"Huh?"
"What? What's going on?"
"Who am I, where am I, and what am I doing?"
The entire apartment fell silent. Everyone's gaze shifted between Kristen and Anson, but their brains struggled to catch up with what was happening. Question after question popped up, almost causing their heads to explode.
Until—
Pfft.
Someone cracked.
Everyone immediately turned to look. They saw Illya, hands behind his back, head lowered, struggling hard to hold back laughter.
And then, Illya couldn't hold it in any longer.
"Haha, hahaha."
He burst out laughing.
Illya noticed the stares but had no explanation to offer, so he just waved his hand to signal he was fine.
Walking forward, Illya approached Anson and Kristen, full of curiosity.
"Did you guys rehearse this?"
Kristen glanced at Anson and smiled, a light, gentle expression like the sun peeking through after a spring rain. "Seems like we did pretty well."
The subtext: they hadn't rehearsed, but still managed to make their fellow actors confused.
Illya suddenly understood. "Wow."
He looked at Kristen, then at Anson, his eyes filled with wonder.
Kristen knew what Illya's look meant, so she quickly cleared things up. "It was him, all him. You all should be more cautious around him; he loves playing pranks."
"Hey, Kristen!" Anson protested.
Both Kristen and Illya looked at him.
But instead of explaining or objecting, Anson put a finger to his lips. "Shh. Let's give everyone time to get to know me properly."
Unbelievable!
One second, two seconds.
Illya burst into laughter again. He was starting to like Anson now.
Everyone gradually came to their senses and finally understood—
It was a prank.
Turns out, it had all been just a prank.
But wait.
Thinking about it calmly, they had originally thought Anson and Kristen were messing with each other; but now, it didn't seem right. Were they actually teaming up to prank the crew?
And here they were, like puppets on strings, foolishly worrying about the two of them getting into a fight.
Looking back now, they felt both embarrassed and amused.
Grant was momentarily stunned, then let out a wry chuckle—
Was it normal to feel oddly good about this?
Kate also snapped back to reality. She quietly observed the crew, and had to admit, she was genuinely impressed. Anson was someone to watch.
What Anson was going through now, Kate had experienced herself. After "Titanic" exploded at the box office, the first group she worked with wasn't for a commercial movie but for an independent film. The atmosphere was strange.
It wasn't tense or hostile, just filled with a sort of arrogant, mocking provocation that slightly pricked at your skin, without fully igniting anything.
There was one time when Kate locked herself in a bathroom stall out of frustration from struggling with a scene. She was disappointed in herself, angry with herself, and then, by chance, overheard the crew talking.
After "Titanic" became a hit, behind-the-scenes stories became popular topics. Stories about how two of the cast members became lucky stars spread far and wide.
Leonardo DiCaprio had been James Cameron's pick, standing firm against opposition. Without James, 20th Century Fox would've preferred Matthew McConaughey for the role, and history would've been different.
As for Kate, she had fought for the role herself. Among a group of contenders, she didn't stand out; but she didn't give up. Every week, she sent a handwritten letter with a rose to James Cameron's office, with a note saying, "I'm your Rose." Her persistence won him over.
To the public, these stories were thrilling and legendary. But to those in the industry, they sparked mixed opinions and debates.
"If she was so desperate to star in a blockbuster, what's she doing in art films now, trying to 'find herself'? It's so pretentious."
"Along with the roses, did she also send in her underwear?"
"Am I imagining things, or is her acting now unbearably over-the-top? Is this what happens after starring in a box office juggernaut?"
The mocking, sneering, and disdain were followed by cruel laughter.
Kate, curled up on the toilet, holding her knees tight, desperately tried not to make a sound. But after relaxing slightly, she realized her face was already soaked in tears.
At that time, she felt cowardly and weak. She didn't dare confront anyone. All her pain, frustration, and resentment were swallowed down because she was terrified people would say she didn't know how good she had it, or that all this was her own fault and she wasn't even grateful. Or worse, that her success was something everyone dreamed of, and if she didn't like it, she should just retire?
Those looks, those words, those whispers.
It was so easy for them to crush her confidence.
So she swallowed her tears, dried her eyes, and faced her struggles head-on.
To everyone else, it looked like she had it all. But only she knew the truth.
Of course, Kate didn't regret it. She knew this was the path she chose, and she knew that fame came with a price.
The only thing she wished was that she could face it all with more dignity and courage—
Yes, she had achieved what every Hollywood actor dreamed of. She should be happy, satisfied, and proud. And she was. But she should also be allowed to have her own worries and doubts, to continue exploring her path as an actor.
She wanted to be able to face the gossip and criticism with grace and fight back.
At the time, she couldn't. Neither could Leonardo.
Their success felt so overwhelming that they were almost guilty for it, scared to complain, to feel lost, to suffer. It felt like any hint of negativity would make them seem ungrateful.
But now—
Kate saw the perfect response in Anson.
She believed Anson had his own worries and reflections. Beneath the "pretty boy" image the world saw, there was a real Anson waiting to be discovered.
The key was, Anson didn't shrink away or cower. He faced the criticism head-on, with dignity, and responded in his own way.
Kate thought, Anson might just be a good actor.
Maybe he wasn't quite there yet, but he was thinking, and thinking deeply, which meant he had the potential to grow into a great actor.
Kate was increasingly excited for this collaboration, convinced she had made the right choice.
And then there was Kristen.
With a smile, Kate walked over to greet the two leads warmly.
Meanwhile, Mark still hesitated in place, unsure if he should join in.
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