บท 339: Turning a deaf ear

Cornell quickly caught up and saw Renly at the entrance of the café. Renly held the door open and gestured politely for Jessica to enter first. Jessica seemed surprised by Renly's gentlemanly gesture. She paused, smiled slightly, and then lifted her chin in acknowledgment before entering.

"Renly!" Cornell shouted loudly, then sprinted over. Unexpectedly, Renly simply walked in, letting go of the door's handle without any mercy. The door swung heavily and slammed shut, coming down hard toward Cornell. He had to brake urgently, but the road, still icy and snowy, was too slippery. He was certain he couldn't stop in time. He collided with the transparent glass door, using his hands to buffer the impact. If he hadn't, who knew what the result would have been.

A loud "thud" echoed as the impact resounded. About half of the café's patrons turned their heads to see the source of the noise. Jessica naturally did the same, and her surprised expression caused her to slightly part her lips.

But Renly paid no attention, not even bothering to turn around and watch the commotion. He simply raised his head and cast an inquiring glance at Jessica. "What coffee would you like?"

"Black coffee," Jessica withdrew her astonished gaze, looking at Renly who remained calm and composed. She realized that she was making a big deal out of nothing and couldn't help but smile.

"Two cups of black coffee," Renly told the waiter. "There's a documentary screening this afternoon, "Hell and Back Again". But I think getting tickets might be difficult. I wonder if we can snag tickets for the first showing."

Jessica had regained her composure by now. She nodded, "Yes, I've heard about it. The director is a war photographer who shot the entire thing in southern Afghanistan using just a camera."

"Yes, I had the chance to meet the director yesterday. He feels that people these days are becoming desensitized to the brutality of war..." Renly's excitement grew. This documentary was something he had never seen before. He had heard about it, "Hell and Back Again", during a conversation with a bearded man at the bar last night. His interest was piqued.

"Renly!" a voice came from beside them, interrupting Renly and Jessica. Even without looking up, it was easy to guess who it was: Cornell, the ever-persistent Cornell. "You can't refuse my interview. The Oscar nomination list will be announced next week. Aren't you excited at all? Rumor has it that you stabbed a friend in the back to snatch the role in "Buried". Is that true?"

A slight quirk of Renly's eyebrow suggested his skepticism. While he knew journalists would do whatever it took to pry out information, Cornell's words were a mix of truth and falsehood. How much of it was Morgan Fisher's smoke screen, and how much was Weinstein's fabricated rumor? It was hard to tell. One careless step and he could fall into a trap.

With an apologetic smile directed at Jessica, Renly said, "Apologies, flies are always persistent. Hopefully, it won't bring any negative impact to your upcoming work."

For a moment, Jessica didn't understand Renly's cryptic words. They were too nuanced, making her realize in a flash:

Renly recognized her, knowing that she was Jessica Chastain. That was the first surprise. She wasn't very famous in Hollywood, and those who recognized her were few. Renly was apologizing to the journalist for his abruptness, which was the second surprise. After all, they were both actors. The journalist had been pestering him relentlessly, neglecting her. This discrepancy truly made her happy. Renly was even apologizing for the potential upcoming scandal, which was the third surprise. Who knew, at the premiere of "Take Shelter", the journalists might start pestering her...

Most importantly, Renly's expression was so subtly gentlemanly that it not only didn't offend her, but also carried a touch of witty humor, making her chuckle involuntarily. This was the fourth surprise.

Jessica couldn't help but break into a radiant smile, her eyes slightly narrowed. "Do you always treat women so chivalrously? Does that mean there are countless women who like you?"

Renly's lips curled slightly. "Is that praise or criticism? I'll take it as a compliment. At least you didn't say that men who dislike me should line up outside, which is a good thing."

Jessica burst into laughter and then looked up at Cornell beside them. "Mr. Journalist, even in court, under the protection of the Fifth Amendment, individuals have the right to refuse to answer questions from a judge. I'm curious, which law about press freedom specifies that individuals must grant interviews during their private time?"

This time, Renly was taken aback. He hadn't expected Jessica to step up and counter in defense, potentially facing retaliation from the journalists. A simple "What's it to you?" would have been cutting enough. He had also not anticipated Jessica's retort to be so incisive, organized, and eloquent, making him want to applaud in admiration.

So, that's exactly what Renly did.

Jessica redirected her gaze, looked at the amusement in Renly's eyes, smiled faintly, nodded in acknowledgement, and accepted the compliment gracefully.

