Unaware of the thoughts swirling in Gwyneth’s head, Adrian, who was busy flirting with Liv from ti to ti, wouldn’t have cared even if he knew. She was a woman very good at managing her own career. While Blanchett, Monica, and Julia had each ascended to the throne of Best Actress, and even Nicole had snagged Best Supporting Actress, he himself had nothing but nominations to show for his efforts. It was only natural to experience so ups and downs now and then.
In this regard, Adrian’s suppression of her was absolutely correct. He had nearly figured out her mindset, so there was no chance she could escape his grasp. In fact, Gwyneth herself was aware of this; otherwise, she wouldn’t have gone to Blanchett to voice her grievances. When Adrian was away, she and Blanchett were as close as could be, and in a sense, Gwyneth seed to be expressing her own dissatisfaction through Blanchett.
That’s a side note, anyway. Gwyneth’s and Liv’s arrivals were just the beginning; after them, Adrian’s won ca one after another to stay here for a while. Julia and Zetajones, Nicole and Naomi, Britney and Christina, Alexander and Miranda Kerr, Lin Zhiling and Lin Xilei, and so on; not a single one was missed. Even Charlize, in the midst of her busy schedule, ca over with Sarah. It was a pity that Ivanka, aside from managing company affairs, was busy with her studies—she was still a student at Stanford Business School—so she ca here alone, much to Adrian’s disappointnt, who had so small hopes.
Of course, they typically arrived in waves, with one group leaving before the next arrived. As the secretary assistant, Ivanka was well-trained by Charlize in this regard. The only permanent residents here, besides the daughters, were Blanchett, oh, and Jessica, although with her travel habits, she couldn’t really be considered as living here permanently.
Here, the won ca in pairs to vacation with Adrian, while outside, AC dia’s films were released one by one.
From May to June was "Shooter," from June to the end of June was "Tomb Raider," then from the end of June to July was Jackie Chan’s "Rush Hour 2," from July to the end of July was Naomi’s "Invisible Man," and from the end of July to August was the sequel to "Charlie’s Angels" under Universal, in which Bossworth had invested and which Universal was responsible for distributing.
Initially, New Line planned to release Sarah’s "Sweet Ho Alabama" at the end of August. Even though it might have been tight on ti, this romantic cody had been promoted since it started filming, so it would have made sense in the tail end of the sumr schedule. But Adrian vetoed this proposal, citing the need for adequate promotion. Of course, he didn’t ntion the real reason.
Without a doubt, all these movies achieved quite good results. "Rush Hour 2" had a solid foundation from its first installnt, so even if the plot was slightly weaker, it didn’t matter, especially since it featured the only Japanese actress who had successfully established herself in Hollywood, Nakama Yukie. Alongside Jackie Chan, who is still very popular in Japan, it beat all the other films when it was released there.
After that, "Invisible Man" also received rave reviews. The director set up the thrilling and terrifying atmosphere just right, and the special effects team did a very realistic job of making people invisible, earning plenty of applause. Despite being rated R by the MPAA, it garnered over $25 million at the box office during its opening weekend.
"Charlie’s Angels 2" was a bit of a letdown. In recent years, many action actresses had erged, and Dennis’s wife was one example. Adrian had specifically coached her into the action genre, and now she could be considered an action star, especially since "Tomb Raider" was part of this year’s sumr roster. But, "Charlie’s Angels 2" still had a good foundation from the first installnt, and the three leading actresses each brought their own charm to the film.
All in all, AC dia had essentially reaped a rich harvest during this sumr season, and while corporate executives from other film companies were green with envy, they were relieved the gap wasn’t too vast. What they didn’t realize was that this was just a prelude, with truly significant films like "X-n," "The Lord of the Rings," and "Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone" scheduled for release at the end of the year.
In addition to those, a batch of highly comrcially viable franchise films had already been scheduled. Preparations had started by Miramax, including the actor training for "Pirates of the Caribbean," and "The Bourne Identity," which was set to comnce filming in October, with Joaquin Phoenix playing Jason Bourne after losing a ga of rock-paper-scissors to his brother, River, and thus, reluctantly accepting the role.
