Chapter 364: "Simple" Life

Chapter 364: Chapter 364: "Simple" Life

The post had been up for less than half an hour, and the comment section was already bustling.

Fans’ comments were refreshing rapidly. The first top comment came from a netizen with the ID "Movie Fan 99": "As expected of a top-tier director! Even casual family photos have such texture. The lighting and composition are superb. This aesthetic is truly unbeatable!"

The likes underneath quickly broke ten thousand, and many fans chimed in: "Agreed! The lighting in the courtyard looks like a movie shot. If Irene switched to being a photographer, she would definitely be top-tier!"

This made Irene blush as she read it. As for how good the photo quality actually was, Irene felt most of it was probably fan filters. Her photography skills at best could only be described as standard.

Following that, comments from celebrity friends appeared one after another.

Keira Knightley commented, "The cake looks so delicious, I’ll have to come over for a meal next time."

Morgan Freeman wrote, "Happy birthday, young genius, looking forward to your next masterpiece."

And Henry Cavill left a message, "Miss the days on set, wish you a happy rest."

There were dozens of famous celebrities who left comments alone. Many fans exclaimed: "Irene’s popularity is just too good! Half of Hollywood came to send their blessings. This network is truly amazing!"

As she scrolled through, a highly-liked comment made Irene burst into laughter.

A netizen named "Simple Life Lover" wrote: "I really love Irene’s attitude towards life! No flashy decorations, no extravagant parties, just spending a normal birthday with family. There isn’t even a single luxury item in the photos. It’s so simple and low-key. Absolutely no airs of a big-name director!"

This comment was liked over fifty thousand times, and many fans below agreed: "Yeah, compared to those celebrities who are always showing off luxury cars and designer bags, Irene’s simple life is so endearing." "It looks just like a normal family birthday dinner, intimate and warm."

Irene looked at the word "simple" and felt a mix of amusement and helplessness.

She picked up the fork on the table and speared a piece of the remaining cake into her mouth. The dense mousse mixed with the rich chocolate flavor, the texture was exquisite to the extreme — it was the exact exclusive taste she had eaten years ago while flying to Hawaii on a private jet.

She had even specifically asked Edward. Such a cake required contacting a Michelin-starred chef at a five-star hotel in Paris three months in advance for a custom order. To ensure freshness, it had been flown in from Paris yesterday, and the shipping cost alone was over a thousand dollars.

If custom-made at market price, a cake like this, which fused top-tier ingredients with an exclusive recipe, would be worth at least ten thousand dollars. It had absolutely nothing to do with being "simple."

Afterwards, her gaze swept over the living room: the seemingly ordinary wooden coffee table was a custom-made Italian piece worth five figures. The seemingly minimalist paintings hanging on the wall were limited-edition works by well-known contemporary artists. Even the cashmere sofa she was sitting on at the moment was custom-made from Scotland, with an incredibly soft touch.

These things seemed low-key, but in reality, every single item was worth a fortune. It was just that their family had never liked being intentionally flashy, and most of the home decor was based on simplicity and comfort, which gave fans the illusion of it being "simple."

Irene smiled and shook her head, not bothering to explain.

She knew that the fans’ praise stemmed from their love for her, and she did indeed enjoy this state of life that wasn’t held hostage by materialism.

Compared to showing off gifts or flaunting wealth, the warm time spent with family was the most precious gift of this birthday.

She swiped her finger across the screen, liked a few popular comments, replied to the blessings from a few celebrity friends, and then put down her phone and walked into the courtyard.

The angle of the sunlight hitting the leaves was just right, and the sound of the waves kept coming gently.

Sophia walked over holding a glass of red wine and handed it to her. "What are you thinking about? Watching you giggle at your phone."

"Looking at fans’ comments. They say my life is simple." Irene said with a smile, taking a sip of red wine. "Tell me, isn’t it funny? My life is so far from the word ’simple’."

Sophia also smiled. "They just haven’t seen the details behind it. But this is also quite good. Keep it low-key, and there will be less unnecessary trouble." She paused, her tone gentle, "Irene, happy birthday. I hope you can always do what you want to do and always be surrounded by love."

Irene turned her head to look at her sister. In the sunlight, Sophia’s smile was warm and sincere.

She gently clinked her wine glass. "Thanks, sister. Having you all here is my greatest happiness."

The two sisters stood side by side in the courtyard, gazing at the distant ocean, enjoying this rare tranquility.

The blessings on her phone kept increasing, and the discussions on social media hadn’t stopped, but at this moment, Irene only felt full of peace and satisfaction.

The whole afternoon, Irene had nothing to do, bathing in the sunlight, occasionally scrolling through news on Facebook, enjoying the hard-won leisure time.

At night, the night in Malibu began to become quiet. The sound of waves hitting the reefs was like a gentle lullaby, and the streetlights in the courtyard cast a warm yellow halo.

Irene and Sophia stood side by side by the fence, chatting about the details of the fashion weeks she had attended while waiting for dinner. Suddenly, a beam of car lights lit up on the distant driveway, breaking the silence of the night.

"Who could it be at this hour?" Sophia said with confusion.

Irene looked in the direction of the headlights and saw a black sedan slowly driving into the courtyard, parking at the entrance of the villa.

The car door opened, and Lisa Evelyn stepped out carrying a black briefcase, her face wearing a serious expression. It was clear she had important matters.

"Lisa? Why are you here?" Irene walked up in surprise. "Have you had dinner? Just in time for us to eat together."

"Irene, sorry to disturb your birthday, but I know you are very concerned about my work, so there are some things I want to report to you in person, and by the way, wish you a happy birthday myself. Looking at it this way, I came at a good time, just in time for dinner."

Although Lisa’s expression was very serious, her tone was calm, and she even stepped forward to give Irene a hug.

Irene: "Who’s to say it isn’t? We are having barbecue tonight, it’s already prepared over there, it should be ready to be served. Why don’t we chat after we eat?"

Lisa thought about it. Since she was already there, it didn’t matter if she waited a little longer, so she nodded, handed the briefcase in her hand to the servant, and followed Irene to the courtyard.

Lisa’s arrival was welcomed by everyone, which made her previously tense nerves relax a little.

When Francis poured her wine himself, she even stood up excitedly, "Thank you, Mr. Coppola."

Francis patted her on the shoulder, "Relax, this is just a family gathering. Forget about work for now. Let’s enjoy this dinner first. This is top-tier Wagyu beef flown in specifically from Japan. Hurry and try it."

This meal was enjoyed by both host and guests. The Japanese Wagyu beef was indeed one of the top-tier ingredients revered globally. It was extremely tender and smooth, melting in the mouth, with such a rich fatty aroma that even Irene, who originally preferred seafood, was completely convinced, not to mention the others.

Of course, the price was certainly not cheap. Even if it wasn’t auction-grade ingredients, they had polished off nearly 20,000 dollars that night.

Fortunately, they didn’t eat meals like this every day, otherwise Irene’s heart probably wouldn’t be able to stay "Simple"