Caught off guard

Elliott's prior intention in keeping his presence covert was to avoid arousing suspicion and secretly catch a glimpse of Scarlett. Now that Renly had spotted him, while it was regrettable that he couldn't capture a clandestine meeting between Renly and Scarlett, his mind had already assumed this to be the case. Yet, the future was long, and Elliott was certain that Scarlett's true intentions would eventually be revealed.

For now, Elliott decided to discard his reservations. He turned around, unabashedly photographing the scene. Never mind whether Scarlett would appear; the news of Renly and Paul's joint surfing expedition to Oahu Island was quite the scoop.

He could write about Renly's camaraderie with the crew, how he formed a close friendship with Paul. Or he could narrate a scenario where Renly's relationship with the crew turned sour, him breaking ties with Vin Diesel and forming a smaller group with Paul. How to write it all depended on Renly's upcoming actions.

Elliott calmly met Renly's gaze, even tilting his chin slightly and giving a nod of acknowledgment. He then lifted his camera, aiming it directly at Renly. This time, he could finally shoot openly, hoping to capture good photos. Wait, what was Renly doing? Was he... waving a greeting?

Elliott lowered his camera, widened his eyes, and saw a faint smile on Renly's face. He raised his right hand, giving a gentle wave, initiating the greeting.

But why? Why was Renly waving at him? Caught off guard, it was Elliott who became flustered. He glanced left and right to confirm that there was no one else around. Renly's greeting was directed at him personally, and this made him feel uncomfortable and uneasy.

Turning his head back again, he saw Renly raise an eyebrow ever so slightly, the curve of his smile deepening. There was a playful teasing glint in his eyes, as if he found some amusement in Elliott's earlier anxious glances, causing him to chuckle.

What was going on with Renly? Elliott's eyes blinked rapidly, betraying his inner nervousness.

No one liked paparazzi. This wasn't something that could be denied; it was a fact. Not only that, if Hollywood personalities were to list their most disliked entities, paparazzi might not clinch the top spot, but they would definitely rank among the top three.

Haven't you noticed how many celebrities lost their temper and lashed out at paparazzi?

Sean Penn had physically assaulted paparazzi several times, even landing them in the hospital, not to mention the extreme cases; Will Smith, known for his affable nature, once had to resort to slapping a paparazzo across the face out of frustration; Dustin Hoffman had been cornered by paparazzi and had hidden behind a trash bin, refusing to come out...

Even the usually kind Jennifer Garner had been driven to extend her middle finger to paparazzi in anger. Even Gwenyth Paltrow, who was incredibly image-conscious, never lost her temper in public, yet she, too, was provoked by paparazzi, losing control in front of the city gate, and throwing everything in her hands at them...

The intricacies between paparazzi and celebrities were complex. If someone were to write a book about it, it would probably take seven volumes as extensive as the "Harry Potter" series to cover it all.

No one liked paparazzi; and no one liked being caught in their candid shots.

However, now Renly was waving at him, out of the blue, a rare and unbelievable occurrence! If Elliott didn't know with absolute certainty that he wasn't some staged pawn placed there by agents or PR personnel, this encounter would be beyond peculiar. He almost thought Renly was welcoming his arrival. The situation was indeed bewildering!

Elliott couldn't help but recall their previous encounter. After the Emmy Awards, he had tracked Renly and captured moments of his street performance. But later, he had been lured into a taxi by Renly, paid for the fare, brought to the celebration party, and then abandoned! He, a dignified paparazzo, a paparazzo that sent shivers down the spines of celebrities, had been discarded like that!

More accurately, he had been utterly and thoroughly toyed with! He had invested his energy and emotions, only to capture nothing! He had been chased around by security guards and fled in all directions. The bitterness of it all was indescribable.

This only made Elliott become even more cautious. Was he about to relive that nightmare?

Renly had noticed the paparazzo sneaking photos. Though they were at a distance and not entirely clear, at first, he assumed they were just regular moviegoers who recognized him or Paul, which was quite normal. However, upon closer inspection, he recognized the face – the kind-hearted paparazzo who had kindly given him a ride to the celebration party.

Never had he thought that the two of them would meet again in Hawaii. It was quite the coincidence, evoking a sense of familiarity. Thus, Renly waved a greeting.

Renly didn't like paparazzi, that was a fact. But he was also well aware that sacrificing one's personal space was part and parcel of an actor's job.

