Hollywood: The Greatest Showman

Chapter 160: Friends to the Rescue

Chapter 160: Friends to the Rescue

The ambiguous atmosphere flowed in the air, and the journalists' gazes once again shifted meaningfully between Renly and Natalie, as if the brief exchanges just now had turned into a perfect depiction of two people in complete harmony, echoing each other. Especially the smile in Natalie's eyes, familiar and intimate as she looked at Renly, the afternoon sunlight reflecting dazzlingly in those bright eyes.

So, everyone began to anticipate Renly's reaction.

Renly turned towards the fans in front of him, wearing a kind smile on his face, politely nodding his head, greeting the fans to his diagonal front, diagonal back, left, and right, as if a top-tier celebrity expressing gratitude to his fans. His focused and dedicated expression even conveyed his genuine joy.

Then, Renly took a small step aside and whispered something into the ear of Rodrigo, who had been outside the journalists' radar the whole time. Rodrigo suddenly came into view, nodding in confusion, then following Renly's gaze towards the audience. He raised his right hand, waving it twice, a shy smile appearing on his face.

Undoubtedly, this was the crew's way of expressing gratitude to the fans.

Renly seemed too engrossed, too excited, and too focused, to the extent of forgetting Natalie standing beside him. This...

Natalie's gesture of goodwill thus fell into emptiness. So, was Renly truly moved by the fans? Or did the spark between them not exist at all? Or perhaps it was Natalie's unrequited affection? The rumored spark that had just ignited seemed to have been quietly extinguished. More importantly, no one could blame Renly—because this enthusiasm was initiated by Natalie herself; otherwise, with "Buried" and Renly's appeal alone, the audience's reaction wouldn't have been so enthusiastic.

Natalie lifted her chin, the graceful curve of her neck smooth and elegant under the golden light. Her eyes remained fixed on Renly, but it seemed futile, a moment of loneliness and desolation creeping in, causing Natalie's smile to stiffen slightly. Deep inside, a raging anger threatened to overwhelm her reason. If not for years of cultivation, she might not be able to control herself at this moment; even if not leaving, her expression would undoubtedly betray her.

At this moment, she couldn't reveal her cards.

So, Natalie's stiff smile continued to rise, and she smoothly extended her hand over Renly's shoulder, looking towards the fans on that side, gently waving, which instantly sent the fans into a frenzy, as if Natalie had also blended into the atmosphere of the event.

However, the intimacy or distance permeating the air, tinged with a hint of tension, was palpable to keen observers. What was really going on here? Daisy became even more convinced of her speculation—there was definitely something wrong here! It wasn't just a rumor; the palpable sense of discord between the two was too obvious, almost unbearable to witness. Neither Renly nor Natalie said anything; everything seemed calm on the surface, but beneath this seemingly calm facade, the underlying confrontation and distance, like two interfaces that couldn't quite align, rendered further efforts futile.

Now, Daisy was even more curious: Why? The emergence of rumors might have been the journalists' fabrication, circulating only within the press until now without any real news breaking. But Natalie's behavior today was too... urgent. So, what was the reason behind it? And why was Renly involved?

Originally, she came to support Renly in her personal capacity, not expecting to stumble upon something bigger. Daisy was now eager to dig deeper.

Renly maintained a smile on his face, but his mind was racing. Ignoring Natalie just now indicated his stance, but after the cheers subsided, he had to express his gratitude to her. Otherwise, even if they truly fell out, Renly still wanted to leverage Natalie's presence to garner more attention for "Buried." Truly alienating Natalie wasn't an option.

But how to express his gratitude? Being too distant wouldn't work, as the intention would be too obvious, and being too intimate wouldn't work either, as Natalie would surely not let the opportunity pass. Should he pass it off with a joke?

Just then, there was a commotion at the beginning of the red carpet. Renly instinctively looked over, and a small smile tugged at the corners of his lips: Ryan Gosling had arrived, shining brilliantly at the most opportune moment.

Ryan looked around, furrowing his brows slightly before lifting them, forming a "?" shape with his face, evidently not expecting the scene to be so lively. He waved a greeting, and cheers and screams erupted from both sides of the red carpet—this was Ryan's turf, and all Canadians present were very supportive, their cheers even surpassing Natalie's earlier appearance, creating a tumultuous atmosphere.

