His overall outfit was high-end and minimalist, but he wore a pair of gold-rimmed glasses, with a delicate golden glasses chain looping behind his ears, sparkling under the lights, adding a touch of asceticism to his sharp aura.

A woman around thirty walked over, dressed head-to-toe in designer brands, impeccably styled. As she sat down, her hand brushed against William Carter's, whether intentionally or not.

"Sorry about that."

William Carter looked at her, curving his eyes in a friendly gesture. The woman seemed to seize the opportunity, smiling brightly as she extended her hand. "Hello, I'm the producer of this film, Grace Bennett."

Glancing at her hand, adorned with exquisite nail polish, William Carter politely removed his mask and shook her hand. "Hello."

The moment he took off his mask, Grace Bennett's eyes lit up—a rare reaction, considering how many people she'd met in this industry. The young man before her could only be described as beautiful; his features were somewhat feminine, yet he exuded a powerful masculine charm. His slightly long hair was half-tied back, revealing a pair of deep, almond-shaped eyes with a subtly upturned angle. In addition, the mole on the tip of his nose was the perfect finishing touch.

To put it bluntly, he had the kind of face that made people want to forgive him for anything, utterly non-threatening and evoking a strong protective instinct. This type was always popular with audiences.

"I haven't seen you before, you look unfamiliar." Grace Bennett let go of his hand and smiled. "You're not from the industry, are you?"

William Carter smiled. "The original author of this film is a friend of mine. I'm just lucky enough to get a close-up star-chasing experience thanks to him."

"Oh?" Grace Bennett glanced at the leading actress speaking on stage, still smiling. "So you like this type of girl, huh?"

William Carter chuckled softly, shook his head, and lazily looked at James Turner, who was standing beside the female lead.

"I like this type of boy."

Author's note:

William Carter: Welcome, everyone, to my home court [smiling all around]

Chenchen: I'll do my best to make a cameo!

Chapter 2: The Scene of the Mishap

Grace Bennett didn't feel awkward at all. Instead, she looked enlightened and smiled calmly. "My sixth sense has always been pretty unreliable."

Just then, the female lead on stage finished speaking and handed the microphone to James Turner. The host asked him some questions about the film.

"We saw some clips in the early preview just now. James, your breakthrough this time is really huge. I almost didn't recognize you at first. We're all curious—was there anything particularly memorable or any special feelings you had while filming this movie?"

James Turner held the microphone, thought for a moment, and replied, "As for feelings, I probably won't want to eat fish or shrimp for about half a year."

The fans in the audience burst out laughing. This kind of deadpan humor suited him surprisingly well.

"Memorable things... Actually, the whole filming process left a deep impression on me. To be honest, this was my first time trying this kind of subject matter, and Director Wang is a stickler for shooting on location. About eighty percent of the scenes were shot on the boat. At first, I got really seasick and couldn't get into character for a long time. The whole crew was exhausted and pretty discouraged. When I thought about how there really are people in the world who are stripped of their rights and made into slaves, I just felt very..." James Turner paused to choose his words, "grief-stricken. Yes, that's it. I think it was this feeling that kept me going and helped me finish the film. I believe all the actors and crew felt the same way."

William Carter tilted his head slightly, listening intently. Honestly, he had always thought James Turner was not suited for the entertainment industry. He seemed like a product of a sterile environment, always harboring a desire to save others from any dangerous or complicated situation.

To put it bluntly, he was an idealist suffering from a savior complex.

This was the first time William Carter had seen James Turner up close, and now he finally understood why those fangirls were so eager to see their idols in person. For stars as good-looking as him, they only looked even better in real life.

Gazing at James Turner on stage, William Carter felt that every angle of his was nearly perfect—he could easily replace those lifeless plaster casts as a model for figure sketching. His professional habit made him subconsciously scan and analyze every inch of James Turner's skin and muscles beneath his clothes. Having seen countless people, William Carter still believed that James Turner's physique was the most perfect he had ever seen.

I really want to create a sculpture based on him, William Carter thought to himself.

"Let's move on to the audience Q&A," the host handed the microphone to James Turner. "James, you go first."

The fans started screaming their hearts out, and the atmosphere became extremely lively. James Turner squinted his eyes slightly—a small gesture that William Carter found especially endearing.

On and off the stage, their gazes met. The corners of William Carter's mouth lifted slightly, and his eyes crinkled a bit, habitually conveying a message with his look.

"This one, then."

James Turner pointed in his direction.

"The girl in the floral dress," he added.

So it was the girl behind him. William Carter smiled.

Boring straight guy.