But he would never bow to the wheel of fate; no matter what, he would not let those two people come together again.

Glancing at the plate of boiled beef in chili sauce, now almost reduced to just the bright red broth, Ryan curled his lips into a sly smile. Nicole Carter seemed to sense his thoughts and looked over alertly. Fortunately, after more than nine years of nonstop acting, Ryan had already mastered the art of changing expressions, and in an instant, he returned to his normal face.

“Nicole Carter, let me use your mobile phone for a moment. I just remembered something I need to ask Pat.” Ryan didn’t even move his eyes as he came up with a perfect excuse.

“What is it?” Although she asked this, Nicole Carter still took out the Motorola cellular phone, just released this year, from her handbag.

Taking the mobile phone, which was much smaller than a brick, Ryan pushed back his chair, preparing to stand up and make the call elsewhere. Perhaps he had been sitting too long and his legs were a bit numb, so his body tilted. Although he didn’t fall, the mobile phone he was holding near his shoulder inevitably slipped from his hand, heading straight for the bright red broth on the table.

“Careful!” As his body tilted, both Nicole Carter and Tom Cruise called out in warning.

“Oh no... the phone!” Ryan moved quickly. Before the phone could fall, he reached out and caught it. But his movement was so fast and forceful that he lost his balance. To avoid crashing onto the table, he had to brace himself with his other hand.

“Crash—”

Ryan’s hand landed squarely on the edge of the soup bowl facing Mr. Cruise. Maybe he pressed too hard, or maybe he used just the right amount of force, but nearly half a bowl of the red, oily soup flew through the air toward the front.

Although most of the soup landed on the table and their clothes, some still splashed onto that handsome face. The sensation of chili oil on the face was something even many revolutionaries of the past couldn’t endure, let alone a pretty boy.

“Ah—!”

This bowl of boiled beef was specially ordered by Ryan to be extra spicy. The burning sensation on the face was definitely unpleasant. Tom Cruise immediately covered his face and let out a pained cry. Luckily, he remembered he was in public and tried his best to keep his voice down.

“Sorry, Tommy Carter!” Ryan apologized in a hurry, almost sprinting over to Tom Cruise like a child eager to make up for a mistake. He grabbed a white napkin and began wiping the handsome face, but as the napkin turned red, he kept “accidentally” wiping toward Tom Cruise’s eyes.

Just as he was about to succeed, a fair, slender wrist reached out from behind and firmly grabbed Ryan’s hand. Nicole Carter shot him a subtle glare and, before the waiter arrived, said, “Tommy Carter, I apologize on Ryan’s behalf. Do you want to see a doctor?”

Maybe the burning pain had subsided, or maybe he wanted to maintain his composure in front of a beautiful woman, but Tom Cruise wiped his reddened face with a napkin and said generously, “It’s fine, it was just an accident.”

After all, he was a little over nine years old. As a big movie star, could he really bring himself to hold a grudge against a child?

When several waiters and a restaurant manager arrived, Ryan kept apologizing, seeming very remorseful about the accident, though he was secretly delighted. Not only had Mr. Cruise’s formal suit become a mess, but even his handsome face now looked like Guan Yu, especially his eyes, which seemed very uncomfortable—he kept squinting and blinking, and they were watery, as if tears could fall at any moment.

In any case, Tom Cruise was a public figure and couldn’t be seen in public like this for long. After a brief word with the manager, he went to the changing room reserved for celebrities and wealthy guests.

Naturally, they couldn’t stay at the messy table, so Nicole Carter and Ryan simply moved to another spot. While waiting for Mr. Cruise, Nicole Kidman’s blue eyes kept drifting over to him, her already cool demeanor seeming to turn even icier.

“Sorry, Nicole Carter, I ruined your dinner with Mr. Cruise.”

Ryan returned the mobile phone with a look of sincerity, but seeing Nicole Carter’s calm expression, his sincerity quickly turned to unease.

“You really get less and less reliable as you grow up.” Nicole Carter sighed, grabbing Ryan’s little hand, now stained red, and carefully wiping it with a napkin, as if she were cleaning the most precious porcelain.

This dinner, which was supposed to belong to Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman, had a pleasant beginning but ended awkwardly. After Tom Cruise finished changing and returned, there was no reason to continue the meal.

To his credit, this movie star was indeed gracious, at least in front of a beautiful woman. Not only did he not blame Ryan, he even comforted him a bit, and then drove Ryan and Nicole Carter back to their apartment in Westwood.

“Goodbye, Tommy Carter, you’re the greatest movie star I’ve ever met.”