King of Hollywood
Chapter 461 - 182: Quite Awful

Chapter 461: Chapter 182: Quite Awful

"Are you opening your mouth so wide because you want me to stuff an apple in there?" Adrian joked with the astonished little one in front of him.

Emma Roberts shook her head mechanically, her mouth still agape, her eyes unwaveringly fixed on the even smaller little one in Adrian’s arms, who in turn was curiously staring back at her with a finger in their mouth.

"Alright, Lily, you should call Emma sister, got it?" Adrian pulled his daughter’s finger from her mouth.

"Sis... Sister!" Lily immediately giggled and waved at Emma.

"Ad... Adrian..." Emma finally managed to speak, cautiously glancing around before hesitantly lowering her voice to ask, "Aren’t you... Aren’t you and aunt living together?"

"Do you even know what ’living together’ means?" Adrian said with a laugh, pinching her cheek.

"Of course I do, I’m not a three-year-old kid." Emma pouted, hands on her hips like a little adult, looking quite displeased, "I also know how babies are made, but I don’t understand how you guys..."

She gestured toward Lily but didn’t continue, her face full of confusion and questions that clearly showed what she wanted to ask. Adrian, however, did not answer, just smiled, "Alright, let’s get on the plane, we have a long journey ahead of us."

Once on Adrian’s private jet, Emma quickly forgot her previous questions. The interior decoration alone cost nearly ten million, and there were plenty of fun places to attract the little one’s attention. Although Emma was lively and cute, she was not as clever as the other Emma, who would never rest until she had figured everything out.

Naturally, Lily’s irresistible charm played a role as well, and Emma quickly started playing with her. So, once the flight stabilized, under the nanny Clancy’s guidance, they cheerfully began playing in the cabin.

"Listen to Miss Clancy, don’t make trouble for me, okay?" Adrian said, tweaking Emma’s nose, then kissed his daughter, "You too, be good!"

Lily immediately stuck out her tongue and made a big goofy face, while Emma chuckled beside her, then followed Clancy to the playroom. Clancy was hired as a nanny after Lily’s birth and had a great relationship with the little one; they were bound to be in safe hands with her.

Adrian initially wanted to talk to Emma about that issue at the airport, but then he reconsidered. Although the little girl wasn’t particularly clever, she wasn’t dumb either. Besides, because of Adrian’s presence, she always stayed with her star auntie and knew what should and shouldn’t be said. Even if there might be some trouble, let’s not forget this trip was to see the other Emma in the UK, and although they had only met a few times, Small Emma was absolutely compliant with Little Emma’s words, so all it would take was a few words of instruction from Little Emma, and she would certainly take it seriously.

Taking Small Emma was because both Emmas missed each other, and since Julia didn’t have much time for her, Adrian simply decided to take her to London for a visit. And why take Lily? Simple, he couldn’t always leave his daughter with Kate; Adrian was, after all, the little one’s father, and despite being a playboy, he possessed a sense of responsibility.

That’s how he differed from some people; some might call him hypocritical, some might say he was pretentious, but Adrian wouldn’t take it to heart. He just did what he wanted to do, what he should do.

"Grace, I’m going to take a short nap. Wake me up in three hours," Adrian said as he undid his tie, looking into the mirror and speaking to the cabin chief who had arrived.

"Yes, sir. Is there anything else?" Grace walked over with tact, helped him out of his coat, hung it in the cloakroom, and began making the bed—a salary well earned.

"Be careful with the children," Adrian thought for a moment and then added, "Even though Miss Clancy is taking care of them, it’s best if you also pay attention so they don’t cause any trouble."

"Yes, sir, anything else?" Grace nodded to acknowledge his instruction, then asked.

Adrian’s gaze finally settled on her, and with an almost imperceptible raise of his eyebrows, Grace, wearing a boat-shaped hat and a scarf around her neck, stood in her sky-blue stewardess uniform that highlighted her curves perfectly. Her hands, clad in silky white gloves, were held behind her back, and her long legs wore nude stockings and high heels—one foot planted on the ground, the other slightly back—the posture was perfect, suggesting both inquiry and display.

Furthermore, her facial features were delicate, her golden waves of hair cascaded smoothly, a seemingly genuine smile graced her face, and two shallow dimples made her both cute and charming.

"No, that will be all," Adrian said with a slight smile.

"Okay, sir." Grace did not show any sign of disappointment and maintained her smile as she nodded and then left.

After a long exhale, Adrian stretched lazily, took off his shoes and socks, and lay down on the bed. Had it been any other time, he certainly wouldn’t have missed the chance with such a temptress, but for now, he decided to let it pass. After all, the private jet had been used less than ten times since its delivery, and he wasn’t very familiar with the crew yet; any complications would be troublesome.

