Located on the Cumberland River, Nashville is the capital of Tennessee and the mecca of American pop music, especially country music.
Furthermore, it possesses a quiet atmosphere that entertainment hubs like New York and Los Angeles lack. Many singers come here to stay for a while before releasing an album or going on a concert tour, accumulating more energy.
Because of Britney, Matthew had been to Nashville more than once.
However, unlike his previous trips, the good mood he had after securing Will Turner vanished without a trace the evening he arrived in Nashville: Britney took time out to meet him and proposed breaking up.
This wasn't because either of them had cheated or a third party had intervened; it was purely due to time and distance. They had met fewer than ten times over the course of the year.
Matthew tried to salvage the relationship, but it was ineffective.
Perhaps due to his constant reminders and guidance over the past two years, Britney was far more mature than she had been two years prior.
However, there were no arguments between them; they had no conflict and had done nothing to wrong each other. While saying they couldn't be lovers but could still be friends might be an exaggeration, they certainly wouldn't become enemies.
The atmosphere of this meeting was peaceful and friendly.
Matthew hadn't expected that flying over to see Britney would result in this outcome.
But looking back, he couldn't blame Britney; both were responsible. For instance, when the frequency of their calls decreased, problems might have already arisen.
Yet, neither of them had done anything wrong; perhaps their feelings had simply faded unconsciously.
Time and distance are objective existences that cannot be ignored.
In his somewhat Eastern way of thinking, if a relationship could be saved, it should be saved.
But Western people were clearly different. In Britney's words, since the feelings were gone, staying together would only be torture and irresponsible to each other.
Hearing her say such things, Matthew felt somewhat relieved. Britney had clearly changed over the past two years under his influence, and these changes were positive.
Their separation was amicable, and deep down, he still hoped Britney would have smooth sailing and become a pop music superstar diva.
Since he had to leave soon for pre-production with the film crew, Matthew met Britney one more time the next day.
After confirming that the breakup was irreversible, he returned to Los Angeles. A person like him certainly wouldn't cry over something like this, but he still felt somewhat depressed.
Fortunately, although he and Britney had dated for two years, they had never interfered in each other's lives. Because they met so infrequently, very few people even knew about their relationship.
On Matthew's side, the only person who knew was Helen Herman.
"I have news for you."
In Helen Herman's office, Matthew didn't hide the gloom on his face. "Britney and I broke up."
"Mhm," Helen Herman replied casually, seemingly unsurprised. "In Hollywood, breaking up and getting back together is normal."
Matthew didn't speak. He was a normal person and needed time to shake off these emotions.
"Let me give you a piece of advice," Helen Herman said directly. "Next time you date someone, don't go for a popular singer. They spend the entire year either rushing to events or preparing for them; they are much busier than actors."
Matthew knew Helen Herman was telling the truth, but he retorted, "Are you kidding me? I just broke up. It's bad enough you're not comforting me, but you're being sarcastic."
Helen Herman looked up at Matthew. "Do you need me to comfort you?" Without waiting for Matthew to answer, she continued, "Alright, I'll give you the best comfort: you lost one tree, but you gained an entire forest."
"What kind of comfort is that?" Matthew went to make himself a cup of tea and said to Helen Herman, "I just feel like something is missing from my heart."
Helen Herman was slightly surprised.
"I didn't expect you..."
"Come on!" Matthew interrupted her, saying, "This was my first love! My first love!"
"You'll forget her soon," Helen Herman said, uncharacteristically sticking to the topic. Her goal was simple: to get Matthew back to normal quickly, as he was about to leave for the film set. "There are too many beautiful women in Hollywood. Once your fame grows a little more, you'll quickly forget Britney."
Matthew shrugged. "Maybe."
Helen Herman added, "Forget about you actors who have high work pressure. Look at society today—who hasn't had a few broken relationships before getting married?"
Matthew thought about it and agreed. Forget about America, wasn't it the same in the country where he used to live?
"Alright, stop complaining," Helen Herman finally advised. "This isn't like you."
Matthew took a sip of hot tea and said nothing further.
After a while, he proactively changed the subject. "I found a suitable personal assistant. Help me draft a contract, and don't forget to include a confidentiality clause."
"Mhm," Helen Herman acknowledged, then asked, "is she reliable?"
"She should be fine, and you know her," Matthew said, drinking the rest of the tea in his cup. "Mira Wang, the girl who served as my temporary assistant on the set of "The Scorpion King."
