"Anson."
Blair was completely stunned, her brain unable to process what was happening. Before she could react, her voice exploded in her ears like a thunderclap.
In the next second, her heart stopped, and she held her breath.
Whoa.
That figure turned around, his refined face unfolding in the sunlight, clear and bright. The surrounding noise and crowd blurred into the background, the clamor and heat waves all vanished. At the mont when his smile gently lifted at the corners of his mouth, ti itself seed to pause.
Blair just… fell.
Like free-falling.
Boom, boom, boom. Her entire world was filled with fireworks, an indescribable and overwhelming happiness surged up, filling her chest completely.
Quietly, without blinking, Blair locked her gaze onto that face.
Anson's simple and clean outfit made him seem approachable—not the high and mighty Hollywood star, but the boy-next-door who loved to play basketball—yet he was so dazzling she couldn't look away.
He made his entrance like this, confidently appearing before her.
The bustling and noisy atmosphere of the premiere beca nothing more than a backdrop.
"Hey, Blair."
Anson smiled, greeting her as he stopped in front of her.
In just that brief mont, Blair's heart leaped into her throat. She could feel the scorching gazes from all around surging towards her, engulfing her in an instant.
But at that mont, Blair couldn't care less.
"You kept your promise," Anson said.
Blair had told him she would co to see "Spider-Man," and she had kept her word.
But she never imagined that Anson would rember—oh my God! Anson actually rembered!
Blair felt weightless, as if she were floating on a cloud. Despite the wild wind pounding at her eardrums, she soared freely in the brilliance of the rainbow. Happiness popped like popcorn, crackling all around her.
Blair quickly reminded herself to breathe, not to forget to breathe. She nodded repeatedly like a pecking chick, "Of course, I wouldn't miss it."
"Thanks for coming to see my movie." Anson smiled again.
He said, thank you.
Boom!
Blair's mind went completely blank, losing all ability to respond. All she could do was nod repeatedly, becoming a mindless nodding machine.
She had always thought that the stories she heard about fans eting their idols—brains turning to mush, being unable to speak, the world spinning—were all made up.
But now that she was experiencing it herself, she understood exactly what that felt like.
Then—
Buzz. Buzz, buzz, buzz.
A commotion spread like ripples in the water.
Without turning her head, Blair knew that others had noticed Anson's presence too.
Clearly, no one had expected this.
This was a premiere—the premiere of a film with a budget exceeding one hundred million dollars, the official kickoff of the sumr 2002 season. While it didn't need to be as formal as the Oscars, it was still a highly anticipated stage where every guest would undoubtedly be dressed to impress.
And Anson?
In casual clothes, looking like the boy next door—far from the expected attire of a guest, even the security guards' suits seed more formal.
Is this… really okay?
But there was no ti to think it over. In the brief mont of hesitation, all eyes, hearts, and focus silently shifted to Anson.
An unexpected surprise, a breakthrough, a delight.
He broke through the untouchable aura of a star, bringing the actor closer to the audience, making him more relatable. Yet it wasn't that simple; the charm exuded in his every move made it impossible to look away, and before anyone realized it, they were drawn in.
"Anson… Anson, Anson…"
His na spread in whispers, as eyes at the street corner drifted away from the excitent of the red carpet to fall on Anson.
One, two, three, four, five… and the buzz grew.
Eve turned to look at Edgar, her eyes gleaming with light.
Honestly, Anson's recognition and exposure were indeed remarkable. From Paris Fashion Week to "The Tonight Show," in just eight months, he had made waves in the dia, never leaving the public eye. Coupled with the relentless poster and trailer bombardnt by Sony-Columbia, Anson's face had appeared in every corner of North Arica, making it easy for people to recognize him.
But recognition doesn't equal popularity.
Ultimately, Anson had too few works under his belt. More accurately, rather than an actor, he was known as a model, a band mber, a talk show guest—labels that brought in more attention but kept the general public's perception of him as a pretty face, an idol, a trending figure, making it hard to connect or resonate with him.
However, at today's premiere, Anson shed those labels, returning to a simple, real, and genuine self.
The distance, the unfamiliarity, and the underlying prejudice quietly faded away, replaced by a warm, approachable, and vibrant image—
This is how the connection between actor and audience is forged. If "Spider-Man" succeeds at the box office, Anson's acting career will take a crucial step forward, from quantity to quality.
Eve's mind raced, making connections.
Edgar looked at Eve, who seed calm and composed, her face relaxed, with a look that clearly said: See? I told you, there's nothing to worry about.
Eve raised an eyebrow slightly, glanced at the red carpet ahead, and saw that the film crew was aware that the lead actor was about to make his appearance. After Tom Cruise, a series of crew mbers were lined up, clearing the space for Anson. So, the next five to ten minutes should be all about Anson.
How could she help?
Eve didn't stand idly by; she scanned the crowd and imdiately spotted a small, distinctive group:
There weren't many of them, just about twenty or so, a small cluster in the sea of people. But they all wore "uniforms"—white shirts, specifically that iconic Dior heart-explosion white shirt, the sa one Anson wore at last year's "Princess Diaries" premiere.
They instantly stood out.
Then Eve saw a familiar face in front of that small group, that should be… Gloria Preston? Sothing like that—she was the fan Anson recognized at last year's "Princess Diaries" premiere.
Turning, Eve walked toward Gloria.
anwhile, on the red carpet, Jay Leno had just stepped out of his car. He hadn't even reached the stage in front of the Chinese Theatre when he noticed the unusual stir, causing him to pause.
Ahead, Tom Cruise was showcasing his charming humor. Such a premiere was a breeze for him, surrounded by cheers and applause.
This is what being a superstar is—doing very little but still commanding the spotlight, effortlessly becoming the focus.
But behind him, there was a buzz of excitent, like a breeze blowing through a wheat field, with more and more people turning their heads to look back.
Wait, what's happening back there?
Jay Leno turned to look as well.
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