The only unexpected thing was little Eli's expression—it remained solemn the entire time, like he was attending a board meeting rather than a red carpet premiere.
If he were a domineering CEO, that face would be absolutely perfect—instantly commanding the respect of all his subordinates. But right now, he was just a toddler, barely over a year old, sitting in his father's arms with such a dead-serious expression that it made him look even more ridiculously adorable.
Laila's films always attracted massive attention, and her red carpet premieres were no exception. They were broadcast not only across the U.S., but internationally as well. In this age of instant internet access, anything captivating could be transmitted across the globe in seconds.
So even while the premiere was still underway, fans from the East were already watching—and gushing—over little Eli on the red carpet.
"What an adorable baby! His blue eyes are so stunning—like a cat's eyes!"
"Wow, what a well-mannered kid. He even offered his sunglasses to someone else. If that were my nephew, he'd be snatching other people's glasses instead!"
"That serious little face is hilarious—it's that unexpected contrast that makes it even cuter!"
"Just by looking at little Eli's face, I can confirm that Laila and Roy never had cosmetic surgery! 😂😂"
"LOL! Totally agree with the comment above!"
It was just a red carpet appearance—but it made Eli go viral all the way from Hollywood to the East. No one at the premiere had expected this.
Aside from Eli, the other major highlight on the red carpet was Leslie Cheung.
A sudden surge in new fans could be attributed largely to him. Ever since his appearance on the talk show, his mannerisms and eloquence had drawn tons of attention. People who had been intrigued by him now wanted to know more—and once word got out that he would be walking the red carpet, how could they miss it?
Tonight, Leslie was dressed in a deep navy suit, with a spotless white dress shirt underneath. The moment he stepped onto the red carpet, it was as if a stroke of ink had been brushed across a vivid red canvas, instantly softening the blinding glamour with a refined and understated grace.
As he walked forward, fans quickly erupted into thunderous applause and cheers. They called out his English name, their enthusiasm startling the reporters in the media section.
Is he really an East Asian actor?
This was the unspoken question that rippled through the crowd of reporters.
If you ignored his appearance and only looked at the reception he was getting, it would be hard to believe he was a bona fide Eastern actor—especially one who had only appeared in two Hollywood films to date.
But some reporters, especially the more forward-thinking ones, had already begun wondering:
Does his rising popularity signal a new chapter for East Asian actors in Hollywood?
Why was it that, even though the East had become a major emerging box office market, its actors still struggled to land meaningful roles in Hollywood films?
The biggest reason was distrust. Studios wanted to tap into Eastern audiences but didn't want to alienate other markets—so they only gave Eastern actors small, insignificant roles. That way, even if other countries didn't care for East Asian faces, it wouldn't impact the film's performance too much.
But now, Leslie was starring in a leading role in Laila's film—and from the looks of it, the public was eating it up. If Silent Whispers turned out to be a box office hit, it could be the turning point that persuaded Hollywood to start giving more substantial roles to East Asian actors.
Of course, entrusting someone with a leading role right off the bat—like Laila had done—was still a stretch for most Hollywood studios. Reaching that level would require continued progress and collective effort from all East Asian actors, steadily building trust through results to break down Hollywood's ingrained bias.
As for Laila, she was seated in the theater just like she had been for so many previous premieres. But if one looked closely at her face, they'd see that her usual calm demeanor had been replaced with something far more intense—her expression was tight, her features drawn.
She probably didn't even realize that her hands—resting stiffly on her lap—were trembling ever so slightly. Her heart was pounding so hard it felt like all the blood in her body was rushing to her head.
Roy placed Eli on his lap and turned to glance at her. Laila was completely silent, eyes locked on the big screen.
Right now, the screen was only displaying a promotional still from Silent Whispers—the final, widely-circulated image from the film's marketing campaign.
It was a striking still, powerful enough to convey layers of emotion in just a single frame, and it made both of the film's male leads look ridiculously handsome.
But Roy could tell from her unfocused gaze—she wasn't actually looking at the screen. She was staring, yes, but not seeing. Her mind was clearly elsewhere. And he knew exactly where.
This wasn't even a high-pressure release—no one had forced her to make this movie. And yet, she was more anxious about this film than any she'd ever done before. More than Avengers, even. And that had been the record-breaking event of the decade.
He just didn't get it. Why was she this nervous?
"Don't worry. Everything's going to go smoothly," Roy said softly, placing his hand gently on hers.
His warmth seeped into her cold fingers, finally snapping Laila out of her trance.
"Thank you," she whispered. Right now, she really needed his support. In this moment, she felt that if he hadn't been sitting beside her, she might not have been able to remain in her seat at all. Her fear of hearing the audience's laughter—or worse, criticism—during the film was overwhelming.
If someone behind her laughed at a moment that wasn't supposed to be funny, she might actually lose it.
Waiting was the hardest part.
After all the formalities of the premiere concluded, the theater lights finally dimmed.
The movie was about to begin.
The familiar DragonSoul Studios logo flashed across the screen, followed by bold, artistic letters reading:
"A Film by Laila Moran"
Then her name faded, and the first scene came to life.
It opened with the radiant smile of a flight attendant.
The camera panned out to reveal the interior of an airplane cabin. Judging by the layout and spacious seating, this was clearly not economy class.
The flight attendant moved down the aisle, offering friendly service to each passenger. When she reached Roy's character, she handed him a glass of wine—along with a small note bearing her phone number.
Roy's character gave her a playful wink and slipped the note into his breast pocket. He was so handsome that even a mischievous expression looked impossibly charming on him.
Meanwhile, two men seated behind him were engaged in conversation. From their exchange, the audience quickly learned that this wasn't an ordinary flight—it was the private jet of a high-ranking government consultant. The big-shot himself was seated further up front in an even more luxurious area, while the reporters tagging along were enjoying the services in the rear.