Helen Herman seemed to approve. "She's not bad. She's worked with you before, so she's a suitable candidate."
As noon approached, Matthew didn't leave. He invited Helen Herman out for lunch, and then made a special trip to the Universal Studios soundstage area to meet Sean Daniel.
This producer had contacted Helen Herman some time ago, wanting to invite Matthew to star in a project he was preparing, but after discussing it, Matthew and Helen Herman had her politely decline, citing his commitment to filming as the reason.
This was a romantic comedy, which didn't fit his current positioning.
In Helen Herman's words, he was in a rapid ascent phase with plenty of room for development ahead. There was no need to consider expanding his repertoire or transitioning roles yet, as this would not only fail to provide much help but would also drag down his current momentum.
If he wanted to star in other types of films, he could wait until he became an A-lister, capable of surviving one or two flops, before expanding his repertoire and transitioning.
Given his current status and capital, he simply couldn't withstand even a slightly major flop.
After being politely refused by Helen Herman, Sean Daniel proactively contacted Matthew again and arranged to meet him at Universal Studios.
Regardless, Sean Daniel had been good to him, so Matthew still went to meet him.
Inside a soundstage at Universal Studios, Matthew met Sean Daniel, who was in the middle of pre-production.
Set construction was underway inside the soundstage. The two men stood by the entrance and chatted briefly.
"Sean, Helen didn't intentionally refuse you," Matthew said, naturally choosing his words carefully. "We've worked on two films together. If the circumstances weren't restrictive, I would certainly hope to continue collaborating with you."
"So, you really are joining a film crew?" Sean Daniel asked.
The cast information wouldn't be officially announced until early July. Matthew nodded and replied, "Yes, one of the lead actors. I have to join the crew next month for preparations, and we'll be filming in the Caribbean Sea region."
Sean Daniel nodded. "If the schedule doesn't work, there's nothing we can do."
He proactively changed the subject, pointing to a soundstage not far away. "Stephen's crew is prepping over there. Do you want to go take a look?"
Matthew thought for a moment and said, "I'll go take a look."
"Alright then." Sean Daniel turned back to look inside the soundstage. "I won't go over there."
Bidding farewell to Sean Daniel, Matthew arrived at the other soundstage.
After speaking to the staff at the entrance, he smoothly entered. However, Director Stephen Sommers wasn't there; he was reportedly surveying exterior locations in several Eastern European countries.
Only the lead actor, lead actress, and a few other main cast members were undergoing action training on the temporarily modified set.
Matthew spotted Orlando Bloom from a distance. Since Orlando Bloom was resting, Matthew walked over to greet him.
"Hi, Orlando," he greeted.
Seeing Matthew, Orlando Bloom immediately came over. "Matthew, you didn't come all this way just to see me, did you?"
"You're not that important yet," Matthew joked casually, like an old friend. "I was here for business and stopped by to take a look."
Just as he finished speaking, a person standing behind Orlando Bloom suddenly said, "Matthew?"
Hearing someone call him, Matthew glanced over. It was a very sturdy young man he had met a few times at Nebula's gym.
"Hello, Fox," he said with a smile. "What are you doing here?"
This was Fox Sherman, the truly wealthy person Nebula had mentioned.
"I'm here looking for someone," Fox Sherman admitted, looking directly toward the other side of the training area, where a tall woman with long brown hair stood.
Matthew also looked and recognized Kate Beckinsale, who had starred in , and was the lead actress of this film.
Fox Sherman chatted with Matthew for only a few sentences before Kate Beckinsale went to the rest area on the other side, and he quickly excused himself and followed her.
"That Fox Sherman," Orlando Bloom said, watching them, "invested in another small production starring Kate Beckinsale. It seems he's pursuing her."
Matthew nodded, not overly concerned with this, and asked, "How have you been? is the training very tiring?"
Orlando Bloom laughed. "It's alright." There was unconcealed pride in his tone. "After all, I'm the lead actor in a 160 million USD blockbuster, and there's a lot of action involved."
Speaking of this matter, he still felt guilty, and asked with concern, "What about you? Have you found a new job?"
Matthew thought for a moment, weighed his words slightly, and said, "I just signed a new contract with Disney, for one of the two lead actor roles."
Orlando Bloom had also heard about the project, but he had no ulterior motives, only happiness for Matthew. "Congratulations!"
This made him feel somewhat better.
The two chatted for a few more minutes. Seeing that they were about to start training again, Matthew politely excused himself and left.
He no longer cared about , only considered .