Chapter 134: Encountering the Beauty Again

After obtaining Romero’s autograph and having the good fortune to exchange a few words and contact information with the master, Yan Xu watched as Romero walked into the venue with the stunning woman on his arm—Lori Cardille, the lead actress of *Day of the Dead*. Yan Xu knew that compared to the high spirits they displayed now, both would soon descend into a period of professional doldrums.

Romero’s subsequent films would suffer from disappointing box office returns, leading to a steady decline in his output. He would be relegated to producing or screenwriting for television series until twenty years later, when *Land of the Dead* brought him back into the public eye. However, two decades were enough for audience tastes to become increasingly jaded and the media more critical. Compounded by the general decline of zombie films at the time, that movie would gross less than twenty million dollars, and his later work, *Diary of the Dead*, would leave audiences even more disappointed, lamenting that Romero had aged and wishing he could keep pace with the times.

As for the beautiful Lori Cardille by his side, *Day of the Dead* was arguably the only notable work in her acting career. Though her acting skills were beyond reproach—truly the highlight of the film—she would sink into the quagmire of B-movies afterward, appearing in a few soap operas that failed to gain traction before eventually fading from the public consciousness.

"What’s the matter? The beauty has walked away, and you’re still lingering? Do you want me to introduce you to a few others?" Gordon stood beside Yan Xu with a smile. Lori Cardille wasn’t exceptionally beautiful, but there was a professional competence in her aura that was incredibly attractive.

"She’s a frontrunner for the Best Actress award at this film festival, and my film has also been nominated in the same category. She’s a formidable opponent." In Yan Xu’s memory, the winner of the Best Actress award this time was indeed Lori Cardille, who would also prove to be the most fleeting of stars at the Sitges Film Festival.

"If you’re willing to introduce me to Barbara Crampton, I wouldn't mind," Yan Xu teased Gordon.

Barbara Crampton was the lead actress in his film *Re-Animator*, a blonde beauty with seductive lips and a devilish figure. As she aged, she only grew more alluring, and she was Gordon’s muse. She would take the lead in several of Gordon’s future films, and whether due to Gordon’s perverse sense of humor or not, each film seemed to require her to showcase that devilish figure of hers in a rather revealing manner.

With such a sexy beauty appearing frequently in Gordon’s films, one couldn't help but let their imagination wander. Regardless, Yan Xu didn’t believe their relationship was purely professional, even though Gordon was married with children. Having a confidante or a lover was nothing unusual in the West.

"I think you’d better focus on taming your own leading lady. We’re about to go in, and I need to find my team." Gordon, having caught the subtle interactions between Yan Xu and Joey Wong, quickly retorted. Seeing that people were beginning to enter the venue, he bid Yan Xu a temporary farewell.

***

"Hello, I didn't expect to see you here." Just as Yan Xu was about to go find Joey Wong, who had been pulled away by reporters for photos, he suddenly spotted a familiar figure in the crowd. He quickly walked over to greet her.

Running into her at the awards ceremony was a complete surprise to Yan Xu. With her height and beauty, she was a head-turner wherever she went. Today, she wore a black evening gown. Her long, dark hair was pinned into a bun, and the deeply plunging neckline revealed her cleavage, with a ruby necklace resting in the valley of her bust, contrasting beautifully against her porcelain skin and sparkling brilliantly. The long skirt was slit from below the waist, offering glimpses of her long, slender, and shapely legs as she moved—a seductive, charming sight. Her small, fair feet, a rarity among Western women, were adorned with golden high-heeled sandals, and her ten crystal-clear toes were painted with vibrant red polish, looking like rubies embedded in mutton-fat jade—a masterpiece of art.

This woman was the beauty Yan Xu had met at a bar, the one with whom he’d shared a night of passion. That night, Yan Xu had truly experienced the initiative and fervor of a Western woman. Whether in his past life or this one, it was his first time being intimate with such a tall woman, and the experience was one only he could fully appreciate.

Her silent departure had always left a lingering thought in Yan Xu’s mind. They had been so intimate, yet he hadn't even known her name. He had assumed it was merely a memory of a fleeting affair, so he was shocked to see her here again. Judging by her appearance, she was likely an actress from one of the film crews attending the festival.

