Hollywood Domination Chapter 247: Cesare’s emotional card

"This should be our fourth meeting in a year." Cesare said, he took Jenny to her office, "Really? Or is my memory wrong?"

"Since I set off to shoot "Iron Man"?" Jenny recalled, "Almost, maybe one or two meetings in the middle were forgotten."

She shrugged and took the initiative to pick up the topic, "But it's been a full year since the last time we really talked - I mean, chat, not talk, you know the difference. "

"Of course." Cesare said absently, "Of course, tea?"

"Just give me a glass of water." Jenny hesitated for a while, and chose to sit on the small sofa in the reception area: Cesare does not have any position in the dream on the surface, and of course he does not have an office. Before Dameng received investment from Disney, it was a grassroots team. It was not difficult to keep an office without a famous brand. But now, Dameng’s operation is becoming more and more formal, which makes them pay more and more attention to The details of the procedure, Cesare shared the office with Jim before, but now, the Internet marketing department of Dameng is also on the right track, Jim is getting more and more busy, and Jenny's office is basically vacant all year round, so he occupies her office to give orders. This is of course not a problem in normal times, but now, Jenny feels that she has no confidence to sit in the main seat, but she also does not want to take the initiative to sit in the guest seat in front of the desk and give up all the control to Cesare.

Cesare seemed to be somewhat aware of her mental activities, and the corners of his mouth were slightly upturned - but of course it was not the amiable standard smile he had when facing clients. He put a glass of water in front of Jenny, "To be precise, the last time we really talked about something non-work related was a year and a half ago. I was sick and you took care of me--that's really been a year Halfway? How time flies—but, Jenny, if I had to define it, I'd say 'talking' almost never happens between the two of us."

Jenny knew that Cesare didn't mean that, it was just a trick he made, she couldn't help showing a slight smile, and felt a trace of vitality begin to flow back: this **** jet lag.

"Really?" she asked, "but I thought I was just matching your personality and preferences, I mean, if you will let me ask, I have a lot of questions to ask you-I I heard that you have a young girlfriend, is that right? Cesare, did you learn your uppercase and lowercase skills and animation expressions from her? When can I meet her?"

Seeing the change in Cesare's expression, she proudly said, "You know, you are not the only one who will ambush the eyeliner."

Since she left Los Angeles to film "Iron Man", the busy schedule and time difference have indeed kept her and Cesare from sitting down and chatting for a long time. The feeling of being brave still makes Jenny feel very kind, reminding her of the time when she was a young actress. Of course she knew that whatever Cesare said was for her own good, but she was still willing to put on this slightly provocative and joking attitude. Jenny was a little reluctant to admit it to herself, but she still wanted to be a fool if she could. ——It would be great if we could end the conversation with a few jokes.

"Jim." Cesare said, with little anger in his tone, "he does talk a little too much sometimes. However, this is not what we are going to talk about today—maybe you think I I was joking with you just now, but I have to say this from my heart, Jenny, we have known each other and worked together for seven years, which is almost forever in Hollywood, of course, I admit that I know you well and know your living habits , personality, preferences, I have my understanding, some are shared by you, some are my guesses - I believe I am one of the few people who know you most in the world."

Thinking of how naively he said those bold words at that dinner seven years ago, and how naively Cesare recorded her words, as if for a moment he truly believed What she said can all come true, how binding it is, and then think about what those promises have transformed into now, and how much the two of them have changed so far——Jenny also Can't help laughing, "Yes, of course you are, only you can understand how much we have all been through in the past seven years-we have been through so much! Almost more than me-than... than a Ordinary people have experienced more ups and downs in their lifetime."

Cesare's eyes also softened, and he admitted, "Yes, we have both changed each other's career trajectory, so we have more or less changed each other's life."

But his willpower was not shaken, and Cesare continued to push forward, as if he saw through Jeanne's reluctance, but he didn't want to make any concessions because of it. "However, I would point out that, Jenny, there was no real conversation between us, of course, we had meaningful conversations, we exerted influence on each other, we trusted each other. But in those exchanges we had , we are never talking about yourself, we are talking about my life - I am not accusing you, or complaining that this is unfair, this is what I am willing to share with you.”

Cesare said, "We talk about our feelings, but we never really talk about you, Jenny, most of our communication is I say you listen, you are very private about yourself, if the conversation means When two friends talk about their lives with an open mind and without defense, I can say with certainty that although we communicate frequently and occasionally, we never talk.”

