Laila was bursting with inspiration, completely forgetting Roy was even there. All she wanted to do was jot down her ideas onto the script. After feeling frustrated with the slow pace of writing by hand, she snatched up the script and dashed off to her study, eager to get everything out of her head and into the computer while the images were still fresh.
Left behind, Roy glanced at little Eli, who sat nearby with a typical "cold CEO" expression on his face, and laughed happily.
"Looks like Mommy figured it out! Isn't Daddy awesome?"
Little Eli gave him a chilly side-eye and blew a bubble with his lips.
"Haha, see? You think so too!" Roy said with a big laugh as he picked up his son.
By the time Laila finally emerged from her study, it was already dinnertime. And even then, it was only because Roy dragged her out. If left to her own devices, who knew how long it would've taken—maybe until the end of time.
Laila looked a bit annoyed at being interrupted. Her inspiration had been flowing like a spring—unstoppable and vivid—and now that stream had been cut off. She wasn't sure she'd be able to recapture that state of mind again. But the moment she caught Claire's sharp glance from across the room, a chill ran down her spine. She immediately sat herself at the table and began eating quietly, not daring to utter a single complaint.
No kidding! If Claire told Janet about this, she'd be bombarded with hours of relentless nagging. Compared to that, losing a bit of inspiration was nothing!
Roy chuckled helplessly at how obedient she suddenly became. It wasn't that he wanted to interrupt her—it was just that she had a terrible track record. Whenever she got involved in anything film-related—be it scriptwriting or post-production—she'd never eat on time.
For someone with a robust constitution, skipping a meal or two wasn't a big deal. But Laila wasn't built like that. He still remembered how she'd almost collapsed back when they were in the desert due to her frail health. That scare left a deep impression on Roy. Ever since then, anything that could potentially harm her body was something he refused to tolerate. He took it upon himself to ensure she never neglected her health again.
One could say that Laila's current good health and high energy were largely thanks to Roy's meticulous care. The man had even turned down acting gigs just to stay by her side. Western women usually didn't follow any kind of postpartum recovery routine, but Roy had treated her like a queen for months after childbirth. After hearing from her grandmother about the benefits of proper postpartum care, he took notes on every detail—even the ones people often overlooked—and followed them to the letter.
To slow her down and stop her from wolfing down dinner so she could rush back to work, Roy deliberately steered the conversation toward film.
"How's the script coming along?"
"Pretty good," Laila replied, though she was still trying to finish her meal as quickly as possible. "I've thought of a lot of interesting scenes—some of them might make it into the final version."
"If you need any help, just let me know," Roy offered. He was hoping to make a cameo in the film, but he was already committed to another project and probably wouldn't have time to coordinate with the post-production work.
Laila's eyes gleamed. "I do need your help."
As she spoke, her gaze scanned him up and down.
"Really? That's great!" Roy didn't mind being scrutinized. He even struck a few intentionally dashing poses, looking every bit the action hero.
If his fans could see him now, they'd probably scream in delight. Even Laila, who'd seen that face every day, couldn't help but have her eyes sparkle for a moment.
But what she was after had nothing to do with his looks or physique. What she valued was his skill.
"You've been training in martial arts for years. How would you feel about being the action director for some fight scenes?"
"Action director?" That caught him completely off guard.
He'd been training ever since he got to Hollywood. Initially, it was just boxing and kickboxing for fitness. But after working on the set of Rush Hour, he'd fallen in love with Eastern martial arts—and stuck with it for years. Even during his busiest schedules, he never skipped practice. That was also the reason he could so easily handle physically demanding roles.
Laila nodded. "I've noticed you enjoy action films, and you've picked up quite a few over the years. The movie needs some fight choreography—especially for Black Widow. The others aren't as much of a concern."
Black Widow's fighting style was different from someone like Captain America. As a woman, her physical strength was naturally less, so her fighting had to rely more on agility and finesse. It needed to look graceful as well as lethal.
Roy was interested. He'd always wanted to try something outside of acting.
"If I'm just responsible for one character, I think I can manage. But I've never done this kind of thing before. What if I mess it up?" He didn't want to be the weak link in her ambitious plan.
"I believe in you," Laila said firmly. "Didn't you choreograph some of your moves in your last film at the director's request?"
"Well… yeah, that did happen," Roy admitted, still a bit hesitant. He didn't doubt his skills, but this film was supposed to break box office records—he didn't want to be the one who dragged it down.
"No more 'buts'. I know you can do it. Just focus on making the choreography look good—slick and stylish, without needing to be overly masculine." Laila had faith in him, mostly because she'd seen him train. His sharp, precise moves looked powerful, and his softer techniques carried a captivating elegance. Plus, he'd studied a variety of fighting styles, so his choreography wouldn't feel too "Eastern." It would better suit Black Widow's character.
Not that Eastern-style martial arts were bad—but for many fans and comic purists, Black Widow wasn't supposed to fight that way.
"Alright. If you think I can do it, I'll give it a shot." Roy finally made up his mind.
Laila beamed with satisfaction and tossed the half-eaten chicken leg from her plate onto his.
"Now that's the spirit. Consider this your reward." With that, she wiped her mouth and bolted straight back into the study—so fast that Roy didn't even get a chance to respond.
"…"
Speechless, Roy stabbed the half-leg with a fork and stuffed it into his mouth. It wasn't the first time he'd been "rewarded" like this—he knew all too well it was just her excuse for not finishing her food.
Action director, huh? As he chewed, his mind began to buzz with ideas for various fight sequences. It sounded pretty fun!
In his last film, he wasn't originally supposed to have any action scenes. But during an unexpected situation, he'd shown off a bit of his martial arts skill—and the director had seen it. That single moment lit a spark of inspiration, and the director added in a combat-capable backstory for his character.
Since time was tight, the director even let Roy choreograph the scene himself. And surprisingly, it turned out well. When the film was released, that scene got tons of praise from fans and critics alike.