King of Hollywood
Chapter 349 - Chapter 349 Chapter 73 Always Something

Chapter 349: Chapter 73 Always Something Chapter 349: Chapter 73 Always Something If it were just like this, it could be ignored. It’s inevitable that some people in the crew would have disagreements and generate conflicts, and that wouldn’t matter as long as it didn’t affect the normal filming. Love indeed didn’t affect the shoot. She even often pretended to be very close to Sarah in front of others, but then behind the scenes, she spread such rumors. Her methods were rather despicable.

Although some of the situation was deduced by Adrian based on the information collected by Roger, he believed it was not far from the truth. With just a few hints, she threw herself into his arms. This surely was due to the attraction of being an ace screenwriter, Miracle Director, and Gold medal producer, but it also revealed what kind of person she was, bearing in mind that she was even two years younger than Sarah!

The most serious issue, however, was that later on, rumors began to involve Sarah’s mother. If before, a frown could have been overlooked, the current situation was simply unbearable. Thankfully, Adrian managed to curb the spread internally through Roger’s intervention. Otherwise, if Sarah had found out, it would have been like a volcanic eruption.

Maybe Love had acted impulsively, and the escalated version of the events might not be related to her, but as the instigator, she had to pay the price. Since Sarah was his woman, how could Adrian let her suffer?

Even if this woman was to be one of America’s quality idols of the late ’90s, able to sing and act with commendable commercial value, so what? If Adrian wanted her to end up with nothing, then she would end up with nothing. It made no difference whether she was the Jennifer Love Hewitt of his memory with a certain status.

Of course, Adrian wouldn’t actually leave her with nothing. Love still had her uses, for example, to provoke or ‘train’ Sarah. In the past two years under his care, although Sarah had been relatively happy, she had also lost something. Remember, she had confronted him angrily in front of so many people in the restaurant.

This was inevitable, as was the case with Kate. To this day, Adrian still remembered their first fiery meeting. It was her spirit that made him want to have her, and although it couldn’t be said that Kate had lost her characteristic spirit, she had changed quite a bit. Adrian was happy to see these changes but didn’t want them to completely transform.

Sounds greedy, right? That’s correct. Just as he often said, “A moderate greed is good.”

In short, Sarah’s vulnerability and obedience were one of the reasons for her gloominess in the face of rumors. Thus, Adrian wanted to use this opportunity to allow her to vent her negative emotions. The previous temptation of Love on set was merely a start and a test. She thought she should be the lead actress, didn’t she? Next, she would get a taste of what it’s like to be in that role–this might take some time, but it was alright, as Sarah still needed encouragement and guidance.

“Don’t be too aggressive. Just maintain a good relationship with her on the surface, like she did before. Then gradually push forward. However, you also need to learn to adapt and be decisive when it’s time to intensify,” Adrian advised gently as he took Sarah for a drive.

“I feel… maybe we could try a different approach?” Sarah said, playfully sticking out her tongue, her mood greatly lifted by her lover’s presence, promptly casting aside all the unpleasantness brought by Love.

“I’ve said before, you’re my woman. I won’t let you suffer such senseless grievances,” Adrian sighed, “How many times have you said this now, Sarah? Are women always so fickle?”

“Ha, and how many times have you said this, Ed? Always blaming me. Are men always so possessive?” Sarah immediately retorted with a pout, her cheeks puffing out playfully. Adrian was driving a convertible and they were on a rural highway speeding at 90 mph. The roaring wind tousled her long hair, giving her an unrestrained beauty.

“Okay, I just feel like you’re planning to turn me into the bad guy,” Sarah responded, leaning sideways, resting her chin on her hand, gazing intently at him.

“If that’s what it takes to be a villain, what does that make me?” said Adrian, controlling the steering wheel, with a look of innocence on his face.

“Ed’s not a bad guy, Ed’s an asshole,” Sarah said with a giggle, but then her expression sobered up, and her slightly squinted eyes took on a different flavor, “Jennifer must have made you feel really good that day, huh?”

“It was okay, she put in a lot of effort, but her skills were quite limited,” Adrian replied, unflinchingly.

Sarah hummed softly, her cheeks suddenly flushing. After scanning the surroundings on the highway, she took several rapid breaths before suddenly reaching down toward Adrian, who was driving.

“Wow, this is on a freeway!” Adrian quickly slowed down, but even so, the car still shook.

Sarah did not reply, her cheeks growing redder and her breathing increasing, but she did not stop her movements. Biting her lip, she looked at him with tear-filled eyes and continued to move her hand, sometimes fast, sometimes slow.

