Chapter 164: Reunion

Chapter 164: Chapter 164: Reunion

He was still wearing the gray T-shirt and jeans from the audition, hands in his pockets, standing as tall and straight as a pine tree, the muscular lines of his back still clearly visible under the outline of the streetlights.

The night breeze ruffled his hair, adding a touch of haziness to his already deep-set features.

Shelly followed her gaze, eyes lighting up instantly as he strode forward, voice full of excitement: "You haven’t left yet? Perfect! I was just about to call you. Congratulations, Henry Cavill, you’ve been selected! The role of Will Turner is yours!"

He expected Henry to be ecstatic like every other actor who got the part, perhaps even shaking hands in excitement to express his gratitude.

But Henry only gave a slight nod, without much excitement on his face. His deep eyes swept past Shelly and went straight to Irene behind him, his gaze focused and determined.

Shelly’s smile froze on his face, looking with some confusion at the silence between the two.

Just then, Henry spoke, his voice low and pleasant, with a hint of imperceptible hoarseness that broke the silence of the night: "Irene, can we talk?"

Irene looked into Henry’s eyes. There was no wild joy of being cast in those blue eyes, only a complex emotion, as if words that had been brewing for a long time had finally found an opportunity to be poured out.

The night breeze blew by, carrying the faint woody scent on him, overlapping with the scent of the Hawaii seaside in her memory, leaving her dazed for a moment as fading memories suddenly began to assault her brain.

Shelly only then realized something was wrong. He looked at Henry, then at Irene, his eyes full of confusion. Clearly, he had no idea that these two knew each other.

He tactfully stepped back half a step, whispered "I’ll wait for you in the car" to Irene, and then quietly slipped into the car, leaving space for these two who had experienced such a sudden reunion.

Only Irene and Henry were left by the roadside, the halo of the streetlights enveloping them in an ambiguous, dim yellow glow.

The faint sounds of traffic from afar did nothing to break the silence between them.

Henry looked at Irene, emotions surging in his eyes, as if he had a thousand words to say but didn’t know where to begin.

And in Irene’s heart, those deliberately suppressed past events intertwined with this unexpected reunion, leaving her unsure of how to respond for a moment.

The dim streetlights cast their shadows together, which were then gently tugged by the night breeze.

Irene steadied herself and finally broke the heavy silence: "When... did you come to Los Angeles?"

Henry’s Adam’s apple bobbed, his gaze still locked on her face, as if trying to make up for the blank years. "A year ago."

His voice was softer than before, the hoarseness fading away, leaving only a steady narrative:

"After we parted in Hawaii, I thought about it for a long time. Being an actor has always been my dream, but my family was always worried that this path was too hard and wouldn’t give their approval.

That night when we talked until late, you said, ’If you like it, you should give it a shot, otherwise you’ll never know how far you can go.’ That sentence woke me up."

He turned slightly to look at the colorful city night view in the distance, his eyes filled with reminiscence:

"After I went back, I had a long talk with my family for three days, laying out all my concerns and all my aspirations. To my surprise, they didn’t object anymore. Instead, they said, ’Since you’ve decided, we will fully support you.’

My mom helped me contact an acting class in Los Angeles, my dad asked friends to keep an eye on production information for me, and the day I packed my luggage, my mom stuffed a stack of cash into my hand and said, ’If it’s not enough, call us. Don’t make yourself suffer.’"

Speaking of his family’s support, a gentle smile curled at the corners of his mouth, but that smile quickly faded. When he turned back to look at Irene, there was a touch of complex loneliness in his eyes.

Irene felt a warmth in her heart. Of course, she remembered that night in Hawaii, in the tavern by the sea, chatting about their respective ideals while slightly tipsy.

At the time, she just thought it was a candid conversation between strangers, never expecting that her casual words would become the courage for him to head to distant lands.

"Then you..." She paused, eventually asking the question that had been buried in her heart, "I gave you my contact information and address at the time, why didn’t you come to find me?"

The moment her words fell, Henry slowly shook his head, a trace of self-mockery flashing in his deep eyes. "I only realized you weren’t an ordinary person after I arrived in Los Angeles."

His voice deepened:

"I heard classmates mention you in the training class, saying that you had set box office records multiple times at a young age and worked with the top teams in the industry. And back then, I was hitting wall after wall even for small supporting role auditions, with only a few immature acting clips in my hands."

He raised his hand and scratched the back of his head, his tone laced with helplessness: "You are the dazzling director Irene, and I was just a newcomer who had just entered the industry, struggling to even find a foothold.

I was afraid that I was too ordinary and would let you down, and even more afraid... that this unequal status would shatter that beautiful memory of Hawaii."

The night breeze blew past again, carrying the noise of the city, yet the air between the two became exceptionally quiet.

Irene looked at the sincerity and forbearance in Henry’s eyes, and her heart felt as if it had been gently bumped by something. She had never thought that the man who chatted with her about the starry sky by the sea would have missed her for a whole year in the same city for such a reason.

She was silent for a few seconds, took half a step forward, and the light from the streetlamp fell into her eyes, reflecting the same bright seriousness as that night in Hawaii:

"Henry, there is indeed no permanent inequality in the industry, but now, you have used your strength to earn the qualification to stand side-by-side with me. Will Turner of Pirates of the Caribbean is yours from today on."

Her words made Henry’s pupils contract slightly, the loneliness in his eyes instantly replaced by astonishment, and then a glimmer of disbelief ignited.

"First thing," Irene raised her hand to interrupt what he was about to say, her tone crisp and decisive,

"Contact Jerry’s team first thing tomorrow morning to finalize the contract details. Signing three films consecutively is the baseline. Let Shelly negotiate the other terms for you. He knows where my bottom line is.

There is still a lot of pre-production work for this film, and there can be no delays in casting. Once the contract is finalized, the subsequent training can officially begin."

She paused, her gaze sweeping over his tall and straight figure, and added:

"Will Turner is not just a blacksmith. He is a warrior who will brave the Caribbean Sea with Captain Jack. Action scenes, sword fighting, climbing scenes—none can be missing.

Starting tomorrow, physical training must be put on the schedule. Core strength, explosive power, and endurance all need to be worked on, especially sword fighting. Shelly will help you contact the best sword fighting instructor in Hollywood, and class will officially start next Monday.

Your current physique has a good foundation, but to meet the requirements of the film, you still need to work harder."