America: Child stars start with The Shining

"John, why are you looking so gloomy today? Cheer up! There are so many girls around here, they all want to get close to you, give them some face!"

"F*** you! Can you please shut the hell up?! It's all that kid's fault, he ruined my good time, otherwise I wouldn't be sitting here now! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!!!"

boom!

John grew angrier and angrier, grabbed a wine bottle from the table, and smashed it on the ground.

The girls dancing next to him, who had been flirting with him like an electric motor, were startled by his appearance and quickly moved away, instantly dispelling the previously ambiguous atmosphere.

This is a disco near the ski resort.

John regained consciousness quickly after being taken to the hospital. After a thorough examination, the doctor found that he was fine, just with a mild concussion. So, as soon as he left the hospital, he was called here by a few of his cronies to relax.

Although it's still daytime, for people like them, if they just throw together a gathering, a whole bunch of girls eager to become famous will immediately flock to their side.

But John didn't care about any of that! He was still thinking about the ski resort and that damn kid!

He had even sent handwritten letters to Judy's film crew and home to try and get her attention, but why didn't this damn woman reply to him at all? F***ing! She wouldn't even answer his phone!

"Hey, calm down, you fucking thing! Here, take a puff, and you'll be fine after this. This is some new stuff I managed to get my hands on, it's definitely strong enough."

John's good friend leaned over and handed him a cigarette. John calmed down a bit, and the two of them huddled together, puffing away. Soon, they both looked a little dazed.

"You know... in this kind of weather, are there hardly any people out at night?"

"Who knows? It's snowing so heavily outside, I doubt anyone would dare to wander around in this weather... Hey, I'm warning you, John, don't get any funny ideas, just stay here and have fun for the day."

"I know, I know, of course I understand... Alright, you should go now, don't keep those women waiting."

John slumped on the sofa, watching his best friend walk away. He looked up at the ceiling, his vision blurring, and his head spinning.

After a while, he suddenly stood up and walked towards the door.

......

Meanwhile, Judy took Ciel to a nearby hospital for a quick check-up, and after confirming that there was absolutely nothing wrong, the two of them finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Children's bodies are incredibly resilient and have amazing recovery abilities; if it were someone else, they would probably suffer some minor injuries.

The two then left the hospital and went to a nearby restaurant. They found a seat on the second floor, and Judy treated them to the meal as a way of thanking Charles for his earlier, uh, selfless act.

Well, Charles knew he had acted impulsively, but the situation was urgent, and he was genuinely afraid of things going wrong. After all, he knew all the stupid things John had done.

It was nearing evening, and the snow was falling heavier and heavier. There were almost no pedestrians on the street, and the ski resort was temporarily closed. They could only stay in the restaurant and wait for the weather to improve before going out again.

Judy seemed somewhat silent, sitting opposite Shire, glancing occasionally at the snowy scenery outside the window.

"So... you just escaped from the party?" Ciel asked, observing Judy's expression.

He had just learned that Judy wasn't here on vacation, but rather her mother had brought her to a party full of Hollywood investors—a high-society circle.

"I didn't escape... Okay, you're right, that place was just too oppressive, so I ran away to clear my head."

Judy paused, sighed, bit her drink straw, and continued:

"Charles, Hollywood won't be any more lenient with you just because you're a kid. Those adults will only judge you by adult standards. To them, child stars are just money-making tools, well, just tools with a slightly longer bloom period."

Ciel almost forgot that Judy was still a teenager, not much older than him, but she looked much more mature than her peers.

The American diet is high in protein and calories, which makes children grow faster. In a few years, Shire will probably grow taller quickly, and then he won't have the chance to play those kinds of child roles anymore.

Charles recalled the scene he had witnessed a while ago where the other person was arguing with his mother, and couldn't help but speak up:

"In that case, have you considered changing your environment temporarily? For example, going to university or something. Besides, you know what happened earlier. What if you get bothered by this kind of person again?"

Judy paused for a moment, then said:

"You're right... but the problem is, Ciel, once you're in this circle, you'll slowly realize that many things are beyond your control, especially since you're still just a kid. Fuck, who's going to seriously listen to a kid's thoughts?"

"Whether it's making movies, dating, or participating in other random activities, there are many times when you can't make decisions on your own. Just think of Marilyn Monroe and you'll understand."

At this point, her expression clearly showed some unease.

The cause of Marilyn Monroe's death has never been made public, and she herself is afraid of experiencing something similar.

Especially now, her fame is rising rapidly, and she has gradually become a well-known child star. She is also frequently harassed by reporters and fans, which makes her increasingly worried.

If it weren't for Charles's help today, she really wouldn't know how to get out of this mess.

A voice suddenly entered her ears:

"Relax, Judy. I guarantee that nothing like that will ever happen to you, so whatever you're thinking, go for it. I'll always support you."

Judy glanced at Charles and suddenly smiled. It was the first time she had ever heard someone comfort her like that, especially from a boy much younger than her.

She blinked and teased:

"Then you'd better work hard. Only when you become a real superstar will you be able to help me. As for now, you're still a long way off. Keep it up, little brother."

Charles raised an eyebrow but didn't say much. He wasn't qualified to say such things and couldn't help the other party in any way.

Just as he was about to continue eating, he suddenly noticed a commotion downstairs and instinctively looked out the window.

The crowd on the street scattered and fled, scrambling for cover. A young man stood there, looking strange, as if he were high on drugs.

The next second, the man suddenly looked up, looked at Ciel and Judy through the glass window, gave them a strange smile, and waved. Ciel's heart tightened.

"Oh no! Judy, get down!"

boom! boom! boom!

The glass suddenly shattered!

Charles jolted, his heart pounding wildly, and almost instinctively lunged at Judy, pulling her under the table with him.

He couldn't help but curse:

"F***ing! What the hell is going on? How can there be a shooting in a place like this? Screw free America!"

The floor-to-ceiling glass windows of the entire wall shattered one after another, with shards flying everywhere!

Xia Dun immediately felt a ringing in his ears and could not hear the sounds around him clearly. Everything became blurry and indistinct. He could only stay close to Judy and did not dare to look up at the situation downstairs.

Damn, who the hell dares to look up at a time like this? A bullet could fly over at any second.

Where's the police?

Where the hell have all the cops gone?!

This is a resort area with such a large flow of people, how come there aren't even these basic security measures? How did that guy even manage to sneak in with a gun?!

Charles glanced at Judy, who was completely frozen in fear, her face pale, and her breathing rapid.

He gritted his teeth and was about to get up and lead the other person away when he noticed that the gunfire had suddenly stopped and the surroundings had returned to silence.

Immediately afterwards, a soft sound of footsteps came from the direction of the staircase leading to the second floor.