King of Hollywood
Chapter 480 - 201: Let’s Sell it for a Good Price!

Chapter 480: Chapter 201: Let’s Sell it for a Good Price!

The golden sauce drizzled over the rice released a rich fragrance, and the diced chicken mixed with several broccoli florets and carrot dices was well-complemented, along with a bowl of fresh soup. Although it wasn’t very lavish, it was still considered delicious. Therefore, even though Naomi tried her best to control her emotions, she couldn’t help but lose her composure a bit during the meal.

No wonder, for someone who had been struggling financially for almost a month and had to continue in this way, filling her stomach with junk food every day, these dishes were enough to make her indulge. Moreover, while Chinese cuisine isn’t as prestigious as French or Italian cuisine, it still has a good reputation, and the chef had considered Western palates well when preparing the food.

"Sorry, I was just a bit..." After filling her stomach a little and feeling more comfortable, Naomi realized that his gaze was still on her, and she suddenly felt a bit embarrassed.

"It’s okay, this restaurant may not be big, but it’s clean and neat, and the food is pretty good. I haven’t been here often, but I thoroughly enjoy it each time I come." He continued with a gentle smile that made her feel warm and secure, his dexterity with chopsticks reinforcing his words.

"I never really got the hang of this..." Naomi pointed at the two sticks and then blushed, her voice starting to stammer, "I mean... I still don’t know your name..."

The shock of the evening, filled with events that seemed right out of movies or novels, was overwhelming. Since the man had appeared in front of her calling her name, her thought process just couldn’t keep up. She had been dazedly following his lead, to the point that she still didn’t know the name of the man who had salvaged her dignity and provided comfort in her moment of despair.

"Adrian, Adrian Cowell, just call me Adrian or Ed," he said with a smile.

"I truly don’t know... how to thank you, Ed... I will... I mean... how did you know my name?" Naomi stuttered for a while before dropping the subject.

"When I found your wallet earlier, I took a look inside. Of course, more importantly, I remember what you looked like during your audition for ’A Time to Kill’," Adrian mentioned casually.

"Audition?!" Naomi’s eyes widened as her spoon clanged onto the plate, "You... you are... the Miracle Director?!"

Setting down his chopsticks and giving it some thought, he nodded affirmatively, "I suppose so. In Hollywood, it seems no one else holds that title but me."

This little joke didn’t make Naomi laugh. Instead, she lowered her head and fumbled with her spoon in the food, and then hastily wiped her hands with a napkin, unsure what to do next.

"I... I really never expected to meet you... I love your movies... like ’Forrest Gump’... I also... I also..." Naomi rambled, even switching to the more respectful "you," her eyes tinting red, filled with excitement yet a hint of inferiority and embarrassment. But she finally managed to control her emotions and courageously met his gaze, "Can you... tell me why you helped me?"

Her eyes showed more determination and resistance than before, but he just silently smiled, that reassuring expression seemingly unchanged.

"Because I’m a playboy, right?" he asked, though his tone wasn’t accusatory or mocking, just casual, as if chatting with a friend.

"No... you’re not..." Naomi’s cheeks flushed again, reflecting her true thoughts. Despite never having met the Miracle Director, she knew many rumors about him and that many women in Hollywood desired to sleep with him. Yet, a man with such a gentle smile, offering a sense of security and reliance didn’t seem to fit the image of a flirtatious playboy who chased after women.

"I am," to her surprise, Adrian nodded and admitted, "Literally, I am indeed a playboy, but I don’t see anything wrong with that."

He shrugged, his bright eyes showing no deceit, "Pursuing beautiful things is human nature and, for me, interacting, conversing, and playing with beautiful women of different characters is a very pleasant thing. I don’t ignore their feelings, nor do I go against their wishes, and I certainly don’t deceive them. They are all good women, just like... you."

Naomi involuntarily lowered her head, her heartbeat also sped up quite a bit, and although the last sentence felt a bit provocative, she did not feel averse to it.

"As for why I helped you, it was by chance. Encountering you at the supermarket was one factor, but what made me follow you home was because I think you have potential," Adrian said then.

"I... have potential?!" She suddenly raised her head, unable to believe what Adrian was saying. To this day, no one doesn’t know what "you have potential" means coming from the Miracle Director.

"Yes," Adrian nodded seriously, "I mentioned I have seen your audition, not in person, but on a videotape. I periodically review audition tapes from various companies to see if there’s anyone noteworthy. Although I have an excellent memory, not everyone registers, but in the audition tape for ’A Time to Kill,’ I remembered your name."

