From Flower Vase to Film Emperor in Hollywood

A guitar, a high stool, a spotlight that wasn't too bright—that was all.

The changes here weren't noticed in the coffee shop. Just as Hannah said, no one would notice the existence of background music in a coffee shop unless it was a special performance. Otherwise, those performances would disappear into the background.

Perhaps, Annie and Hannah were exceptions.

Kristen also noticed the anomaly, following Annie's gaze, and immediately saw Anson. Question marks almost overflowed—

What's going on?

Kristen turned to look at Annie, who tried to put on an innocent, clueless expression, then she looked at Jack and asked in a low voice.

It wasn't until this moment that Jack noticed Anson.

Jack: ???

Jack swore that he and Anson were just friends who chatted occasionally, they didn't know much about each other. It was the first time he knew that Anson could play the guitar, but thinking about it carefully, it wasn't surprising at all.

Jack looked at Annie.

Annie continued to wear an innocent expression.

During this brief exchange of glances, Anson was ready.

In the coffee shop, the sound of conversations continued to surge, neither noisy nor clamorous, just a buzzing sound gently vibrating in the night air.

Some were chatting and laughing, some were arguing, some were in intimate physical contact, and some were sitting by the window quietly watching the hustle and bustle of the outside world…

A small world, yet divided into countless small worlds.

Existing peacefully in the same space, unrelated to each other yet harmonious.

Between the crisscrossing of sounds, figures, and light, it seemed possible to see the collision of different spaces, with completely different stories happening in parallel universes.

And then.

Clear guitar strings sounded, without other instruments or singing, just the most ordinary wooden guitar strings. Slightly simple chords flowed gently in the night, yet jumped and sparkled like a clear spring.

Light, graceful, fresh.

Like March in spring, the ice and snow melt, spring returns to the earth, flowing down along the newly emerged tender green. The cold spring water seeps out from between moss and stone crevices, and the cold air gradually warms up in the golden sunlight, making people want to dance with the melody.

Between the clanging wooden guitar strings, occasional crisp drumbeats traveled.

Drumbeats?

Wasn't there only one person?

Looking over, one could find that there was indeed only one person on the stage, slender fingertips dancing between the strings, sometimes tapping the guitar body with the heel of the palm or the front of the palm, creating drumbeats of different textures and colors, instantly enriching the layers of the entire performance.

Gazes couldn't help but linger—

This is… folk music?

Unlike the previous decadent jazz, the fresh and natural folk music had no lethality. It disappeared into the background sound if one wasn't careful, but the performance in front of them showed dazzling skills in simple chords, and the melody flying up and down resonated on the eardrums like spring rain.

No lyrics, no singing, but one couldn't help but cast their gaze.

Then, one could see that face at a glance.

Handsome, refined, dashing.

Just sitting there simply made people unable to take their eyes off him. The curve of his lips gently rose, and the sunlight scattered like penetrating layers of clouds and mist, warm but not scalding, gentle but not scorching, and the tense heartstrings instantly relaxed.

Before one realized it, the corners of their lips had already slightly lifted.

Not only the other audience members, but Hannah also looked at Annie with a look of astonishment.

But this time, Annie was truly innocent, she didn't understand what Anson was doing either.

The only thing she could be sure of was that Anson like this was slightly different from usual, somewhat restrained, somewhat low-key, somewhat quiet, but still radiating light.

Annie couldn't take her eyes off him either, quietly, just quietly intoxicated like this.

Hannah didn't get an answer, but didn't have the time or energy to ask further, and quickly turned her head to look at the stage, fearing that she would miss any bit of the performance.

Kristen and Jack were no exception, looking at Anson with some curiosity and exploration.

Anson wasn't in a hurry, always calm and composed, playing the melody with his fingertips. His purpose wasn't to attract attention or win applause, purely to create an atmosphere for his two friends, so there was no need to rush.

The notes lingered in the coffee shop, neither overwhelming nor gorgeous and dazzling, but Anson seemed to be playing with music, and the performance began to be free and unrestrained, letting his imagination fly, just to create an atmosphere.

Therefore, Anson kept the melody simple, even with a bit of childish teasing and playfulness, hiding his banter between the notes.

Raising his head, Anson also noticed Jack and Kristen's gazes, a smile climbed onto his brows, and he played two more bars before getting to the point.

Deng deng deng deng, deng deng deng deng.

The notes jumped at his fingertips, and then Anson's singing finally spread through the microphone.

“I confess you've won me over, and you know it too.”

“I'm trying to be cool, but your hotness is melting me.”

“I can feel it stirring, now I'm trying to brake.” (Note 1)

A little mischievous, a little naive, a little fresh, the lyrics and melody were equally uncomplicated, completely a ditty, even a bit crude, but Anson's singing carried a faint smile, and happiness and throbbing surged between the lyrics, and sweetness just overflowed like this.

Jack, his heartstrings were gently plucked.

He didn't even have time to discern what Anson's lyrics were all about, subconsciously glanced at Kristen, quickly retracted it but couldn't help but glance again, and his not-so-fast heartbeat suddenly skipped a beat.

The air was green and pink.

Without the need to roar or shout, the gazes in the coffee shop slowly gathered towards the stage, and the cheerful rhythm and petty-bourgeois sentimentality made people dizzy, and the whole atmosphere changed silently.

“Before my aloofness completely collapses, I'm trying to show my coolest side, and nothing can stop me except before God appears.”

Haha.

A burst of soft laughter, the throbbing of budding emotions floated quietly in the air, and the whole world was filled with the scent of love.

“I guess this is a chance, either to gain love or to gain a lesson, but I won't hesitate anymore, no, no.”

Anson raised his eyes and looked at the crowd, like a butterfly landing on Jack and Kristen's shoulders, and hummed softly.

“Can't wait, I'm Yours.”

Sweet and graceful, the whole world was spinning. Such a simple, straightforward, and childish sentence made countless parallel universes in the coffee shop collectively fall, falling into fatal romance like this.

Falling, just falling slowly like this.

Note 1: I’m - Yours — Jason - Mraz