The promised skiing vacation took an unexpected turn after a lavish feast on the first night. It wasn't until the second evening that the couple emerged from their room, foregoing any further room service and opting to dine hand in hand downstairs.
In the hotel restaurant, the other diners noticed an unusually stylish figure.
"Roy, could you sign an autograph?"
"Hehe, of course!"
"Roy, how about a photo together?"
"Hehe, it would be my pleasure."
In the past, Roy would politely decline requests for autographs or photos during dates with Laila, citing personal time. This was widely known among his fans, becoming a testament to his devotion to Laila. Seeing him willingly sign autographs and pose for photos with fans at the vacation hotel surprised many.
After the fans got Laila's autograph as well, they left, leaving the Hollywood power couple to enjoy their evening.
"Laila, I'm so happy," Roy finally held Laila's hand again after the fans left.
Observing his goofy smile that seemed to never fade, Laila couldn't help but tease him, "You've been smiling for so long, aren't you afraid your face will cramp?"
"Have I been smiling?" Roy touched his face, feeling the raised corners of his mouth and the crinkles around his eyes. "Really smiling. What should I do? I'm just too happy."
Laila sighed, gently massaging her temples; she couldn't bear to look at him. Was this the real Roy by her side or an imposter?
The fans who received autographs quickly shared their luck on social media. Messages flooded Laila's Facebook.
"We've been waiting so hard for your new movie! How did we survive last year without it? When will the new movie be released?"
"Requesting stills from the new movie!"
Roy's social media faced its fair share of protests.
"We're waiting for Laila's movie, and you take the director on vacation. You must post more photos to make up for it!"
"Spill the beans! How's 'The Lord of the Rings' coming along?"
Returning to their room after dinner, the couple opened their laptops and discovered numerous messages.
Originally, Laila hadn't planned to make the vacation too public, but the fans took the initiative to create excellent publicity. She wouldn't let such an opportunity go to waste.
She engaged with fans on Facebook, sharing updates.
"The movie production is going smoothly, and it will meet you in the summer blockbuster season. [Pic1.JPG] [Pic2.JPG]"
She uploaded two previously unreleased pics: one of Roy portraying an elf prince aiming a bow and arrow, and another of Leslie Cheung's character.
"Wow!"
Within seconds of posting the stills, comments of amazement flooded in.
"Is that Roy? So handsome! I'm making that my computer wallpaper!"
"Where's the background? Why does it look so dreamlike? Is it computer-generated? Amazing!"
"I'm curious, did Laila deliberately choose the scenery from the East and New Zealand?"
Laila, proud of her birth country, seized the opportunity to promote it.
"Isn't it beautiful? The first time I saw it, I was completely enchanted. The East is a place blessed by the heavens, offering them the most beautiful land. Of course, New Zealand is the same. These two countries made it challenging for me to choose the locations; I even suffered from decision fatigue."
"Post more Pics!"
"Yeah, we have to wait for months until the movie is released. We can only enjoy it with pics for now."
In the midst of fans requesting more pics, a voice suddenly stood out, "Am I the only one who noticed the person in the second pic? He's handsome too, but who is he? Why does it feel like I've never seen him before?"
Roy's striking appearance and captivating portrayal of a beloved character had overshadowed Leslie Cheung in the background. However, when someone pointed it out, everyone realized there was another handsome figure in the photo.
Laila hoped more people would get to know Leslie Cheung, but it wasn't the right time yet. She decided to gauge the public's reaction to his appearance and formulate the next steps based on that.
"This person? Haha, it's a secret for now! What I can tell you is that he will play a crucial role in the movie."
Her statement triggered a wave of discontent.
"Why keep it a secret?"
"He's really handsome, with a mature demeanor. Oddly enough, such an outstanding person seems to be unknown."
"He looks like he might be mixed race?"
"I study anthropology, and judging from his bones, he should be Asian."
"Asian? How could an Asian look so good? If that's the case, the makeup artist is really amazing; you can't tell he's genuinely Asian."
"Of course, the makeup artist is incredible. Have you all forgotten that they have a genius makeup artist?"
Laila watched with satisfaction as everyone began to discuss Leslie Cheung, the makeup artist, and everything related to the movie.
Spreading by word of mouth always works better than spending money on promotion, and Laila had known this for a long time. She had always employed this strategy.
Whether it was curiosity about Leslie Cheung or interest in other aspects, as long as it involved topics related to the movie, everyone could unconsciously spread the name of "The Lord of the Rings."
Moreover, with her diversion, the discussion that was originally centered around her and Roy had all been led astray. This was exactly what she needed. Otherwise, during this vacation period, she would have to deal with a constant stream of fans, and Roy's good mood might not withstand the constant presence of those third wheels.
As expected, fans and enthusiasts enthusiastically discussed the movie because of the stills she released. For example, discussions arose about Roy looking handsome again or the mysterious Asian character, along with the dreamlike background. Laila believed that after the Super Bowl's advertising time, when everyone had seen the trailer, these discussions would reach new heights. At that point, people should be more eager to delve deeper into information about the movie.
Just by looking at "The Lord of the Rings" book still lingering on the sales charts, it was evident that people's interest in the movie had reached its peak due to Laila not releasing any new films last year. This enthusiasm would eventually translate into a powerful force, creating an impressive box office for "The Lord of the Rings" after its release.