Chapter 859: Chapter 265: Did Your Daddy Tell You to Say That?
“If I had known playing a superhero’s girlfriend would be so tiring, I wouldn’t have taken the role.” Liv said this with a somewhat displeased tone, while holding little Aibo and talking with Blanchett and Gwyneth about the premiere of “Hulk” the previous day, and Eleanor was watching her aunt’s baby sister with eager eyes, seemingly wanting to reach out and touch her.
“Really? How come I heard you praise the role as interesting in the media?” Adrian walked over, smiling as he picked up Eleanor and brought her closer to her sister.
Eleanor giggled and gently poked Aibo’s cheek with her finger. Aibo, who was half-closed eyes preparing to fall asleep as usual, felt her sister’s teasing. She immediately moved her arm impatiently and turned her head to the side, closing her eyes, ignoring her.
“You also said those were words for the media.” Liv pouted, making a grumbling sound. She was nearing thirty in two or three years, yet she still looked like a childish girl.
“Alright, based on what you previously discussed with Kate and Gwyneth, you think flying around in the air and talking non-stop to the air in front of a blue curtain is difficult, but don’t you feel it’s much easier than showcasing your acting skills in art films like ‘Quills’?” Adrian continued.
“At least in ‘Quills,’ I could act with real actors, but in ‘Hulk,’ there’s only air, and I don’t even know how to coordinate.” Liv said gloomily,
“Alright, Liv, don’t overthink it. At least they still gave you a decent evaluation.” Adrian said with a smile, shaking the newspaper in his hand, “Want me to read a passage for you?”
The evaluation was indeed decent, but it was directed at the entire movie. Without the slow pace and weird cuts, combined with Joss Whedon’s abilities, this “Hulk” was actually quite good. It was mentioned before, there wasn’t much prelude, the plot developed quickly, and choosing Abomination as an opponent for a rough yet powerful battle was quite marketable. Of course, the crucial part was that Adrian and Whedon had thoroughly discussed making Hulk interesting.
Hulk was not a traditional superhero; sometimes, he was like a villain—raging, irrational, enjoying destruction. But if you add some interesting details, like showing disdain by smirking after taking down pursuers without hurting anyone, or sitting awkwardly beside Elizabeth, scratching his head and stealing glances at her without knowing what to say when they’re alone together, etc.
These small actions, especially those that would make people chuckle or smile knowingly, can reduce the dislike that arises from Hulk’s character. To use a more vivid analogy, it’s like those clumsy strength-type villains in funny animations; most of the time, they seem powerful and intimidating, but sometimes they’re endearing.
Of course, it’s important to handle Hulk’s image well and maintain balance, as this is, after all, a superhero movie. Fortunately, Joss Whedon managed to accomplish his task excellently, receiving much entertainment recognition the day after the premiere compared to the original version, and as it had almost no major stars, it likely wouldn’t incur a loss. Unfortunately, since Marvel had yet to finalize their discussions, there was no Easter egg at the end of the movie.
In such a situation, the audience’s attention was mainly on Hulk, making Liv’s performance, which was decent, fall entirely into the background. Hence, Adrian found this article after flipping through several newspapers. Although, from his perspective, Liv had done enough by this point; after all, she was set to be a high-caliber vase from the start. However, since she was so particular, it was necessary to comfort her.
“No, I couldn’t care less about what they wrote.” Liv raised her chin proudly and disdainfully.
This state didn’t last long; soon, her mood lifted again as she looked at Adrian excitedly, “Speaking of which, roles like in ‘Enchanted’ are quite nice, very easy to play, and the collaboration with the crew was pleasant. It’s a pity it’s still filming and won’t be released until next year. Oh, this time it’s a princess role too, Ed, how about letting me play similar roles more often?”
That’s just her personality; under Adrian’s deliberate guidance, sometimes she seemed carefree, letting things slide. Even if she felt wronged or depressed for a moment, she’d quickly shrug it off and find a topic that made her happy. But precisely such a Liv is charming, isn’t she?
“What, do you want to become the spokesperson for Hollywood’s princess roles?” Adrian said with a chuckle of surprise; he hadn’t expected her to bring this up first.
