Model to Holywood

On September 15th in Malibu, the sun was shining, and a gentle sea breeze blew. 

On the coastal highway, a muscular figure was jogging in the morning. 

He wore a blue athletic T-shirt and shorts, his strong long legs continuously pounding the pavement at a quick pace, leaving the road sign for Villa District 17 far behind in no time. 

Who knows how long he'd been running, but sweat soaked through his back, forming a heart-shaped map on his shirt. 

Beep beep~

As he ran, an orange-red sports car approached from behind and slowly stopped beside him. 

"Hey, Luca!" 

The female driver pushed up her sunglasses, revealing a radiant, sunny face—it was Julie. 

"Good morning, Miss Julie!" 

His morning run interrupted, Luca had no choice but to stop and exhale lightly. 

"Luca, do you go for a run every morning? I've seen you from the balcony many times." 

Julie leaned against the car door, her sensual red lips slightly curled. 

The sea breeze tangled her long hair, adding a bit of temptation to the air. 

"Yes, I don't have any work scheduled lately, so I run here every morning." 

Recently, he'd been busy with filming and promotion, leaving no time for exercise. Now that he had time, he worked out for at least two to three hours a day. 

"You're fast! No wonder you're like Superman. If I wasn't in this sports car, I wouldn't have been able to catch up to you," Julie teased. 

"Julie, is this your new car? It's so cool!" 

Julie was driving the latest Lamborghini Murciélago. 

The low-profile car, with its streamlined design, looked futuristic and had a price tag of $800,000. 

He had thought about buying it but decided against it. 

"Yes, it's very powerful. It can reach speeds of 411 km/h with great acceleration. I love it! Want to take it for a spin?" 

Julie opened the door and got out of the car. 

Luca was momentarily stunned—he had only complimented the car, not intending to test drive it. 

"Thanks, it would be my honor!" 

Luca couldn't refuse, so he wiped the sweat from his hands and got into the driver's seat. 

Julie glanced at him, then gracefully stepped into the passenger seat with her long legs. 

"Miss Julie, I drive fast. I've even been in a car accident before. Are you sure you want to ride with me?" Luca joked as he got familiar with the car. 

"Otherwise, are you going to leave me waiting on the side of the road?" 

Julie smiled, her lips curling playfully. 

"Alright then, I'm taking off!" 

Luca shouted, and with a roar, the little sports car transformed into an orange streak, disappearing from the spot. 

"Haha, not bad! Faster!" Julie shouted excitedly. 

Vroom!!

The coastal road was nearly empty in the morning, so Luca wasn't worried about crashing. He pushed the car to its limits, reaching top speed in just three minutes. 

Normally, he was steady in his actions, but his past life loved thrill-seeking activities like racing and adventures. 

That was why he still enjoyed the rush of adrenaline, feeling as if he was flying. 

"Luca, not bad! You could be a race car driver!" Julie laughed heartily. 

"Thanks!" 

Luca skillfully controlled the car. 

Buzzing~

A sharp turn appeared ahead. He suddenly pulled the handbrake, fully turned the steering wheel, downshifted, and slammed on the gas again. 

Whoosh~ The rear of the car fishtailed as if it had lost control. 

"Ah~" 

Julie screamed, her hands flailing in the air before grabbing his leg. 

Luca gasped, snapping out of the thrill of drifting. 

The car smoothly rounded the corner, and Luca straightened the wheel, pulling over to the roadside. 

"Miss Julie, your car is amazing!" 

Luca slapped the steering wheel, praising loudly. 

"You're not bad yourself, much better than I expected." 

Julie smiled seductively, nonchalantly retracting her hand. 

"Thanks! Goodbye, Miss Julie!" 

Luca opened the car door and stepped out. 

"Luca, are you free this afternoon? I'm hosting a private party at my villa." 

"Sure, thanks for the invite. I'll be there on time." 

"Great, 3 PM. Wear whatever you like." 

Julie waved, and with a roar, the car sped off. 

Luca shook his head and resumed his morning run. 

