King of Hollywood - Chapter 18

Chapter 18: Chapter 18 Catherine
Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

“(Yi Gai Hao )

“That’s it then, good night, sleep well. Tomorrow the film premieres.” After returning from the restaurant and escorting Catherine to the hotel room door, Adrian kissed her cheek to say goodbye.

After that night, although there were still passionate kisses and caresses when they were together, he never took things further. Therefore, when they arrived in Venice, they had booked separate rooms.

“It’s still early, can you keep me company?” Catherine’s eyes twinkled with some unknown thought, “I’m a little bored alone.”

“No way,” Adrian shook his head deliberately, “You know, your mother, although she didn’t explicitly say…”

“Hey, Ed!” Catherine half-annoyed and half-embarrassed teased, her pout looked particularly adorable.

“Alright, alright, I didn’t say anything.” Adrian laughed, raising his hands in surrender.

Once inside the room, they snuggled together and exchanged a few teasing words, then took a bottle of champagne to the balcony overlooking the sea. While sipping their drinks, they chatted, occasionally playing little games, with Catherine’s giggles echoing frequently. Although the sky was pitch black, the twinkling lights on Lido Island and the room’s deliberately softened lighting made the balcony overlooking the sea particularly poetic. Coupled with the gentle sea breeze, it tempted one to indulge.

“By the way, I remember you said before that after graduating high school next year, you plan to apply to Oxford?” After several seconds of silence following a delightful time, Adrian brought up Catherine’s academics.

“Why, do you think I can’t make it?” Lying on his chest, Catherine asked with a cheerful grin, the champagne adding an alluring blush to her face.

“Of course not. It should be a piece of cake for someone like you.” Adrian deliberately took a flattering tone, which made Catherine laugh heartily.

Adrian shrugged, stroking her face, seemingly wanting to say something, but hesitated for a moment, looking at the time, before standing up: “Alright, I should head back. You should get some rest too.”

“Wait, Ed.” Catherine held onto his arm, with an inexplicable look in her eyes, pulling him to sit on the room’s sofa, “Stay for a while, I have a surprise for you.”

“A surprise?” Adrian showed a look of surprise but didn’t probe further. Catherine didn’t say much either, only a gentle smile before turning to the washroom.

“I love you, Ed,” she whispered as she held him tightly, her voice carrying a hint of a quiver.

“I… really don’t know what to say,” Adrian sighed while holding her slender waist, then unhesitatingly kissed her passionate lips, guiding her tongue into a dance.

Sunlight streamed through the balcony overlooking the sea, with the fresh sea breeze continuously fluttering the curtains. Adrian slightly shifted his body, allowing the kitten nestled in his arms to lie more comfortably. His hand gently brushed across her sleeping delicate face, inwardly expressing a chant filled with fascination. Frankly speaking, he wasn’t particularly satisfied last night, but Catherine clearly couldn’t bear much. In this area, Adrian wasn’t one to act selfishly; to him, making the woman in his arms satisfied was more fulfilling.

Catherine let out a soft hum from her nose, then opened her eyes, which still held a hint of sleepiness. Her body tightened for a moment but quickly relaxed, revealing a smile: “Good morning, Ed.”

“Good morning, darling,” Adrian replied gently, then kissed her cheek, earlobe, and fair neck.

Catherine responded tenderly, and after a round of affection, they prepared to get out of bed. But just as Catherine had risen halfway, she cried out and lay back down.

“It hurts,” she said with a furrowed brow, glancing at Adrian with a hint of embarrassment.

Adrian chuckled softly: “That’s perfectly normal. After all, last night was your first time. First times always hurt.”

“Damn it, that means I won’t even be able to walk today,” Catherine said, annoyed.

“It’s okay, just rest at the hotel today,” Adrian comforted.

“No, how can I stay in? Today is the premiere of ‘Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels,’ how can I not attend!” Catherine said, gritting her teeth to sit up, but after managing to raise half her body, she couldn’t move anymore, only leaning against the headboard, breathing heavily through her teeth.

