Chapter 529: The Painting by the Bridge
Yu Linna had seen many producers these days, but because she had been hitting a wall everywhere in Hollywood, it was not very smooth. Almost no one was willing to accept her script. As a new screenwriter, Yu Linna was not having a smooth time in Hollywood. But she also felt it was normal. After all, this was the world’s top film factory. How could they just casually give her a chance?
Although she had met a few people through Pan Xinan’s introduction, it was not of much use. They did not care about Yu Linna’s ability. A few of them had even asked her if she knew kung fu as soon as they came up. It was as if the people in Hollywood thought that everyone who came from China knew how to fight.
To find a way in Hollywood in a short period of time was impossible. Yu Linna was temporarily staying at a Chinese restaurant in Chinatown, working as a temporary chef, specializing in Chinese food. Although it was not good to be a screenwriter, the income as a chef was not bad, and it had attracted a lot of customers. Even customers other than Chinese had come. Yu Linna’s identity as having just come from her home country was still a good thing, and it had also attracted a lot of Chinese people.
Although that’s what she said, Yu Linna’s ambition was not to be a chef. Her purpose for coming here was not to be a chef. If she couldn’t make some achievements in America, she would still be the same when she went back. She could no longer stay in her home country. To continue to do this, she could only try to open up a new path.
“Linna, your skills are really not bad. Why don’t you just sign a long-term contract with us? How about staying here to cook?”
Pan Xinan could eat Yu Linna’s cooking every day. She felt very happy. This little girl’s cooking skills were really amazing. She loved it. If she could cook here every day, it would surely be very happy.
Yu Linna also seriously thought about it.
“No.”
“Ah, dammit~ It would be so great if you could stay.”
Pan Xinan lay on the table in defeat, living like a Houbunsha otaku, having lost her motivation for life.
But Yu Linna did indeed seriously think about her future. She wanted to continue to work, to create her own career. She just wanted to be able to make some contribution to the world in her limited life. She hadn’t thought so much before, but now she really wanted to do something meaningful, and she even hoped that her name could be left in history.
“I’m planning to go for a walk outside by myself. You don’t have to go with me.”
“When?”
“On my day off.”
America had a work system. No matter how you calculated the working hours, there would always be a day off. If you worked overtime, the boss had to pay extra salary. Yu Linna did not want to work overtime. On her day off, she had gone out by herself.
Although she was living with Lisara, Lisara was not very free either. On this day off, Yu Linna was thinking of going out for a walk. Los Angeles was so big. It was also good to walk around. She took a sketchbook, planning to go for an outdoor sketch after a long time. The last time she had had an outdoor sketch seemed to be three years ago. Ever since she had become a professional writer, she had basically not done this kind of thing. Before, she would still do it. At that time, she had no money, especially when she couldn’t find any work. She had relied on drawing to pass the time.
She sat down on a stone bench by a bridge in Los Angeles, picked up a pen, and started to draw on it.
The biggest benefit of drawing was that it could let a person calm down, forget all their troubles, and focus on one thing. It had been a long time since Yu Linna had been so calm. Perhaps this fall was also a good experience. At least she had stopped and had properly thought about her journey all along.
She was drawing the scenery at the head of the bridge, a very simple painting, but it was drawn with a lot of flavor. Unlike the feeling of a Westerner’s painting, her painting was more realistic. Westerners paid more attention to personal emphasis when they painted. The style she had drawn like this was different from others.
She was drawing there by herself. There were also passersby who came to watch her draw, and would occasionally chat a sentence or two.
“Girl, your drawing is so beautiful.”
“Thank you.”
“Are you studying painting?”
“No, I’m an amateur.”
Passersby would occasionally stop to say a sentence or two to her. Yu Linna would also reply with a sentence or two. Besides that, there was no interaction. Many people were just watching a lively scene. After they were done watching, they would disperse.
And so, a whole morning had passed quietly.
At this time, a man had passed by here. He had stopped to take a few glances and had found that that blonde girl was drawing there. For a moment, she seemed to have seen a familiar figure in that girl. The man had fixed his eyes and had found that it was just a girl he had never met before.
It was just that this girl’s face was also too familiar, and she looked… it might not be good to say so, but she did look a bit like his daughter. If his daughter were ten or eight years younger, she might be like this.
Yu Jiayang walked over, looked at the painting in Yu Linna’s hand, and then at her face. That focused expression was really more and more pleasing to the eye. He himself had come from a background of studying painting. His profession was a designer. If he wanted to look, of course he could also understand.
“Are you too focused on realism? I can’t feel a single bit of spirituality from your painting. You haven’t emphasized your own emotions in the picture. It feels like you’re just simply imitating.”
After this man had spoken, Yu Linna had rarely turned her head.
