Model to Holywood

At dusk, by the lakeside, the setting sun was as red as blood. The surface of the lake shimmered with dark red waves, and even when scooping up a handful of water, it remained the same wine-like hue.

"Is it beautiful?"

On the wooden dock, Ryan Gosling asked softly.

"It's stunning!" 

Luca admired, somewhat entranced.

"Then down you go!"

"What?"

Luca froze for a moment, only to feel a sudden kick on his backside. He lost his balance, flailing his arms before plunging into the lake with a splash.

"Hahaha~"

Ryan Gosling roared with laughter from the shore.

"Ryan! You damn jerk!"

Luca wiped the water from his face and shouted angrily.

"Haha, Luca, isn't it beautiful here? You can stay in a bit longer."

Ryan flipped him off and walked away.

"What a petty guy," Luca muttered, shaking his head. All that over a few extra kisses? Fine then, next time I'll kiss her even more.

After a major shoot like this, Luca's acting skills had improved significantly.

He used to be a C-list actor with D+ level skills, but now he'd upgraded to a solid C. In certain situations, he could even reach a B-.

With more experience under his belt, handling simpler scenes became easy. 

For example, the dating scenes between Ron Hammond and Allie took him and Rachel less than five days to wrap up.

Soon, only the final scene remained.

Ron Hammond had learned about Allie and Noah's past, so he rushed from L.A. to the small town where he confronted Allie in a hotel for their last conversation.

That afternoon, inside the dimly lit hotel room, Luca paced by the window, a cigarette slowly burning down in his hand.

Rachel sat by the bed, her eyes swollen from crying.

"OK~"

After a long silence, Luca took a deep breath but accidentally inhaled too much smoke. He coughed violently, almost straining his voice.

Outside the set, John furrowed his brow.

That cough wasn't part of the scene when they discussed it earlier. Luca was improvising.

He glanced at the director behind the monitor.

Director Nick was stroking his beard, staring at the screen without a word.

"OK~"

Luca rubbed his nose and sighed. "Now, I have three options: first, I shoot him."

"No~"

Rachel shook her head.

"Second, I could beat him up, or third…"

Luca paused before slowly saying, "I leave you!"

"No~"

Rachel shook her head again, looking up at him, tears streaming down her face.

"But none of these options are good."

Luca took two steps forward, reaching the bedside, staring at her with eyes full of indescribable reluctance, sadness, and pain.

"Close-up!" 

Director Nick called out.

The cameraman immediately zoomed in on Luca's eyes—deep black, pure and glistening with a faint sheen.

"Those are beautiful eyes, so expressive and pure. He's better suited for artistic films," John couldn't help but praise.

Nick, resting his chin on his hand, gave a slight nod.

Art films test an actor's skill the most and highlight their strengths. With eyes that could "speak" and the willingness to hone his craft, Luca would surely be welcomed by directors in that genre.

"You understand, don't you?" Luca bit his lip, suppressing a hint of bitterness. "No matter what choice I make, I can't have you, despite everything that's happened."

He blinked, softly adding, "I still love you."

"Ah~" 

Rachel covered her mouth, sobbing uncontrollably.

"Cut!"

Director Nick shook his head, a bit helpless. "You two need to hold back a bit. There's still one more scene, and you've already hit such an emotional high. How are we supposed to follow that? Should we rewrite the script so Ron and Allie end up together?"

Luca smirked, "Honestly, I wouldn't mind. I think Ron and Allie are a better match. Noah could pair up with the widow Martha."

"Do you want Ryan to push you into the lake again?"

Nick asked dryly.

Rachel chuckled through her tears.

The rest of the crew chuckled softly as well.

Luca shrugged, "If it means Ron and Allie can be together, I don't mind a few more lake dives."

"That won't be necessary."

Nick waved his hand. "Take five minutes to adjust. Keep things toned down at first, and let the emotions build slowly. If you reach the emotional peak too soon, the following scenes will feel flat. To be a competent actor, you not only have to nail every moment but also have a sense of the bigger picture."

Luca and Rachel quietly absorbed the advice.

"OK~ let's get ready!"

"Scene 22, take 3, shot 3, action!"

