Jenny was Kate's personal assistant. Her face was filled with anxiety and urgency.
"Kate, you can't keep doing this! Your fever is really high!"
"Enough, Jenny! I've already taken medicine!" Kate had just finished an NG take and was resting. Her tone toward Jenny was impatient.
Jenny stood her ground. "But your condition is serious! You need to rest!"
Kate's pale but beautiful face hardened. "Jenny, do you even understand what you're saying? The entire crew has put in so much effort just to shoot this one scene. As the lead actress, can I back out now?"
"But... but you're really not in good shape right now..."
"Enough!" Kate waved her hand, her expression determined. "Go call the makeup artist. I need to touch up. This scene has already been delayed for two days. Today, I have to finish it—no matter what!"
Jenny's eyes turned red with emotion, and she sniffled hard.
Kate frowned. "Do you want everyone to notice? Jenny, I told you—I can still hold on!"
Jenny hesitated for a long time before finally nodding.
Before working for Kate, she had been an assistant to Michelle. Her impression of Hollywood stars had always been that they were extravagant, indulgent, arrogant, and had chaotic personal lives... but Kate changed that perception. She showed Jenny what true dedication looked like.
Yes, the world admired Hollywood stars for their glamorous exteriors. Some saw the darkness beneath, but few ever noticed that, at their core, they were artists who treated their work as their very life.
Kate was one of them. So was Leonardo. So was Cameron. Even the 18-year-old Dunn was the same!
"Kate, you're amazing. You're going to be the biggest star in Hollywood—bigger than Cameron Diaz and Julianne Moore!"
Jenny couldn't help but admire her from the bottom of her heart.
---
"Alright! Scene 32, Shot 1, Take 64—Action!"
With Director Dunn's loud call, the entire crew tensed up. All eyes were fixed on Leonardo and Kate Winslet in the water tank.
Kate lay on the wooden plank, her fever already burning hot. Now, soaked in the freezing water, she couldn't stop shivering. Her voice trembled as she spoke, "Jack, I love you."
Leonardo was also exhausted. Seeing Kate's weak and pitiful state, he felt a surge of sympathy. But for actors, film was their life. They had to push through.
"Don't say goodbye. Hold on, okay?"
Kate panted for breath, feeling her body slipping out of her control. All she could sense was the piercing cold. "I'm so cold..."
Leonardo clenched his teeth. He could see the vision of their film becoming a box-office legend, immortalized in history. At the same time, he felt the despair of this moment, mixed with hope for the future.
"Rose, listen to me. You have to survive… You have to have a long life, raise many children, and watch them grow up. You'll live in warmth, in a comfortable bed, not here—not on this night. You can't die like this. Do you understand?"
Kate could barely hear Leonardo anymore. Her head felt heavy, her mind hazy. It took all her willpower just to keep her eyes open. Half of her body was already numb. "I... I can't feel anything anymore..."
Leonardo shivered violently, his spirit feeling detached from his body. Through chattering teeth, he murmured, "Winning that ticket... was the luckiest thing in my life. Meeting you… that was my luckiest moment of all. So, promise me—no matter what happens in the future, no matter how hard it gets… Rose, promise me… you'll survive."
Kate's lips turned pale. She felt like she had reached her limit, but she had to push through. The entire crew was counting on her.
"I promise."
"Don't forget..."
"I'll never forget." Kate's vision blurred. The world around her seemed to fade away. She felt dizzy, as if death itself was brushing against her. But for the sake of that promise, she instinctively called out—
"Jack, I'll never forget you!"
---
Holding the camera in the water, Dunn was completely stunned. He even forgot to call "Cut." His entire being was overwhelmed with awe and emotion, as if he had been transported to another realm.
The entire crew—more than a hundred people—stood in absolute silence. The only sound was the occasional quiet sob.
Yes, Leonardo and Kate's performance just now was too perfect—so perfect that even the crew members were moved to tears!
It was as if the legendary love story from a hundred years ago had just unfolded before their eyes, brought to life through Leonardo and Kate. Every witness was deeply touched.
