The first thing Dujuan noticed when she stepped into Claire's villa was how awkward it felt. The decor screamed femininity, like it was a woman's home.
"Why are all the sofas in your living room pink?" she asked.
Claire glanced at Maggie Li's sofa and froze for a moment before forcing a smile. "Oh, uh, Delia picked out the furniture for me. You know how girls are—always into these flashy, colorful things."
"Hmm, not bad," Dujuan said, nodding approvingly as she wandered around the house. Claire led her to the guest room.
Sweating profusely, Claire showed Dujuan to the guest room. Noticing his state, Dujuan asked with concern, "What's wrong with you? Why are you all sweaty?"
Claire's eyes darted nervously as he stammered, "Oh, well, you're only staying in Hawaii for a day, and you brought so much luggage."
Dujuan, ever thoughtful, pulled a wet wipe from her bag and gently wiped the sweat from Claire's forehead while scanning the guest room's layout. "Now this room's got a bit of a masculine vibe! Do you often trade stocks in here or something?"
Claire glanced at the Bloomberg terminal in the room and nodded absentmindedly.
"Alright, I won't unpack the suitcase yet. Don't you have to head to school? Go on, get going. I'll check out what's in your fridge and whip up something for dinner!"
Dujuan's warmth made Claire's heart skip a beat, but the thought of the Korean girl next door gave him a headache.
"I'm heading to school then. If you need anything or want to go somewhere, just let Welch know—he's staying in the guest room downstairs."
Dujuan flashed a sweet smile, and before Claire could react, she leaned in and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "Hurry up and go. I'll be waiting for you at home~"
Caught off guard, Claire reached out, tempted to do something bold, but Dujuan was quick. She playfully pushed him out of the guest room and shut the door with a thud before he could say a word.
As Dujuan disappeared from view, Claire let out a soft sigh of relief.
Spotting Welch downstairs struggling with a massive cardboard box, heading toward the basement, Claire suddenly remembered something and tiptoed down after him.
"Welch! Are you sure you packed up all of Maggie's stuff?"
Welch, looking awkward, replied, "Boss, you only gave me 20 minutes! I thought you guys would grab a seafood dinner or something, but you came back so fast!"
"So, you didn't finish?"
"Maggie's pretty particular. There's barely anything of hers on the first floor. I didn't go into her bedroom—you know why," Welch said, visibly uncomfortable. "I just locked her bedroom door. If Ms. Du asks, just say the lock's broken."
Claire, relieved, patted Welch's shoulder and whispered, "Your wife and kids are in Arizona, right? Pick out a house in Hawaii, and I'll cover it."
Welch nearly dropped the box in shock. Claire grinned and gave him a playful kick. "You've earned it. Get to it—I'll be back soon."
---
Outside, Claire instinctively glanced up at the house. Dujuan, now in pajamas, poked her head out. "Hurry back, okay?"
Claire smiled, nodded, and stayed quiet, worried Jessica Jung next door might hear him.
He headed to the garage and hopped into Maggie Li's red Porsche. Instead of parking right outside, he drove to Welch's rented place nearby. The stench inside Welch's house nearly knocked him out. Covering his nose, Claire grabbed a denim outfit from Welch's bedroom.
"Good thing this doesn't reek too much," Claire muttered, checking himself in the mirror and throwing on a sunhat he found in the closet.
Instead of driving, Claire called a "luxury business shuttle" service, popular in Hawaii and reportedly earning Hawaiian Airlines at least $6 million annually.
---
Damien Chazelle jumped up the moment he heard the door unlock.
Jessica Jung, engrossed in the TV, was startled by Damien's sudden movement. When she saw Claire walk in, she let out a squeal. "Wow, you got even hotter!"
Claire, caught off guard as Jessica threw herself into his arms, had a fleeting vision of a little devil with a pitchfork pointing at him, snarling, "You're such a player!"
But Jessica, oblivious, wrapped her legs around him, nuzzling his chest. "Why're you wearing this outfit? And what's that weird smell?"
