Chapter 160 – Buddy to the Rescue
A subtle, ambiguous current swirled through the air. The journalists’ gazes once again moved meaningfully back and forth between Renly and Natalie, as if the brief exchange just now had transformed into a display of mutual understanding and perfect synchronicity between the two.
Especially in Natalie’s eyes, there was a familiar, intimate smile directed at Renly. The afternoon sunlight refracted in her bright eyes, casting a dazzling glow.
Naturally, everyone began to anticipate Renly’s reaction.
But Renly turned to face the fans before him, his face wearing a kindly smile. He politely lowered his chin and greeted fans one by one—those in front, to the side, and behind him—just like a top-tier celebrity expressing gratitude to their audience. The focus and engagement in his expression made it almost palpable how genuinely happy he was.
Then Renly took a small step to the side and whispered something into Rodrigos’s ear. Rodrigo, who had been invisible to the journalists’ radar until that moment, immediately came into view. He nodded, slightly dazed, and followed Renly’s gaze to the audience. Raising his right hand, he waved twice, a shy smile spreading across his face.
Undoubtedly, this was the scene of the cast showing appreciation to their fans.
Renly seemed too absorbed, too excited, too focused—so much so that he completely forgot about Natalie standing beside him.
Natalie’s gesture of goodwill thus fell into emptiness. So, was Renly genuinely moved by the fans? Or was the spark between the two of them nonexistent? Or was it simply Natalie’s unrequited affection? The scandalous rumour that had just sparked so quietly fizzled out. More importantly, no one could blame Renly, because Natalie herself had started this wave of enthusiasm. Without her, the audience’s reaction, even with Buried and Renly’s influence, would never have been this intense.
Natalie lifted her chin. The elegant curve of her white neck gleamed under the golden light. Her eyes stayed fixed on Renly, but he didn’t notice. That fleeting moment of loneliness and disappointment stiffened her smile, while the fire of anger in her heart threatened to consume all reason. Were it not for years of self-restraint, she might have already lost control. Even if she didn’t turn away, her expression would inevitably have betrayed her emotions.
She could not afford to show weakness just yet.
So Natalie kept her stiff smile in place, letting it sweep over Renly’s shoulder toward the fans on that side. She slightly raised her right hand in a ladylike wave, which sent the audience into an even louder frenzy, as if Natalie herself had become part of the excitement.
Yet, the mingled closeness and distance in the air, tinged with subtle tension, was visible to anyone paying attention. Things had clearly deviated from expectations. The undercurrent of intensity electrified the journalists, leaving them eager to uncover the hidden truth—what exactly was going on here?
Daisy became even more certain of her suspicion: there was definitely something wrong here! This was not just about a rumour. The sense of distance and incompatibility between the two was painfully obvious, almost unbearable to witness. In fact, Renly hadn’t said anything, and neither had Natalie. Everything seemed calm on the surface, yet beneath this seemingly tranquil display lay an invisible tension, a sense of confrontation and estrangement, as if two mismatched pieces that no amount of effort could ever fit together.
What Daisy was now even more curious about was: why? Reporters might have concocted the rumours; before today, they had only circulated internally and were never officially reported. But Natalie’s behaviour today was far too… urgent. So, what was the real reason? And why was Renly involved?
Originally, Daisy had only come here to support Renly personally. She hadn’t expected to stumble upon something this big. Now she was eager to see where this would go.
Renly kept a smile on his face, but his mind was racing. Ignoring Natalie earlier had sent a clear signal, yet once the cheers subsided, he would need to acknowledge her in some way. Otherwise, even if they ended up openly at odds, Renly would still want to leverage Natalie’s presence to boost Buried and attract more attention. He couldn’t simply write her off so bluntly.
But how should he show thanks? Being too distant would seem cold; being too overtly friendly would make his intentions obvious, giving Natalie an opening she wouldn’t miss. Perhaps a playful, teasing gesture would suffice?
Just then, a commotion arose at the start of the red carpet. Renly instinctively looked over, and a faint smile tugged at the corners of his lips: Ryan Gosling had arrived, making a dazzling entrance at the most perfect possible moment.
Ryan looked around, raising his eyebrows into a puzzled, almost comical expression. He clearly hadn’t expected the crowd to be this lively. He raised his hand in greeting, and cheers and screams erupted from both sides of the red carpet. This was Ryan’s home turf—every Canadian in the audience was vocally supportive, and the uproar far exceeded the reaction to Natalie’s appearance, shaking the surroundings like a tidal wave.
