King of Hollywood
Chapter 435 - 157: There is Also a Substitute

Chapter 435: Chapter 157: There is Also a Substitute

Yukie cautiously opened the door and looked around to make sure no one was in the living room before hurriedly heading upstairs to her room, always treading lightly as if afraid of disturbing someone.

Adrian’s car was parked outside; she couldn’t have missed it when she came in, especially since he had called earlier to ask everyone at home to leave temporarily. If it weren’t for the fact that she absolutely needed her script and thesis that afternoon, Yukie would never have come back at this time.

Having been in the United States for almost a year, Yukie both respected and liked Adrian. He had done a lot for her and was very considerate. The role he had arranged for her on "Friends," though only for three episodes, had received a good response. It also opened up opportunities for her in Hollywood. She had been approached by several low-budget films for supporting roles, all of which, of course, she turned down on Adrian’s advice.

"Being Asian and trying to make it in Hollywood is not easy, just like in Japan where Kantou and Kansai don’t see eye to eye. So if you want to make it here, it’s going to take a long time, unlike in Japan where maybe one song or one role could make you a popular artist. But don’t worry, I’ll arrange everything for you," Adrian had told her.

He would often make time to chat with her about various topics, from landscapes around the world to social events, fun jokes, and even... Japanese animations and games. Yukie never knew Adrian was also well-versed in these areas; sometimes, she even had the illusion that if he went to Japan to make animations, he might not be inferior to those top producers there, though, of course, Adrian denied this.

"I only know a little about Japan and only offered a few suggestions from an outsider’s perspective. Without the support of a great team, these are just castles in the air," he had said.

Moreover, knowing she liked video games, Adrian would often play a few rounds with her, sometimes getting annoyed or even cheating when he lost. As for the bedroom activities, that was another level altogether with role-playing or uniform seduction being just the tip of the iceberg. During New Year when she went home to visit her parents and caught up with some old colleagues, she heard about even more unthinkable things.

Adrian didn’t really treat her as a maid or a plaything. Coupled with the deep-rooted Japanese trait of submitting to the powerful, Yukie was content to be his mistress and never thought it wrong for Adrian to have other women. She guessed the reason he had his family leave temporarily today, and she indeed came back at this moment because the things she left behind were important.

She had planned everything well: grab her stuff and leave immediately. Care should prevent Adrian from finding out. Unfortunately, accidents happen. Just as Yukie took the script and thesis, relieved and about to sneak downstairs, a door at the end of the hallway opened, and a young girl lazily walked out.

The girl was petite, wearing a smooth silk nightgown that left her calves bare, and walked barefoot on the floor. Her delicate features and even her yawns were adorable. A faint smile played on her lips, and her brows showed a look of satisfaction, clearly indicating what she had just been doing.

"Ah?!" the girl exclaimed upon noticing Yukie.

"What’s the matter, Nata?" Adrian emerged, also in his nightgown but with his strong chest exposed.

"Yukie? What are you doing here?" After hugging the surprised and somewhat shy girl, he recognized her.

"I’m sorry, sir! Sorry, ma’am! I forgot Ms. Charlize’s things here," Yukie quickly bowed deeply at a 90-degree angle, spurting out what seemed a clever thing to say in her panic. She stayed bowed over, heart nearly crying out in anxiety.

"Did you get your things?" Adrian’s tone sounded like he wasn’t angry.

"Yes, I’ve got them, and I’ll leave immediately." Yukie stole a glance at him. Adrian looked calm, which somewhat relieved her.

"Good, don’t let this happen again," he said, his words carrying a double meaning.

"Yes, sir, I promise," Yukie nodded repeatedly, then stayed bowed as she backed toward the staircase. She didn’t look his way again until she turned to go downstairs.

Not until she started the car and drove out of the villa’s courtyard did she truly relax, unintentionally recalling the scene she had just witnessed; the girl didn’t seem too old... Yukie quickly shook her head, throwing those thoughts out of her mind.

Though Yukie had left, the drama at the villa was just beginning.

"Is she the Japanese maid you hired?" asked Natalie, still in her pajamas and sitting at the dining table, her hands cupping her face, her gaze filled with scrutiny.

"Yes, she’s a part-time worker. Japanese women are good at cleaning," Adrian said nonchalantly as he placed a glass of milk in front of her and shrugged.

"Why is she so panicked then?" the girl asked, and half-jokingly added, "She seems quite afraid of you. Are you a tyrant at home or something?"

"Do I look like that kind of person?" Adrian asked innocently, spreading his hands before showing a half-smile. "I think she’s like this because she saw something she shouldn’t have."

