章 222: Ready

Jennifer gazed at the bright and carefree smile on Renly's lips, much like a flower blossoming proudly upon the first gust of spring breeze. In an instant, this brilliance added a touch of radiance to the entire world. His bright eyes narrowed into slender lines due to the exuberance of his smile. The subtle radiance revealed the delight that followed mischief, his sly and triumphant expression akin to that of a child.

This reminded Jennifer of the time when Renly held a kite at the Sinai Hospital. Unlike his usual mature, steady, and gentlemanly demeanor, that simple, pure, and clean smile made him seem like a child—a five-year-old child, full of sunshine, beauty, and innocence.

Renly's banter elicited laughter from Drake and the others as well. Though they weren't sure what had just occurred, the playful and mocking tone was undeniably amusing.

Jennifer tugged at the corners of her mouth, joining in the laughter with everyone else. Yet, her laughter held a hint of dryness. She averted her gaze from that dazzling smile, her eyelids drooping slightly. In her chest, her heartbeat echoed like a "thump, thump," bounding lightly like a young deer. This unfamiliar sensation caused a slight sheen of sweat to form on her fingertips.

Although Renly had only been demonstrating, Jennifer had reacted as though she were a high school student encountering something completely new, flustered and at a loss. But then again, she was a high school student. The thought struck her as absurd, and a laughter that was part bemusement, part amusement, part shyness, and part speechlessness bubbled up from deep within her throat. It was a fleeting flutter that made Jennifer find it even funnier the more she thought about it. Unable to contain herself any longer, she chuckled, joining the group's laughter, albeit a beat behind.

After finally calming down from the laughter, Jennifer abruptly said, "A childlike smile."

"What?" Drake and the others were utterly confused, their heads full of question marks.

Jennifer turned her head to look at them. "Renly just asked me why Sam fell for Jacob. I said, "A childlike smile"." Then Jennifer turned back, looking at Renly. She paused for a moment before continuing, "And a lingering melancholy between the brows that makes me want to reach out and smooth it away, and then... see that childlike smile again."

As she spoke, Jennifer raised her right hand amidst the puzzled gazes of the others. Her slender fingertips stretched towards Renly's brows, as if attempting to smooth out the faint creases with her touch.

Renly wasn't particularly comfortable with this. Subconsciously, he leaned backward, distancing himself from the probing fingertips.

However, even with this small movement, this reflexive response, the air seemed to freeze for a moment. Then suddenly, Jennifer withdrew her fingertips and burst into a hearty laughter. "Hahaha!" As she watched Renly's composed expression, she found herself uncontrollably amused, clutching her stomach as she laughed heartily.

One prank returned for another, and Jennifer had exacted her revenge on Renly.

Seeing Jennifer retract her fingertips, Renly had already caught on. Upon reflection, the absurd sense of amusement welled up within him. Subsequently, he witnessed Jennifer's unabashed, unmasked, and unpretentious laughter—a sound so genuine and free. A smile tugged at the corners of Renly's mouth as he couldn't help but join in, his laughter resonating with pure delight.

This time, Drake, seated by the side, refrained from joining in. He watched Renly and Jennifer burst into laughter, exchanging glances with an expression of helplessness. Meanwhile, Felicity stood there, lips pressed together, suppressing her laughter. She found the scene highly amusing but wasn't certain if her laughter would be considered impolite, so she exercised a bit of self-control.

"Hey, you two," Drake couldn't hold back, waving his hand to halt the two before him. "Both of you! Renly, you should communicate with Felicity and kindle some sparks. She's your lover, your wife."

This perspective was quintessentially that of a director. They were largely oblivious to the chemistry and cohesion among actors, merely cobbling together their thoughts as they saw fit. Directors who, like William Wyler, understood how to guide actors, were indeed rare.

Upon hearing the director's words, all four actors chuckled, and Jennifer mumbled, "When's the wedding?"

Drake had just used the real names of the two actors instead of Jacob and Anna. Generally, to distinguish between reality and fiction, actors were careful about whether or not to use their character names from the script. Of course, this didn't apply to popcorn commercial films.

Jennifer's teasing once again brought even more joy to the actors.

Renly's gaze fell on Felicity. He nodded at her in a friendly gesture, and she quickly reciprocated with a nod. Then he turned his attention to the perplexed director. "Drake, in the movie, Anna and I go from not knowing each other to knowing, from knowing to falling in love, from love to inseparability. This process of exploration requires us to maintain a certain distance, which benefits our performance."