Of course, compared to the premiere of Blue Valentine, this was still minor in scale. Ryan quickly regained his composure and greeted the audience with practised ease. However, he didn’t linger on the red carpet, as he wasn’t the main focus this afternoon. After a brief stop, he strode toward the front.
Daisy noticed a small detail: Renly had stepped forward two paces to meet Ryan. Ryan greeted him with a hug, which Renly returned politely, but as soon as he released the embrace, he pushed Ryan’s shoulder in mild disdain, clearly reluctant to get too close.
The small gesture made both of them chuckle lightly, revealing the subtle differences in closeness without anyone having to say a word. Daisy glanced at Natalie, standing nearby—alone, looking slightly isolated.
Ryan looked down at his suit and then at Renly’s collarless shirt, clearly displeased. “I’m dressed formally out of respect. And you, as the host, greet your guest like this?”
“Are you sure you didn’t pick the suit just to look cooler?” Renly shot back immediately. Ryan let out an awkward, almost nervous laugh.
“Why did you arrive alone? Weren’t you supposed to come with ‘11’?” he added, referring to Michelle Williams.
Ryan, however, gave Renly a look of mild disdain. “You attend my premiere alone, and yet you expect two people as compensation? That’s not how business works.” But the warning in his eyes was sharp, almost gritted-teeth serious: Don’t say it out loud! His date with Michelle was meant to remain secret, and they had no intention of letting the reporters find out.
Renly raised an eyebrow, as if to say: Don’t test me.
Faced with that threatening gaze, Ryan immediately backed down, breaking into a wide grin and nervously rubbing his hands together, almost like he was begging for mercy. Then he glanced around at the reporters. “Wow, it’s really lively here today.”
Only then did he notice Natalie. He quickly stepped forward and politely extended his right hand. “Good afternoon.”
As this was an unexpected situation, and Ryan and Natalie had no prior connection, this gesture of his was purely formal, as if meeting someone for the first time at a social event. Natalie, in turn, kept it polite and restrained, briefly returning his handshake and nodding—enough to acknowledge the greeting.
Ryan clenched his teeth and cast a glance at Renly, mouthing, “What the heck is going on?” The two exchanged a look, then Ryan turned toward the reporters. “So, what do you all think? Personally, I can’t wait to see this movie. The guy behind me keeps showing off his skills and talent. I’m most curious to see how much of it will really shine on the big screen. He’d better not be a fraud.”
His frank, cheerful words, teasing yet affectionate, immediately showcased the camaraderie between the two. The reporters burst into laughter.
Daisy couldn’t help but glance at Natalie. Natalie maintained her elegance and poise, with a light, cheerful smile, but clearly, her frequency didn’t match Renly’s. Interesting. Very interesting.
“Ryan, are you especially attending the Buried premiere just to support Renly?” a reporter asked from the crowd.
As Ryan was about to answer, Renly stepped forward and interjected, “By the way, official statement: I just said we’re dating.” Then he casually stepped back to his spot. Ryan’s face froze in confusion, clearly not understanding what had just happened, and he muttered with mild disdain, “You’re not my type.”
The entire press corps erupted into laughter, and even the fans standing nearby were doubled over with amusement.
Gradually, people forgot about the rumours between Renly and Natalie—or rather, they hadn’t completely forgotten, but found no opening to bring them up again. Ryan’s conversation with the reporters was lighthearted and cheerful. Even better, soon after, Rami Malek, James Badge Dale, Jon Seda, and others appeared on the red carpet, arriving specifically to support Renly.
Additionally, the presence of actors like Rose Byrne and Hugh Dancy made the red carpet even livelier.
The most surprising appearance, without a doubt, was that of Gary Goetzman, the producer of The Pacific. As everyone knows, he is a close friend of Tom Hanks. Over the course of his career, two-thirds of his projects have been collaborations with Tom, and he is also good friends with Tom’s wife, Rita Wilson. In other words, his presence signalled Tom’s support as well.
For an otherwise unknown independent film, the Buried premiere’s red carpet could not be called star-studded, yet the level of liveliness, interest, and excitement far exceeded expectations. It was, without question, the dark horse of today’s Toronto Film Festival.
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