Stopping at the critical point

Watching Jennifer's boyish antics, Renly couldn't help but chuckle. Felicity, who was walking alongside him, looked up and asked, "What's going on?"

"Jennifer is brimming with youthful energy, isn't she?" Renly sighed lightly, his smile growing broader.

Felicity examined Renly closely. Under the illumination of streetlights and moonlight, Renly's features seemed to hide within the shadows, making it hard to see clearly. She wasn't sure if it was her imagination or the effect of the night, but she caught a hint of world-weariness between his brows. A sense of experience that came from the settling of years and the polish of time.

She shook her head, denying her judgment. "You're only twenty, right?"

Renly paused for a moment. Twenty years old. He was already so distant from the exuberance and recklessness of youth. Even if he pursued his dreams with dedication and held onto his inner persistence, he couldn't return to his past at the age of twenty.

"No, I'm about to turn twenty-one." Renly turned to Felicity, a hint of playful mockery in his eyes, as if complaining about Felicity's "bad timing".

That one look made Felicity laugh, and ripples of emotion surged within her heart. The throbbing sensation was becoming more pronounced, almost too intense to be contained. It was ready to take root, sprout, and break through. She gazed into Renly's eyes, where the dense lashes cast sparse shadows, completely hiding his deep brown eyes. It was hard to see, but a faint glimmer from the depths of those eyes could be faintly perceived. Her heart suddenly contracted, and her breath caught.

A heartbeat, a flutter.

Renly's steps involuntarily halted as he looked deep into Felicity's eyes, where a radiant light seemed to shimmer. Like moonlight dancing on clear water, it was pristine and chilly, yet it erupted into splendid fireworks. Those clear and transparent eyes reflected his own face. He saw the slight curve of his lips, the rhythmic but not forceful beat of his heart, each thump resounding clearly. They were palpable and full of excitement.

In his peripheral vision, he captured the softness of her lips. The cherry-colored gloss intoxicated in the hazy night. Renly took a step forward, completely closing the distance between them in an instant. Finally, they disappeared into each other, their bodies pressed together, their curves melding, and he leaned down to kiss her.

The merging of softness with softness, the collision of rigidity with rigidity, the meeting of searing heat with searing heat—the wonderful chemical reaction fused them gradually. All the light around them vanished. The entire world reduced to just the two of them. The thunderous thump of their hearts pounded in their ears, all other noise silenced, leaving only the echoing "thump".

The scorching breath between their noses entwined and pulled. The distinct aroma of dry wood, masculine, intertwined with the delicate scent of jasmine, feminine. Their heat intensified, nearing the boiling point. Between their lips and teeth, they felt the soft touch and the hard barrier distinctly. Their consciousness and awareness became hazy within this sensation.

They separated.

The tender lips had slightly swollen. The icy air rushed in like a flood, from lips to cheeks and through every pore of their bodies. The biting cold and desolation of the late night were palpable. From boiling point to freezing point, the powerful temperature difference caused both of them to shiver involuntarily. There was no time to react, only to gasp for air in large, desperate breaths. The cool oxygen chilled their almost bursting lungs.

At this moment, Felicity finally felt the strong and powerful shoulders that seemed to crush her fragile frame. As his arms released her, her legs gave way, almost causing her to stumble. Her entire being seemed to dissolve in that scorching heat. The sensation was akin to breaking through the surface after nearly drowning, causing her to hastily avert her eyes. The wild pounding of her heart had spiraled out of control. She didn't even dare to look at Renly, not even at his arms or his shirt. She could only close her eyes.

Her mind was in chaos, unable to make sense of anything. She took a small step back and realized that her body was trembling slightly. The excitement and exhilaration still lingered. It was even more beautiful than she had imagined. But, she couldn't let it continue like this.

Felicity clenched her fists, forcing herself to calm down. Even though her mind was screaming, even though her body was reacting, even though every cell was excited, she had to calm down.

She lowered her head to look at the slightly damp road before her. She wasn't sure if a water truck had passed by or if there had been a light rain before she came out. Renly's black Converse sneakers appeared in her line of sight, reminding her of the image of Renly sitting on the bed, taking off his shoes. His socks were black, no fancy patterns, no messy lint, just clean and simple black.

Stop! She had to stop!

