Chapter 528: Significant change
His brain still felt groggy, and his eyes struggled to open fully. He raised a hand to rub his eyes and casually made a jest. However, the next moment, a burst of screams erupted from beside him. The piercing shouts were nearly out of control, piercing into his ears with such force that it jolted his mind awake. But the problem was, his eyes still refused to cooperate and open.
The bustling crowd of people surrounded Renly, closing in on him, and their steps moved slowly forward, resembling a cumbersome beehive. The noisy cheers shattered the morning's tranquility, and the golden sunlight in the air began to simmer, almost threatening to engulf Renly.
Seeing Renly trapped within this encirclement, Andy and Nathan hurriedly ran over, attempting to lend a hand. However, Andy's slightly plump figure couldn't run and lacked the strength, so he ended up standing outside the crowd, sighing deeply as he watched Nathan squeeze his way in. In the midst of two or three dozen people, it felt as if there was no end in sight.
Andy quickly circumvented the crowd and entered the warehouse, where he found the staff inside. A group of them emerged and began maintaining order. Finally, they managed to rescue Renly from the core of the encirclement, allowing him to enter the warehouse. However, the enthusiastic fans remained outside the warehouse door, unable to contain their excitement. Their shouts, screams, and celebrations filled the air, adding to the sweltering summer heat.
Renly rubbed his eyes once more. While he was awake now, his mind was even more chaotic. He still had no idea what had just happened, and he looked around with a face full of question marks. However, he didn't know who to turn to for help, and his focus drifted aimlessly in the air.
Seeing Renly in such a bewildered state, Andy couldn't help but smile. It was only during moments like this that he appeared as a twenty-one-year-old youngster. "What's the matter? Haven't you experienced such fervent teenage fan support before? I thought you'd seen it in London and Seoul." In such a situation, Andy couldn't resist teasing and jesting.
Renly blinked in confusion but soon couldn't help but laugh. He opened his eyes and carefully observed his surroundings. Only then did he realize that he had arrived at his destination. He took a few steps forward, looking around, and tried to find Nathan. Right now, he needed a cup of coffee to wake up. However, he couldn't spot Nathan among the scattered staff members surrounding him.
Everyone seemed to stand about three or four steps away, like security guards. They didn't approach, but they didn't leave either. They all just gazed intently at him, which was quite peculiar. Renly continued walking a few more steps forward, and then he noticed that everyone followed him, taking two steps forward as well. The scene was rather comical.
"Could someone tell me what's going on with these satellites orbiting around me?" Renly still hadn't completely shaken off the sleep, having only slept for three hours. It felt as though he hadn't slept at all. As he spoke, he felt his throat tickle and dry, and his husky voice made him miss his bed once more.
Hearing Renly's complaints, everyone burst into laughter. "They're all admiring the hottest actor of the moment," a voice cut through the noise and rang out. It was getting closer, accompanied by footsteps that drew nearer until finally stopping in front of Renly. "Long time no see. You look quite dashing today."
Renly looked carefully at the person in front of him. His brain, still groggy, responded somewhat sluggishly to the unfamiliar surroundings. However, after about half a second, he snapped back to reality and couldn't help but chuckle in response, quipping, "That's news to me. "Dashing" has never been one of my adjectives."
Standing before him was a familiar face, an old acquaintance, Daisy Lucas, a reporter from Vanity Fair. Renly's first interview, back when he gained recognition with "The Pacific", was with Daisy. But back then, it had been a group interview. This time, it had turned into a one-on-one interview. Reflecting on it, that had happened about a year ago.
Daisy's gaze landed on Renly, and his husky voice carried a hint of magnetism, like a cello gently playing in one's ear. The lazy smile on his lips resembled the faint evening clouds at the edge of the sky during early summer, sketching out a vivid sunset. Involuntarily, uncontrollably, his heartbeats lost their usual rhythm, and his gaze nervously shifted away.
"Upon hearing that, how many women must have had their hearts broken?" Even though she averted her gaze, Daisy didn't lose her composure. With a simple jest, she concealed her true thoughts and raised her head to greet Renly. "Didn't you hear it? The screams outside the warehouse?"
"Oh, were those the fans you paid to invite?" Renly's expression suddenly showed enlightenment. He nodded solemnly, as if genuinely pleased. In an instant, everyone around burst into laughter.
Amid the laughter, Renly noticed Nathan running over, panting heavily. In his hand, he held a deep brown paper bag. He came to a stop in front of Renly, handed him the coffee, and then lifted the bag. "I've put it on the dressing table. Do you need a cup of honey lemon water too?"
