章節 246: Physically and mentally exhausted
Silence. Besides silence, there was only silence.
The entire apartment was immersed in silence. From quiet communication to intense confrontation, from clear dialogues to muffled roars, the atmosphere remained taut. Yet, the sounds resembled a roller coaster, rising and falling, and emotions had shared this thrilling experience. However, in the end, when all the clamor vanished, leaving only quietness, that sense of helpless lament and desolate solitude made it hard to utter a sound.
It wasn't until the olive oil in the frying pan splattered out, signaling a surge in intensity, that Drake finally shouted, "Cut." Yet, only after he had yelled did he realize—he had lost his voice. He could only wave his hand, signaling Brian to take over the shout. This marked the end of the filming for the entire scene.
Drake started to watch the playback, reexamining the scene.
However, this time, Renly didn't approach. He remained seated in his spot. The exhilaration of that performance once again surged through his body. He could sense the distinction between reality and illusion, and he could feel the difference between himself and Jacob. Yet, his entire being remained deeply immersed in the sense of helplessness and bewilderment from moments ago. He needed a bit of time.
Footsteps echoed from the doorway. Renly lifted his head and saw Felicity.
Felicity's face also bore signs of exhaustion. Weariness welled up from the depths of her soul, evident between her brows. She had no strength left, not even to muster a faint smile.
The two of them quietly locked gazes, saying nothing. The exchange and communication through their eyes spread under the vibrant yellow light. Their emotions were so similar, the curve of their lips so alike. They were still Jacob and Anna, yet they were also Renly and Felicity.
She attempted to tug at her lips to form a smile, but it failed. So, she pursed her lips slightly and softly said, "Thank you."
She needed to thank Renly. Not just for the inspiration brought by the rendition of "Believe", which had helped her reorganize her thoughts, but also because during their performance, Renly's powerful presence had firmly controlled the rhythm. She didn't need to think or hesitate. Following Renly's guidance, everything flowed seamlessly.
This was an entirely new experience. She hadn't even consciously memorized her lines. The words flowed from the depths of her soul, as if she were Anna, as if she and Jacob had truly experienced such vast vicissitudes, as if she was truly exhausted. This authenticity turned acting into both an enjoyment and a nightmare.
Immersed in Anna's emotions, she couldn't pull herself out. This left Felicity completely drained, to the point where she didn't even want to move a finger.
"Thank you," Renly responded in kind.
Felicity briefly paused but quickly caught on. This wasn't Renly's response; it was Jacob's response. Deep within their hearts, they both knew it was over—everything was over. "Thank you" expressed gratitude for the happiness and pain of the past years. It was also Renly, as a representation of the past period of collaboration and synergy, expressing gratitude.
The boundary between reality and illusion blurred once again. She was Felicity, and she was also Anna. She gazed at the man before her, so tranquil, without a ripple, nor awkwardness, as if she were looking at a stranger—or perhaps an ordinary friend. His handsome face began to blur, and she couldn't discern whether before her was Jacob or Renly.
However, that no longer mattered.
Felicity looked at Renly as he lowered his gaze, avoiding her eyes. She, too, lowered her gaze and turned away.
The last spark between them seemed to extinguish in this moment. It faded away bit by bit, losing its radiance and color, just like the exhausted love of Anna and Jacob, gradually sinking into silence.
In the ending of "Like Crazy", Anna and Jacob overcame countless difficulties to finally obtain their visas. Anna resigned without hesitation, rejecting Simon's proposal, and came to Los Angeles. Jacob also had Sam move out again, preparing for Anna's arrival. The two lonely and weary figures finally reunited, embracing tightly. Their perseverance, efforts, and love had finally triumphed over the constraints of time and space, bringing them together.
The movie concluded this way. It appeared to be a perfect, happy ending.
But Renly knew they could never go back. Their fractured reunion was merely an extension of unfamiliarity and estrangement. Their forced reconnection was only the beginning of mutual harm. Just like Drake in real life.
Now, at this moment, Renly saw this ending in Felicity's eyes, and Felicity saw it in Renly's eyes as well. They found shades of Jacob and Anna in each other, experienced the origin of love, and now experienced its demise. In just two weeks, they had gone through the vicissitudes of ten years, and the love sparks that hadn't had time to ignite had vanished like this.
Actors, truly a peculiar profession, aren't they? They hadn't loved, yet they had truly loved.