Of course, compared to the premiere of "Blue Valentine," this was nothing. Ryan quickly regained his composure and skillfully greeted the audience. However, Ryan didn't linger on the red carpet for too long—he wasn't the protagonist today. After a brief pause, he walked towards the front.

Daisy noticed a small detail: Renly took two steps forward to greet Ryan's arrival proactively; Ryan hugged Renly, who reciprocated with a perfunctory hug. But after releasing the embrace, Renly pushed Ryan's shoulder away with disdain, seemingly reluctant to get too close.

This small gesture made both Renly and Ryan chuckle, revealing the disparity in their relationship inadvertently. Daisy glanced at Natalie standing nearby—alone and seemingly lonely.

Ryan looked down at his suit, then glanced at Renly's collarless shirt, clearly dissatisfied. "I'm here dressed formally as a sign of respect, and this is how you treat your guests?"

"Are you sure you're not just trying to look more handsome by specifically choosing a suit?" Renly retorted, and Ryan chuckled in response. "How did you arrive alone? Didn't we agree on '1+1'?" He referred to Michelle Williams.

Ryan shot Renly a disdainful look. "You attend my premiere alone, and yet you demand a '1+1' in return? Business doesn't work that way." But there was a warning in his eyes, almost gritting his teeth: Don't mention it! His date with Michelle was still a secret, and they had no intention of letting the press know.

Renly raised an eyebrow, seemingly saying: Don't challenge my limits.

With that threatening gaze, Ryan immediately backed off, flashing a wide smile, rubbing his hands nervously as if begging for mercy, then glanced around at the reporters. "Wow, it's quite lively here today," he remarked. It was only now that he noticed Natalie; Ryan quickly approached her, extending his right hand politely. "Good afternoon."

As it was an unexpected encounter, Ryan and Natalie had no prior acquaintance, so Ryan's gesture was very formal, as if meeting for the first time at a social event; Natalie couldn't appear too familiar either, politely shaking Ryan's right hand and nodding in acknowledgment.

Ryan gritted his teeth and glanced at Renly, mouthing, "What the hell is going on?" Then the two exchanged a glance, and Ryan turned back to face the reporters. "So, what do you guys think? Personally, I can't wait to see this movie. This guy behind me has been constantly showcasing his talent and abilities. Now, I'm most curious about how much the big screen can truly reveal. He better not be a fraud."

His straightforward yet playful words, tinged with a hint of intimacy, immediately showcased the camaraderie between the two, eliciting laughter from all the reporters present.

However, Daisy couldn't help but glance at Natalie. At this moment, Natalie remained graceful and poised, wearing a light-hearted smile on her face. Yet evidently, her frequency of interaction with Renly differed. It was intriguing—truly fascinating.

"Ryan, are you attending the premiere of 'Buried' just to support Renly?" a journalist amidst the crowd asked.

Ryan was about to respond when Renly stepped forward, interjecting, "By the way, official announcement: I just mentioned we're dating." With that, Renly casually returned to his position, leaving Ryan with a puzzled expression, clearly not understanding what had just happened. Then, in a slightly disdainful tone, Ryan said, "You're not my type."

The entire crowd of journalists burst into laughter, even the fans standing nearby couldn't help but laugh heartily.

Unknowingly, people had forgotten about the rumors surrounding Renly and Natalie—or perhaps, they hadn't forgotten, but they couldn't find a gap to bring it up again. Ryan's lighthearted banter with the reporters continued, and what was even more delightful was the subsequent appearances of Rami Malek, James Badge Dale, and Jon Bernthal on the red carpet, all coming to show their support for Renly.

Moreover, the unexpected presence of Gary Goetzman, the producer of "The Pacific," was undoubtedly the most surprising. As everyone knew, he was Tom Hanks' close friend, and over two-thirds of his career works were collaborations with Tom. He was also good friends with Tom's wife, Rita Wilson. In other words, his presence represented Tom's support.

As an unknown independent film, the red carpet premiere of "Buried" might not have been a gathering of stars, but its lively atmosphere, interesting exchanges, and outstanding performances far exceeded expectations. It was definitely the dark horse of today's Toronto Film Festival.