What made Zoe even more depressed was that Landon had scenes in the afternoon, and she still needed to touch up his makeup.
As Landon sat before her, closing his eyes and letting her work, Zoe looked at this face—so close at hand and impeccably handsome from any angle—and her mood became even more complicated.
She had to admit that her willingness to take on the dual roles of assistant and Makeup Artist, enduring all sorts of trivialities and occasional inner turmoil,
was perhaps due to more than just Tracy's trust and the job's prospects; subconsciously, was there also a certain degree of appreciation and attachment to this face and this person?
This thought made her even more irritable, and her hand movements unconsciously became a bit heavier.
"Hiss—"
Landon frowned slightly.
"Sorry, Boss." Zoe immediately focused her mind, her movements returning to being gentle.
She cursed herself inwardly for being unprofessional.
Landon was actually quite helpless himself.
This morning, Elisha's gaze had been more fiery and direct than any previous day, carrying a sense of resolution and determination.
And for himself, the spark lit by Cameron in the morning, combined with the anxious wait for the results of 'the fast and the furious', required an outlet for release.
Thus, in a state of half-willingness, he was once again conquered by Elisha.
He knew it wasn't right, and knew it would make things more complicated, but at that moment, reason and sentiment were no match for two pounds of flesh.
The afternoon filming proceeded step-by-step.
Landon completed a short dialogue scene with Kiefer Sutherland; Tony reported a dead end on a lead to Jack, with the two sharing a suppressed frustration over the mission's setback and anxiety about the uncertain future.
Landon's performance remained stable, and Kiefer was as excellent as always.
Just as it approached five o'clock in the afternoon, right when the last scene of the day finished and the director shouted "Wrap!", the phone in Landon's pocket vibrated.
He took out his phone; it was a text from Tracy. The content was very brief:
"Landon, come home on time! Love you!"
Only a few words, with no mention of anything specific.
But it was precisely this brevity, combined with that rare, emotionally charged "Love you!" at the end, that made Landon's heart skip a beat.
Tracy wasn't the type of person to constantly voice sweet nothings; her expressions were usually more subtle and pragmatic.
This text message felt unusual.
Was there news about 'the fast and the furious'?
Was it good news?
This thought instantly occupied his mind, pushing aside all the afternoon's distractions and physical memories.
At exactly five o'clock, the crew wrapped on time.
This punctuality had also left a deep impression on Landon initially.
Unlike the domestic crews in his past life who often stayed up late to rush work, the 24 hours crew strictly adhered to an eight-hour workday and a five-day filming schedule.
Unless they encountered special scenes that required continuous filming (like the previous overnight location shoot), overtime was extremely rare.
When he first joined the crew, he was somewhat unaccustomed to this "loose" pace, wondering if the filming progress would be too slow.
He soon discovered that under Hollywood's mature production industry, this system ensured that actors and staff were well-rested, which actually improved the efficiency and quality of a single day's shoot.
Of course, this was also related to many people being able to get into character quickly, with fewer NGs.
He didn't know what the work pace would be like when he participated in an Oscar-level film production like A Beautiful Mind in the future.
Projects pursuing that level of artistic perfection probably wouldn't be as step-by-step as a TV series, right?
But that was a story for another time.
At this moment, Landon, filled with intense anticipation from Tracy's text, quickly packed his things and left the set with Zoe.
He didn't even say goodbye to Elisha, who hadn't left yet, as he usually did.
Elisha seemed to sense the change in his mood, and coupled with the "satisfaction" from noon, she didn't show too much attachment today. She just stood by,
waving at Landon's car with a contented smile on her face, and then happily drove away alone as well.
On the way back, Zoe remained silent, but Landon's mind was completely elsewhere.
He held the steering wheel, eyes fixed ahead, repeatedly replaying every word of Tracy's text in his head, trying to analyze the subtext behind it.
Was the contract finalized? Was the profit-sharing plan accepted? Or was there another turning point?
The car drove into the Sherman Oaks community, the setting sun painting the villa's exterior walls a warm orange-red.
Landon parked the car in the garage, and without even waiting for Zoe to fully get out, he hurriedly said "See you tomorrow" and strode toward the front door.
The moment he pushed open the door, Landon felt an atmosphere different from usual.
Tracy was actually wearing a formal deep-red silk shirt and black trousers, her long hair elegantly pinned up, with a bright smile on her face.
Rachel was wearing a beautiful dress and was setting the dining table.
Tracy and Rachel turned their heads at the same time, their gazes falling on him.
Their eyes were incredibly bright, and the upward curve of their lips held an irrepressible joy, as if there was some massive happiness waiting to be shared, yet they were deliberately holding back to create a perfect reveal moment.
Tracy was the first to greet him. Without many words, she simply stood on her tiptoes and gave him a fragrant, gentle, yet lingering kiss.
Then, she took the coat from his arm with a natural, fluid motion, while looking at him with eyes brimming with smiles, her voice tender: "Go wash up first, you smell like the set."
Landon was made restless by this rare, feminine intimacy and persistence; his curiosity was piqued once again.
He looked at Rachel, who was also blushing with eyes curved like crescent moons, mouthing "Go, go!" at him, her excitement almost overflowing.
Well, it seemed this "reveal ceremony" had a prelude.
Landon shook his head helplessly but with a smile, suppressing his eagerness, and walked quickly to the bathroom.
The warm water washed away the day's fatigue and the lingering scent of Elisha's perfume, but it couldn't wash away the increasingly strong premonition in his heart.
It was good news, it had to be. And, it might be even better than he had expected.
He returned to the dining room carrying the scent of water vapor and the fresh fragrance of shower gel.
The dining table was already set, more exquisitely than usual.
In the center stood a bottle of champagne covered in fine beads of condensation, next to several crystal-clear tulip glasses.
Several plates of appetizers that looked mouth-watering were arranged neatly; they had clearly been prepared with care.
Even more unusual was that Tracy and Rachel stood on either side of the table, and seeing him come out, they actually stepped forward together and pressed him into the "head seat," which they didn't usually fuss over.
Landon was somewhat stunned. Looking at the solemn expressions on their faces, as if they were about to perform some important ritual, his curiosity and anticipation reached their peak.