Immediately after he spoke, Natalie’s eyebrows furrowed, and her eyes filled with dissatisfaction. "You said it wouldn’t be seen by anyone!"

"Yes, I said that, and I’m really sorry," Adrian admitted with a nod. "But there’s no need to panic. Yukie isn’t the type to blab."

"Still, she saw it. You know... no one knows!" Natalie remained sullen.

"What do you want me to do? Bury her in concrete and ship it to Long Beach to dump in the ocean?" Adrian asked jokingly.

The girl huffed and didn’t respond. Adrian then came over, scooped her onto his lap, and kissed her cheek. "Trust me, nothing bad will happen."

Natalie pouted, then picked up the milk and took a big drink before asking, "By the way, she mentioned a Miss Charlize. Who is that?"

"My secretary assistant. You’ve probably met her," Adrian said casually.

"Really? I... don’t remember her," the girl frowned in recollection, "Moreover, you always come to my place alone."

"Of course. Do I need to bring my secretary assistant everywhere I go?" Adrian laughed, amused by her question.

Natalie gazed deeply at him, a hint of unspoken meaning in her eyes, her teeth gently grazing her lips. Adrian continued to act nonchalantly. He was only aware of her probing look when he picked up his cup of coffee before asking with a smile, "What is it? Is there something you want to ask me?"

"It’s nothing. Anyway, if anything leaks, you’ll be the one who gets into trouble," the girl sulkily muttered, then quickly changed the subject, "So, what are your plans for the next two days? Don’t tell me we’ll be staying here the whole time."

"What’s wrong with staying here? Kidding, I already have plans. Since you said the excuse was to visit the Pixar Studio, let’s go there tomorrow. It’s a lot of fun, and you’ll like it."

True to his word, Adrian took Natalie to Pixar Studio and around nearby San Jose over the next couple of days. As he had said, she enjoyed the atmosphere of Pixar because everything including the copyrights and merchandise was owned by Pixar. Although they didn’t have a marketing system as robust as Disney’s, the profit they made was still impressive.

Thus, Pixar had evolved much earlier. With Adrian occasionally providing suggestions that suited their taste and the incentive of promised company options, Pixar had become a much livelier place, already the size he remembered from a few years later. Although their second animation was still "A Bug’s Life" and it was created more delicately and efficiently, planning its release for this coming summer had changed at Adrian’s suggestion to a Christmas release. "Toy Story 2" was also in production, likely to premiere next summer.

Natalie had a blast, acting children-like for the first time completely unrestrained, and so did the folks at Pixar, who were big kids themselves.

Adrian was slightly regretful. That day at home, the girl clearly had something she wanted to ask, but she held back. From his perspective, he would have preferred she asked, so he could naturally come clean and adjust based on her reaction. After all, Natalie and Kirsten weren’t the same; some things were easier to address when the other person was younger.

However, some things couldn’t be forced, so Adrian had to think of another way.

"Then, congratulations to you all." Adrian stood up and said this after watching Lucas, Shelly, and Natalie’s agent Sandy tentatively come to an agreement.

"Thank you, Ed," Shelly expressed her gratitude.

"Thanks for your help," Lucas added, but then he changed his tone, "however, there’s still one issue, perhaps you could offer some advice."

"My sincere advice to you, George, is to take your problems to church," Adrian said earnestly.

Everyone burst out laughing and Lucas felt a bit embarrassed, but he continued, "Okay, I know I am asking for too much..."

"Not ’too much’ but ’way, way too much’," Adrian corrected him.

Another round of laughter followed, and Lucas could only offer a bitter smile, "Ed!"

"Alright, let’s hear it, and if I really can’t help, don’t make it hard for me," Adrian put up his defenses.

"The matter is actually quite simple," Lucas didn’t say ’yes’ or ’no’ and just started speaking, "You know, according to the script, we need to prepare a stand-in maid for Queen Amidala. Since Natalie is your recommendation, maybe you could suggest a girl who looks similar to Natalie."

"This..." Adrian involuntarily twitched his lips, having forgotten about it until Lucas reminded him.

Of course, he couldn’t articulate it immediately, or it would be too shocking; thus, he frowned, uttered a word, and then looked at Natalie without saying anything more.

"You don’t have to think of something right now..." Lucas had just started to suggest giving it some time when Adrian suddenly clapped his hands, "Hey, I’ve actually thought of someone!"

"Really?!" Lucas immediately widened his eyes, only hoping to add an extra option, not expecting Adrian to have really thought of someone.

"Yes, I remembered carefully, and I’m sure based on your character description and makeup, whether it’s that girl’s mother or Shelly, based on appearance alone it would be hard to recognize," Adrian said confidently.

"Are you serious?"

"You’re joking!"

