Chapter 855: Chapter 261: At Ease
The breeze gently brushed across his face. Adrian woke up, his eyes slightly open, glanced at the corner of the curtain being blown, and was about to get up, but immediately stopped, because he was covered by more than just an arm and a leg.
Carefully moving the women’s limbs aside, Adrian quietly got out of bed and looked at them still sleeping—Lin Zhiling, Lin Xilei, Gao Yuanyuan… He suddenly raised a brow, why was one missing?
With doubt in his mind, Adrian left the bedroom, then followed the stairs down and saw Li Zi leaning on the balcony, bathed in the light of the sun just jumping out from the horizon, staring into the distance.
She wrapped her arms around herself, pulled the sides of her nightgown to her chest but didn’t tie them up, her long legs crossed. If her hair wasn’t being blown messily by the sea breeze, it would have been a beautiful still-life painting.
“I’ve noticed you seem to like waking up early every time, unless I use special measures,” Adrian said as he appeared on the balcony. Li Zi was obviously startled, then after recognizing him, brushed her hair and revealed a smile with an unclear meaning.
“You know, the bed may be big, but it’s still a bit crowded with five people, so once I woke up I couldn’t go back to sleep. Since it was already dawn, I decided to take a walk,” she explained.
“Is that so?” Adrian raised a brow and then sighed, “I have to say, Zhiling and Yuanyuan are fools. Xilei alone is clearly not your match; otherwise, you should still be sleeping among them, in my arms, instead of coming to the balcony to catch the breeze.”
Listening to his teasing words, a blush flashed across Li Zi’s face, a moment where she looked as beautiful as blooming peach blossoms. Adrian couldn’t help but click his tongue in his mind; she was indeed one of only a few beautiful women left from the early 70s in Hong Kong.
Last night, Adrian attended the premiere of “The Day After Tomorrow.” Besides Lin Zhiling, Gao Yuanyuan and Li Zi, who was visiting Los Angeles again for vacation, also accompanied him. After the event, he simply called Lin Xilei and went with the four women to the Malibu seaside villa for a five-person game.
Generally speaking, as the newcomer, Li Zi would absolutely become the common target of the other three women in such circumstances, just like when Yuanyuan joined, she was pinned down by Shuanglin on the bed for a long time.
However, Li Zi was the oldest among the four women, and her experiences made her more adept in wrangling, well above them. So, after managing the initial wave of attacks, she took advantage of the excitement in the air, incited Lin Zhiling and Gao Yuanyuan with a few words, and then they turned the battle on each other.
Lin Xilei, who was doing quite well in the agent circle, could possibly stand against her, but she was still a single force, and with Adrian watching the fun from the side, Li Zi slipped away.
“But there’s no rush; you’re not getting away today,” Adrian teased with a chuckling grin.
Li Zi’s face turned redder, a complex expression flickered in her eyes. She had thought he was just the kind to chase one after another, keeping only a few fixed lovers. It was not until she arrived in Los Angeles that she realized this guy had countless women, and not a single Oscar-winning actress of the past few years was missing from among them—though this might not be true, in Li Zi’s eyes, who wasn’t very familiar with Adrian, this was the reality she saw.
Similarly, she originally believed that playing a three-person game was the maximum extent, but after having been alone with him a few times, this time he unexpectedly dragged her into a tangled mess with Lin Zhiling, an internationally popular superstar in East Asia, Gao Yuanyuan, a rising star in Hollywood from the mainland, and a powerful beautiful female agent.
To be honest, this was somewhat difficult for Li Zi to accept; it was just too outrageous. Moreover, from what Lin Zhiling vaguely revealed last night, he had participated in even more chaotic parties before. What if he asked her to join as well—what should she do?
“Whatever you say, I can’t resist anyway,” Li Zi sighed.
She couldn’t do anything; she was already being kept, could she even regret it? Plus, from Lin Xilei’s half-consoling, half-cautioning words advising her not to defy Adrian’s will, it was clear she had no choice at all.
Recalling the scenes in Hong Kong back then, Li Zi only got more perplexed—what kind of person was he, exactly?
“Listen to yourself. Do you really think I would force you into anything?” Adrian said, pretending to be offended, as if what happened in Hong Kong never took place.
Then he lifted her chin up to face him, “By the way, isn’t your contract about to expire? Interested in pursuing a career in Hollywood?”
“To… pursue a career in Hollywood?” Li Zi’s eyes widened.
No one would say no, at least not the artists in Hong Kong’s entertainment circle. But after so many years, the number of people who managed to break into Hollywood and establish themselves could be counted on one hand, and reportedly, they were now thinking of returning to East Asia.
Now, a man among the most powerful in Hollywood was asking if she was willing, not to mention with examples like Lin Zhiling and Gao Yuanyuan in front of her, how could she not be tempted?
“Me… Can I?” Regaining her senses, she stammered a bit, lacking confidence.
“Of course,” Adrian smiled faintly, “I know what you’re worried about. Zhiling and Yuanyuan initially had the same concerns, but they all overcame them and achieved what they have today. There’s no reason you can’t, right?”
