"The Statue of Liberty was a gift from France to the United States to commemorate the Franco-American alliance during the American Revolutionary War. Designed by the famous French sculptor Bartholdi, it took him ten years to complete and stands as a symbol of free will…"
Standing at the very top inside the Statue of Liberty, Nicole spoke fluently, resembling a beautiful tour guide.
They had been in the Big Apple for two days, and Ryan and Nicole had visited many famous landmarks—watching the colorful neon signs at Times Square, shopping in boutique stores on Fifth Avenue, seeing a Broadway show, and experiencing the forest in the city at Central Park.
Crossing the mouth of the Hudson River, the two made their way back to Manhattan. Since they were just out for a relaxing trip, they didn't have any specific plans or goals. They simply wandered wherever their feet took them and didn't care at all about repeating routes.
"Ryan, why did you stop?" Nicole noticed a sudden weight in her hand, only to realize that the boy holding it had suddenly come to a halt. "The Twin Towers are among the tallest buildings in the world. From the observation deck, you can see nearly half of New York. Don't you want to go?"
"Nicole, let's not go. I don't like the Twin Towers."
Though it was only 1990, the shadow of his past life still loomed. Ryan wouldn't set foot in the World Trade Center no matter what. "Let's go to the Empire State Building instead."
"Alright then."
The Empire State Building, located on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, was built in 1930. Along with the Statue of Liberty at the mouth of the Hudson River, it was one of the iconic landmarks of the Big Apple—especially its lighting at the top, known around the world.
After reaching the observation deck on the 86th floor, Ryan gazed into the distance—toward Long Island.
"What are you thinking about?" Nicole asked when she noticed him lost in thought.
"Nothing." Ryan snapped out of it, remembering the unfinished screenplay he had related to the Empire State Building. "Nicole, I heard from Pat that some producers have reached out to you?"
"Yes," Nicole nodded.
Unlike in his previous life, Across the Horizon had landed in the U.S. market earlier. What was even more interesting was that it had been introduced to North America by Miramax. As the film entered theaters, Nicole began gaining fame in Hollywood, and some producers started sending offers.
"Unfortunately, they're all just flower vase roles." Having experienced The Sixth Sense, Nicole had become more discerning.
"I've already written your next script." Given their relationship, he had no reason to hide anything from her.
"Oh really? Why don't I know that?" Nicole raised her eyebrows. "What's it about?"
"It's related to the Empire State Building. Still far from finished," Ryan replied, then added, "Here's a tip—don't accept any film offers until The Sixth Sense premieres."
"Why?"
"Because after The Sixth Sense, your value will skyrocket."
"You little rascal, so confident?" Nicole said teasingly, brushing his windblown hair. "Where's the script? You have to let me see it. If I don't like it, I won't accept it."
"It's at our home in Los Angeles. You can find it when we get back," Ryan said with a smile. Nicole never went through his drafts without his permission—that was her way of respecting his privacy.
Not far from Manhattan and known as a famous vacation spot, Long Island had attracted many residents, especially after World War II. A large number of middle-class and wealthy Jewish families moved there, many of whom came from Jerusalem.
After wandering around Winnet Park, Ryan pulled Nicole into a dessert shop at the park's entrance. Probably because it was the weekend, the shop was full of people—mostly kids accompanied by their parents. Only one table in the corner was still empty. After ordering two Black Forest cakes and two glasses of orange juice, they sat down.
"It's not bad, just too sweet." Desserts like these were usually the enemy of women who cared about their looks. Nicole only had a few bites before putting down her fork.
"No! No! No! I want the vegan one!" a crisp girl's voice came from the counter. "Thanks, and a hot orange juice too!"
The girl held a tray and looked around the shop, finally walking over to Ryan's table.
"Excuse me, may I sit here?" she asked politely, showing excellent manners.
Ryan had been talking quietly with Nicole and only noticed the girl's arrival now. He turned his head and, upon seeing the girl, his gaze froze. But he quickly lowered his eyes, masking the waves of emotion within.
"Of course," Ryan responded just as politely, with no visible change in his expression. Years of playing roles had unknowingly placed a mask on his face.
"Thank you!" the girl sat down beside him.