In other words, they were cultivating their feelings based on the filming process, synchronizing reality with the movie. However, this method wasn't universally applicable; it wouldn't work if the movie employed a non-linear timeline.

After speaking, Renly looked back at Felicity. "What we need right now isn't sparks, but understanding."

Renly had already begun to capture some of Jacob's essence. As Drake had mentioned, Jacob liked Anna's eyes. Coincidentally, Felicity also possessed captivating eyes.

This marked the first official communication between Renly and Felicity since they met today. Though it was merely an exchange of glances, Felicity had read the depth behind Renly's eyes. She nodded in agreement. "I agree with Jennifer's perspective: a smile."

Drake was clearly lost by this seemingly random statement, and Charlie appeared somewhat bewildered. Yet Renly, Jennifer, and Felicity exchanged glances, revealing understanding. What Felicity had conveyed was that Anna fell for Jacob's shining point: his smile.

However, Anna and Sam were clearly different. What Sam saw was a smile revealed within heartbreak, while Anna witnessed a radiant smile with no reservations—an innocent, bashful, and gently restrained smile.

Renly spread his hands in a gesture of helplessness. "Seems like I'll have to reduce my smiles from now on. Otherwise, too many people will follow suit. It's a kind of trouble," he lamented. This self-satisfied appearance carried a hint of mischievous childlike playfulness. Both Jennifer and Felicity couldn't help but laugh. The two women exchanged glances, then simultaneously displayed expressions of disdain toward Renly, further enhancing the cheerful atmosphere.

Drake and Charlie sat nearby, their faces bewildered, truly disheartened.

Renly had indeed gained a lot today. The script written by Drake had its deficiencies. It lacked Anna's psychological groundwork and the subplots of Sam and Simon, which meant that most of the time, Drake had focused on narrating his, that is, Jacob's, inner world. From his perspective, the experiences gained from his shattered marriage and conversations with his ex-wife were used to outline the full scope of the story.

Renly believed that Drake must have had extensive conversations with his ex-wife, hence the intricate depiction of Anna in the film. However, for Renly, he lacked the pieces of the puzzle that constituted how Anna and Sam saw him. Through dialogue and interaction, he could now fill in those gaps. This was crucial for shaping his character.

"So, what's our plan from here on?" After the joking, Renly steered the conversation back to work. "When do we start shooting?"

"This afternoon," Drake provided a concise answer. An independent film crew operated this way—minimal preparation and formalities, ready to start filming anytime, anywhere. "We'll start shooting in Los Angeles first, then move to London. The final climax will be shot in Los Angeles again. Jennifer's scenes will be shot in one go, so there's no need for you to accompany us to London. As for Charlie, it's up to your arrangement. Whether you want to stay here, come with us to London, or go back early to see your family and await our reunion, it's all fine."

"Why?" Felicity was the one asking. She wore a perplexed expression. "Can't we finish filming in Los Angeles first and then go to London? Or switch it around?"

"The ending embodies the sorrows brought about by the passage of time. If we complete it all at once here, on one hand, I'm concerned it might be difficult for you to get into the emotional state. And of course, as the director, capturing these delicate shots might not be meticulous enough. On the other hand, after heading to London, these emotions might influence your performance. The turmoil caused by time flowing backward could have a certain impact. I'll strive to adhere to the chronological timeline for filming," Drake explained in detail. The actors all nodded slightly to signify their understanding. "So, any more questions?"

Drake's gaze fell on the four actors before him. None of them had further inquiries. They exchanged glances, all displaying smiles. "Great! Let's prepare to start work now! I've waited for this day for so long. Now that Renly has joined, I'm really eager to get to work!"

After speaking, Drake stood up, rubbing his hands together, as if he was ready to roll up his sleeves and get to work.

Originally, Charlie had planned to stand up as well. However, after observing his three colleagues next to him, who were as steady as mountains, he hesitated for a moment. Ultimately, he remained seated. Then he heard Renly's voice, carrying a faint smile, chime in, "Drake, aren't you planning to start working after lunch? Or is our first scene today going to be about eating?"

Jacob and Anna's first date occurred when they met in a café, which could loosely be considered a scene involving food.

Drake froze for a moment, then quickly caught on. He scratched his head and chuckled sheepishly. "Lunch, yes, lunch first. Of course, lunch comes first. I'm starving." He promptly sat back down.