**Chapter 253: Why, Why, Why Am I So Handsome?**

"Damn!"

In the parking lot, Luca slammed his fist on the steering wheel after getting into his car. He couldn't believe he was going to get some bad news, but reality hit him harder than he expected. It wasn't just a few pieces of bad news, it was a pile of them.

What troubled him the most was the news about the *Collateral* production and Tom Cruise.

With stars like Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio involved, they shouldn't have been able to sway the decision, yet Tom Cruise still agreed to replace him.

"Am I really that bad?"

Luca glanced at himself in the mirror. The face staring back at him was still incredibly handsome—strong eyebrows, bright eyes, a perfectly chiseled nose, and features like a Renaissance sculpture.

"With a face like this, even without much acting skill, people would still pay to watch me. How could I possibly bring down the quality of a film? They really have no taste."

Luca exhaled heavily and wondered if maybe he was just *too* handsome. Perhaps his looks clashed with Tom Cruise, leading to him being replaced, maybe by someone like bald-headed Jason Statham.

"Is this what they call being punished for being too good-looking?"

Luca shook his head and started the car, convinced his theory might actually be true. His extreme good looks were likely the reason for jealousy and targeting.

Being too handsome, too fit, and adding his *Mr. Big* reputation only made it worse, turning him into a magnet for scandals.

Whenever he was around a woman, people immediately assumed there was something improper going on.

"Should I just slash my face?"

He glanced in the rearview mirror. Maybe a scar would make him look more rugged.

But *Mr. Big* wasn't easy to deal with—should he chop off forty centimeters and turn into just a regular guy?

"Sigh~"

For the first time, Luca felt that being too handsome, too strong, and too competent was a burden.

He ruffled his hair, turning his stylish look into a mess, trying to tone it down. But when he looked in the mirror, the messy hair only made him look even sexier.

"My good looks are hopeless."

Luca drove toward Santa Monica Beach, planning to drown his sorrows at a bar.

"Meow meow~ meow meow~"

He suddenly heard a cat meowing and paused for a second before realizing it was his phone. 

Miranda had changed his ringtone to something cute because she thought his old one was too lame.

Luca shook his head—he really should lock his phone. In his past life, a ringtone got him into trouble; this time, he had to learn his lesson.

"Hey, Ryan!"

It was Ryan Gosling calling. He had just gotten back to LA after filming elsewhere.

Ryan's call was an invitation to grab drinks at a bar.

Luca thought for a moment and agreed, turning his car around and heading toward the Grizzly Bar at the base of Beverly Hills.

This was a high-end bar in a wealthy neighborhood, frequented by celebrities with some cash to their names.

By the afternoon, the bar was getting crowded and noisy.

Luca took off his cap, stuffed it into his pocket, and walked toward a booth in the back with his long legs, passing by several familiar faces. The odds of running into a star here were pretty high.

"Luca, over here!"

Ryan Gosling waved.

Luca made his way over. There were four people at the booth—two men and two women.

Ryan, Rachel, Heath Ledger, and his current girlfriend, Naomi Watts, who would soon be the lead actress in *King Kong* and was doing pretty well among Australian actors.

"Luca, long time no see. How've you been?"

Rachel stood up and gave him a light hug, her smile as bright and infectious as ever.

"Not bad, I'm just grinning like an idiot every day."

"Haha!"

Rachel laughed, tilting her head back.

"Hey, Luca, you can let go now."

Ryan said, slightly annoyed.

"Ryan, you're so petty. I can't believe you're an actor with that attitude."

Luca let go and didn't hesitate to tease him.

"Yeah, but I *am* an actor, and a damn good one too. Rarely get any complaints. Jealous?"

Ryan Gosling shot back.

Luca flipped him off and turned his attention to the other couple.

Like Ryan and Rachel, Naomi Watts and Heath Ledger were also in a relationship where she was older by eight years.

"Miss Watts, great to meet you. I love your work. Your performance in *Mulholland Drive* definitely deserved an Oscar."

Luca said earnestly.

Naomi was a talented actress who had spent eight tough years in Hollywood, even being kicked out of her apartment after three months of unpaid rent, until her breakthrough role in *Mulholland Drive* in 2001.

Her story was truly inspiring, and Luca admired women like her.

"Thank you!"

Naomi Watts smiled warmly, sensing his sincerity. "I also enjoy your films. You're really good."

"Hahaha~"

As soon as she said that, Ryan and Rachel burst into laughter.

