Renly could feel George's sincerity and focus. His dedication and obsession were truly touching, but that didn't mean he would change his way of life. When he should be focused on his acting, he would immerse himself entirely in that; when he should participate in extreme sports like surfing, skydiving, and rock climbing, he would throw himself wholeheartedly into enjoying life. Of course, when the time was right, he would be willing to step into the recording studio again, facing the formidable challenge of creating an entire album.
He could sense George's urgency, yet he didn't change his planned course of action. So he pointed toward the figure standing at the bar counter and said, "I think Ed is not bad, what do you think?" This was the truth; Ed Hiran was indeed an excellent music composer. He might still seem a bit immature now, but his talent was undeniable.
George hesitated for a moment. He instinctively wanted to refuse, but the words were already at the tip of his tongue. He quickly reconsidered: Ed did demonstrate significant potential in his performance earlier. However, compared to Renly, Ed was still quite inexperienced. "How old are you this year?" George raised his eyebrows slightly.
Renly chuckled and asked, "Does that matter?" With that, he stood up politely and said, "Well, I won't disturb your old friends' gathering. I hope you enjoy a wonderful night here." He turned around decisively and left, leaving George and Stanley looking at each other in confusion.
Renly headed straight to the bar counter, looked at Ed's somewhat awkward figure, and walked over to his side. With a light laugh, he teased, "Are you worried about the legal drinking age in the United States? I thought as a Brit, you wouldn't care." In the US, the legal drinking age is 21, while in the UK, it's 18.
Ed picked up his beer, took a quick glance at it, and realized he had only taken a couple of sips. He couldn't help but smile wryly. Faced with the teasing, he wasn't sure how to respond, so he scratched his head and awkwardly tugged at the corner of his mouth.
"Someone is looking for you," Renly said, pointing in the direction of Stanley and George. He took a sip of his beer, let out a contented sigh, and relaxed.
"Who?" Ed turned his head to look over, then turned back with a puzzled expression, looking at Renly. "Why are they looking for me?"
Renly shrugged, "You shouldn't be asking me; you should be asking them." He patted Ed's shoulder, "Go on, don't keep them waiting. It's not polite."
"Oh, okay." Ed hesitated for a moment, then quickly understood. He put down his beer and hurriedly walked over.
"Why is George looking for you?" Neil wiped a beer glass and leaned over, curious.
Renly's eyebrow quirked slightly. "You know George?"
Neil's radiant smile was the best answer. "So? How did the discussion go? Is your album finally making its way into the plan? Will we finally be able to see your album at the record store?" Without a doubt, Neil was Renly's biggest supporter.
Renly sipped his beer leisurely and said, "I'm going to the Telluride Film Festival next week."
Great expectations fell heavily, and Neil let out a disappointed groan, "Oh!" He rolled his eyes in silence, his face filled with resentment and disdain as he glared at Renly. However, all his emotions collided with the gentlemanly smile, leaving Neil utterly defeated.
Amidst the banter, Ed returned to the bar counter. His bewildered expression seemed to indicate he hadn't fully grasped the situation yet. His steps were uneven as he approached, which was concerning. Ed's return happened much faster than expected, all in less than five minutes.
"Ed, how did it go?" Renly handed Ed his beer.
Ed took the beer absentmindedly and started drinking without thinking. He couldn't seem to stop, and with a series of glugs, he finished the entire glass, then placed it on the table with a heavy sigh. He let out a satisfied "wow" under his breath, and his mood gradually started bubbling up. "Wow," he exclaimed once again, his eyes slowly brightening, as if his whole being had come to life.
"I... I just got a record contract!" Ed's expression was full of incredulity. The same sentence yielded different reactions: Neil shot Renly a disgusted look, while Renly broke into a wide smile and congratulated him.
Ed finally snapped out of it, "I got a record contract!" He turned to look at Renly, excitedly explaining, "George said I can enter the recording studio next week. I'll be recording and creating the entire album according to my ideas."
In fact, Ed had started recording when he was only fourteen in 2005. However, his earlier attempts were rather insignificant – they were either singles or independent releases with very limited copies. They didn't sell well and ended up accumulating dust in a warehouse. Before coming to Los Angeles, he had signed with an independent record company. But the collaboration was disastrous, and after resolutely leaving that company, he chose to come to the US to seek opportunities.
