King of Hollywood-Chapter 558 - 279: It’s Simple, I Forgot

"Alright, Lily, it’s late, and time to sleep," Adrian said as he picked up the little one in her pajamas and put her to bed, even though she was still shouting and yayning one after another.

"Stay with me a little longer, Daddy," Lily begged, lying in bed and batting her eyes in a pitiful manner. freewebnσvel.cѳm

Patting her head, Adrian took the huge Winnie Bear toy and placed it beside her, "Okay, but only for a little while, and I’m not going to tell you a story."

"Why?" The little one, who had just cracked a smile, immediately let her little face fall.

"Because you don’t really want to listen, earlier in the bathroom you got both me and Aunt Charlize soaked to the skin," Adrian pinched her rosy cheek, "Before the bath, you promised not to splash water on me."

The little girl twirled her eyes around and suddenly looked up with an air of righteous indignation, "I didn’t promise."

"No..." Adrian was about to say something when he suddenly froze, recalling that Lily really hadn’t said anything wrong. When he asked her, Charlize came in, and then they went to the bathroom. It was entirely reasonable for the little girl to say she didn’t promise.

Watching her father’s frustrated face, Lily burst into giggles, her triumphant demeanor filled with satisfaction. Adrian gave her a stern look and pinched her little cheek again, then he began "tickling" her. The little one laughed and resisted with both hands and feet, and after a short scuffle, father and daughter finally stopped.

"Alright, sleep, it’s very late," Adrian said again after pulling the blankets up for his daughter.

"Daddy, when I grow up, do I really have to leave you?" Although the playfulness had drained the last bit of energy from Lily, she still forced her eyes open to ask.

"Silly girl, being independent doesn’t mean leaving; you will always be my daughter." Adrian smiled and kissed her forehead, "Now, sleep tight."

"I want to hear you hum a lullaby..." Lily’s eyelids were drooping, but her hand still clung to the corner of her father’s shirt.

"Alright, alright," Adrian said with a smile and a shake of his head, then turned off the light and began to hum softly in the dark.

The simple and gentle tune echoed through the room, quickly lulling his daughter into slumber. After securing her hand under the covers and making sure she was well tucked in, Adrian quietly slipped out of the room.

Adrian noticed that Charlize huffed softly as Kate, who was flipping through the magazine, also looked up at him. Shrugging, Adrian headed to the bathroom for a quick rinse.

"Alright, can we sit down and talk business now?" he said with a cheerful grin as he came out and sat between the two women, wrapping his arms around their shoulders with a touch of satisfaction in his tone.

To his surprise, Charlize suddenly didn’t seem in the mood to talk, "Let’s just drop it. Clearly, I came at a bad time. You’re far more interested in messing with me than in discussing serious matters."

"How can you say that, Charli? Can’t we talk business after a joke?" Adrian feigned a look of shock.

"That interview of yours is pretty good," Kate chimed in at just the right moment, making Adrian suspect some kind of collusion, but his attention was immediately captured by the magazine cover that Kate passed to him.

The sunlight streamed in from the side, bathing the cover in a golden hue. A man rested his head on one hand with a slight tilt, his gaze piercing as if nothing could escape his control. It was the Vanity Fair issue with Adrian on the cover.

"Ha, the latest issue is out already?" Adrian said excitedly, flipping through it and noticing Kate’s smirk.

Though puzzled, he kept looking. The interview was well-done, everything was described just as it had been said on the day, no exaggerations. Leibovitz’s photos were superb too. Although only four were published, each one gave a different impression. If not for the clothing and makeup being the same, one might think these were four different people.

But when he turned past the interview to the following pages, Adrian understood the reason for Kate’s expression. It was a group portrait. Vanity Fair sometimes used group images for covers, but more often as inserts. Though Leibovitz preferred solo shots, her group images were also impressive.

There were seven women in the frame, dressed in various gowns, and striking elegant poses that set the imagination alight. Of course, what was most important was that from left to right, they were Julia Roberts, Monica Bellucci, Sophie Marceau, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Blanchett, Katherine Zetajones, and... Naomi Watts!

If it had just been the first six women, one could argue it meant something else, but adding Naomi made the theme clear: a group photo of Miracle Girls.

