Afterward, one intimate acquaintance after another called, with Mia Kirshner, Elisha Cuthbert, and even Amanda Seyfried calling in.
Her way of congratulating Landon left him terrified: "Landon! You're a genius! Or a liar! Such a great song, and you never even told me you could write songs, that you could sing! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! I told my classmates you're my good friend, and they didn't believe me. Wuwu!" Amanda sobbed: "I don't care, you must give me signed CDs! Ten of them! No, twenty! I want to give them to them! And then watch their envious expressions! Also, I don't want to keep our agreement anymore!"
Landon was completely stunned, and it took a lot of effort to calm her down; his forehead was already covered in sweat.
Then, he saw the look of disdain in Zoe's eyes as she drove, reflected in the rearview mirror.
Of course, these weren't the only intimate blessings.
Other friends also called one by one; people like Kiefer Sutherland, Dennis Haysbert, and Sarah Clarke all called to offer their congratulations.
Just as Landon thought this wave of calls was about to subside, and he let out a slight sigh of relief, rubbing his somewhat hot ears, and prepared to close his eyes for a moment of rest, an unexpected name appeared on his caller ID—Britney Spears.
Landon quickly answered the phone.
"Hi, Landon! It's Britney." Her voice sounded much lighter and brighter than it had during their previous calls; it was clear that the recent turmoil had less of an impact on her now.
"Britney, good morning! How have you been lately?"
"I just heard your song in the car! 'Yeah!', right? It's so cool! I really can't believe this is a song you wrote and sang yourself!"
She continued enthusiastically:
"I have a feeling! This song is definitely going to be a hit! It's a pity I didn't get to go hear you record it last time!" She paused, her tone becoming more sincere.
"Hey, I mean, if you need it, next time I do an interview, can I mention it? I think everyone should hear this."
Britney Spears, the top diva of the pop music scene, actively offering to help promote it went far beyond the scope of a normal friend's congratulations, and this timing actually had a certain impact on Britney's new album as well.
Landon sincerely thanked Britney, his tone filled with gratitude.
The car slowly drove into the area where the crew of A Beautiful Mind was located.
He put away his phone and tidied up his hair and thoughts, which were slightly messy from answering countless calls.
Outside the car window, the location of the crew came into view.
Not to mention the curiosity and congratulations Landon received when he finished a day of filming and returned to the A Beautiful Mind crew with the radio craze.
Even the director, Ron Howard, who was usually not very interested in pop culture, specifically walked up to him during a break, patted him on the shoulder, and even joked: "Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, well done."
However, when night fell, Jennifer Connelly, who had remained calm all day, would even smile and chime in as his partner when others praised Landon.
Although Landon could detect the flickering flame deep in her eyes. It contained pride for his success, annoyance at being kept in the dark, and the desire for control and insecurity that belonged to a mature woman after being attracted by his talent.
Thus, that night in the hotel suite, a punishment quietly unfolded.
The initiative was initially completely in Jennifer's hands.
Amidst Landon's half-surprised, half-indulgent silence, he was unable to move.
Then, that striking set of black lace lingerie, the luster of the silk and her snow-white skin forming a breathtaking contrast under the dim wall lamp.
She looked down at him, those eyes that could convey myriad emotions in front of the camera, now holding only a kind of scrutiny and arrogance.
Little by little, inch by inch, the territory was conquered.
Jennifer was like a calm predator, observing every tightening of his muscles, every roll of his Adam's apple, every muffled groan.
Landon's heart was struggling wildly.
When resistance is futile, no amount of heroism is of any use.
The distinct, powerful, and controlling nature Jennifer displayed at this moment not only made him feel unprecedented excitement, but was also accompanied by a trace of "pain" from being under someone else's control.
He swore through gritted teeth in his heart that once the shackles were removed, he would definitely pay back the punishment with interest.
In the end, the transfer of the initiative did not come from Landon's resistance, but from the exhaustion of Jennifer's own strength.
When she finally collapsed exhausted onto his chest, her fingertips turning slightly white from the exertion, that tough guise of a controller finally peeled away completely, revealing her softness and fatigue.
Landon gained his freedom.
The roles reversed in an instant.
He didn't speak immediately, just slowly flexed his stiff wrists, then locked his gaze heavily onto Jennifer.
The next phase was filled with absolute dominance and the complete release of previously suppressed emotions.
The roles were completely reversed; he regained the rhythm and direction, and the horn of counterattack sounded.
The last shred of initiative Jennifer tried to maintain also dissipated, and she couldn't even mount a passive defense, ultimately collapsing completely.
The former "The Punisher" had now become a territory completely conquered.
And Zoe spent another night that was difficult to put into words.
At first, there were faint sounds coming from the other side of the wall.
Completely different from usual, the occasional whispers that drifted over confused her even more.
But soon, as the punishment progressed, those sounds—as if Jennifer were dominating everything, something she could seemingly feel even through the wall—gradually constructed a vivid picture in Zoe's mind.
As if possessed, she cast herself into Jennifer's position.
On the stage of her imagination, she became The Punisher holding the "power."
In her imagination, it was her using a cold or playful gaze to scrutinize that scumbag boss who was always calm and radiant in daily life;
it was her using all sorts of ways to make him lose control, to make him struggle, to make him reveal a vulnerability and craving he had never shown to anyone else.
This imaginary control brought a strong sense of pleasure, venting the complex feelings she had accumulated over the days.
She felt as if she were just like Jennifer, conducting an "endless humiliation" against him.
The excitement brought by this sense of immersion was stronger than any time before.
Zoe imagined herself becoming Jennifer, but she could never, like Jennifer, welcome a reversal of roles.
She eventually fell into a drowsy sleep.
Meanwhile, on the music battlefield of the real world, the advance of "Yeah!" was even more rapid and successful than everyone's most optimistic expectations.