Diversionary tactics

"Leo!"

An excited and cheerful shout rang out. Leonardo's muscles tightened, his eyes widening in disbelief. Had their perfect disguise been exposed like this? Someone had actually recognized him? What should they do?

Leonardo didn't realize it himself, but his initial reaction was to turn his head and direct his gaze toward Renly, whom he had just met.

Though they had only exchanged a couple of sentences, though they had only known each other for less than five minutes, though they had only met for the first time today, during their brief encounter, Leonardo could sense Renly's sharpness and wisdom, his perfectly timed responses and skillful way of handling matters, leaving a deep impression.

Subconsciously, Leonardo believed that Renly could surely resolve the current crisis.

However, when he turned his head, all he saw were two vacant seats. Lifting his gaze, he could see Renly and Scarlett, both crouching and imitating the walking posture of ducks, moving away in the opposite direction. In the not-so-bright light, the shadows cast by the nearby shrubs became the perfect camouflage.

Although Renly's long legs folded awkwardly, revealing a slightly protruding outline, it wouldn't be noticeable unless one looked closely. Moreover, currently, no one had noticed their departing figures, right?

In other words, that "Leo" just now was actually shouted by Renly. The two of them had become scapegoats for diverting attention. This... this was truly unexpected.

Never in a million years would he have imagined that beneath that elegant gentleman's façade was such a cunning soul! People always said not to judge a book by its cover, but this was beyond the pale, completely blindsiding him.

Shouldn't he be angry? Shouldn't he feel indignant, ashamed, enraged? However, as his gaze landed on Renly and Scarlett, toiling away in their duck-like movement, Leonardo found himself inexplicably amused. The annoyance he felt from encountering the paparazzo seemed to have been slightly alleviated, his lips curving into a small smile.

Renly... truly a guy who plays by his own rules.

Just then, Leonardo saw the two figures in his line of sight stand up one after the other. Renly turned his head, placing his right hand by his brow in a saluting gesture. The smile on his lips, under the gradually brightening firelight, blossomed brilliantly. The wild wind billowed, making even Leonardo himself suppress a chuckle.

If he were merely an observer, he would be applauding Renly right now.

Should he also retaliate a bit now, shouting out "Scarlett Johansson"? Drag those two into the mud as well?

In his moment of hesitation, Leonardo raised his right hand, revealing a distinct middle finger in response to Renly's greeting. A smile spread among the four of them.

Elliot could hardly believe his ears. Someone had actually called out "Leo", which was unmistakably Leonardo's nickname. He reflexively turned around and saw Leonardo raising his right hand, his middle finger extended.

Not surprising, right? Leonardo never had a pleasant expression when facing paparazzi, and tonight was probably no exception.

However, in the next moment, Leonardo turned back with a wide smile on his face. This left Elliot momentarily stunned. He then realized: Leonardo had directed the middle finger gesture in another direction earlier. So, was Leonardo expressing his anger toward the person who called out? Then, what was with this smile? Elliot actually felt like thanking the one who had shouted.

Leonardo DiCaprio and Blake Lively!

Elliot's heart raced. Forget about Renly, Scarlett, or their divorce. All his thoughts were thrown miles away, and the fire of gossip burned fervently within him. Just from this piece of news, he had earned back all he had spent during his three-week vacation in Hawaii!

On the eve of Christmas, the entire United States was immersed in the festive holiday atmosphere. Every industry was adorned with lights and decorations, welcoming the annual grand carnival. Hollywood was no exception. Major newspapers and magazines released Christmas specials, inviting celebrities to pose for Christmas covers and further adding to the festive atmosphere.

Amidst this, Us Weekly surprisingly skipped the Christmas special and instead presented an exclusive news article that ignited the curiosity of all Americans.

"Leonardo DiCaprio's New Girlfriend: "Gossip Girl" Blake Lively!"

Blake Lively, only twenty-three years old, rose to prominence in 2007 with the TV series "Gossip Girl", making her a household name and a darling of the media in an instant. Her remarkable appearance also propelled her in the fashion world, and this year, she had even starred in the highly acclaimed "The Town". However, people's impression of her was primarily from "Gossip Girl". That's where the news headline came from.

