Martin had a nightmare and couldn't fall back asleep.
He simply picked up the sleeping Avril and started strumming his "guitar."
Avril murmured in her sleep but didn't wake up—she must have been truly exhausted from the night before.
The next morning, when Avril woke up, she felt that something was off with her body.
She thought for a long time but couldn't figure out why. When she tried to put on her clothes, she found them torn to shreds. So instead, she grabbed one of Martin's coats and went downstairs.
Martin was having breakfast. Seeing Avril, he greeted her, "Good morning, darling."
Avril pounced on him. "Martin, you won't believe it! I had the strangest dream last night—I turned into a guitar, and you were playing me…"
Martin: "…"
Then, Avril noticed Heather and Biu, who were busy in the kitchen. She was stunned by their beauty.
"Who are they?"
"Heather and Biu, my women!"
Martin didn't say "my maids," which made both Heather and Biu smile happily. They didn't mind being called maids, but his thoughtfulness still pleased them.
"I'm Heather. Nice to meet you, Avril! What would you like for breakfast? We have eggs—487 of them, ham, bread, and dumplings. By the way, dumplings are Martin's favorite!"
Biu, a bit shy, simply greeted Avril, "Hi, Avril, I'm Biu. Actually, Heather and I are Martin's maids."
"Maids? Women?" Avril immediately understood what was going on. She thought she'd be furious, but strangely, she wasn't.
"Hello, nice to meet you!"
After greeting Heather and Biu in a calm yet friendly manner, Avril ordered some dumplings and sat next to Martin to eat.
At first, she felt a little awkward because of Heather and Biu, but soon, much to her own surprise, she relaxed and happily chatted with the two girls.
Martin smiled slightly and continued enjoying his breakfast.
…
After a short break, Martin returned to the Batman set.
As the head screenwriter, he had to be involved in the filming.
At the same time, he was also learning directing skills.
In fact, he had started learning a year ago.
…
London.
Yang Mi sat in a café, sipping her mocha coffee with a bored expression, glancing around.
Just then, the fitting room door opened, and Emma Watson stepped out, twirling in a pink dress, the hem fluttering.
"How is it? Does it look good?"
Yang Mi flashed a sweet smile and said, "It looks amazing, but I still prefer the blue dress—it highlights your elegance even more."
Yang Mi, a social expert, knew the art of flattery: you shouldn't just blindly praise someone; you had to offer your own opinion while making the other person feel good—just like she did now. She both complimented Emma and subtly asserted her own taste.
This was why, in just a few months, Yang Mi had risen from being a mere "tag-along" to becoming Emma's close friend.
"The day after tomorrow, when Martin arrives, if you wear that blue dress, I guarantee he'll be mesmerized by you!"
"Hee hee, really?"
Compared to Yang Mi, Emma Watson, who had been pampered since childhood, was much less skilled in these social games.
She giggled twice but then gritted her teeth. "That little b*tch Elizabeth called me the other day just to brag about how much closer she's gotten to Martin. Damn it! She's only ahead because she's physically closer to him. This time, when Martin comes, I have to make sure our relationship gets stronger!"
Western girls sure start competing for men at a young age, Yang Mi thought to herself. But she simply said, "I'm sure you can do it!"
…
Two days later, Martin arrived in London again. He first visited his beloved older sister, Diana, had a meal with his two nephews, and then, on the third day, headed to the Harry Potter set.
At that moment, they were filming the scene where Harry Potter first meets Cho Chang.
In the original Harry Potter movies, Cho Chang didn't appear until the fourth installment.
But Martin had made some adjustments—introducing a subtle hint of her character in the third film, just like in the books, where Cho had smiled at Harry and performed brilliantly in a Quidditch match, leaving a deep impression on him.
Yang Mi's smile was somewhat reminiscent of Drew Barrymore's—eyes slightly squinted, sweet yet lazy, with a hint of allure.
Of course, at her current age, Yang Mi hadn't fully grown into her features yet, so there was no real allure—just sweetness.
But kids don't care about "allure" anyway. They prefer sweetness.
Take Daniel Radcliffe, for example. He thought Yang Mi's smile was incredibly charming—pure and gentle, and her personality seemed much "kinder" than that little demon Emma Watson.
What he didn't know was that the "gentle" girl before him was actually an Eastern little devil with a sharp tongue and a knack for teasing. She was just restraining herself in this unfamiliar environment.
After a scene wrapped up, Daniel Radcliffe ran over again. "Hey, Mimi, are you sure you don't want to have a romance with me off-screen? I think we'd make a great couple!"
"No way. I don't like short guys."
Now that she was more familiar with everyone, Yang Mi let a bit of her mischievous side slip.
But compared to Emma Watson, she was still considered "gentle" by most of the boys on set.
"Hey! I'll grow taller—I swear!" Daniel Radcliffe said anxiously.
"Well, come talk to me when you do," Yang Mi said, softening her tone, as if she realized she had been a little too harsh.
She had no idea that her behavior was the classic push-and-pull tactic of psychological manipulation, making Daniel Radcliffe even more obsessed.
Nearby, Rupert Grint jogged over and teased Daniel, "Haha! You're really persistent! How many times has Mimi turned you down?"
Daniel rolled his eyes. "You don't get it. This is called playing hard to get. I enjoy the process!"
Rupert snorted. "Sure, sure. I think you just like being rejected, you masochist. Oh, by the way, Martin's here—he's in the director's office. Want to go see him?"
Daniel was excited at first, but after thinking for a moment, he said, "Nah, let's not barge in. I bet Emma and the other girls are already there fawning over him. We wouldn't even get a word in."
"Yeah, good point. Let's just wait. He'll come to the set later anyway," Rupert agreed.
This was the difference between boys and girls: as they grew older, boys became more rational about their idols, while girls became even more emotional—perhaps a fundamental contrast between logic and emotion.