"What's so funny?"

Luca frowned in displeasure.

"Nothing, Luca. Your movies are indeed great. We agree with Naomi."

Ryan grinned.

"Yep, totally!"

Rachel winked and nodded rapidly.

Luca rubbed his forehead, feeling a bit awkward. All four of them were highly respected actors, while he was seen as just a pretty boy. He was clearly being teased.

This wasn't the gathering he had hoped for—he was starting to regret coming.

"Heath, good to see you again. It's great to meet you once more."

Luca extended his hand with a smile.

"Hey, Luca!"

Heath Ledger smiled back, a little reserved.

"Luca, you know Heath?" Rachel asked, curious.

"Yeah, I was there too."

Ryan chuckled. "It was in a bar in New York. Me, Heath, and Matt Damon ran into Kate Kelly and a few other supermodels."

"Kate was there too?"

Rachel glanced at Luca and suddenly smiled. "Luca, you must've been pretty upset about that."

"How did you know?"

Ryan looked puzzled.

"Haha, just a guess. Was I right?"

Rachel grinned.

Ryan nodded. "Yeah, we were just sitting there chatting. 

But when Luca arrived, he had this stern look on his face, like we'd invaded his turf. 

To avoid any drama, the three of us left early, right Heath?"

"Heh~"

Heath let out a soft laugh.

Luca shook his head. "You guys totally misread me. I just look serious when I'm not smiling. I wasn't upset at all that night, right Heath?"

"Heh~"

Heath laughed again.

"Come on, don't just 'heh' at everything. You should be the one clarifying," Naomi Watts chimed in, laughing.

Heath scratched his head, glanced at Luca, and said, "Yeah, you did seem a bit upset that night."

"Haha, see? Told you!" Ryan teased.

"Fine, fine. I was out of line that night. I'll down a drink as an apology to you both."

Luca poured himself a glass of whiskey and knocked it back.

"What were you guys talking about?" he asked after setting the glass down.

"We're actors—of course we're talking about movies."

"Is *Stay* finished filming?"

This movie, starring Ryan Gosling and Naomi Watts, is a small production. The two even have a love scene together in the film, and I honestly don't know what to make of them hanging out and drinking with their partners.

"Yes, we're discussing Heath's new script. We heard you auditioned for it, so we thought we'd chat with you," Ryan said with a smile.

Luca froze for a second. "Are you talking about Brokeback Mountain?"

"Yeah."

Naomi Watts took over the conversation. "I saw the script with Diana, the writer, and thought it was really good. I encouraged Heath to give it a try."

"Heath, how did the audition go?"

"Heh, it went pretty well," Heath said with a soft chuckle.

Looks like it's a sure thing.

Luca sighed inwardly. If Heath got the role, there was a 99% chance he wouldn't. He suddenly felt a little empty inside.

"Luca, I heard you've been following this project for a while. If Heath gets the lead, can you land the second lead? Haha, just thinking about you two getting together in the movie cracks me up," Ryan said with a raised eyebrow and a smile.

"Luca, I remember you saying in Toronto that you didn't like playing these kinds of roles. Why did you audition for the second lead?" Rachel asked curiously.

Back in Toronto, the two of them had run into Director Ang Lee and even discussed the script.

"It's just a coincidence. On my flight from Toronto to San Francisco, I ran into Director Ang Lee again. I read the script and thought it was really good and touching, so I wanted to give it a shot. But now, it seems like I won't get the chance," Luca said, spreading his hands.

"How do you know?" Ryan and Rachel were curious, and Naomi Watts seemed to be deep in thought while Heath Ledger scratched his head.

"Because Heath and I are both foreigners."

Luca is Brazilian, and Heath Ledger is Australian.

A Hollywood movie about a gay couple wouldn't cast two foreign leads.

If they were British or Canadian, it wouldn't be a problem, but actors from Brazil and Australia don't have the same influence in Hollywood. The producers would definitely consider that.

That's why Luca hadn't mentioned Heath Ledger to Director Ang Lee the last time. But now, they were still crossing paths.

With Heath Ledger confirmed for the film, it meant the door had closed for him.

"You two actually seem like a good fit. This is a small production, so it's not entirely impossible that they'd use both of you," Ryan said, though even he didn't believe his own words.

"Hopefully!" Luca smiled, raising his glass to clink with the others. Now his only hope rested with Director Ang Lee. If he was willing to take a risk, there was a tiny sliver of hope.

