"Laila, try the grape juice I brought today. Our grapes here are incredibly sweet, I guarantee that you'll want more after you taste it." Seeing a break in filming, Al Nadeem immediately approached her with a glass of light green chilled beverage, being attentive.
Before Laila could respond, Roy's hand had already reached out and taken the drink from him.
"She doesn't like cold beverages, so let me drink it on her behalf," he said, not even looking at Al Nadeem's darkening face, and gulped the entire drink down.
The prince was infuriated. "That was the grape juice I prepared for Laila!"
"Didn't you hear what I said earlier? She doesn't like cold drinks," Roy sneered. After what happened last time when they gave him something with sleeping pills, who knows if they added something else unsavory this time? Only a fool would let Laila drink it!
"You! You!" Al Nadeem pointed at him in anger, but he couldn't do anything. He didn't know if Laila didn't like cold drinks. What if she genuinely didn't? "Forget it!" He flicked his sleeves in frustration and took out something else to offer to Laila.
"Laila, try the local snacks we have here."
Laila's mouth twitched at the sight of the overly sweet-looking food he brought. "Thank you, but I have something to do right now. Why don't you go somewhere else to have fun for the time being?"
"Yes, don't bother Laila. Let's go to another place," Roy happily dragged him away. As for the snacks, he had already set them aside and let other crew members taste them.
The prince was about the same height as Roy, but he had the kind of build that only came from exercising in the gym, looking very sturdy. There was a stark contrast between him and Roy, who had more of a natural build. With a slight mishap, he was dragged away quite a distance.
"What are you doing? Didn't you see me talking to Laila?" The prince felt humiliated.
Roy crossed his arms and smiled insincerely as he retorted, "What are you doing? Didn't you see that she's working?"
Al Nadeem paused for a moment. "She's been working since morning. What's wrong with letting her rest for a bit?"
Of course, it's not good! It's not good at all! Roy sneered. "Who are you to her? When she works and rests is not for you to arrange." He, as her legitimate boyfriend, was right here. Who gave him the right to interfere?
Al Nadeem also imitated his demeanor and sneered twice. "What about you? Don't you have the title of her boyfriend? Don't think I don't know that it's just a gimmick you use for movie promotion. Do you really think she loves you?"
An arrow hit Roy's heart. Perhaps the foolish prince was usually quite dim-witted, but this time he hit the bullseye, striking him right at his most vulnerable spot.
Indeed, he knew very well that he loved Laila deeply, to the point of being willing to die for her. However, he wasn't sure if Laila loved him in the same way. If it were an ordinary girl, he would know if she loved him just by looking into her eyes. But she wasn't ordinary; her ice-blue eyes concealed too much, making it impossible for him to discern his place in her heart.
Still, he knew she had him in her heart, or at least he was the only non-family member of the opposite sex she valued. But even with that, it didn't give him much security. He was still plagued by doubts, afraid that one day someone would suddenly enter her world and take away the heart he had been guarding.
He treated Al Nadeem like a thief because he believed that he was dangerous, and perhaps there was a chance he could steal Laila away. A man with gynophobia who wasn't afraid of Laila, wasn't that a very romantic, almost divinely arranged miracle?
Laila was unlikely to say something as straightforward as "I love you." One reason was that she had a reserved Eastern soul within her, and she didn't like saying lovey-dovey things easily. How could she hang those words on her lips? The other reason had to do with her shy and reserved personality when it came to emotions. In short, it was more difficult for her to say "I love you" than risking her life.
At this moment, she was busy with the next scene's shooting and didn't see the almost sparking confrontation between Roy and the prince.
"Downey, the next scene we're going to shoot is when you see the helicopter in the desert after escaping. You're tired, hungry, and thirsty, and you're also worried about being chased. When you see the rescue helicopter, you need to show excitement as realistically as possible." She held the script and explained the scene to Robert.
Robert took a few steps in the sand, feeling the scorching grains seeping between his toes. He looked up at the sky, took off his shirt, and waved it above his head a few times. "How about attracting their attention like this when I see the helicopter?"
"That works." Laila nodded. "Also, pay attention to the moment when you realize that you're about to be rescued. You will feel relieved."
Laila responded with a thumbs-up gesture.
Truly deserving of the name "genius," Robert Downey Jr. had a natural sense of performance. With just a slight hint, he understood the meaning behind her words.
However, when they started shooting, things didn't go so well.
"Cut!" After calling for a stop, Laila called Robert over. "You did well, but you can do better. Remember, you're someone who almost died, like a drowning person grabbing onto a lifebuoy. That kind of joy, that kind of excitement, needs to be expressed through your expressions and body language."
"I'll think about it." Tony furrowed his brow, deep in thought.
Laila was also contemplating. She was thinking about how he had never experienced the despair of being on the brink of death, so it wasn't surprising that he couldn't portray the surprise she wanted. With that in mind, she waved for Roy to come over.
"What's up?" Roy's eyes sparkled as he looked at her. It seemed like the injury he received from the foolish prince had suddenly healed. She needed him, and that was enough!
"It's like this." Laila explained the situation to him: "Share your feelings at that time with him."
Roy nodded. "I understand." He reached out and pulled Robert away to have a conversation.
His expression didn't look good. If possible, he would prefer to seal away that memory deep in his mind forever. Recalling it now felt like reopening a scar that had already healed.
Every time he thought about Laila, who was on the brink of leaving him, and remembered how she was unconscious and could die at any moment, he wished he could put her in his pocket and protect her forever.
Was it just because he didn't have any film projects that he came to the set as a gofer? Since receiving an Oscar nomination, he hasn't been an actor lacking in projects. But he didn't want to be too far away from her. If he couldn't see her for a day, he couldn't help but wonder if she would encounter danger again. That kind of worry could drive him crazy.