**Chapter 65: We Are Really Innocent**

"Poison on the sword? Fine, poison, go ahead!"

It was the afternoon in the small theater of Manhattan Academy of Art.

On stage, six student actors were performing the classic opera *Hamlet*.

Luca, wearing a blood-stained court outfit, was holding a sword and plunging it into the chest of the actor opposite him.

He was playing the role of the vengeful Prince Hamlet.

In this scene, Hamlet infiltrates the palace to assassinate his uncle, Claudius, who is also his father's murderer.

But Claudius, being cunning, prepared a real sword, a poisoned sword, and poisoned wine. He ordered Laertes, the son of a minister, to kill Hamlet.

During the duel, Laertes wounded Hamlet with the poisoned sword. But later, Hamlet managed to stab Laertes in the chest with the same poisoned sword.

"Noble Hamlet, let us forgive each other. I won't blame you for killing me and my father, and you shouldn't blame me either."

The actor playing Laertes clutched his chest as he spoke.

Luca frowned slightly, his dark, bright eyes filled with melancholy, pity, and a hint of sorrow.

He sighed softly and said, in the operatic style, "Laertes, may heaven forgive your sins. I will soon follow."

The actor collapsed, signifying Laertes' death.

Luca's Hamlet was also poisoned and was nearing death.

Leaning on his sword and kneeling on one knee, he sang to his friend Horatio:

"I am dying, Horatio. Goodbye, unfortunate queen. You all are the mute witnesses of this tragedy, pale and trembling. If not for death, I could have told you more. But let it be, Horatio. I am dead, but you are still here. Tell those who don't know the truth about my character and morals."

Luca then fell dramatically on his back, spreading his limbs wide. Hamlet was dead.

The actor playing Horatio knelt beside his 'corpse.' "Oh, a noble heart has broken. Good night, sweet prince. May choirs of angels sing you to rest."

The performance concluded, and the curtain slowly descended on the small theater.

*Applause!*

The audience of a few dozen people stood up and clapped.

The lights in the theater came on, and all the actors walked to the front of the stage.

In the front row sat four performance teachers, who began to critique the students' acting.

"All of you performed quite well. You've made significant progress since the last performance," said a stern-looking middle-aged female teacher.

"Thank you, Ms. Nia!" 

Luca and the other five students bowed slightly to express their gratitude.

"Luca!"

Ms. Nia looked at him. "Your performance was full of spirit, and your emotions were spot on."

"But…" 

At that moment, a middle-aged man with a beard, Luca's acting teacher, Ross, spoke up.

"Ross, shut up! I'm the one giving feedback here!" Ms. Nia said, displeased.

"Haha, alright, alright." 

Ross raised his hands in surrender.

"Hmph!"

Ms. Nia shot him a glance and then turned back to the stage. "Luca, there's a big problem with your performance. Do you know the importance of body language?"

Luca nodded. "Body language can complement the dialogue and help convey emotions."

"Yes, but your body was too stiff, and your body language was lacking. This caused your emotions to fall flat. As a result, your performance lacked impact and power. Do you understand?"

"I understand. Thank you, Ms. Nia!"

"Good." 

Ms. Nia nodded and glanced at Ross. "But this isn't entirely your fault. You chose the wrong acting teacher. I suggest you switch to Mr. Albert. He'd be a better fit for you."

"Hey, Nia, you can't say that," Ross complained.

"Did I say something wrong?"

Ms. Nia looked at him with disdain before continuing her feedback for the next student. "Kyle, your issue is with your lines. They were terrible. You're lucky you didn't choose Ross as your teacher, or they'd be even worse."

Ms. Nia continued her sharp critique, while Ross' face turned sour.

Luca smiled quietly. His acting teacher was great in many ways, but he did have a big mouth, and now he was paying the price.

After the performance, Luca went to the rehearsal hall to find Ross.

"Hey, Mr. Ross, I won't be able to attend your classes for a while."

"Oh? And why is that?" 

Ross asked in surprise. "Is it because of what Nia said? You shouldn't listen to her. Albert may be Italian and have expressive body language, but his teaching skills are mediocre."

"No, no, Mr. Ross, you misunderstood. I'm not changing teachers." 

Luca smiled, raising his hands.

"Oh, then why?"

"I'm heading to Hollywood this weekend for an audition. I'm confident I'll land an important role."

"Is that so?" 

Ross breathed a sigh of relief, patting Luca on the shoulder. "Luca, you've got great looks. Hollywood might suit you better. I hope you become a big star soon."

"Haha, thanks!"

"But when you come back to New York, you should keep taking acting classes. I've still got plenty of tricks to teach you."

"Uh, sure, Mr. Ross, I'll remember."

Luca smiled, waved, and left the school.

It was already past 5 PM, nearing rush hour. Traffic on Manhattan's streets grew dense. After half an hour of stop-and-go driving, his Ford finally reached the quiet 76th Street.

"Kate, I'm home!"

Luca opened the door to the apartment and walked into the main living room.

The room was brightly lit, with a faint fragrance in the air—a mix of rose and ylang-ylang, fresh yet sultry.

The 55-inch TV on the counter was playing the news.

With the U.S.-Iraq war looming, an anti-war movement was spreading across the nation. Field reporters were capturing footage of anti-war protests in major cities, documenting the chaos.

"Luca, you're back!" 

Kate, wearing a cartoon apron, came out holding a white tray. The room was suddenly filled with a spicy aroma.

"Wow, beef noodles?" 

