บท 304: Scapegoat
"Patter, shuffle..." Disordered footsteps passed by the rockery, accompanied by coarse and irritable complaints. "Damn it!" However, the person didn't linger, moving quickly while scanning the surroundings. After a brief inspection, they hurriedly departed, fearing that their steps would slow down and they would lose track.
Renly found the scene quite amusing. The other three couldn't help but hold their breath, worried that the slightest movement might reveal their position. Only Renly was calmly breathing as if everything was normal. Yet, his composure seemed almost out of place, like an oddity. He could even sense the accusatory glares from the others, seemingly blaming him if they were discovered.
A touch of absurdity laced with a hint of humor.
Renly couldn't help but wonder if all public figures were pursued by paparazzi in such a desperate manner. If he remembered correctly, the gentleman who had taken out the lighter earlier was quite distinct among the many artists evading the paparazzi.
The footsteps gradually faded into the distance. Renly cleared his throat, about to speak. Unexpectedly, the three around him simultaneously produced a collective "shh" sound, afraid that the paparazzi might double back, causing them to motion for Renly to remain quiet. The issue was that the combined "shh" sound from the three of them was even louder than Renly clearing his throat.
After a brief silence, the crisis finally eased. Leonardo DiCaprio lightly coughed, then began, "How did you end up here?" His tone was slightly stiff, showing unfamiliarity.
Renly and Scarlett exchanged glances. In the dim light, their expressions were unclear, only a flicker of light in their eyes could be vaguely seen. Both of them revealed a trace of amusement – how were they going to explain this? It was a rather long story.
So, Scarlett straightforwardly replied, "I haven't asked you yet. Why are you here? If it weren't for you, how would the paparazzi know we're here? We were quietly staying with the tour group, behaving properly, not doing anything unusual. We were completely at ease. It's definitely because some tourists recognized both of you, which caused the commotion!"
"Or maybe it's your modeling agency attracting the attention of others. These days, everyone on Oahu is discussing your yacht's docking location. That's why the paparazzi are relentless! Hawaii is so big, couldn't you have gone somewhere else? Seriously!"
Scarlett launched into a rapid-fire speech, directly overwhelming Leonardo. She then patted Renly's shoulder and said, "Let's go, let's leave quickly. Staying near them, I'm afraid we'll be spotted by reporters soon. God, I knew Jack couldn't be relied on."
"Jack" not only referred to the joke from "Titanic", but the joke itself had its own reference. "Jack" is one of the most frequently used boys' names in the American West. Shouting "Jack" on the street would likely garner several responses.
After speaking, Scarlett turned around and briskly left. Renly, not in a hurry or displeased, nodded in acknowledgment toward Leonardo and Blake. Then, following Scarlett's footsteps, he also departed.
Leonardo remained in place, opening his mouth, full of question marks. He looked at Blake, trying to seek answers. Clearly, she was equally clueless. Her eyes were full of confusion, as if saying, "What just happened?"
With his experienced intuition, Leonardo was the first to catch on. Following the steps of Renly and Scarlett, he quickly caught up, calling out, "Wait, wait."
Moving away from behind the rockery, the light immediately brightened. Leonardo spotted Scarlett and Renly sitting not far away. Without further contemplation, he walked straight over. "Scarlett! And this... gentleman. The paparazzi clearly followed the two of you. If it wasn't for you, we wouldn't have been noticed at all."
Blake followed suit and joined them. She then heard Scarlett retaliate without hesitation, "Then what were you doing hiding behind the rockery? Weren't you avoiding the paparazzi? Or are you going to tell me that you were so desperate that you even refused to return to the hotel?"
Scarlett's direct and sharp words caught Leonardo off guard. Blake's cheeks warmed slightly, but she found Scarlett's boldness rather amusing. A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth, and she noticed the unfamiliar man waving to them, signaling for them to sit down.
Blake was a bit puzzled, but the man's eyes revealed a faintly resigned smile. "Sit down. Standing makes you an easy target. You two are like lighthouses in the dark, attracting all those moths and beetles over."
A soft chuckle escaped from Blake involuntarily, especially seeing the awkward embarrassment on Leonardo's face. The humor intensified.
Blake promptly took a seat next to Scarlett, then patted the empty space beside her, looking up at Leonardo.