Initially, he planned to set “Enchanted” as an independent project, but without the entertaining animated intro and some mocking details of traditional princess animations, the movie could easily decline into a second-rate romantic comedy. So, after careful consideration, he decided to collaborate with Disney, as they were experts in princess themes.
At that time, Disney was still experiencing minor internal strife. Although Viacom and AC Media jointly fended off Comcast’s grasping claws, they didn’t relent entirely and continued watching menacingly from the sidelines. Meanwhile, Eisner, faced with the threat of losing his position, needed success to consolidate his power, so he naturally didn’t reject the proposal, and Liv smoothly took on the lead role.
Adrian arranged this movie for Liv not only to increase her commercial value, but indeed with the idea of creating a princess series for her, considering her appearance in “The Lord of the Rings” captivated many people. However, if you carefully search, there are not many princess roles available, so after much thought, he decided to drop it.
“That depends on what you want.” Liv stuck out her tongue playfully, then, without any warning, Aibo, in her arms, began to cry, and Eleanor, startled, shrank back into her father’s embrace.
Liv immediately scrambled to soothe Aibo and quickly handed her over to Gwyneth. With nothing to do, Adrian asked the young one in his arms, “What were you doing earlier, Eleanor?”
“Aibo ignored me, so…” Eleanor said with a bit of aggrieved tone, “I didn’t mean to.”
“Of course, I know Eleanor didn’t mean it, but you need to understand that your sister is still a little baby; she doesn’t know much. So, if you want to tease her again, remember to be gentle. Alright, cheer up, you can’t pinch your sister… at least you can pinch Daddy.” Adrian reassured her, quickly bringing a smile back to his daughter’s face.
“Then, I’ll pinch Daddy from now on.” She nodded vigorously.
Smiling, he shook his head. Then, looking over there, Aibo soon calmed down under her mom and two aunts’ comforting, and Gwyneth immediately took the little one back to the room. Not having taken good care of her, Liv hastily followed, wanting to make amends.
Seizing the opportunity, Adrian brought Eleanor over to Blanchett, looking at the backs of Gwyneth and Liv, whispering in her ear, “You guys are okay, right?”
“What’s the problem with us?” Blanchett said with some initial puzzlement but quickly understood, giving him a sideways look, “Do you think we’re that kind of people?”
Adrian laughed heartily.
In some ways, Blanchett’s words were correct, but in others, they were wrong. Among the pairings Adrian meticulously arranged—be it Monica and Sophie, or Gwyneth, Blanchett, and Liv, or Nicole and Naomi, along with Kate, Sarah, Charlize, Ivanka—they all got along quite well.
As people who had been in bed together and also engaged in role-playing and filmed many large-scale photos and videos, like how Adrian and Nicole shot “cheating wife” in front of the camera, while Naomi was helping out with the camera, moving props, and setting up lights nearby. In such situations, they had emotional and interest-based ties with him, and frequently participating in such activities naturally made them closer to the ones they played with.
There’s a saying that Adrian often mentioned: once their boundaries were repeatedly crossed in front of him, they no longer had boundaries. At this point, if someone else continuously crossed those same boundaries and stood at an almost equal position, accepting each other became quite simple.
It’s just that this is only limited to people who have had close contact, so Gwyneth and Kate, Nicole and Sarah, their relationships are relatively ordinary, especially the younger ones. It’s only when they sit together as mothers that they’ll seem a bit warmer. Adrian also tries to bring them all together, like the last beach party, but that takes a lot of time, so it’s better to stabilize one or a few pairs first.
Like Jessica and Megan are getting closer and closer. Whenever he has time, Adrian accompanies Megan to prenatal courses. Although inviting someone to the house is possible too, in public, you can meet a lot of expectant mothers and exchange some insights, which can make her feel more at ease, just like the things he did with Jessica before.
However, compared to last time with Jessica, the times of attending prenatal classes outside have decreased a lot because Megan has someone experienced by her side. As mentioned above, this happens when Adrian has the time, but what if he doesn’t? He can’t possibly be by her side every day, so Jessica filled this gap.
Jessica almost comes daily to see Megan, chat with her to kill time and play some little games. If at first Jessica did this with certain thoughts, slowly there’s been a shift. They have had some similar experiences before, both once troubled by feelings of insecurity, so they were somewhat close from the start. Plus, both were made pregnant by Adrian just after their girlhood ended, so their relationship became more harmonious.
