"Brother, that looks like Sister Lijun!"
Lin Baicheng was taking Lin Shufang and Lin Qin clothes shopping, visiting luxury brand boutiques and picking out several stylish outfits for them.
They had just visited a few stores and bought some clothes when Lin Qin suddenly pointed ahead. Following her gaze, Lin Baicheng saw two young women chatting nearby.
"It does look like her. Should we go over and take a look?"
Lin wasn't completely sure—he only saw their side profiles, and both women wore sunglasses. One of them had a figure resembling Teresa Teng, but he wasn't certain.
Before he said anything, Lin Qin had already run over.
"Sister Lijun! It really is you!"
She hadn't mistaken her. One of the women was indeed Teresa Teng.
"Miss Lin."
Teresa Teng was surprised to meet Lin Qin here. She also noticed Lin Baicheng and Lin Shufang walking over—along with the bodyguards she had seen before.
Yes, Lin had brought bodyguards, though they kept their distance and did not wear suits or sunglasses. If Teresa Teng hadn't met them previously, she would have thought they were just ordinary passersby.
"Miss Teng, what a coincidence. I didn't expect to meet you here. And this is…?"
Lin greeted Teresa Teng and then looked at the woman beside her. She wore sunglasses, so he had no idea who she was.
"Hello, Mr. Lin. I'm Brigitte Lin. Like Sister Lijun, I'm also from Taiwan."
She removed her sunglasses and introduced herself. She recognized Lin Baicheng—after all, Hong Kong's newspapers were filled with news about him these past two days. Anyone who read the papers knew his name.
"Ah—Miss Lin of the East. Pleased to meet you."
Lin hadn't expected to encounter "The Invincible East" here. Brigitte Lin, in her early twenties, was at the height of her youthful beauty—far more stunning than any of her film images he had seen online.
It had to be said: Brigitte Lin was far more beautiful than Teresa Teng. Though Teresa Teng was certainly not plain, in an entertainment industry filled with beauties, she didn't particularly stand out. But actresses with Brigitte Lin's level of beauty—there were very few. There were some, of course, but not many.
Teresa Teng spoke up: "This isn't a good place to chat. Let's find somewhere to get a drink."
Lin naturally agreed, and the group headed to a nearby café.
They ordered coffee and some pastries.
Teresa Teng said to Lin, "Mr. Lin, I haven't congratulated you yet—becoming the largest shareholder of Hutchison Whampoa and taking control of such a major company."
"Thank you."
Lin didn't bother with false modesty—otherwise it would just seem fake.
"This is my sister, Lin Shufang, and my younger sister, Lin Qin."
He introduced them. Teresa Teng had met Lin Qin before, but not Lin Shufang; Brigitte Lin was meeting both sisters for the first time.
"Miss Teng, Miss Lin."
Lin Shufang greeted them with a polite nod.
"Hello, Miss Lin," the two actresses replied.
Hearing them address his sister as "Miss Lin," Lin felt it sounded a little odd, but given that they were meeting for the first time and not close yet, it was understandable.
Lin turned to Brigitte Lin. "Miss Lin… hmm, maybe I should call you Miss Qingxia instead. Are you here in Hong Kong for leisure, or planning to join the film industry here?"
"You can just call me Qingxia," she replied courteously. She wasn't going to tell a new acquaintance the real reason she had come to Hong Kong. So she nodded and said, "I'm considering it. And since Sister Lijun is here, I came to visit her."
Teresa Teng didn't say anything. She knew the real reason.
Back in 1972, during the filming of Outside the Window, Brigitte Lin had developed feelings for her co-star Chin Han, though he was already married. Their mutual affection remained restrained and unfulfilled.
Brigitte Lin suppressed her feelings for years. Later, while filming, she met Charlie Chin. Handsome and elegant, he openly expressed affection for her. Spending time together, she developed some feelings in return. But since Charlie Chin was married to Hsiao Fangfang—and because she still had unresolved feelings for Chin Han—she couldn't accept him.
Unlike Chin Han, though, Charlie Chin was decisive. He found his marriage incompatible and chose to divorce Hsiao Fangfang.
But Brigitte Lin still couldn't accept him and instead chose to escape. Knowing Teresa Teng was in Hong Kong, she came to stay with her.
Lin Baicheng didn't know she had come to Hong Kong to avoid emotional turmoil. But as someone who had written novels set in this era's entertainment scene, he knew all about the famous "Two Chins and One Lin" love triangle. Given her current age, those events should have already taken place.
But all this had nothing to do with Lin. Although he found Brigitte Lin stunning, he was far from "falling in love."
Love at first sight? Nonsense. At least he didn't believe such a thing would ever happen to him. Even if it did, it wouldn't be love—only attraction to beauty.
To put it bluntly: it would just be lust. There was no such thing as genuine love at first sight.
"That's a coincidence. I'm actually planning to establish a cinema chain and start a film company. If I invite you to act in a film in the future, I hope you won't refuse."
Lin smiled as he said it, naturally shifting from "Miss Lin" to simply "Qingxia."
"If I decide to develop my career in Hong Kong, then I'll be counting on your support, Mr. Lin."
Her heart stirred. She knew he was a wealthy businessman. If he truly founded a film company, it wouldn't be a bad choice for her to consider moving to Hong Kong.
"Taiwan is just too small. If I do something, I do it big. Establishing a Hong Kong cinema chain is only the first step. Later I'll expand to Southeast Asia, Japan, and other places, distributing films internationally. That way, box office numbers grow—and actors' pay rises as well. Qingxia, you should really consider developing your career here."
He wasn't exaggerating—only the international expansion would take longer to achieve.
Brigitte Lin nodded. "I'll seriously think about it."
Seeing this, Lin didn't push further and instead changed the topic, including both Teresa Teng and his sisters in the conversation.
After chatting for a while, Teresa Teng and Brigitte Lin took their leave. Lin exchanged contact information with Brigitte Lin—and gave her his own.