He paused there, giving Naomi time to process these words, then continued, "When I found your wallet, I was curious. You should be a decent actress and shouldn’t be in such dire straits, so I followed you to find out what happened. Then later, seeing the scene that unfolded in front of your rented apartment, it reminded me of when I first met Dennis Knight. Although I can’t help everyone, helping you should be no problem, because... you are a talented actress, you just lack an opportunity."

Hearing all this, Naomi’s eyes turned completely red, her lips trembled, she struggled to control herself, but tears eventually uncontrollably rolled down her face. She bowed her head and covered her cheeks with her hands, then started to sob quietly, the sound drawing the attention of many in the restaurant.

Adrian didn’t speak anymore, disregarding the onlookers as he pulled out a tissue and handed it to her. Naomi took it, continuously wiping her face, and after a while, she managed to control her emotions.

"I’m sorry, I just couldn’t help myself... thinking about... thinking about the past..." she choked, nearly crying again.

"Crying it out will make you feel a lot better," Adrian took her hand, "It’s okay, I understand, it’s indeed not an easy place to survive. Too many people here have shattered their dreams. I know you’ve been through a lot, like the humiliation tonight, but please believe that everything will get better."

"Thank you, thank you, Ed." Naomi held his hand tightly, her eyes red.

"Come on, let’s eat," Adrian patted her hand lightly, "and then we can go for a walk around. You wouldn’t refuse this little date, right?"

Time always flies quickly, and when the hour and minute hands on the watch pointed to 11 and 30 respectively, a silver Maybach stopped outside Naomi’s apartment.

"Thank you, Ed," Naomi said as she got out of the car, a smile on her lips, she looked so different from when she had left, her beautiful face under the street lights appearing even more striking. Clearly, the evening’s date had greatly lifted her spirits.

"I’ll just drop you off here," Adrian said with a smile, pointing at the apartment entrance.

"Won’t you... come up for a bit?" Naomi suddenly asked, her expression changing slightly.

"No," Adrian’s expression remained unchanged, "you should rest early. Tomorrow, everything will be different."

He glanced upstairs, where the lights from a window on the second floor shone brightly, then he moved closer and winked at her, "If you don’t mind, let’s go all out with the act."

Naomi realized what he intended but didn’t move away; instead, she closed her eyes and let him leave a kiss on the corner of her mouth.

"Good night, sweet dreams," Adrian whispered, then got into his car, waved at her, and drove away.

Naomi stood there, watching his car disappear around the corner, the smile on her lips fading, then with a deep sigh, she opened the door and entered her apartment.

"Naomi, you’re back?!" As soon as she had started up the stairs, an incredibly affectionate voice reached her.

"Hello, Mrs. Lawrence." Naomi nodded. The Mexican landlady was standing at her own door with a smile, looking at her as an aunt might look at her niece returning home.

"You must have had a very pleasant evening; I thought you’d be back even later." The landlady greeted her warmly, then quickly opened her door before Naomi, "I’ve arranged all your things neatly, everything as usual, and I’ve cleaned the whole place. I’ve even washed the linens and changed your bed with a fresh set."

Then she took down the keys and handed them to Naomi, "Of course, I’ve changed the locks too."

Despite her smile, Naomi could see a fleeting embarrassment—no need to say, for the sake of sending her out today, the landlady had changed the locks early, only to find herself caught in her own trap.

"Thank you." Naomi didn’t say much, took the keys, pushed open the door, and the landlady followed close behind, seeming to want to say something but feeling it out of place.

"Don’t worry, Mrs. Lawrence, I’ll tell Ed I’m very satisfied; you don’t need to worry so much." Naomi cut in, knowing what she was thinking.

"That’s good, that’s good. I won’t disturb you further." The landlady left with an awkward smile.

After closing the door and turning on the light, Naomi looked around. The simple one-bedroom apartment was clean, including spots she usually missed. The landlady had indeed kept her promise; even the belongings around the room were nearly unchanged. Especially the statue that was broken into several pieces was back in its place, only glued together—that explained the landlady’s over-compensating smile.

The figure on the second check must have been substantial. This thought reemerged, and Naomi’s lips curled into a bitter smile. She went back to the bedroom, sat on the bed, leaned against the headboard, stared blankly ahead, then curled her legs up to her chest.