This wasn’t a bad outco, as River had always followed an artistic path, caring little for box office results or fees, only accepting scripts he liked. If not for Adrian, River would have refused without a second thought. There were actors who maintained their stance, and while few could keep a significant degree of fa and popularity that way, most remained mid-tier actors despite so recognition.
Yet, River was among that precious few percentiles, combining handso looks with excellent acting skills and thus amassing countless fans. Even his past drug scandal was long forgotten. So, it might be better to let him continue on this path, and after all, Adrian had a better role planned for River in a couple of years.
For the two leading young female roles in "The Bourne Identity," Adrian had Liv play the first film’s female lead, Marie, and Jessica take on a supporting role, which would be upgraded to the lead by the third film. Although Liv was cast in art films as a pretty face, she already had a film scheduled for this year, even working alongside Geoffrey Rush. But it was important for her to occasionally make a comrcial appearance as well, and the character of Marie was a perfect fit.
Jessica, although she had already tasted the sweetness of film, Adrian wasn’t rushing to give her too many film roles. It was better to let her hone her acting skills with the ti available. Regardless of her current performances, the label of a ’pretty face’ was inevitable, but an aesthetically pleasing pretty face with so acting talent was always preferable, so this role, with few lines at first but later becoming a lead, suited her well.
These were future considerations. From June to July, Adrian stayed leisurely in the UK on vacation. Of course, he didn’t neglect everything; he kept in touch with the United States as needed, with Ivanka coming over imdiately for any pressing matters. So, he had ample ti to adjust his own mood and observe the fruits of his labor.
------------
"Thanks for the ride, Feifei," the redhead girl said with a beaming smile, turning to the person in the car.
"No need to be polite; it was on the way," replied the Asian girl with long black hair, looking gentle as she smiled.
"Oh, Feifei, next week Saren and the others are planning an outdoor party, you should join us," the redhead girl added imdiately. "You should attend more parties so you can get to know everyone better. I bet, even though you’ve been at school for a few months now, you still don’t know more than a handful of people."
Liu Yufei hesitated, seemingly tempted, but ultimately just sighed and gave an apologetic look. "Sorry, Tina, I need to ask my mom first."
"Oh, it’s your mom again," the redhead girl rolled her eyes dramatically. "I can bet a hundred percent that your mom won’t agree—co on, Feifei, you need to have your own opinion. We’re just going to have fun, not do anything illegal. Why care so much about your mom’s opinion? Haven’t you ever done sothing against the rules?"
"But... that’s my mom," the girl smiled, her earlier hesitation and excitent now nowhere to be found.
"Alright, alright," Tina, the redhead girl sighed and then made a phone call gesture. "Rember to tell if you change your mind."
"Got it." Liu Yufei nodded and waved goodbye to her.
A few blocks later, she quickly arrived outside her ho. The students who attended Saint Paul’s Girls’ School were all either rich or noble, naturally living not far from each other, using this thod to make new friends was indeed a good idea.
After greeting the driver, Liu Yufei entered her ho and hadn’t even closed the door when she heard laughter inside. It seed there were visitors at ho, but... she looked up at the sowhat dark sky, what kind of visitor would choose this ti to co?
"Mom, I’m back," the girl didn’t ponder over it and called out imdiately.
"Feifei is back!" Her mother’s voice contained delight as she walked out of the living room in quick steps, hugging her daughter and looking her over with a smile. "Still as cute as ever."
"Mom--" Liu Yufei imdiately whined playfully.
But Liu Li was right; Liu Yufei, with her long black hair, a grey-blue long-sleeved shirt, tight jeans, and canvas shoes, looked both cute and full of youthful energy.
"You’re back just in ti; we have an important guest at ho today," Liu Li said, pulling her daughter inside.
Upon entering the living room, a middle-aged Caucasian man sitting on the long sofa looked up from his newspaper and offered a slight smile to the girl. He then asked in fluent Chinese, "How have you been, Feifei?"
"Ah... Uncle Adrian?" Liu Yufei hesitated and then recognized the visitor.
