Chapter 203: Low-Budget Tactics

[Chapter 203: Low-Budget...]

When Elisabeth heard Eric's response, she shot him a disapproving glance. "You... you really have no class."

"What does class have to do with this?" Eric opened a can of beer and settled back on the couch. "Should I just agree with you, say I love this book, and then we can have a deep conversation about the life philosophies it conveys, happily bonding as if it were fate?"

"Shouldn't it usually be like that?" Elisabeth countered, tilting her head with an air of innocence.

Eric smiled slightly. "You must have encountered that a lot in school, right?"

Elisabeth nodded honestly.

Meanwhile, Julia, initially shy as she clutched her juice, couldn't help but chuckle lightly. Having graduated high school and stepped into the workforce, she didn't have the high IQ or impressive degrees of Elisabeth. However, Julia's social experience far surpassed that of Elisabeth, who had been somewhat sheltered. With a moment's thought, Julia grasped the underlying meaning of their conversation.

Eric joined her laughter, and when he noticed Elisabeth's puzzled expression, he explained, "Given your status as the Murdoch family's second daughter, any man who wants to get close to you can't rely on material matters -- it's all about the emotional connection. So, dumb girl, when you experience situations like this, it's usually because a guy is trying to get a date with you."

This was a revelation for Elisabeth. She had indeed felt butterflies in similar circumstances, and she couldn't help but look shocked, her mouth slightly agape.

Eric took a sip of his beer and leaned back, reminiscing, "You know, I used to use similar low-budget tactics to get dates back in my day."

"Ugh... gross!" Although Elisabeth understood that Eric's words likely contained truth, she couldn't help but retort defensively, "You think all men are as sleazy as you?"

"For most men, becoming a Murdoch son-in-law means avoiding thirty years of hard work. What's wrong with being a bit sleazy in that context?"

Elisabeth shot back indignantly, "That's merely your assumption."

"You'll find out if it's an assumption soon enough," Eric replied, clearly not interested in an argument. "By the way, what brings you here at such a late hour?"

Upon hearing this, Julia straightened her back slightly, a nervous habit of hers. But Elisabeth boldly declared, "Since you're in Venice, we should explore together! How about tomorrow?"

After considering his schedule for a moment, Eric nodded. "Sounds good, I'm free tomorrow."

Elisabeth thought it would take more persuasion to convince Eric to join them, so she was surprised when he agreed so readily. It was now late at night in Venice, and it felt inappropriate for two women to linger in a man's hotel room too long. After chatting for a bit, she decided to leave with Julia, who had mostly remained quiet.

...

The following morning, Andre Smirnov, the chair of the judges, invited Eric to breakfast early on. Although they needed a translator to communicate, they still enjoyed each other's company. It was after they chatted in the hotel's restaurant until after nine that Smirnov reluctantly left for work.

...

Upon arriving at the designated dock with Allen, Eric noticed that Julia and Elisabeth had been waiting for quite a while.

As soon as he appeared, Elisabeth expressed her irritation. "Hey, Eric! You're really late -- two girls had to wait for you this long?"

"I had things to take care of, alright? Not everyone has the carefree schedule you two do," Eric defended himself before sending Allen off to rent a boat. They were headed to the main island of Venice.

After finding a speedboat, Elisabeth dragged Julia onto the cabin but insisted she could speak Italian well enough, so she dismissed Allen, who was supposed to translate. Once they reached the principal island, they switched to a gondola and began to float along the Grand Canal.

The warm morning sun gentle bathed them as Eric, dressed casually, leaned back in the gondola, taking in the beautiful architecture and snapping photos with his camera. Sitting across from him, Elisabeth conversed enthusiastically in Italian with the gondolier named Loviso, their laughter ringing out.

"Hey, Julia, why are you so quiet? Not feeling well?" Eric asked after he snapped a picture of a nearby arch bridge, realizing that Julia had been unusually silent.

The gondola had only one seat, so the three of them were squeezed together. Eric sat on the right, Elisabeth claimed the left, while Julia was sandwiched in the middle. With two slender women and Eric not being overweight, they managed without feeling cramped.

Julia looked up at Eric's concerned gaze and quickly responded, "No, I'm fine."

"Oh," Eric pondered for a moment, unsure of what to say next. Just as he was about to raise his camera again, Julia spoke softly, "Eric, when are you returning to Los Angeles?"

