Staying out of it

Seth Rogen looked at Renly, who was seated on the couch. He sat there quietly, leaning slightly against the backrest, his eyes closed, as if he were conserving his energy. There was a faint shadow under his eyes, and even his lips seemed paler. A sense of weariness lingered lightly between his brows—serene yet steadfast.

Seth knew that Renly's health was truly deteriorating.

In recent times, Renly's sleep had been disrupted, not exactly insomnia as stated in the official declaration, but the quality of his sleep had declined. His sleep was shallow, and he easily had vivid dreams throughout the night. The duration of deep sleep was truly limited, even when he slept, he didn't get proper rest, and the stress persisted without relief. This, in turn, disrupted his metabolism.

Day by day, it became evident that Renly's mental and physical states were worsening. The facts they released to the media were only half of the actual situation. They were afraid that it would be too alarming if they told the truth.

Both Seth and Will were deeply concerned. They advised Renly to see a doctor or at least consult a psychologist, to take a break if necessary, and if required, the production team could pause for a couple of days. Although it would result in some losses, they could handle it.

However, Renly refused. He used the excuse of "I'm already undergoing treatment, aren't I?" He was referring to the dialogue between Adam and Catherine in the movie, but they all knew that it was just a line from the script.

Strangely, Renly's performance remained unaffected. If anything, he seemed to perform even better. Despite the constant harassment from media reporters over the past few days, the film shoot continued uninterrupted, progressing in an orderly fashion. What should have been a joyful occasion was tinged with worry for the crew members, led by Seth, who were concerned about Renly's well-being.

Deep inside, Seth's emotions were complex. On one hand, he was happy; happy that they had chosen the right actor, and delighted with the unexpectedly outstanding outcome of the film.

On the other hand, he felt guilty. "50/50" truly wasn't a film that could contend for the Oscars, nor was it one that would achieve box office success. It wasn't even a film that could accumulate acclaim among film critics and professionals. But Renly had really given it his all.

Looking at Renly, who was finally able to enter a short period of sleep, Seth couldn't bear to disturb him. Everyone on set tiptoed around, afraid to make a sound that might wake him up.

The two staff members who had badmouthed Renly behind his back and leaked information to TMZ had been fired. Moreover, Seth had spread the word and revealed their misdeeds within the industry. After this series of ups and downs and the condemnation from "American Weekly," it was likely that these two wouldn't find work for a long time.

Suddenly, Renly opened his eyes, lifted his right hand to massage his temples, and his peripheral vision caught Seth. "What...?" His voice was somewhat hoarse. He cleared his throat before continuing, "What's going on? Is the shoot about to begin?"

Seth almost forgot his own purpose for coming over. After Renly's reminder, he realized that he had come specifically to rehearse with Renly. Moving to the side, Seth sat on the couch, intently watching Renly. "Are you sure? We're shooting this scene today. If you're not up for it, we can delay it for another couple of days."

The corner of Renly's lips lifted slightly. "No need. I feel that today is the day. My current condition is most suitable."

Seth could only sigh softly. Professionally, Renly was always right. This was Seth's greatest realization during the time they had worked together. "Alright then, let's go through the entire scene's process."

Today, February 27, 2011, was the day of the 83rd Academy Awards ceremony. The entire Los Angeles was ablaze with anticipation. After a week of turmoil, all the energy was ready to burst forth today. Every professional in the film industry was excited and eager to showcase their talents.

Meanwhile, the crew was in Seattle, shooting the scene where Adam shaves his head with a razor. Renly nodded in agreement. This scene would be shot in a documentary-like manner. They had only one chance, as Renly's hair wouldn't grow back once shaved. Even if they could use a wig, it wouldn't provide the same authenticity. Therefore, the entire crew was on edge.

Despite the hustle and bustle of Hollywood, Renly remained unaffected. After the exclusive release by Us Weekly, the media had camped in Seattle for two days, unrelenting and unwilling to easily let go of such explosive news. However, today, they had finally left. There were still more hot topics waiting to be explored in Los Angeles, and the crew had finally regained some peace and quiet.

The flurry surrounding the Oscars, irrelevant to him. Tonight, each little gold statue would find its owner, and all the suspense would be revealed, including Renly's nomination for Best Actor, destined to become a new focal point. But Renly didn't care. In comparison to awards, he needed to focus more on today's scene.