While Adrian seemed casual with women, aside from those one-night stands, he knew his women quite well—how else could he keep them firmly in his grasp?

Moreover, he had spent most of the previous night with two petite women and had had to wake up early to rush back to England, so he had no present desire for more play, which was one of the reasons he was catching up on sleep now.

He hadn’t performed those intimate acts while being with Kate, but wanting to complete his "seven days with seven women" routine, he naturally ended up bringing two women to his bed. One was Nakama Yukie, who also doubled as a personal maid, and the other was Ayumi Hamasaki, who had come to the United States for further studies.

Within a few days of her arrival, she had ended up in Adrian’s bed. She had already been inclined, but Adrian fully showed her respect, spoke very appropriately, and many women couldn’t resist him—how could Ayumi Hamasaki be an exception?

More importantly, during her temporary stay at Adrian’s home, she shared a room with Nakama Yukie, ostensibly to seek advice from a senior. Almost every night, after Adrian left Yukie flushed and weak, it would’ve been impossible for Ayumi Hamasaki not to understand what was happening, unless she was an imposter.

Even after she moved out, whenever she received a call from Adrian, she obediently came to serve him. Of course, Adrian subtly told her that it was nearly impossible for Asians to release a major-selling record in the United States, but he still offered his support as long as she was with Avex.

"Avex may not be as big as companies like Sony, but it boasts vitality, and several producers of high standards—Namie Amuro is the best proof. You won’t become the second Namie Amuro; you will become Japan’s first, even Asia’s first top singing diva," Adrian whispered while caressing Ayumi Hamasaki’s smooth skin in the afterglow of climax.

Ayumi Hamasaki didn’t fully believe him, but she didn’t disbelieve him either, given that Adrian’s knowledge of Japan and Asia far exceeded that of many Americans, and no one doubted his keen eye for talent. So, when Adrian asked her, "Are you willing to bet and see if my judgment is still correct in Japan?" her limbs wrapped around him, and she began to serve him again.

Considering her family issues back home and her own experiences along the way, she thought, why not take a gamble at this point?

Therefore, when Yukie also appeared at the dinner table that evening, Ayumi Hamasaki started to understand, but there wasn’t a single thought of resistance in her mind. In the bedroom, she was even more proactive than Yukie. However, Yukie was no less enthusiastic; back in Japan, she had served Adrian with Takako Tokiwa, and having gained a greater understanding of him after arriving in Los Angeles, she became even more compliant.

Moreover, with his support, Nakama Yukie had already started on the path toward her dreams. She made cameo appearances in several popular TV series — "Friends," "Sex and the City," "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," to name a few — and had accumulated a certain level of popularity. Now, Adrian had even arranged for her a substantial supporting role in "Legally Blonde," supposedly tailored specifically for her. As a result, Yukie fully committed herself to him, even hoping to remain by his side to tidy his room and clean.

"I can’t do anything else, please, Ed, let me stay," Yukie replied when Adrian asked her why she was so insistent, and she even knelt down, prostrating herself on the floor.

Given the situation, Adrian found it hard to refuse. After all, as an Asian in Hollywood, she wouldn’t draw as much attention as other stars, so keeping her by his side to serve as a maid wasn’t a big deal. However, using this method to carve out a small place in his heart, Yukie wasn’t without her own schemes.

In any case, last night was a very pleasant one. Two petite ladies were eagerly offering themselves up, engaging in a continual competition. Even when lying side by side, taking turns under his assault, they compared whose moans were more enchanting — it’s no wonder Adrian played for most of the night.

"I wonder how the filming in London is going, I hope it’s not too bad." With this thought, Adrian drifted into a deep sleep.

Although the week dragged on slowly, Adrian didn’t forget to stay in touch with London. Even though he had made arrangements before departing, who knew what issues could arise, especially since no one had attempted to shoot two movies simultaneously. The initial news was not bad, then it turned sour, and just last night, the assistant director simply said on the phone, "You better come back quickly."

Adrian was baffled and called Charlize, but Charlize also didn’t reveal much, only repeating, "You better come back quickly." Thus, early in the morning, Adrian boarded his private plane with Emma and Lily.

Despite that, he wasn’t overly worried. As long as both crews followed his instructions strictly, any issues shouldn’t be too bad, and the scenes he had planned for them weren’t too complex either. However, upon arriving in London, Adrian discovered that the situation with the crews was much worse than he had imagined.

"What can I say? Half of it isn’t done," Adrian sighed with annoyance and helplessness in the temporary office of the crew, and the key personnel all hung their heads in silence.

Truth be told, Adrian wanted to scold them severely. Not only was their efficiency shockingly low, but they also had poor control of the scenes. Everything was fine before he left, but as time went on, the two crews had too much in common, resulting in chaos in management, and they often meshed during filming.

