"Cut!"
With his long, distinct fingers running through his bangs, Basil sighed, "Let's take a break."
Back from a two-day break, he felt that his directing rhythm was off, the chemistry among the characters in the play had lost its edge, and even the coffee that Jakayla had bought for him tasted wrong.
He walked out of the studio, and the crew members, who were always busy as bees, started whispering behind his back.
"Hey, do you think Boss didn't manage to hook up with that babe the paparazzi snapped yesterday?" asked the assistant director to the lighting technician next to him.
It turned out that everyone had a habit of reading gossip tabloids.
"No way, they were clearly sharing a straw to drink the same beverage. And besides, our boss is both handsome and rich."
"Well, these days, lots of people share straws, it doesn't mean every couple drinking from the same cup ends up in bed," teased James, the photographer, waggling his eyebrows suggestively.
The entire crew worked for Basil, but this didn't stop them from gossiping about their boss.
"You got it right, James. You're truly well-informed!"
"But seriously, is Boss really going to sign her or just date her?"
"Who knows? It could be a smokescreen. Haven't we heard that there's always been someone special in Boss's heart?"
"Huh, I've always had someone special in my heart too!"
"Who?"
"Washinton."
"Get out of here!"
The crew, which had just been scolded by Basil during filming and had become as timid as quails, was now engaged in heated discussion.
Unbeknownst to them, the subject of their speculation stood in the center of the studio's plaza, and his phone rang at that moment. Basil never answered calls without caller ID, but this time, for some inexplicable reason, he pressed the answer button.
"Basil — is that you?"
It was the voice of his beloved, unforgettable despite the twists and turns of life. The intense shock hit Basil's once soft and ardently beating heart, and after a brief daze, he regained his voice.
" Lettie?"
Lettie wasn't her real name; she wasn't surnamed Greene, but rather Allison Joyce. Yet at this moment, separated by the long passage of time and countless complex thoughts, they couldn't return to the relationship they once had.
"Are you Basil, my junior from S High School?" Lettie asked tentatively.
Basil pursed his lips in silence.
Lettie had plenty of time to realize it was him, but only became aware after the scandal made the papers. Was it because she hadn't paid enough attention to herself, or simply that he hadn't registered in her eyes at all?
Once, she was his senior in the high school club; they were both members of the drama society. She was an unattainable flower on a high peak, and the moment he entered high school and joined the club, he became captivated by her.
During those two years when he secretly loved her, he shrank his self-esteem to the smallest size possible, standing as close to her as he could, as meek and humble as a concubine awaiting the emperor's favor.
"Basil, help me with my physics homework."
"Basil, I have to submit a chemistry report next week."
"Basil, tomorrow is my birthday. I've noticed the weather turning a bit cooler lately. On Sunday, my mom and I went shopping and saw a woolen check scarf from brand B that seemed quite warm."
"Basil ……"
Being able to assist her or make her smile made him feel like he was in heaven, but if she didn't seek him out for a whole day, he would feel as if the world were coming to an end.
In high school, Allison was not unreachable for him, but she was so perfect that pursuing her seemed almost sacrilegious, even keeping her in his heart felt like an act of desecration.
He catered to her preferences, placing her at the top of his heart. Though a year younger, he learned knew knowledge ahead to support her academic pursuits.
It must be said that this one-sided love had one benefit for him: he became the top student in his grade, excelling in literature, mathematics, physics, and chemistry.
Yet, all of that became a thing of the past after her graduation. But he knew that from today onward, everything would be different.
He was no longer the high school boy under 170 cm tall, boring and quiet, only daring to secretly admire his senior in his heart.
"I am." His voice deliberately devoid of emotion, he hid his long-standing longing deep within his soul.
"I'm sorry, I never knew your name was Basil." Lettie's voice on the other end of the phone sounded slightly tense and restrained.
Basil chuckled softly, "It's alright, it's all in the past."
"Do you have time? Can we meet?"
"Certainly, I'll have my assistant contact you." He maintained a distance, like a hunter setting a trap, waiting for the prey to fall into it on its own.
Lettie hesitated, "I meant meeting privately."
Perhaps it was because his youth had been far away for too long, when Basil heard the words "privately," and especially from the woman he had dreamed about day and night, his heart did not race with the ecstasy he expected. Had it been ten years earlier, he might have laid his heart bare before her, seeking her favor.
But now, he only felt overly calm.
"Alright, you choose the place and time."
"How about the day after tomorrow?"
Lettie chose a restaurant with high privacy, not showing any haste, picking the day after tomorrow—exuding maturity and intellect.
Completely unlike someone else.
Suddenly, a bright and charming face flashed through his mind.