Unexpectedly, after spending over three months in Los Angeles without success, he had come to New York due to Renly's connections. In just one week, he won his first record contract. George had indicated that he would take him to the recording studio next week to complete the recording of "The A Team". Afterward, he would check in at Warner Music. Most likely, he would sign with one of Warner Music's labels.
For Ed, this was undoubtedly a leap in his music career, a transformation.
"Ah! Ahh!" Ed looked at Renly, attempting to convey his inner joy but struggling to find the right words. In the end, he could only scream in excitement, letting all his emotions manifest in a simple onomatopoeia. He stomped his feet on the ground, his widened eyes radiating a colorful and dazzling light. "Ah! Ahh!"
His exuberance infected Renly, who couldn't help but burst into laughter.
However, Ed still felt it wasn't enough, unable to contain his excitement, he yelled, "Renly! Renly! Renly!"
He could never have foreseen that his musical dreams would undergo such a dramatic change because of an actor. If Renly hadn't gone to the convenience store to make a call that day, if he hadn't sung "Cleopatra", if he hadn't chosen to perform on the night of the Emmy Awards... Would all of this have never happened? So where did his future lie?
"Hehe." Renly laughed merrily, nodding repeatedly. Even he couldn't have predicted that Ed's music career would take off from Village Vanguard.
However, taking a step back, Renly became somewhat uncertain. He was a butterfly from the Amazon, destined to flap his wings to change history; otherwise, his dream would never come true. After all, there was no actor named "Renly Hall" in 2017. But where would the influence of this little butterfly on others lead?
Renly could be certain that Ed ultimately achieved success in his previous life – massive success. However, what Renly didn't know was how exactly Ed had succeeded. He could only confirm that Ed had found opportunities in Los Angeles. But now, Ed's opportunities were born in New York, in Village Vanguard. So, had Ed's trajectory changed, and would it be different from his previous life?
All of this was an unknown variable.
Renly felt a mix of excitement and unease. Things were veering off the original course step by step. It was certain that there would be good things, but there would inevitably be bad things too. But the unknown was the essence of life, wasn't it?
"Thank you, thank you." Ed was brimming with joy but couldn't find a way to vent. He didn't know what Renly was thinking; he only knew that Renly's invitation had opened this door for him. Perhaps they had just met; perhaps this was only their second meeting. But fate was so wondrous, wasn't it? Moreover, "Cleopatra" and "Ophelia" were enough to make Ed and Renly friends.
Ed looked around, wanting to hug Renly, but it wasn't the customary congratulatory gesture for the English. In the end, he picked up his beer and realized he was holding the same glass he had just emptied. This was awkward. Ed and Renly exchanged a glance and burst into laughter.
"Neil, can you get another beer?" Ed passed over the beer glass. "Tonight's a wonderful start; let's celebrate properly." However, Neil made a disgusted face and refused to pour more, unwillingly declining the task. Ed didn't mind, he laughed heartily, "For that "Los Angeles" just now?"
Neil finally smiled, nodding as he took Ed's glass. "For "Los Angeles"."
"Shouldn't it be for New York?" a bar patron nearby overheard and chimed in. Then Neil and Ed both looked at Six, who was nearby. "Yeah, shouldn't it be for New York?"
Six had named that song "Los Angeles" and its main melody inspiration came from the City of Angels. He shrugged, lifted his beer glass, and shouted loudly, "For London!" He was British and a Londoner, not a secret even in Village Vanguard.
Such banter instantly elicited laughter from everyone.
The night grew darker. George Stroud left, and Renly didn't linger long either. He celebrated with Ed for a while before heading home before Village Vanguard closed. Looking at the stack of boxes in his house, identical to when he left, waiting for him to start organizing them, Renly decided to do it tomorrow. Today was already too late. Sorting luggage and setting up a new home couldn't be done in just a dozen or twenty minutes. It was a big project; he would wait a bit longer.
Dragging his weary body, Renly took a bath in the bathroom and then lay in bed. Feeling drowsy, he drifted into slumber, without tossing or turning, just peacefully sleeping. Quiet and serene, a dreamless night. It had been so long, truly long, since he'd had a peaceful sleep. Finally, he could sleep well again; he really did love sleeping.