Adrian had visited her ho before, and of all the Westerners she had t during her ti in the United States and the United Kingdom, none spoke Chinese as well as him, so her impression of him was quite strong. Additionally, her mother had often ntioned how much they owed this dia mogul for their ability to settle down in London.
"You’ve grown much prettier these past few months, already a big girl," he continued with a smile.
"Thank you." Crystal Liu smiled softly, lowering her head, showing a very shy deanor.
She didn’t notice the satisfied expression on Adrian’s face, nor the slight relief on her own mother’s face.
"Feifei, could you keep Adrian company here for a while? I’m going to cook dinner myself," Liu Li said then.
"But Mom..." Yufei was puzzled.
"No ’buts.’ You can’t possibly leave Ed here alone. That settles it," said Liu Li decisively as she pushed her daughter onto the sofa and then headed straight to the kitchen.
Helpless, Yufei had no choice but to agree, but she still felt restless and didn’t dare to make eye contact with Adrian.
"Your mom said you acted in school plays. Can you tell what kind of roles you played?" Adrian started the conversation, seemingly oblivious to her discomfort.
At first, the girl simply responded with "um" or "yes," and only elaborated when really necessary, speaking in a hushed and timid voice. But as the conversation deepened, she unwittingly opened up, and later on, she not only took the initiative to talk more about herself but was often amused by his jokes. If not for the obvious physical differences between Adrian and Asians, Yufei might have thought she was back in China.
"This stead Wuchang fish is really good. Ms. Liu’s cooking skills are impressive; I haven’t tasted such authentic Wuhan cuisine in a long ti," praised Adrian during dinner after sampling Liu Li’s cooking.
"Of course, my mom not only danced well in Wuhan but her cooking was amazing too!" Yufei said proudly, then curiously asked, "Uncle Ed, have you had authentic Wuhan cuisine before?"
"I’ve had it in Hong Kong. But now that you ntion it, maybe it wasn’t so authentic after all, since I’ve never been to the mainland," shrugged Adrian.
"Mine isn’t exactly authentic either. Though this Wuchang fish was air-freighted here, it’s still not as fresh as it could be," Liu Li said lovingly as she caressed her daughter’s head.
"By the way, Mom, there’s sothing... I want to talk to you about..." Yufei suddenly beca hesitant. "Tina and Saren invited to... their party..."
"No," Liu Li rejected her daughter’s request without a second thought.
"What’s going on?" Adrian imdiately inquired.
"Tina and Saren are Feifei’s classmates at Saint Paul’s, and they’re young people who love to have fun. All they think about is partying, and they always want to drag Feifei along," Liu Li spoke with a tinge of dissatisfaction.
"They’re not bad people," Yufei whispered in defense.
"I know they’re not bad, but they spend a lot more ti partying than studying. Now is the best ti to enrich yourself with knowledge. What will you do in the future if you only care about having fun?" Liu Li said bluntly to her daughter.
Seeing the girl pout, Adrian couldn’t help but interject, "A bit of fun is alright. Attending so parties hosted by classmates isn’t such a big deal. Study is important, but so is play. Proper rest can make people work harder."
"You don’t understand, Ed. Our Feifei is too naive, she’s ek with little of her own opinion and doesn’t know how to protect herself. She does whatever others tell her to. Those parties are crowded and ssy, and there are not a few kids her age who smoke marijuana. Her classmates might not be bad, but what about others? If sothing happens, it’ll be too late for to even cry," Liu Li shook her head and sighed.
Yufei fell silent; she already knew her mother wouldn’t agree, so she hadn’t taken it to heart. But why did it seem like her mom was complaining to Uncle Ed? This made the girl anxious again; she knew sowhat about her mom’s past in New York. Her mother had already endured enough hardship, and she truly didn’t want any more troubles.
Fortunately, after dinner, Adrian stayed a while longer before leaving. Although Liu Li urged him to spend the night, he politely but firmly declined, which sowhat eased Yufei’s mind. Still, she felt her mother had concerns, and during their playti afterwards, she was sowhat distracted.