Before Li Zi could respond, he continued speaking to himself: “I have a great concept, and it happens to need an Asian female lead. You definitely should give it a try. But before that, you have to come to Hollywood for a period of training. It’s different here than in Hong Kong; you need to understand everything here and fully integrate. Don’t worry, I’ll provide plenty of conveniences and make sure the best teachers guide you in training specifically for this TV show.”
Upon hearing this, Li Zi couldn’t help but feel a bit disappointed. She had thought she would star in Hollywood movies. Even in Hong Kong, movie actors were more sought after than TV actors. However, Li Zi quickly adjusted her mentality. She had already experienced too many things that strayed far from her wishes and developed some immunity. Moreover, despite her unfamiliarity with the TV industry in the United States, acting in TV shows in Hollywood was still better than in the small pond of Hong Kong.
Adrian, watching, nodded approvingly: “Don’t underestimate TV shows, Zi. Many roles are equally challenging to perform, and they can serve as a stepping stone to movie roles. Zhiling acted in many TV shows at first, and Yuanyuan even more so. If you’re willing to work hard, opportunities will undoubtedly come. So, are you willing to give it a shot?”
She had almost made up her mind already, and upon hearing his words, Li Zi immediately agreed with a nod: “I am!”
Though she knew what it entailed, she was already being kept, so why care about these things anymore? Besides, the thought of those Hollywood superstars submitting to the same man as she did gave her an inexplicable thrill.
As for certain things… perhaps they weren’t so hard to accept after all. Just think back to Lin Zhiling’s eager face wanting to participate when mentioning even more outrageous parties before.
Adrian was quite pleased with her reaction, and bringing Li Zi to Hollywood was not some spur-of-the-moment decision. He had mentioned earlier that he had wanted to change the Korean role in “Lost” to a Chinese one, and let her play it. However, he had been following Asian actors a lot over the past few years and expanding in the mainland, needing to redirect some mainstream attention.
Plus, although Li Zi’s acting skills were good in Hong Kong, they might not necessarily suit Hollywood. Without a few months of intensive training on all fronts, he wouldn’t simply let her take on a role in a TV show.
There was no rush, anyway. The TV show Adrian had planned didn’t need to air this year. He had already secured the rights to the novel and could adapt it into a TV show whenever he desired, although some content would inevitably need modifications. After all, the novel adaptation was primarily from a female protagonist’s perspective, and without a matching male lead, it would be risky, so it required time.
Although cumbersome, it was worth it. Not to mention Adrian had clearly intended to claim her best moments, leaving her an unlimited black card when he left Hong Kong. She could spend as she wished. Such lavishness, though with its risks, hinged on whether the person holding it had any sense of awareness.
Fortunately, Li Zi is smart. As far as Adrian knows, although her expenses are not small, they are only a few million Hong Kong Dollars, and at least half of it is spent on her brother, including various costs and also winning quite a few people’s support. Moreover, he always thought she would try to use the card to buy a villa or something. Even though the total amount is unlimited, the single transaction limit is smaller, so if she wanted to do this in Hong Kong, surely she’d have to come to him for help. But after several months, Li Zi made no such move, although she did buy a house for her brother across from her in Hong Kong.
Not bad, right? At least she can control herself, so Adrian will not be stingy.
That’s settled then. As for “The Day After Tomorrow,” oh, don’t worry, the near $90 million box office over the weekend already says it all, and the actors’ performances are quite good… well, the real star of the movie is the special effects. For example, the scene where a helicopter crew is frozen the moment they open the door or the chilling air hits, the camera starting from the American flag, a rapid sequence of freezing that leaves the audience dazzled. Other scenes, like the flooding of New York, don’t even need mentioning.
Under such impressive special effects, nobody paid attention to the actors’ performances, so Kayden and Lin Zhiling both got off easy. Lin Zhiling’s role as a female meteorologist is small and can be overlooked. She’s also starring in another major production set to release at the end of the year, where she plays a main supporting role, so she doesn’t need to worry too much about her reviews in “The Day After Tomorrow”. But Kayden’s role is quite significant. She did show some acting ability, but compared to the original version, there wasn’t much improvement. Plus, she is very pretty; even though Adrian changed her fate, due to the striking boldness from the start, there is a sultry look in her eyes, somewhat misaligned with the identity of a high school girl.
Getting a vase evaluation in this situation is already quite good, but who said that “The Day After Tomorrow” is a movie selling special effects? Plus, it addresses a well-known topic like global warming, so even critics mainly focused on that and didn’t care about her performance.
“This is both a good and a bad thing for you, no need to carry too much pressure, but if you don’t continue to improve, you will never become a big star. Don’t let me down,” Adrian said to Kayden after “The Day After Tomorrow” broke 100 million at the North American box office, “As I said before, for you, I owe Emmerich a huge favor.”
This statement is somewhat exaggerated but true. Originally, when Adrian recommended Kayden to Emmerich, he already eyed a young actress and wasn’t keen on switching, so Adrian hinted that if he used Kayden, he would continue investing in the movies Emmerich wanted to produce.
