Hollywood: Star Kid

At the pristine dining table, Ryan absentmindedly scraped his fork and knife over an empty plate, clearly lost in thought. Kinsley sat across from him, waiting for breakfast. She had come over early this morning, just in time to sample Nicole Kidman's cooking.

Her eyes swept over the package beside her—one that Ryan had handed to her just moments ago. Unlike before, this script had already been packed before being given to her. It was addressed to France, to an actor named Jean Reno, a name she had heard before.

Naturally, the package contained a copy of the script for Léon: The Professional. Ryan didn't send it directly to Luc Besson. After all, well-known directors and producers like him probably received countless scripts every day and might not even glance at most of them. It was better to send it to his close friend Jean Reno instead.

Ryan believed that the character design sketches of Léon alone would be enough to catch the interest of the big-nosed actor.

As for the original manuscript of the script, that was to be given to Natalie—it would be quite meaningful for her to keep it, wouldn't it?

Though, he did remember that in his previous life, when she grew up, she really disliked this role… Would she burn it in a fit of rage?

Ryan hadn't let Nicole or Kinsley read the script. Its content was guaranteed to spark controversy. Nicole would definitely ask him to shelve it for a few years.

But Ryan had no such intention. He was determined to bring the most iconic loli character to life with his own hands.

> "Lolita, light of my life…"

Ryan was lost in his fantasy when he suddenly felt warmth on his forehead. Snapping back to reality, he realized Nicole had walked over with breakfast and planted a gentle kiss with her red lips on his forehead.

"It's been a long time since I had your homemade breakfast!" Ryan looked eager.

"You probably won't like it," Nicole Kidman said while serving breakfast: bacon and eggs, French rolls, hot milk, and a small portion of beans.

"Oh God, Nicole, why do we have to eat beans for breakfast too?"

Ryan twitched the corners of his mouth. There had been beans at dinner last night, and now there were beans again for breakfast. God knew how much he hated beans—now, if it were tofu, that might be different.

"No complaining. You have to finish everything. It's for your health. Do you know why I'm so tall? Because I've loved beans since I was a child. You don't want to grow up shorter than me, do you?" Nicole always had a reason to convince him. Knowing him so well, she knew Ryan was afraid of not growing taller.

"Sweetheart, height is mostly genetic. I'll be at least six feet tall in the future!" Ryan said, even as he reluctantly scooped up a few beans with his spoon like he was heading to the executioner's block, frowning all the while.

"Then why are you always worried about not growing tall?"

"Because you're too tall! God, you're almost six feet! That's too much pressure for a guy!"

"Alright, stop complaining. You're not a man yet—just a boy." After serving Ryan and Kinsley, Nicole sat down as well.

Ryan was just habitually grumbling. No matter what Nicole prepared for breakfast, he would always eat it all—let alone a few dozen beans.

For Americans, breakfast was also a great time to discuss business, even if only one person at the table was a full-blooded American.

"Ryan, I went to New York a few days ago. Guess who I saw?" asked Kinsley.

"New York? Could it be Nat?" Ryan made a casual guess. Since last summer, when he mentioned it to Kinsley, she had gone to see Natalie perform in New York several times but had never made direct contact.

"That's right," Kinsley said with a smile. "I've already signed her to a manager's contract."

"Ah—" Ryan blinked. Natalie and Mrs. Sherry were fine, but her father was a real pain. "How did you persuade Mr. Avner?"

Kinsley shrugged without giving a straight answer. "Persuasion is a basic skill for a manager. Besides…"

"What?" Ryan was annoyed at her teasing.

"I secured a film opportunity for her."

"A film?" Ryan nearly lost it. Could it be that Natalie would change her debut film? "What movie?"

Schindler's List!

Clatter—

Ryan dropped his spoon on the table, and several beans even fell out of his gaping mouth.

Natalie in Schindler's List? What kind of joke was that? Under Nicole's stern gaze, Ryan quickly rubbed his face and tidied up the table.

"W-What's going on?" he demanded.

"Well," Kinsley was practically laughing herself silly; it was the first time she'd seen Ryan so shocked, "Steven's crew needed a lot of Jewish actors, so I recommended Nat to him. He agreed."

"Nat agreed?" He remembered clearly that in his past life, aside from the stage play The Diary of Anne Frank, Natalie never took on any Holocaust-related roles. In fact, she openly stated she didn't want to do such films.

"She hesitated a bit, but when she heard that Steven had also invited you, she agreed."

"Me?"

