Chapter 711: Chapter 119 Misunderstood…
For Adrian, who had the foresight, it was possible to obtain the rights to those original screenplays in advance by various ans, such as “The Matrix” and “Tomb Raider,” which were movies adapted from novels and thus easier to handle. Therefore, when “The Hours” was published in ’98, Miramax, under Adrian’s instruction, contacted Michael Cunningham, who hadn’t yet received the Pulitzer Prize, and thus easily acquired the film rights.
The director was still Stephen Daldry, who had proven his ttle with last year’s “Billy Elliot” and had indirectly helped Nicole win Best Supporting Actress. Adrian didn’t mind giving him the credit he deserved.
However, casting the main roles was a bit more troubleso. ryl Streep was indispensable; Adrian had seen the original and, although it was a rather dull pure art film with slow pacing and dragged-out scenes, there was really no woman around who could replace her. As for Julian Moore’s role, Adrian thought it would be interesting for Julia to try; it was ti for her to transform her image. But the role was that of a housewife, and Julia had always been known as an independent woman; even if she was to change her image, it couldn’t be too sudden. Julia also felt the role wasn’t quite right after reading the script, so it eventually fell to Sophie.
Actually, Adrian had initially wanted Sophie to play Streep’s role and even considered giving Monica a cao as the lesbian lover, but that was a bit too explicit. Monica was often seen with Sophie, making their rumored lesbian affair not entirely absent. If people didn’t know they both had an ambiguous relationship with the Miracle Director, rumors would probably be rampant.
So after careful consideration, the image of a housewife was more suitable for Sophie to shine; after all, this was to help her accumulate experience.
As for the key female lead, it was sowhat difficult to decide. Adrian wavered between Kate and Rachel. Kate didn’t need ntion; she was the first woman he had been with since his rebirth and the mother of his first child. Her place in Adrian’s heart was irreplaceable. Who else should he consider if not for her? It didn’t matter if she didn’t win an award; he had said before that he wanted her to ascend to the throne of an Oscar-winning actress with dignity, and spending ten years building her foundation was no issue.
Rachel, the always contrarian woman who reached her climax more readily under his “brutal violation and whipping,” was a very characteristic piece in his collection, so she certainly deserved her rewards, and Adrian had his plans for next year’s Oscars.
Cunningham’s novel was an interpretation based on Virginia Woolf and her work “Mrs. Dalloway,” and though Woolf herself was a female vanguard of the era, she seed as fragile on the outside as many other won and had suffered severe trauma internally. Therefore, it was better to find a more delicate-looking actress to play her. Nicole in the original had to apply ugly makeup and wear a false nose to cover her beauty and highlight her deanor.
Kate and Rachel both had different flavors of classical charm, especially Rachel, a graduate of Cambridge’s Trinity College, who had an indescribable scholarly atmosphere that made one feel fondness.
Adrian, caught in a dilemma, simply left the decision to Daldry after the auditions. This left the British director quite flattered. After all, Adrian always decided which actress would play the female lead in the films he cared about— the implications of that need no further discussion— and yet these handpicked actresses had proven to be extrely fitting during production and upon release, so no director could maintain their own view of casting in Adrian’s presence.
In this case, however, he handed the power of decision to Daldry— the aning of this move was clear. So Daldry spent several days thinking; he thought the script was excellent and didn’t want to miss the opportunity, but he had to make a decision, so after much deliberation, he chose the one he felt was more suitable. Surprisingly, after informing Adrian, he didn’t say anything; he just expressed his support, which imdiately relieved Daldry and made him even more dedicated once he began directing.
Adrian didn’t know that his action had spurred Daldry to work harder. He simply agreed with the director’s opinion in his heart; relatively speaking, Rachel was indeed a bit more suitable than Kate. If Adrian hadn’t changed Kate’s life trajectory, she would have entered Oxford after graduating from high school. Although she dropped out to act in films, the Oxford atmosphere had sowhat cultured her. Even though she loved literature and had won several well-known writing competition awards during her girls’ school days, and still occasionally wrote short articles for submission, she was still a lot less accomplished in this area than Rachel.
Moreover, Rachel was two years older and a sowhat better actress— her Oscar nomination for “The English Patient” was not solely due to public relations— so she was indeed more fitting.
It wasn’t a big deal, just a nomination. As said before, Adrian had other arrangents for next year, and spending ten years building up Kate’s experience was not an issue either.
That settled things. Adrian, having enjoyed enough ti in Los Angeles, got up and went to London. Oh, of course, a stopover in New York on the way was inevitable— to visit his uncle as usual and attend so social functions. Secondly, naturally, it was to see the restless little bird in his hands.
“Quite the opposite, I think the author’s use of red is very clever; although it’s agitating, it also boils the blood and urges you to continue moving forward,” Adrian said to Natalie while standing in front of a collage bursting with post-modern style at the gallery.