Luca asked, surprised.

"Yes!" 

Kate set the tray on the dining table.

On the tray was a steaming bowl of beef noodles, with red chili peppers, green celery, evenly sliced beef, and spiraled Italian pasta.

She brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and smiled. "I noticed you really like noodles, so I made you some black pepper beef pasta. Try it and tell me what you think."

"It looks delicious, so I'm sure it'll taste great!"

Luca didn't even bother to take off his jacket. He picked up a fork, twirled some noodles, and took a bite. The noodles were tender and chewy, with a perfect balance of spice and sweetness.

"How is it? Does it taste good?"

Kate rested her chin on the table, batting her long eyelashes, waiting for his response.

Luca nodded and gave her a thumbs up. "It's amazing, Kate! Your cooking is on par with a Michelin chef."

"I'm glad you like it!" 

Kate smiled. Watching him eat made her feel content. After a while, though, she noticed his eyes were tearing up.

She blinked. "Luca, I know the noodles are good, but you don't have to get that emotional."

Luca wiped his eyes, laughing through his tears. "Kate, I'm not emotional. Did you perhaps put in a bit too much chili?"

"Did I?"

Kate took his fork, ate some noodles, and even a piece of chili.

"It's not spicy at all."

"Well, alright then."

He had forgotten that Brazilians could handle spicy food, just like people from Sichuan.

"Do you want me to make another batch?"

"No need. I think I can handle it."

Luca, eyes still watering, continued eating, enjoying every spicy bite.

Kate smiled with satisfaction and poured him a glass of water.

"Luca, a lot of reporters came to interview me today. Can you guess what they asked?"

"Oh? So the media found out?"

Luca wiped the oil from the corner of his mouth and smiled. "Kate, forgive me for not telling you about *Twilight*. I just wanted to surprise you."

"Thank you, it really was a big surprise!"

Kate cupped his face in her hands, squeezing until his cheeks were distorted. Then she chuckled softly.

"Quit it, Kate. I'm trying to eat," 

Luca said, brushing her hands away.

Kate smiled, then leaned on the table and asked, "Luca, Nina and I are both curious. How did you convince Britney to help with *Twilight*?"

Luca shrugged. "It was simple. We're friends. I asked her to help promote *Twilight*, and she agreed."

"That's it?"

"Yes, that's all there is to it," 

Luca said honestly.

Kate stared at him for a moment before asking softly, "Luca, have you ever slept with her?"

*Cough cough!*

Luca choked on his noodles, startled by the question. His sister was really blunt.

"Haha~ Did I guess right?" 

Kate gently patted his back and handed him a glass of water. 

Luca took a sip before finally catching his breath. 

"Kate, stop jumping to conclusions. Britney and I are just friends, nothing more." 

"Really?" 

"Yes, I swear to God!" 

"You don't believe in God." 

"Then I swear to you, Britney and I are innocent." 

Luca said seriously. 

Kate looked at him quietly for two seconds, just about to believe him when a sudden entertainment news report about Britney came on the TV. 

"Wow~ We've got some juicy news today, straight from the music world queen, Britney!" 

FOX Entertainment News anchor Tom Fred said in an exaggerated tone, "This is some really, really hot news, and I can't wait to share it with you all!" 

Luca and Kate stopped talking and turned to look at the TV. 

"Last month, Jive Records announced that Britney's fourth album MV would begin filming this week. We've learned that Luca, the new CK underwear spokesperson, was invited to take part in the filming." 

"Luca, they're talking about you!" 

Kate said in surprise. 

Luca froze for a second, suddenly feeling a bad omen. 

"Sources say that on set, Britney and Mr. Big, Luca, got along very well. After filming wrapped up, Britney invited Luca into her car, and they spent more than half an hour alone together inside." 

"Wow~ Luca, is this true?" 

Kate stared at him in shock. 

Luca wiped the sweat from his brow. "Yes, but we were just singing and dancing, I swear to God!" 

"Singing and dancing?" 

"Yes!" 

Luca nodded seriously. 

"Haha, do you all want to know what Britney and Mr. Big were really doing in that car?" 

Anchor Tom Fred chuckled and said, "I don't know either, but we've obtained some very interesting footage from a fan photographer." 

Click~ 

The camera switched, and a new scene appeared on the TV. 

It was a shaky video from the corner of soundstage 17 at the HELM photography studio. In the shot was a Mercedes van, and Britney and Luca were seen getting into the vehicle one after the other. 

Soon after, the van began to shake slightly. 

"Wow~" 

Kate was covering her face in shock. 

Not just Kate—everyone watching the broadcast was stunned by this steamy footage. 

Luca's face turned bright red, and he hurriedly tried to explain, "Kate, don't misunderstand, we were just dancing." 

"Wow, wow, the car's shaking now." 

In the video, the photographer gasped softly, "And I also heard clapping and Britney's voice—things were really, really intense. Mr. Big sure lives up to his name." 

"Haha~ Luca," 

Kate covered her mouth, laughing. "How are you going to talk your way out of this one?" 

Luca wiped the sweat from his forehead, completely embarrassed. He never thought they'd be filmed, let alone that the situation would look so... suggestive. 

Leaning on the dining table, he weakly tried to defend himself, "Kate, I swear, nothing happened." 

"Haha, no need to explain to me. You should be thinking about how you're going to explain this to Lima." 

Kate folded her arms and smiled lightly. 

Luca froze, his face slowly turning from red to black. 

Now what? 

(End of chapter)