Chapter 31: First encounter
The black cashier at the counter lifted his gaze, briefly glanced at the infuriated Jennifer, then lowered his eyes, paying her no mind.
Jennifer found the man before her utterly unreasonable. She abandoned the idea of reasoning with him and leaned forward where she stood. Extending her right hand, she forcefully opened the freezer door. The door halted due to its collision with the man's back, but it was enough. Jennifer leaned in and retrieved a bottle of mineral water from inside before forcefully closing the freezer door.
Renly was fully immersed in the world of his book, blissfully unaware of the commotion outside. Suddenly, a push from behind reached his back. Under the influence of both gravity and the force, his body lurched forward, as if the entire world was shaking. It forcibly dragged him out of the world of books.
Raising his head, Renly finally saw the stranger standing before him. A simple T-shirt paired with jeans, and a light golden hair woven into a fishtail braid, hung loosely over her shoulder. She seemed like an entirely ordinary girl. However, on her slightly chubby, round face, her delicate eyebrows were knitted together. The gray-blue eyes burned with anger, glaring fiercely at Renly. They seemed almost capable of emitting laser beams.
Renly quickly removed his earplugs, looking at her with a puzzled expression. "What happened?"
Seeing Renly remove his earplugs, Jennifer's reprimands and condemnations got stuck in her throat. Her furrowed brows relaxed, but her pupils gradually widened. Did she make a mistake? Did he have earplugs on and couldn't hear her words? Did her earlier curses have no effect? So he hadn't disrespected her, he simply... simply didn't hear her?
Embarrassment swept over Jennifer after her anger. She felt like her toes were curling up. Her impulsive nature often led her to jump to conclusions without fully understanding the situation, causing her many setbacks. Yet now, despite her experience, she still hadn't learned her lesson. "You..." Jennifer pointed at the earplugs in Renly's hand, but the rest of her words were swallowed. She looked around and realized that the earplug wires were tucked under his collar. No wonder she hadn't noticed them earlier.
Jennifer felt a bit annoyed. She bit her lip and the words of apology surged to her lips. However, an odd itch in her throat made her cough lightly twice, disguising her true emotions. Unexpectedly, those coughs led to choking on her own saliva, and she started coughing vigorously. It was not a particularly graceful sight.
Renly looked up and could clearly sense all the emotions in those gray-blue eyes: anger, frustration, embarrassment, struggle, apology, shyness... The not-so-large eyes were filled with a spectrum of colors, as if a simple raise of an eyebrow could convey all the inner thoughts, making him curious about the story hidden behind those lively eyes.
Jennifer Lawrence, the teenage actress renowned worldwide for "The Hunger Games" series, was also a talented and spirited actress. Her performance in "Silver Linings Playbook" made her the second youngest winner of the Oscar, a feat not to be overlooked. Although her acting seemed to lose some of its initial vibrancy after the award, facing the inevitable acting plateau that every actor experiences, she remained among the new generation's most solidly skilled and outstanding performers.
Her astounding performance in "Winter's Bone" was one of Renly's most admired acting moments.
Almost at first glance, Renly recognized this young woman who would later be affectionately referred to by the Chinese as "da biaojie" or "big cousin". However, at this moment, Jennifer was still a novice, dressed in simple attire that carried a touch of rural flavor. Her flared jeans seemed disconnected from the world of fashion. Yet, her candid and boyish spirit remained unchanged.
"Cough, cough..." Jennifer seemed to want to say something, but instead, she started coughing vigorously, choking. Renly quickly grabbed a bottle of mineral water from the freezer behind him, twisted it open, and handed it over.
Watching Renly's actions, a hint of surprise flickered in Jennifer's eyes, uncertain of the reason. Renly raised the bottle of mineral water, offering a friendly smile, "I think you might need some help."
Jennifer glanced at the mineral water in Renly's hand, coughed twice with force, then looked at the bottle in her own hand. Finally, she ignored Renly's friendly gesture, directly opened her bottle, and gulped down two large sips. Her throat, which had been on the verge of ignition, finally eased slightly.
Renly's eyes caught the bold gesture, and a hint of amusement surfaced.
Jennifer astutely caught this expression, and once again, anger and frustration surged within her. She gritted her teeth, struggling with the apology that hovered on the tip of her tongue. Ultimately, she couldn't manage to say it. She examined the man before her, his slender eyes clear and profound, shimmering with a hint of playfulness, warmth, and a trace of a smile. Just like the afternoon sun at three o'clock—languid yet dazzling.