"Meow~ Meow~"

Just as he was thinking that, his phone rang again, the screen showing "Ang Lee."

His heart skipped a beat—talk about timing.

"Excuse me, I need to take this call," Luca said, excusing himself as he stood up and moved to a quieter spot.

"Luca is quite interesting," Naomi Watts said with a soft smile once he was gone.

"Yeah, he's a great guy," Rachel responded, her lips curling into a smile as she held her drink. Her cheeks flushed slightly, and her legs twisted together under the table as if she were lost in thought.

"Hey, you two are complimenting another guy right in front of me and Heath. Is that really okay?" Ryan asked, sounding displeased.

"What's the big deal?" Naomi Watts said with a light laugh. "Ryan, Luca was right—you really are a jealous guy."

"It's not my fault. Luca has too many rumors surrounding him, and it makes him seem unsafe. So, Heath, you better watch out for Luca."

"Watch out for what?" Heath asked, looking up.

"Make sure he doesn't get too close to Naomi."

"Haha, Ryan, you're too insecure and lack confidence. That's not a healthy mindset," Naomi shook her head.

"Don't blame me. I don't know what charm Luca has, but girls seem to like him. Look at Britney, Jennifer Aniston, Jessica, Gisele, and so on—they're all pretty amazing women."

"Luca and Jennifer Aniston?" Naomi thought for a moment, then said softly, "That one's probably not true. Jennifer Aniston is married. Neither of them seems like the type to mess around."

"Don't listen to Ryan. Out of all those names, probably only Britney is true; the others are just rumors," Rachel shook her head.

"But there's gossip that Brad Pitt doesn't like Luca and is trying to blacklist him in Hollywood. Even Leonardo DiCaprio got involved. If the rumors aren't true, why would they do that?" Ryan reasoned. If there was no cheating involved, why would these big stars be so upset and gang up on a newcomer?

"Well, if it were true, Brad and Jennifer would've likely divorced, and Leo and Gisele would've broken up. But their relationships seem fine," Rachel pointed out. "It's probably just a misunderstanding or a rumor."

"Why don't we just ask Luca when he gets back?"

"Yeah, let's do that."

"I understand, Mr. Lee. I hope we can work together another time."

At the quieter part of the bar, Luca hung up the phone and sighed softly.

Director Ang Lee had turned him down, just as he expected. One of the leads needed to be a local actor, and the studio had chosen Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal. Luca had been eliminated.

He had already braced himself for this outcome, but hearing it still left him feeling a bit down.

"Looks like you can't rely on others too much. You've got to take your fate into your own hands," Luca muttered, shaking his head. He thought the day couldn't get worse, but bad luck kept piling on. Today was definitely his unlucky day.

Yes!

The next moment confirmed it.

As he pocketed his phone and was about to head back, he suddenly saw Brad Pitt walk in with a few others, including his assistant and some young actors.

The two crossed paths.

Luca looked at Pitt.

Pitt noticed him too, a flash of surprise crossing his face before it shifted into a cold smile.

"Didn't expect you to still be in Hollywood?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"Struggling?"

"No, enjoying life."

"Heh, overestimating yourself," Pitt sneered and walked past him with his group.

A few of the actors with Pitt gave Luca a glance, their faces showing odd expressions as they left.

Luca stood there for a moment, exhaled, and walked back to the booth.

"Luca, are you okay? You don't look so good," Rachel asked, concerned.

"It's nothing. I didn't get the role," Luca said, downing his drink in one gulp.

"What movie?"

"Brokeback Mountain," Luca said with a light laugh. "The studio decided to go with Jake Gyllenhaal. I was hoping to work with Heath, but I guess I missed the chance."

Heath glanced at him, opened his mouth as if to say something, but stayed silent.

"Was it because of your nationality?" Ryan asked, curious.

"That's probably part of it, but it's not the only reason. Lately, the papers have been full of criticism about my acting, so the studio didn't want to take a risk on me."

"It's okay. There are so many opportunities in Hollywood every day. Missing one doesn't matter; you'll catch the next one," Rachel said gently, a soft smile on her face.

"She's right, Luca. You're only 21. You're so young—you've got plenty of chances ahead of you," Naomi Watts, who had only found success in her thirties, empathized deeply with his experience.

"Luca, it's just an audition. Everyone fails sometimes," Ryan said, pouring him another full glass of wine.

"Come on, let's drink!"

"Thanks!" Luca raised his glass.

(End of Chapter)