The rhythm of Renly's speech involuntarily paused for a moment as he carefully observed Jennifer before him. The curvature of his lips lifted slightly in response to her unexpected question. "Do you wish to know my answer, or Jacob's?"
Once the question had left his lips, Jennifer realized her own recklessness. A faint blush brushed her cheeks, but she managed to conceal her emotions well, not letting her feelings leak. However, Renly's response only escalated her unease. She nibbled on her lower lip, and her shyness and awkwardness couldn't help but reveal themselves. Then she saw Renly break into a gentle smile, a smile akin to spring water rippling in her chest. The lowered eyelashes couldn't hide the gentle playfulness in his eyes, as if the autumn sunlight had paused upon the elegant arch of his brow.
Jennifer rolled her eyes helplessly, not bothering to hide her embarrassment. She spread her hands, wearing an expression of self-abandonment, and said, "Alright, I know. I shouldn't have asked that question. I've told you before, my flirting skills are incredibly awful."
"Hehe." Laughter bubbled forth from Renly's throat. Jennifer raised her hands in a gesture of surrender, then smoothly shifted the conversation, "Do you think Jacob ever loved Sam?"
Renly's smile receded, his gaze once again fixed upon Jennifer.
Truth be told, Jennifer wasn't a conventional beauty in the traditional sense. She still had traces of baby fat, and her features weren't the type to immediately catch one's eye. Instead, she possessed a natural and unpretentious quality. The simple combination of a checkered shirt and jeans highlighted her approachable nature. However, Jennifer's eyes held a distinct charm. Within their deep pupils lay a myriad of complex emotions, the very wellspring of her acting prowess. The subtlety and depth within her gaze seemed capable of narrating countless untold stories. The determination and stubbornness between her brows held a maturity that defied her age.
She was even a year younger than Renly.
"No, he never loved Sam," Renly knew it was cruel, but it was the truth. "He merely needed companionship."
In Renly's view, after Jacob returned from London, he felt deeply powerless and alone. This was especially true when Anna had moved on, forging new friendships and reigniting her career. Her life had undergone a monumental transformation. However, in Los Angeles, Jacob's life remained stagnant. He suffered from a longing he couldn't suppress, prompting him to fly to London. His world had come to a standstill, even his own career lost its appeal, always overshadowed by his inattentiveness, simply because he desired to shift his focus.
Upon returning to Los Angeles, the two decided to break up. Both Jacob and Anna agreed to part ways, amicably, yet still deeply in love with each other. The breakup was like digging a massive hole in their hearts, one that couldn't be filled.
And it was at this moment that Sam entered the picture. The timing was right, the circumstances fitting, even if the person wasn't exactly appropriate. Nonetheless, Jacob opened his arms, embracing this warmth.
"So, he's a jerk," Jennifer asserted with resolute determination, her tone carrying a sharpness that only moments like these could reveal, showcasing Jennifer's fiery spirit at nineteen.
Renly chuckled softly, nodding slightly. "Yes, he's a jerk."
For Sam, Jacob was indeed a jerk, but that's love: knowing that the other person is a jerk, knowing that this love won't bear fruit, knowing that they're not right for each other, knowing that in the end, it's oneself who will be hurt, knowing that it's wrong to do so, yet being unable to suppress it—rushing in recklessly like a moth to a flame, even if the outcome is to be utterly shattered.
Between Jacob and Anna, wasn't it the same way?
Renly's affirmative tone allowed Jennifer's anger to settle. She also understood the helplessness and sadness behind those words—everyone knows it, yet love remains irrational.
"What do you think, why did Sam fall in love with Jacob?" This time, the question came from Renly. "I mean, apart from Jacob being a jerk, he wasn't exactly an attractive man, was he?"
Sam had always been aware of Anna's presence and knew the history between Jacob and Anna, yet she never let go. She remained steadfastly by Jacob's side. Perhaps, deep down in Sam's heart, she too hoped that her patience and perseverance would eventually yield her own love story.
However, from the very beginning of their story, Jacob was not the type with irresistible charm. Besides, when Sam met Jacob, it was at his most destitute, most sorrowful, most lost, and most desolate.
Only now did Jennifer realize this and fell into contemplation.
For directors and scriptwriters, they don't provide excessive details or extensions for characters; everything needs to be filled in by the actors. In the script for "Like Crazy", it wasn't written how Jacob and Sam met, nor how they decided to live together. From the outset, the two were already in their daily life state. This fragmented shooting style required the actors to fill in all the gaps.
