Half awake, half dreaming, like a haze of illusions.
Rachel was completely immersed, her heart pounding, caught in a surreal fog where reality was hard to discern. Her head felt like it was floating in the clouds, while her legs seemed submerged in the ocean. The lack of oxygen made the world spin, yet she felt a pure joy and happiness, as if she were gently falling through a kaleidoscope of vibrant colors.
Then—confusion.
Nose... nosebleed?
Why was there talk of a nosebleed?
Rachel was bewildered, trying to refocus and grasp the scene in front of her. After what seemed like an eternity, she finally locked onto those familiar eyes but was once again interrupted, her thoughts scattered. Her brain couldn't keep up, and she just stood there, stunned.
Unconsciously, she hesitated.
Her gaze wandered in the air, trying to avoid his eyes, but she found no escape. Inevitably, their eyes met again.
Her heart pounded wildly, pulling her down in freefall, excitement and nervousness intertwining, until the sudden noise from the walkie-talkie broke the moment, causing their locked gazes to quickly pull apart.
It wasn't until this moment that she realized she had forgotten to do something—breathe.
Breathing, which had always been a natural instinct, was something she never thought she'd forget, but somehow, in that moment, she had.
Inhale. Exhale.
She repeated the process.
Inhale. Exhale.
As oxygen filled her lungs, her brain finally started working again. The ambiguity and heat that had enveloped her began to settle.
Then—
Rationality returned to her mind, and the events played back in her head like a movie.
Her face flushed, and her heart raced.
Rachel finally realized what had happened, and what she had done in front of the camera. She bit her lower lip, a low groan escaping her throat.
"Oh, God."
In a daze, she curled up, burying her face in her hands. The only thought in her mind was wanting to dig a hole and hide in it.
Anson noticed her reaction—
He, too, was a bit dazed, struggling to separate himself from the performance, but unlike his character, he managed to snap out of it a bit quicker.
Because, over the past two years, he had repeatedly explored the fine line between reality and fantasy, always reaching the same conclusion:
This is real. He needed to hold on tight, cherish it, and fully enjoy this second chance at life.
It was like the spinning top in "Inception."
The difference was that while "Inception" needed the top to determine reality, he didn't. He was more certain now than ever before.
So, after a brief moment of disorientation, Anson exhaled deeply, the burning excitement and passion in his chest gradually settling down.
Then—
Anson noticed Rachel.
Thump. Thump.
His heart was still racing.
He looked around, realizing they were in the bedroom, unable to see what was happening outside. It was like they were still in the dark.
His gaze returned to Rachel, hesitating for a moment.
"So, were they really talking about a nosebleed out there?"
Rachel, still hiding her face in her hands, paused at Anson's words. She cautiously looked up, and they exchanged glances.
Pfft.
She couldn't help it and burst out laughing.
Ha. Haha.
After a brief pause, Rachel sneaked another glance at Anson, accidentally meeting his eyes again, which set off another uncontrollable bout of laughter. They both laughed so hard they were nearly doubled over.
Even though they didn't fully understand what was happening, and it wasn't really that funny, they couldn't stop laughing. It had been so long since they had laughed so freely, the absurdity and contrast of the situation adding a layer of humor that was beyond words.
The laughter was unstoppable.
Finally, they managed to regain some composure, slightly reining in their laughter.
Just then, Mackey entered the bedroom, "Sorry, there was a little accident. Eric suddenly had a nosebleed, but it's under control now..."
Pfft.
Anson and Rachel, as if someone had hit a switch, burst into laughter again. They were holding their stomachs, laughing uncontrollably. Even though they didn't know why, the sheer absurdity of Eric getting a nosebleed during a love scene was enough to set them off again.
Mackey: ???
He was completely confused. Did he just tell a joke? Why didn't he know? Should he join them in the laughter?
Anson and Rachel, seeing Mackey's bewildered expression, laughed even harder, practically collapsing from the effort. Mackey could only stand there, helpless:
What was going on? Couldn't they share the joke so he could laugh too?
Eventually, they regained control, though Rachel had laughed so hard she was crying, quietly wiping her tears on the side. Anyone who didn't know better might have thought Anson had hit her.
Anson's face muscles were stiff from laughing, and he had to rub them to relax.
"Sorry, director. We got a little carried away."
Mackey: Just "a little"? Are you sure?
"So, director, how did the shoot go? Is there anything we need to improve?"
Anson's words finally brought Mackey back on track, reminding him of the issue at hand—
Mackey looked up, seriously trying to recall what he wanted to say.
Actually, Mackey was a bit angry.
This scene had been altered by Anson and Rachel, not just the lines, but also the emotional tone and development. It wasn't completely unrecognizable, but it was unsettling.
Mackey and Eric had spent seven years on this script, refining and polishing every detail. Every line was carefully crafted, not to perfection, but close enough.
And yet—
During negotiations, Anson's first move had been to challenge the script. And now, during the first scene of filming, Anson and Rachel had changed the lines without permission.
Mackey thought, was it really that difficult to ask the actors to follow the script word for word?
Anger simmered in his chest. Even though he had been completely absorbed by the scene while watching it, riding the emotional waves, the frustration still lingered once he calmed down.
Especially when he thought of Eric's reaction, like a kid who had never been out in the world, making him feel even more stifled.
After all, this script was their labor of love, something they had poured years of effort into. Before filming began, they had countless romantic fantasies about how it would all play out. Yet, the very first scene had already veered off course.
This wasn't good.
Mackey thought he needed to make Anson understand this.
However! But! Shockingly!
Mackey's mind went blank, unable to remember what he had wanted to say.
Logically, he should have been furious, especially after not getting the respect he felt they deserved. His anger should have burned even brighter. But strangely, it didn't.
Not only that, he even felt like maybe it wasn't such a big deal.
More accurately, Mackey thought, maybe this was how it was meant to be, the right way for it to unfold.
Wait, wait!
Mackey sensed something was off. Had he been led astray? Or had he led himself astray?
Mackey looked at Anson, his brows furrowed, his eyes wide with a mix of anger and confusion:
Something's not right with you.
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