Can't wait

"Hazel." The door to the hospital room swung open, and Anita's plump figure appeared in view. Her expression was serious, but there was a hint of gentle amusement in her eyes. "You should be resting. Your guitar session today has already exceeded the limit. Now it's time to relax."

Hazel, however, sat up straight, stubbornly puffing out her chest. "But this is my rehabilitation. Isn't it said that persistent rehabilitation is the best way to alleviate the condition? I can keep going, just another half-hour, no, fifteen minutes. I can practice for fifteen more minutes."

Anita remained unfazed and shook her head firmly. "Going overboard won't help. Being too eager will only hurt you. Today's session is enough; it's time for a break."

Hazel, dejected, lowered her head and slumped her shoulders, expressing her frustration and regret with every part of her body.

But there was no response in the hospital room. After waiting for a moment, Hazel sneakily raised her head, stealing a couple of glance. She saw Renly and Anita wearing calm and serene expressions, and she understood that her strategy of acting pitiful had failed. She could only sigh and concede, "Alright."

Seeing Renly handing the guitar to Anita, Hazel urgently asked, "But! Can I have two hours tomorrow, right?" Her watery eyes stared at Anita with an eager look, almost forming a prayer gesture with her clasped hands. Her genuine plea was crystal clear.

Faced with Hazel's enthusiasm, Anita seemed somewhat helpless. She placed her hands on her hips and tilted her chin upward. "Two hours."

"Yes!" Hazel exclaimed joyfully, clenching her fists with excitement. Her celebration was full of vitality and youth, like a blossoming flower bud, radiating the brilliance of a sixteen-year-old.

The torment of illness seemed to gradually vanish from her rosy cheeks.

To provide Hazel with a quiet space to rest and relax, Renly and Anita left the hospital room together. They walked side by side, and Anita could see a faint smile on Renly's face, relaxed and warm, radiating a sense of pride. She couldn't help but smile as well.

"Hazel's rehabilitation has made significant progress, and even the doctors are pleasantly surprised. Ellie and Derek are both very excited," Anita said with a smile. "They don't know when they'll get to meet you, so they asked me to express their gratitude."

"Me?" Renly raised an eyebrow in surprise, looking puzzled. "I don't remember doing anything. I mean, whether it's good or bad."

Anita chuckled softly. "You helped her rediscover her dreams and gave her hope again. That's the most important thing." She patted Renly's shoulder and then, with clumsy steps, wobbled back to the nurses' station, leaving Renly standing alone in the hallway.

Hospital corridors always seemed somewhat empty, deserted, and the cold draft made one shiver involuntarily. The air carried a pungent, acrid smell, mixed with the indistinguishable scents of various medications, making it hard to like. The pervasive whiteness, clean and tidy, always exuded an unsettling hollowness, and the drifting gaze couldn't find a focal point to settle on.

For Renly, hospitals were anything but unfamiliar. Not to mention the ten years of his previous life, he had recently spent a considerable amount of time in the hospital for the filming of "50/50". However, today, Sinai Hospital in front of him seemed to have a slight difference. Amidst the lifelessness, there was a thin golden sunlight piercing through, and the air carried a refreshing, clean scent that made his steps unexpectedly lighter.

Renly knew that it was the vitality of life.

Anita had said he helped Hazel rediscover her dreams and hopes. But in Renly's view, it was Hazel who rekindled his dedication and persistence toward his dreams.

Hazel had said, "When the notes flow, I realize that some things are forever beyond the reach of darkness." That sentence remained vivid in Renly's mind.

Now, Hazel had finally taken a step forward to chase her dreams. The starting point of a dream was never too late. Renly believed that Hazel would carve her own unique and colorful path.

Perhaps it was time to start working on recording the album, which would undoubtedly be a whole new challenge.

Pushing open the doors of Village Vanguard, the familiar sight immediately filled him with a sense of nostalgia. After getting used to the vastness and grandeur of the wilderness, returning to the city with its bustling crowds and congested traffic was a bit disorienting. Now, he was breathing in the scent of home, and his tense nerves gradually relaxed.

"Hey, bartender, a beer." Renly sat down at the bar, tapped the table, and shouted.

It was not yet five o'clock, and although Village Vanguard had already opened for business, within his line of sight, there were only two customers sitting at opposite ends of the bar, too lost in their own worlds to notice Renly's arrival. All the chairs were still overturned on the tables, waiting to be set down, and the bar was empty, devoid of any staff.