"Feifei, are you asleep?" After knocking, Liu Li pushed open the bedroom door.
"Is there sothing wrong?" Yufei Liu, who was reading with her bedside lamp on, looked up.
"So... so things I want to discuss with you." Liu Li, at the door, seed hesitant.
"Then go ahead and speak," Yufei cheerfully made room on her bed for her mother to sit down.
"Daughter, Mom..." Liu Li sat down and looked at her daughter, "I hope that you could... I hope you could..."
"Just tell what you need to do," the girl, unaware of what was to co, knelt on the bed and hugged her mother from behind, "As long as I can do it, I certainly will."
"But... Feifei..."
"Just like Uncle Ed said, I’m a grown girl now, and with Mom working so hard, it’s only right that I share so of the burden."
As she looked into her daughter’s bright eyes, Liu Li reached out, touched her head, then, with determination and a clenched jaw, leaned in to whisper a few words into her ear. At first, Yufei appeared confused, but her face soon turned pale, and her hands gradually released their hold on her mother, as she looked in disbelief at her mother’s guilt-ridden expression.
"I know... it’s a bit... it’s a bit..." Liu Li said with a bitter smile as she looked at her daughter, seemingly unable to finish her sentence.
"How could you do this... how could you..." murmured Yufei, taking a few steps backward and glimpsing at her mother with foreign eyes. The girl, usually ek and reliant on her mother, was unable to muster anger even now, only repeating her soft, plaintive questions.
"I am sorry, Feifei, but..." Liu Li reached out, trying to hug her, but the girl scread, stumbled back, her face pale, hugging her arms, trembling fiercely, as if she were a frightened Little Rabbit.
"How can you do this! You’re my mother!" Yufei finally yelled, then jumped off the bed and hid in the bathroom, not heeding her mother’s calls, and slamd the door shut.
Then, the girl sat down helplessly against the door, hugging her legs, sniffling softly, her eyes beginning to glisten with tears. She stifled her ears, unwilling to hear her mother’s pleas of "listen to " from outside, yet her heart kept spasming. Her entire life, her mother had arranged everything for her; she had never imagined that one day her mother wouldn’t be able to plan any longer, or when those plans were sothing she couldn’t accept. It could even be said that without her mother, she couldn’t carry on living. What she hadn’t expected was that such a day had arrived so swiftly, her mother... her mother actually wanted her to do that sort of thing.
Thinking this, an imnse sense of helplessness and emptiness surged into her, causing her such discomfort that she didn’t know what to do. She wanted to break down crying, and then, she heard sobbing.
"Mom?" Yufei opened the bathroom door; her once spasming heart suddenly ached. There sat her mother, who always took care of her and made her happy, now just as helpless, crying loudly, heartbroken.
"Mom, don’t be like this, Mom." The girl couldn’t stop her own tears from flowing, reaching for her mother’s hand to pull her up.
"I am sorry, Feifei, but what else can I do..." sobbed Liu Li, "It’s because we’re won, because our lots in life are hard... You’ve seen how the An family treats us... just because you are a girl, they refuse to acknowledge us... just because I am a dancer, they think I’m beneath your father, and they’ve tried everything to drive us away... You know how we’ve struggled these past few years... This is all I’m good at, this is all I have... I can’t even imagine what to do if I lose these... I am sorry, Feifei, I can’t give you a good future, I am an unfit mother..."
She spoke uninhibitedly, seemingly eager to release all the sorrow in her heart; tears slid down Yufei’s cheeks. She hugged her mom tighter and stamred, "Mom, stop, I’ll agree to it, okay?"
Liu Li looked up, crying again as she repeated apologies; this made Yufei hold on even tighter, her voice choked, "I know how much Mom has sacrificed for , and I should give back... anyway... anyway... it’s not like... not like I can’t do it..."
Though still sobbing, Liu Li finally felt a weight lift from her heart inside, all her efforts and this big act hadn’t been in vain.
(To be continued. If you enjoy this work, you are welco to vote for it with recomndation tickets and monthly tickets on qidian. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
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