Standing beside them, Cornell wore a bewildered expression. He could argue back; he had numerous arguments in his arsenal. However, the key was that both Renly and Jessica were unyielding. Even if he countered, even if they refused to grant interviews, he would return empty-handed. In the end, he would be the one left in a sorry state, just like now.

Jessica's casual remark nearly choked him. He felt like he couldn't catch his breath, his chest felt tight, and his heart ached.

Biting his tongue, Cornell forced himself to calm down, reorganize his thoughts, and spoke again, "So, you're on a date. When did you two meet exactly? Is this your first date? Why didn't Jessica accompany you on the red carpet at the Golden Globes? Will Jessica be accompanying you to the Oscars? Are you two on vacation now? How far has your relationship progressed?"

Cornell wasn't worried that they wouldn't provide a response. What he wanted was their response, not rumors. He could make up a whole afternoon's worth of fabrications here, waiting for Renly and Jessica to finally respond. If they didn't, he'd just write up the scandal. After all, journalists always stood undefeated, right?

But Cornell was left disappointed. Renly and Jessica had no intention of answering. They seemed to treat the questions like buzzing flies, appearing perfectly content.

"Jessica, did you know Renly is only twenty-one this year? He's a full twelve years younger than you. Does that bother you? How did sparks fly between you two?" Cornell persisted, unwilling to give up, tirelessly pressing on.

Jessica's eyes widened, her face showing astonishment as she looked at Renly, seemingly saying, "You're just twenty-one?"

Renly shrugged, quirking his mouth. He appeared utterly composed, using his eyes to respond, "So what?"

Jessica's brows lightly furrowed. She gave her chin a slight tilt, a critical look in her eyes. "You don't look your age at all."

A glint flickered in Renly's eyes. He scrutinized Jessica from head to toe and then back again, as if saying, "Neither do you."

With just that one look, Jessica's smile bloomed, softening the rigid lines of her face like a gentle spring breeze.

Cornell felt a pang in his chest, nearly gasping for air. These two individuals treated him as if he were invisible. He had rambled on for three minutes, but they remained as immovable as Mount Tai, sitting comfortably in their spots, communicating solely with their glances. And the most astonishing thing was that there wasn't even any coffee before them, yet they managed to stay seated!

Cornell's anger suddenly surged. He pulled over a chair from the side, even going as far as to add another chair to the table, preparing to settle in for a long, grueling battle.

However, at that moment, a waiter arrived carrying two cups of black coffee. Upon seeing Cornell attempting to set up chairs, the waiter had to interject, "Sir, additional chairs can't be placed in this area. If you and your friend want to sit together, please move to another section. There are open seats there where you can discuss freely."

"Sorry, we don't know this gentleman. He's interrupting our conversation and trying to sell us a product called Amway. Is this something your café permits?" Renly finally spoke up. He had opened his mouth at last, but his words were a surprise, especially given his serious expression, as if conducting a formal protest.

Cornell was momentarily stunned, then he sensed the waiter's dismissive gaze. He quickly clarified, "No... not Amway, I'm not..."

The waiter scrutinized Cornell and noticed the black briefcase he had behind him, stuffed with items. It seemed to bear a striking resemblance to those carried by medical sales representatives. Cornell's defense looked more like a feeble excuse.

Then, the waiter turned his attention back to Renly and Jessica, receiving their affirmative replies. He placed the tray down, "Sir, please leave." Naturally, this was directed at Cornell.

Cornell's eyes nearly bulged from their sockets, wide with shock. His pupils trembled intensely. "You!" Yet all his words of defense remained stifled in his chest. He felt an overwhelming sense of frustration, so extreme he couldn't put it into words.

"Sir, I'm politely asking you to leave. Otherwise, I'll have to use force," the waiter said resolutely. "We don't tolerate any illegal sales activities here. For the benefit of our customers, please leave immediately."

As he spoke, the gazes of other patrons turned their way. Murmurs and whispers gradually filled the air, the situation leaning more and more against him. Cornell shot Renly a bitter glare. He could hardly believe the absurd and comical turn of events. His anger was so impotent that he could only wave his hand at the waiter, "No need to chase me away, I'll leave on my own."

Cornell took a couple of steps outside but still felt the stifling frustration. Unable to bear it, he turned back, wanting to deliver a few harsh words. Yet the waiter followed closely behind, "Sir!" Helpless, Cornell had no choice but to hasten his departure. He stood in the icy expanse, the glass door shutting behind him once again, making him shiver involuntarily.

The waiter returned, placing the two cups of black coffee on the table, and politely said, "We apologize for the incident earlier."