Warm welcome

"Frequent viewers of the show know that I've been talking about a man incessantly lately, to the point where Portia began suspecting me," Ellen's introduction began, eliciting laughter from the audience. "But I want to say, he's handsome, charming, humorous, and incredibly talented – did I mention "handsome"? What I mean is, it's hard not to like him. Let's welcome Renly Hall."

An instant explosion of cheers and applause resounded in the studio. The grand entrance before Renly slowly opened, and the fervent shouts cascaded like a waterfall. The deafening roar vibrated through his eardrums, causing his pupils to flutter rapidly. The entire world seemed to quake, engulfed by a scorching wave of sound that swallowed him whole.

Even though Renly had mentally prepared himself for the exuberant welcome from outside the studio just moments ago, he once again felt the impact as he witnessed the sea of people boiling with excitement. The three hundred audience members collectively stood up, erupting in cheers, applause, screams, and jumps. It was akin to the tumultuous sea during a hurricane's arrival, surging with towering waves and churning tides.

Renly strode forward, smiling and nodding at the audience in acknowledgment. Unexpectedly, this simple gesture ignited another wave of fervor in the studio. The thunderous clamor, earth-shaking in its intensity, caught everyone off guard, and the smile at the corner of Renly's mouth involuntarily widened as he cast a perplexed look at Ellen.

Yet, Ellen remained stationary, a smile playing across her face. She didn't offer an answer but spread her arms open, assuming a hugging stance.

Renly's eyes flickered with a touch of resignation. Hugging wasn't customary in the UK, nor was it typical in China. However, he was in the United States, and this was a daytime talk show that emphasized warmth. So, he moved forward in keeping with the customs, intending to embrace Ellen while maintaining a gentlemanly distance, restricting the hug to a mere shoulder hug—a polite gesture.

But to his surprise, as Ellen embraced his shoulders, she simply leaped onto him, catching him off guard. Reflexively, Renly held her to prevent her from falling, and Ellen's legs firmly clung to his back, like a koala, steadfastly suspended from him.

This sudden action immediately threw the entire audience into a frenzy. Squeals, shouts, and roars burst forth, an incessant symphony that felt like it might rupture eardrums at any moment, on the brink of collapse. It was indeed overwhelming.

Ellen displayed a wide grin, securely wrapped around Renly. Then she leaned in and whispered in his ear, "Can I kiss you?"

Amidst the uproar, Renly momentarily thought he was hearing things. He widened his eyes, attempting to seek confirmation, but Ellen, catching him off guard once again, planted a kiss on his cheek. It was bold, forceful, and even accompanied by a "smack" sound. The entire scene was so absurd, so surreal, that Renly couldn't help but burst into laughter.

Only after this did Ellen contentedly disengage from Renly, adopting a presenting gesture to showcase him to the live audience. The sound from all directions surged toward them, the atmosphere pulsating against their skin like a boiling point, more scorching than the summer sun on the Gold Coast.

This fervent welcome continued for nearly two minutes, a resounding and unending chorus. Finally, under Ellen's prompt, the uproar subsided slightly. Renly gazed at Ellen in astonishment, and she spread her arms, her smile radiant. "So, how was it? Do you like it? If you come here every day, you can enjoy this treatment just like me."

Was this... a shock education?

For Renly, this marked not just his first appearance on a talk show but his inaugural television recording. Ellen, relying on her extensive experience, took the lead in this unexpected turn, leaving Renly unprepared for every circumstance. Having lived two lives, Renly's past experiences proved of no assistance in this situation.

A smile curved at the corner of his lips, and Renly gently shook his head, the arc of his smile growing wider. "What I'm even more curious about is, why?" His response surprised even Ellen. "I mean, "Buried" isn't "Inception", and I'm certainly not Leonardo DiCaprio. Honestly, there must be countless people in front of their TV screens scratching their heads, wondering, "Who's that guy?", don't you think?"

His self-deprecating humor earned applause and laughter from the live audience. Ellen, however, wasn't caught off guard. Their previous interactions had already revealed Renly's wit. "Here's how it is: up until today, your public presence and your works have been my favorite subject of discussion. In the show, I may or may not have mentioned your name several times and even... uh, added some little behind-the-scenes snippets. So, our audience is quite acquainted with you."

Those "little snippets", Renly knew without looking, were probably Ellen's signature playful antics. American talk shows always loved that sort of thing.