The petite lady was dressed in a brown trench coat, with a little soft hat that made her look quite docile, but a pair of long boots gave her an edgy character.
“If that’s what you think… then let’s leave it at that,” Natalie said without any intention of arguing.
Adrian shrugged, glanced at his watch, and then took her arm, “It’s almost ti, let’s go have dinner. Pinas Restaurant has very strict requirents for its guests; if we’re late, even I won’t be able to get them to free up a table for us.”
After scanning the surroundings to make sure no one had recognized her and Adrian, Natalie coughed lightly, “Sorry, Ed, I suddenly don’t feel like going to the restaurant. Maybe… it would be better to dine at the apartnt?”
Although she posed it like a question, Adrian knew that if he refused, she would start pleading, so he raised an eyebrow and promptly agreed, “No problem, I’ll have them deliver dinner.”
They left the gallery together, rode back to the apartnt in the car, and didn’t talk much. Ever since that event, Natalie, who used to be chatty during their dates, had gradually beco silent. The reasons were obvious, but now she was trying to change that. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have taken the initiative to comnt on the painting at the gallery, yet…
“You have to admit, Pinas Restaurant truly deserves its three-star rating—red wine? Or champagne?” Adrian said as he opened his liquor cabinet. The dimly lit room was brightened only by the flickering candlelight on the dining table, creating a moody atmosphere, while Natalie, seated at the table without her trench coat, had a mystique allure in the dim candlelight.
By the ti they had returned to the apartnt, the staff from Pinas Restaurant had already co and arranged everything; all they had to do was eat. However, Adrian had declined the varieties of wine offered by the restaurant. Although he didn’t collect various wines like Claude, he still had plenty of treasures in his apartnt.
“Red wine, thank you,” Natalie answered indifferently.
“Okay,” Adrian replied, taking out a bottle. After opening it with a corkscrew, he elegantly poured her a glass with a napkin in hand.
“Is it just my imagination?” He put down the bottle and suddenly asked this question. Then he lightly pinched Natalie’s cheek, saying in jest, “You seem to have slimd down a bit more.”
“From a psychological perspective, if a person has a strong sense of possession, they tend to be intolerant of even the slightest imperfection, so even if so things haven’t changed, in their eyes, they are still constantly going against their will,” Natalie maintained her neutral tone, “Besides, I am a person who keeps promises; anything I agree to, I will see through.”
Adrian laughed softly and didn’t say anything. After pouring so red wine for himself, he sat back in his seat and then said, “Looks like you’re doing well with your studies. Have you started preparing your graduation thesis yet? George has already scheduled the second part of the Star Wars Prequel for this sumr’s holiday season.”
“Yes, and he insists that I participate in the promotion this ti. I need a lot of ti to prepare my graduation thesis, so, I’m returning to Boston tomorrow.” As she said the last part, the Natalie handling the dishes paused inadvertently.
“Ti flies,” Adrian said, seemingly indifferent, then he started to reminisce, “In the blink of an eye, you’re about to graduate from Harvard. I really miss my ti at Harvard, it’s a pity I never got to visit many places with you, like the library or sothing. Speaking of which, I’ve been to Harvard and that famous library of theirs. I still rember behind the bookshelf on the third row from the bottom there’s a…”
“No!” Natalie suddenly interrupted before he could finish, although her eyelids were lowered and the lighting wasn’t bright, the obvious heaving of her chest indicated she understood the implication behind his words and had a vehent reaction.
Adrian let out a soft chuckle, took a sip of his red wine without betraying any emotion, and changed the subject, “Speaking of which, although I’ve been to the ‘Clone War’ set a few tis, I still haven’t had a detailed visit to George’s place…”
Every ti he teased and toyed with her like this, there was an indescribable sense of pleasure. After last year’s Oscars, Natalie had gradually shifted from resistance to a form of acquiescence, but at the sa ti, she was constantly struggling internally, with fear and disgust maintaining a certain level of resistance, making her feel very conflicted. That’s why at the gallery, she could instigate conversation, but was reluctant to argue, so that’s why she had spoken earlier with implicit sarcasm.
Don’t worry, dear Nata, you’ll agree. Raising his glass to signal to Natalie, Adrian thought with a secretive smile. And it will be you who’ll initiate the word “library” to .
After flying from New York to London, Adrian didn’t rush to see Little Emma but went to Rachel’s ho first. Although ‘The Hours’ had started filming at the end of last year and intended to tell the stories of three won, there was relatively more downti. Rachel had a habit of returning to London to stay for a while after spending a long ti in the United States—thanks to Ivanka, his diligent secretary, he was well-inford about the won’s whereabouts—so so “torture” was inevitable.
“Yes, dear, I’m already in London. I’ll be coming over soon,” Adrian spoke to Little Emma on the phone, “Nothing much, just so personal affairs. You’ve said you would understand, right?”
