Chapter 313: Kind Hearted

At Los Angeles International Airport, shortly after the flight from Atlanta touched down, Lily maneuvered her suitcase toward the terminal exit.

Despite her casual attire of jeans and a sports T-shirt, Lily's youthful beauty and brown hair turned heads among the people in the vicinity.

Approaching her was a handsome guy with a backpack who cheerily remarked, "Hello, beautiful. Are you here for a trip to Los Angeles?"

Lily cast a brief glance at him and decided to ignore the advance.

The handsome guy, still eager, flashed a sunny smile, "Los Angeles can be tough to find a taxi, and it's pricey. Why not share one with me?"

Thomas, who had been standing nearby, was just a few meters away from them. However, Louise restrained him, saying, "No need to rush. Let's see how this plays out. My bodyguard is right there. We'll be fine."

Thomas complied and took a few steps forward.

Facing the handsome guy, Lily also offered a smile, "No, my brother is a Los Angeles Police Department agent. He called me a moment ago and will be here soon."

"Really?" The handsome guy promptly stepped back, "I'll find someone else to carpool with then."

Lily's upbringing was far from ordinary, and her parents had instilled in her a keen awareness of the darker aspects of human nature.

She raised her eyebrows, briefly studying the image of the Coca-Cola spokesperson on a terminal advertisement, and wondered how someone who looked so unattractive could approach her.

Soon, Thomas approached and greeted her, "Hi, Lily."

Lily had met Thomas during the filming of "Wanted" in Atlanta and said, "Thank you for coming to pick me up."

Her attention then shifted to a woman accompanying Thomas. She had an unmistakable three-dimensional beauty, appeared around ten years older than Lily, and exuded a sense of sophistication and capability.

"Louise Meyer."

"Lily Carter."

After introducing themselves, they accepted Thomas's invitation to ride in a commercial car together.

As they embarked on the journey, Louise addressed the driver, instructing, "Please take us to the school."

The driver steered towards Warren, a satellite city of the California Institute of the Arts.

Louise informed Lily, "Martin and I are good friends and partners. He's currently filming in London and couldn't make it back, so he entrusted me to help pick you up."

Lily expressed her gratitude, taking a handcrafted gift box from her backpack and handing it to Louise. "Thank you very much for your assistance. I made this craft myself. I hope you like it."

Unbeknownst to Lily, Louise had some prior knowledge about her, including what the gift box contained. Despite this, she graciously accepted it, saying, "You're very welcome."

Lily then presented another gift to Thomas, saying, "And this is for you."

Thomas quietly opened the gift box while Lily placed the remaining one on the driver's seat.

Inside the box was a hand-carved, charming clown figure, as expected.

Thomas contemplated informing Lily that the gesture wasn't necessary, as he had plenty of similar items, including the crocodile pendant she hadn't given him.

Meanwhile, Louise opened her gift and admired it. She made a mental note to get a special cabinet to store Lily Carter's hand-carved creations.

Unbeknownst to Lily, her sculpting skills were gaining popularity in Hollywood. She had presented similar carvings to Louise's assistant Nikki and Thomas's assistant Natasha. The two assistants exchanged bemused glances, wondering why these siblings had a penchant for giving away sculptures. They speculated about the possible reasons behind these gifts.

Once they arrived at the academy, Louise accompanied Lily through various admission procedures, including meeting with Vice Dean Diana and her future tutor, as well as applying for a single apartment.

The entire process went smoothly without any hitches.

After settling her luggage in her apartment, Lily didn't forget to offer a dinner invitation to Louise, saying, "I'd like to treat you to dinner later."

Louise politely declined, offering her business card instead. "Martin is currently out of Los Angeles, but if you ever need anything, you can reach out to Thomas or call me."

Lily acknowledged the card, noticing that the address indicated that Martin lived in Sherman Oaks.

Louise took the initiative to invite her further, "Feel free to visit me whenever you have some free time."

Lily felt that there was something peculiar about Louise but merely said, "Thank you."

Following Louise's departure, Lily immediately contacted Martin to discuss Louise's situation.

Martin seemed indifferent, remarking, "If you need anything, you can go to her. If you don't, just ignore her."

Lily reassured him, "I've settled in. I gave small gifts to Louise, Thomas, their team, as well as the senior students and faculty who welcomed us."

In London, at the studio, Martin had an ominous premonition and asked, "What gift did you bring for me?"

Lily responded, "A horn carving. It's a clown figure based on you."

"Did you give it to many people?" Martin inquired.

Lily confirmed, "Yes, to many people."

Martin slapped his forehead, groaning, "Okay, we'll discuss this when I return to Los Angeles."

After ending the call, Bruce fought the urge to laugh.

Martin gazed at Bruce and remarked, "Laugh to your heart's content." He scoffed, "Sooner or later, Australian bison and crocodiles will become rare creatures."