Jenny opened her mouth, wanting to defend herself—she was not only hurt, but also angry, how could Cesare say that they hadn't talked? How can it be said that she is very secretive about her affairs, isn't this implying that she is selfish and closed? Has he been--

However, facing his piercing blue eyes and his unmoved indifferent expression, she swallowed the words again: After the quarrel with Chris, Jenny has realized what is wrong with her. Feeling that her weakness has been hit, she will unnaturally ignite anger, without thinking, and even irrationally put on a hurt posture, and can't help but put herself on the right side. Chris’s relationship with her ended so badly because of what she said in the hotel, and she didn’t lie to Meryl, which made her feel guilty many times in retrospect. This is a problem she is determined to get rid of, and she feels that Cesare is not Chris, Chris will be angry, and this trick may not work against Cesare at all.

"I..." she said, helplessly admitting Cesare's words. Of course, he has no real evidence, but this kind of thing does not need evidence. Denying is futile. As long as she is honest with herself, Jenny has to admit, Cesare was right, she never 'talked about her life with an open mind and defenseless', which is not surprising since she couldn't have 'talked with an open mind and defenseless' own life', if she talks about it, I'm afraid she will really be sent to a mental hospital.

"I'm not saying this is a problem," Cesare said, his conversation today was very relaxed, unlike when the two confronted each other in the past, his shoulders were loose, and he didn't lean forward to look for Jenny's eyes : As if worried that this would scare Jenny away. "First of all, our relationship prioritizes partners. It is a good thing to keep a certain distance from each other, which is conducive to a professional work attitude. Secondly, I soon discovered that you did not deliberately target me. This is just your habit. People have never opened themselves up, the closer you are, the more you can feel that you are a fog. I have known you for several years, but there are many times when I still don’t know what you are thinking. Not uncommon - at your request, I talked to Chris and I found he feels the same way, much more than I do, and it's this feeling that makes him so uneasy that he thinks you're His understanding has been very deep, but for some reason, he feels that he doesn’t understand you at all, he feels very unbalanced in emotional connection, he has been giving, but it is difficult to feel your response.”

Even after talking with Chris, Jenny still couldn't help feeling sad: Cesare is right, of course she is a very good girlfriend to outsiders, and everything she does is beyond reproach, but people After all, she is not a fool. For those close to her, her closeness may not be a secret for a long time. For friends, this kind of closeness does not hinder their friendship, but in a romantic relationship, this kind of closeness is undoubtedly the greatest. Shadow, this feeling of hurting a good person made her very uncomfortable. Even with friends, Lillian, who had opened up her whole life to her, she had a regret of not being able to reciprocate with the same frankness—this was the first time anyone had pointed this out to her, talked to her about it. This is not the first time her mood has been affected by this problem, but before, this kind of loss may have been just a touch of sadness, but under Cesare's objective and sharp words, it transformed into a strong sin It made her even feel unbearable.

"I'm so sorry—" she said, her eyes reddened and her throat choked with sadness, "really, if this hurt you—"

"It didn't hurt me," said Cesare, his blue eyes narrowing, "and if you're talking about Mary and Lillian, your only friends, you didn't hurt them either, But I do hope you don't cry, and this is the core issue I want to talk to you about."

He took out a tissue and handed it to Jenny, waiting patiently for her to calm down—the neon lights outside the window cast a flowing light on his face, but the light was fading, and the lights in the office went out one by one , even in Hollywood, the city that never sleeps, people are starting to come home from work.

"I'm listening." Jenny said, the emotional fluctuation was only for a moment, and she quickly returned to normal, and even felt embarrassed because of the behavior just now: it was not obvious, but it seemed that Monroe's state just now returned , This feeling of collapsing when encountering a problem is really monroe. ——Maybe it's because Cesare's gentle attitude is different from before, maybe it's because she really found a trustworthy person to talk to. Now, that sense of resistance has gradually disappeared, and she is really listening.

"I've been aware of this feature of yours for a while, but I don't think it's a shortcoming that needs to be changed. Everyone has their own personality. Maybe you're just very introverted." Cesare was also thinking , his tone was slow and cautious, "but now, I think it has become your hindrance. In the past, your mental state has always been healthy, of course there will be low tides, but you can easily get out of them with just some encouragement , but now I believe you feel it too, something is wrong with you, and you are not the only one who realizes this, Mary told me something, I will observe and test myself, you are in a bad state of mind, I Hope you tell me what happened to you, is it because you broke up with Chris?"