"In fact, our show has always avoided mentioning the name of your films," Ellen admitted with an awkward gesture of her clasped hands.

"Why mention it?" Renly's unconventional response left the studio momentarily bewildered, then the entire audience burst into laughter, even Ellen, who hadn't expected this twist, burst into laughter. Renly shrugged. "I mean, it's not a viewer-friendly film. It's not a movie with A-list stars or anything..."

"You're a star in our hearts!" A sharp cheer erupted from the audience, interrupting Renly's words.

Renly blinked, turned his head toward the direction of the sound, and offered a smile before nodding. "Thank you." Instantly, the arena filled with screams once more. Raising an eyebrow, Renly playfully remarked, "Now I finally understand how Leo feels." The quip sent the entire audience into laughter, Ellen included.

"More importantly, it's not an interesting film. There's truly no need to mention it," Renly waved his hand nonchalantly, a face of indifference. "You can tell by looking at the film's box office now." He left the rest of the sentence unsaid, merely shaking his head with a hint of regret.

The laughter just wouldn't stop.

Ellen had to admit that she had held the upper hand in the initial skirmish, but now Renly had regained his footing. Was this really Renly's first television appearance?

"No, it's not, clever guy," Ellen quipped, her teasing remark drawing a low chuckle from the audience, momentarily condemning Renly. However, the disapproval soon transformed into laughter.

Renly pressed his lips together, his expression one of apparent confusion, his brow furrowing. "So... you're saying... you invited me to come on your show, and when I was busy working, when I was getting beat up and left battered in Rio de Janeiro, when I was wondering if someone might've kidnapped me..."

His last sentence was a Mexican quip, mocking the security issues in South America and frequent kidnapping cases.

Another uproarious wave swept across the venue, interrupting Renly's words. He had to pause for a moment, then continued, "And then you blame me for declining your invitation?"

Ellen paused for a moment, seriously contemplating, then nodded, "Yes, yes, that's pretty much it."

Renly's face lit up with realization, and he responded with a knowing smile, "A typical woman."

Now, Ellen's feathers were ruffled. She retorted emphatically, "Hey, Mr. Hall, that's gender discrimination! You should know that you're currently surrounded by 250 women, so watch your words!"

Renly, however, spread his hands wide and retorted, "A typical man."

Two sentences, so similar yet with completely different connotations. The first playfully teased Ellen about how women tend to be self-centered, always demanding more commitment and action from men. The second, a playful jab at himself, highlighted how men tend to be indifferent, knowing exactly what women want but never acting on it.

The live audience was momentarily puzzled; it seemed they didn't catch on immediately. Ellen was the first to regain her senses. She tried to suppress it, but after two attempts, she burst into hearty laughter. In fact, she had to turn away from the audience, concealing herself to regain her composure.

Immediately, the whole room erupted in laughter.

Renly, wearing an innocent expression, stood still, shrugged his shoulders, and his demeanor seemed to amplify the audience's mirth. After a moment, Ellen finally turned back around. Renly looked at her curiously and asked, "So, did you really invite me twice?" Andy had never mentioned it, and inviting a newcomer actor onto a show, especially before the Golden Globe Awards, was quite audacious.

"Once," Ellen admitted, wearing an expression of being caught red-handed. She confessed honestly.

Renly pursed his lips. "At least once. I absolutely won't mention that other talk shows don't even know my name."

Observing Renly's calm expression and the stark contrast it created, the audience couldn't help but burst into laughter again. Ellen keenly seized on Renly's words and took a step forward. "Well, today you have a chance. I formally introduce to every viewer out there that this gentleman is Renly Hall. The male lead of the thriller film I've mentioned multiple times in recent times, "Buried". He has just garnered two nominations for Best Actor at the Golden Globe Awards. A fantastic film! A fantastic performance! Absolutely splendid! Welcome, welcome to my show!"

With a solemn introduction, Renly's sparkling debut on television was officially announced. The audience welcomed him with the warmest applause.

Renly smiled and nodded towards the audience, then noticed the red light of camera three come on. He knew that was the camera currently filming. He smiled and nodded at the camera as if greeting the viewers at home. Then, he turned his gaze back to Ellen. "So, is the interview over? Should I leave? Because you haven't invited me to sit down yet. I'm wondering if I should..."