Delicate And Vivid

Drake choked up, standing there helplessly. He stood there, defenseless, as the warmth and sting of his tears completely broke down all his defenses. He was left stunned and numb.

His confusion, his disappointment, his pain, his struggle, his bewilderment, his loneliness... all surged in at this moment, the powerful force of memories dragging him into an abyss.

If he could, he wouldn't want to break up. He hated breaking up. He still loved her deeply. He still didn't want to give up. He still dreamed of a happy life together. He still believed they could overcome the gap created by distance. But love is not a magic wand that can conquer everything. They were both too young, too impulsive, and too self-centered. Breaking up seemed the best decision for both at that time. Maybe, with the passage of time, they both matured, grew, and became rational, things would be different. But... but...

When Drake saw the happiness in Renly's eyes turn to shock, when Drake saw the gentleness on Renly's face turn to a mask, when Drake saw the liveliness at the corners of Renly's mouth lose its life... the pain and disappointment hit him like a tidal wave, leaving him unable to breathe.

In a daze, he could not distinguish whether it was Renly or Jacob in front of him, or even if the story was about Jacob or himself. Time seemed to rewind to those moments in his memory, real and vivid.

"Ring ring, ring ring," the phone in the studio rang. Jacob turned around, his eyes landing on the blueprint in front of him. His movements seemed slow, hesitant about whether to get up and answer the phone. Then Sam quickly came downstairs. The sound of her coming downstairs made Jacob turn his head to look.

Sam was wearing only one of Jacob's shirts. The oversized shirt covered her upper body's curves but revealed her long legs' alluring lines. The long sleeves completely covered her hands, looking both funny and a bit sexy.

Sam smiled at Jacob, signaling him to stay seated, then quickly answered the phone, "Jacob's Furniture Store, this is Samantha." Sam sat down, speaking skillfully, "Hey, hello... no, it can't be later than three weeks... okay, sure, remember to tell me..."

Jacob refocused on his design, trying to concentrate, but the pencil's trajectory seemed to lose control. He doodled aimlessly in the blank space next to the design, the pencil strokes forming a tangled mess like a ball of yarn.

He knew he had to focus, but his attention couldn't be concentrated. Unconsciously, he looked up at Sam on the phone to his right. However, his gaze kept shifting, unable to find a focal point. Even his shoulder lines seemed tense. He raised his left hand to touch his eyebrow, then quickly put it down, groping around the paper before placing his hand aside...

"Okay, goodbye..."

Sam hung up the phone. Jacob shrugged and took the initiative to speak, "Did they say they could finish within three weeks?" His tone was somewhat impatient, as if eager to join the conversation.

"Yes." Sam noticed Jacob's handsome face and his restless movements. Jacob couldn't stay calm, his attention always on her every move. Wasn't this a good thing? It showed Jacob cared about her. This made Sam's smile widen. She had to bite her lower lip to avoid showing too much pride and revealing her true feelings.

Jacob saw Sam lightly biting her lip, which made him pause. This was Anna's favorite gesture. His muscles stiffened, his entire back tense.

Sam stepped forward, holding Jacob's cheeks with both hands, looking closely at this man. She couldn't help but plant a kiss on his lips, then rested her forehead against his, their noses touching. Happiness overflowed from her eyes, "Yes, they always do."

Then Sam crouched down, looking up at Jacob, deeply gazing into his eyes. She raised her hand, gently smoothing Jacob's furrowed brows, her fingertips tracing the corners of his mouth, as if drawing an upward curve.

Jacob smiled, a helpless smile. In Sam's eyes, it was a doting expression. She wrinkled her nose slightly, a full smile spreading from her eyes. She whispered, "I have chores to do. You should get back to work." Her lightly reproachful words carried an indescribable sweetness and intimacy. Then she stood up, gracefully walking back upstairs.

Jacob remained seated, still in the same position, dazed. He looked up at Sam, who seemed to sense his gaze, turning back with a smile. He forced a smile, then awkwardly turned around, trying to work again. But he just stared at the design paper, lost in thought, his mind blank.

No sadness, no surprise, no regret, not even disappointment, just a sense of confusion, sketched out in a few strokes, revealing deep loneliness. Piercingly painful.

John Gulathurian lifted his head from behind the camera, glancing at Drake standing beside him. As the cinematographer, he had to follow the director's instructions, not act on his own. But now, the scene had been filmed, and Drake still hadn't reacted. The entire set was waiting for Drake's direction. So... what should he do?

John looked around. There were only a few people in the crew. He had to muster the courage to leave the camera and approach Drake, patting him. Drake suddenly turned his head, his eyes filled with blurry tears, intense sadness flashing in the tearful gaze, the pain of struggle so clear.

John paused but still suppressed his shock, "Drake, the scene is over."

Drake paused for a second, then came back to his senses, "Cut!" The light voice had almost no weight, the suffocating desolation and confusion choking his throat. But the scene was finally over, though the deep inner shock immersed him in memories, unable to extricate himself.

It was only now that Drake truly understood Renly's performance intent.

In Jacob's eyes, he still believed he and Anna were together. He still believed the warmth at home came from Anna. He still believed he and Anna were living a happy life... So, when reality shattered the dream, Jacob's panic and disappointment were so obvious, almost impossible to hide.

Anna was no longer in Los Angeles. Now it was Sam beside him, and he had no idea how it all happened. How absurd, how ridiculous, yet it truly happened.

More cruelly, Jacob suddenly realized that he and Anna had completely broken up. He wanted to try to win her back but had no idea where to start. The sense of helplessness brought about confusion, shattering all emotions, leaving only emptiness. He was like a soulless walking corpse, sitting there blankly.

So real, so delicate, so overwhelming.

Drake could hardly conceal his emotions, turning away and completely breaking down. If he had made different decisions back then, would the outcome have been different? If he had chosen to go to London, would things have been different? If he had opened his heart to communicate, would the follow-up have changed? If...

Countless "ifs" drowned him, the pain so intense he could hardly make a sound. Taking deep breaths, Drake exhaled the heavy air in his chest, wiped the embarrassment from his cheeks, and finally calmed down.

The scene just now had brought up memories from years ago, but in reality, he knew the outcome. He and she eventually broke up. The reasons were many, too many to generalize. Love is really too complex. But it was precisely because he knew the outcome that the sighs were even more intense—

They could never go back.

After returning from London, the result was already determined. All subsequent efforts were futile. But if time could go back, he would still make the same decision: go to London, marry her, try his best to win her back, like a moth to a flame, even if it meant being scarred and battered.

She was the only true love of his life. Although they had parted ways, this fact remained: in his lifetime, he would never love another person as deeply as he loved her.

Taking a deep breath again, his thoughts still couldn't completely calm down, but at least he was no longer embarrassed. Turning around, Drake saw Renly and Jennifer standing two steps behind him, even Felicity had come over, standing about three steps away. This startled Drake, "What's up?"

The scrutinizing looks from everyone made Drake uncomfortable, as his most private feelings were laid bare. The sense of being exposed, more embarrassing than being stripped naked, made Drake cough a few times, trying to hide his awkwardness. The silent air seemed to carry a trace of concern, a trace of awkwardness, a trace of rawness. No one knew how to handle the situation.

Then Renly shrugged and took the initiative to speak, "We just wanted to ask how the scene went. Should we change the performance style or rhythm? You know, you're the director, and we need a definite answer to continue shooting, right?"

Completely professional, respecting Drake's privacy. This made Drake pause, then he smiled and nodded, "Yes, that's right."