Chapter 922: Gossip Spreads
"So, you're Bambi? Cool. You're even hotter than I imagined. I like you." The cheerful, bright-red-haired punk girl blew a big, round, pink bubble, and then it popped with a smack. She skillfully sucked the gum back into her mouth and started chewing again.
Her straightforward and confident look made Lu Ke a little stunned, but he quickly recovered and chuckled. "Thank you. How could I forget? Something that might be a problem on the field is a great asset here. It seems I can be more confident today."
His confident and humorous response, while still acknowledging his strengths and weaknesses, immediately lightened the mood. His demeanor was a breath of fresh air, even among many Hollywood actors, because it was one of those skills that you either had or you didn't.
The red-haired girl put her hands on her hips, blew another big bubble, and said with a smile, "I think you're much more interesting than the others. You don't have that fake Hollywood pretense. I'm actually looking forward to today's show."
Even though she didn't say it out loud, the girl's eyes flickered toward the makeup table. Her subtext was obvious.
Lu Ke laughed heartily. "You know what? You remind me of one of my good friends, Logan Newman. Number eighty-eight on our team."
"I hope he's a guy with a personality," the red-haired girl raised an eyebrow and then introduced herself. "Lola Cash."
"Lola Cash?" Lu Ke looked surprised. Lola was the same name as the character in the movie Run Lola Run. Cash was the same word as... well, cash. The name was so funny that it didn't even sound real.
But Lola blew another bubble, and it popped. She said meaningfully, "Welcome to Hollywood."
In this land of fame and fortune, everyone wears a mask, hiding their true selves and chasing different goals, whether it's money, a dream, or fame. No matter what, everyone gets what they want. If you take it seriously, you lose.
Then, Lola turned around. "Come on. I'm your hair stylist. Let me fix you up quickly. When you appear on TV, people will be amazed to find a face like this under a football helmet. To be honest, I'm already interested in you."
"I guess that's a good thing." Lu Ke shrugged and graciously accepted the compliment.
Charisma is a strange thing. The same movie, the same work, the same role, but some people are just naturally charismatic, while others can't win the audience's favor. That's why people often say that acting is a gift from God. They're not talking about looks; they're talking about charisma.
Lu Ke sat down to the left of Emma and gave Lola a big smile. He said half-jokingly, "I hope my styling doesn't take too long. It would be a shame if I couldn't make it to the show."
"If you're worried about being late, then don't show up late. You don't have any respect, and you're talking about professionalism."
A slow, sarcastic voice came from the side. Lu Ke and Lola were just joking around, but this sudden voice made them both look over. They saw Emma, who was still reading her magazine, without even looking up. It was as if she were just making a snide remark.
Lu Ke immediately understood. Emma thought he was late, which was why she was being so unfriendly.
But Lu Ke had no right to argue about this. This was his first time on a TV show, and he didn't know what the appropriate time to arrive was. Since Leigh said it was fine to be here now, he had no right to speak up. He could only follow instructions.
Even if Emma thought he was late, Lu Ke wasn't going to argue. There was no need, and it would be pointless.
But even though Lu Ke didn't want to speak, others weren't willing to just let it go.
"Are you kidding me? If I can't finish your hair and makeup in forty minutes, then how much of an amateur would I be?" Lola's quick wit came out. On the surface, it seemed like she was answering Lu Ke's question, but she purposely emphasized the words "forty minutes," implying that there was no such thing as being late.
In the mirror, Lu Ke could see that Emma still hadn't looked up, but she had stopped flipping through the magazine. Her delicate face was a little stiff. She wanted to look up, and her chin moved slightly, but in the end, she tensed her muscles and pretended not to hear anything. She continued to read the magazine.
Rustle, rustle. She flipped through the magazine roughly and forcefully. Her red-painted nails showed her frustration and anger, and the loud noise was the best way to protest.
Lola pulled her eyes back and exchanged a look with Lu Ke in the reflection of the mirror. They both smiled.
Lola had been a little worried that Lu Ke and Emma were good friends and on the same side, or that Lu Ke was a peacemaker who wouldn't respond. If he just stood by and did nothing, even if she spoke up, it would be boring.
But now that she saw Lu Ke's eyes, Lola's smile grew bigger. She then said jokingly, "Or do you think you're a homeless person? Do you need a few hours to get a makeover?"
The sarcasm was incredibly sharp. After she said that, Lola blew a big bubble and purposely popped it. The crisp sound was a clear statement.
Lu Ke couldn't hold back his laughter. He then noticed Emma's piercing gaze, as if she wanted to stab him. But Lu Ke didn't panic at all. "Lola, do you have any more gum? I think I need one to freshen my breath."
Lola laughed and pulled a piece of gum out of her pocket, handing it to Lu Ke. "No problem."
Even without turning his head, Lu Ke could feel the tense and irritable aura coming from his right. Without a word, the tension was already in the air. Lu Ke put the gum in his mouth and looked at Lola's reflection in the mirror. "I have a feeling today's show will be very interesting."
"Really? I think so too." Lola looked surprised. She opened her mouth and leaned over, raising her right hand high to give Lu Ke a high five. The happy atmosphere was a stark contrast to the low pressure next to them, and even the other staff members in the dressing room could feel it.
As their eyes met, the difference in the Hollywood world was slowly becoming apparent: Gossip had already started to spread.
Time flew by. The show had officially started.
Lu Ke and Emma stood one after the other in the side hallway, behind the big reddish-brown door they had just seen. The door was now closed and served as the entrance for guests.
The sounds of laughter from the audience in the studio could be heard clearly. The host, Jay Leno's opening monologue was witty and exciting. But Lu Ke wasn't in the mood to pay attention to the jokes. His mind was still filled with worries about today's show. It wasn't just because it was his first time but also because of the anxiety of being in a field he wasn't good at.
They had been standing there for five minutes, and Lu Ke didn't know if that was a long or short time. But for him, it felt like five hours. This was much more nerve-racking than a night game. His throat was dry, and he felt that familiar feeling of helplessness again.
His eyes unintentionally noticed Emma's movements.
Right now, only Lu Ke and Emma were in the hallway. Their assistants and agents had moved back to avoid being in the camera's view, so it was difficult for Lu Ke to ignore her.
Emma was holding a bottle of mineral water that her assistant had just given her. But she had been holding it for about a minute and still couldn't open the cap. She twisted it with her left hand, then her right, and then her left again. It didn't budge. He didn't know if she was thirsty or just using too much force, but Emma let out a small cough. To avoid disrupting the show, she had to tightly press her lips together, swallowing the cough in her throat.
Seeing this, Lu Ke didn't say anything. He just reached out and took the bottle from her.
Emma was clearly surprised and didn't have a good grip on it, so the bottle slipped out of her hand. She stared at Lu Ke. Before she could say anything, Lu Ke had already twisted the cap open and handed the bottle back to her.
Emma still hadn't reacted. She frowned and stared at Lu Ke, as if she didn't know how to respond. Then she saw Lu Ke make a drinking motion with his empty left hand. He raised the water bottle in his right hand and gestured again. This made Emma flustered. She quickly took the bottle and tilted her head back, carefully pouring the water into her mouth.
To avoid messing up her lipstick, Emma held the bottle a little high, but she was too nervous. Her wrist trembled, and the water spilled. She was in a very embarrassing situation.
Emma quickly bent down to avoid getting her clothes wet and looked at Lu Ke for help. Just then, a red San Francisco 49ers scarf was handed to her. Lu Ke's voice came from next to her. "It's brand new and clean, don't worry."
Wh... what?
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