Bruce inquired, "Will you keep sending them away in the future?"

Martin contemplated and declared with determination, "I'm going to distribute them all over Hollywood!"

With a mischievous tone, Bruce prodded, "Will everyone in Los Angeles have one in the future?"

Martin, with a hint of intrigue, questioned, "How many did you bring this time?"

Before departing for London, Bruce had packed a sizable piece of luggage, intending to share its contents with the crew.

Bruce responded, "There are enough for each crew member."

Martin nodded and resolved, "The filming is nearly complete. Let's prepare. I want to give away these gifts."

The shooting of "The Reader" was in its final stages, and as the actors began to leave, they not only received gifts from the crew but also extra presents from the lead actors, Martin and Kate.

Kate gifted English black tea, while Martin offered tusk pendants and horn carvings.

Three days later, the crew wrapped up filming all scenes, and Sam Mendes officially announced the conclusion.

Before Martin could react, Kate seized a latte and playfully sprayed it over his head and face.

Felicity Jones, joining the playful act, mimicked Kate's actions.

Startled, Martin hurriedly retrieved the latte and, in one swift motion, playfully doused Kate in return.

Kate flung the latte away, rushed to Martin, and enveloped him in a warm embrace, exuding exuberance.

Martin reciprocated the hug, praising Kate, "Kate, you're a genuine artist. Your performance in this film was exceptional!"

Kate released Martin but held his face in her hands, saying, "I couldn't have done it without you. You're a fantastic actor who truly inspires people. You're a genius."

Both of them burst into laughter.

An associate producer from the crew entered the studio, presenting souvenirs to Martin and Kate, including two books that Michelle had read to Hannah.

Although the crew was not disbanding, most of them wouldn't be involved in the post-production phase.

Martin passed one of the books to Bruce and proceeded to shake hands with each crew member, thanking them with gifts. He then approached Sam Mendes.

Initially, he extended his hand for a handshake, but Sam initiated a warm hug, patting Martin on the back and praising his excellent work in the film. "You've done a remarkable job in this movie. I believe in your bright future."

Martin nodded enthusiastically and affirmed, "Sam, you're a true artist. Your guidance and advice have left a lasting impact on me."

When it came to professionalism, he acknowledged he still had much to learn compared to actors like Kate.

Subsequently, Martin exited the studio, and as he began removing his makeup, Bruce suddenly emerged from the trailer.

Bruce intervened, "No! Don't remove it. I'm here to find Martin."

Bruce escorted Saoirse Ronan into the trailer, and she raised her hands in greeting, saying to Martin, "I heard someone say your crew wrapped up filming today, so I decided to visit."

Having just changed his attire, Martin asked, "What really brings you here, tell the truth?"

Saoirse glanced at the makeup artist and remained silent.

Martin retrieved his bag, briefly thanked the makeup artist, and exited the trailer, with Saoirse following. He inquired, "Are you here for more fireworks?"

Saoirse chuckled and responded, "I still have some left. Hermione was quite embarrassed. She's always so haughty. She's picked on me multiple times. This time, she was humiliated."

Martin had read the report in The Sun and wasn't sure if it was a public relations strategy or the truth about Emma Watson visiting a psychiatrist. However, Saoirse expressed her genuine concern, "I hope her depression eases soon."

Inwardly, Martin recognized that she might make a move on him in the future.

"Many people say I'm quite talented and suggest that I go to Los Angeles to pursue my career. My mother plans to take me there in two years," Saoirse stated. Having been on several film sets, she wasn't exactly naive.

She asked Martin, "Can I come to you then?"

For some matters, Martin only needed a few words, "Yes, I'll introduce you to an agency."

Saoirse extended her hand, which Martin shook, and she expressed her gratitude, "Leonardo is a scoundrel, but you're a good man."

Martin handed her his business card, and Saoirse stowed it away, thanking him.

With a graceful gesture, she smiled and said, "I should be going."

Martin waved her off as she departed, and Bruce approached from behind.

Martin sought confirmation, "I'm a good person, right?"

Bruce candidly replied, "Among the bad people, you're a good person."

Seeing that their preparations were complete, Martin suggested, "Let's return to the hotel to pick up our luggage and head back to Los Angeles."

The post-production team would continue their work at Pinewood Studios, with very few outdoor scenes requiring Martin to do additional dubbing. His role in the film had concluded before the official promotion phase.

After returning to the hotel to collect their belongings, Kate made a surprise appearance.

Bruce exited the room voluntarily.

Kate inquired about their flight time, and Martin checked the wall clock, "We still have three hours before we need to leave."

She produced a script from her bag and explained, "I have a scene to re-dub. I'd like to rehearse it before we depart."

How could a kind hearted man like Martin deny someone the chance for joy?

Over the two months spent filming "The Reader" in London, Martin absorbed valuable lessons and came to appreciate how a good actor can evolve into a true artist.