Scourge

"Why did he just run away like that?" Andrew saw Elliott's fleeing figure, his escape speed rivaling light, disappearing from sight in the blink of an eye.

Renly nodded slightly, speaking earnestly, "Probably because our paparazzi value was too low for him. He left out of disdain." These self-deprecating words fell differently on the ears of the two people.

Paul laughed carefreely from the side, finding Renly's humor quite amusing. But Andrew furrowed his brows, clearly not satisfied with that assessment, and complained, "What do you mean by having no paparazzi value?" He felt his pride had taken a hit.

"Exactly what it sounds like." Renly patted Andrew's shoulder, an expression of reclaiming dignity on his face, successfully earning an eye roll from Andrew. Then Renly stood up, brushed the sand off his boardshorts, and remarked, "Of course, I can go and call him back, but you better prepare in advance for what to showcase. Otherwise, my efforts would be in vain."

Renly's gaze scanned Andrew meaningfully, making every hair on Andrew's body stand on end. This earned a faint smile from Renly as he confidently took his steps forward.

Andrew turned to look at Paul, who was beaming, and made a perplexed grimace. "Is he like this even in professional situations?"

Paul burst into laughter, shaking his head repeatedly. "No, not at all. When he's working, he's focused, committed, and serious. He never casually jokes around."

"..." Andrew fell into silence for a moment. "Are we talking about the same person?"

Certainly, Renly wasn't off to find the paparazzo. He was headed to tend to a physiological need.

Sunset Beach was a developed area, crowded with tourists. A makeshift commercial area had sprung up nearby, with Mexican food trucks, hot dog vendors, mobile convenience stores, and so on. There was also a row of public restrooms, ready to serve the visitors at any time.

Not far away, a row of yellow and green mobile restroom booths were neatly arranged, their vibrant colors making them easy to spot. Additionally, finding the queue of people was another straightforward method. Just like at a concert, the area in front of the restrooms was always bustling.

Renly joined the line, while the two bikini-clad women in front were actively discussing the performance of a surfer who had just finished a match. Clearly, they weren't just here for show; their healthy tanned skin and well-proportioned limbs suggested they were surf enthusiasts themselves.

Suddenly, a petite figure swiftly passed by Renly's peripheral vision, cutting across the middle of the line and standing beside the two bikini-clad women. She pretended to be queuing, slightly tucking her head behind her ears and lowering it, hiding most of her face in the shadows.

"Ahem." Renly cleared his throat softly twice, reminding her that cutting the line was impolite.

She seemed to realize her breach of etiquette and hastily explained, "Sorry, I'm feeling a bit unwell, like I'm going to throw up. Can I cut in line for a moment?"

Originally, she was addressing Renly, but unexpectedly, the two bikini-clad women responded first. "Are you alright? If you need to, you can go ahead." The woman standing beside Renly even turned her head, "If you need to, I can switch places with you."

The two women allowing others to cut in line didn't mean they could make decisions for those waiting behind them. Therefore, she took the initiative to propose such a solution, giving her spot to the "feeling nauseous" lady who had just arrived.

Renly offered the women a smile, intending to display gentlemanly behavior by agreeing to let the "feeling nauseous" lady cut in. However, before he could say anything, the lady waved her hands repeatedly. "It's okay. Right now..." She paused for a moment, seeming genuinely unwell, "I need to stand here for a while, calm down. It might get better. If necessary, I'll let you know."

Renly found the logic in her words rather disjointed; it simply didn't make sense. But the two bikini-clad women nodded repeatedly, appearing to empathize with her.

"Feeling nauseous" lady was about to lift her head when she glanced at Renly, expressing both apology and gratitude. "I'm sorry, and... thank you." However, she stumbled slightly on the word "thank you." The last syllable dragged a bit longer. Clearly, she recognized Renly. Moreover, the surprise and astonishment that flashed in her eyes betrayed her real emotions. She had never expected to encounter Renly here.

Renly had not anticipated encountering Scarlett Johansson here either.

Renly's eyebrow raised slightly, revealing an intrigued expression. So, was Scarlett genuinely feeling unwell, or was there another reason?

Indeed, Scarlett diverted her gaze, glanced in the direction of the beach through the gap between the two bikini-clad women, then swiftly adjusted her stance, using the two women and the mobile restrooms to obscure herself.

Renly also followed the same direction with his gaze and saw a figure quickly moving through the crowd. The prominent camera hanging around his neck marked him as the paparazzo who had fled just moments ago. If Renly remembered correctly, his name should be Elliott.

