Chapter 204: Unrequited Love

Chapter 204: Chapter 204: Unrequited Love

Henry just shook his head gently without answering, but a faint, exceptionally tender curve tugged at the corner of his mouth—an irrepressible softness born of a heart in motion.

Looking at him, Keira felt a slight, inexplicable sense of loss, and her self-esteem took a quiet little hit.

She clearly didn’t have an obsession with being with Henry, but being "drawn a clear line in advance" like this still left a somewhat bitter taste in her mouth.

After all, she really had been just a hair’s breadth away from actually falling for him.

After a few seconds of silence, fearing she might overthink things, Henry added earnestly:

"I cherish our working relationship very much, and I admire you. I hope we can be like Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet."

He looked into her eyes, each word clear and solemn:

"Nothing to do with romance, just lifelong best friends. Lovers on screen, family off screen."

These words instantly smoothed over all the awkwardness and disappointment in Keira’s heart.

She looked up at Henry. His gaze was open and sincere, without a hint of perfunctoriness.

A few seconds later, Keira let out a soft laugh, and that small dent in her pride vanished.

She reached out her hand, her tone returning to its usual lightness:

"Alright. Best friends it is, then. It’s a deal."

Henry smiled as well, gently taking her hand with a firm yet polite grip:

"It’s a deal."

Once everything was out in the open, Keira felt completely relaxed. Her shoulders slumped naturally as she leaned against the wooden table, her curiosity now entirely irrepressible.

She leaned in a bit closer, her eyes sparkling with the kind of gossip and tenderness unique to girls:

"Since we’ve cleared the air, why don’t you give me a little hint? You don’t have to say who she is, just tell me... what kind of person is she? I can tell you’re still in the middle of an unrequited love, right?"

Henry was taken aback, his cheeks flushing a very faint red that was almost invisible in the sea breeze.

He fell silent for a few seconds, as if reminiscing or choosing the right words. His gaze drifted toward the pitch-black sea outside the window, his voice turning very soft and gentle.

"She’s... very special."

His very first sentence carried a tenderness he couldn’t hide.

"We met in Hawaii a few years ago. Back then, I didn’t know what my future path would be. She was just an ordinary tourist then, but I noticed her at a single glance. Out on the sea, she was so radiant, like the morning sun—so captivating that one couldn’t help but want to get closer and see her clearly.

After getting to know her, I found she’s a very clear-headed, determined, and powerful girl. She’s direct when she speaks, yet very mindful of others’ feelings. She’s decisive, and there’s a kind of confidence in her eyes that others don’t have."

Keira listened intently, not interrupting him.

"I never forgot her after we parted. I thought it was just a chance encounter and that we’d never meet again. But when I arrived in Los Angeles, I found out who she was."

As he said this, Henry’s voice was so soft it almost melted into the sound of the waves, yet his eyes were incredibly bright.

"The moment I learned her identity, my mind went blank. I couldn’t help but start gathering information about her. That was when I realized how vast the gap between us was. I could only film with all my might, pushing myself upward, hoping that one day I could stand somewhere she would notice."

He paused, his fingertips curling slightly with a touch of powerless restraint.

He spoke vaguely, keeping many emotions buried deep in his heart, choosing only the safest snippets that wouldn’t expose her identity to tell Keira.

To Keira, this sounded like the story of a minor actor’s crush on a mature and excellent lady outside the industry—a lady who likely held considerable status. She was gentle, restrained, and distant. Keira didn’t suspect Irene by her side at all.

Her heart softened as she listened, and she gently patted Henry’s arm:

"Well, now that you’ve become the second male lead in Pirates of the Caribbean and have better prospects ahead, have you gone to find her?"

Henry smiled. "I did. She remembered me too, and our beautiful shared memories. She’s also very happy for my current progress. It’s just that her love life hasn’t been smooth lately, and her career is at a stage that urgently needs expansion. She might not have any spare time for me."

Keira poked Henry disapprovingly. "That’s the wrong way to think. Since you’ve already made it to her side and she’s noticed you, you should work harder to make her unable to do without you.

Maybe she’s exactly in need of company right now. You don’t have to confess your love right away. Just stay by her side and let her know someone cares about her. Wouldn’t that work?"

Henry gave a bitter smile and shook his head. "No."

He knew the distance between him and Irene all too well. Status, fame, experience, identity—every single one was like a chasm.

Moreover, Irene had just experienced betrayal. What she needed least right now was a sudden confession from someone of such disparate status.

Keira was still earnestly giving advice on the side:

"Anyway, don’t keep it all bottled up. The more you hold back, the less chance you have. Someone as impressive as her should like the brave, sincere, and straightforward type.

Besides, what if someone even better appears by her side? If you miss your chance because of over-worrying, you’ll regret it."

Henry just gave a soft "Mm," his gaze once again unconsciously drifting toward the direction of Irene’s residence.

The night was deep, and the sea breeze was cool.

The heartbeat he kept hidden in his soul remained quiet, restrained, and unspoken.

Meanwhile, Keira was still enthusiastically helping him plan his "pursuit of love," completely unaware that the person Henry was pining for—the one he didn’t dare approach and carefully kept in his heart—was the most radiant presence in the entire crew: Irene Coppola herself.

During the next day’s filming, Irene noticed a subtle change as soon as she arrived on set.

Keira and Henry still gathered to go over lines and joke around as usual, occasionally playing about with a relaxed and natural atmosphere, but that sticky, easily misunderstood sense of ambiguity was gone.

Their physical distance was intentionally widened a bit. There were no more casual smoothing of hair or whispered asides. Jokes were just jokes, and their sense of boundaries was clear at a glance.

Irene stood behind the monitor for a couple of seconds and thought "Oh" to herself. It seemed the two of them had handled last night’s matter quite cleanly.

She only gave it a brief thought before tossing it to the back of her mind.

This was fine too. Everyone getting along harmoniously, acting well, keeping a stable mindset, and not causing trouble was enough for her. As for the thoughts of the young people, she didn’t have the spare energy to ponder them deeply.

During the break, the sea breeze was pleasant and the sun wasn’t too harsh.

Shelly walked up to her side and handed her a bottle of water, his tone somewhat formal: "Irene, the Golden Globe Awards have sent an invitation, asking you to be a presenter."