William and Alice left together in Evelyn’s car, while Wes and Zoey stayed behind, waiting for the representatives from the 13th Bureau to come and register.
However, Evelyn had her driver head towards the eastern gate of Hudson University.
“Lucy, I’m at the east gate now, where are you?” Evelyn made a call to Lucy from the car. Instead of going directly to the New York Film Festival, she had taken a detour to pick up Lucy from Hudson University.
William observed all this. One of the reasons he had come along was not just out of curiosity about the banquet, but also to see how much Evelyn had changed.
He found it hard to fathom how a girl with memories of a past life, particularly memories tangled with obsessive feelings, would turn out. What kind of person would she become?
William had lived many roles in the past, but he always approached life playfully, without any obsessions. So, he was unaffected, but Evelyn was different.
Originally a poor girl, she acquired memories from two millennia ago and became wealthy overnight, possessing powers beyond the reach of ordinary people. Such experiences could drastically alter one’s nature.
But no matter how she changed, she still remembered the friends from her current life.
From this perspective, William felt it was commendable.
Soon after, Lucy got into the car.
It was an extended version of a Rolls-Royce with ample space inside. There was even a cooler for storing wine. Despite the presence of the four of them and the driver, the car still felt spacious.
Upon entering, Lucy greeted Evelyn with a gleeful smile. But when she noticed William, her smile froze instantly. She rolled her eyes at him, then took a seat next to Evelyn, linking arms with her. “Evelyn,” she began, “do you think I’ll get to see Timothée this time?”
Evelyn chuckled, “Of course, you can. Not only can you see him, but you can also get a photo with him. Even getting his contact isn’t a problem.”
Hearing this, Lucy became ecstatic, shaking Evelyn’s arm in excitement. “Evelyn, you’re really something now! You’re even attending the New York Film Festival. I’ve heard that all the big stars will be there. Only the hottest actors and renowned directors and writers get to enter. Look, I even have my notebook ready. I want to fill it with autographs.”
The two women chatted away, effectively ignoring William and Alice.
Between her conversations with Evelyn, Lucy would occasionally sneak glances at William and Alice. She was still sulking. This boy, who was oblivious when it came to matters of love, had rejected her before she could confess her feelings. And William had mentioned he was interested in someone else. Could it be the girl next to him?
Alice was now dressed to the nines, looking like a fairy descended to the mortal realm. This made Lucy feel a tad inferior. But they were both young girls, and even if Alice was stunningly beautiful, Lucy was sure she could spot some flaws.
For instance, while Alice’s face might be pretty, she did have a smaller chest. If William were to be with her, their future child would surely go hungry!
Hmph!
Such a waste of baby formula money!
How could Alice possibly know that while she was sitting there, she was being doubted about her ability to feed a future child? ｂｏ𝚟𝚕.
“Lucy, let me introduce you. This is Alice.” Evelyn then turned to Alice, “And this is my best friend, Lucy.”
Alice smiled at Lucy, “Hello, Lucy.”
Lucy squinted her eyes in a smile and nodded, “Hello.”
Their greeting was brief. Lucy didn’t really want to engage with Alice. It was probably because of Alice that William had rejected her. Lucy wasn’t the type to cozy up to someone just like that.
As for William, who was sitting next to Alice, Lucy treated him as if he were invisible.
William didn’t mind. He busied himself with his phone.
He had now become proficient in searching for information online.
In this digital age, just by entering a keyword, one can quickly retrieve a plethora of information. William typed in the word “celebrity”. The top search result revealed a set of photos. The images of three fashionably dressed men caught his attention.
“So these are the so-called celebrities?” William asked Alice, slightly surprised.
Alice nodded, “Yes. The first one is Timothée, the one Lucy mentioned just now. The second is Thomas Brodie-Sangster, and the third is Mason Knight.”
Looking at the three pictures, William pondered for a moment before saying, “In my time, ‘celebrities’ were usually those who achieved greatness in arts and music. What do these three young men do?”
Alice let out a gentle sigh and explained, “They are some of the most popular actors and artists today. Many young people adore them.”
Following Alice’s cue, William looked towards Lucy and noticed a hint of pride flashing in her eyes. He smiled lightly and said, “It seems I need to acquaint myself more with modern culture.”
William frowned slightly, “Come and see for yourself. These three men, despite being grown-ups, wear such exaggerated makeup. It’s even more dramatic than what you girls put on.”
“You’re just jealous of them. All of this is a requirement for their job…” Lucy retorted, but could only roll her eyes after finishing her sentence.
William chuckled, remaining silent. He genuinely wondered who could make him feel envious.
If it had been someone else, Lucy might have said that he was jealous because others were more handsome than him. But considering William’s flawlessly perfect face, it seemed her idols weren’t so handsome after all.
Ah!
Such a boring man! Infuriating!
Alice, sensing the tension, interjected, “Actually, not all celebrities are actors or singers. There are also scientists, military personnel, and those who make significant contributions to the nation. You must know about Carl Sagan and Neil Armstrong. And then there’s Anthony Fauci; they’re all stars.”
William’s brow furrowed slightly as he said, “I’m familiar with Carl Sagan and Neil Armstrong. But who is this Anthony Fauci?”
After Alice briefly explained Anthony Fauci’s achievements, William smiled, “Of course, I acknowledge them as national heroes. Now, tell me more about these three individuals we saw earlier. Perhaps I’ve been too quick to judge.”
Before Alice could speak, an excited Lucy interjected, “My Timothée is an outstanding actor. I suggest you watch his works before passing judgment.”
A TV series?
William turned to Alice, who took out her phone and began to play a production featuring Timothée.
“Is he… a theater actor?”
“You’ve got to be joking! A theater actor?” Lucy responded indignantly, “He’s a movie star, you know? This is the 21st century, and you’re asking if he’s a theater actor?”
William didn’t respond. He quickly skimmed through a few scenes and then sank deep into thought. After all, he’s just an actor, performing mostly romantic roles. William couldn’t really appreciate this so-called celebrity.
Note: All opinions expressed in the book represent William personal thoughts and are not associated with the author.