Met by Chance

"Sorry, everyone seems to have misunderstood." Renly put the keyboard aside, stood up, and apologized to the owner of the street performance stand in front of him.

Ed Sheeran seemed to be in a daze, staring blankly at Renly. After three beats, he suddenly exclaimed, "Renly Hall? Jesus Christ!" Ed covered his mouth, eyes wide with disbelief. He took two steps back, cursed a few times, then quickly realized his rudeness and stepped forward, "I really like your music. No, I mean, it's an honor to perform with you. No, I mean, 'Cleopatra' is so wonderful; it reignited my creative drive. No, no, I mean, sorry for not recognizing you earlier..."

Ed was rambling incoherently, gasping for breath, then looked at Renly, "I look like a lunatic, don't I?"

Renly laughed outright, "Lunatic? No. Neurotic? Yes." His answer made Ed groan in frustration, bowing his head to self-reflect, "You like my music? If I heard correctly, does that mean I should be proud now?"

"Haha." Ed laughed heartily, "Of course, definitely! Not just 'Cleopatra,' but also 'Ophelia' just now... Jesus Christ!" Ed covered his cheeks with both hands, "I'm an idiot, an absolute idiot. The style and lyrics of 'Ophelia' are totally in line with 'Cleopatra,' and I didn't recognize it. God, I look like a complete idiot! I should have recognized you earlier. I mean, the lyrics of 'Cleopatra' gave me so much inspiration. I'm insanely in love with that song... Wait, did we just perform 'Cleopatra' together?"

Ed's thoughts were jumping around. Renly nodded with a smile, "That's why I stopped. What did you think?" The teasing tone was lost on Ed, who was like an ant on a hot pan, pacing in circles, occasionally looking up at Renly, then slapping his forehead in frustration.

"Are you going to keep circling here or count our earnings?" Renly pointed to the guitar case, which was a third full, and raised an eyebrow.

"Of course, of course." Ed finally stopped, then suddenly remembered something and extended his right hand, "Ed Sheeran. Sorry for not introducing myself earlier."

"Nice to meet you, Ed." Renly shook his hand warmly, "I think you're a very good singer, not just being polite."

This was a sincere statement. In his previous life, Renly really liked Ed's music, from Ed's first album when he was unknown to the latest release before Renly's rebirth. Ed's albums had a high completion rate, mainly focusing on folk and pop. He wasn't an extraordinary singer—in fact, many of his live performances were disastrous, but his lyrics were beautifully touching, often infusing his songs with moving emotions that easily captivated every listener.

However, Ed thought Renly was just being polite, but even so, he couldn't help but want to scream. He clenched his fists to keep his composure, "God, God, God!" He couldn't believe he was talking to Renly, and Renly had complimented him. Even more incredible, they had just performed together, "Thank you, that means a lot to me."

Although Renly had only one song, "Cleopatra," he wasn't a famous singer, not even an independent artist, possibly just an occasional crossover. After all, Renly's main job now was acting, but that didn't diminish Ed's admiration for him.

Not just the music, but also the life attitude hidden in the lyrics, and Renly's actual lifestyle. That modern minstrel demeanor was exactly what Ed aspired to, "You remind me of Don Quixote, I mean that in a complimentary way." Ed's thoughts were a jumbled mess, unable to articulate his ideas clearly.

"Haha, Don Quixote." Renly mused, "Honestly, I consider that a compliment too."

Not musically, but in terms of acting. Everyone thought he couldn't do it; everyone was against him, but he still pursued this path, much like Don Quixote fighting windmills alone.

"From your accent, shouldn't you be pursuing a music career in London? What brings you to Los Angeles?" Renly was sensitive to accents. In his previous life, he couldn't tell, but now he could feel the Yorkshire accent in Ed's speech. Besides, Renly was curious—wasn't Ed supposed to rise from the UK? His song "The A-Team" was a sensational hit on the UK charts.

Ed shrugged, "London, you know, the class system is too rigid. I stayed there for a year without much success." Ed could tell Renly had a London accent too. As Ed mentioned, the entire UK art scene was harsh. There were cases of grassroots turning into stars, especially after shows like "X Factor" and "Britain's Got Talent" emerged, but overall, they were still rare. "So, I thought I'd try my luck in Los Angeles." Ed cautiously pointed to Renly, "Like you."

Renly and Ed came to the US for different reasons, but there was no need to explain too much; it could be considered arriving at the same destination by different routes, "So, how's the luck?"

"Phew..." Ed exhaled, "I arrived in April. Now I'm doing opening acts at various bars, but... still looking for my chance."

Though he didn't say much, Renly could sense the helplessness in his words, reminding him of the independent artists in Pioneer Village, "If you have time, you're welcome to come to New York." Renly searched his pockets, realizing he didn't bring anything but six dollars and a penny—change from buying a burger earlier, let alone a business card, "Pioneer Village, in Greenwich Village. I work there; we have performances every night..."

"Yes, I know it." Ed replied, noticing Renly's inquiring look. He quickly explained, "I watched your videos on YouTube and did some research." That was also a major reason he liked Renly so much. Stripped of commercial attributes, just purely singing in Pioneer Village, that rebellious, proud, free spirit reflected in the lyrics of "Cleopatra" perfectly outlined Renly's image in Ed's mind—the figure he admired.

Ed didn't mention that he always wanted to visit Pioneer Village, not just because of Renly but because it was indeed a stage countless independent singer-songwriters yearned for. However, he was too broke to afford the trip across the US to New York.

"You're always welcome at Pioneer Village, uh... I'll probably be back in late September." Renly originally wanted to say he would return tomorrow but then remembered the upcoming Toronto and Telluride film festivals, so he changed his wording, "After that, barring any surprises, I should be there."

Ed wanted to stay calm, but his big smile betrayed his true emotions, "Okay, I mean, okay, perfect, definitely." Before he could ramble further, Ed changed the topic, "We should count tonight's earnings. I'm not sure if I said this, but tonight, performing with you was an honor."

"The honor is mine," Renly replied sincerely.

Inside, he couldn't help but think, this is truly Los Angeles. You could hit two stars with one brick—or maybe future stars. As the entertainment capital of the world, everyone with a dream flocked here like a tide. The streets were filled with that "star dream"—or "American dream"—vibe. Impulsive, naked, direct, and unabashed.

By comparison, Renly still preferred New York.

"Renly?" A timid voice called out. Renly looked up to see three young people, looking like high school students. He recognized their faces—they were among the dancing crowd earlier.

Before Renly could ask, the two boys unfurled a banner that read, "Renly Hall, my Best Actor!"

Caught off guard, Renly was stunned. Although many people could recognize him now, even call out his name; although he had just won an Emmy tonight, proving he had entered Hollywood; although it had been over a year since he became an actor with "The Pacific" and "Buried"... tonight, for the first time, he saw his fans cheering for him.

That mix of reality and surrealism hit hard. He opened his mouth, but words seemed pale, even more so than when Tina Fey announced his win. All the sounds were stuck in his throat.

"Renly, your performance in the series was outstanding! You're a natural-born actor! Not just because you delivered a great performance, but because of the effort you put into studying acting. I admire you so much! Please, keep going, okay?"

Hope found that the speech she had prepared in her mind was useless now. When she read in "Vanity Fair" about how Rami, James, and other co-stars praised Renly, mentioning the hardships and difficulties during filming, it solidified her decision to become a fan. She had written an article to express her feelings, but tonight, she couldn't recall any of it.

"Renly! You were born to be an actor!" Hope shouted, her trembling voice revealing her excitement.

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Just 100 more powerstones for a bonus chapter!!