Embarrassed, Jennifer averted her gaze, avoiding his eyes. She pondered for a moment, and then a bit more. Ultimately, she didn't know what to say or how to explain the situation. With a huff, she turned abruptly and left.
"Miss, miss!" The black cashier at the counter hurriedly called out, halting Jennifer who had one foot already outside. "You must pay before taking it."
Jennifer ground her teeth unconsciously. She had lost count of how many times she had done this within a short period. Her cheeks were burning hot. Taking a deep breath, she turned back, quickly settled the bill, and then picked up her mineral water. Clutching it tightly, she felt its cool surface, and although her palm was rigid, she kept squeezing it, then squeezing harder.
All because of a bottle of mineral water!
With determined steps, Jennifer swiftly left the supermarket without any hesitation.
Renly sat there, glancing at the freezer door behind him, then at the spot where he had been pushed forward. He finally understood what had happened—evidently, he had obstructed the path when opening the door, and the earplugs had become a communication barrier.
Renly knew it was his mistake. He stood up with a single swift movement. Although he caught a glimpse of Jennifer's departing figure, it was already too late to catch up. Raising his voice, he called out, "I'm sorry." The resonant sound echoed in the open space, startling the surrounding area.
In his line of sight, Jennifer's steps not only didn't pause, but they accelerated, and in the blink of an eye, she disappeared around the corner.
Renly unconsciously touched his neck and his lips curled slightly. He lowered his gaze to the open mineral water bottle in his hand, shrugged, and poured a big gulp down his throat. Then, he crossed his legs and sat down again, picking up the "Lie" that had fallen to the ground. Habitually, he picked up his earplugs, but this time only inserted one into his right ear. He immediately removed it, not just to avoid a repeat of the earlier situation but also to ensure he wouldn't miss any announcements at the airport.
The recent incident was merely a minor episode. Renly swiftly re-immersed himself in the world of his book. Unbeknownst to him, time flew by quickly. The boarding announcement for the flight to New York was broadcasted, and this time, Renly finally heard it. He packed his belongings and made his way to the boarding gate.
After completing the boarding procedures, he entered the cabin in haste. Due to his earlier immersion, he was among the last few passengers to enter the cabin. Most of the others were already settled in their seats.
Renly opened the overhead luggage compartment and tossed his carry-on bag inside. Just as he was about to sit down, his peripheral vision caught a familiar face—the very face of Jennifer Lawrence, whom he had just encountered! He hadn't expected to see her on the flight to New York too!
Renly was about to approach, intending to clear up the misunderstanding face to face, and express his apologies. But before his actions could catch up with his thoughts, he saw Jennifer unfold a newspaper, fully covering her face. She even let go of the paper, allowing it to drape against her cheek. She reclined in her seat and drifted off to sleep.
This small gesture left Renly chuckling silently. Clearly, the other party wasn't interested in any form of communication. So, he didn't bother. He settled into his seat and patiently waited for takeoff.
The flight from Los Angeles to New York, spanning the entire North American continent, was a long three-hour journey. Shortly after takeoff, Renly entered the realm of dreams. He skipped the airplane meal and when he woke up, the aircraft had smoothly landed. The safety door opened, and passengers from the first-class and business cabins were leaving the plane.
Renly stretched lazily, gazing at the window as the night sky gradually descended, igniting countless lights. The city of New York spread its arms as usual, welcoming every visitor, year-round.
"Excuse me," a passenger seated on Renly's side murmured an apology, then stood up, retrieved their luggage, and joined the queue to disembark.
Renly made way for the departing passenger and realized that Jennifer was seated not far behind him. She had sat up against her seat, casting a glance behind, but her seat was now vacant. Renly felt a sense of bewilderment, then stood up. He thought he might have misremembered the location, but after scanning around, he couldn't spot Jennifer's figure anywhere.
At that moment, his peripheral vision caught a figure—Jennifer, indeed. She was following the queue, leaving the plane through the tail door. Renly couldn't even get a word in; Jennifer had already left the plane, leaving only her retreating figure, a virtually hasty retreat.
Taken aback for a moment, Renly chuckled, and then temporarily shelved this brief interlude entirely. He settled back into his seat, gazing at the increasingly dense night outside the window.
New York, he was back.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Shallowman
Shallowman Dudes and dudies, I have an honor to present you, here, on this magnificent platform, 31th chupster. Take it, you suckers!
"Silver Linings Playbook" - "The Happiness Line Behind the Dark Clouds"
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