From Flower Vase to Film Emperor in Hollywood

“Hey, Mom…”

In the stillness, a hoarse call broke the silence. Nora woke up with a start, turned her head, and when she saw Anson's eyes, a smile immediately crept onto her lips.

“You’re awake. How do you feel? How’s your body? Is anything uncomfortable?”

A series of questions, Nora looked Anson up and down, afraid of missing any detail, any corner, as if looking at a jigsaw puzzle that could fall apart at any moment.

The vulnerability revealed in her eyes was impossible to hide.

Anson: Cough cough.

Looking at Anson's silently averted gaze, Nora's anger broke through her reason.

“Anson Wood, you still have the mind to joke with me here?”

“In half a year, you’ve been hospitalized twice. The interval between them is less than six months. One time you almost became paralyzed, and the other time… the other time you almost…”

The words came to an abrupt halt. Nora didn't know how to describe the situation in front of her. Would she further hurt Anson if she rashly revealed the situation?

She didn't understand, and she didn't dare to think about it.

“Anson, do you really want to continue making Mom worry about you like this?”

As soon as she said it, Nora regretted it. Now, Anson was the one lying in the hospital bed facing the pain, but she was selfishly trying to trap Anson in the name of a mother, trying to make Anson feel guilty. This was not her original intention, but the words still rushed out uncontrollably, which made Nora a little sad.

Nora opened her mouth to apologize, but this time, Anson took the lead.

“Only this way can you continue to enjoy the fun of being a mother.”

Nora: …

Looking at Anson's obedient expression, Nora almost couldn't catch her breath, but in the end, Nora smiled wryly, looking at Anson helplessly. She could never be angry with him. Over the years, this seemed to have become a habit.

She knew that she shouldn't spoil this youngest son, but that was how she felt, and she couldn't help it.

“You, you, that mouth of yours just won’t spare people.” Nora shook her head gently, “Be careful if you continue like this, you won’t have any friends in Hollywood.”

Anson had an expression of sudden realization, “Ah, so that’s the reason. I’ve finally found it. Thank you for solving my confusion.”

Gazing at Anson like this, a trace of bitterness rose on the tip of Nora's tongue without warning, and a smile paused at the corner of her mouth. An indescribable sadness and pain were gently tugging, sour and dull, which made Nora turn her face away in embarrassment, trying to hide her surging emotions.

Anson noticed it, “Mom…”

However, the words couldn't continue because Anson didn't know where to start or how to express himself.

The conversation had a brief pause, and then Charles pushed the door open, looked at Anson, and then at Nora, “What’s wrong?”

Nora took a deep breath and quickly composed herself, “No, it’s nothing.”

Nora patted Anson's arm, “I’ll go make chicken soup now. You wait.”

After speaking, Nora hurriedly strode away, fleeing in panic. Only when she was outside the ward did she lean her body against the wall, and then she allowed her vulnerability to be exposed. A deep sense of powerlessness dragged her body down, almost making her unable to stand.

“Mom?”

At the sound of the call, Nora looked up and saw Lucas.

Lucas, who hadn't slept all night, looked even more somber, like a drop of thick ink that wouldn't dissolve even when dropped into clear water.

On Lucas's shoulders, he already carried too much guilt and pressure.

Nora quickly straightened her body, showing a smile, “Anson wants to drink the chicken soup I make. I’ll go ask if the hotel kitchen can let me use it; I hope the hotel’s head chef doesn’t collapse on the spot when he sees my cooking methods.”

Patting Lucas's shoulder, Nora didn't linger any longer.

In the end, only Lucas was left alone, standing quietly at the door of the ward, the shadows covering his face, making it impossible to see his expression clearly.

Raising his head, Lucas saw Charles in the ward who was taking a deep breath and gathering his courage.

“Anson…” Charles called out softly, slightly hesitant, but didn't stop, “Do you remember what happened last night?”

Anson's expression froze slightly—

Nightmare. Car accident. Jack.

True and false, reality and illusion intertwined. Which things really happened, which things were just his dreams, and which things were reappearing scenes from his memory.

He wasn't sure.

Charles noticed the hesitation and struggle on Anson's cheeks, and the pain that flashed inadvertently weighed heavily on Charles's chest.

Charles asked again softly, “Anson, where’s Jack? Where is Jack now?”

Anson came back to his senses, “Huh?”

Charles, “Jack Forrest, you saw Jack yesterday, right?”

Anson blinked, so the car accident last night wasn't a dream?

Slowly raising his head, Anson looked out of the ward window, and then, Jack was there.

In the corridor skybridge opposite the ward, Jack was constantly waving his hands, trying to attract Anson's attention. At this moment, the two people's eyes finally met, and the smile on Jack's face bloomed completely without reservation. That sincere joy bloomed proudly under the sunlight.

Jack put his hands on his mouth, making a trumpet shape, but silently used his mouth shape to ask, “Are you okay?”

Anson was about to respond, but suddenly realized something.

If Jack appeared here unharmed, then the car accident last night should have been a dream, right?

Otherwise, how could everything be explained?

So, everything that happened last night was a dream? A dream superimposed on a dream, waking up from one dream and entering another dream; then what was going on now, how did he get to the hospital, from the hotel room to the hospital ward, he had no memory of anything in between.

Anson didn't speak, but Charles noticed Anson's movements and looked in the direction of Anson's gaze—

Opposite the window, the corridor skybridge, was empty.

However, Anson's eyes seemed to be talking to the air.

Charles's heart trembled slightly, “Anson, is Jack here?”

Anson was very surprised, withdrew his gaze, and looked at Charles with wide eyes.

Charles, “Anson, this is a hospital, and this floor is a VIP ward. Without permission, ordinary people can't easily enter. But why would Jack appear here?”

“Just like last time at Mount Sinai Hospital, how did Jack secretly appear in the ward?”

“Anson, what’s going on?”