“I have to say, Sarah… your hand is really…” Adrian took a deep breath, trying hard to concentrate on the road ahead. Every woman had something about her that he liked, and Sarah’s hands were particularly skillful.

Just then, a strange shriek came from behind, as a multi-colored sports car chased after them. Inside the car sat several men and women, all with dyed hair, dark eyeshadow, and a variety of piercings, dressed in a punk-gothic style. Surprised, the young woman quickly retracted her hand.

Not knowing whether they had seen something or it was just their nature, as soon as they pulled up alongside Adrian, the group started shouting at them and provocatively banging on their car doors. Adrian hadn’t reacted yet, but Sarah had already thrust out a big middle finger and mouthed “fuck.”

The other group became even more excited and continued to yell, with Adrian shaking his head and slowing down again. This tactic was quite effective. These people had dolled themselves up and went out in search of thrills, one of which was speeding on the freeway. When someone else didn’t want to race them, they naturally went off to look for another car ahead.

“It’s rare to see, you actually have this side to you. Looks like I should go out for a drive with you more often,” Adrian teased the young woman next to him as he watched the group drive away.

“You don’t know the half of it!” Sarah, still flushed, suddenly became annoyed and reached down again.

Adrian couldn’t help but exclaim “Wow” again. He was already somewhat distracted, and now, with the young woman’s vigorous teasing, he had to concentrate most of his energy on driving, so he didn’t control himself well, and after a few minutes, a sigh of relief escaped him.

Sarah also stopped, took a few deep breaths, and drew back her somewhat sticky hand. She shyly looked at Adrian and then did something to surprise him. She brought her hand to her face, stuck out her little tongue, and began to lick her palm, all the while looking at Adrian. Even as her cheeks turned redder, she looked like she might drip water at any moment.

It was truly refreshing! Adrian sighed inwardly, feeling that his efforts over the past couple of days had some effect. Ever since she and he had been together, Sarah was rather conservative in bed. Although she had tried many positions at his request, she rarely did so more than once. Like that night at her home, when they had to stop because her mother came home early, although there were occasionally other times, they were pitiful few. Sarah preferred the feeling of Adrian holding her in his arms.

So, what better opportunity to further develop Sarah? Of course, like always, these things take time and can’t be hurried. So after calming Sarah down and finding out about the progress of “I Know What You Did Last Summer,” Adrian went to the set of “Jumanji.” Although it had taken some effort to get Robin Williams to agree to act in it, he was indeed fabulous. Director Joe Johnston praised his understated humor, and he also had a good rapport on set, always eager to please everyone with his sense of humor.

Adrian just made some casual conversation with him and didn’t have much contact, even though he knew the guy would be a perennial star in the future. But with enough chips in his hand, there was no need to rush, so he was always polite, neither too warm nor too aloof, just right.

As for the two young actors, Silver could be considered average, after all, this was his first movie. However, occasionally he displayed flashes of brilliance. With both his brothers being decent actors and having performed street acts with River since he was young, he ought to have some natural talent.

“Making movies is fun, but I also like to sing. Maybe I’ll consider cutting an album in the future. I’ve heard that many actors release albums while acting in movies,” the boy said excitedly while chatting with Silver.

Although Adrian offered verbal support, he sighed internally. To be at the top of any industry, one needs to dedicate all their energy to it without distractions. Splitting focus only leads to mediocrity. Don’t be fooled by MJ and Madonna, who both have acted in movies; that’s practically just a hobby after achieving success.

Of course, there are also actors who release albums while performing, like Keanu Reeves having a rock band, and Will Smith being passionate about RAP, but their main energy isn’t focused there; it’s just a bit more serious than a hobby. Such actors might become stars but not megastars.

To succeed in the entertainment industry depends a lot on luck– a good movie or a great role can skyrocket an actor’s career. But not everyone gets a great role every time, and being careless may lead to a flop. Too many flops can significantly affect commercial value. Megastars might retain their worth by leveraging popularity to fight for better roles, but without that luck, stars can only watch themselves slide down from glory.

That’s why Adrian was so favored–he had a good eye for talent: Travolta’s comeback, Hank’s back-to-back Oscars; he had strength and connections–owning his own media company, maintaining good relationships with major film studios, and being friends with the likes of Spielberg and Lucas.

Okay, that digressed a bit. Although Silver said so, it doesn’t mean he’ll do it in the future. Since he’s doing okay now, it’s time to put that movie on the schedule. If it drags on and Silver gets older, it’ll be harder to manage.

Kirsten, playing the sister, had earned the nickname of “little princess” on set for winning the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. Despite her unusual maturity, she couldn’t help but feel a bit carried away with pride wherever she went due to her sudden high honor. She knew this wasn’t great, but the satisfaction would surge whenever she heard praise.