“It’s alright, Kate. It’s only a screening, nothing like a premiere or anything; it doesn’t really matter if you go or not,” Adrian held her shoulder, “How about this, I’ll stay at the hotel with you.”

“No, Ed, that’s not good,” Catherine shook her head, “Don’t you want to know the audience’s reaction?”

“Their reactions are all within my expectations, no need to worry,” Adrian said lightly.

Instead, Catherine’s head shook even faster: “No, you must go, and I must too!”

She was about to get out of bed, not caring about the pain down below, when Adrian promptly hugged her: “Don’t do this, Kate, listen to me, okay?”

Catherine didn’t speak, but with pursed lips, she looked stubbornly at Adrian. After a few minutes of this stalemate, Adrian had no choice but to compromise: “Alright, I’ll go, but you…”

“I’ll go too!” Catherine interrupted before he could finish, though a flicker of fear crossed her eyes, she straightened her chest, “I can bear it, as long as I don’t walk too fast, there won’t be any issues.”

The resolve was there, but the blanket covering her chest slipped down. Catherine gasped and quickly pulled it back up, covering herself. When her eyes met Adrian’s half-amused glare, she became bashful once more.

“It’s not like I haven’t seen it before,” Adrian teased, reaching out to tug the blanket away.

Catherine gave him a playful glare, then again puffed up her chest and declared: “I want to go!”

“Alright, alright,” Adrian shrugged helplessly, “You sure are stubborn, Kate.”

“You said that’s my style,” Catherine lifted her chin, exuding a slightly proud and cold elegance.

Adrian’s heart was suddenly stirred, and after being in a daze for a few seconds, he finally realized why Catherine seemed familiar. The features of British English were rhythmic intonation, and some endings were subconsciously omitted, so Catherine’s last name sounded like Bequina. In American English pronunciation, it could also be pronounced as… Beckinsale! Kate Beckinsale, the radiant English Rose from Pearl Harbor, the cold vampire walking through the city’s steel jungle!

Glad to have you, Kate. Dressing Catherine, Adrian marveled inwardly.

The Flay Theatre stood at the south end of St. Maria Elizabeth Street, the busiest in Lido Island. Boasting seven screening rooms with seating ranging from 500 to 600, it qualified as a medium-sized theater. Every year during the Venice Film Festival, numerous entries are screened here, with several theaters showing different films simultaneously, allowing audiences to choose based on preference and first impressions.

When Adrian and Catherine arrived at the theater screening “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels,” it was already completely dark inside, and in two minutes, the film would start. As they reached the seats reserved for crew members, Dennis and others had already been waiting. After greeting them, Adrian helped Catherine to her seat, cushioning her seat with a soft pad.

With no opening logo, the story unfolded directly as the screen lit up. It began with Bacon, one of the four-member group, selling stolen goods on the street, with Ed, played by Dennis, boosting sales among the crowd. Truth be told, Dennis’s acting wasn’t exceptional, but it had its highlights. Although in the original “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels,” only Jason Statham, who played Bacon, got attention, one can never predict fate, can they? At least Adrian felt Dennis’s performance was better than the original actor’s.

Unknowingly, 20 minutes passed. In this span, there weren’t many suspenseful moments, but various factions — the four-member group, Axe Harry and his underlings, the cannabis-growing youth, and the villain Chris — made their appearances in different ways. Thus, the audience’s attention remained captivated. Especially when introducing Axe Harry, the stark contrast between the old man and the pile of sex toys in front evoked several light chuckles from the corners.

However, the audience’s first outbreak of laughter occurred when two bungling thieves attempted to steal shotguns. One of the robbers had their fluffy curly hair burnt into a circular shape by a shotgun blast, coupled with the burglar’s dumbfounded and terrified look. The sight was truly hilarious. But this was just the beginning.”