"Cut!" Cameron suddenly shouted. "Dunn, check on Kate—something's wrong!"
Dunn snapped out of it. Handing the camera off to his assistant, he rushed forward—only to see that Kate had collapsed on the wooden plank.
"Doctor! Get a doctor, now!"
Panic set in. Dunn immediately lifted Kate out of the water, only to find that her body was burning hot.
The entire crew, just moments ago immersed in an emotional masterpiece, now plunged into chaos. Dunn carried Kate straight to the makeup room, where her assistant, Jenny, was already in tears.
"Why are you crying?! Kate has a high fever—why didn't you say anything?!" Dunn was furious, his eyes burning with anger.
"She wouldn't let me..." Jenny choked out, her voice trembling. "Kate... Kate got her period this morning. I tried to convince her to rest, but she refused. She insisted on pushing through."
"She got her period?"
Dunn was stunned. Looking at the unconscious Kate Winslet, he suddenly fell silent, feeling a deep sense of respect.
If an actress like her couldn't stand at the very top of Hollywood's pyramid, then the world was truly unfair.
---
No one knew how long it took before Kate slowly woke up.
She realized she was lying in a luxurious hotel bed, wrapped in a soft velvet blanket. Beside her, a warm yellow lamp cast a cozy glow. A familiar face sat next to her, smiling with concern.
"You're awake?" Dunn let out a breath of relief and leaned closer. "How do you feel?"
"My head is spinning… I feel weak." Kate's voice was soft and nasal, a far cry from her usual cheerful and confident self. "What time is it?"
Dunn smiled. "It's 2 AM. You slept for eleven hours straight."
"What? That long?" A flicker of anxiety crossed Kate's face, and she instinctively tried to sit up. "I'm so sorry. I must have delayed filming—"
"Stop! Stay still." Dunn quickly held her shoulders, his eyes filled with emotion. "Kate, the scene is done. You nailed it."
Kate shook her head lightly. "Dunn, you don't have to sugarcoat it. I can do it again—I can push through. I don't want to hold back the production..."
"No, Kate, you don't understand! Your performance was absolutely perfect. The entire crew is proud of you!" Dunn brushed his hand over her forehead. She was still warm, but much better.
A faint glow returned to Kate's tired eyes. "Really? Is that true, Dunn? That take... it really passed?"
"Absolutely!" Dunn's admiration was sincere. "Believe me, Kate—your performance in that scene will be remembered in history. Your name, your acting… you deserve to be mentioned alongside Audrey Hepburn and Ingrid Bergman."
And Dunn wasn't just flattering her.
Leonardo and Kate's performance had been nothing short of legendary—far surpassing even the original script's vision of their love story.
Even Cameron, known for his brutal standards, had been overwhelmed with excitement.
"This was a perfect performance—flawless!" he had said.
Hearing Dunn's words, Kate's eyes sparkled. She tried to move, but her body ached with exhaustion.
"You need to rest," Dunn said with a helpless smile. "Kate, it's just a movie—you pushed yourself too hard. If you weren't feeling well, why didn't you say something?"
Kate pursed her lips. "I took precautions. The water couldn't get in."
"That doesn't matter! The water was freezing—no wonder you got such a high fever!" Dunn still felt a lingering fear.
Kate smirked mischievously. "But because of that… we succeeded, right?"
Dunn chuckled, gently ruffling her hair.
Kate felt an unusual warmth in that moment, spreading through her chest.
She glanced down at herself and realized she was wearing her favorite dry, white nightgown. Her lips curled into a smile. "You changed my clothes?"
Dunn nodded without hesitation. "Yeah."
"Thank you, Dunn," Kate murmured, shifting slightly—then froze. Her expression turned surprised.
"...Sanitary pads?"
Dunn scratched his head, looking a little awkward. "Uh… I didn't know how to use tampons, so I just bought pads instead."
Kate nearly burst out laughing. Her green eyes curved into crescent moons as she giggled.
"Who knew the great Director Walker actually had something he couldn't do..."