For instance, Blanchett finally got her makeup done with patience, her face covered in thick white foundation, dressed almost exactly like Elizabeth I from the paintings, only to realize when she was ready to shoot, wait a second, isn’t this Elizabeth I’s scene from "Shakespeare in Love" where she watches the play in the palace? Why am I sitting here?!

Similarly, Gwyneth, once she put on the costume and dressed herself as an authentic English lady, arrived at the set only to find the rowing scene from "Elizabeth." What did that have to do with her?!

Cases like Dennis reading Gwyneth’s lines from "Elizabeth," and the cunning, cold Sir Walsingham in front of the queen turning into some sleazy theater boss, were numerous. Blanchett was the most unfortunate because she played Elizabeth I, and the queen appears in both movies, resulting in her often arriving on the set of "Shakespeare in Love" and exchanging bewildered looks with Gwyneth, Dennis, Geoffrey, and others.

Such chaos led to various wastes — film, props, costumes, manpower, and so forth. During the filming of the rowing scene from "Elizabeth," due to the fact that Gwyneth should not have been there, there was a problem with the coordination which caused a boat to capsize halfway through, flipping the temporary actors into the water. Thankfully, no one was injured.

But this confusion led to the news getting out, and just the day before Adrian’s return, British media were avidly reporting that the set of the Miracle Director’s new movie encountered a disaster due to scheduling issues.

"This is very bad. To this day, I don’t understand why anyone would direct two boats to sail face-to-face or why the drivers complied with such orders. I don’t know what the Miracle Director will think once he’s back. Personally, I suggest he should not abandon the crew to run around anymore," The Sun, among other tabloids, reported with a hint of schadenfreude. By the time they learned Adrian wasn’t in London, he had been gone for several days, and given that they had always failed to dig up substantial news from him, it’s no surprise they seized the opportunity to make snide remarks.

"I have to say, gentlemen, you’ve disappointed me. Once a problem is discovered, filming should be stopped immediately, even if it means shooting a bit slower. It’s still much better than the mess we have now," Adrian sternly said. He ultimately chose not to berate them, because if it weren’t for the simultaneous shooting of two movies, such a mess wouldn’t have happened. And he had just gotten off the plane, hadn’t adjusted to the time difference yet, and wasn’t feeling great. Even if he wanted to reprimand them, his yawning appearance lacked any real authority.

Of course, this didn’t mean things were settled.

"Let’s pause here. In the coming weeks, I need everyone to give it their all and make up for the wasted time! I don’t want to hear any complaints," Adrian then raised his voice.

"Yes."

"Definitely."

"We will."

Several heads nodded consecutively as they walked out. Adrian let out another long sigh and grabbed Charli’s hand as she was about to leave as well.

"It’s been tough on you," he said, and though his face showed weariness, his eyes were filled with nothing but appreciative smiles when he looked at her.

"I have to earn my salary, right?" Charli shrugged nonchalantly as if it was the most natural thing in the world, but there was a hint of happiness in her tone.

Although the crew had only finished half of the scheduled progress, it was very close to half, and most of it was thanks to Charli’s efforts. Having been Adrian’s secretary assistant for several years and almost entirely in charge of handling his affairs, both big and small, she had a significant understanding of his style. So, when the two crews merged and various disputes arose, she helped smooth over many issues. If it weren’t for her lack of authority, perhaps even more could have been salvaged.

"When I went back to Los Angeles, I regretted not bringing you with me for a moment. Dealing with all those documents was such a headache. But now, I think leaving you here was an absolutely correct decision. Otherwise, who knows how chaotic it would have gotten?" Adrian stroked her hand and spoke with a reflective tone, then looked up and smiled. "You know, I’m about to say something cliché again."

"If it’s cliché, you don’t need to say it," Charli replied, and then a strong pull from the hand came, and she found herself falling onto Adrian’s chest.

"Ha, down with just a pull, you really are flexible, Charli," Adrian laughed out loud.

"Be careful, someone might walk in at this moment," Charli, lying on top of him, rolled her eyes at him.

"So what? I haven’t done anything," Adrian shrugged and then gazed into her gray-green eyes, one hand holding her while the other gently caressed her beautiful face.

"If you think some things are said too much, then I’ll just express it in another way," he said softly.

The two of them silently looked at each other, and for a few seconds, the room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Then, Charli took the initiative to lean in and kissed him softly on the lips.

"Let’s focus on work first, Ed," she said standing up, the smile on her face rendering her exceptionally beautiful.

"Yes, work first," Adrian nodded, also standing up from his chair. They had to try and finish the work before Thanksgiving. Although these folks had caused several delays, it didn’t mean they had to change that goal. (To be continued. If you like this story, you are welcome to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your votes, monthly passes, and support, as your encouragement is my greatest motivation.)