The commotion in the world of fame and fortune, unrelated to him. Even if Renly was absent, he could still become one of the highlights tonight. Especially with Ryan, Jennifer, Rooney, and other attending actors, the reporters would certainly not let them off easily. But all of this was irrelevant to Renly. Even if the awards ceremony forgot about him, it didn't matter.

Renly was completely detached, fully immersed in Adam's state. He knew that today was the best time to shave his head. Because even he himself wanted to shave his head today.

It was well-known that after receiving chemotherapy, hair would gradually start falling out irregularly, possibly leading to bald spots that were a dreadful sight. The unfiltered impact made one vividly feel the effects of cancer on their body, which was hard for most people to accept.

Since the day he started vomiting, Renly's physical condition hadn't worsened. The quality of his sleep had deteriorated, unlike the recurring nightmares from the "buried alive" period. He had been having the same dream, reliving the painful and struggling days within Chu Jiashu's body. It was like the story of "Edge of Tomorrow", repeating over and over again, experiencing that unbearable agony time and time again.

What was even scarier was that the character in "Edge of Tomorrow" had the power to resist. He didn't.

When he woke up this morning and was washing up, a handful of his hair fell into his hands. It was the first time he had seen his own hair up close like this. The golden-brown strands were slightly curled, as if desperately struggling in his palm, yet ultimately futile, life being snuffed out.

He had heard that excessive stress or poor sleep could lead to substantial hair loss. But deep down, he couldn't help but think of that word again: cancer. And chemotherapy.

The panic surged like waves, one wave after another, crashing against his stomach. The sinking process, the corroding process, became clearer. This was something he hadn't experienced in his previous life.

For Chu Jiashu, life was a straight line. Once he accepted his paralysis, his condition hadn't worsened for a long time. It was merely confined in place. His emotions and thoughts were turbulent, but the sensory nerves and bodily changes remained stagnant.

This was also why he fell in love with movies. Because movies constructed a virtual world, allowing his thoughts to soar freely. In the world of the screen, he was still free.

But Adam's life was like a wave, an overall trend on a downward slope, sometimes good, sometimes bad, ups and downs, filled with unease, but ultimately unable to stop the continuous decline. The gradual descent into the abyss, the fear, became more and more real, like a monster in the darkness, waiting to shred every soul.

Then, he vomited again. Even though his stomach was already empty, he vomited as if overturning rivers and seas, as if the heavens were collapsing. He vomited bile too, his entire soul hollowed out, leaving only an empty shell slumped in the bathroom.

He knew the time had come. Today was the day to shave his head. He wanted to shave off all of his hair.

However, "50/50" was a comedy, and nobody should forget that. Renly certainly hadn't forgotten. That was one of the important reasons why Andy initially introduced "50/50" to Renly. But Renly found a different resonance. Today, the comedy performance Renly had been yearning for was finally about to take place.

In this scene of shaving hair, Adam and Kyle bickered continuously, blaming and mocking each other. Especially that chatty and incessant speaking style brought out the humor from the script. It was also one of Seth's most adept comedic techniques. Therefore, the lines were crucial.

"Did you and Will really have a conversation like that?" Renly's words became intrigued. Unless you looked at his face, you wouldn't realize his current terrible condition.

Seth shrugged innocently. "I'm pretty sure we had a conversation, but Will definitely exaggerated. I'm not that bad." But seeing Renly's skeptical expression, Seth had to emphasize and explain, "I'm serious. I'm a very friendly friend, and I'm very particular about hygiene."

Renly pursed his lips. "What I need to be sure of is that the razor we'll use for the shoot is truly brand new, right?"

However, Seth's mischievous side suddenly emerged, and he put on a nauseous expression. "Um..." This slight pause made Renly tilt his head and mockingly comment, "You should know that the core of this scene is not hesitating. Are you sure now is a good time for joking?"

Seth quickly composed his expression, and seriously said, "I promise it's brand new! Nathan and the prop team bought it together. If you don't believe me, you can ask them!"

Renly's eyes narrowed slightly, revealing a disdainful look.

Seth couldn't help but choke up. That expression was almost identical to Will's!