From Flower Vase to Film Emperor in Hollywood

"Um... her friend, white shirt, should be in her mid-twenties, around twenty-five, six, or seven?"

Scarlett followed Anson's gaze, landing on another girl, who looked just as ordinary, making it difficult to say anything specific.

"Judging from her clothing and style, she probably graduated from an Ivy League school. I'd guess Berkeley, majoring in French? Not because she yearned for Paris, but because she wanted to become a diplomat. Unfortunately, her grades weren't good enough, and she failed two or three times, so she chose a different career path."

"However, judging from her expression and demeanor, she seems quite satisfied with her current job."

"An office worker? Perhaps in advertising or public relations. She's not good at creative planning, but her execution is excellent, with good logical skills and decisive judgment, while also not being too assertive, which makes her feel at home."

At first, Scarlett didn't see anything special; Anson's words didn't seem particularly remarkable either. But from the second sentence onward, it was astonishing. She looked at Anson with a strange and shocked expression, only to find that he wasn't paying attention to her at all, but was focused on looking ahead and analyzing. Scarlett's head was filled with question marks, yet she still turned her head again in a daze, feeling completely bewildered:

What, what is happening?

However, Anson's words didn't stop, continuing on.

"As for hobbies..."

"Movies. Would you believe it, she not only knows me, but probably knows you too. She goes to the cinema at least once a week, and her range is wide, not just genre films, but all kinds of independent films as well."

"She doesn't delve deeply, but she genuinely likes them."

"Her special skill is piano, because her mother firmly believed that it was true art. Perhaps she also studied ballet as a child, but ultimately couldn't stick with it, so piano became the bottom line, to cultivate her sentiment and temperament. Even if she doesn't like it, you can still feel a classical air about her."

Scarlett, "Uh." Stunned, watching Anson reel off details effortlessly, without needing to think, his words flowing out in a continuous stream. She couldn't keep up at all. His expression, his eyes, his demeanor, conveyed a kind of certainty from the inside out, sweeping her forward like a wave.

Finally, "Wait," Scarlett found her voice, "Why? I mean, why doesn't she like it?"

"If she's in her mid-twenties now, that means she was born in the eighties, growing up under the influence of television and movies, right in the era of the commercial film explosion. Of course, there was also the heyday of rock and disco, and the wave of female awakening."

"This generation of children often has a rebellious spirit of challenging tradition. Compared to traditional, old, and decaying classical art forms, she prefers movies and rock."

"But stemming from family constraints and education from childhood, her rebellion isn't so blatant, so she prefers movies even more."

"As for ballet and piano, rather than saying she has no talent, it's more like her interest simply isn't there, and she also lacks the perseverance to endure the hardship. After all, times are different, and children's values and worldviews are completely different. I guess, when she grows up, she'll occasionally miss those childhood days, because now the retro trend of piano and ballet is back."

Scarlett quietly watched Anson.

From astonishment to shock to keen interest, not only her expression and mentality, but also her focus quietly changed.

In the first half, Scarlett had been carefully observing that woman, trying to find the basis for Anson's deductions from her. Gradually, she noticed that Anson's words seemed to all have traces on the woman, and a vivid image became full in her vision, which made Scarlett shift her gaze:

Landing on Anson.

Anson noticed, but he didn't panic or feel awkward, and he looked at Scarlett frankly before continuing.

"She has a younger brother."

"Unlike her, her brother has perseverance and talent. He persisted with the piano and went to Germany for further study, and is still studying now. Who knows, maybe soon you'll be able to see her brother perform in Carnegie Hall."

"Ultimately, it should be related to family education."

"No. She doesn't."

"She is satisfied with her current job and her current life. Not becoming a diplomat or a pianist doesn't prevent her from enjoying her life. Even in front of her friends, she is very relaxed and lighthearted."

Lightly, yet freely —

Completely unstoppable.

Scarlett was just getting more and more amazed, as if she had only met Anson for the first time today. All of this became more and more unbelievable the more she thought about it.

Raising her head to look at Anson, Scarlett could see Anson's calm expression and light smile. That confident look seemed to be mocking her for being easily fooled, which made Scarlett sound the alarm.

Connecting the previous and subsequent situations, a bold speculation emerged in Scarlett's mind.

"Wait, is she your date?"

Anson couldn't help but let out a "Pfft." A smile bloomed without reservation.

Scarlett was speechless for a moment, looking up at the sky, but the corners of her mouth still couldn't help but lift slightly. The invisible haze that had been shrouding her head quietly dissipated, and her mood brightened, unable to resist retorting.

"That's the best explanation, otherwise how could you know so clearly, so thoroughly, so specifically."

Most importantly, without time to prepare, in just a minute or two of brief acquaintance, the details Anson described were truly terrifying.

Anson turned his head to look at Scarlett, "There is another explanation."

Scarlett: ?

Anson, "Nonsense."

Scarlett did not expect such an answer at all, and her smile froze at the corner of her mouth.

A smile appeared in Anson's eyes, "Miss Johnson, I'm not Sherlock Holmes."

Scarlett was also... unable to refute.

Anson, "Imagination is like a lie. People always think logic is the most important thing. Of course, logic is very important, because logic is the framework; but details are the most important thing, enough rich and detailed details fill the gaps in the brain, so that there is no time and space to think about the details, so that the brain is easily convinced."

Deception is also a skill.

Scarlett looked at Anson's calm and composed appearance, the whole situation was full of humor, and for a moment she didn't know where to start complaining.

Scarlett looked at Anson's smile and shook her head helplessly, "Don't smile. Your smile looks particularly cunning right now."

"Ha." Anson laughed, "I thought I was particularly innocent, otherwise you wouldn't have been fooled."

Scarlett looked up at the sky with a hopeless expression, "Ah, I've been fooled, I've been fooled just like that."

Even though she said that, the smile on her lips still turned upwards completely, and her mood brightened along with it.