Roy remained silent, just watching her, dangerously narrowing his eyes.
This expression was actually learned from Laila. Many times, whenever she narrowed her eyes, a chilling atmosphere seemed to emanate from her. During their previous film shoot, he borrowed this expression to portray the character's cruelty, and unexpectedly, the effect turned out remarkably well. Even the director at that time praised him.
This time, using it again had the same powerful effect.
Little did Laila know that this was an expression she used when angry. Just seeing his gaze made her feel a chilling breeze at her back as if behind those half-narrowed eyelids, icy eyes were staring at her.
Such a gaze made her swallow more refusals, and her head involuntarily lowered.
Roy finally spoke, "If you want me to tell Janet about your hospitalization, I'd be more than happy to fulfill that wish for you."
"No! Absolutely not!" Hearing her mother's name, Laila immediately surrendered.
She'd rather endure two more days of Roy's cold shoulder than have Janet find out. If Janet knew, it wouldn't just be for two days; she might rush to the hospital the next day, stuffing her into the intensive care unit or maybe even bringing Claire back... and then she would have no freedom!
"If you don't want me to tell her, you know what to do, right?" Roy looked at her coldly, even though a smile was threatening to break out from the corners of his mouth, he managed to suppress it.
Seeing her, who always appeared as a strong woman, displaying such a guilty expression was truly worth cherishing. Perhaps it was due to being sick or being caught red-handed, she genuinely felt that she had done something wrong, making her appear so adorable.
*Cough.* He cleared his throat, suppressing the almost overflowing smile, and sternly said, "I need to see the doctor now. Just lie down and wait for me to come back, understand?"
"Okay..." Laila resigned herself, leaning against the head of the bed. She didn't think she had a second option. After all, she really hadn't taken good care of herself.
However, it wasn't entirely her fault! Time was limited, and if she didn't catch up, in case she couldn't produce the film on schedule, her hard-earned reputation would be at risk.
Moreover, it wasn't just for these reasons; it was her love and dedication to this film. Love, wasn't that how it worked? Obsession, infatuation, completely forgetting everything else, putting all her heart and effort into doing well. Anyone who had experienced obsession with something would understand, right?
Initially, when she watched this film, she had many thoughts. Later, she researched the film extensively, analyzing each scene.
"The Lord of the Rings" is a great story, and different directors can interpret it differently.
She didn't want to blindly follow the successful path of her past life; she wanted to add something of her own. This change wasn't about changing the tone or the camera angles but rather changing the way of expression.
In her past life, the original film was released between 2001 and 2003. Laila believed that with the advancements in film special effects over the years and her research on future film shooting techniques, along with an unlimited investment, she could make this film even more outstanding!
If she had some hesitation about incorporating her own ideas into the film before, after several films of experience, she was now full of confidence.
The films she modified shone more brightly than the original. Both the quality of the work itself and the growth in box office figures demonstrated that her ideas were an evolutionary catalyst for the film.
Take "Chicago," for example. After incorporating numerous improvements, the film transformed from the "worst Oscar-winning film" into a widely acclaimed "classic"! If such results couldn't boost her confidence, then perhaps she should just quit this profession. How could a director without confidence produce good films?
So, for this film, Laila once again interpreted and transformed the entire movie in her unique way. She was well aware of the high achievements this film would have in the future, and because of that, she couldn't let it fail in her hands.
It was this enthusiastic dedication, combined with not taking timely rest and meals, and rushing the schedule, that caused her, whose physical condition was already not great, to succumb to a simple cold.
If there were a place to plead her case, Laila wanted to defend herself. It wasn't intentional neglect of her own body. If she knew she would get sick like this, even if she took a proper day off, she couldn't bear to watch herself waste so much time in bed!
A knock on the door sounded.
Thinking it was Roy returning, Laila lifted her head only to see Leslie Cheung and his assistant.
"Laila, how are you feeling now?" Leslie Cheung placed the bought fruit basket on the cabinet beside her bed. His gentle and caring voice, along with his gaze, was as warm as usual.
"I'm fine now." Laila unintentionally got carried away by his voice and gaze, almost drifting away until a cold, suppressed cough brought her back.
The cough was undoubtedly from Roy. If he hadn't coughed, Laila wouldn't have noticed that he had returned to the ward with Leslie Cheung and his team.
Seeing Roy's dark face, her scalp went numb.
#What to do when you get caught staring at a handsome guy in front of your boyfriend?#
Laila could only pretend to be "unaware of why he was angry" and chatted with Leslie Cheung when he came to visit. In front of her idol, she said what needed to be said and looked where she needed to look. As for what would happen when her boyfriend flew into a rage after her idol left...
She could only use one phrase to describe her current mood: "Dying beneath the peony flowers, ghostly and romantic!"
After inquiring about Laila's health and learning that she only had a cold and fever, the two workaholics started discussing the matters of the film crew.
"Everything is going well there, you don't need to worry. Now, the assistant director is shooting some scenes, and you can rest here for a few more days. Don't force yourself," Leslie Cheung advised.
"I know. How are you adjusting to the film crew?" Laila asked.
"It's quite good." Leslie Cheung, who was not a domineering person to begin with, didn't exhibit an air of superiority even though everyone in the crew knew he was directly invited by Laila. He had never shown any arrogant attitude.
"Everyone takes care of me, and I've learned a lot on set."
Laila nodded, "There are many cultural differences between the East and West, and it's not surprising that Eastern films have not received favor from the West. Along with Hollywood's discriminatory gaze towards Easterners, I hope that through this film, more people can understand the true side of the East."