whispered in shock, then frowned and asked, "Are you sure it was he who seduced you, not the other way around?"

"I'm sure!" Caroline gritted her teeth even harder.

"Alright, then what do you want me to do?" Li Xu smacked his lips and asked seriously.

"Of course, get rid of him," Caroline immediately raised a hand and made a cutting motion across her throat, her pretty face showing a challenging expression.

"Which way?" Li Xu continued to ask, pretending to be serious, "Do I... come and drink this cup for you? Or... you kill me and gloat?"

"Whatever, no matter how long the night, the dawn will come," Caroline raised an eyebrow in response.

True to her upbringing as a lady of a prestigious family, Li Xu's two lines from "Romeo and Juliet" were not Shakespeare's original lines but from the Karazan Opera House, which he had spontaneously used. Not only did Caroline recognize them, but she also responded with a famous quote from Shakespeare, hinting that his verbal tricks were useless on her—truly... adorable.

"Of course, I will definitely do it for you, Your Highness," Li Xu said with a righteous tone, but his hand secretly reached around from behind and gently pinched her soft waist before she could speak.

The beautiful girl immediately widened her eyes, tensed her body, and glared at him, unable to speak.

"But now, please allow me to take my leave," Li Xu laughed and walked away, leaving her with a mix of anger and embarrassment.

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