"September 5th, the day after tomorrow."

Julia raised her gaze and met Eric's eyes curiously as she asked, "Why the rush? Aren't you planning to stay in Venice longer?"

Eric raised his camera again, capturing the silhouette of a seabird gliding over the water. "I wish I could rest longer, but I still have two films to work on in the next couple of months. Time is tight."

Julia nodded lightly, her head lowering a bit.

"By the way, Julia, when do you plan to head back?"

After a brief hesitation, Julia replied, "Liz originally said she wanted to take me to Australia to see some of their family's many ranches, but I've decided not to go."

"You should head back. Steel Magnolias is scheduled for November, and you'll need to start promotional work soon. Plus, you also need to look for scripts for next year's project."

Julia gave Eric a complex look, pondering for a moment before saying one word: "You..."

Eric looked down to store the finished film canister from his camera, replaced it with a new roll, then raised his gaze to Julia, quickly understanding what she was hinting at. He laughed, "I won't interfere with your movie choices next year. You should try choosing for yourself. Of course, it'd be wise to consider Kepler's opinion too."

This year, Eric had chosen two blockbuster films for her that thrust Julia to new heights. While he could continue guiding her through such success, he thought it best to allow her to experience some ups and downs, especially considering her current impulsive character. Moreover, he wouldn't be working as frantically next year as he had this year; if he kept up this relentless pace, driven by all his hits, there would certainly be powerful industry players who could see him as a threat and might do something drastic.

While Eric had always been a little controlling over her choices, now that Julia heard he wouldn't be interfering, she felt a twinge of emptiness inside her.

"Hey, look! The Bridge of Sighs!" Elisabeth suddenly shouted from the opposite side, breaking the moment of introspection.

Eric looked in the direction Elisabeth pointed, seeing a narrow waterway leading to an enclosed white stone arch bridge looming ahead. The gondolier Loviso smiled as he skillfully maneuvered the gondola into the narrow channel.

"The Bridge of Sighs, such a beautiful name. Julia, do you know the legend behind it?" Elisabeth mused dramatically before turning to Julia for an answer.

Julia shook her head, genuinely unsure. Nowadays, with technology at their fingertips, people could easily look up information online, but back then, it wasn't so simple.

Seeing Julia's cluelessness, Elisabeth waved her hand boastfully, explaining, "Look, this arch bridge connects two buildings. That's the Doge's Palace, and over there is the prison for serious offenders. They say that those brought here after being judged rarely made it out alive, so the prisoners crossing this bridge often sighed in regret, hence the name Bridge of Sighs."

Eric snapped a few more pictures, then laid his camera down, chuckling, "You know, saying it like that makes me feel this bridge would suit the name 'Gateway to Hell' even better. If this bridge had a heart, filled with the sighs of so many condemned prisoners, it would surely pulse with all sorts of violent emotions -- a perfect setting for a classic villain who believes the world has wronged him at every turn."

Elisabeth paused momentarily, pondering Eric's point, and while she found his perspective somewhat valid, she quickly rolled her eyes at him, "Hey, don't be such a buzzkill!"

"I'm just speaking the truth here."

Annoyed, Elisabeth turned away, clearly planning to ignore this irritating guy. She linked arms with Julia and began whispering to her.

As the gondola glided gently beneath the Bridge of Sighs, the gondolier at the rear raised his voice slightly, speaking to the three of them in Italian.

Eric and Julia exchanged puzzled looks, and Elisabeth, with a hint of pride, translated, "Mr. Loviso says if a couple kisses beneath the Bridge of Sighs, they will enjoy everlasting love."

Julia, hearing this, cast a side-eye at Eric, but as soon as their eyes met, she quickly averted her gaze, feeling shy. But Elisabeth couldn't resist and stood up slightly, glancing between Eric and Julia, clearly eager to see if anything might happen there.

Seeing Elisabeth's playful impulse, Eric mockingly crossed his arms, stating firmly, "No way. I am absolutely not kissing you."

"Please! I wouldn't kiss you even if this bridge were to collapse, you creep!" Elisabeth shot back defiantly with her hands on her hips. Suddenly, her big eyes glinted mischievously. Before Eric could respond, she threw her arms around a defenseless Julia and leaned down to plant a kiss squarely on her lips.

*****

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