Chapter 679: The Chosen One
"Lu Ke? Is that your name? What about your last name?" Emma's pupils narrowed slightly as she said with a hint of criticism, "I'm not sure what your customs are, but in Britain, not introducing your last name when you introduce yourself is very rude."
Lu Ke didn't panic or get angry. Instead, he chuckled.
Emma noticed the change in Lu Ke's expression. She tilted her head slightly and her voice became serious. "I'm serious. Or are you doing it on purpose? Trying to make a lasting impression? But doing it in such a rude way is never a good thing for a woman, even if it does leave an impression."
"Lu," Lu Ke replied, meeting Emma's gaze calmly. "My last name is Lu, and my first name is Ke. However, because the pronunciation of my Chinese name is very similar to the English name 'Luke,' it's easier for everyone to call me that, so they don't bother to distinguish between my last name and first name and just call me one or the other."
There was no sarcasm or rebuttal, just a simple explanation.
However, Emma's cheeks flushed with embarrassment and shame. She wished she could disappear into a hole in the ground.
If they were on the field, Lu Ke would have probably fought back, because for a player, being tough is the way to survive, or at least a starting point. Weakness and compromise are not appreciated.
However, the person in front of him was a stranger he had just met, and she was a famous actress. Lu Ke had seen her on the big screen, so he reined in his sharp edges and hid all his sarcasm behind his words.
"Miss Watson. Although there are not many Asian actors in Hollywood, I believe that respecting each other's culture and standards is a timeless principle. Especially for a public figure like you, a careless mistake can be interpreted by the media however they want, and that's not a pleasant thing. More importantly, the Asian community also deserves its own respect."
A faint smile still hung on Lu Ke's lips. His words were gentle but sharp, and his demeanor was warm but his stance was firm. He expressed his opinion without being arrogant or humble. It was simple and objective.
Emma, sitting on the other side of the aisle, bit her lower lip. A hint of embarrassment and frustration flashed in her eyes, but she couldn't tell whether she was angry at him or at herself.
When facing the public media, Emma always considered herself a feminist. She constantly advocated for women's rights, calling on society to pay more attention to the serious problem of gender discrimination. Her confident and firm demeanor successfully won her the support of a large number of fans.
Lu Ke's words were clearly a reference to this. Gender discrimination and racial discrimination are both deep-seated social problems that require people to constantly fight and struggle for themselves to break the stubborn prejudices that have been accumulated over a long time and to strive for their own place in society.
They don't need more, but they also can't accept less. They just want equal treatment.
At this moment, Emma also realized that her words just now were misleading and could be interpreted as discrimination against the Asian community.
Discrimination and prejudice are very special things. For a bystander, it may just be a habitual way of expressing themselves. But for the person involved, habit itself is a kind of prejudice, and only they can truly understand what it feels like to be discriminated against. This is true for women, and it is also true for Asians.
Embarrassed and ashamed. This was the second time.
After meeting him, she had fallen into an awkward situation twice in a row. Emma's cheeks felt extremely hot. She couldn't help but get angry out of embarrassment. This man was so annoying. Not only did he have no gentlemanly demeanor, but he also always picked on her righteously. He was destined to never find a girlfriend.
Despite this, Emma still didn't express her emotions. She suppressed her annoyance, took a deep breath, and took another deep breath. She straightened her back and said solemnly, "I apologize. I was being inconsiderate."
"It's okay." Lu Ke gave her a polite smile and explained in a light tone, "There are many differences between Eastern and Western cultures. We all need to understand each other." Then, Lu Ke nodded again. "It was nice to meet you, Miss Emma. That's all for now."
Then, Lu Ke put on his headphones again, lay down, and prepared to choose a movie to watch while relaxing and enjoying his flight.
Emma was stunned, her mind full of questions. What?
What was wrong with this man? He just lay down? After the little incident just now, he didn't say anything else? No conversation? Was she a pine tree or a piece of granite? He was so rude, so uncivilized, and so dull. It was infuriating!
"Hey." Emma knocked on the partition again, and she couldn't help but raise her voice in frustration and shouted, "Hey!"
Lu Ke sat up, took off his headphones, and looked at her with a confused expression.