"Good, the scene just now was fine," Bryan hesitated before raising his voice. After receiving Drake's nod of approval, he raised his own thumb, "Perfect!" He then witnessed Drake breaking into a bright smile.
After several hours of turmoil, Renly and Felicity had finally gotten into the groove. This was undoubtedly the best news. However, the scene wasn't completely shot yet, and they changed angles and perspectives for a reshoot. The entire crew had been busy until past ten in the evening, finally concluding a full day's work.
Generally, Hollywood provided guarantees for actors' working hours. Each actor's daily work time must be within eight hours. If it exceeded eight hours, it required consultation with the actor and a positive response. Similarly, work during the night or early morning required prior communication.
However, the situation with "Like Crazy" was truly unique. With limited funds, they were truly racing against the clock. After obtaining the consent of the two actors, their daily work hours exceeded twelve hours. They managed to complete all the shoots according to plan—most importantly, without exceeding the budget.
Leaving the filming location, Felicity greeted her colleagues on the crew and then jogged forward. A man got out of the driver's seat of a car parked there, opened his arms, and enveloped Felicity in a warm embrace. Nestled in his embrace, Felicity took a deep breath, and after a while, she exhaled and looked up with a faint smile, "Let's go home."
"Seems like you're exhausted today," the man affectionately patted Felicity's head, then wrapped an arm around her shoulder, escorting her to the passenger seat. He then circled back to the driver's seat, got in the car, started the engine, waved to the crew members in farewell, and finally drove away.
That was Felicity's boyfriend. After returning to London, he would come to pick her up from work every day on time. He had never formally introduced himself to the crew, only nodding in greeting from a distance, maintaining professionalism and objectivity, not disturbing Felicity's work environment. Despite this, everyone on the set had already recognized him.
"Model boyfriend," Bryan's voice sounded from the side, and the others immediately chimed in, "Do you also want a boyfriend?" The atmosphere eased up once again.
Walking along the cobalt blue street, a silver-grey sedan parked not far away lit up its interior lights. Renly knew that was his ride. Waving goodbye to his colleagues on the crew and glancing at Drake, who was at a loss for words, Renly gestured towards his throat, indicating he should rest well tonight, then turned and walked towards the direction of the car.
Matthew picked up his briefcase from the passenger seat and neatly stored away the legal documents he had been reading earlier, placing the briefcase in the back seat. His movements were methodical. As Renly approached, he opened the passenger door, looked at Renly as he settled in, and smiled, "You got off work twenty minutes early today. Are you sure you can wrap up all the shoots tomorrow?"
Renly shrugged, "My part is already done." Tomorrow was Felicity's scenes. She and Charlie Bewley had a few scenes left to wrap up, but they weren't too challenging. "Today's work is finished, and the biggest challenges are behind us. Finally, we can take a breather..."
Suddenly, Renly's voice disappeared. Matthew, who had been checking if there were any cars behind, paused and turned around, only to find Renly leaning back against the seat, already fast asleep. One second they were chatting, the next he was sound asleep. Matthew chuckled silently, shook his head helplessly. It seemed today's work had been extremely strenuous; Renly was completely overextended.
Looking down, Matthew confirmed that Renly had fastened his seatbelt, and then he noticed a piece of drawing paper slipping out of Renly's pocket. It was crumpled into a messy ball, irregular in shape, as though torn from somewhere at random. Someone who didn't know Renly would likely mistake it for scrap paper, but Matthew understood Renly well. It was very likely an important document. Typical of Renly's style.
Matthew spread out the paper and verified whether it was trash or an important document. On it, he recognized Renly's familiar handwriting. Renly's hasty yet elegant script came into view. The first line contained only a few words, "Believe without doubt." Then the second line... poetry?
"Amidst the night, you declare an end to all, yet you're merely lost within the darkness."
Matthew slowly read on. Unconsciously, his body leaned back against the seat, and he read carefully, thoroughly. After finishing, he couldn't resist reading it again.
Turning his head, he gazed at Renly's peaceful and tranquil expression. Matthew carefully smoothed out the drawing paper, folded it into a square, and placed it in his jacket pocket. Then, he turned off the dim interior lights of the car, started the engine, and pulled out of the parking spot.
The speed was steady and even, progressing through the night neither too quickly nor too slowly.
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