As one of the largest wine suppliers in the United States, the vineyards of Napa Valley are incredibly beautiful. Riding a horse through the vineyards at a leisurely pace has a unique charm that many tourists enjoy, making it a popular filming location.
"CUT!" Charles's voice rang out as Dennis clumsily tried to rein in his horse. The horse continued to trot back and forth until a nearby horse trainer came to help, calming the animal. Catherine, who had also been riding a horse, had already stopped hers. Her riding skills were decent, which surprised the crew. Of course, her equestrian abilities weren't something she brought from her past life. As a shut-in during her previous life, she never had a chance to learn horseback riding. But now...
On another note, Catherine was eager for everyone's attention to shift elsewhere. Over the past few days, some uninformed people had been teasingly asking her during breaks how her script was coming along. To these uninformed folks, the idea of a little girl wanting to write a script was adorable. Although she had been the one to insist on including the clause that she couldn't publicly claim to be the scriptwriter in her contract, it still irked her. The friendly relationships with everyone meant she could only "kill" them with her eyes, leaving her frustrated. What made it worse was that even Jessica, who was in the know, occasionally joined in the teasing. If possible, Catherine really wanted to pin Jessica down and give her a good spanking!
I'm just whimsically thinking. I'm just daydreaming. What am I even thinking?! Catherine covered her face with her hands, feeling despondent. Including her past life, how many times had this happened? Whenever she acted impulsively, she always ended up not considering the consequences. "Sleepless in Seattle" was released in 1993, which meant the filming should have taken place in 1992, and the script was likely written even earlier. Now, by hastily writing out the script, what if the original author had already written it and was currently seeking investors? Worse, several people already knew the rough plot, especially Meg. If she abandoned what she had written, the release of "Sleepless in Seattle" could cause a major scandal.
Impulsivity is a devil! Catherine thought, clutching her head. Although Nancy hadn't explicitly said anything, it was clear that the few pages of the script and Meg's summary had piqued her interest. What should she do? She really wanted to groan in frustration.
It was hard to describe this situation. What Catherine remembered most vividly about "Sleepless in Seattle" was the ending. Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks finally met at the top of the Empire State Building, their eyes locking as they walked into the elevator. The lines Meg recited earlier had no direct connection to the scene in "Sleepless in Seattle." Who knew why the little girl made that connection?
"Cathy, what are you thinking about?" Jessica came over, smiling.
Catherine, sitting on the ground with her cheeks in her hands, glanced at her and said, "Why aren't you asking how the new script is coming along now?"
"Oh, yes, how's the new script coming along?" Jessica asked seriously, then quickly stepped back as Catherine looked ready to pounce. She stuck out her tongue, "Alright, the director says we need to go to the valley to shoot the camping scenes. We should get going."
Finally, some good news. Catherine shrugged and set her worries aside. The outdoor camping scene was crucial. In this scene, Nick ultimately chose his daughter and reconciled with his ex-wife, prompted by a nighttime prank from his daughters. Given that they were shooting a nighttime scene, the crew would likely have to stay overnight in the forest. This was a real outdoor camping experience, something she had never done in either life. She never had the opportunity in her past life, and her parents had no time in this life. Even at her grandfather's estate, she had never slept in a tent or sleeping bag. So, this was good news!
As she had thought, after completing the day's filming, Nancy organized a campfire party. Everyone was happy. The crew was delighted because Mrs. Meyers rarely let them rest like this on a workday. Meg and Dennis were happy because they could spend quality time together, having recently gotten married. Charles and Nancy were happy because they had finished the day's shooting ahead of schedule and successfully.
However, the little girl was not happy. She suddenly realized she didn't know what to do. The adults were drinking beer and chatting about things that only concerned them. Even Mr. Sparrow was dragged away by the photographer, Phoenix. Although her soul was "old," she couldn't join their conversation. As for drinking, well, she wasn't of legal age and didn't like alcohol anyway. Jessica was happily chatting with Jennifer, sharing embarrassing stories, which displeased her. So, she sat alone by the campfire, poking at it with a stick. If only Big Mouth Sister were here, at least she wouldn't be so bored.
At this moment, the melodious sound of a guitar filled the air, followed by a gentle voice singing. Catherine looked over to see that Dennis had somehow found a guitar and was singing a song to his beloved wife, Meg, who was resting her head on her hand, gazing at him affectionately. Gradually, everyone was drawn in. Even though Dennis's singing was average, the deep emotion in his performance resonated with everyone, and when he finished, they all applauded enthusiastically.