But after unintentionally racing for more than 20 kilometers, his morning jog had turned into a marathon. 

At around 11 AM, Luca slowly jogged back to the manor gates, legs trembling, panting heavily, and looking like he had just come from a brothel. 

He lay on the grass, staring at the sky, zoning out for more than ten minutes before catching his breath. 

Returning to the villa, he soaked in a warm bath and then took a nap. 

By the time he got dressed and stepped out of the bathroom, it was already past 1 PM. 

His phone showed two missed calls, one from Kate and one from Ed. 

Ring ring~

Just as he was about to call back, Kate's call came in again. 

"Kate, I was napping. What's up?" 

"Haha, Luca, I've got some good news for you," Kate said cheerfully. 

"Did you break up with your boyfriend?" 

"You—" 

Kate's breathing became rapid. 

Luca felt his ears burn and a chill run down his spine. 

"Haha, Kate, I was just joking. You're not mad, right?" 

"Mad? Of course not. How could I be mad at you?" 

Kate's tone was unusually calm, devoid of any emotion. 

"Anyway, good news—I'm coming to Los Angeles with Lima soon!" 

"That's great! Definitely good news!" 

They had planned to come earlier, but a design competition ran into trouble, delaying them for half a week. 

"Kate, is the competition over?" 

"Yes!" 

"How did it go?" 

"We got eliminated." 

"Really? I bet it was Anna's doing. If not for her, you would've won the gold." 

"Stop flattering me. I know how our work was." 

"Although our work wasn't selected, we got an opportunity." 

"What kind of opportunity?" 

"I'll tell you when I get there." 

"Okay, are you coming today or tomorrow? I can pick you up at the airport." 

"Not sure when exactly. We'll arrive at a time you won't expect." 

"Unexpected?" 

Luca glanced outside. "Are you here already? If you're coming in the afternoon, let me know ahead of time. I have a party to attend later." 

"What kind of party?" 

"Angelina Jolie's. I ran into her during my morning jog, and she invited me to her party." 

"Go ahead, but make sure to book a room at UCLA's affiliated hospital." 

"For what?" 

Luca frowned. "Who's sick?" 

"You!" 

"I'm not sick. My cold's long gone." 

"You'll break a bone," Kate snorted coldly, then hung up. 

Luca scratched his head. Why did he have a bad feeling? 

"Hey Ed, what's up?" 

He called Ed back. 

"Haha, Luca, I've got some good news for you." 

Ed said over the phone, "I've got a script for you. A lot of people are eyeing this project, including Matt Damon, Edward Norton, and Mark Wahlberg. 

But this project is controversial, so everyone's hesitating. That's where your opportunity comes in." 

"Really? What project?" 

"Brokeback Mountain, based on the novel. The script's excellent. I read it and was moved to tears. I think you'd be perfect for the character Jack." 

"Ed, I'm a straight man. How am I anything like Jack?" Luca complained. 

"You're both cool, a bit gentle, sometimes cheerful, sometimes melancholic." 

"Enough!" 

Luca rubbed his arms as goosebumps appeared. 

"Luca, have you read the novel?" 

"Yeah." 

"What did you think?" 

"It's good, but not for me. I can't do a gay film." 

"Why not? Didn't you say you wanted to be a real actor, willing to sacrifice for a role? 

You've done nude scenes before. Now there's a great script and a perfect role—why not try? Are you discriminating against gay people?" 

"No, I'm not." 

"Are you afraid of how it'll affect you?" 

"I'm straight as steel; why would I worry?" 

He wasn't concerned about being "turned" or even the kissing scenes. He was just worried about not doing the role justice. 

Playing a gay character was incredibly challenging, difficult to portray. 

But should he give up just because it was hard? 

Luca stroked his chin in thought. 

This film was pretty good, achieving both box office success and critical acclaim, with a massive impact on the industry. 

Ang Lee had secured his place in Hollywood with this film. 

The two leads had won many awards because of it. 

Should he take it? 

"Forget it, Ed. Bring the script over tomorrow, and I'll think about it!"

"Alright!"

(End of this chapter)