"You?" The woman turned her head and was startled to see Yan Xu. That night had been an impulsive indulgence she had buried deep within, a little secret of her own. She never expected to encounter him here by such a strange twist of fate.

"It’s me." Yan Xu looked at her exquisite face and smiled slightly. Standing so close, he could clearly smell her fragrance. Seeing her sexy red lips made his heart race, and scenes of her kneeling before him that night involuntarily flooded his mind.

"Let’s re-introduce ourselves. My name is Yan Xu; I’m a director." Yan Xu took the initiative to extend his hand. They were the most familiar of strangers—familiar in that he knew every detail of her body, yet strangers in that he didn't even know her name.

"Ah? You are Yan?" Seeing his hand, the woman reached out to shake it, but upon hearing his introduction, she was even more surprised. In recent days, *House of No. 1* had become the talk of Sitges; it was difficult not to hear the name Yan Xu.

"Yes." Yan Xu nodded, firmly grasping her soft hand.

"Mathilda May," she introduced herself.

"Mathilda May? May?" The name felt vaguely familiar to Yan Xu, especially the word "May," which he associated with the fifth month. It was no wonder she looked familiar, yet he couldn't quite place her—much like how Westerners often felt all Asians looked the same, people in the East often struggled to distinguish certain Western faces.

Mathilda May—the actress who had gained a reputation in France, an elegant woman known for her sex appeal. She was a woman who dared to bare herself on the big screen, a woman with extraordinary dancing skills who exuded ambiguity and temptation in her *Tango* performances, and the one who had ignited desire in the hearts of countless men with her perfect figure in *Lifeforce*.

When he had watched *Lifeforce*, he had been mesmerized by those alluring scenes. Thinking that he had once truly kissed and caressed that beautiful body, Yan Xu felt a surge of heat in his chest.

"Yes, I played an alien vampire in *Lifeforce*." May hadn't been in the industry for long; while she had appeared in a few films, she wasn't yet a household name.

The alien vampire from *Lifeforce*—although it had been a long time since Yan Xu watched the film, a moment of reflection brought the memories back. The May standing before him was indeed one of the three aliens brought back from space, the very first woman to awaken. When he had first watched the film, he had fantasized quite a bit about that awakening beauty. Yet, having watched many films, the image on the screen was far less vivid than the real-life May standing right in front of him.

"I’ve seen it, but I never imagined you were the one." Yan Xu gripped her hand tighter. Knowing her identity only heightened his excitement; he wanted nothing more than to whisk her away to a hotel for another round of "warm-up exercises."

"I never imagined you were Yan Xu, either," May said with a smile.

Feeling the firm grip of his large hand, a slight flush appeared on May’s cheeks. She felt as though she could sense his intense masculine aura once again. She wasn't a loose woman; she herself found her initiative that night inexplicable. Perhaps it was a combination of factors: the depression of discovering her boyfriend’s infidelity, the alcohol she’d consumed at the bar, Yan Xu’s heroic rescue, his intoxicating masculine scent when she treated his wounds, and his sturdy physique that far surpassed her boyfriend’s. Of course, there was also a desire to take revenge on her boyfriend. All these things intertwined to finally make her let go.

After that night of passion, when she woke up the next day and saw him lying beside her, she hadn't known how to face it. Though French women were known for their passion, she came from a respectable family—her father was an influential screenwriter and her mother a famous dancer—so she had been raised strictly. Even though she bared herself on screen, it was part of her work. But that night’s indulgence left her feeling a sense of shame. She couldn't imagine she had been so bold and proactive—trying things she had only ever seen in adult films. She had even let him release inside her, and in the end, she had even swallowed his essence.

She had chosen to flee. When she returned home, no one noticed anything unusual. She had thought it would remain a memory, one that would inexplicably surface on certain nights, causing a flush of heat as she thought of his sturdy body—so unlike the stereotypes her friends mockingly attributed to Asian men.

And now, she had encountered him again. He was in the same circle, and even heralded as a genius—a director only a few years older than her.

Especially when Yan Xu’s gaze wandered over her, she felt as if her gown had vanished, leaving her completely exposed to him. A surge of heat began to flow through her body.