"There is a part of..." Jenny tried to sort out her mood, but she—she didn't know how to say it, although she needed to talk like an explosion, and needed support like a drowning, but she really Dislikes being honest with another person about one's weaknesses, "but not all."

"I don't think that's the main reason either," Cesare said, "you were in a good mood in Wellington—then, as you said to Meryl, it has to do with being in the scene." Huh?"

"Well..." Jenny fell into the dilemma of expressing again, "I don't know how to describe it specifically, but I tried a new technique in this shooting, and the effect is good, but the aftereffect is that I can't get out. I don't know, I guess the thing about Chris was also a trigger."

"Okay." Cesare's tone was calm, as if this was just a piece of cake, a small problem that could be fixed immediately. "So can you give up this new technique? Would you like to?"

Jenny didn't speak, but just looked at Cesare. Of course, she didn't think about giving up the new technique and using the old way to play Monroe. She thought about it thousands of times during those sleepless nights. If "Dream "Lu" is not a project that she facilitated from scratch, it is not her painstaking efforts, maybe this idea will really have a certain temptation, but now? Now that she has come this far?

"You don't want to." Cesare said, "May I ask why?"

"Because the new technique makes me better." Jenny said without thinking, "because it brings me closer to the peak."

The corners of Cesare's eyes showed lines of laughter, his lips curled up, and for the first time tonight he showed a real smile, a relaxed one—

"Then you are still you, Jenny Jefferson," he said, "you are still the girl who strives for excellence, you just have a little problem."

His smile is sincere, relaxed, and even a little gentle, but it is still a wolf-like smile, and it still carries countless shadows of Cesare's grin: When he showed his ambition to her, when he got her the opportunity to perform in "Pirates of the Caribbean", when he **** the price and increased her worth by more than ten times - as time went by, she became Cesare's VIP client has become the VIP who calls the wind and rain in Hollywood. He rarely has the opportunity to show her such a proud and condescending smile. However, this smile has never left him. Maybe he hides it better, maybe He used it without any scruples on suitable occasions—Jenni suddenly realized that the years did not make Cesare old and tired, on the contrary, it made him more radiant, more mature and charming, it made him more perfect.

Of course she also knows him very well. Cesare is as busy as her, or even busier than her. He has the same burden as her, but Cesare has always had an advantage over her , perhaps at the beginning, the distinction was not obvious, but as time went on it finally emerged: Cesare really loved what he was doing, he loved his work, he loved what he achieved, Of course, there are all kinds of problems in his life, and maybe he also has the risk of getting lost, but his career is his anchor, just like he said to her, he draws endlessly from his career. Nutritious and happy, but in this point, she is different from him.

But she couldn't explain to him why she was different, and she couldn't explain why she could only say that she was rushing ducks to the shelves at the beginning, which didn't match her rhetoric back then. Misunderstanding, for Cesare, they are still like-minded, but there is a small problem that needs to be solved. The pursuit of excellence is her driving force and the source of her sense of security. As long as this small problem is solved, she can Returning to the original state of health and continuing to sprint towards their common goal, from this point of view, she also lied to him——

"Yeah..." Jenny whispered, she was almost whispering to herself, "It's just that there are big problems in the pursuit of excellence."

"But you still don't want to give up." Cesare said immediately, he seemed to have noticed something - he bent down, supported himself with his elbows on his knees, and kept staring at Jenny, "This is the truth. It is the most important point."

"I really don't want to give up," said Jenny, with a surge of irritability: "But you just don't understand! ’ "But...but it's just that I don't know how to solve the current problem--"

"Then, it's time to bring in the help of a professional." Cesare leaned back on the sofa and announced without doubt, "—a psychiatrist."

Jenny wanted to speak, but he stopped him, "I know you won't like this idea, but listen to me - first, many method actors need long-term intervention by a psychologist, both Daniel and Meryl My own doctor, since you have already experienced the common psychological barriers of method actors, seeking professional help is the most effective way, and many psychologists in Hollywood are very experienced in this.”

Jenny had to admit that Cesare had a point.

