King of Hollywood-Chapter 614 - 22 No Longer Hesitant

Casting for "X-Men" didn’t require much effort, Gandalf as Magneto, Patrick Stewart as Professor X, these were near-certainties, weren’t they? They had delivered remarkable performances in the previous life, so why not let them continue? Besides, McLaren had promised Adrian while filming "The Lord of the Rings" – well, Adrian believed he had promised, but facing an invitation from the Miracle Director, McLaren probably wouldn’t refuse – so, it was just a matter of getting Patrick Stewart on board.

As for the lead role of Wolverine, without a doubt, it was still Hugh Jackman’s. Otherwise, why would Adrian have people sign him and give him a chance? With the mixed reviews of "Swordfish" and the recently released Valentine’s Day hit "Love Across Time," starring alongside Drew Barrymore and receiving much acclaim, Jackman was no longer a newcomer in Hollywood.

Actually, even if he was, it wouldn’t matter. With Adrian’s endorsement, no one would object. It’s necessary to mention an interesting rumor here: as Hugh Jackman was making a name for himself in Hollywood, the Miracle Director had nearly become the spokesperson for Australian actors in Hollywood. He had single-handedly promoted the careers of several top Australian actors, including Russell Crowe, Kate Blanchett, Naomi Watts, and now Hugh Jackman. Nicole Kidman had also fully showcased her charm following their collaboration.

Among them, Naomi, though born in Shoreham, grew up in Sydney, so it was fair to consider her an Australian actor. Like Nicole, born in Hawaii but raised in Sydney, hence also an Australian actor.

Additionally, from the older generation of Australian actors, like Geoffrey Rush, he also had a good relationship, so in some sense, the rumor could be considered true.

But enough about that, the three main roles were set. Cyclops and the like could be handled by the production team, then there were two female roles left, which Adrian was considering because he didn’t want others to benefit. He slightly wanted Zetajones to play Jean Grey, who would later become Phoenix, but she was a bit too sultry; suited for Phoenix, but not the scholarly Jean Grey that came before. So, he decided to ask Zetajones herself first.

Another role was that of Rogue, which had significant screen time in the first film. Adrian planned to have Scarlett give it a try. Although a tad young, she was physically more mature than her peers. Claiming she was seventeen or eighteen years old was plausible, and her acting was also up to par; she shouldn’t have a problem playing the character. Moreover, in Marvel Comics’ setup, there were many different versions of Rogue with black, red, and blonde hair in countless parallel universes. There was no need to worry about dying her hair an unsuitable black, but blonde didn’t seem quite right, so red was probably the best option. As for the future "Avengers" series, that could wait until later.

The reason he had invited her over today was to discuss this matter. Who knew that after talking to the person in charge from the crew, Scarlett had actually given a promising performance during the screen tests and had been quite open. Yet, when she returned to the office, before Adrian could even speak, the young girl exploded first, questioning him as to why he hadn’t asked her out on a date.

"Um... a date?" Adrian was stunned for a good ten seconds before asking with a puzzled expression.

"You forgot? You actually forgot?!" Scarlett’s eyes went wide, her lips trembling, sporting an incredulous look as if greatly hurt, "How could you do this to me?!"

Fortunately, after the initial bafflement, Adrian quickly caught on and remembered the past joke.

"Oh dear Scarlett, you can’t put it that way, what I said was, I’d wait to date you ten years from now," Adrian said with a smile, trying to soothe her.

"It’s within ten years, don’t you dare twist your words," Scarlett stood her ground with a hefty huff, still visibly upset, "I’ve been waiting for your invitation all this time, but you completely forgot. This is just heartbreaking, Ed!"

"Well..." Adrian let out a wry smile and swallowed the words he was about to say. Arguing with a woman bent on having her way was not wise, even if the woman in question was still a girl.

This really was a headache-inducing matter. Initially, because her mother was present, everything spoken was in jest, and of course, he didn’t take it seriously. However, despite routinely keeping in touch with Scarlett and frequently inviting her to moderately decent parties—where their relationship flourished—he knew now was clearly not the most opportune moment.

Unexpectedly, Scarlett took the initiative to confront him, questioning why he wasn’t keeping his word. She was just twisting facts to suit her views, but it was obvious she had ulterior motives. In fact, she didn’t often hide those thoughts; for instance, when he visited her home during Christmas last year, the girl dressed in beautiful new clothes had privately asked him how she looked.

"If you don’t mind, I’d like to ask for your mother’s opinion first," Adrian had said before pretending to reach for the phone.

Scarlett didn’t try to stop him, just crossed her arms and tilted her head with furrowed brows and a slightly lifted chin, her gaze suggesting that if he made that call, it would be game over for them.

Seeing her determination, Adrian withdrew his hand: "So, do you have any plans then, Scarlett?"

Her response blocked him completely: "Shouldn’t that be something for you to decide?"

She sure had spunk. Clearly, if he didn’t meet her expectations today, the high regard she held for him was in peril of plummeting. Adrian couldn’t be bothered with the details; he was never the kind of man to be timid.

"Alright, I’ll make the arrangements," he said, standing up to walk in front of the girl and looking into her eyes, "Guaranteed to satisfy you, alright?"

"Yeah!" Scarlett immediately cheered and jumped up to wrap her arms around Adrian’s neck, planting a kiss on his cheek with a pop.

Although she quickly realized what she had done, her cheeks blushing momentarily, she soon recovered and even proudly puffed out her chest, one that didn’t fall short of many grown women’s.