Catherine, who had been itching to join in, quickly moved closer, pretending to inspect the guitar. Then she exclaimed, "A handmade Wburn guitar?"
After thanking everyone, Dennis had already noticed the little girl. After spending so much time together and acting in numerous scenes with her, he had grown fond of her. He was especially intrigued by her after his wife mentioned her scriptwriting talent. Holding up the guitar, he said, "Want to give it a try?"
"Can I?" Catherine blinked.
"Go ahead, no problem." Dennis smiled as he handed her the guitar, recognizing her love for music.
"Thank you." Catherine didn't hesitate. She took the guitar, tested the scales and the feel of it, and then, after a brief moment of thought, strummed the strings and began to sing:
"I'm a big big girl
In a big big world
It's not a big big thing if you leave me
But I do do feel that
I too too will miss you much
Miss you much..."
Her clear, natural voice, unpretentious and confident, instantly captivated everyone. With her singing, they couldn't help but get lost in the feelings of confusion and contemplation about love and separation in a vast world.
Yes, this was Emilia's famous song "Big Big World." Although the original was accompanied by a piano, Catherine's guitar rendition still captured its essence. Despite not conveying the song's sorrow, she gave it a new flavor by singing it in a confiding style, showcasing her musical talent.
When she finished, the crowd applauded warmly. Catherine, feeling a bit proud, thanked everyone, and then someone called out, "Catherine, sing another one!"
In high spirits, Catherine didn't think much and said, "Okay, I'll sing a French song."
Clearing her throat, she strummed the guitar again and started to sing:
"Hélène
Je m'appelle Hélène
Je suis une fille
Comme..."
A beautiful song, Hélène Rollès' "Je m'appelle Hélène," had once topped the French singles chart for 25 weeks in Catherine's past life. Its impact was almost comparable to "Big Big World."
After a moment of hesitation, the applause was still enthusiastic. Catherine breathed a sigh of relief. She had been worried when she decided to sing this song, as few people in the crew understood French. However, even though they couldn't understand the lyrics, it didn't stop them from appreciating the song's flavor through the music, so they didn't hold back their applause.
"It's amazing, Catherine. Whose songs are these? We don't seem to have heard them before," Dennis asked, clapping and smiling.
"Oh, I wrote them myself," Catherine answered without missing a beat, shamelessly claiming the works of others as her own.
"You wrote them?" Sweetheart Meg was surprised again. Although she knew the little girl could write scripts from a few days ago, she never thought she could also write songs.
"That's not surprising, Ms. Ryan. In school, Cathy even wanted to start a band," Jessica interjected. "She wrote several songs back then and forced us to practice with her."
"Can you start a band in elementary school?" Meg seemed confused.
"Fortunately, no. Otherwise, who knows how much she would have tortured us, though the songs were quite good," Jessica shrugged.
"Catherine, can you play one of those songs Jessica mentioned?" Dennis was now interested and looked at the little girl.
"Well…" Catherine scratched her head and said with a cheeky smile, "It might be a bit tricky. That song sounds best on an electric guitar. A wooden guitar just doesn't have the same effect."
"That's easy." Dennis laughed and, seeing the confused look on Catherine's face, got up and walked towards his luggage bag.
"He always brings his prized guitar with him," Meg explained, looking lovingly at her husband's back. "So he can always sing to me."
"Wow, that's great." Catherine stuck out her tongue. Seeing how affectionate they were now, who would know... Well, let's not talk about that. Catherine turned to Jessica and raised the wooden guitar. "Hey, dear, come help."
"Do you need...me?" Jessica shrank back and asked.
"Of course. You know this song sounds best with two people playing. I taught you before, right? Even if you haven't practiced in a while, you can at least accompany, right? And sing the chorus?"
"Alright, alright, I'll play." Jessica knew she had let it slip. Although she preferred singing to playing, as Catherine hadn't spared her much during their band practice days, she reluctantly took the guitar and began tuning it.
Soon, Dennis returned with his electric guitar, sleek and black, with a mahogany neck and body, and a rosewood fingerboard, giving it a very stylish look.
"Wow, a limited edition Fender." Catherine couldn't help but exclaim in surprise as she took the electric guitar. She quickly connected it to the battery power and tested the feel, finding it excellent.
"Alright, Jessica, let's start!" Catherine winked at Jessica and strummed the strings.