Shelly and Natalie cried out together; they had been simply stunned before, but now, like Lucas, they widened their eyes.

"I swear to God, I am absolutely not lying," Adrian raised his right hand sincerely, "The girl is British, her parents one an actor and the other a scriptwriter. I’ve worked with them before, and I’m actually going to the UK soon. When I return, I’ll bring her detailed information to you, and then you’ll know."

Days later, United Kingdom, London, the home of the Knightleys.

"Actually, it’s quite simple—the first script is just a fictional story that takes Shakespeare’s own stories and applies them to himself, creating a feeling that’s somewhat true but very interesting; and the second script is essentially based on historical facts, of course, considering the dense fog over history, we only need to hold onto a few main threads like Elizabeth I being imprisoned in the Tower of London, ascending to the throne by a strange twist of fate, and announcing her marriage to England, and then in the details, we would need to use folklore to enhance it, making the entire story more compelling," Adrian said expansively while sitting in the living room.

"I have to admit, both scripts are very intriguing," Shawen commented as she flipped through the two yet incomplete scripts, "I don’t know if I can help you finish them."

"You’re too modest, Shawen," Adrian laughed, "You did an excellent job with the script for ’Emma.’ You can absolutely use the same approach for these two scripts."

The so-called same approach naturally referred to inviting a few British screenwriters to discuss and supplement the script. Adrian was originally supposed to bring the two scripts to the United Kingdom after wrapping up ’The Matrix.’ However, with the emergence of the ’Star Wars’ prequel and the inability to wait, he decided to come over now, coinciding with the filming of the metro battle between Neo and Smith, which was perfectly handled by Yuan Heping.

"No no no," Shawen shook her head, "That’s not what I meant, I meant that the eras these two stories are set in are so similar, one might accidentally confuse them during contemplation."

"That is a problem," Adrian nodded after a moment’s thought, "How about this, you pick the one you are most suited for, and I’ll find someone else for the other one."

"That would be splendid, Ed." Shawen breathed a sigh of relief, whispered a few words to her husband, Will, and then made her choice, "Well, I’ll go with ’Shakespeare in Love’ then. This story is really interesting."

"Then it’s settled." Adrian nodded and did not insist, then he looked towards the inner room and called out loudly, "Emma? We should be going."

The sound of footsteps suddenly rang out, and the little one’s head quickly popped out from the room, looking a bit unhappy, "So soon? We’ve only been here for a few minutes."

"That’s right, can’t you let Emma stay a bit longer?!" Keira’s head also popped out above Emma’s, glaring at Adrian with great dissatisfaction.

"We haven’t just been here for a few minutes, and since the matter is settled, we naturally should leave," Adrian spread his hands.

"Don’t worry, if you don’t mind, please stay for dinner," Shawen immediately suggested, pleased that her daughter had found an exceptionally compatible friend.

"Really?" Before Adrian could finish speaking, the little girl had already exclaimed, her bright, sparkling eyes pleadingly looking at him.

"Don’t worry, Emma, even if that guy doesn’t agree, you can still stay. I’ll take you home afterward," Keira said, patting her chest and giving Adrian a challenging look.

This somewhat childish gesture almost made the three adults in the living room laugh, although Will and Shawen just managed a strained smile. Before they could speak, Adrian had already agreed, "Alright, then I am honored."

After speaking, he even gave Keira a smile, but unfortunately, she was not buying it and immediately snorted, twisting her head skyward.

Adrian wasn’t upset, but simply posed a thought that just came to him, "Oh, I just remembered something. Hey, Keira, do you remember our agreement?"

The girl paused for a second, then screamed, "Of course I remember!"

Indeed, how could this slightly insecure young girl forget those opportunities that could prove herself? Adrian smiled slightly, "So, would you like to hear my topic now?"

"Ed?" Shawen looked puzzledly at Adrian, barely remembering the promise her daughter and the Miracle Director had made, even though she had been happy for her daughter at the time.

"Go ahead, as long as you don’t plan on deliberately reneging, I can definitely do it," Keira immediately walked over, chest puffed out and a bit arrogantly.

"Keira!" Shawen called out in a slightly reproachful tone, but her gaze shifted to Adrian.

With a calming gesture to her, Will, and Emma, who had run out, Adrian then smiled at Keira, "It’s simple. A friend of mine is preparing a movie that needs an actor to play the stand-in for the female lead. It’s the character’s stand-in, not an actress’s, do you understand? So, we need to find an actress who closely resembles the female lead. I think you would be perfect. So, if you can play this role and after makeup, your mother and the mother of the lead actress can’t recognize you by appearance, then I will fulfill my promise. How about that?" (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it at qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation.)