"Oh, I haven't had a chance to tell you yet," Kinsley added. "Before Steven went to Poland, he called me and offered you a role—a Jewish janitor working under a Nazi officer."

"I see." Ryan's mind turned quickly. This was a rare opportunity. In fact, even if Spielberg hadn't offered, he would have approached him about it when he went to Poland. "Alright, I'll take it."

He added, "Pat, tell Steven I'll act in the film for free."

A janitor? Ryan thought for a moment and roughly guessed which character it was. It looked like he'd be killed in the film.

As for Natalie, he could more or less guess what she was thinking. The two of them had debated for years—about art, their individual strengths, and even current affairs and politics.

Now that there was a chance to act in the same movie and compete head-to-head, this proud and confident girl naturally wouldn't pass it up.

Originally, he wanted to give Natalie a call, but since he was leaving for New York today, he figured he might as well wait until they met in person.

"Ryan, it's getting late. Are you packed yet?" After breakfast, Nicole came to his room and checked his luggage. "Also, since I won't be with you, take care of yourself. Remember to call every day. Don't stray from George's sight, and no mischief—got it?"

"Got it." Ryan stuffed his fountain pen, sketchpad, and notebook into his backpack. "Nicole, you make sure to call me too."

Ryan already had a mobile phone, though it was big and clunky, so George carried it for him.

He only brought along clothes and personal documents. Instruments and such had already been shipped by Hollywood Records. The purpose of this trip to New York was simple: to hold the release event for his new album in Times Square!

Nicole helped him carry the suitcase downstairs. George had already parked the car at the villa's front entrance. Kinsley and an assistant would be accompanying him as well.

"Nicole, it'll be a long time before I see you again," Ryan said as they prepared to part.

The woman pulled the boy into a strong embrace and kissed his forehead. Ryan buried himself into the familiar arms that he missed so much, taking in deep breaths of the scent that brought him peace. Whether from impulsiveness or something more mysterious, he lightly bit Nicole's chest through the thin knit shirt.

The moment his teeth touched the softness, he immediately realized he had messed up big time. He quickly let go and, before Nicole could react, opened the car door and jumped in.

"Bye, Nicole! Don't forget to study the Jurassic Park script!"

Waving goodbye, the car sped off from their home.

"You little brat!" Nicole cursed softly, then looked at the spot on her shirt dampened by saliva. She shook her head and smiled.

After all, Ryan used to do this kind of thing when he was younger. Nicole didn't take it seriously. But she forgot—both she and he possessed Oscar-worthy acting skills. When it came to a showdown, who could truly see through the other?

On the plane, Ryan and Kinsley sat in first class while the others were in business class. For most of the flight, Kinsley was like a nanny—reminding him of safety procedures during takeoff, covering him with a blanket when he closed his eyes, and handing him his favorite strawberry juice when he got thirsty.

Thinking about what he did before leaving home, Ryan felt like slapping himself. Do you want to ruin your entire life just to feel satisfied?

Still, that feeling really was wonderful. Ryan drifted off into thought again. Even though Nicole Kidman was a beauty, she did have flaws—like her feet being too big and her chest being a bit small. But in his eyes, she was the most beautiful. How warm and sweet it had been to fall asleep in her arms as a child. If only…

You idiot! Would it kill you to not think about that? Remember—you're only twelve! You're Nicole Kidman's little brother! Ryan shook his head forcefully, took a deep breath, and finally calmed his restless heart.

There were some things he didn't want to think about, yet he unconsciously ignored the fact that those thoughts were surfacing more and more frequently in his mind.

The plane landed smoothly at Kennedy Airport. As soon as Ryan stepped out of the VIP passageway, dozens of reporters swarmed in like flies smelling blood.

"Ryan, can you predict the first-week sales of your debut album?"

"Will the overlapping release dates of your album and novel create any negative impact?"

"…"

With the protection of airport security and record label staff, Ryan didn't answer any questions and quickly left the airport.

Hollywood Records had pulled out all the stops for this launch event. They booked Ryan into the Waldorf Astoria Hotel. Thankfully, that pink fairy who also stayed there was reportedly traveling. Otherwise, he'd be dealing with a major headache.

Even so, there was no peace to be had. Many fans had already found out where he was staying and gathered at the hotel entrance, chanting his name. Ryan had no choice but to open the suite's window and wave to the crowd from time to time.

Fortunately, the floor wasn't too high, so people below could see him clearly—enough to fulfill some of the fans' wishes.