Chapter 215: Small Talk

Chapter 215: Chapter 215: Small Talk

Irene led Henry Cavill through the bustling and lively Oscar banquet hall, taking their seats in the spots reserved by the organizers.

Inside the banquet hall, everything was gilded and glamorous, filled with the scent of perfume and rustling gowns, with Hollywood celebrities chatting and raising glasses everywhere. Camera flashes and whispers intertwined into the clamor of a vanity fair.

As soon as they sat down, Shelly handed over a glass of ice-cold soda, his tone light and relaxed.

Irene took the glass, her fingertips touching the coldness of the cup, and looked up with a faint smile: "I don’t have to go around socializing tonight?"

Shelly raised an eyebrow, a hint of playfulness in his eyes: "If you want to use your status as a presenter to meet a few more producers and A-list actors, I can take you for a round right now."

Irene shook her head almost immediately, looking decidedly uninterested: "I’ll pass on that. I’ll just sit quietly until the awards ceremony."

No sooner had she finished speaking than an elegant and radiant figure slowly walked past her side.

Nicole Kidman was wearing a haute couture gown, her makeup exquisite, making her exceptionally dazzling in the crowd.

She had been walking at a leisurely pace, but when she passed by Irene’s seat, she suddenly stopped, turned slightly, and offered a polite yet distant smile.

Irene stood up politely.

She was not very close with this beautiful woman. At best, she had seen her from afar at a few industry events and premieres, without even having had an in-depth conversation.

The fact that she was willing to stop and greet her was likely out of consideration for her role as a presenter for this year’s Best Actress award, maintaining a bit of public decorum for both of them.

"Irene, long time no see. You look beautiful tonight." Nicole’s voice was gentle and pleasant, without a single flaw.

"Thank you, Mrs. Kidman, you are also exceptionally dazzling tonight." Irene replied with a standard, polite smile.

But Nicole Kidman was somewhat surprised to hear this. After all, most people outside addressed her as Mrs. Cruise. It seemed that no matter how much effort she put in, in the eyes of others, her most important identity was merely being Tom Cruise’s spouse.

Being able to hear "Mrs. Kidman" in this setting brought her some comfort, so her smile became a bit more genuine than before.

After a few more meaningless but necessary polite greetings, Nicole Kidman nodded slightly, turned around, and with elegant steps, rejoined the circle of celebrities ahead, looking graceful and full of confidence.

Watching her retreating back, Irene sat back in her seat without changing her expression and whispered to Shelly: "I get the feeling that Nicole Kidman is in a very good mood tonight?"

Shelly held his water glass, his gaze sweeping over Nicole, who was surrounded by the crowd, and he analyzed calmly:

"She and Renée Zellweger have swept almost all the major awards in this year’s Oscar precursors. Whether it’s the critics’ associations, guild awards, or the Golden Globe Awards, the two of them have split the vast majority of the precursor votes, making them the biggest favorites for Best Actress right now. Naturally, she is happy because she is determined to win."

Irene gave a soft "Oh," her tone devoid of waves, and added calmly: "It seems she is destined to be disappointed tonight."

Shelly was slightly taken aback by these words, then cautiously shook his head: "Everything is still an unknown. Oscar results are always hard to guess. Until you walk onto that stage and open that envelope, anything can happen."

Irene shrugged noncommittally and didn’t say anything more.

Only she knew in her heart that the trajectory of some history was already set.

After Shelly got up to handle business communications with several producers and the awards ceremony coordinators, the clamor in the banquet hall seemed to be muffled, as if separated by a layer.

Irene leaned back against her chair, looking around in boredom. The crystal chandeliers were resplendent, the celebrities were glamorous, and the sounds of small talk and clinking glasses wove into a lively background noise, but she only felt it was dull and uninteresting.

Her gaze circled around and landed on Henry, who was sitting upright beside her.

The young man sat straight, his hands properly placed on his knees, his eyes sweeping over the room with a mix of curiosity and restraint. He looked like he wanted to relax but dared not let his guard down, appearing both intrigued and nervous, much like a well-behaved student who had accidentally wandered into a top-tier party.

Irene couldn’t help but chuckle, leaning in slightly, and spoke in a volume only the two of them could hear: "What are you thinking about? Do you feel like this scene is even more nerve-wracking than the film set?"

Henry came back to his senses, pursed his lips a bit embarrassedly, and replied in a low voice: "A little. The red carpet, the flashes, so many big shots—it’s even more overwhelming than filming action scenes while hanging on wires."

"You’re only nervous because it’s your first time. You’ll get used to it. It’s actually all the same." Irene smiled faintly. "By the way, after Pirates of the Caribbean is completely finished filming, what are your plans?"

When acting was mentioned, Henry’s originally gentle eyes immediately brightened, and his tone became earnest:

"Being able to act in your movie this time is a huge challenge for me and a rare learning opportunity. Acting opposite the veteran actors in the crew, I realized I still have many shortcomings, so I want to calm down and systematically study acting, polish my skills more, and I don’t want to stop at just finishing the role."

Irene nodded slightly, while memories from before her rebirth silently surged in her heart.

She remembered Henry’s path as an actor: outstanding looks, a tall and sturdy figure, and roles with high national popularity, yet he always remained out of reach of acting awards like the Oscar.

It wasn’t that he didn’t work hard, but his face, which was too handsome and regular, was not an advantage in the Oscar judging system. It was just like Leonardo, who charmed the world with his looks when he was young, but only finally held the little gold man after deliberately gaining weight, uglifying himself, and grinding away his sharp edges.

Given Henry’s conditions, if he wants to win a major acting award, he will likely have to take this long road of "self-destructing his looks."

She didn’t voice these inner thoughts, but just patted his arm gently and encouraged him: "Calming down to polish your acting skills is more important than anything else. Take your time."

As the two were chatting in low voices, Shelly finished his socializing and sat back in his seat. Seeing how engaged they were, he asked with a smile: "What are you two chatting about, so intently?"

Henry answered honestly immediately: "I was telling Irene that after filming Pirates of the Caribbean, I want to focus on studying acting and improving myself."

Upon hearing this, Shelly’s face showed a look of satisfaction.

As an agent, he was now the object of envy in the industry. With an ace director like Irene Coppola under his wing, he didn’t have to grovel for resources at all. A single film by Irene could launch the artists under her banner, and even other actors could benefit and get cast, with resources so good it made people green with envy.

He quickly seized the opportunity, looked at Irene, and his tone carried a hint of probing and anticipation:

"Speaking of which, aren’t you planning to film a low-budget movie in the second half of the year? Is there a role suitable for Henry? Letting him follow you to gain more experience is much better than him fumbling around on his own."