Chapter 1 : Prologue - The Prodigal Son Returns

Feast City, Sage Area, CBD Roundabout Road

Feast City was bathed in the glow of the evening sunset. The high-rise buildings in the city center, including the Garcia Tower, were just beginning to light up. It was the most congested time of day, and Donald Whitney''s car was moving at a snail''s pace, stopping every few steps as if on a pilgrimage.

The roundabout road was completely jammed with cars, their taillights glowing red. The sound of honking was incessant.

"Damn it," Donald muttered irritably.

The car radio blared, "Welcome to Elysian Entertainment Radio Station FM106. Today at 6 PM, the cast of ''Lady of Early Summer'' will be holding a meet-and-greet in Feast City. This marks the third collaboration between young director Albert Smith and lead actor Austin, who plays Bradley..."

The navigation app on Donald''s phone showed a sea of red and purple, indicating heavy traffic everywhere. Frustrated, he closed the app and checked the time—it was already 5:50. The screen displayed a photo of him with another man, who seemed a bit older and had his arm around Donald like an older brother.

Suddenly, a loud "Woof!" came from the passenger seat. A golden retriever, with its tongue hanging out and drooling, looked at him expectantly. A puddle of drool had formed on the leather seat—a clear sign of its mischief.

Donald took out his frustration on the dog, giving it a not-so-gentle pat on the head. "What are you barking at? Put that tongue back in!"

The dog, feeling insulted, retaliated by biting Donald''s sleeve.

"Hey, hey! Let go! The car in front is moving! Let go!"

Feast City, Hall 1

The movie "Lady of Early Summer" had been playing for about twenty minutes. Austin sat at the edge of the creators'' row, fiddling with a string of wood beads, his eyes fixed on the screen. He knew the plot by heart. He and the director, Albert Smith, were old acquaintances and well aware of each other''s capabilities. Although Smith''s work was always of high quality, Austin never liked this story, and Albert knew it.

At the thirty-minute mark, the lead characters'' first kiss was about to happen.

Austin''s assistant, Audrey, was practically glowing with excitement. After all, her "prematurely aged" boss only showed such a romantic side in movies. But when she turned to look at him, she found that Austin had his head down, engrossed in his phone.

Audrey sneaked a peek and saw that Austin had a baby monitor app open. The baby on the screen was aggressively eating porridge, quite unlike a typical baby.

Audrey: "..."

Feast City, Sage Area, Pearl Road

Donald sat slumped in his seat, staring blankly at the gridlocked traffic ahead. There was a hint of desperation in his eyes.

The traffic was already bad, and the outermost lane of Pearl Road was closed for construction. Of all places, they had to dig up the most congested road in the city. Buses and private cars were crammed into a single lane, and the bus schedule was practically meaningless.

For ten whole minutes, the car hadn''t moved an inch. The engine hummed, burning fuel. Donald turned to the golden retriever, now relegated to the back seat with the luggage, and lectured it, "What''s the point of having this car? I''d be better off with a pair of invisible wings."

The golden retriever happily stuck its head out the window, inhaling exhaust fumes. Hearing its owner''s heartfelt advice, it barked out the window in agreement.

Donald sighed, feeling that the dog was indeed teachable.

After the Golden Retriever was sent away, to protect the bouquet originally on the back seat, Donald placed the large bunch of white butterfly orchids on the passenger seat. The flowers were still fresh, with a few petals adorned with droplets of water that hadn''t dried yet.

The radio broadcast: "Mr. Smith said: ''The one I have the highest hopes for is Austin, with his understated luxury style. I''m not being biased, but after watching so many auditioning actors with the executive director, only Austin has that Bradley Johnson vibe. So, you know, there''s no place like home, hahaha...''"

Donald tapped the car screen twice, switching the radio to a record. The screen displayed single loop mode—"Track: ''Fiona'' Singer: Austin Williams."

Feast City Hall 1

The entire film "Lady of Early Summer" had finished playing. Austin, who had been dozing off in his chair, woke up right on time as if an alarm had gone off in his head.

Everyone seemed to be waiting for something. Then, the director stood up and bowed, and the hall erupted in thunderous applause. The main creative team also stood up and bowed to the media and audience in the back rows.

Audrey Brown quickly approached him before the post-screening interview started and said, "Caleb, I''m heading backstage. I''ll pick you up at the parking lot after the meet-and-greet."

Austin nodded at her and simply said, "Okay." He had just turned off his phone and put it back in his pocket when Mr. Smith urged him to go on stage.

Feast City Sage Area, Peace Avenue

The car was finally running smoothly. Donald sped down the wide avenue, with the Golden Retriever''s paws resting on the window sill, happily enjoying the rushing wind.

Feast City Hall 1

The Q&A session of the "Lady of Early Summer" meet-and-greet was in full swing. Austin sat next to Mr. Smith, becoming the focus of the reporters along with the director and the lead actress.

Feast City Sage Area, Anshun Road Shopping District

Donald finally spotted the Feast City building with its four-sided illuminated walls from a distance. "Baby, we''re almost there."

"Woof!"

Feast City Hall 1

Halfway through the Q&A, Austin noticed out of the corner of his eye that the staff behind the curtain were signaling nervously.

The signal meant: "Request for an intermission."