Ryan discreetly glanced at her from the corner of his eye. Mid-length, slightly curly dark brown hair, an oval-shaped face with a bit of baby fat—not particularly cute, but with a unique charm. Her brown eyes sparkled with intelligence, and the little mole on her cheek didn't detract from her looks but rather added to her unique aura.
Though she looked younger than he remembered, she was still the actress he had always liked. He had seen every public photo of her, and in an instant, he was sure—it was her.
"Hello, I'm Ryan Jenkins," Ryan introduced himself calmly.
"Hello," the girl nodded slightly. "Natalie Hershlag."
Ryan didn't say anything else or make any moves. He could tell the girl was slightly guarded. If the information he'd read wasn't too exaggerated, this girl's maturity and intellect far exceeded her appearance and age.
After quietly finishing his cake, Ryan stood up to leave and said politely to the girl, "Miss Natalie, it was a pleasure meeting you. Well… goodbye!"
"What a strange boy," Natalie muttered as she watched Ryan and the girl leave the shop. Then she resumed eating.
About half an hour later, Natalie walked out of the dessert shop, riding her small bicycle home. Her family had only recently moved to Long Island. Born in Jerusalem, her conservative doctor father had recently insisted she adopt a strict vegetarian diet. She didn't have strong feelings about it—it was just a family rule she had to follow.
Winnet Park wasn't far from her home, but just as she turned onto the final street, an accident occurred.
Only God would know how it happened. As she was turning, a familiar kid shouted at her from behind. Natalie instinctively looked back, and her bike crashed into a boy standing by the roadside—knocking him straight to the ground.
"Damn it!" Ryan cursed under his breath. What bad luck. He had just been standing there, waiting for Nicole who had gone into a convenience store, when some reckless girl on a bike ran into him. This road was wide enough for four cars side-by-side!
"Sorry! Are you hurt?"
Judging by the voice, it was a girl. Ryan snapped back, "Not dead yet, just a broken leg."
"Ah~"
Hmm? That voice sounded familiar. Ryan looked up and his eyes widened in surprise.
"It's you?"
As if they had a telepathic connection, both of them spoke in unison.
"Your leg is broken?" Natalie asked timidly.
Ryan sighed. Looks like he'd taken that hit for nothing. He rolled his eyes. "Just kidding."
Natalie subtly pursed her lips, but since it was clearly her fault, she apologized again. "You're Ryan Jenkins, right? I'm really sorry, I was careless."
"Ryan, what's wrong?" Nicole ran over from the convenience store and saw Ryan sitting on the ground with a toppled bike nearby.
"Natalie, what happened?"
A Ford car pulled up at the curb just then, and a middle-aged couple got out.
It all unfolded as absurdly as a movie scene. Both sides' backup arrived at the same time, and Natalie quickly explained what had happened.
Ryan wasn't hurt. After growing up in a welfare home, his body was far from fragile. Still, Natalie's parents invited him and Nicole to their nearby home for a proper check-up—since her father was a doctor.
"Mr. Avner, it's just a minor scrape," Ryan said, glancing at his slightly swollen knee, not taking it seriously.
"I'm sorry, Ryan. I was too reckless." Under her father's stern gaze, Natalie had to apologize again.
"It's okay. Nat, may I call you that? Thank you." Ryan saw the opening and took it, smiling as he said, "Mr. Avner, please don't blame Nat—it was partly my fault too."
Nicole sat beside Ryan, gently massaging his knee. Seeing that it was fine, she rolled his pants leg back down. Since it was just an accident and he wasn't injured, and the girl was even younger, she didn't say anything more.
"Jerusalem? So you were born in Israel?" Ryan asked casually while Nicole chatted with the Hershlags.
He had already nearly dug up Natalie's whole backstory. Yes, she was smart and mature, but compared to Ryan, she was still too green.
"Yes, we just moved to New York not long ago." Natalie looked closely at Ryan's features. "Ryan, are you Jewish too? You have some Jewish traits in your face."
What a sharp and observant girl, Ryan thought to himself.
Honestly, he didn't really know his ancestry. But based on the headmistress Katie's analysis of his looks, he probably had some Northern European blood, while his facial features also had a touch of Jewish traits.
In the end, Ryan concluded that he was just a mutt—a mixed-blood white kid through and through.