"I said I was sorry!" Emma's almond eyes widened, and her voice became tense. A hint of anger could be smelled.
Lu Ke blinked. "Yes, I heard you. I said it's okay."
"And then what?" Emma asked.
"And then what?" Lu Ke repeated, completely not understanding what Emma meant. Was something else supposed to happen after that? Or did he miss something important?
Emma's eyes widened. She looked at Lu Ke in disbelief, as if she couldn't believe what was happening. "I know my attitude and way of speaking were not right just now and caused an unnecessary misunderstanding, but I have already apologized sincerely. You don't need to give me a cold shoulder! After we finished talking, you just lay down. Are you showing your protest and dissatisfaction with silence?"
"I have already apologized. Shouldn't you show some friendliness? As a gentleman! You should take the initiative to start a conversation, at least say some polite greetings, and then the woman ends the conversation. That's the correct way! Your behavior just now was so rude!" Emma realized that her voice was rising out of control, so she quickly lowered it to avoid disturbing other passengers.
Lu Ke, sitting in his seat, looked dumbfounded.
What was going on?
Why did he feel like he had missed a key point and had no idea where Emma's current thoughts were coming from?
Lu Ke thought seriously and seriously asked his biggest question. "So, do you want to be left alone, or are you willing to have a conversation?"
He thought that Emma's cold attitude meant that she didn't want to be disturbed, but Emma's current actions were illogical and even contradictory. So, where did things go wrong?
"Sir!" Emma was completely furious. Her pretty face was flushed. Her clear eyes stared at Lu Ke in disbelief. She was both ashamed and annoyed. She was speechless for a moment and said, "Please be careful with your words. I'm just expressing friendliness between strangers. Don't make it sound like I'm throwing myself at you or trying to get something!"
It was only then that Lu Ke realized he seemed to have said something wrong.
Although Lu Ke still didn't understand what part he got wrong, he knew that men were from Mars and women were from Venus, and their ways of thinking were completely different.
What's more, Emma was "The Chosen One," which was different from ordinary girls.
Ever since "Harry Potter," Emma had been living in the spotlight for a long time, surrounded by applause and cheers. As time went on and she grew up, she transformed and blossomed like an ugly duckling turning into a swan. She truly embodied the saying that a girl changes a lot in her teens, and she had become the "goddess" in the hearts of countless fans.
Naturally, Emma was still used to the spotlight being on her.
After realizing this, Lu Ke sighed inwardly. Sure enough, he felt more comfortable getting along with girls like Candice Swanepoel and Sophie Brook.
Emma was still talking nonstop. Lu Ke had to raise his hand to stop her. "Ma'am." He didn't use her name but used a general term to show politeness. "Ma'am! I know you are expressing your friendliness and politeness. It's my honor. Please forgive my rudeness just now."
This series of calm and gentlemanly words finally made Emma calm down a little.
"It was very nice to meet you," Lu Ke said with a friendly smile, then raised his eyebrows slightly. "So, what do you think of the weather in Hawaii? Did you encounter any rain during your vacation? It seems to be entering the rainy season in Hawaii in February."
British people like to talk about the weather. More accurately, they are used to using the weather as a conversation starter.
But the problem was that Lu Ke's transition was too abrupt and stiff, which made the atmosphere of the entire conversation very awkward, with a sense of ridicule and mockery.
Emma bit her lower lip and stared at Lu Ke. She found that Lu Ke was unflappable. He looked back at her calmly and honestly. His innocent expression seemed to not understand what was happening, which made Emma feel a deep sense of frustration.
Damn it!
This was the third time she had lost her composure since they met!
Emma didn't say anything but sullenly sat back in her chair, pulled the blanket up high, and buried herself in it, pretending it was a bomb shelter that could completely block out all the humiliation and frustration. Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!
What was wrong with this guy?
On the surface, he seemed completely normal, but his behavior was strange. The way his brain worked must be very unique! They must be incompatible with each other. In every confrontation, she was at a disadvantage. She felt like a clown, always making a fool of herself and being restricted everywhere! It wasn't her problem. It must be him! It had to be him!
"Wait, or maybe he likes men?" Emma couldn't help but make a malicious guess. This seemed to be the most logical explanation.
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