"Here it comes." Neil pushed open the swinging door, strode out quickly, and when he saw the figure at the bar, his steps involuntarily hesitated. A brilliant smile spread across his face as he approached the bar, skillfully grabbed a beer glass, opened the tap, and began pouring the beer. He gRenlyd at Renly's condition with the corner of his eye, and his smile deepened.

After filling the glass, Neil placed it in front of Renly and said seriously, "Three dollars." It was clear he was being deliberately difficult.

Renly, however, was not surprised. He took out a ten-dollar bill from his pocket and placed it on the table. "I'll buy you a drink, and you can keep the change." He treated it as a tip.

A smile played at the corners of Neil's lips. Renly was still the same Renly. It seemed there had been no change. His healthy complexion and relaxed demeanor made him look even more impressive, without a hint of suffering from illness. This was truly the best outcome.

"Janis mentioned earlier that you had a crush on me. Is that true?" Renly picked up the beer glass, took a big sip, and casually said.

Neil, who had been observing Renly carefully, couldn't help but roll his eyes upon hearing this. He retorted incredulously, "Are you sure you didn't hear it wrong? Maybe it's you who has a crush on yourself?"

Renly pursed his lips, wearing an expression of nonchalance. He not only didn't feel embarrassed but also admitted it openly. Neil's attempt to tease him fell flat, and he could only shake his head helplessly.

"Did you come here to open up today? Where's Stanley?" Renly put down the beer glass, turned around to take a look. It seemed the bar had just opened, and the servers hadn't started their shifts yet.

"These days he caught a bit of a cold, so we take turns opening the bar," Neil explained simply. He noticed Renly's concerned expression and added, "Don't worry, he's fine. Just had a slight headache and fever. Jennifer brought him chicken soup last night, and he's much better now."

Renly nodded in relief.

Neil carefully examined Renly's contemplative expression and, although he didn't say much, he sensed something was going on. So, Neil inquired, "Why, do you need something from him?"

Renly waved his hand and shrugged, "Nothing much, just wanted to ask for a friend's contact. George Sland. I didn't save his contact."

Neil's eyes lit up, and his thoughts raced in his mind. Then his entire face brightened, and he said, "Are you ready to record an album?" That was Neil's immediate reaction.

Seeing Neil so excited, Renly chuckled. He hadn't forgotten that Neil was his number one fan. Without any pretense, Renly nodded, confirming, "Yes, I do have that in mind."

It was not only Hazel's inspiration that had prompted him, but Renly had also consulted with Andy. The timing couldn't have been more perfect.

"50/50" had just wrapped up, the promotion for "Fast 5" had yet to begin, and, most importantly, the shooting for "Detachment" wouldn't start anytime soon.

"Detachment" focused on high school life, and finding suitable young actors was a challenging task. Director Tony Kaye insisted on casting actors whose backgrounds, experiences, personalities, and appearances closely matched the characters. They only needed to portray themselves authentically.

Over the past period, "Detachment" had been diligently searching for actors. It would likely be some time before the movie started shooting. Most likely, it would be after the release of "Fast 5".

In addition, Renly had just returned from his hiking trip, and after his vacation, he could devote his energy to the recording studio.

Renly's affirmative response made Neil burst into laughter. He even clapped his hands several times in excitement, his face bright and cheerful.

Renly shook his head in amusement as he watched Neil's exuberant antics. But Neil paid no mind and continued to dance and sing, "Album, album, album! Finally! Finally!" His triumphant appearance was almost asking for a beating.

Seeing Renly's incredulous expression, Neil didn't mind. He grinned and said, "I'm serious! Regardless of whether others like it or not, when your album comes out, I'll buy twenty copies and give them to my true friends."

"Only twenty? I thought it would be a base of two hundred copies." Renly's response left Neil with a stiff expression. He quickly put on a more appeasing expression and changed the topic, "Aren't you looking for George? It's so easy; he's been coming here every day. Your assistant is practically being driven mad by him. Last time, a customer misunderstood and thought George was pursuing Nathan. Nathan was annoyed and wanted to help, but it ended up causing a big misunderstanding."

With a simple sentence, Renly couldn't help but imagine the scene, which was truly hilarious.

"Well, speak of the devil, and the devil appears." Neil raised his chin and joked using an American idiom. "Has he installed surveillance cameras here or something? He's two hours early today compared to his usual time."

Turning around, Renly found himself face to face with the delighted George.