Chapter 82: 82
As soon as Gu Ran secured the two luxurious rooms, Sophie shyly protested, "Gu, we could just share one room… to save money."
Gu Ran firmly shook his head. "Sophie, we don't need to save money! Two rooms! You deserve this!"
Sophie's mouth twitched slightly, unsure whether to be touched or exasperated.
The concierge smiled professionally, "Understood, sir. Please follow me to complete the check-in."
Within minutes, Gu Ran had swiped his card, received the room keys, and was following the bellboy to the fifth floor.
After placing Sophie's luggage neatly inside her luxurious suite, the bellboy bowed politely and stepped aside.
Sophie hesitated at the door, her cheeks flushed with color. "Gu, would you like to… come in and sit for a bit?"
Holy sh*t…
Tonight… something might actually happen…
Gu Ran felt his heart race for a split second, but then forced himself to stay calm.
"No, Sophie." He took a deep breath. "You have your audition tomorrow. You need to go over the key scenes I marked for you."
Audition first.
If she messed up because of tonight, it would ruin her entire future.
This was exactly why Gu Ran insisted on two rooms.
If they shared one…
No one would be getting any sleep tonight.
And honestly? Sophie's heart was already unlocked. There would be plenty of chances later.
Sophie bit her lip, a little disappointed, but nodded. "Okay… goodnight, then."
"Goodnight."
She turned to enter her room—then suddenly spun back around.
Before Gu Ran could react, she threw herself into his arms, tiptoeing up to press a kiss against his lips.
Sh*t.
Her movements were bold, passionate—yet clumsy, unpracticed.
All feelings. No technique.
Gu Ran's self-control nearly snapped.
His hand instinctively tightened around her waist, his lips moving expertly in response.
No feelings. All technique.
Sophie shuddered under the intensity, losing herself completely.
The situation was spiraling out of control.
The bellboy coughed awkwardly in the background.
Excuse me… I AM STILL HERE.
Please respect the presence of a single, lonely man.
Gu Ran clenched his fists.
If this continued… there was no stopping it.
Realistically? He could easily go through with this.
But—
He couldn't let her audition be ruined because of a moment of desire.
A true man can be a pervert, but he must be a noble pervert.
Gu Ran took a deep breath and broke away gently. "Sophie… goodnight."
Sophie blinked up at him, her misty blue eyes filled with shock and disappointment. "Gu… do you… not want me?"
WHAT?!
No, no, NO.
He wasn't rejecting her—he was just trying to be responsible!
Gu Ran hurriedly explained, "Sophie, it's not like that. I just want you to focus. This audition is important."
Sophie bit her lip, looking a bit sad. "You're right… You really are a gentleman… Goodnight, Gu."
"Goodnight."
She reluctantly turned away, stepping into her room and gently closing the door behind her.
Gu Ran stared at her door and let out a deep sigh.
It would've been so easy…
But.
He was a gentleman.
He was so touched by his own self-restraint that he wanted to give himself an award.
Behind him, the bellboy cleared his throat again.
Gu Ran jumped. "F*ck! You're still here?!"
The bellboy bowed politely. "Apologies, sir. You and the young lady were… occupied, so I waited until you were finished. Now, do you find my service satisfactory?"
Gu Ran immediately realized—
This guy was waiting for a tip.
Oh, sh*t.
I forgot to tip.
In British culture, not tipping service staff was practically the same as cursing them out.
Gu Ran quickly pulled out a £50 note. "Here, here."
The bellboy's eyes lit up, but he remained standing expectantly.
Gu Ran raised an eyebrow. "By the way, are there any celebrities staying in the hotel tonight?"
The bellboy put on a professional smile. "Apologies, sir. I'm not allowed to disclose any guest information."
Ah. Right.
Gu Ran sighed and slowly pulled out two more £50 notes.
The bellboy's eyes widened slightly.
"Ah, sir, in that case—"
Gu Ran immediately stuffed the extra £100 back into his wallet. "Forget it. I must have asked the wrong person."
The bellboy panicked. "Wait! I do have some news!"
He quickly whispered, "There are no celebrities staying here tonight…"
Gu Ran raised an eyebrow.
The bellboy continued, grinning sneakily, "But an international star has booked the Royal Suite for next week! Of course, she may cancel—celebrities often give fake reservations to throw off the paparazzi—but she will be coming to the UK soon."
Gu Ran's interest piqued. "Who is it?"
The bellboy leaned in close and whispered, "The actress who just finished filming Alice in Wonderland…"
HOLY SH*T.
The bellboy quickly snatched the £150 from Gu Ran's hand and disappeared before he could ask anything else.
Alice in Wonderland…
The White Queen.
Anne Hathaway.
Gu Ran's heart skipped a beat.
Anne Hathaway?!
She was one of his all-time favorite actresses!
If she really was coming to the UK, and if he could meet her in person…
No, no, stay calm.
First of all, the bellboy could be talking out of his ass.
Even if Anne was coming, she might not actually stay at The Ritz.
Even if she did stay, he might not get close enough to interact.
£150 gone.
Was it worth it?
Maybe not.
But maybe…
Gu Ran sighed and headed back to his room.
The moment his head hit the velvet-covered pillow, he passed out instantly.
And in his dreams—
The White Queen walked barefoot into his room and asked, "Would you like to play a game with me?"
The next morning after breakfast, Gu Ran took Sophie to her audition.
The casting notice didn't reveal the specific show, only labeling it as an "HBO Fantasy Drama."
But from the details?
It had to be Game of Thrones.
The audition venue was a large makeshift soundstage, with over 500 actors waiting for their turn.
At the far end of the room, a white enclosed audition room stood waiting.
Each actor had to wait for their number to be called before stepping inside to perform.
Sophie was #73 in line.
Each audition took only a few minutes, and her turn was approaching quickly.
Sophie fidgeted nervously, whispering, "Gu, I'm scared… There are so many pretty actresses here. Maybe I should just quit…"
Gu Ran smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry. You're perfect for this role. I'm 100% certain."
Sophie's eyes softened. "Gu, you're so sweet. Thank you for believing in me…"
Gu Ran turned—
And suddenly froze.
Wait.
That's…
Is that… the actress who played Shae?!
And that's… Ygritte?!
Margaery Tyrell?!
HOLY SH*T.
A ROOM FULL OF FUTURE GAME OF THRONES ACTRESSES?!
Gu Ran's eyes lit up.
Like a wolf who had just wandered into a sheep farm.
So many talent points… So many skill bubbles…
Sophie: "Gu? Where are you going?"
Gu Ran walked off without looking back. "Sophie, you got this. I'm going to go… chat with some of the other actresses."
Sophie: …