After all, among the first six women, Julia became the first actress to enter the $20 million club due to her pay for Notting Hill. But the gap between her and the others wasn’t huge. Blanchett, who was already an Oscar-winning actress, needs no mention, and Gwyneth and Zetajones were also top-tier A-list actresses, while Monica and Sophie represented the images of Italy and France respectively.

So if it were just them, there would be various interpretations. But Naomi was different. Though she shot to fame last year with Mulholland Drive, she was still far from as popular as the first six. So adding her to the mix and looking for commonalities, there was only one title: Miracle Girl.

"I knew it, you can’t trust these magazines," Adrian sighed, his expression a mix of amusement and resignation.

Clearly, Vanity Fair had planned this for a long time. Knowing that Monica and Sophie were both heavily pregnant and living in Orange County, how could they possibly have the time for a photoshoot? Moreover, their bellies were flat in the insert. So this photo must have been taken before they got pregnant last year, and was likely shot in two or three separate sessions, then composite together using Photoshop; otherwise, they wouldn’t have kept this from him. So maybe Vanity Fair had prepared the interview long in advance.

Adrian had no objection to these tactics; after all, some things the public would find out sooner or later. Lily didn’t really matter, but with two more little ones on the way in a few months, and maybe even more to come, it wasn’t worth making a fuss. However, Vanity Fair’s approach seemed a bit petty, and it looked like he’d need to get Claude to talk to the Newhouse Group. But at this moment, that was not the most important thing.

"How come, you also want to join in?" Adrian laughed as he picked up the insert and flicked it with a rustle.

Kate huffed lightly and turned her head away without saying a word, but Adrian didn’t care in the slightest. He leaned in and kissed the back of her neck, knowing that after years of being together and Lily almost being five, Kate had long accepted the inevitable. The airs she was putting on now were nothing but a façade, and he wasn’t fooled by them.

"Alright, let’s talk about anything else tomorrow, I want to go back and rest," Charlize interjected diplomatically on Kate’s behalf.

"Indeed, it’s time to rest," Adrian immediately stood up, which surprised both women. Usually, in such circumstances, he wouldn’t let go without acting like a rascal or being overbearing for a bit. What had changed today?

However, as they got up, they both understood that this guy hadn’t changed at all. Adrian once again wrapped his arms around both of them: "Alright, let’s all go to the bedroom together."

Without speaking, it was clear what he was thinking. Charlize raised her eyebrows, silent, while Kate gave him a glare, "Don’t you ever..."

But before she could finish, Adrian interrupted with a sigh, "If only Sarah were here too, I really miss the good times we had that night."

"Don’t ’but’—I bet if Liv wasn’t so indifferent to us, this guy would definitely have lured her in as well," Charlize kissed Kate again and then pulled her down onto the bed.

Liv had gotten to know Kate and Charlize properly because of Sarah, so their relationship was relatively indifferent. However, she really liked Lily, and Lily liked her too.

The next two weeks were spent filming in the studio, with the most important scenes being the formation of the Rings Protection Team from their disputes. The descriptions of Rivendell in the novel couldn’t be matched by any location in New Zealand, and the magnificent scenery could only be recreated by artists, then integrated during post-production. For this reason, Adrian had hired several talented artists and had also invited Alan Lee and John Howe, illustrators for "The Lord of the Rings" novel, to act as consultants.

During this time, the latest issue of "Vanity Fair" also attracted a lot of attention, especially since the photoshoot of the Miracle Girls featured immediately after the interview sparked gossip tabloids to concoct various stories. Many ordinary people also began discussing enthusiastically the tales of the Miracle Director and the Miracle Girls, and Adrian’s reputation as a "Playboy" started to spread further among them.

In Hollywood, it was common knowledge that actors and directors dated several people, so the public wasn’t taken by the media’s propensity to label someone a "Playboy". But Adrian’s list was different: The most representative actresses of the United States, the faces of Italy and France in Hollywood, the newly-minted Oscar-winning actress, the surviving "Rose" from "Titanic", the classical dame depicting ’50s Los Angeles, and the thriller actress from "Mulholland Drive."

If the Miracle Director did indeed have intimate relations with all of them, he would truly deserve the Playboy title. Of course, neither the media nor the public would know that the truth far exceeded what was known.

