From Flower Vase to Film Emperor in Hollywood

Clang, clang clang clang clang.

The old subway car rattled through the underground tunnel, the air thick with a pungent smell that made one instinctively frown, finding it hard to adjust.

Jake Gyllenhaal hadn't anticipated such a scene at all, and couldn't help but cover his nose.

But as soon as he raised his hand, Jake realized that such a gesture was impolite, since Anson had suggested taking the subway, and he had agreed.

Unexpectedly, when he looked up, Jake saw Anson's eyes full of smiles, which made Jake a little restrained, and he was about to say something to cover it up.

Anson spoke first, "This is the essence of New York. Maybe, one day we can develop a New York perfume, a scent exclusive to the city, with top notes of urine, middle notes of garbage, and base notes of a rotting smell that you'll never want to know the specifics of, instantly awakening memories."

Pfft.

Jake couldn't help but laugh.

Then, a voice came from the side, "If it comes out, remember to remind me, I want to send two bottles to Rudy Giuliani."

Rudy Giuliani, the current mayor of New York.

Jake couldn't hold back any longer and burst into laughter.

Anson shrugged lightly, spreading his hands, "Welcome to New York."

Jake relaxed as well, "So, we specifically took the subway, is this part of the New York experience?"

Los Angeles, although it also has subways, people are still used to driving. Jake was born and raised in Los Angeles, and has never tried the subway until now.

Coming to New York and entering the subway, Jake couldn't help but feel curious and began to look around. Every nook and cranny was filled with traces of historical sedimentation. It has the second oldest subway in North America, second only to Boston. In the blink of an eye, a hundred years are about to pass, like a time tunnel.

Anson looked serious, "Thank you for being willing to treat the subway as part of the experience."

Jake: … …

A smile appeared in Anson's eyes, "Actually, in New York, the subway is much more convenient than cars, especially now. The subway hasn't reached the evening peak yet, but the streets of Manhattan are already starting to get crowded. Our destination is three subway stops away, and a taxi might not even get there in an hour."

"Besides, did you forget? The paparazzi at the apartment entrance."

How could Jake forget?

Even now, his mind was still filled with countless question marks. He wasn't sure what had happened, so he didn't know if he should bring it up.

Since Anson took the initiative to mention it, Jake's doubts could no longer be contained, "What exactly happened just now? Why did the paparazzi escort you home?"

He was still waiting for a long explanation, the whole story, but that was it?

Because it was too short, Jake didn't know when he should respond, and he was a beat late, "A ride?"

Anson's expression of taking it for granted made Jake feel like he had seen a ghost, "Just happened to be going the same way. He probably thought he could sneak some photos along the way, but I don't think it's a good idea to announce a friends' gathering to the world, especially since Leonardo DiCaprio isn't here."

Jake blinked, "… … So, he's still waiting at your apartment entrance now?"

Anson didn't mind, "I didn't tell him when the party tonight would end. If he's patient enough, maybe we can bring him some late-night snacks when we go back. He should be professional and mature enough to take care of his own dinner."

Jake still couldn't wrap his head around it—

In his understanding, paparazzi were like raging floods and beasts. The entire Hollywood was on the opposite side of them, but why did everything become so light and breezy in Anson's mouth?

Anson patted Jake on the shoulder, "We're here."

In the blink of an eye, the two had already reached their destination.

Jake hurriedly followed Anson's pace, "Are you sure it's okay to come out tonight? Don't you have filming tomorrow?"

Anson revealed a smile, "The filming of these large crews is all planned in advance, very similar to nine-to-five office workers. Now is off-work time, and we should still have our own personal lives. If you don't believe me, you can come to the set tomorrow to visit and you'll know."

Jake, "Visit the set?"

Anson, "Yes, come and take a look. I'll introduce you to the crew members, Sam Raimi, William Dafoe, JK Simmons, and so on."

After truly joining the "Spider-Man" crew, Anson noticed that this movie gathered a large number of familiar faces, but they were just temporarily unknown.

Joe Manganiello, although he didn't succeed in auditioning for Peter Parker, he got other roles like James Franco. He played Flash Thompson, the school bully who bullied Peter, in the movie.

Elizabeth Banks, Octavia Spencer, Sara Ramirez, etc., although they played nameless small roles in "Spider-Man", they all later had a place in Hollywood.

For Anson, such a crew was full of fun.

But Jake was different. He showed a shy smile and waved his hand gently, "I think I'll pass. It would be too rude for me to go to the set rashly; and it will also affect your work. Don't worry about me, I have an appointment to meet other friends tomorrow."

Anson didn't force it, "Anyway, it's up to you. If you're interested, you can come over anytime."

Ding-dong.

As he spoke, Anson had already pushed open the door of the coffee shop, and the wind chime rang.

Speaking of visiting the set, Jake thought of the matter in front of him, and lowered his voice slightly, "Anson, are you sure it's okay? You guys are talking about serious business, and it's obviously inappropriate for me to sit next to you and disturb you."

Jake's sudden appearance disrupted Anson's plan—

Anson had already made an appointment with Kristen, but he couldn't leave Jake alone, so Anson invited Jake to come along.

Originally, Jake refused. He also knew that he came two days early and disrupted the plan, so he naturally didn't want to affect Anson's arrangements. He said that he already had dinner plans.

As a result, Anson exposed the lie in one fell swoop.

Obviously, Jake didn't.

Anson repeatedly said that it was okay. If it was formal work, they wouldn't have made an appointment in a coffee shop. Kristen just hoped to have a discussion in a relatively relaxed environment and keep it light; so, adding a Jake wouldn't have any impact, anyway, there was more than one customer in the coffee shop.

Anson looked at the uneasy Jake and chuckled, "If it's really inconvenient, believe me, I'll tell you, you should trust my honesty."

Before Jake could retort, Anson had already looked forward again and took the initiative to greet, "Kristen, you're already here, please forgive us for being late. To be honest, I got lost after coming out of the subway station. I wandered around nearby twice before coming over. Next time I should leave fifteen minutes earlier."

A small joke made Kristen laugh. She raised the menu in her hand, covering her mouth while also gesturing at the menu, "Actually, I just sat down thirty seconds ago, I was looking at the menu, you don't need to worry."

As she spoke, Kristen noticed another figure standing behind Anson, revealing a hint of surprise.

Anson made way and turned to look at Jake, immediately noticing Jake's shy eyes falling on Kristen.

… … Hmm?