Renly gazed at the young woman before him, his pupils slightly contracting. He then reached for his phone and aimed it at her figure, pressing the shutter button with a crisp "click".
The young woman clearly hadn't anticipated Renly's sudden action, which disrupted all her plans. She widened her eyes and exclaimed, "Hey, have you gone mad?" Striding purposefully towards Renly, she displayed a fierce and predatory posture that surprisingly carried an air of astonishment. Yet, Renly remained unfazed. Raising his right hand high, he stood firmly in the advantage of his height.
The young woman's height only reached Renly's chest. Faced with this seemingly unreachable distance, she wisely chose to give up, halting her steps in front of him. She rolled her eyes dramatically and spoke with a hint of exasperation, "So, is this how you welcome me? How long has it been since we last saw each other... two years ago, on Christmas?"
"That question should be directed back at you," Renly retorted, his composure unshaken. "From the tone you used just now, it's clear you knew I would appear today. Yet, you didn't bother to give me a call in advance?"
His counter-question left the young woman momentarily stupefied. She sighed in resignation and waved her hand dismissively, "You don't need to flaunt your intelligence in front of me."
Shrugging, Renly wasn't buying it at all. The person before him wasn't a pushover to be taken lightly. "I'm simply leaving evidence behind, just in case."
"Hey!" The young woman protested with a raised voice. However, upon glancing at Renly, she refrained from arguing further. "Or how about this? Delete that photo you just took, and I'll arrange the lighting and angle for a new one. I don't trust your photography skills; they're just beginner-level at best."
Observing the disdainful expression on the young woman's face, Renly chose not to argue. In truth, she could be considered his photography mentor. "It's not necessary. Besides, the people who might see this photo won't appreciate your photography skills anyway."
The young woman pursed her lips, neither confirming nor denying. She knew Renly's words were true.
"Spill the beans. How did you end up here, emerging from the media room? This implies that you're part of today's interview team, including me." A mere glance and the traces of evidence pieced together, allowing Renly to deduce the truth. "But in reality, aren't you supposed to be in Sudan, working for the United Nations? At least, that's what George and Elizabeth believe."
Standing before Renly was his sister, his true younger sister, Edith Hall. She had a background in fine arts and possessed remarkable talent, but she abandoned fine arts as she grew older, developing an interest in photography and eventually becoming a professional photographer.
Photography, to a certain extent, was a modern manifestation of fine arts combined with technology. Added to that, being a woman in a noble family's traditional mindset, women could choose their own hobbies and interests, and secure a suitable match in marriage. It was akin to Elizabeth having her own gallery. While traditional British nobility still imposed constraints on women, progress had undeniably been made.
Edith's brilliance lay in her choice to partner with the United Nations. Employed as an official photographer, she traveled around the world to capture images for charitable causes. This action earned her commendation, even within British aristocratic circles. Therefore, her family did not oppose Edith's choice.
Last month, Sudan concluded a seven-year civil war, officially establishing the Republic of Sudan. The United Nations Peacekeeping Forces were now handling post-conflict matters in Sudan. Logically speaking, Edith should be in Sudan, not Los Angeles.
Edith rolled her eyes. "God, I knew I shouldn't have taken this job." In truth, she only realized after accepting the job that the male lead in "The Pacific" was none other than Renly. By then, it was too late to refuse.
But direct surrender wasn't Edith's style. "If the family finds out you're a television actor now, not a film actor, not a stage actor, but a cheap soap opera actor, do you think they'd personally come to drag you back?" She was striving to gain some leverage.
Renly, the cunning fellow, greeted her with photography at their first meeting, evidently foreseeing the current situation and securing a handle on her early on. Edith couldn't help but grit her teeth. Everyone thought Renly was a well-behaved, elegant young man; only she saw through the true face of her adorable little brother. What a bittersweet revelation.
"Crocodile tears won't work." Never mind that Renly had experienced rebirth; he wasn't easily fooled. Having spent twenty years as siblings, he couldn't be tricked by Edith's tactics. "George and Elizabeth have cut off all my financial resources. They refused to call me six months ago. So..." Renly shrugged, meaning: Your threats are useless.
Edith opened her mouth, about to say something more, but Renly beat her to it. "Arthur knows about "The Pacific". He specifically wrote an email to mock me mercilessly." In the eyes of many nobles, a television actor was not even worthy of being called an "actor".
"Damn Arthur." Edith cursed. Arthur was all talk and no action, utterly unreliable when it came to practical matters.