From this perspective, whether it’s Jessica or Megan, they’re relatively naive compared to Gwyneth and the others; starting early is good. However, this situation can’t last long because “Fantastic Four” is scheduled for release at the end of July, and Paramount put a lot of effort into promotion. Jessica and Joshua’s siblings starring as Invisible Woman and Human Torch became one of the highlights.
“So, you can still come quietly now, but after the movie is released, wherever you go, you’ll be surrounded by reporters,” Adrian said with a smile. “Moreover, with ‘The Bourne Identity 2’ coming out next, if you don’t want Megan’s matter exposed, you have to be extra careful.”
“The Bourne Identity 2” is scheduled for early August, about two weeks apart from “Fantastic Four”. Universal timed it cleverly, releasing it when Jessica’s fame heightens, surely attracting many moviegoers. Of course, this is just icing on the cake; regardless, this novel spy action movie isn’t successful just because of good-looking stars, especially since Jessica’s role isn’t big; she’s just a regular supporting character.
Still, for movie companies, any means to boost box office should not be overlooked, thus with both “Fantastic Four” and “The Bourne Identity 2” being released in the summer, Jessica will inevitably become the center of attention and frequently visiting Megan may not go unnoticed by reporters.
Although Megan is only slightly famous now, she’s still a member of the youth idol circle, and if it’s discovered she’s pregnant, an uproar almost can’t be avoided.
“Maybe ‘Fantastic Four’ will bomb?” Jessica said, somewhat reluctantly, while caressing Megan’s already rounded belly.
“Ha, you even know how to use allusions,” Adrian laughed. “But still, are there actors like you? Actually hoping the movie you starred in will bomb.”
Before Jessica could say anything, he teased further, “Let’s not even discuss if your wish might come true, even if it does, you’ll still gain more fame, and don’t forget, there’s still ‘The Bourne Identity 2’ afterwards. No matter how it turns out, it won’t fail too badly.”
“Don’t worry, Jess,” Megan reassured Jessica at this point, “Ed said earlier he won’t be moving around during this time, so he’ll have enough time to keep me company. You just focus on dealing with those media.”
“Alright, alright, go stand with him then.” Jessica shrugged, getting ready to leave, but Adrian pulled her back.
“Why not stay? Mary has someone to take care of her at home.” He chuckled, “It’s not great if I’m alone accompanying Megan.”
The little pet said this while opening her recently passionate and watery eyes, looking at him pleadingly. Britney knew that generally speaking, as long as she put on this begging puppy look, her master would always agree to her requests.
But this time she was disappointed, Adrian squinted his eyes, seemingly a bit surprised, “You want a baby too?”
“Yes,” the little pet nodded eagerly, “They all have children, I want my own too.”
“Do you know how old you are, Britney?” Adrian asked, somewhat amused.
“Of course I do,” Britney pouted, looking a bit aggrieved, “I can have children now.”
“Do you know what changes occur during pregnancy?” Adrian pinched her chin, lifting her face to his, “You’ll gain weight, a lot of weight, and after the baby’s born, if you don’t lose it well, you’ll remain fat, and if that happens, I won’t like it very much.”
Unfortunately, even though she spoke so earnestly, Adrian still refused her.
“No.” He gave her a little pat on her perky butt.
Britney immediately felt a bit dejected, leaning her head against Adrian’s chest sulkily, but then his voice sounded again, “But, at the right time, I’ll give you a child, Britney, I promise.”
“Really?” The little pet lifted her head with delight.
“Hmm?” Adrian raised an eyebrow.
“I’m sorry, Master, I was wrong. I shouldn’t have doubted you.” Britney immediately reacted, putting on a frightened look, “Please punish me.”
“Just get to the point.” Adrian said while gazing into her eyes.
With that, Britney once again moved closer to his ear, “Master, Jamie is already a big girl.”
“Jamie?” Adrian raised an eyebrow, a bit surprised, and then understood what she was saying. Numerous thoughts flashed through his mind, and finally, he looked at the little pet’s mix of nervousness, unease, and expectation, showing a faintly smiling expression, “Is this something your dad asked you to say?”