Their four eyes met. The clear wind brushed past Yu Linna’s front hair. Yu Jiayang looked at that pair of blue eyes and actually felt that they were so familiar. That expression, that small mouth, and those eyes, the more he looked, the more familiar they became.
“Yes. I also feel that way, because I just simply want to draw, and not to create anything. Sir, are you an Asian?”
“No, I’m an American.”
“I see. Because you look a bit like an Asian. Is it not good for me to say so?”
“Not at all. Although I am an American citizen, I have Asian blood. About a quarter, maybe. It’s just that I’m more inclined to an Asian appearance.”
Yu Jiayang said with a smile.
The two of them had not asked too much. They had also used English for their communication. But the two of them felt that they could still talk to each other quite well. Yu Jiayang just stood next to her, looking at her painting, and his heart had the thought of wanting to stay here for a little longer.
“Who taught you to draw?”
“An old grandpa. He taught me when I was very young, but I don’t know how he’s doing now. I haven’t seen him in many years. Sir, are you studying painting?”
“Yes, I am a designer. I used to be in the art academy at university. Girl, why did you run here alone to draw? The scenery here is certainly not bad, but a girl of your age would usually go out to play with her friends, to buy clothes. When my daughter was your age, she really liked to go out with her friends. Of course, she also liked to be with me.”
“How old is your daughter?”
“Her, she’s 23 this year. She’s studying acting.”
“She must be very beautiful.”
Although Yu Linna was just politely talking to the other party, she did not feel that this man was very annoying at all. On the contrary, she felt that this man seemed to be quite interesting, and she also had a good impression of him. If she had to say, it was just that she felt that she wanted to get close to the other party, and also wanted to talk to him more.
Although this kind of feeling was a little strange.
Yu Linna retracted her gaze, looked at the sky opposite her, and was a little lonely. Perhaps it was because she had thought of her own family background when she was chatting with him. She was a little envious of this gentleman’s daughter. That person must be very happy.
Yu Jiayang noticed the look in this girl’s eyes. It was a little strange, and at the same time, there was a little unease in his heart. For some reason, this girl’s appearance made one feel a little sad. It was as if he himself had done something wrong. They clearly didn’t even know each other.
“Girl?”
“I’m sorry, sir. Just now you mentioned my age. Although it’s not good to say so, I’m already 20 years old, and I also already have a job.”
“Oh… I see. I’m sorry. you look too young.”
“Thank you, sir. By the way, sir, are you here in Los Angeles for work?”
“Yes. I’m here because I have a client to see. Oh, damn it, I don’t have enough time. I have to go.”
Yu Jiayang looked at his own watch, patted his own head, a little annoyed. Yu Linna covered her mouth and smiled.
“Then you should go to work first.”
“Okay. We’ll meet again if fate allows. By the way, although your painting lacks a little emotion, your drawing skills are really not bad. You are very outstanding. I hope to see you in the newspapers one day.”
“Thank you for your kind words, sir.”
The two of them parted just like that.
Before Yu Jiayang had left, he had even looked back. Yu Linna had continued to return to her state of drawing. Yu Jiayang looked at that back, and that golden hair, and would always think of his own wife, of his own daughter. This girl looked too similar, really too similar. It was impossible not to care.
Yu Jiayang turned his head and left here. He didn’t even know what was wrong with him, to be so concerned about a little girl. This girl was even smaller than his own daughter. But…
If that daughter of his were still alive now, she would probably be this big…
Yu Jiayang gave up this unrealistic thought and continued to move forward on the path he was supposed to take. It was useless to think too much. He still had to face reality. Otherwise, he would have to live in deep pain just like his own wife.
Yu Linna had finished her painting by the bridge by herself, and then she had packed up her notebook, thinking that it was about time to go for lunch. But that gentleman just now was really very talkative. It was just that she didn’t know the other party’s name, only knew that he was a mixed-race Asian-European man. Yu Linna rubbed her shoulders and left here with her notebook.
She was still thinking about how to walk the road ahead when a phone call came in. She looked and saw that it was from the English director, Heston. She had never expected that he would actually call her private phone. This person.
“Director Heston?”
“Oh, you little genius. I’ve finally managed to contact you. Our movie Demon Child is about to be released. Are you coming to the premiere? The movie will be released in mid-October.”
“Are you going to your place?”
“Yes. Don’t worry, it will be very quick. It won’t disturb your current work. I’ve heard that you’re in America now, right?”
“Alright then. If that’s the case, I can come over. After all, I have nothing to do now.”
Yu Linna, who was just thinking about what to do when she was free, now she had found that there was something she could do. Although she still had to go abroad for a trip, this was nothing. It was just doing promotions, attending a premiere, and then accepting an interview. Yu Linna felt that this was not a difficult thing to do.