The events of the day, from tremendous grief to immense joy, surged through her mind again. When faced with the landlady’s scolding, she felt so bleak and hopeless, even considering suicide; but as Adrian stepped in front of her and quietly began to restore her shattered self-esteem piece by piece, though perplexed, she felt elation. Then, in the restaurant, his consolation and encouragement filled her with gratitude. When he took her out on the street and encouraged her to let go and enjoy the moment, her joy was unbounded. Especially on Hollywood Avenue, when Adrian spent a few US Dollars to have a street performer enact a skit just for her, she laughed more times than she had in the past months combined—it was as if Cinderella had encountered her Prince Charming.

However, as midnight approached, everything reverted to its original state. Cinderella still had to count beans by the fireside, enveloped in ash, unless she left behind her glass slipper.

An inexplicable agitation seized Naomi’s heart, and the experiences of the past years surged forth like a tide. She had never found her place, and everywhere she persisted, she encountered brutal setbacks. When she had finally decided to become an actress and move to Hollywood, she had never envisioned falling into such destitution. If it hadn’t been for the unexpected appearance of this man, she might have indeed resorted to what Mrs. Lawrence had suggested... In that moment, sorrow overwhelmed her.

No one had ever cherished her like this, no one had ever given her moments of peace and happiness, however fleeting.

Bowing her head, she buried it between her knees, and a low sob began to sound, growing louder and louder, her shoulders shaking violently until she was overtaken by loud wailing, tears streaming from her eyes like a breached river, as if she was crying all the tears accumulated over the years. Her cries were so mournful that anyone who heard them couldn’t help but shed tears too.

After a long bout of crying, Naomi paused amidst her sobs, and it took a long while before she lifted her head, her face and legs wet with large patches of tears.

Sniffling, she jumped off the bed, seemingly having made a decision, and strode into the bathroom. After wiping the tears from her cheeks with a moist towel, she stood in front of the bathroom mirror, tidied her hair, cleaned her face a bit more, and then struck a pose with hands on hips.

Then, she boldly stripped off all her clothes, left only in her bra and panties, and struck another pose in front of the mirror. Despite the malnutrition she had faced recently, her face was still beautiful, her figure well-proportioned, her breasts firm, her belly flat, her waist slender, and her buttocks round. Although the parts of her legs below the thigh were not visible, Naomi believed her legs were still long enough. Even in difficult times, walking was a form of exercise, so she had some capital still.

The image of a person flashed through her mind, and looking at herself in the mirror, she took a deep breath and made her final decision.

"Then sell it for a good price!"

————————————————————————

Adrian only attended the first meeting and conveyed his requirements before disengaging further. Well, it wasn’t that he didn’t follow up at all, as Charlize took it upon herself to compile everything daily for his review or inspection, but he stayed away from subsequent meetings. With plenty of professionals to handle them, there was no need for him to interfere unless necessary.

The chances were highest for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Score, and Best Song, and he left the others to be managed accordingly. As for Best Actress... Thinking of Gwyneth’s excitement, Adrian sighed. Her parents still had some connections in the industry, and with Spielberg, "The Godfather," possibly helping, Gwyneth really might stand a chance if Adrian were to fully support her.

For this, Gwyneth had not shied away from both openly and covertly tying him down, employing every trick in the bedroom, which only made Blanchett, who was already a bit jealous, even more displeased. However, Adrian wasn’t ready for her to win Best Actress just yet:first, although the movie Titanic had performed exceptionally well, gaining much favor with the judges, especially with a box office now accumulating 20 billion, it also placed a lot of pressure on them, likely inciting a backlash, so it was both a strength and a weakness, making it not so easy to ensure Best Actress along with Best Picture and Best Director; second, her experience was still lacking, especially because Adrian’s influence had limited the number of films she had done in recent years.

If he really wanted to support her fully, certain maneuvers could be employed effortlessly, but once used, it would take a significant amount of time before they could be used again. Besides, Adrian had other concerns..., so...

Let go, and let it be. There would always be next year. This was Adrian’s final decision, especially since he had more pressing matters to attend, such as a scriptwriter from the editing department claiming that he couldn’t understand his new screenplay.

"I don’t know what you’re trying to convey, Mr. Adrian," the person said, quite distressed, "although there’s a main thread, your script is split too chaotically, and I just can’t understand what it’s about."

"That’s the point," Adrian laughed heartily, "I don’t do meaningless things, although I only spent three days on this script, I want it to be confusing!" (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, feel free to vote or recommend on qidian.com, your support is my greatest motivation.)