Edith retrieved a cigarette from her pocket, lit it swiftly, and held it between her lips, scratching her head in frustration. Renly, however, remained unhurried, standing silently beside her. Then he took a step to the side, creating some space. Edith noticed this subtle movement, her eyes widening. "Don't tell me you're trying to get the hotel's surveillance cameras to capture me, hoping they'll kick me out?"
Renly's face was a picture of innocence. "Edith, have you developed paranoia from your time in Africa?" Okay, the plan was seen through; quite a letdown.
Squinting, Edith scrutinized Renly for a moment, then turned around and strode towards the balcony at the end of the corridor. Without looking back, she knew Renly would follow suit. As expected, when she turned within the balcony, she saw Renly standing under the soft yellow light. Edith rested her hands on the railing. "Speak up, what's your demand?"
If Renly disclosed her situation to the family, she would likely face trouble for the foreseeable future. Moreover, considering the family hadn't paid any attention to Renly for over half a year, who knew if they'd vent their resentment on her. Edith knew she had no room to argue.
"Owe me a favor," Renly calmly stated, not hastily falling into the trap. "You'll be responsible for taking photographs later, right? You better not treat me as a guinea pig." There were no extra words; the tone of his threat couldn't have been clearer.
Edith exhaled smoke in exasperation. "You must know that others are lining up to have me photographed. This time, Vanity Fair communicated with me for two months to invite me for this shoot."
Renly suddenly comprehended and nodded thoughtfully. "So, this isn't your first time doing character photos for a magazine. Does it mean you've never been to Sudan? Hmm... I should check the recent issues of famous magazines for studio shots." Renly looked earnestly at Edith. "Is it the fashion magazine type?"
Edith bit her cigarette holder fiercely. This time, she miscalculated. She had seized the initiative, yet still stumbled before Renly. "Just because I used you as a guinea pig in middle school to practice a few moves, it's just a trivial matter. You actually held a grudge for so long." Edith muttered. But Renly's raised eyebrow reminded her of the time she had him lie flat on a stool, supported only by his waist, while imitating a graceful skydiving pose, which took two hours of continuous shooting. She called that a trivial matter? Or perhaps making him pose as Popeye in a fountain during the depths of winter, which had taken up a whole afternoon. Was that a trivial matter?
Seeing the glimmer in Renly's eyes, Edith immediately decided to withdraw. "Deal!" She had initially planned to challenge Renly to some difficult poses during today's shoot. Yesterday, she had fantasized about several different actions at home, almost bursting into laughter in delight. But now, all those plans had gone down the drain!
Renly nodded in agreement. Edith took a deep drag of her cigarette to express her discontent. She chose not to argue further. Although Renly was filled with mischief, he was a man of his word; she needn't worry. "Do you truly intend to continue down the path of an actor? You're smart; you should know how unreliable this path is."
"What's your suggestion then?" Renly asked, half-jokingly.
Edith pondered earnestly. She and Renly were cut from the same cloth, inherently rebellious, always striving to break free from the confines and repression of traditional British nobility.
In truth, she admired Renly. From choosing his major at Cambridge University, to taking a hiatus to attend the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, to raising enough funds and boldly traveling to New York, he navigated the process step by step, unwavering and resolute. He resisted immense pressure from the family, ultimately launching his own acting career. Deep down, she hoped Renly would succeed. Perhaps, through his success, she might finally break free from the shackles imposed by the label of "woman".
"Become a more outstanding actor," Edith replied, eliciting a smile from Renly. "This time, I heard from the Vanity Fair editor that you're the absolute main character, the spotlight will be on you. Even Spielberg seems to have a newfound interest in you. So, what did you do?" Edith extinguished her cigarette and walked back towards the direction of their room, side by side with Renly. "Since Spielberg isn't interested in men, how exactly did you bribe him? As an unknown newcomer actor, this doesn't make sense without some sort of special treatment!"
Renly playfully ignored Edith's serious tone. If he were serious, he would have already been reincarnated. "Can't you think of any other reason?"
"I can't." Edith's answer was defiant.
Renly glanced at Edith with a speechless expression. "Then you can ask them personally, the editors or Steven."
"They'd definitely tell me it's because of your talent. Haha, only an idiot would believe that." Edith finished her words with a triumphant laugh, evidently retaliating for their recent forced transaction.
Renly shrugged nonchalantly. "As far as I know, someone here is that idiot." With that, Renly pushed open the room door, picked up his luggage, and walked in. Edith trailed behind with a frustrated look, biting her lip. "Renly Hall!" But what awaited her was a leisurely closed wooden door.
Creak, creak, the slow, oscillating sound truly made steam come out of the seven holes!