Chapter 397: The Waltz and the Buckingham Palace

"Luo Quan is an old-school straight-as-a-rod girl; dancing is simply impossible for her."

"She might not know the waltz, but she can definitely throw down a few sets of military boxing."

"Doing military boxing at the Queen's birthday celebration in the UK? Trying to show off our national prestige?"

"If she actually does that, I'm calling her 'Grandpa Quan' from now on!"

………………

Clearly, the male fans didn't think Luo Quan would know how to waltz.

That sort of thing is too high-society, and it doesn't really fit Luo Quan's temperament.

Facing these teases, Luo Quan didn't offer any explanation.

Learning something like the waltz would just be a matter of a passing thought for her, but there was no real need.

You can't dance a waltz by yourself, and it's a partner dance for a man and a woman; was she supposed to find a male dance partner at the ball to dance with her?

Luo Quan felt she had no such need.

Although, judging by the news she just saw, the ball had invited quite a lot of handsome men and beautiful women, many of whom were figures on the TCC list of the world's 100 most beautiful faces.

If one could stand out at such a ball, it would absolutely garner a massive amount of attention.

Luo Quan liked being in the spotlight too, but if the spotlight could only be obtained by dancing with a boy, then forget it.

After all, from birth until now, she didn't seem to have ever held hands with a boy her own age, let alone danced.

Rather than obsessing over these things, it would be better to spend the time finishing the post-production of her film.

From boarding the plane to getting off, Luo Quan was either sleeping or working, occasionally leaving her seat to do some exercise.

After resting at the hotel for a night, at 10:00 AM on the 27th, Luo Quan was woken up by a phone call from Gao Liang.

"Hello?" Luo Quan rubbed her eyes and answered the phone.

"Sis, have you arrived in London?" The sound on Gao Liang's end was a bit noisy; he seemed to be on the street.

"Arrived early, just catching up on sleep at the hotel." Luo Quan stretched on the bed like a cat and then said, "I've pretty much caught up now."

"That's good. Hurry up and wash up and have some breakfast. Grandpa is going to take us to Buckingham Palace in a bit."

"Buckingham Palace? To see the Queen?" Upon hearing this, Luo Quan's sleepiness vanished without a trace.

"That's right."

"Then do I need to change into something more formal?" Luo Quan threw off the quilt, stood up, and started rummaging through her suitcase.

"No need, just wear your usual clean clothes. The banquet isn't until tomorrow."

"That's fine then. I only prepared one formal dress, and if I wore it today, I'd have to find another one for tomorrow." Luo Quan felt relieved and took out a set of clean clothes from her suitcase.

Half an hour later, Gao Liang, who was waiting outside the hotel, saw his sister sprinting out.

"So fast?" Gao Liang looked surprised; he had thought he would have to wait at least an hour, as it was widely accepted that girls took a long time to shower and put on makeup.

"How long could a shower possibly take?" Luo Quan chuckled, opened the door of the extended Rolls-Royce, and sat inside.

There were three people in the car: Butler Barry and Grandpa were in the front, and Gao Liang was sitting in the back.

Butler Barry and Grandpa were dressed quite formally, in suits with top hats.

Gao Liang, on the other hand, was wearing a brown leather jacket and light blue jeans.

Just like his sister, Gao Liang wasn't usually very particular about dressing up.

Perhaps this was the willfulness of having off-the-charts good looks; no matter how ugly the clothes were, it wouldn't affect his appearance.

After the car started, Luo Quan asked Grandpa:

"Grandpa, how should I address the Queen when I see her later?"

"We are all the same; we must address her as Her Majesty the Queen," Charles said.

"I shouldn't need to kneel, right?" Luo Quan turned her head to look at Gao Liang.

Gao Liang waved his hand: "No need to kneel, that hasn't been required for a long time."

"That's good."

The car moved along, stopping and starting, and the closer they got to Westminster, the more police they could see.

In recent years, the UK had taken in quite a few refugees from the Middle East, and these refugees were a mixed bag; it was unclear how many terrorists there were among them.

Although London hadn't experienced terrorist attacks every few days like Paris, it was better to be safe than sorry.

During the Queen's birthday, one could never be too careful.

Therefore, the intensity of inspections throughout London had increased significantly, especially for vehicles and pedestrians heading toward Buckingham Palace.

Although Charles was considered a big shot in London, his car was still stopped multiple times along the way, and they were screened using instruments and police dogs.