Of course, fulfilling this promise is really too easy for Adrian. For instance, after the premiere, when Emmerich half-jokingly asked if he had any good ideas for upcoming projects, Adrian directly replied: “Look, Roland, you’ve already destroyed Washington, New York, the entire Northern Hemisphere; are you interested in destroying the whole world?”
As for whether it would lead to a movie being pushed forward and another movie fading into oblivion, he couldn’t care less; after all, the disappearance of the latter isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
“I will, my master, your will is my will.” Kayden said with a bright smile, wearing a white wedding dress kneeling before Adrian, diligently pleasing him orally.
The women who can stay by Adrian’s side are at least very tactful after several indications from Adrian. Kayden also began to work hard on honing her acting skills, of course, also doing her best to please him, just like right now. When Adrian expressed a desire to play with her look in a wedding dress, Kayden agreed without hesitation.
Role-playing has always been Adrian’s favorite, especially wedding dresses. The symbolic meaning in it cannot be overlooked and the most thrilling times were with Cindy Crawford and Alizée Jacotey, but playing this with his women began after a “wedding” with Kate in Hawaii.
Of course, taking pictures for remembrance is a must. Adrian has already set up a shelf in his collection room, named “Bride.” It’s just that most of the mothers of his children agreed, but among the young girls, except for a few like Keeley and Kayden who are very obedient, most of them are bashful.
Fortunately, Megan is pregnant this time. After she gives birth next year and regains her figure, she will inevitably wear this and moan beneath him.
Speaking of which, although there are quite a few heavyweight works ready to release after “The Day After Tomorrow” during the summer, including two Marvel superhero films, Adrian manages easily while balancing work, women, and Megan alongside Gwyneth.
“Look at Aibo, this little cutie’s asleep again; oh, can’t she sleep a little later? Then she wouldn’t wake up crying at night.” Adrian joked with a sigh while holding his sleeping little daughter.
“Alright, Ed, give her to me, don’t be clumsy and wake her up.” Gwyneth chided, taking the little one back with a gentle expression while humming a tune.
“Clumsy? Me?” Adrian rolled his eyes.
“It’s normal for babies to wake up and cry in the middle of the night, it has nothing to do with how much they sleep during the day.” Gwyneth said, ignoring his expression entirely.
Fine, Adrian sighed in his heart, once a woman becomes a mother, she immediately becomes different. But this doesn’t stop him from teasing her a bit.
“Honestly, Gwyneth, Aibo is cute, but she doesn’t relate to Apple at all. She just eats, sleeps, sleeps, and eats; she’s entirely a little pink pig.” He said from behind Gwyneth, looking at the little one fast asleep in her arms.
Gwyneth furrowed her brow and spent a few seconds figuring it out before glaring at Adrian in annoyance. If Aibo weren’t in her arms, she would’ve definitely punched him.
Adrian laughed heartily, and suddenly, the little one who hadn’t woken up from being in his arms for so long began to cry. Gwyneth quickly began coaxing her, but the little one wouldn’t stop crying until Adrian reminded: “Obviously, Aibo is hungry.”
Reluctantly, Gwyneth angrily lifted her large T-shirt, bringing it to Aibo’s mouth, and the little one immediately opened its mouth, latching on and started drinking heartily.
Speaking of which, each of his daughters was special when they were born. Lily, Deva, Juliet are one thing, but Mary loved to bite everything, Eleanor liked to grab, and Patricia disliked being held by her daddy. Now with Aibo, she just eats and sleeps, then wakes up to eat again and do nothing else. Even if awake from wetting her bed, she must have a bite before willing to sleep; Adrian isn’t wrong calling her a little pig.
But because of this, the little one is growing fair and chubby, very cute, inheriting her mother’s hair and eye color like her sister Eleanor. Eleanor adores this little sister; it remains to be seen if their bond will match that of Deva and Juliet.
Since Gwyneth is wholeheartedly devoted to being a mother, eagerly taking care of the little one each day, Adrian is quite relaxed on this side, and it’s the same on the other side.
“Is that all? I don’t think it helps much.” Megan, lying in bed after several deep breaths, said with a frown.
“All you need is rest, Megan, don’t do any strenuous activities,” Adrian gently held her hand and said, then looked at Jessica, who was peeling fruits beside her, “Jessica has quite the say in this.”
Jessica huffed without speaking, but then Megan also huffed, showing some displeasure towards Adrian.
Adrian chuckled silently, knowing what she was upset about. On that night while she was one month into her pregnancy, they couldn’t get intimate, so he ended up getting passionate with Jessica.
But it happened in the hallway, or rather just outside Megan’s bedroom, so she could somewhat hear it, which led to this…
“Just rest well, and in two to three months, when the fetus is basically formed, you can do more,” Jessica finally opened up to comfort her.
“Alright, I just hope I won’t get too fat then.” Megan gloomily nodded, showing she listens to her. Considering her previous displeasure was only aimed at Adrian, it’s clear the bond between them is getting closer.
Poor Jessica though, given she has two movie roles releasing this summer, but thanks to her help in taking care of Megan, Adrian is equally at ease.
This is why he can manage everything with ease. (To be continued. If you like this work, feel free to visit Qidian () and cast recommendation or monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)