Luckily, she kept it in check, so it didn’t cause much resentment–mostly just some half-mocking comments like “Look at her, acting all high and mighty.” Being a young girl does have its advantages.

However, around Adrian, Kirsten never showed such pridefulness–she understood all too well. After her Oscar win, her mother Inez initially wanted to double her fee for “Jumanji,” but her daughter opposed vehemently.

“Dear mom, you need to understand what’s most important, not just focus on immediate gain,” Kirsten had said. Any parent being told this by their child would get angry, and Inez was no exception. Besides, how many parents push their kids into showbiz not for fame and fortune? Some parents just can’t control themselves, like Drew’s or Macaulay King’s, while some parents, like Inez, know limits.

So after delivering a long speech about “it’s for your own good,” she came to understand her daughter’s point of view. Their relationship remained strong, and although the fee was eventually increased, it was modest.

“You have a smart mother,” Adrian commented after learning about this from Kirsten.

“Of course, who do you think her daughter is?” The girl replied smugly, dressed in blue dungarees and twin braids–an outfit that seemed old-fashioned yet gave her a youthful air.

However, due to shooting on location and with Inez present, Kirsten didn’t request private coaching, only tossing a few flirty glances at Adrian when no one was around. Slightly regretful, but Adrian didn’t take it to heart. After all, it was only a matter of time before he ‘got a taste,’ and if not now, there were other ‘snacks’ available, right?

The main movies were sorted out like that, but Adrian was busy editing “Braveheart” while overseeing “Emma” and still had to think about the right new script.

Kate’s performances in “Memento,” “Howards End,” and “Twisters” were decent enough, but in the first movie, Dennis was the absolute protagonist, the second one was too niche, and the third movie’s main selling point was the disaster, so her popularity wasn’t that high. At best, she could only be considered a second-tier actress.

It was precisely for this reason that she could peacefully rest and nurture her fetus after becoming pregnant. Otherwise, journalists would have dug three feet into the ground in search of the child’s father. Of course, every advantage has its disadvantage. Because she was pregnant and didn’t want to be disturbed by paparazzi, Kate hadn’t had any exposure for several months, and the popularity she had accumulated was almost entirely dissipated. Once she gave birth, she would need a fairly outstanding movie to make her way back to the second tier.

“Don’t bother me.” Adrian had wanted to discuss this matter with Kate, but she, who was lightly exercising with her big belly, dismissed him impatiently. However, a few minutes later, she called Adrian back in a rage, asking why he wasn’t watching over her, wondering if he found her very annoying.

Adrian maintained a smile throughout, no matter how rude Kate was. One should be patient with pregnant women. After all, bearing a big belly for so many months, unable to sit properly, and facing what is one of the world’s most painful experiences – childbirth; letting her vent like a child wasn’t bad at all.

Turning back to the subject of scripts, Liv, on the other hand, was in a different situation. Her classical white lady’s attire and innocent, bright face in “Sleepy Hollow” earned her lots of people’s affection. Even if she was just a “vase,” she was a very beautiful one. Adrian initially planned on letting her comfortably be a beautiful “vase” and naturally had to consider this direction.

“Am I really just a ‘vase’?” Liv pouted discontentedly after learning about his intentions.

“Do you want the truth or a lie?” Adrian asked in return.

“Tell a lie first, then the truth,” Liv replied after thinking.

“The lie is, maybe you’re a ‘vase’ now, but if you try hard, you will definitely have great acting skills in the future,” Adrian shrugged his shoulders, “The truth is, although you have some shortcomings, you are really beautiful. And you don’t have much acting talent, so whether you like it or not, for a long time you’re going to be a ‘vase.'”

“Oh, can I only be a ‘vase’?” Liv immediately became downcast.

“Look, Liv,” Adrian said with a smile as he embraced her, “you don’t have to just do movies; you could try being a part-time model like your mother if you’d like, and I can introduce you to some people. Also, if you really can’t accept it, and want to shine in the movies, there’s another way.”

Liv turned her head to look at him.

“Keep being a ‘vase’ and continually learn and accumulate experience. Let everyone think you are just a ‘vase’ and have very low or even no expectations of you. Then, when you suddenly demonstrate your acting skills, it will genuinely shock everyone!” Adrian said with a smile.

“That sounds pretty painful,” Liv smacked her lips and then suddenly smiled, “Ah, let’s not think about that now. How about we go out to sea and have fun tomorrow?”

Even with Adrian’s self-control, he couldn’t help but roll his eyes. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please visit Qidian (NovelFire.net) to vote and support me. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

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