After driving onto the street outside Buckingham Palace, the vehicle was completely stopped.

According to regulations, during the days of the Queen's birthday banquet, no vehicles were allowed to enter Buckingham Palace, and everyone in the car had to get out and walk.

While walking on the steps, Gao Liang complained:

"This is the reason I don't like coming here. We're clearly relatives, yet they treat us like thieves, frisking us with instruments every time we enter or leave. It's really unpleasant."

Luo Quan could understand: "After all, it's the Queen's residence, and there are probably many high-ranking officials inside right now. Being cautious is normal."

As she spoke, a team of soldiers in red military uniforms walked past.

These soldiers' uniforms were different from modern military ones; they were somewhat retro, likely the famous British Lobsterbacks.

"Speaking of which, do these soldiers really have combat capability, or are they just an honor guard?" Luo Quan suddenly became curious.

"Don't know." Gao Liang shook his head. "When I played here as a kid, I teased a few soldiers on guard duty, but they were all like stone statues and didn't react at all.

But they do look quite good when they handle their rifles."

As they talked, the group arrived at the main gate of Buckingham Palace.

The statues, fountains, plaza, stone pillars, and reliefs—the overwhelming historical atmosphere made Luo Quan feel emotional.

But for some reason, in this luxurious and magnificent building, Luo Quan felt a hint of decay, far less filled with the atmosphere of a prosperous age than the Forbidden City.

Although she hadn't visited the Forbidden City in person, this kind of atmosphere could be felt just by watching videos.

Perhaps this was the boost in momentum brought by the national fortune to these representative buildings. If one had come here over a hundred years ago, when the British Empire still dominated the world, it would probably have been a different scene.

"Duke Charles, Her Majesty the Queen has been waiting for you and your family for a long time." A person who looked like a butler walked over and bowed to Charles.

Butler Barry was left outside, and Charles led his grandson and granddaughter into Buckingham Palace.

After winding their way through, the group arrived at the study on the third floor.

The butler knocked on the door and received a reply to enter.

There were quite a few people in the study—men, women, old, and young; the Queen, the Wang Chu, princes, princesses, little princes, and princesses—adding up to seven or eight people.

"Charles, long time no see." The white-haired old lady sitting in the innermost chair saw Charles at a glance and spoke up to greet him.

Charles stepped forward, placed his right hand on his chest, and bowed:

"Your Majesty the Queen, your spirit is still as good as ever."

This wasn't flattery, but the absolute truth.

Tomorrow was the Queen's 90th birthday, but her appearance and energy looked as if she had just turned 60, especially those eyes, clear and spirited.

On the contrary, her son, Wang Chu Charles standing to the side, looked somewhat fatigued. It was unclear if it was because of the hard work for his mother's birthday banquet these past few days, but at 66, his complexion looked worse than his mother's.

"Gao Liang, come here to your Great-Aunt quickly." The Queen raised her hand and beckoned to Gao Liang, her face full of joy.

Perhaps because his appearance was too pleasing, although Gao Liang had a mischievous personality, he had been deeply loved by the Queen since he was a child. Every time he returned to the UK, the Queen would let him come to Buckingham Palace to play for a few days.

However, the Queen's own great-grandchildren, out of jealousy and competition for favor, had often ostracized Gao Liang, which was also the biggest reason Gao Liang didn't like coming to Buckingham Palace later on.

Times had changed, but the Queen's genuine love for Gao Liang hadn't changed, and the little princes' jealousy toward Gao Liang hadn't changed either.

After they entered the study and paid their respects to their great-grandmother, the latter only smiled and nodded, neither cold nor warm.

As soon as Gao Liang came in, before he had even said a word of greeting, he was called to his great-grandmother's side, and his great-grandmother was smiling so happily; it was hard to tell who among them and Gao Liang was actually the biological one.

The looks the little princes gave Gao Liang became a bit more unkind.

However, such rebellious thoughts were something the little princes wouldn't dare to voice, even if they had ten times the courage.

"Great-Aunt, this is my sister, Luo Quan." Gao Liang walked to the Queen's side, not forgetting to introduce his sister.

The Queen looked at Luo Quan, a flash of amazement appearing in her eyes. After a long while, she sighed: "What a beautiful girl; even when I was young, I couldn't compare."

Luo Quan had seen photos of the Queen when she was young; she was also a top-tier beauty and possessed great temperament.

To be able to make her utter such a sigh, Luo Quan could be considered one of a kind.

