Successful Kidnapping

Only after Audrey Hepburn finished her dance practice did Zhang Xuan silently leave the Arnhem Music Academy, tailing her all the way to her home—a modest old wooden house on the outskirts of town. An elderly woman in servant's clothes was washing laundry by the door, surrounded by several wooden buckets filled to the brim with clothes.

The woman's face was weathered, with faint traces of Audrey's features; she was likely Audrey's mother.

Audrey Hepburn broke into a run, darting like a fawn to the old woman's side. She gathered her skirt and crouched obediently beside her, speaking softly: "Mother, let me help you!"

The old woman, indeed Audrey's mother, reached out to stop her, feigning reproach: "I don't need your help here, Audrey. Go practice your dancing!"

Audrey's expression dimmed for a moment, then she broke into a sweet smile. Rising, she stepped onto the open ground in front of her mother: "Mother, I'll dance for you!" With that, she rose on her toes and began to twirl around her mother like a white swan.

The old woman straightened up, squinting slightly as she watched her daughter. Her face, worn from overwork, softened into a gratified smile: "Audrey, you dance beautifully. Just like a swan."

Zhang Xuan, still hidden nearby, suddenly brightened. A thought struck him—a clever way to get Audrey out of war-torn Europe.

"This could actually work!" The more he thought about it, the more excited he grew. He stepped out from the shadows and walked toward Audrey, still dancing, a look of elation spreading across his lean face—like an explorer who'd stumbled upon a rare treasure.

As Zhang Xuan drew closer, both the old woman and Audrey Hepburn noticed him. Fear flickered across their faces. A strange man appearing in a sparsely populated suburb during wartime—anyone would be wary.

"Go on, keep dancing! Why did you stop?" The moment Audrey halted, he called out almost frantically, urgency in his voice. "Such a beautiful dance shouldn't stop! Dance, keep dancing!"

Zhang Xuan's erratic behavior startled Audrey Hepburn. The girl shrank like a frightened fawn, ducking behind her mother, stealing glances at the sudden stranger. Her star-bright eyes held a hint of nervous tension.

Audrey's mother, true to her noble lineage, retained her aristocratic poise even in reduced circumstances. She patted her daughter's hand, which was gripping her arm tightly, murmured a quiet reassurance, then stepped forward and gave a slight bow. Neither servile nor arrogant, she asked: "Sir, may I ask who you are?"

Zhang Xuan seemed to notice the old woman for the first time. Startled, he lifted his leather cap and returned a proper gentleman's bow: "Greetings, madam. I apologize for the intrusion. Please forgive me."

"May I ask—is this beautiful angel your daughter?" Zhang Xuan's eyes locked onto Audrey Hepburn behind the old woman. His gaze was direct yet pure, like someone admiring a peerless work of art. He spoke with barely contained excitement: "Her beauty doesn't belong here. She belongs to the whole world!"

The old woman was stunned by his words. It took her a moment to recover before she asked again: "And you are?" Her tone carried more wariness now, as if she'd pegged him for a madman.

"Forgive me, madam. I forgot to introduce myself." Zhang Xuan gave an awkward smile and quickly added: "I'm Alex Zhang. You can call me Alex, or Xuan. I'm a Hollywood director, stranded in Europe by accident. I happened to see your daughter's dancing, and I want to take her to Hollywood—to make movies, to let her beauty shine across the world!"

Hollywood. Director. Movies. Hearing those words, Audrey—who had loved films since childhood—couldn't help stepping out from behind her mother, her small face alight with excitement.

"You're a director?" The old woman sounded skeptical. Zhang Xuan looked barely over twenty, tall and thin, with a handsome face. He seemed more like a movie star than a director.

Truth be told, Zhang Xuan had initially planned to say "screenwriter," but at the last moment he realized a screenwriter's status was far below a director's, so he changed his story. That change, however, painted him into a corner. He'd given Victor a script for Ghost, so claiming to be a screenwriter would have been plausible. But a director...

Still, he couldn't afford to slip up now. Nodding with a serious expression, he said: "I'm preparing my second film. Your daughter will be its lead!" To lure Audrey Hepburn to the United States, Zhang Xuan had no choice but to keep up the act. He told himself he'd just have Victor list him as a co-director on Ghost—that way, it wouldn't be a complete lie.

Audrey Hepburn was thrilled, ready to leap out and follow Zhang Xuan to make movies on the spot. But her mother firmly held her back. She was an adult, and she wouldn't hand over her daughter based on a stranger's few words.

"I'm sorry. My daughter has no interest in film." The old woman shielded Audrey Hepburn completely behind her, refusing with a stern face.

Zhang Xuan watched Audrey Hepburn hopping and struggling behind her mother, trying to break free, and chuckled inwardly. "Madam, do you not trust me?"

The old woman said nothing, just stared at him steadily.

"Madam, in these chaotic times, I can't exactly prove my identity." Zhang Xuan deliberately paused before continuing. "Come with me to England. I'll take you to meet someone there. Once you see her, you'll believe me."

"Meet who? Churchill, perhaps?" By now, the old woman had mentally labeled Zhang Xuan a con artist. Her tone dripped with sarcasm.

Zhang Xuan choked on her retort but could only smile wryly. "Of course not. I want to take you to meet Vivien Leigh. Surely with her as a witness, my identity won't be in question?"

"Vivien Leigh? Gone with the Wind!" The old woman hadn't covered Audrey's mouth, and Audrey Hepburn gasped at Zhang Xuan's words, her excitement plain to see.

Zhang Xuan kept his eyes on Audrey's mother. Seeing her expression soften slightly, he nodded with a faint smile. "Yes, that's right. My first film starred her. It should be in theaters soon!"

Pressing his advantage, Zhang Xuan threw another log on the fire, burning away her last doubts: "Here's ten thousand dollars—consider it your daughter's advance payment for starring in my film."

There's an old saying: money makes the world go round. Before leaving the United States, Zhang Xuan had made a point of getting some cash from Howard, planning to use it to grease the wheels in special situations. He hadn't expected his first expense to be on Audrey Hepburn.

Staring at the neatly bundled stack of dollars in her hand, the old woman lost her composure entirely. Anxiety crept into her eyes as she looked at Zhang Xuan: "Mr. Alex, you're really not lying to us?"

"Madam, please believe me. Every word I've said is true!" Even as he made this promise, Zhang Xuan muttered inwardly: even if it's not true now, it will be by the time you reach the United States.

"Madam, let's get out of this godforsaken place crawling with Nazis as soon as possible!" Seeing Audrey's mother wavering, Zhang Xuan stoked the fire again. "The Nazis are a bunch of warmongers. It's not safe here. Let's head to England first!"

That struck a nerve. Not long ago, her own brother and relatives had died at Nazi hands. The thought of her daughter constantly under threat of death finally made the old woman sigh. Gripping Audrey Hepburn's hands tightly behind her, she looked up at Zhang Xuan and spoke slowly: "We'll do as Mr. Alex says."