As public figures, being under scrutiny and the public eye was part of the job description. It was also a significant reason his family had reservations about his becoming an actor. Nobility required an air of mystery and ample protection. They didn't relish being gossiped about, especially by the curious commoners; they didn't want too much attention from the public, as exposing the family's secrets could lead to dreadful consequences.

The immense pressure borne by the British royal family stemmed from this; otherwise, the incident involving Princess Diana wouldn't have captured global attention.

For Hollywood personalities, learning to handle intense public interest correctly was crucial. Complaining on one hand about the blinding flashes of the cameras while craving the accolades and applause for their acting careers on the other was, to put it bluntly, being hypocritical!

Since the Toronto Film Festival, Renly had been adjusting himself. After all, this was a completely new field for him. Managing the spotlight that came with the territory, while safeguarding his personal life, was a skill.

Truth be told, Renly didn't regard paparazzi as an overwhelming menace. They were just ordinary people, much like actors, albeit with a slightly unique job nature. They were hardworking members of the "working class", diligently performing their duties. At least, most of them were. They were essentially photographers hidden behind cameras, and the power conferred by cameras and camcorders wasn't formidable. Especially in this era of widespread smartphones and social media, anyone could become a recorder, and the title of the "King of Paparazzi" was fleeting...

In his previous life, Renly's profession had been in journalism and communications. Being a reporter held no mystique for him; on the contrary, he found it quite familiar. So, compared to the fervent moviegoers in Toronto who merely sought excitement, he would rather deal with the sharp-tongued journalists. They were much easier to handle than he anticipated.

Paparazzi were more prone to mischief than journalists, but also easier to deal with. Their pursuit was all about creating drama; the more sensational, the larger the headlines; the more intense, the more buzzworthy the news. However, once the drama disappeared, paparazzi enthusiasm waned, a scenario that wouldn't pay their bills.

So, with a smile, Renly greeted him. Strictly speaking, this was the first time Renly had encountered paparazzi. The feeling was oddly refreshing.

Then Renly noticed the paparazzo's expression, a look as if he had seen a ghost, clearly frightened. He couldn't help but chuckle, nudging Paul with his shoulder. "Look, there's a paparazzo over there."

"Where?" Paul put down his binoculars and followed Renly's gaze.

"He doesn't seem too pleased. Probably because the two of us are sitting here watching the match with no news value whatsoever. It's truly disappointing." Renly playfully quipped, earning a laugh from Paul.

Seeing Renly's actions, Paul mimicked him, waving towards the paparazzo and greeting him with a beaming smile. "I encountered a paparazzo before. He followed me to Santa Monica and took pictures of me surfing. But I waited for the waves for forty minutes, and he got so bored, he eventually left."

Paul's private life was quite simple, even a bit dull. The lack of news about him in gossip magazines was partly because he didn't have any sensational storylines, and partly because his life was rather uneventful, not even appealing to paparazzi.

In comparison, Vin Diesel, who was constantly being antagonized by paparazzi, appeared to be much livelier.

Of course, from another perspective, this was also a reason why Vin's career was more successful.

Paul's story made Renly burst out laughing. "I bet he's going to be disappointed today as well. A group of people just sitting here watching the game, not even drinking secretly. It's truly utterly boring."

Andrew, sitting beside them, overheard and lifted his chin in the paparazzo's direction. He said solemnly, "Why not have you two kiss right now? That would make for sensational news. I guarantee all major newspapers will feature pictures of the two of you tomorrow morning."

Paul slapped his thigh and burst into laughter, while Renly simply pursed his lips. "Just a kiss? What's so sensational about that? How about the three of us taking off our shirts and demonstrating an intense threesome on the beach? I believe even 'The Times' front page will make space for it."

Now it was Andrew's turn to be left speechless. Looking at Renly's unflinching, serious expression, Andrew conceded defeat. Indeed, Renly was still the same old Renly, and he was truly unmatchable.

Elliott was hit by a shockwave of astonishment. The three people in front of him weren't panicking. They were not only waving and greeting, but also laughing and chatting as if they were having fun. What should he do now? Should he keep taking photos? Should he approach and disrupt their rhythm? Should he directly inquire what was going on? Should he press them step by step to make them slip up? Should he display his paparazzo skills and try to provoke them?

Or should he just turn around and walk away, distancing himself from the dangerous Renly?

Elliott thought that the last idea was the most reasonable. So, he stood up abruptly, sprinted away as if he had spotted a tyrannosaurus rex, and disappeared into the tumultuous crowd on the beach.