Going to Europe

After settling Little Monroe's adoption, Zhang Xuan was in high spirits and naturally wanted to treat everyone to a meal. After a brief thought, he led the group toward Chinatown. Neither Zhang Xuan nor Alex cared for Western food; both preferred Chinese cuisine.

Steve and Bucky deliberately lagged a few steps behind and pulled Zhang Xuan to the rear. Before they could speak, Zhang Xuan spoke first: "I know what you want to ask. Let me explain."

Zhang Xuan thought it over and held back some details—for instance, he didn't confess to taking a thirty percent stake in Stark Industries. He only mentioned pitching an idea to Howard that caught his attention, nothing more. As for his dealings with Vivien Leigh, he held nothing back. On one hand, there was no need to hide it; on the other, this matter would come up often in the future, so he couldn't keep it secret forever.

After hearing Zhang Xuan's account, Steve and Bucky both looked at him with strange expressions, a mix of doubt and envy in their eyes.

"Steve, Bucky, you two have good looks and build. How about coming with me to Hollywood to become big stars?" Zhang Xuan knew their personalities well and said this purely to lighten the mood.

As expected, the moment the words left his mouth, both immediately refused.

"Actually, being a cartoonist is my dream!" That was Steve's aspiration. In truth, his drawing skills were indeed decent.

"I don't have any big dreams. Just find a woman and live a good life." Hard to believe this was the original dream of the man who would later strike fear into many as the Winter Soldier.

Hearing their somewhat wistful words, Zhang Xuan suddenly felt a flicker of hesitation. Should he change history?

Back at An Family Restaurant, a table of authentic, delicious Chinese dishes—full of color, aroma, and flavor—made everyone's mouths water. Even Vivien Leigh set aside her ladylike reserve and eagerly joined the feast.

After the meal, everyone rubbed their bellies and let out a series of sighs.

"I never imagined Chinese food could be this good!" Howard still held a fork in his hand, eyeing the few ribs left on the plate. He patted his already bloated stomach, hesitated for a long moment, then finally put the fork down.

Vivien Leigh was the most graceful of them all. She dabbed the grease from her lips with a napkin, her pretty face glowing with satisfaction: "Thank you, Alex. Chinese food is truly wonderful. I'll definitely come back to try it again if I have the chance."

Little Monroe leaned back in her chair, her belly sticking out. She had eaten so much that she couldn't speak a word. But her round eyes kept darting across the table, as if she wanted to stuff in more. Zhang Xuan quickly stopped her—no matter how good the food, eating to the point of bursting would be a loss to the world!

Among them, Victor alone maintained some dignity, though his aged face carried a hint of lingering regret. From the start, his mind hadn't been on the food at all—it was entirely on the movie. By the time he realized this was a magnificent feast, half the dishes were already gone. In the end, he ate the least and regretted it the most.

"I must eat this again!"

Seeing that everyone was nearly done, Zhang Xuan finally found a chance to bring up business. He had tried to speak several times during the meal, but everyone's attention was on the food, so he had to give up.

"Miss Vivien, could I trouble you to take care of Little Monroe for a while?" After weighing his words, Zhang Xuan looked at Vivien Leigh with a pleading expression.

"What's wrong? What happened?" Zhang Xuan had just adopted Little Monroe, and now he was handing her off to someone else. This puzzled Vivien Leigh, and she looked at him with confusion.

Hearing Zhang Xuan's words, Little Monroe immediately got agitated. She threw her arms around him, tears gushing like an open floodgate, impossible to stop.

"I just need to go to Europe for a few days. I'll be back soon." Going to Europe was something Zhang Xuan had planned long ago. In fact, ever since he learned he had arrived in 1940, he had been planning a trip there.

"Europe? There's a war going on there right now. What are you going to do?" Howard, as an arms dealer, knew the state of World War II well. He frowned at Zhang Xuan's words, puzzled.

Zhang Xuan naturally couldn't reveal his true purpose. After thinking it over, he could only make up an excuse. Feigning a somber tone, he said, "I've found some clues about my father. I want to go to Europe and see."

"Father?" Vivien Leigh, Howard, and the others knew nothing about Zhang Xuan's background and found this strange.

"My father disappeared before I was born. I've been trying to find him all along." Zhang Xuan briefly explained his situation. "Now that I have a lead, I have to go to Europe. I have to find him!"

Hearing this, no one could find a reason to stop him. Only Little Monroe kept crying, "Brother, I don't want you to go! If you have to go, take Monroe with you!"

Zhang Xuan hadn't expected Monroe to be so dependent on him. While feeling a bit smug, he also found it troublesome. Taking a child to Europe really wasn't convenient. The flames of World War II were raging across Europe, and Zhang Xuan didn't dare risk a child's safety.

Just as he was worrying, Vivien Leigh spoke up. Gently patting Little Monroe's back, she said softly, "Little Monroe, brother has important things to do. Let's not hold him up, okay?" Seeing the little girl's crying begin to subside, Vivien quickly added, "Don't you want to become a star? Come with me, and I'll teach you, alright?"

Little Monroe immediately stopped crying. She wriggled out of Zhang Xuan's arms, looked up at Vivien Leigh, then turned to Zhang Xuan, her lively eyes full of conflict.

"Little Monroe, I hope to come back and see a different Monroe. What do you say?" Seeing her expression, Zhang Xuan knew it was time for him to speak.

Little Monroe lifted her head and looked at Zhang Xuan seriously. She nodded solemnly and said, "Brother, Monroe will be different. I'll wait for you to come back!"

"Good, it's a deal!"

After coaxing and cajoling Little Monroe into settling down, Zhang Xuan's trip to Europe was basically decided. After the meal, Victor eagerly pulled Zhang Xuan aside. Knowing Zhang Xuan was about to leave America for Europe, he wanted to nail down the details of the movie "Ghost" as soon as possible.

"Victor, just handle it yourself." Zhang Xuan was a lazy man. His so-called foray into Hollywood was really just selling stories. He didn't want to manage anything else. "I've given you the story. How to shoot it is entirely up to you. You really don't need to ask me!"

"You're the screenwriter and the one who knows the whole story best. You can't shirk your responsibility." Victor wasn't about to let Zhang Xuan off. He grabbed him, insisting on getting his input.

"Fine, Victor, what exactly do you want me to say?" Cornered, Zhang Xuan had no choice but to give in.

"Who do you think should play the lead roles?"

"The female lead is naturally Miss Vivien Leigh. As for Sam and Cal, I'm not familiar with Hollywood's male actors. I'll leave that to you, the director!" Before Victor could react, Zhang Xuan bolted away, his speed rivaling that of a prison escapee.

When Zhang Xuan finally made it back to his apartment, he found Steve and Bucky standing outside the door, looking like they had something to say.

Puzzled, Zhang Xuan invited them inside. Even then, they hesitated to speak. Somewhat confused, he said, "You two, just say what's on your minds. No need to beat around the bush."

"Alex, what are you really going to Europe for?"

PS: Thanks to classmate Mushroom-Is-Delicious for the tip. Scorpion is deeply grateful...