From Flower Vase to Film Emperor in Hollywood

"Who am I? Are you sure you really want to know?"

The movie started, and before the opening credits finished, the narration had already begun.

Gloria was slightly taken aback. That voice... Anson?

Meanwhile, outside the Chinese Theatre, Blair and Karen sat by the roadside, looking a little tired, but their faces still radiated excitement and agitation.

Obviously, they lacked experience, which prevented them from entering the premiere; but they weren't ready to leave either. Their excited and elated mood needed to calm down a bit, and they also wanted to know the reaction after the premiere.

Like them, there were quite a few movie fans and audience members, sharing their thoughts and feelings, with all topics revolving around the premiere and everything that had just happened, as beautiful as a dream.

Happiness swelled in her chest, but Blair couldn't help but look back at the tall spire, a trace of longing and curiosity in her eyes, and she couldn't help but start imagining in her mind.

"The movie should have started, right?"

Before seeing the person, you hear their voice—

Gloria had to admit that Sam Raimi deserved his reputation as a horror movie director. From the beginning, he created a retro suspenseful atmosphere. The gloomy style of the opening credits eventually connected perfectly with a spider web, transitioning from animation to reality, slowly opening the movie's prelude.

"Cowards better not listen to my story. If anyone says this is a comedy... and that I'm just an ordinary person without any worries, then they're lying."

"But I promise, like other great stories, it's all about a girl."

The camera switched, the scene moved from the street to inside a bus, and a bright, radiant girl's smiling face appeared on the big screen, young and innocent, full of youthful spirit, with a gentle breeze and fluttering hair, but behind the smile, there was a hint of contemplation, her eyes gazing into the distance, the focus of her vision slowly dispersing.

"That's her."

"The girl next door, Mary Jane Watson."

"The girl I've had a crush on since I was a kid."

Then, a strong arm wrapped around the girl, the smile on the corner of her mouth paused slightly, and she quickly gathered the thoughts that were brewing in her eyes, showing a big smile again, looking at the handsome man with short hair in front of her.

"I'd love to say that the person sitting next to her was me."

The camera turned to the row of seats in front, where a round-faced boy was devouring a donut, the jam flowing from between his fingers.

"Hey, he's okay too."

The round-faced boy noticed a sound coming from the window—

Knock, knock.

Following the sound and looking out the window, the round-faced boy burst out laughing:

But it wasn't cool at all.

"That's me."

This scene subtly created a contrast, with self-deprecation, naturally revealing a sense of humor, so that there was light laughter in the screening room of the Chinese Theatre.

Gloria knew she shouldn't laugh. The nerd in the movie was obviously in a sorry state. He was a vulnerable person who was bullied, excluded, and victimized on the high school campus. She herself knew what that felt like. She didn't want to join the ranks of the bullies, but she reluctantly, slightly, had a smile on her lips—

Because that nerd was Anson.

Gloria could recognize him at a glance, without any difficulty.

"Please, ask the driver to stop."

"Stop the bus!"

"Hey, stop the bus!"

Although the nerd's voice could be heard in the bus, no one paid attention. Not only the students were laughing, but even the driver showed a teasing smile.

Finally, Mary Jane couldn't bear it anymore, "Stop the bus!" She rushed directly to the driver's seat and shouted at the gloating driver, "He's been chasing us since Woodhaven Road."

A student in the back complained, "Go call a taxi, Parker!"

However, the school bus driver could no longer pretend to be blind and finally stopped the bus.

Oh.

There was a sigh from the crowd in the bus.

The nerd finally managed to get on the bus, panting and looking at the driver, "Thank you. Sorry I'm late."

Before he finished speaking, someone accurately hit the nerd's forehead with a ball of waste paper.

Haha.

There was a burst of laughter in the bus.

The strange thing was that there was no laughter in the screening room this time, even though the whole scene was filled with middle school students' prankish mischief, there was no laughter.

The nerd in front of him was none other than Anson—

Plaid shirt. Sports cardigan. Black-rimmed glasses.

The gray and simple attire made the whole person seem to be covered with a layer of gray; the clean and neat short hair was not styled, drooping softly, and a layer of thin sweat oozed from his forehead, making him look even more embarrassed.

At a glance, you could tell that this was a marginal figure on campus.

But.

As soon as he appeared, the image of this ordinary teenager seamlessly connected with Anson's red carpet image, quietly overlapping, not ostentatious or unrestrained, but naturally revealing a kind of approachable kindness and simplicity, like the light and gentle warmth of the winter sun falling on the fingertips.

He might be the neighbor next door, the classmate in biology class, he might take the initiative to help a classmate whose bicycle chain has fallen off on the way home, he might help a girl get a book from a high place in the library, he might help a pregnant teacher carry heavy objects after class, he might quietly win the highest award in scientific experiments... but he would never stand under the spotlight.

He might be each and every one of them.

Ordinary. Common. Simple. Quietly living in their own corner, although not dazzling, they have always been quietly shining in their own way.

Easily, effortlessly, Gloria had already resonated with the ordinary teenager in front of her—

And, not because of his looks.

Gloria never denied that she liked Anson because of his looks, and even now she is still intoxicated by Anson's looks, and everything becomes beautiful because of his looks.

Before "Spider-Man" was released, Gloria's biggest confusion was that, with Anson's looks, he didn't seem to have anything to do with "ordinary." Was Anson planning to play ugly like in "The Princess Diaries"?

Otherwise, how would the sense of immersion come about? It's completely unconvincing, okay?

But that's not the case here.

The appearance of this ordinary teenager is not suave, handsome, or glamorous. His looks are sealed, and you can't see any brilliance at all. He is even more ordinary than Michael in "The Princess Diaries."

However, Gloria still couldn't help but stand behind the ordinary teenager.

Now, Gloria finally understood the reason why Anson chose such a look for the premiere. From the red carpet to the screening room to the big screen in front of her, step by step, he brought the real image through the fourth wall into the movie, and then broke the fourth wall to let the movie plot awaken resonance.

He represents every ordinary middle school student.

Naturally, it also includes Gloria, as well as other ordinary people in the screening room at this moment—

That nerd was rejected, disliked, and bullied. Some students even mischievously stretched out their calves and tripped him while he was looking at Mary Jane.

Thump.

The nerd suddenly lunged forward, his glasses flew off, his cheek landed, he grimaced and closed his eyes, and the unrestrained laughter of other students came from the big screen, but outside the big screen, there was silence.

Unconsciously, they had already immersed themselves in it.