The crew resumed filming. Luca and Rachel suppressed their emotions in the beginning, trying not to make the atmosphere too heavy or oppressive.

Luca attempted to manage his emotions more carefully. Previously, he would build up all his feelings and release them all at once during a performance, leaving nothing behind.

Now, he was learning to control his emotions, allocating them more reasonably, and using them where they were most needed, with moderation and restraint.

"When I put the ring on your finger, I meant every word."

Luca spoke softly.

"So did I," Rachel replied, wiping away her tears, gesturing with her hands. "But being with Noah feels completely different from being with you."

Luca lowered his head, grinding out the cigarette stub with his toe. He sighed softly and sat down beside Rachel.

"It's normal not to forget your first love."

He kissed her hand gently, looking at her intently. "I love you, Allie, but I want you to make your own choice. I don't want to convince my fiancée that she has to stay with me."

"No, you don't need to."

Rachel shook her head. "I already know I should be with you."

Luca stared at her intently, and Rachel stared back. Neither moved.

"Cut!"

Nick replayed the footage three times, then waved his hand.

"That's a wrap!"

Phew~

Luca let out a long sigh and lay flat on the bed.

"Haha, Luca, congrats, your scenes are done!" 

Rachel laughed, patting his arm.

"Thanks!"

Luca sighed, covering his forehead.

"What are you going to do now that filming's over?"

"Emm~" Luca rubbed his temples, "I don't want to do anything. Filming these past few days has been exhausting, like I've been completely drained."

Rachel chuckled softly. "This film was tough, but *Mean Girls* will be much easier. Next time, it'll be more relaxed."

"Mean Girls?" 

Luca raised an eyebrow. "Do we have a kiss scene in *Mean Girls*?"

Rachel thought for a moment, then burst out laughing.

"Looks like we do! Are you scared?"

"A little."

Luca spread his hands. "There's no lake in L.A., but I'm worried Ryan will push me off a building instead."

"Hahaha~"

"Luca, you have so much potential. I hope you value it. If you're interested in acting, consider doing more art films. They'll help you grow even more."

At the evening banquet in the hotel, Nick patted him on the shoulder.

Luca nodded. "Nick, thanks for the advice and for all your guidance and support. I've learned a lot during this time."

"No need!" 

Nick waved it off. "To be honest, many times we didn't even turn on the camera during your scenes."

Luca blinked in surprise. "So, I was just performing for nothing?"

"Oh~ I guess you were," Nick smirked and walked away.

Luca clenched his wine glass, tempted to throw it at the shameless man.

"Hey~ Luca, your flight's tomorrow morning, right?" 

Ryan approached, holding a glass of wine.

"Yeah!"

"Oh~ yeah~" 

Ryan sighed in relief.

"What's with that look? Do you want me gone that badly?" 

Luca asked, annoyed.

"Haha, no, no, how could I want you to leave? Haven't we had a great time together these past few days?"

"A great time?"

Luca scoffed. This guy spent his days either flaunting his relationship or jealously watching over him and Rachel during their scenes—a real pain.

"Luca, goodbye. I'll miss you."

Ryan grinned, giving him a shoulder hug.

"...Thanks anyway."

Luca playfully punched Ryan a few times.

Ryan grimaced as he let go.

"Luca, see you on the next set!" 

Rachel also came over to give him a hug.

"See you in L.A.!"

Luca smiled gently.

"Hey~ you two, enough already! That hug lasted five seconds!" 

Ryan complained.

"Ryan!" 

Rachel glared at him before laughing mischievously. "Luca, how about we hug again?"

"Sure!"

"Stop!!"

Ryan shouted, dramatically raising his nose in protest.

As he was about to leave, Luca passed by the bar again.

Just like the previous nights, the bar was bustling with people—men and women entangled in the lively night.

Luca lit a cigarette, standing there quietly for a moment. When it burned down to ash, he turned and walked into the night, becoming a faint silhouette.

"Luca, wait for me!"

"Luca, wait for me!"

Tony, after bidding farewell to a chubby girl, shouted and ran after him.

"Luca, I've been doing pretty well lately, right? You're not going to kick me off, are you?"

"We'll see about that!"