No wonder Nathan had disappeared earlier. Apparently, he had already learned about Renly's breakfast preferences.
"Yes, please. Thank you." A smile crept onto Renly's lips as he took a sip of the coffee. The rich aroma filled the air, not Starbucks, but freshly ground coffee, no sugar, just two scoops of milk. With each sip, he could feel the scorching and rich fragrance glide smoothly down his tongue and into his stomach, even his fingertips relaxed.
Guided by Daisy, Renly approached the dressing table and took a seat. He hadn't even had a chance to speak when three or four people stood nearby, gazing expectantly at him. Renly, who had received a gentleman's education from a young age, naturally didn't miss these glances. He raised his head and politely looked at them. "Are we starting the makeup now? I need to freshen up a bit first."
However, he soon noticed that everyone's expressions were somewhat peculiar. Then, he heard Daisy explaining, "They want to get your autograph, and if it's possible, a group photo would be even better." After saying this, Daisy placed her hand on her forehead in exasperation. "My God, can't you guys say it yourselves? You're making me explain this. It's embarrassing."
Renly couldn't hide his surprise. He had thought that this kind of thing wasn't popular in Hollywood. However, he then saw several people handing over prepared items. Two of them held posters featuring Renly's character from "Fast 5", one person held a poster from "Like Crazy" released at the Sundance Film Festival, and another person...
"Oh? Has the DVD been released?" Renly exclaimed in delight as he received it. It turned out to be the DVD of "The Pacific". He examined it closely, feeling the DVD set in his hand. This was it, the carrier of that precious performance experience, forever recorded on the disc. The lightweight package felt as heavy as a mountain, but Renly's smile couldn't help but widen. "I was talking about this with Rami on the phone a couple of days ago. I wonder if the DVD has been released. Is it already on the market?"
There was no response.
Renly raised his head and saw the girl trembling with excitement, her whole body shaking, her eyes filled with disbelief. She opened her mouth wide, unable to take her eyes off Renly. This made him smile, and he quipped, "With the way you look, someone might think I stole your most cherished possession. Sorry, I just didn't see the DVD, and I was curious."
The girl nodded and then shook her head, unable to say a word. Renly turned to Daisy and said, "So, Robert Pattinson and Justin Bieber must have felt like this, right?"
"Haha." Everyone clapped and laughed, including Daisy, who was caught off guard, and then burst into laughter.
Renly looked at the girl again and asked, "May I know your name?"
"...Beth," the girl stuttered.
"Elizabeth's nickname?" Renly inquired. After receiving confirmation from her, he said, "Elizabeth, can I make a deal with you? You give me this DVD, and I'll buy a new one and give it to you. Is that okay? I want to make a keepsake. This is my first work, and it's the first time I've seen the physical DVD."
Elizabeth Peterson couldn't hold back any longer and screamed, then quickly covered her mouth. Her eyes were filled with joy, and she nodded repeatedly, vigorously. Her frantic and forceful gestures vividly expressed her inner excitement and elation.
"Elizabeth," he called her "Elizabeth". At this moment, all Elizabeth wanted to do was twirl and dance to release the excitement and enthusiasm bubbling inside her.
Elizabeth is an extremely common English name, and Americans often use nicknames for convenience—Liz, Ellie, Betty, Beth, Lisa, Liza, Bess, Ella, Effie, and many more, over forty in total. Even Americans themselves often poke fun at this name.
But today, for the first time, Elizabeth felt that her full name was surprisingly elegant and noble, as if a lover were whispering in her ear with a pure London accent. After her friends finished getting autographs, Elizabeth left. They were interns at Vanity Fair, and there was still work to be done today. She happily announced to her friends, "From today on, you can call me Elizabeth!"
Even more surprisingly, before the magazine's photo shoot was completed, Elizabeth received her brand new "The Pacific" DVD set from Renly's assistant. On it was written in elegant letters:
"Dear Elizabeth,
Thank you for your gift and your gesture of kindness. This means a lot to me; it's where I started my career as an actor, a memory that's worth cherishing forever. I hope you enjoy this series, and of course, I hope you like "Fast 5" as well. Finally, I wish you a wonderful day.
Yours, Renly Hall."
Everyone crowded around, eager to catch a glimpse of the special gift in Elizabeth's hands. However, she held it tightly to her chest, wearing a happy expression. "This is mine, it belongs to me."
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