From Flower Vase to Film Emperor in Hollywood

“… … Thank you.” Annie broke the silence, “I know Thomas's cooking is terrible. Drew and I both secretly hid our beef. He must have put the sugar jar in as salt. Thank you for not calling him out.”

Michael also noticed and secretly thanked Annie in the kitchen—

They hadn't expected Anson to be so approachable, so different from the Hollywood superstar they had imagined.

Looking at Annie's blooming smile, Anson continued.

“It’s not that bad, actually. I secretly sprinkled black pepper, a lot of it. To some extent, I don’t even know what I put in my mouth.”

Haha.

Annie laughed directly, looked up at Anson bathing in the moonlight, and her heart beat erratically, which made her flustered and shift her gaze.

“So, were you serious at the dinner table tonight?” She hurriedly changed the subject.

Anson, “Which part?”

Annie, “About the actor part.”

Anson shrugged lightly, “Of course. I mean, we are all commodities, packaged layer by layer through movies and roles and displayed in the window.”

“Maybe a vase. Maybe a princess.”

“Tom Cruise is a pretty boy, Brad Pitt is a sex symbol, Tom Hanks is honest and simple, George Clooney is an elegant gentleman, Johnny Depp is a rebellious punk, and Leonardo DiCaprio is… Jack Dawson.”

Pfft.

Annie couldn't control herself and burst out laughing.

Anson, “On the surface, Hollywood is a dazzling and gorgeous brocade, but only after uncovering the surface can you see the difficulties and struggles inside. Each of us has our own shackles, and only we ourselves know them.”

“When people think we are leisurely lying on the deck of a yacht enjoying the Mediterranean sun… that’s true.”

Annie was stunned: Hahaha.

“But at the same time, we also need to bear the corresponding pain and responsibility.”

“Some actors, as Burt said, can never break through their shackles in their entire lives, and they turn away sadly, unknown and mediocre. This is just a job to make a living.”

“Some actors, after a brief moment of success, stand in the spotlight and attract worldwide attention, but in the end, they cannot escape their own shackles. Three years? Five years at most, and then they disappear into the crowd.”

“People see the brief glory of those three or five years, but they don’t see the long darkness and despair that follows, because after they disappear, no one will ever see them again.”

“We are the same.”

“Everything seems perfect now. We have everything the world envies and admires, but if we can’t find a way to break through, without even waiting for old age to set in or for people to lose interest in this appearance, we will already be trapped in our roles and disappear into the crowd.”

Anson turned to look at Annie and smiled.

“Hollywood doesn’t believe in tears.”

Tonight, at the dinner table, they talked about the difficulties and confusions in their respective lives—

Of course, in a joking way, everyone complained about the frustrations in their lives and careers. Not only Michael and Burt, but also Thomas and Drew had their own worries and confusions.

Originally, they thought Anson should be the only one among them who had no worries or troubles, but they didn't expect Anson to say such a thing.

This also proves the saying that you can't judge a book by its cover.

When we look at other people's lives, we always subconsciously see the happy, joyful, and glamorous side, and feel envious. But life is never that simple. Everyone is trapped in their own desires and struggles, desperately searching for the answer to happiness.

In Anson's unhurried words, Annie's thoughts spread and diverged in the moonlight, “So, do you have an answer?”

Anson looked calm, “No, I don’t.”

Annie was stunned, “I thought…”

Anson chuckled, “You thought I was talking so confidently here, as if I had all the answers, right? But that’s just a trick, just an illusion. Knowing so many principles doesn’t change life in the end.”

“I think there shouldn’t be a right answer. Everyone has their own choices, and no one knows who is right until the future happens.”

“But…”

Anson paused, and Annie looked up at him.

“But, I think I will choose to take risks, and try as much as possible those things that I yearn to try but don’t dare to try. That’s the charm of being an actor, isn’t it? Making different attempts and different challenges?”

“God, if I wanted to continue being myself, I would find a job in Manhattan and continue being myself. Why become an actor?”

Ha, hahaha.

Annie's mood was completely uplifted. Her eyes were full of curiosity as she carefully looked at Anson, “Why are you always so insightful and so frank?”

Anson's lips twitched slightly, “I’m trying, trying to be a frank person, to be more honest with myself. Maybe I can lie to everyone, after all, acting is my job; but ultimately, we can’t deceive ourselves.”

Such a simple and casual sentence made Annie stunned, her gaze lingering on Anson's cheek, her heart pounding uncontrollably, her breathing uncontrollably erratic, staring at the man in front of her, slowly…

Falling.

There was silence in her ears, no response, which made Anson turn his head and cast an inquiring look at Annie.

Annie was startled, her cheeks burning, and she subconsciously turned her head to the other side, flusteredly covering herself, “Look, these, these streets are all planted with green plants, densely wrapping and hiding those mysterious gardens. From the outside, they just look like ordinary trees, but inside there is a different world.”

“Like a small village.”

Annie didn't know what she was talking about, she just said whatever she saw.

But unexpectedly, Anson said, “Then let’s go in and explore.”

Annie was shocked, “What?”

Anson had already approached in three steps or two, peering inside through the iron railings, “Remember what we just said? Adventure?”

Annie: … Uh, she wasn't sure if her brain could keep up with Anson's thinking speed.

“No, no, these gardens are all guarded by iron railings. Did you see the spikes on top? Although I’m not sure if this is like ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest,’ they are indeed private gardens, and only the people who live inside can enter.”

Anson pursed his lips slightly and raised his eyebrows, “If I remember correctly, this is not Texas.”

In Texas, if you break into private property, the owner might come out with a shotgun.

Annie opened her mouth slightly, staring blankly at Anson.

A glimmer of light flashed in the depths of Anson's clear, azure blue eyes. Without waiting for Annie to answer, he turned around, grabbed the iron railings, and started climbing.

Annie: ? ? ?

… “Anson, Anson, I, uh, I’m not sure this is a good idea. What if there are wolves inside? Are you sure it's okay to be wearing a suit?”