"Thank you for the compliment, Great-Aunt." Luo Quan followed suit and bowed to the Queen.

"Come closer." The Queen beckoned to Luo Quan, wanting to see her up close.

Luo Quan walked generously in front of the Queen, and the latter raised her wrinkled hands and gently cupped Luo Quan's delicate face.

The Queen looked at Luo Quan's face, and it was full of her own appearance from decades ago.

In her eyes was reminiscence, regret, and a hint of amazement.

Amazement at Luo Quan's flawless face, which seemed to have gathered all the beauty in the world.

"Even the most beautiful paintings in the British Museum cannot compare to you." The Queen let go and praised her again.

"Your eye for beauty is comparable to the North Star in the night sky." Gao Liang chuckled and flattered her.

The Queen burst into hearty laughter: "You rascal, still as glib as ever."

Although she said that, seeing the Queen's happy appearance, it was clear she was quite pleased.

However, the little princes to the side were even more resentful.

Fortunately, although they weren't as favored by their great-aunt as Gao Liang, they were still better off than some.

"Queen, Prince Maurice and Princess Fox have arrived." The butler walked over. "They are outside the door right now."

Upon hearing these two names, the Queen's face, which had been full of smiles, suddenly fell.

Originally, according to her temper, she should have directly told this unfilial great-grandson to take that damn American woman and leave immediately. However, Prince Philip to the side tugged at her several times covertly, which finally suppressed her temper.

"Let them in." The Queen let out a long breath through her nose and said coldly.

Gao Liang quickly signaled his sister to step aside, clearly afraid of being implicated.

A man and a woman walked in from outside the door. The man's appearance couldn't be called handsome, but he was quite tall, and his beard gave him a masculine look.

The woman was quite beautiful, and her figure was also very good, just a bit dark-skinned.

"What's the situation?" Luo Quan asked Gao Liang in a low voice.

Gao Liang lowered his voice and replied: "This is Uncle William's second son, Maurice, our peer. The one over there is his wife, Fox, an American."

"Great-grandmother, Maurice offers you his most sincere greetings and blessings." Maurice didn't bow, but greeted his elder like a junior in an ordinary family.

"Me too." Fox revealed a smile.

With so many people present, the Queen didn't want to make them too embarrassed.

Although Maurice had already declared his departure from the royal family, this bloodline could not be severed no matter what.

No matter how rebellious, this was still her great-grandson.

It was this American woman; if it weren't for her, Maurice wouldn't have made such a decision that brought shame to the royal family.

The Queen nodded gently: "Since you're here, stay for a few days. Your parents miss you quite a bit."

Prince Maurice was also very tactful; knowing that he and his wife weren't welcome, he went to the corner of the study after greeting her, far away from the Queen.

However, the atmosphere, which had been harmonious, ultimately became tense because of their arrival.

As outsiders, after Charles exchanged a few words with Wang Chu Charles, he took his leave of the Queen, and Gao Liang and Luo Quan also prepared to leave.

Of course, they were only leaving the study; they were to stay at Buckingham Palace tonight, which was a special treatment granted by the Queen.

In the UK, besides the royal family, only people from the Albert family could have this treatment.

After the three left the study, Wang Chu Charles followed them out.

"Does Her Majesty the Queen have anything else?" Charles asked.

"It's me." Charles smiled. "I have a request, I'd like your granddaughter Luo Quan to help."

Charles looked at Luo Quan.

The latter hurriedly said: "Please speak." But she already had a guess in her heart.

"For the ball tomorrow night, my mother has been looking forward to it for a long time. If possible, I'd like Luo Quan to compose a piece." Wang Chu Charles looked at Luo Quan, his eyes full of anticipation.

"Like the one I composed at Grandpa's birthday banquet, right?" Luo Quan had expected this.

High society seemed to have this demand; money and power were no longer what they pursued—fame, fame that could be passed down through the ages, was.

Ever since Charles became famous in London thanks to his granddaughter's music, many people had approached him with requests for Luo Quan to compose music.

However, they had all been rejected by Charles.

But today, running into Luo Quan in person, she really couldn't refuse.

On the other hand, she had quite a good impression of the Queen; it was the old lady's 90th birthday, so composing a piece was perfectly reasonable.

Luo Quan said to Wang Chu Charles: "No problem, I'll write the music in a bit, but it's probably too late to rehearse now, so we'll have to play a recording then."

"Thank you." Wang Chu Charles smiled and said sincerely.