Chapter 65: Another Identity

Chapter 65: Chapter 65: Another Identity

After getting the news she had wanted most that night, Irene’s state of mind completely relaxed. She sipped her champagne contentedly while her gaze lazily swept across the crowd dressed in finery.

Britney had to fly to another city for work the next day, so she had already left. Irene was alone and just getting ready to leave when a familiar figure that should not have been there caught her eye.

Not far away, near the guest of honor’s table, Loren stood chatting happily with several high-level executives from Fox Pictures. She had met him just last week when he gently vaccinated her puppy, Lucky. He was wearing a well-tailored dark suit now.

He was no longer the veterinarian in a white coat, surrounded by the gentle scent of disinfectant. At this moment, his demeanor was composed, and he looked like he belonged at this event.

Irene almost thought her eyes were playing tricks on her. She blinked, looked again, and confirmed that it was indeed Loren.

Why would he be here?

As that question formed in her mind, she saw something even more shocking. The current CEO of Fox Pictures, Baird Fergus, who was known for his iron-fisted approach and ranked at the top of Hollywood’s power list, was escorting an Asian woman.

The two were clearly a married couple. They carried wine glasses as they walked toward Loren. The couple naturally reached out and patted his shoulder. The three of them smiled at each other, and their demeanor was intimate. They were clearly family with a deep relationship.

An incredible thought instantly struck Irene.

Wait, an Asian woman and Loren Li.

Could Dr. Loren actually be the son of the Fox Pictures CEO?

This realization made her fingers pause around her wine glass. She recalled Loren’s handsome face that combined the best of both Eastern and Western features, and his gentle, polite, yet appropriately distant manner. Everything suddenly seemed to have a more reasonable explanation.

Her thoughts drifted further, thinking of Rupert Murdoch, who now controlled the vast Fox media empire.

Wasn’t his later wife the Chinese-American media executive Wendi Deng? Could it be that the executives of this company had some unspoken preference when it came to choosing a spouse?

This accidental discovery was like a stone thrown into a calm lake, sending ripples through Irene’s heart.

Watching the man in the crowd, whose temperament was so different from when he was at the clinic, she suddenly felt that in the vanity fair of Los Angeles, the connections between people were sometimes far more complex and interesting than they appeared on the surface.

The potential connections and resources behind this pet doctor, who had left a good impression on her, might far exceed her initial imagination.

During a break in his conversation with his father, Loren’s gaze swept across the venue and happened to lock eyes with Irene. She was looking at him with inquiry and surprise.

He was clearly stunned for a moment, and a flash of caught-off-guard surprise passed through his clear eyes before it immediately turned into a gentle smile. He whispered something to his father, then carried his wine glass through the crowd and headed straight toward Irene.

"Miss Coppola?" His tone carried just the right amount of surprise and a hint of uncertainty.

"I really didn’t expect to meet you here." At this moment, he was completely different from the doctor in the clinic who wore a white coat and patiently explained pet care. In his suit and leather shoes, he had an added sense of nobility and composure.

"Dr. Loren," Irene also smiled, and this time her smile held a bit more genuine interest. "That’s what I should be saying. It seems our Lucky’s doctor has a background that isn’t so simple." She cleverly used the puppy’s name to bridge the distance.

"Let me formally introduce myself," Loren said as he reached out, his smile warm. "Loren. By day, I’m a veterinarian who takes care of small animals. By night, I’m occasionally an outsider who has to attend some family gatherings."

Irene shook his hand again. The feeling this time was completely different from before, with a bit more unspoken amusement. "Irene Coppola, director. It seems we both have some side jobs."

"The name sounded a bit familiar, but I don’t know much about Hollywood, so I didn’t recognize you right away."

The idea that the son of a film company executive was completely uninterested in the film industry sounded unbelievable, but with Loren, it seemed possible.

The two talked happily, from Lucky’s recent condition to the unusual patients the clinic had seen recently. Loren’s conversation was witty and humorous, yet it carried the unique gentleness of a doctor.

Irene discovered that without the white coat, he did not lose that reassuring gentleness. Instead, he gained a mysterious charm, and her affection for him grew quietly during their casual conversation.

Just then, Loren’s parents, the CEO of Fox Pictures, Baird Fergus, and his wife, an elegant and well-maintained Asian woman, noticed that their son was chatting happily with a young woman they didn’t know, so they walked over too.

"Loren, won’t you introduce us?" Baird Fergus’s voice carried his habitual authority, but when facing his son, his gaze was still gentle.

"Father, Mother, this is Miss Coppola. She’s a very talented director, and also the owner of one of my little patients," Loren turned to introduce them. "Miss Coppola, these are my parents."

"Mr. Fergus, Mrs. Fergus, good evening," Irene greeted them politely. Her posture was poised and graceful.

Mrs. Fergus looked Irene up and down, and a formulaic smile hung on the corners of her mouth.

"So it’s the youngest daughter of the Coppola family. I’ve heard many people mention you. It’s good for young people to have their own careers." Her tone sounded as if she were evaluating a piece of merchandise, carrying a hint of imperceptible detachment.

Fergus was somewhat surprised. "So it’s Miss Coppola. My staff have praised you highly. I hope next year’s collaboration will be a great success."

He then looked at Loren, and his tone carried a little helplessness and obvious regret. "Miss Coppola is very talented in directing. Unlike our Loren, who has no interest in inheriting the family business. He insists on running off to be a veterinarian, dealing with cats and dogs all day."

Although he seemed to be complaining about his son, his words revealed that he believed his own path was the only right one, and he disapproved of his son’s choice.

They seemed to view Irene as a decent young woman with a good family background whom their son had met by chance in a social setting.

Their words carried the polite appreciation that the upper class traditionally held for artists, as well as a deep-seated sense of superiority that believed their own path was the correct one.

At this moment, Irene was immersed in the joy of chatting with Loren and the smooth progress of her project, so she did not fully perceive this subtle condescension.

She only felt that Loren’s parents seemed a bit serious and understood Fergus’s words as ordinary complaints from parents about their son’s career choice. She replied with a smile, "Veterinarian is a very noble profession. Dr. Loren is very caring and patient, and Lucky likes him very much."

Hearing his parents’ words, Loren’s brows furrowed almost imperceptibly, but he quickly returned to normal. When he looked at Irene, his eyes held a hint of apology and more sincere gentleness.

The Fergus couple soon returned to other social obligations, leaving only Irene and Loren. They tasted fine wine and chatted about everything under the sun.

Irene discovered that besides not being very interested in Hollywood, Loren was quite knowledgeable about many things, whether it was the small animals he often encountered in his profession, high-speed sports like racing and skiing, or even art, which Irene didn’t like at all. She became more and more interested in him.