---------

After nightfall, from high above looking down, the city was ablaze with brilliant lights, giving Los Angeles a resplendent and lavish flavor. The nightlife was just beginning, and even in the rougher neighborhoods, there were underground dance parties guarded by the gang, not to mention even more spots for leisure among the wealthy districts.

"Luck or skill, either way, when I threw the ball, they all went crashing down—fact is fact, something you can’t deny no matter what!" Walking along the street, Scarlett excitedly chatted away, clinging tightly to Adrian’s arm.

A white long-sleeved t-shirt, tight-fitting jeans, and slightly curled long blonde hair made the girl appear quite mature. From a distance, she looked very much the match for Adrian, who was also dressed in casual clothing.

"Okay, okay, you’re the best, happy now?" Adrian chuckled, "It’s a pity I didn’t bring a camera; would have been nice to capture your glory and keep it as a souvenir."

Given Scarlett’s current age, there weren’t many places she could go, so after having dinner and watching a movie with her, Adrian took her to the bowling alley. Although the girl wasn’t very skilled at bowling, she played with great enthusiasm. Of course, at her age, it was almost impossible not to do something thrilling and against the rules, so afterward, Adrian sneaked her into a famous nightclub to look around.

With him by her side, getting a young girl into the club was a piece of cake. He even took her onto the dance floor for a dance. Although he maintained his bottom line, under Scarlett’s persistent coaxing, he agreed to let her sneak a small sip of liquor. Consequently, Scarlett’s cheeks were still rosy and looked especially tempting after leaving the nightclub, and she had become even more talkative.

"Just remember to bring it along next time," Scarlett said with a playful laugh.

"That won’t do," Adrian replied, raising his eyebrows in a suggestive manner. "In that case, I would just be sitting and taking pictures of you from behind, which is my favorite angle."

Scarlett initially didn’t understand, but she caught on quickly and became bashfully embarrassed, though the hand she had linked through his arm gripped him a little tighter. This kind of teasing continued throughout the night. Since it was a date, how could flirtatious words not be exchanged? Adrian didn’t feel any burden, and he switched roles with an ease rivaling that of any actor on the silver screen.

Scarlett was quite bold too. At one point in the nightclub, she was clinging to Adrian, almost breathing onto him, and he nearly kissed her.

"Alright, I should take you home now. Even though your mom went to New York, we shouldn’t get back too late," Adrian said once they arrived at the car and got in together.

"Can we stay out a bit later?" the girl pleaded. "It won’t be a problem, my brothers and sisters are probably throwing a party at home, and I doubt they’d appreciate me walking in on anything exciting."

She pursed her lips in a pitiful little face that made it difficult for anyone to think about refusing. Scarlett was truly unique. Her still photos, without meticulous dressing up or improper makeup, tended to look average and nondescript, akin to any other woman. But once she appeared in front of the camera, every smile and gesture seemed to possess a unique charm that was irreplaceable.

Very special and strange indeed, so Adrian nodded. "Alright then, let’s go for a drive. But since we’ve had a couple of drinks and you’re in the car, I won’t drive too fast."

"That’s fine, as long as we keep going," Scarlett immediately responded, her face brightening with a smile.

The car started up, winding around the area before heading towards Hollywood. Even though it was past ten, it was still lively, and they occasionally stopped to walk around the streets.

"Have you noticed, Ed, that it seems like someone is following us?" Scarlett said nervously to Adrian after they got back into the car.

"Really?" Adrian was a bit surprised.

"Yes, that car parked over there in the corner has been following us the whole time. I just noticed it," Scarlett turned and leaned over the passenger seat to point out the rear window.

Following her direction, Adrian laughed and said, "Don’t worry, dear. That’s my bodyguard."

"Bodyguard?" Now it was Scarlett who was surprised. "I... I didn’t know you had a bodyguard. I thought you didn’t have one."

"How could that be," Adrian chuckled, shaking his head. "It’s not possible to be without a bodyguard. It’s just that their presence varies. Some people like their bodyguards to follow closely behind them, for the sake of a commanding presence; but others prefer their bodyguards to follow discreetly, to avoid disrupting their normal life—of course, as long as there’s enough reaction time."

"Why do you prefer the latter?" Scarlett asked curiously.

"Well, probably because when I was younger and went out with my parents, they preferred it that way. I guess they were worried about them disrupting me, so..." Adrian gestured with a smile.

After hearing this, Scarlett’s expression changed and she fell silent. After a while, she said softly, "They must love you very much."

"Don’t overthink it, Scarlett. Parents love their children, they just have different ways of expressing it, and sometimes... they don’t know how to express it," Adrian reassured her, cupping her cheek.

"I still hate him," Scarlett said faintly, grasping Adrian’s hand on her face after a long pause.

"I don’t want to spout clichés about needing to learn forgiveness, Scarlett. Some things require the cleansing of time to face them correctly. Until then, I’ll be the harbor you can rely on," Adrian held her and patted her gently.

Scarlett looked at him dazedly for a long time before, without any warning, she wrapped her arms around Adrian’s neck and pressed her lips to his. Her kissing skills were quite unpracticed, even almost non-existent, and it took several seconds before she awkwardly began to suckle. Adrian didn’t retreat in the slightest, leading her rhythm, teasingly flicking his tongue after the sucking, which caused Scarlett’s breathing to become hurried.

With a pop, they parted. Although the car was dimly lit, one could still see the blush on Scarlett’s cheeks and her eyes, watery and misted over.

"I’m a bad man, Scarlett, and I won’t have so many considerations," Adrian said, holding her face and listening to her faint breaths.

"As you wish, beautiful miss," Adrian responded with a smile, returning her kiss. (To be continued. If you like this story, you are welcome to go to qidian.com to vote for it and cast monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

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