From Flower Vase to Film Emperor in Hollywood

"Anson, no one has seen Jack except you."

This time, it wasn't a question, but a statement, the words hitting Anson's chest hard, and the air fell silent for a very, very brief moment.

Anson looked at Lucas, Lucas looked at Anson, neither of them flinching nor backing down, their gazes colliding head-on.

"Heh." Anson chuckled softly, "Lucas…"

But this time, Lucas didn't pause or hesitate, interrupting Anson, "Anson, calm down and listen to me."

"Look, you've tried to introduce Jack to me more than once."

"At the cinema in San Francisco, at the hospital in New York, and here."

"Yet, he always disappears."

Anson laughed directly, "He just happened to leave…"

Lucas, "Once is a coincidence, twice is happenstance, but what about three times?"

Anson froze, involuntarily holding his breath.

Lucas, "Anson, think about it carefully, no one has ever seen Jack except you. Maybe today, you can say the place is crowded and people didn't notice; but what about the hospital, what about that time at the hospital?"

"He hid in the bathroom, so how did he disappear?"

"And, San Francisco. New York. Las Vegas. He appears in different cities and different locations, aren't you curious? Where does he get the cash from?"

One step, then another, step by step, pressing closer.

Lucas cornered Anson, Anson's pupils began to shake violently, a thousand words stuck in his throat, and a sense of panic and fear instantly gripped his heart.

Like drowning.

But in the end, Anson still regained his composure, "Lucas, Jack is real, I'm serious, how old do you think I am, still playing with imaginary friends?"

"Please, that's too absurd."

"My encounter with Jack was an accident. I helped him escape domestic violence. He took his mother and fled New York, finally having a brand new life. He began to adapt to the life of an ordinary middle school student, began to have dreams, and even began to pursue his dreams. I'm genuinely happy for him, and I sincerely wish him well."

"Maybe I didn't explain clearly, but Jack doesn't appear randomly. Every appearance has a corresponding situation. It's really not what you think."

"Next time, next time I'll definitely introduce him to you. When you see him with your own eyes, you'll know how ridiculous today's conversation is."

"Haha. You're using up all your April Fool's Day pranks in advance. I guess there won't be any tricks this April Fool's Day. I won't be fooled again."

However, Lucas didn't laugh.

Quietly, Lucas kept quietly studying Anson, so sure, so frank, which made him involuntarily waver again. Could it really just be his own suspicion?

An imaginary friend? A split personality? Or a kind of schizophrenia?

Should he believe those outrageous judgments, or should he believe that Anson is still sane and rational?

His mind was torn, tormented.

"And, even if I did remember, I want to tell you, it wasn't your fault."

The scars and darkness belonging to this body have all disappeared, completely vanishing with the arrival of Anson's soul, so Anson is not worried or afraid. Those nightmares are not hiding in the ruins waiting to strike, but have become the past, opening a new chapter.

These words, Anson couldn't tell Lucas.

To some extent, Lucas's worries were correct, because the darkness of those nightmares eventually caught up with the original owner, eroding, gnawing, devouring, and finally completely destroying him, which led to Anson's transmigration and rebirth, winning a second chance in this body.

So, Anson also calmly met Lucas's eyes.

"Lucas, I'm fine. Really."

That look made Lucas a little embarrassed, and he ultimately couldn't control himself, lowering his eyes and avoiding the gaze, hurriedly concealing his awkwardness.

Taking a deep breath, Lucas regained his composure, "If there's a chance, I'll definitely introduce Jack to me."

Anson laughed heartily, "Haha. Definitely, of course, no problem."

Then, Anson noticed a figure lingering not far away, not daring to approach but refusing to leave, and he actively looked up. "What's wrong?"

Phew.

That person clearly exhaled a long breath and quickly approached, "Anson, everything's almost ready. The makeup team wants to touch up your makeup, the styling team needs you to change your look, we need to prepare for the next scene."

While speaking, his body was completely stiff, especially the side facing Lucas.

This made Anson laugh directly, "Relax, he's just the producer, not Lucifer. I'll be right over."

Anson patted Lucas on the shoulder, "Be a good boy and watch the house, I'm going to work."

Lucas: …

Speechless.

The staff member next to him was struggling to hold back his laughter, but Lucas's sidelong glance instantly froze the air.

Anson left, and the staff member followed closely, leaving Lucas alone sitting in place.

Slightly dazed, Lucas was still hesitating, still torn—

Could it really just be his own wild thoughts?

But what if it wasn't?

Did he need to tell his family? What if the nightmare from back then happened again?

Various thoughts continued to surge.

Then, Lucas suddenly remembered something, a very, very important thing:

Jack - Forest.

Wood, Woods is another way of saying forest, is this a coincidence?

When did everything start?

Anson was filming "Catch Me If You Can" in New York. During the filming of a scene, he got too into character, rushed out of the set, and accidentally discovered Jack, who was experiencing domestic violence, and rescued him.

However, there was no surveillance footage, nor were there any witnesses. Anson was the only one who experienced it.

Is it such a coincidence?

Anson rescued a boy whose last name was also "Forest", when he was acting and couldn't distinguish between truth and fiction?

That unease gripped Lucas's heart tightly.

But the real problem was that Lucas hadn't seen Jack at all just now, and vaguely saw Anson talking to himself.

Lucas clenched his fist with all his might, the flat fingertips pricking his palm, but he still didn't dare to let go.

Taking a deep breath, Lucas stood up and walked quickly towards Mangold's location.

Lucas wanted to ask if the camera had been running just now and if it was pointed at Anson. If there was video, that would be great, and the truth would be revealed.

Unfortunately, there wasn't.

Mangold didn't understand what was going on. The camera naturally wouldn't be running during breaks, otherwise the cost of the film would be enough to make Lucas's expression collapse.

Lucas didn't say much, and quietly turned to leave.

After thinking about it, he called Mount Sinai Hospital in New York and pulled up the video of Anson's hospitalization last year.

If Jack really went to the hospital to visit Anson, regardless of how Jack left, at least Jack's figure entering the ward couldn't be hidden.

When that time came, the truth would naturally be revealed to the world, and there would be no need for speculation.