Turning his head, Renly locked eyes with Scarlett. A hint of playful amusement flashed in his eyes. While Renly didn't know the specifics, undoubtedly, Scarlett was evading the paparazzo's pursuit. Did this mean that her "nausea" was also an excuse?

For Renly, paparazzi were quite commonplace. But for most Hollywood professionals, paparazzi were indeed formidable.

Scarlett's gaze turned sharp as she looked at Renly, her pearly white teeth biting onto her full, rounded lip. Her expression conveyed a warning message, urging Renly to stay silent and not make any rash moves.

Renly innocently spread his hands, conveying his innocence. A hint of amusement twinkled in his eyes, which reminded Scarlett of their last encounter.

During the audition for "Buried Alive," she was certain that Renly had successfully auditioned, and she had played a not insignificant role. In other words, inadvertently, she had helped Renly defeat Ryan. Looking at this man before her, who appeared poised and elegant but was undoubtedly dangerous, was a reminder of that.

Moreover, the recent news about Renly had been rampant and incessant, reaching her ears even as she focused on her filming work. This indicated the level of hot topic he had become.

Did this mean that standing here might actually be more dangerous for her? Renly's nonchalant demeanor, with no attempt at concealment, made him easy for paparazzi to spot. What if she became entangled by him in the next step?

"You should leave," Renly bent slightly at the waist and whispered softly into Scarlett's ear.

Scarlett narrowed her almond-shaped eyes, a hint of anger flashing within them. Unlike the previous encounter, her mood had been quite sour lately. She didn't have the time to play games with this man, nor the inclination.

However, Renly seemed entirely oblivious to Scarlett's simmering ire. "A beauty like you wouldn't want to associate herself with a restroom."

The teasing tone in his words caught Scarlett off guard, and she was almost overcome by a sudden urge to chuckle. Her lips involuntarily tugged upward, and she scrutinized Renly from head to toe as if passing judgment. Her discerning gaze was brimming with mockery. "It should be said that a beauty like you wouldn't want her ideal man to be linked with a restroom."

The subtext couldn't be any clearer: she had absolutely no interest in Renly.

However, Renly didn't seem to mind. His smile persisted. "So, you're still treating me like a man." When a woman regards a man as "just a man," the sparks of ambiguity have already begun to spark, and the reverse is true as well.

Facing Renly's countermove, Scarlett gently bit her lower lip, preparing to retort. However, the corner of her eye caught sight of a paparazzo searching around and approaching their direction. In an instant, she lost her inclination for jest and swiftly turned her body, seeking refuge beside the bikini-clad women, attempting to conceal her presence.

Yet, in that moment, Scarlett noticed the paparazzo's searching gaze stall. His steps hesitated, then slightly faltered. His eyes fixated on Renly, and a conflicted expression crossed his face. Then... he turned and left! Without any hesitation, he pivoted crisply and walked away, his steps even a bit unsteady, as if he had encountered a formidable beast and needed to flee.

What on earth was going on?

Scarlett turned back, her eyes wide, looking at Renly with complete bewilderment. "...What just happened?"

"What?" Renly responded with a smile, deflecting the question back.

Scarlett's throat tightened. Her initial thought was that she might have misperceived, but she had no doubt now. The paparazzo had been about to approach, but after seeing Renly, he turned and left. This situation definitely had something she didn't know about!

"Do you know what I said? What happened just now?" Scarlett's eyes narrowed slightly, like a Persian cat, her contracted pupils emanating a dangerous vibe. "Why did the paparazzo turn and leave after seeing you?"

"You were avoiding the paparazzo just now, right? So, you weren't feeling unwell?" Renly's reply left Scarlett flustered. She could sense the perplexed glances of the two bikini-clad women nearby. Damn this man!

For the second time, this was the second time she had lost face in front of him.

Scarlett clenched her teeth inwardly and said defiantly, "No, I was actually avoiding Donald Trump." This humorous response immediately dissolved the awkward atmosphere, causing both bikini-clad women to chuckle.

Renly, as composed as ever, nodded with a sudden realization. "That's good then. You weren't feeling unwell; that's really for the best."

His poised demeanor caused Scarlett to roll her eyes in exasperation, pursing her lips as she sarcastically remarked, "How delightful. The encounter of a London gentleman and a Sunset Beach, I believe The Sun would be quite interested in such a tidbit."