Hollywood: The Greatest Showman

Chapter 244: Soundtrack Request

The soft and gentle melody flowed like a babbling brook, carrying moonlight as it meandered along. Smooth pebbles gently moved with the water, as if one could see lights gradually illuminating in the inky darkness of night, one by one, filling the entire world with brilliant dots of light. Each light represented a family, yet none belonged to him. Alone.

Even more cruel was the fact that he wasn't alone. Sitting beside him was another person with whom he had once shared an intimate and passionate bond, glowing with similar auras. Now, they were drifting apart, isolated, with the surge of loneliness and despair stripping away the last warmth of breath.

The gentle melody seemed harmless, merely flowing through the heart, when suddenly, the drumbeats and chords erupted, thousands of lights flashing simultaneously, turning the world into broad daylight. The sorrow exploded vividly, yet no response came from his cries, only silence and stillness in return. The helpless desolation felt like falling into an ice cellar.

"I don't even know if I wanna believe," he murmured, encapsulating all his confusion and loss.

Drake stood there, despondent, as if bearing the world's greatest grievance, pouring out all his pain and bitterness from deep within.

He had broken up with her, peacefully. After years of struggling and entangling, passionately and vigorously, they were exhausted. So, they decided to break up, embracing warmly and bidding farewell like old friends. Life went on, their hearts empty but not sad, more relieved.

While writing the script for "Like Crazy," he called her several times. They reminisced about the past, those vivid memories they thought had faded. Finally, they could let their guard down and talk about the ups and downs, the sweet and bitter moments, as if they were reliving another life.

She was the first to read the completed script. With her approval, he sought investment.

They seemed to have forgotten the sadness, as if the rotting wound, after being drained of pus, brought a long sigh of relief. Yet, over time, they found that the wound left a big scar, never to heal completely, as if a piece of their heart was missing.

At this moment, all the sadness and regret surged up, completely breaking down Drake's defenses.

"Drake." Brian stepped forward, gently patting Drake to remind him they didn't have much time and needed to get back to work. But before Brian's hand could touch Drake, he was pushed away. Drake opened his mouth, trying to say something, but couldn't utter a word, just standing there, crying sorrowfully.

The room fell silent, with an indescribable sadness lingering in the air.

Felicity wiped the tears from her cheeks. Through the kitchen door, the world shrank to a long slit. She looked at the figure behind the black and white keys, her shoulders slumping. It wasn't despair but bewilderment, as if the unwavering belief she once had disappeared, leaving her lost.

She knew Anna felt the same.

In that moment, she truly understood Anna's feelings and Jacob's. They were like two broken souls trying to find warmth in each other, but found they could never be whole again. Now, she couldn't even cry, just helplessly and blankly staring at that figure, silent.

Renly gently felt the touch of his fingers on the black and white keys, his mind in chaos. He couldn't tell if it was Jacob's disillusionment with love or his own wavering faith in his dreams. Returning to London, his state of mind had changed, and the coldness of the city was omnipresent, even touching his soul.

His fingers felt a chill.

Renly pulled a cigarette from his pocket and placed it in his mouth.

"What was that song just now?" Drake's hoarse voice broke the silence. He could barely speak, but still looked at Renly, struggling to get the words out, his red, swollen eyes and tear-streaked face showing his sincere emotions.

"'Believe'," Renly replied, a single word carrying so much weight, the strongest yet most fragile word in the world.

Drake murmured it, a faint smile forming on his lips, more painful than crying. He looked up at Renly again, "Can I use it for the soundtrack?"

The unexpected request left Renly stunned. "No," he shook his head.

The surprising refusal silenced everyone in the room, leaving Drake dumbfounded.

"As a soundtrack, the song's personal emotions are too strong, which could mislead the audience," Renly explained. "We don't need to impose our thoughts on the audience, but rather leave them room to think."

The same scene, the same argument, each audience member would interpret it differently, especially considering gender differences. A truly excellent film doesn't tell the audience what a scene or the core of the work is about through the director, actors, or dialogue, but presents it and leaves the thinking and judgment to the audience.

Drake stood there, his thoughts too overwhelming, leaving him completely broken. His fondness for the song was like a moth to a flame. But Renly's words brought him some calm, though his mind was still struggling with the flu, slowing his thoughts.

"Uh... I... I mean..." Drake's throat burned as he coughed violently, drinking several large gulps of water to ease the pain. "I want to... use... this song. We'll discuss where to use it."

Renly understood what Drake meant. If he simply wanted to use the song, he had no problem with it. "Once it's recorded, I'll send it to you. Consider it as a backup."

Renly knew Drake was emotionally resonating with the melody, so he was eager to use it. But in post-production, after calming down, they needed to consider the overall work. Whether the song could be used as a soundtrack was a matter of expertise. So, Renly didn't insist, just hoped the song could be a backup.

Drake smiled broadly, making an "OK" gesture. He felt feverish, with tears almost evaporating from his eyes. He might fall ill after "Like Crazy" wrapped up.

But Drake didn't care, because the filming was on track. His only thought was to complete the work.

Sometime later, Felicity appeared at the kitchen door, regaining her composure with a hint of an apologetic smile. Still immersed in the earlier emotions, she couldn't apologize, so she forced a smile that quickly faded, saying, "I'm ready, anytime."

Felicity glanced at Renly with a complex look, indescribable. Then she turned into the kitchen to prepare for the next shoot.

Drake looked at Renly without speaking, but his gaze was clear. Renly nodded, "I'm ready!"

The crew immediately busied themselves, wiping their tear-streaked faces and adjusting the filming parameters to ensure the passage of time hadn't affected them.

Renly walked to the kitchen door, seeing Felicity standing by the cutting board. Her thin figure seemed lonely and tired. Noticing the gaze, Felicity turned around, their eyes meeting.

Felicity tried to smile, but it didn't reach her eyes, and she looked away, returning to the zucchini on the cutting board.

Renly's voice gently broke the silence, "Are you ready?"

Felicity nodded with a smile but turned her head away again, silent for a moment before saying, "Thank you. For the song... thank you." Her words felt drained of all color, becoming dry.

Renly tugged at the corner of his mouth, his gaze lingering on Felicity's figure for a moment before saying nothing and turning to leave—Jacob's scene started with him coming in from outside, so Renly needed to prepare.

Felicity waited, not hearing a sound, glancing furtively, seeing no one at the door. She raised her head, saw the crew busy preparing, and then spaced out.

Suddenly, she snapped back, taking a deep breath to regain her composure. Yet, that sense of loss clung to her shoulders, like Anna.