That night, Matthew witnessed a unique gymnastics performance. When he used to live across the Pacific, he had downloaded a video of a Romanian female gymnastics champion performing a similar routine. However, that champion's face and figure couldn't compare to Nina Dobrev's. Watching a video on a computer screen is not as impactful as seeing it live.
Moreover, when things got exciting, he could even participate, experiencing the allure of artistic gymnastics' high-difficulty moves firsthand.
If being with Alexandra Daddario was like navigating stormy seas, then what he was experiencing now was like a circus performance.
Surfing felt amazing, and playing acrobatics was just as enjoyable.
Nina Dobrev, a Canadian Olympic-level rhythmic gymnast, demonstrated a level of flexibility that exceeded Matthew's expectations.
The experience brought not only physical pleasure but also a visual impact.
Matthew felt he truly understood the meaning of the term "a sight for sore eyes" from watching Nina Dobrev.
Very extraordinary, indeed...
The next morning, Matthew woke up early as usual. Nina Dobrev, likely exhausted from last night's exertions, was still asleep. Her high-difficulty gymnastics moves were truly draining.
Matthew didn't wake her. After washing up, he ordered breakfast to be delivered an hour later. Feeling bored, he wandered around Nina Dobrev's suite, which was fairly upscale and probably cost over five hundred dollars a night. This indicated that Nina Dobrev wasn't short of money.
He wasn't very familiar with North American professional sports, but he knew that these niche sports were often supported by universities. Nina Dobrev hadn't made a name for herself in the Canadian entertainment industry, so she probably had a decent income from her time as a professional athlete.
Or perhaps she came from a well-off family.
Matthew recalled Nina Dobrev mentioning that she was born in Bulgaria and later immigrated to Canada.
He ordered the hotel to deliver breakfast in an hour. With Nina Dobrev still asleep and nothing to do, he sat on the couch in the bedroom and picked up his phone. Seeing no missed calls or messages from last night, he put it down on the small table beside him.
On the table was a book that appeared to be a novel. Out of curiosity, Matthew glanced at it. The cover, featuring a black background with a breaking red ribbon, was striking.
He couldn't help but take a closer look and saw the title—**"Eclipse."**
With nothing else to do, Matthew picked up the book. Instead of opening it immediately, he found the bookmarked page, noting there was no writing besides the book's content. Then, he started reading.
After about half an hour, he stopped reading, realizing that the novel was not his type. It was a romance novel reminiscent of Qiong Yao's works, with the female protagonist Isabella Swan and the male protagonist Edward Cullen passionately in love.
However, this wasn't the first book in the series, and its setting was interesting, incorporating elements of vampires and werewolves.
Closing the book, Matthew suddenly remembered something. Vampires and werewolves, combined with a passionate love story...
Thinking further, he looked more closely at the cover. Above the word "Eclipse," he noticed smaller letters spelling out "Twilight."
Isn't that the series that made the woman with the most masculine presence famous? He recalled how, after this series, she challenged the role of Snow White, forcing the magic mirror to lie to Charlize Theron...
He hadn't seen the movies but had heard of the names, especially how the actress, known for her androgynous look, had a dramatic public and private life, involving a cheating scandal with a director and later coming out.
What a shame. Seeing this book, Matthew remembered that the masculine woman...
Matthew flipped through the book's covers again. **"Eclipse"** was the third book in the "Twilight" series.
"Hi..." came Nina Dobrev's voice from the other side. "Why are you up so early?"
"Good morning, Nina," Matthew turned to her.
Nina Dobrev seemed to want to get up, struggled a bit, and then lay back down, turning toward Matthew. Her eyes fell on the book in his hand.
"I was bored," Matthew said, shaking the book. "So I picked up your novel to read."
Nina Dobrev seemed not quite recovered from the previous night's excitement. "Bored? You could have woken me up; I still have plenty to offer..."
She winked at Matthew, half-jokingly adding, "Even some light bondage games are on the table."
Matthew opened his mouth, about to respond, but then glanced at the book in his hand, then at Nina Dobrev, thinking about the idea of bondage games...
This reminded him of a time when he watched a film known as a super Mary Sue story involving S and M. Initially expecting explicit scenes, he was disappointed by the lack of emotional engagement. He then sought out the original novel, initially an online fan fiction inspired by the "Twilight" series.
How many installments are there in the "Twilight" series? Judging by "Eclipse," it was at least the third book. Does the film adaptation's rights still exist? Or have they already been bought by a Hollywood studio?
Matthew knew that the rights to many bestselling books were often purchased by movie companies early on, sometimes years or even decades before they were adapted into films.
He decided to have Helen Herman and Bella Anderson investigate the rights situation. If the rights were still available, his Thirteen Productions could acquire them. If the rights had been sold, they could still explore the potential of creating a similar project.
He slapped his forehead, frustrated by the fleeting nature of his memory. Without a prompt, it was difficult to recall details about films he had watched or heard about in passing.
"Uh..." Nina Dobrev looked curiously at Matthew's actions. "What's going on?"
Matthew held up a hand, "Nina, give me a moment of quiet. I have something to think about."
Nina Dobrev, anxious not to interrupt him, even breathing lightly.
Are there any other adaptations of books he might have overlooked? From around 2010 or later? Matthew racked his brains but struggled to recall specifics. He mostly watched movies for entertainment and rarely followed behind-the-scenes details unless something particularly caught his interest.
His mind racing, he suddenly remembered an image of a celebrity, often portrayed as air-headed, being doused in milk. The celebrity shared a last name with Francis Lawrence, though Matthew couldn't immediately recall her first name. Fans dubbed her "Big Sister."
Big Sister starred in a series where the protagonist used a bow and arrow, based on a novel.
The memory became clearer: gossip about Big Sister falling on the Oscar red carpet, tripping on stage, stumbling at movie premieres, being doused in milk, appearing in X-Men movies with his long-lost friends, and starring in "The Hunger Games."
Matthew finally pieced it together. He remembered fast-forwarding through the first two films, finding them dull, and promptly deleting them. But Big Sister became truly famous with this series.
"Twilight and The Hunger Games..." Matthew muttered.
He felt no desire to stay any longer. He looked at Nina Dobrev, saying, "Nina, I have urgent matters to attend to. I'll call you this afternoon, and if you're interested, you can visit me."
"Sure," Nina Dobrev agreed eagerly.
Matthew continued, "I've already spoken to the director and the crew about your role. It's a supporting role in 'Fast & Furious 4,' with limited screen time. You might have to wait a while, as the project is still in the early stages of preparation."
Nina Dobrev smiled, "No problem."
She was not yet nineteen and had the patience to wait a few months.
Matthew then picked up her copy of "Eclipse," saying, "I'll borrow this novel. I'll return it when you come over this afternoon."
"Keep it," Nina Dobrev said, tilting her head. "Consider it a memento of our time together."
"Thanks," Matthew said, gathering his belongings. He took the novel and prepared to leave. Before leaving, he reminded her, "I ordered breakfast. Eat and get some more sleep."
Nina Dobrev nodded, watching him leave with a slight sigh. He was a considerate lover, but unfortunately...
Matthew left the hotel and immediately called Helen Herman, saying, "I came across a novel called 'Twilight' today. Could you check on the film rights?"
"'Twilight'? Let me think... I recall seeing something about it," Helen Herman paused, then said, "Yes, when Paramount approached us about distributing 'Fast & Furious 4,' I saw the novel and its adaptation script at the office of Paramount's production distribution director."
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