Indeed, it was just so personal affairs, such as setting up a cara next to him, having a lady with an outstanding deanor lie back on a table, and tying her limbs to the table legs before standing in front of her head. It wasn’t an ideal mont to speak with Little Emma, but Adrian had forgotten to turn off his phone, which was lying beside him, and he had notified the little one before coming.
So, he ended up making a ss on Rachel’s head and hair, but she didn’t mind. After he untied the ropes, she imdiately curled up on the table, her eyes hazy as she imrsed herself in the sensation, her lips curled in a barely noticeable smile.
Adrian had jokingly prodded Rachel about how she had beco like this—although he was the one who had orchestrated it.
“Who knows? Sotis, once the devil inside one’s heart is released, it can never be locked away again,” Rachel answered forlornly.
But if anyone really thought she was helpless and sad, they’d be sorely mistaken. Perhaps she felt sowhat that way two or three years ago, but now, despite her often sorrowful looks at Adrian, and despite her appearing fragile and pitiable when pressed down on the bed, all of this was to coax Adrian to invade her with an array of thods more thoroughly.
In a sense, Rachel’s words were true.
Well, let’s leave that topic. Little Emma had reluctantly agreed to be understanding when she left Los Angeles and had repeated it over the phone. However, when Adrian finally went to great lengths to appear before her, the first thing he received was still a big eye-roll.
“Hey, dear, you did promise , and to avoid those guys outside, I had to sneak in through the back door,” Adrian said, playing the victim.
“Never mind whether there are really reporters outside or not, even if there are, you could let go through!” Little Emma insisted.
Well, what else could you do with a little one who wouldn’t listen besides throw up your hands in surrender? However, accompanying the little one this ti wasn’t as carefree as before since there were many reporters lurking in the streets and alleys of London.
Following the global screening of “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone,” the three young stars had beco incredibly famous. As part of their “exemplary” tradition, how could the British dia not dig deep into their families? It would be alright for Eric and George, whose families were quite nice, but once Little Emma’s background was disclosed, it was inevitable that many unscrupulous dia outlets would exploit her story, especially since it involved Adrian.
Indeed, the story of her parents’ unfortunate demise at a young age and her subsequent adoption by her aunt had now spread worldwide. The efficiency of the British dia in this respect was undeniable. It was rumored that The Sun had already gathered information on this before Christmas but chose to publish it after the holidays, considering various factors such as the regulations of the “Child Law” and the guarantee of an exclusive story.
For now, it turned out to be a good thing. Once the news broke, Little Emma imdiately received a trendous amount of sympathy. Moreover, based on dia reports and her poised and mature deanor at certain functions and premieres, everyone knew she hadn’t beco radical or strange after her parents’ deaths. Instead, she was viewed as a very charming, lively, strong, and bright young girl, making her the most popular among the three young leads.
However, Little Emma wasn’t aware of this recognition, only finding the whole thing botherso.
“I won’t even start on the dia. Neighbors, friends, classmates, teachers, even those admirable veteran actors from the crew, it’s like they’ve all changed, often looking at with admiring eyes as if I’ve done sothing incredible.” Finally escaping to the streets with the help of makeup, Emma began to grumble nonstop.
“That’s because you truly have done sothing incredible,” Adrian said with a smile, patting her head. “There are many children who manage to erge from the shadows, but there are few who grow up happy, without complaint, and show strength, kindness, and brightness like you.”
“That’s because you’ve been by my side,” Little Emma suddenly grasped his hand tighter and looked up at him with a hint of insecurity. “You won’t change, will you?”
“Of course not, I’ll never change,” Adrian stopped and said with a smile, “Even if those guys exaggerate and talk nonsense, I won’t change.”
“Exaggerate and talk nonsense?” Little Emma was puzzled.
“You know, it was I who suggested you audition,” Adrian thought for a mont, choosing his words carefully. “Sooner or later, the reporters will find the connection between you and , then they’ll latch onto that, concocting stories, pinning so unsavory stuff on you, especially now that you’re so popular. They might even trouble you in ways you can’t imagine during events.”
“Why would they do that?!” The little girl’s eyes widened with shock and anger.
“That’s their job. People like to read that stuff. As long as it draws attention, they don’t mind selling their souls to Satan.” Adrian squatted in front of her and said, “I can’t always be by your side. So, if you do face such things, you must stay strong. Don’t get confused, don’t let them lead you by the nose. You need to think for yourself, know your goals, and never give up. Don’t let them bring you down, understand?”
The little girl whispered to herself for a few monts, then her eyes suddenly brightened. She hugged him tightly for a long ti before letting go. Then, she clenched her fist and said with conviction, “Yes, I understand. I will never give up on my goals! I won’t let anyone stop or bring down!”
Her clear gaze fixed on him, filled with an unspoken passion and determination. Adrian instantly realized that the little one… might have misunderstood him. (To be continued. If you like this book, you are welco to vote for it on qidian. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
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