One was a well-known playboy, the other an emerging fashion icon; one was a long-established A-list superstar, the other an up-and-coming beauty. When these two came together, their combined star power was off the charts!

It's worth mentioning that since the fame of "Titanic", every girlfriend Leonardo had was a Victoria's Secret supermodel—bodacious figures, young and beautiful. But this time, Blake Lively unprecedentedly shattered that pattern, attracting unprecedented attention. Their pairing was the most surprising and extraordinarily explosive combination since 2010!

Not just that, during an earlier interview, Blake had never hidden her admiration and affection for Leonardo. Now that the two were actually dating, what could be more fairy-tale-like than this?

Us Weekly's sensational headline was accompanied by an indisputable photo. In the image, Blake was seated next to Leonardo. Leonardo's body leaned slightly forward, his left hand subconsciously extending to protect Blake. A smile still lingered on his face, and both his eyebrows and corners of his mouth were uplifted.

"Overflowing with happiness and joy," this was the exact phrase Us Weekly used, also serving as their commentary on this romance.

In the article, it meticulously described the vacation of the two individuals on Oahu Island, narrating the situation on the day the photos were taken in great detail. It even embellished the story by mentioning Leonardo's previously secretive yacht party, suggesting that this minor detail showcased Leonardo's careful nurturing of this relationship, perhaps indicating that Blake Lively was his true soulmate.

This was an absolute exclusive news. Prior to this, no media had caught a whiff of anything unusual, and no one had connected Blake Lively and Leonardo merely twenty-four hours ago. People were still speculating whether Blake had actually had an affair with Ryan Reynolds, leading to Ryan's divorce from Scarlett Johansson. But now, it seemed they had overthought things.

Now, Us Weekly's earth-shattering exclusive news unquestionably stirred up a huge wave in North America.

Over three hundred and fifty media outlets shared this news. Real-time searches on the internet skyrocketed to the top, and discussions on social networks such as Facebook, Yahoo communities, and photo walls undoubtedly surged to first place. Meanwhile, mainstream media in Germany, France, Italy, Japan, and other countries began to carry the news. In less than twenty-four hours, the news spread like a virus to every corner of the globe.

The world's attention converged on Oahu Island.

During this year-end period, news of the awards season continued to dominate entertainment headlines. The potential Oscar nominees for this year gradually surfaced, and there were almost endless hot topics every week. Yet, amidst the monotonous art film news, Us Weekly unexpectedly unveiled such a juicy gossip, immediately capturing people's attention with its refreshing take and diverting all eyes toward it.

Rumor had it that Us Weekly had spent three hundred thousand dollars to purchase this exclusive scoop, and this investment had more than doubled in returns. Both Elliot Cort, who leaked the news, and Us Weekly, which acted decisively, had profited handsomely from this revelation.

Amidst all this, news about Scarlett Johansson, Jessica Alba, and Paul Walker vacationing on Oahu Island had gone unnoticed. No media seemed willing to cover it. Even TMZ Magazine, a major player in the celebrity gossip scene, merely updated their official website with photos of their beach vacation, without pursuing any follow-up reports.

TMZ Magazine, a subsidiary of America Online, was founded in 2005 and had rapidly grown into America's largest celebrity gossip website in just five years. Its full name, "Thirty-Mile Zone", referred to the greater Los Angeles area, showcasing their keen interest in the lives of public figures.

Now, even TMZ Magazine had dispatched all their paparazzi to track Leonardo and Blake, eager to compensate for missing this exclusive scoop. Oahu Island had truly become a lively hub.

In the midst of this hubbub, quietly and unnoticed, Renly and Paul left Hawaii, without raising any eyebrows. Before the storm of turmoil arrived, they comfortably and leisurely concluded their vacation.

For Hollywood, they were never short of commotion. Renly and Paul were inconspicuous figures. First, it was Scarlett Johansson and Ryan Reynolds' divorce, followed by the new romance between Leonardo DiCaprio and Blake Lively. Shortly after, the "Black Swan" body double controversy erupted again. Explosive news seemed to emerge every few days, creating an environment where one could feel outdated if they skipped the news for even a day.

The shelf life of news seemed to be measured in hours, fully embracing the characteristics of the digital age.