In his previous life, for a very, very long time, Anson hid his emotions. Even the slightest surge of feeling could have become a force that destroyed his life, constantly reminding him that everything was just an illusion held together by sheer willpower.
Then, he arrived in this life.
He decided to be braver, bolder. He decided to start enjoying life.
Evan felt the same way.
And so...
Standing in front of Eva, even though his heart was racing, Anson displayed incredible determination and resilience. He held himself with a confident and upright posture, like a mirror, reflecting Eva's own image back at her.
Eva widened her eyes, staring intently at Anson, trying to detect even the slightest sign of wavering in his eyes.
Unfortunately, she failed.
She began to doubt her own judgment. Reality? Performance? Truth? Illusion? Her mind was a jumble of confusion. "So, that's it? A snap of the fingers?"
Snap.
Eva snapped her fingers. "And then, the magic happens just like that?"
Anson's lips curled slightly, but it wasn't a smile; it was a hint of calm amusement and a dash of carefree slyness. "That's called acting, Miss Green."
In reality...
Anson's heart was pounding like a drum, his eardrums buzzing, and an indescribable itch lightly scratched at his heart, making the world spin for a moment.
He had the urge to rely on his eyes to mask his nervousness, but soon he realized that Eva was even more nervous than he was. This calmed him down.
After speaking, Anson took half a step back, subtly hiding his brief moment of panic and... his racing heartbeat. The cold air rushed in like a tide, and goosebumps began to prickle wildly across his skin.
Eva was stunned.
She stared at Anson, thinking carefully, and looked at him in disbelief.
After a brief delay, Eva finally understood. This was an audition, a performance.
But the crux was, where was the reality and where was the performance? Where was the truth, and where was the script? Everything blended together so perfectly that it was impossible to distinguish one from the other.
At this moment, Eva's inexperience became apparent—
Having never truly acted before, everything she knew was theoretical, learned in the classroom. When it came to actually performing, she couldn't distinguish between reality and fiction, and the line between herself and the character completely blurred.
Oh, God!
Now Eva realized that her supposedly bold and adventurous move might have seemed like nothing more than a little girl's doll game in Anson's eyes; plus, Marcia and Nicholas were watching.
Eva covered her face with both hands, unable to hide her slight embarrassment.
This scene made both Nicholas and Marcia smile.
Marcia let out a small sigh of relief, masking her own racing heart. In the end, she was experienced and mature enough to quickly regain her composure. Just as she was about to comfort Eva, she realized she was a step too late.
Eva lifted her head again and looked at Anson. "So, how did I do?"
She was so poised, so calm, with a direct gaze that held no hint of hesitation or awkwardness, staring clearly into Anson's eyes.
This simple gesture made Marcia want to applaud Eva.
Anson shrugged lightly. "Are you asking a vase for its opinion?"
Eva hadn't expected that response, but she quickly replied, "Looking at a vase from the perspective of another vase might actually give a more accurate assessment."
Anson raised an eyebrow: "?"
Eva spread her hands. "Hey, let's face a harsh reality: no one's going to see me as a serious actress."
Anson responded, "No, I'm more surprised that you think you deserve the title of 'vase.' You know, not everyone can be called a vase."
Eva widened her eyes and silently raised her right hand. With her palm facing away from Anson, she lifted her left hand and covered her right hand, leaving only her middle finger standing. She calmly used that finger as if it were a lipstick, pretending to touch up her makeup.
Her unruffled expression and movement made for a perfect comeback.
Pfft.
Marcia couldn't hold back and burst out laughing.
Despite being flipped off, Anson showed no signs of distress. He spread his hands. "See, that's exactly what I meant. No one should call you a vase."
"You should be called a 'water lily.'"
Quiet, yet brilliant.
Pure, yet vibrant.
As he gazed at Eva, the image in his mind came to life naturally, and the words just flowed out, surprising even him.
Eva's beautiful eyes paused for a moment. She hesitated for a second before retorting, "Wait, did you just compare me to an oil painting? You know that's kinda weird, right?"
Anson tilted his chin slightly, showing a look of sudden realization but said nothing more. Instead, he turned his head, scratched it lightly with his right hand, but discreetly tucked his thumb, index finger, ring finger, and pinky in, leaving only his middle finger to scratch.
Eva saw it.
Once again, action met with action.
When Anson finished scratching his head, he turned back to Eva with a perfectly innocent expression.
Eva's mouth almost curled into a smile, but she forced herself to stay composed and nodded slightly. "So, is the audition over?"
Anson didn't answer but walked straight to the door, expressing his gentlemanly manners by opening it for Eva.
Eva didn't rush either. She pretended to lift an imaginary skirt and curtsied, greeting Marcia and Nicholas before turning to leave with light steps.
Once she stepped outside, the actors who had just returned from lunch all turned their attention toward her, only to see Anson's smiling face as the door closed behind him.
Eva knew all eyes were on her, observing her every move. She held her breath, raised her head, straightened her back, and walked out of the building, bathed in their gaze.
All the way to the parking lot—
"Oh, God."
Eva buried her head in her hands and kicked the ground repeatedly.
She deeply felt like she might have messed it all up.
...
Inside the room.
Anson turned around, and Marcia and Nicholas exchanged gossip-laden glances that were almost impossible to hide. Marcia was the first to speak.
"What's the deal between you two? Do I need to give you a pass here? You're the producer; you can make the call."
Thump, thump.
Anson's heart was still racing. After Eva left, all the suppressed emotions surged up like a tidal wave, flooding his mind. The dopamine rush left him parched.
Whoo.
Exhaling softly, Anson laughed, using his smile to mask the lingering excitement. "She works at the front desk of the acting academy. We've met a few times, that's all."
Marcia wasn't convinced.
But Anson had no intention of explaining further. Hollywood gossip was like that; no explanation could stop people from speculating. Rather than the truth, people often preferred to believe their own prejudices.
At the end of the day, people choose to believe what they want to believe and what they can believe.
Anson deftly changed the subject. "So, what did you think of the audition?"