Under Blake's gaze, Leonardo mumbled complaints, struggling to understand the words. Eventually, he sat in the last available spot. However, after a moment's consideration, he felt unsatisfied. "It wasn't us, absolutely not us. We noticed the paparazzi and chose to leave. But I'm certain..." Before he could finish the sentence about the paparazzi not following, he was interrupted once again.
"Have you considered why the paparazzi initially showed up at a tourist attraction like the cultural village?" Scarlett countered unyieldingly. In her excitement, she even sat up straight, leaning past Blake to fix her gaze directly on Leonardo. After speaking, she offered an apologetic smile to Blake.
Leonardo wanted to argue back but couldn't find the right words. Frustrated, he sighed, rolling his eyes dramatically. Then he stared at Scarlett and said, "Who knows? Maybe it's because of you guys. How would you know it was us?"
"Are you saying it's me?" Renly casually interjected, disrupting the rhythm of the debate. The three of them were momentarily silenced, especially Leonardo, whose expression stiffened. He had no idea how to respond. However, Renly didn't seem to mind. He offered a friendly smile and extended his right hand politely. "Renly Hall."
Renly's earlier statement couldn't have been clearer – he was an insignificant individual. In terms of fame, not to mention Leonardo, he couldn't even compare to Blake Lively. Obviously, the paparazzi wouldn't chase him for any reason.
Leonardo had intended to say, "I meant Scarlett," but that would have been even more impolite, as if he was belittling the less famous Renly. The words got stuck in his throat, and he hesitated, looking at Renly's outstretched hand, unsure how to react.
For a brief second, the atmosphere froze, awkwardness creeping in. Scarlett struggled to hold back her laughter, finding it quite a challenge. Renly's timing was indeed exquisite, completely derailing the argument and stifling it instantly.
In the end, it was Blake who broke the silence. She proactively reached out and shook Renly's right hand, introducing herself. Afterward, Leonardo also politely shook hands, maintaining his gentlemanly demeanor. "Leonardo," he said. However, when he grasped Renly's right hand, he paused for a moment, a fleeting complexity in his eyes that was difficult to put into words.
Renly, however, didn't mind. He smiled and said, "Nice to meet you. If time allows, I'd be happy to express what the movies "Titanic" and "Inception" mean to me. By the way, your performance in "Romeo + Juliet" was truly remarkable. But I believe now isn't the best time."
Renly's speech was paced unhurriedly, yet the content flowed seamlessly. Leonardo couldn't find an opportunity to interject. Just as he was about to share his perspective, he saw Renly release his right hand and glance behind him. Simultaneously, Renly spoke, "What we need to do now is stay calm and pretend we're tourists resting here."
Leonardo didn't quite grasp the meaning of those words. He turned his head and saw the paparazzo's figure!
That darn paparazzo, he just couldn't shake him off. Leonardo quickly lowered his head. Blake grasped his arm, and their heads leaned close together, simulating a hushed conversation.
In his peripheral vision, Leonardo could see Scarlett and Renly. Their performances, however, were much more composed. Renly had his legs crossed, leaning back against the chair, his head tilting slightly backward, appearing to relax. Scarlett had one hand folded on Renly's right shoulder, her head resting on her arm. It looked as if she were resting with her eyes closed after exhaustion.
Both of their postures were remarkably natural and adeptly concealed their faces while avoiding drawing attention – truly ingenious.
However, Leonardo now wanted to change his posture, but it was too late. He could only continue keeping his head down. His neck grew a bit stiff, and he could see the paparazzo's footsteps hurrying past them. There was no suspicion whatsoever. This let out a small sigh of relief. It seemed like they had narrowly escaped this ordeal, as if they had dodged a bullet.
Elliott was thoroughly puzzled. He had originally locked onto Scarlett's figure, accompanied by a man who seemed somewhat familiar, possibly like Renly. Yet he wasn't certain if this connection arose from seeing Renly on the Sunset Beach today, perhaps subconsciously making the association, or if it was entirely someone else.
However, while he pursued, the two seemed to vanish completely. Even their fleeing figures were no longer visible. He knew they must have hidden in some corner. But the problem was, where? Even more importantly, he had heard from colleagues that Leonardo's figure had appeared at the cultural village. Despite wandering around in circles for quite a while, he hadn't spotted them, making him wonder whether the information was true or false.
Looking around at the crowd, he felt utterly lost, unable to figure out where to start. It left Elliott feeling quite defeated.
Just then, a voice behind him rang out excitedly, "Leo!" Elliott reflexively turned around.
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