That's the significance of today's meeting—to facilitate communication among the actors and piece together all the fragments. Especially between Jacob and Sam, Anna and Simon, as the main focus of the film lay on Jacob and Anna, their story was relatively comprehensive. However, the secondary storylines didn't receive the same treatment. With only a few scenes, they played a crucial role in elevating the overall thematic essence of the story.
It's worth mentioning that perhaps because Drake had penned the script, his portrayal of Jacob and Sam was notably more vivid and specific. The plot between Anna and Simon, on the other hand, was lackluster, leaving Charlie no room to maneuver. This led many viewers to walk away with an impression of just the three main leads.
In reality, this is a regrettable aspect. If Charlie and Felicity could fill in this gap, the entire story would become more complete.
So, why did Sam fall in love with Jacob?
"Perhaps weathered and dispirited men always possess a certain allure, don't they? Especially those who've had their hearts broken." Jennifer jested playfully, "Aren't there women at bars specifically seeking out men like that?"
"It's an interesting proposition." Renly didn't criticize or evaluate, but the slight raise of his eyebrow revealed his disagreement: Sam wasn't that kind of girl. At least, he didn't think she was.
Between Renly's brows, Jennifer picked up on this emotion. She couldn't help but chuckle softly. "I can't quite draw out those contours now, at least not the way you're looking..." As she spoke, Jennifer examined Renly up and down, her subtext clearer than ever: the present Renly looked nothing like Jacob.
Today, Renly was wearing a white crew-neck t-shirt paired with black shorts. He had a pair of Vans skate shoes beneath him, and his skateboard was placed beside him. He had skated all the way here in the morning to the meeting place. His outfit was exceedingly simple, yet it radiated the exuberant sunlight of youth. Even without any excessive adornments, his pure and clean demeanor was immediately captivating.
This wasn't Jacob.
Renly lowered his gaze to his own attire, then positioned his body to face Jennifer. He leaned slightly forward, resting his hands on the table, gradually shifting his weight forward. His eyes remained fixed on Jennifer, and within the depths of his profound gaze emerged a hint of faint sadness and desolation. His scattered emotions seemed to settle throughout his entire being.
Jennifer instinctively leaned back, unaccustomed to such close proximity. She disliked the overwhelming sensation of being too near. She was about to reprimand Renly, but the words caught in her throat under the weight of his gaze. His thick eyelashes lifted ever so slightly, revealing glimpses of the complexity and bewilderment within that abyss. The precise form of the emotion couldn't be described, but it was a vague shadow of negativity, tinged with a touch of pain, and even the sunlight reflecting within his pupils began to gradually dim.
Jennifer found Renly very unfamiliar. Originally, they weren't that familiar, but now Renly seemed even more distant. Distractedly, the voice, akin to that of a cello, resonated in her ears, "So, what are you expecting?"
The gentle tone seemed as though it could be whisked away by a breeze, and the embedded sense of loss caused Jennifer's heart to skip for a moment. It felt as if time had momentarily frozen, and an inexplicable astonishment surfaced in her eyes. Then she snapped back to reality, raising her hand to push forcefully against Renly's shoulder. "Nothing, I'm not expecting anything." Jennifer replied stiffly.
Clearly, Renly hadn't anticipated this confrontation. Caught off guard, he slammed into the backrest of his chair with a muffled thud. The dull sound attracted the attention of those around them. Drake, who was engaged in conversation with Felicity, looked particularly bewildered and flustered. "What's going on? What happened?"
Jennifer also realized she had overreacted, scratching her head in embarrassment. "...I'm just not used to someone suddenly getting close. It feels... too gross." Jennifer's words left everyone stunned. She presented Renly with an awkward smile. "Sorry...?" Her voice trailed on for an extended moment, then lifted at the end, as if she herself wasn't sure whether an apology was appropriate.
Renly finally caught on. He looked at the puzzled expressions of Drake and the others, then back at Jennifer's perplexed face. A strange sense of amusement welled up within him, and his smile spread from his lips. It grew larger and larger until, with a soft "pfft," he burst into laughter. The light-hearted laughter extended from the corners of his mouth to the depths of his eyes, blossoming freely and unrestrained. Then he self-mockingly remarked, "It seems I need to update my flirting techniques. Otherwise, the next time I approach someone at a bar and they call me gross, that night will be utterly ruined."