The atmosphere seemed to freeze for a subtle moment.
At this moment, Tracy just happened to come over to break the tension, poking her head out from the dining room: "You can come over to eat now!"
Dinner was simple: pizza delivered via takeout, and a vegetable salad tossed by Tracy herself.
But Britney didn't seem to mind at all; she was very easygoing and had absolutely no airs of a superstar.
She and Rachel held hands, went to the bathroom to wash their hands, and then sat down at the dining table quite naturally.
She picked up a slice of pizza and began to eat with gusto, her eating style frank and generous, without any affectation.
Of course, beautiful people look good no matter how they eat.
Up to this point, Landon was still a bit dazed.
How did Rachel get to know Britney?
And, her social skills were just too strong; in just one afternoon, she had become friends with the big star Britney who could play games together?
"Landon, that news segment of you at the convenience store was so cool!" Britney swallowed a bite of food and looked over with curious eyes.
"I just happened to see that news."
As she spoke, her gaze inadvertently shifted between Tracy and Landon.
Obviously, Britney remembered that the woman clinging tightly to Landon's back in the news footage was none other than this Tracy before her.
So, what was the relationship between Landon and Tracy?
Rachel noticed the doubt in Britney's eyes, and to prevent Britney from overthinking, she quickly explained:
"Tracy is Landon's agent, and now she is my agent too. We are together in both work and life, just like a family."
Hearing this, Britney nodded understandingly, her smile becoming bright again, and she accepted this explanation.
The dinner atmosphere was very relaxed.
After dinner, Britney and Rachel curled up on the sofa and chatted for a while, mostly about fun things between girls.
Until the sky turned dark, Britney called her assistant and bodyguard.
She stood up and hugged the three people in the room one by one to say goodbye.
"Thank you for the dinner and the game night, I had a great time! Rachel, let's meet up again tomorrow!"
She winked at Rachel, then, accompanied by her assistant and bodyguard, got into the car and disappeared into the night of Los Angeles.
The villa door closed. Landon looked at the beaming Rachel beside him, then thought of the scene he might capture tomorrow morning, feeling a complex mix of emotions.
This world is sometimes really small. Landon sighed again.
The next morning, Landon stepped onto the community track again, with the brand-new Canon digital camera hanging around his neck.
But unfortunately, luck did not favor him again.
The familiar curve was empty; there was no car, no tall and thin figure wearing a baseball cap, and no fleeting goodbye kiss.
Everything from yesterday seemed like a brief hallucination.
A complex emotion welled up in Landon's heart, mostly a faint sense of loss.
Since Britney Spears was Rachel's friend, then she was practically his friend too.
Then, reasonably and emotionally, he had to do something for his friend.
To avoid the misfortunes and hardships that would appear in the memories of later generations for this sweet-smiling girl, Landon hoped that this sweet girl's smile could always remain bright.
The wish was beautiful, but reality was cruel.
The morning run ended in calm, without any ripples.
Landon, carrying this disappointment of not getting his wish, headed to the apartment in Burbank.
After ringing the doorbell, it was Zoe who opened the door.
She looked in excellent spirits today, and upon seeing Landon, a brilliant smile immediately bloomed on her face.
"Boss! Good morning!"
Zoe performed a cheek kiss, but this time the hug seemed exceptionally long, her arms wrapped a bit tightly, and Landon could even feel the faint scent of a young girl and the pressure against him?
An absurd thought flashed through Landon's mind: Is this girl trying to compare pectoral muscles with me?
He quickly shook this strange thought out of his mind.
Walking into the living room, Landon's gaze fell on Catherine, and he was stunned for a moment, as if an invisible black line slid down his forehead.
Yesterday's punk girl had vanished without a trace.
At this moment, standing in the center of the living room was Katherine Elizabeth Hudson The Handmaiden, wearing a slightly oversized adult-style light blue shirt, topped with a fitted black blazer, with matching suit shorts on her lower body, and even wearing a pair of shiny polished leather shoes on her feet!
A pair of non-prescription black-rimmed decorative glasses were perched on the bridge of her nose, and she was holding a long, thin pointer, tapping it lightly against her palm.
Seeing Landon enter, she straightened her back, which she was already trying to keep straight, cleared her throat, and her eyes behind the lenses tried to assume a serious, scrutinizing look,
but the slightly raised chin and the hint of irrepressible pride at the corners of her mouth exposed her true state—a fifteen-year-old girl trying to play the role of a "strict teacher."
After yesterday's successful teaching, she had received a $600 daily paycheck, which caused Catherine's self-confidence to swell unprecedentedly.
She not only felt that she was fully capable of this job, but even began to enjoy "teaching" Landon.
Thinking that her best friend's handsome boss actually called her teacher, it felt exciting just to think about it.
Last night when she got home, she would recall the scene during the day while eating, her mouth curling up unconsciously, and she only came back to her senses after being patted several times by her mother.
Since she was a teacher, how could she still dress like a rebellious rock girl?
She had to look more professional and authoritative!
So, she tried hard to recall the dressing styles of the teachers in school who were most "feared" by students, and rummaged through boxes and cabinets to put together this outfit for the day.
The "surprised" expression on Zoe's face when she saw her in the morning made her convinced that she had made the right move.
At this moment, seeing Landon's expression, clearly "stunned" by her brand-new image, Catherine was overjoyed inside.
She felt that this outfit of hers, and this posture of holding the pointer, was just so teacher-like!
By the way, she forgot to assign homework yesterday, which is a big taboo in teaching; she absolutely couldn't forget today after class!
"Landon," Catherine deliberately lowered her voice, trying to make it sound more steady,
"Please sit down. We are ready to start today's lesson.
Yesterday we learned basic pitch and solfège, and today we will enter a more systematic part of music theory."
Landon resisted the urge to twitch his mouth and sat down in the position she designated.
He glanced at Zoe beside him and found that Zoe was trying hard to hold back her laughter, her shoulders slightly shaking, and she could barely hold her notebook steady.
Today's teaching officially began in such an atmosphere dominated by a "mature teacher" who was a fifteen-year-old girl.
When Katie explained basic intervals and rhythm patterns, she would occasionally wave the "pointer" in her hand to point at the whiteboard bought temporarily, trying to keep her tone serious.
But the occasional explanation with a girlish tone would still expose her age.
Landon had to concentrate all his attention to keep up with the teaching content.
He was very worried about when he would burst out laughing because of this highly contrasting scene before him.
Crucially, there was also a Zoe covering her mouth and giggling on the side.