"Oh, haha, the airport was nuts—tons of fans and paparazzi. I took the regular exit to throw them off," Claire said, thinking fast.
"Wow, you're so clever!" Jessica gushed, her lovestruck brain not questioning a thing.
Claire had been good to her, after all. He'd given her the song Stay With Me, skyrocketing her to fame in Korea. The album featuring it shot to the top three on Japan and Korea's Oricon charts. Jessica's rise from Girls' Generation brought her personal gigs and even a screenwriter credit.
Her drama Goblin, though only half-released, was a hit. Its sales hinted at surpassing 2004's Full House ratings, boosting Jessica's status in her company.
"Alright, go take a shower. Food's on the way," Jessica said.
Lucy Wilde came downstairs, arms crossed, glaring at Claire but saying nothing as she took a seat.
Damien, feeling like an awkward third wheel, blocked Claire's path to the bathroom. "Sir, I—"
"No rush!" Claire cut in. "Lucy, grab those three scripts from my room for Damien to check out."
Lucy trudged upstairs. Claire turned to Damien. "Let's put last time behind us. My lips are sealed. Take a look at my scripts—see if they're up your alley."
Damien, stunned, watched as Claire whisked Jessica upstairs. He'd come to apologize, but before he could, Claire had him reviewing scripts. "Is he trying to get me to direct a movie?"
Lucy returned, tossing three scripts onto the table in front of Damien with a huff.
Skeptical, Damien picked up the first one. The title, Whiplash, instantly hooked him. The word "drummer" sparked memories of his college dream to be a jazz drummer—a dream he never fulfilled. Lately, with his career soaring, he'd been itching to make a personal film. Claire's script felt like fate.
An hour later, Lucy stomped on Claire's foot, annoyed. "A one-hour shower? What were you doing?"
Claire, toweling his hair, shot Lucy a look as they heard a door slam upstairs. She tossed a pizza box onto the table. Claire grabbed a slice, still drained from the "battle" in the bathroom.
Damien, excited, looked up at Claire. "You—"
"Think you can nail this script?" Claire asked, cutting to the chase.
"I—"
Claire glanced at Damien's hesitation. "No fluff. Whiplash. I'll give you $4 million. Can you make it happen?"
Damien leapt up, ecstatic. "Yes, yes, yes! Thank you for this chance! What about the other scripts—"
Claire was already on the phone with Costa. "Draw up an investment contract for Damien, same terms as John Lee Hancock's."
Costa, groggy, glanced at his clock, ready to grumble, but Claire didn't give him a chance. "Thanks, buddy," he said, hanging up.
Noticing Jessica still hadn't come down, Claire grabbed a giant pizza slice and left in the same denim outfit.
Lucy chased after him. "Where are you going?"
"School stuff. Might be late. You guys carry on!"
Lucy muttered, "Hmph, probably off messing around with some other woman."
Unaware of her grumbling, Claire hurried back to his villa, circling Welch's food street to mask the fresh shower scent.
Dujuan opened the door, looking every bit like a wife waiting for her husband, apron on and spatula in hand. "You're back!"
Claire's heart fluttered again at the sight. To avoid suspicion, he smiled warmly. "Yeah, Hawaii's great, but it's so hot! I'm gonna hop in the shower."
"Sure! I brought tons of ingredients . I'm making you an authentic meal tonight!"
---
Despite already eating several pizza slices, Claire regretted it when he saw Dujuan's spread of dishes. The food was a feast for the eyes and nose, tempting even his full stomach.
He sat there, frustrated, unable to eat. Dujuan, fresh from washing her hands, noticed. "Why aren't you eating? Not to your taste? I heard you're from Sichuan, so I added extra chili."
Claire, distracted by Dujuan's sleek new skirt, swallowed hard and rubbed his hands together. "Nah, it's just table manners! I was waiting for us to have this candlelit dinner together."
"You're so talented. I always thought a girl as pretty as you wouldn't know how to cook!"
Dujuan rolled her eyes playfully, then tapped his hand with her chopsticks. "Smooth talker! Try my stir-fried pork."