"Second, the United States is different from the United Kingdom. Based on the doctor-patient agreement, it is impossible for your psychiatrist to disclose your status, otherwise he will face sky-high lawsuits and prison. There was a great uproar, and the domestic media couldn't be so stupid, you don't need to worry about your * being stolen and used, this kind of treatment is absolutely safe." Cesare said, he shrugged, "Before that, You don't have similar needs, so I don't propose. After all, you usually regulate yourself well, and the occasional low tide can be relieved with the help of friends, but I'm afraid you have limited friends now, and I am also very busy , I have no time to take care of your mental health meticulously - I also lack this kind of professional ability, knowing that outstanding professionals are looking after you can make me feel at ease, of course I don't want to play the emotional card, but if you treat me as a friend - "

"Okay, okay." Jenny said quickly, "Don't play the emotional card, I promise to see a psychiatrist."

She did not deny that Cesare's guess was accurate, and this idea made her feel uncomfortable, and she also doubted the effect of going to the doctor. But now she seems to have lost the room to refuse - if Cesare came up and put pressure, it would be easier to handle, but unfortunately he is obviously not such a fool, but carefully weaves a warm atmosphere, adopts the gentle He used various means to influence her, so that she had to agree to this proposal that she had never considered agreeing to. Like Chris, Cesare is an expert in manipulating people, but his methods seem to be more sophisticated than Chris, just like now, she clearly sees the gleaming pride and joy in his blue eyes, but Unable to feel the anger of being manipulated, he could only say sarcastically, "I guess, of course you have already connected me with an impeccably good doctor."

"Of course," Cesare said, "In fact, I have already made an appointment for you. This good doctor is free the morning after tomorrow. You can go to see a psychiatrist before returning to the company. We have to discuss "Monroe" ” marketing strategy, and of course the post-production issue, your progress is a bit slow, if we still have to catch up with the Cannes Film Festival, I’m afraid we’ll have to do post-production while filming.”

"I just said why Mary has a free time in the morning!" Jenny said, she thought about her schedule, and could only shake her head with a wry smile, "Okay, it's going to be on the plane again, No problem, I'm used to it."

"I'll have your company meetings deleted, except for "Monroe"—you're the only producer after all." Cesare said—in fact, Jenny is so busy mainly because she She also has to rush to finish the post-production dubbing and some publicity work for Iron Man. She doesn't have too many big dream projects in her itinerary. Moreover, now that Cesare said so, Jenny suddenly noticed that he hadn't talked to her for a long time. I have talked about the Oscars, at least not about the prospect of "Michael"—"If you want, I can cancel the Oscar eve party for you."

"Forget it." Jenny weighed it up, and reluctantly gave up this very tempting idea, "If we cancel this, I guess the media will have something to say, you know they recently How much I like to speculate all this time that I've actually been secretly insane for a long time. We can't let the media - and the people who manipulate the media to deliver these stories, be proud of us, can we?"

Cesare smiled slightly, "Then I guess going to the eve party and showing off your feathers in front of your enemies would be a good way to relieve stress."

"itis." Jenny finished drinking the water, she stood up, "I guess there will be no cigars for tonight, is it?"

"It looks so." Cesare sent her to the door of the office, "——I will stay a little longer."

Mary and her team of bodyguards were waiting for her downstairs, and Jenny nodded and walked to the elevator.

"Hey," Cesare called across the floor of the office to stop her when she reached the gate.

Jenny turned her head to find him leaning against the door, his shirt cuffs half rolled up: obviously he was going to have a big fight after she was gone.

"Pursue excellence, remember?" Cesare said almost lazily, shaking his fist at her.

Although this sentence means so many problems to her, although it makes her feel very guilty, but——Jenny found that after so many years, so many nights of exhaustion until the power was cut off After nights of low mood, nights of exhaustion, countless nights that were on the verge of giving up, but never gave up, and even could not accept giving up——

This sentence did not make her feel more depressed like just now, on the contrary, this sentence with complicated meanings to her, at this moment, injected her with a warm, confident, firm and real energy, She is not Monroe, and she does not need to know whether she is Chen Zhen or Jenny Jefferson, she is her, and her connection with reality is composed of so many endless late nights, formed by every drop of sweat, In this moment she is who she is, a woman bruised and worn out who still strives for excellence, and no matter what she pursues for excellence, the process is still real and heavy, without any falsehood.

"Pursue excellence," she said, and Chong Cesare grinned, "Pursue forever."

At least this night, she slept well.