Kate beamed with a bright smile.
Anson: …
After waiting for Kate to finish speaking, this time it was Anson who fell silent.
Kate looked at the bewildered and at-a-loss Anson, feeling a bit uneasy. She began to worry whether her prank had gone too far. After all, Anson had always behaved politely, clearly a good kid...
Then, without any warning, Anson turned around, took off running, and disappeared in a flash before Kate could even blink, leaving her standing there in complete shock. Her mind, which had been racing, suddenly froze, stuck in a daze.
What... just happened?
Just then, Anson reappeared.
He returned after sprinting off, coming to a sudden halt right in front of Kate.
Catching his breath slightly, Anson asked, "Is it too late to run away now?"
Kate was stunned, her frozen brain finally catching up—she had been outwitted!
To think, she had just been worrying about Anson.
Ha, haha.
A smile crept up to the corners of her mouth, but Kate held herself back, maintaining a serious and solemn expression as she nodded gravely.
"Yes, you missed your chance."
The two exchanged a look, and the laughter began to flicker in their eyes.
Then, Anson spoke first.
"I was just thinking, maybe red is a good idea."
Kate was puzzled.
Anson elaborated.
"The first time they meet, it's blue, symbolizing tragedy. Joel flees, unable to summon the courage to follow Clementine on her adventure."
"The second time, it's red, symbolizing passion. They can't resist the pull of attraction and fall in love, and Clementine's emotions fully bloom."
Now, Kate understood. "At the same time, red can also symbolize life, fire. They burn through their lives for this love, like moths to a flame. Once their energy is exhausted, they lose the ability to communicate or recover, so Clementine chooses to erase her memory."
"Hey, the idea of red fading is a good one."
"And finally, the third encounter is green, representing rebirth."
"After a great fire consumes everything, those emotions stubbornly sprout anew, even if they've forgotten everything, they still can't help but fall in love again."
"No one knows whether it's a tragedy or a comedy."
Kate followed Anson's train of thought, her mind working quickly, then paused briefly in reflection.
Suddenly, all those emotional fragments that had felt disjointed now connected in a surprising and coherent way.
Her entire expression brightened, her excitement and joy shining through, making her appear so real and alive.
"What do you think?"
Basking in Kate's expectant gaze, Anson responded with a smile.
"Perfect."
Kate let out a hearty laugh, not caring about her image. "Nothing is perfect in this world. But anyway, thank you."
She paused, then collected herself, stepping forward a bit and extending her right hand, repeating herself seriously.
"Thank you."
Kate had been repeatedly reading through the script recently, but always felt that some pieces of the character puzzle were missing. Now, she finally felt that the block in her chest had been lifted, and she could walk into the set confidently, without fear of under-preparing or messing up her performance. The connection between character and plot, performance and story, had finally clicked into place, giving the actor the freedom to shine.
Anson could sense Kate's sincerity. He shook her right hand and said, "The honor is mine."
Kate didn't let go right away but gave his hand a firm shake. She stared straight at Anson, triggering a memory in his mind—
"So, do you need me to teach you how to spit?"
That iconic scene from Titanic.
Kate froze, then failed to suppress her amusement, both disgusted and entertained. "I did not see that coming. Oh my God, I swear I didn't expect that at all."
"You're probably the first person to bring up that spitting scene in front of me. Do you know? No one ever wants to talk about that scene, not even Leo, haha."
"You're a funny guy."
For years, just like Leonardo, Kate hadn't been fond of people bringing up Titanic, as if it were the only film in their entire careers. Yet in social settings, it was hard to avoid.
But now, when Anson brought it up, Kate didn't mind at all.
And so, with light laughter, the two walked side by side, chatting casually as they made their way toward the set.
...
Grant felt a wave of nausea—
Looking back, it seemed that Anson leaving wasn't such a good thing after all. They had practically kicked the lead actor out onto the street, and it was raining no less.
Just imagine, the hottest actor in Hollywood at the moment, wandering the streets like a homeless person after being kicked off set.
God!
Grant's scalp tingled.
This anxiety only grew as time passed.
Because Anson still hadn't shown up. Grant had looked downstairs, even out on the balcony, but the place was empty. He had no idea whether Anson had gotten lost or disappeared entirely.
Without meaning to, his mind began conjuring up all kinds of awful scenarios.
Like Anson slipping and having an accident in the rain.
Or maybe he'd stormed off, quitting the production in a fit of rage.
Or worse, the director showing up only to find that the lead actor had been scared away.
Negative thoughts sprouted like seeds, growing quickly into towering trees, filling Grant's mind. He could already see the media swarming, sharks smelling blood in the water, circling the production. And in this imagined chaos, the director was preparing to throw Grant to the sharks.
Creak.
The door opened.
Grant jolted, turning reflexively toward the sound, only to see Anson smiling brightly. He was so shocked and surprised that he nearly cried out—
Ah.
Grant had to clasp his hands over his mouth just to contain himself.
"Hey, carry on. We just needed a place to get out of the rain for a bit."
Anson flashed a smile, and Kate poked her head around the doorframe, playfully waving.
"Good morning!"
The next second, Kate noticed Grant's tear-filled eyes. She blinked.
"I know you're moved to see me, but no need to be that moved, right? What, did you grow up watching Titanic too?"
In a rare mood, Kate teased herself with a joke.
Grant had no idea how to explain, his mind a jumble of thoughts. He simply nodded, wiped away the tears, and then burst into sobs.
Kate froze, looking over at Anson. "Should I give him a hug?"
Anson wore an innocent expression, clearly trying to distance himself from the situation. "Kate, Kate, Kate, look at you. You've gone and scared the poor kid to tears. This is no good at all."
Kate: ???