Felicity knew she was crossing a boundary. The line between the movie's fantasy and reality was blurring. The breath of Renly and Jacob made it hard for her to distinguish. The sensation of heart palpitations, attraction, and infatuation had become startlingly real. The kiss they had shared had already shattered the boundaries. She couldn't afford to make any more mistakes.

From the moment she decided to become an actress, Felicity knew that humans weren't machines. It wasn't possible to just withdraw or cool down with a command. The cases of real emotions arising during staged acts and fake emotions turning real were countless in Hollywood. It had nothing to do with acting skills and everything to do with personal emotions.

However, Felicity hadn't expected this day to arrive so quickly.

The kiss just now had been too beautiful. Beautiful like a dream, making it hard to wake up. But the more beautiful it was, the more she understood it was wrong. The intense chemical reaction was breaking down the barriers set by their acting and clouding her judgment. If left unchecked, things would only get worse.

"I like you." Felicity tightly shut her eyes, gritting her teeth and summoning all her courage to speak. After uttering those words, she finally felt a hint of relief in her heart. "As Felicity likes Renly, not just as Anna likes Jacob. In fact, I can't really distinguish whether it's reality or acting... But this is how I feel right now. Yes, I like you."

Felicity opened her eyes and looked at Renly again. In those deep eyes, she could find a trace of delighted amusement. It wasn't intense, but it was rich and warm. The faint halo was like the first ray of light after the cosmic explosion, causing her heart to quicken. "No, listen to me. If I get interrupted, I won't have the courage to continue," she said, detecting that Renly was about to speak or maybe she was imagining it. However, she couldn't worry about these things now. She had to grit her teeth and push through.

"But I know this is wrong. Work is work, life is life. We can't mix the two." Felicity spoke without taking a breath. She had to get it all out before Renly had a chance to speak. "And more importantly..." She lightly bit her lip, then continued, "I have a boyfriend in London. I know, I was going to say it before the kiss, but everything happened too fast. It's my fault."

"We've been together for six years. He's great, everything is great. He's an artist. He recently finished a job and went back. He found a job in Los Angeles, designing interior sets for "The Big Bang Theory", so we're not separated by distance, just constantly flying back and forth. We're not Jacob and Anna. I mean, we're fine, everything is fine. I love him. Yes, that's it."

Felicity knew her words were a jumbled mess, almost incoherent. She also knew she was being overly presumptuous. Maybe the kiss just now didn't mean anything. Maybe Renly was merely caught up in the filming experience, acting on impulse. Maybe there was nothing at all... But she couldn't help it. She needed to say it. Not just because she needed to maintain her sanity, but because she liked Renly. As a man and as a friend.

After filming "Like Crazy", she hoped to be friends with Renly. Even if that wasn't possible, she didn't want things to continue being awkward between them. So, she knew it was selfish and foolish of her to say these things, even a bit neurotic, but she had to.

Having said it all in one breath, Felicity waited for a response but heard nothing. After a while, she carefully opened her eyes and saw Renly standing beside her. His lips carried a faint smile—a bit teasing, a bit smug, a bit joyful.

Felicity didn't even know what reaction she was hoping for from Renly, but it certainly wasn't this.

"Heh... that really relieved me." Renly's face held a slight smile, leaving Felicity puzzled. She couldn't grasp where this statement was coming from. Had she really misread everything? "I thought you were going to say the kiss was absolutely terrible or maybe that I had bad breath. That this wasn't a memorable experience. You know, for the person involved, what a terrifying accusation that would be? Especially for a man." Renly blinked and lowered his voice slightly, "Men always have some inexplicable self-esteem and pride. So, the fact that you didn't criticize me, that's the best news I've heard tonight."

Seeing Renly's expression of relief, Felicity was taken aback, then burst into laughter. "Renly!" She had been very serious, but with Renly's playful remark, the tension evaporated, leaving behind neither confusion nor awkwardness. Felicity didn't even realize it, but her smile had returned to her lips.

"I'm serious," Renly said, amusement gleaming in his eyes, but his tone remained earnest, reflecting his resolve.

Felicity looked at Renly, and Renly looked at Felicity. They paused for a moment, then simultaneously burst into laughter. Their light laughter overflowed from their lips.