While many people were interested in the gossip, it didn’t mean that the interview went unnoticed. After all, it provided the most detailed report on Adrian’s various experiences in the last two to three years, and many who followed the Miracle Director would read it. Then, two very interesting things happened: protests from "The Matrix" fans and mixed feelings from "The Lord of the Rings" book lovers.

The sentiment of the book fans goes without saying, Adrian had confirmed in the interview that he was filming the movie adaptation of "The Lord of the Rings," and he revealed quite a few details about the production. He planned to shoot the entire trilogy within a year and then release a film each year. The Miracle Director’s capabilities were well known; he had produced many outstanding movies across various genres, and no one thought he was unsuitable for directing and producing "The Lord of the Rings."

But what kind of films would they turn out to be? Could they win the overwhelming approval of the general public? That was a concern. The novel series had countless fans and had influenced many fantasy novels. If the movies turned out well, that would be cause for celebration, but if they didn’t, it might very well tarnish the Miracle Director’s reputation.

As for the protests from "The Matrix" fans, the main reason was their dissatisfaction with Adrian’s clear preference for "The Lord of the Rings." "The Matrix" had won countless sci-fi enthusiasts’ affection with its coolness, mystery, and philosophical depth. The resulting boost in novel sales, albeit spoiling the plot to some degree, had fueled intense plot discussions and anticipation for the sequels.

Okay, even if "The Lord of the Rings" is grand and tremendous, why couldn’t "The Matrix" also have all three parts shot at once and then be released one by one? If "The Lord of the Rings" is a trilogy of novels, isn’t "The Matrix" also a trilogy? Why prioritize filming "The Lord of the Rings" and make the fans wait a long time before producing "The Matrix"?

It must be said, the fans’ dissatisfaction had some merit. So, what was Adrian really thinking about this?

"It’s simple, I forgot," he replied, leaving the group in front of him staring at each other in astonishment.

"What do you mean you forgot?" Silver eventually took the lead to ask.

"I mean exactly what the words imply," Adrian said, spreading his hands. "I forgot that it was possible to shoot the entire trilogy at once."

After a stunned silence, someone snickered, and then everyone began to laugh. The Miracle Director could also have a moment of forgetfulness, which was truly amusing. Adrian could only shrug helplessly in response—he was telling the truth. Conventional thinking had made him overlook this option, and he’d been focused on completing the remaining two parts of "The Matrix" in a few years, neglecting the fact that, due to his emergence, the novels for the trilogy were now available.

However, this also reminded him that he wasn’t infallible and that he shouldn’t be too arrogant or complacent. Maintaining a calm and detached perspective was key to building his Empire.

But this couldn’t be the explanation he gave publicly—it wasn’t about embarrassment, but rather that it lacked persuasiveness. If he could think of shooting "The Lord of the Rings" all at once, how could he forget to do the same with "The Matrix"? That would sound like a tall tale! So, this rationale would only backfire, but faced with the fierce discontent of the fans, he had to find some way to reassure them.

"The delay in the production of the final two parts of ’The Matrix’ is due to some adjustments that need to be made to the storyline. When initially writing the novels, I hadn’t considered everything thoroughly, so some changes are necessary and inevitable. I apologize for this and hope everyone can wait a little longer." This was the statement Adrian had someone post on the official website for "The Matrix."

Upon confirming that this was indeed a statement from the Miracle Director, most fans, while still reluctant, sighed with provisional relief. This signaled that the Miracle Director wouldn’t abandon "The Matrix," and he would undoubtedly work on the sequels personally. But this also raised greater curiosity—did he write the novels originally? Was the trilogy of "The Matrix" novels actually completed by the Miracle Director?

Subsequently, the publishing company under AC Media was bombarded with inquiries. Eventually, after communicating with Adrian, who was in New Zealand, the publisher conceded that the Miracle Director was indeed the original author of "The Matrix" novel trilogy. With this answer, the fans cheered, reinforcing their belief that the Miracle Director would not give up on the series.

The media, too, flocked like sharks to blood, wondering whether the Miracle Director had previously written novels—definitely something worth exploring! Although he was not in Los Angeles at present, there was no need to worry. It had been confirmed that Adrian would attend the premiere of "The Expendables" at the end of April. (To be continued. If you like this work, please come to qidian.com to cast your recommendation and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

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