Blair felt like she must have lost her mind, standing there in front of Anson, laughing and crying simultaneously, with tears and snot mixing together—she was a total mess.
Oh God, she should leave.
Right now. Immediately.
But then Anson's voice came, anchoring her in place.
"I know," he said.
Even though they hadn't spoken about it, Anson understood. Everyone has their own coming-of-age experience, and he once thought that his seemingly endless youth was something he'd never escape from. The worries that seemed insignificant to others felt like a slow-moving current, gradually pulling him into a deep, endless blue, leaving him standing there, slowly suffocating.
Yes, life isn't filled with grand, earth-shattering moments. It's the small, seemingly trivial pains that make people realize their helplessness and vulnerability.
Until, at some point, they realize they're not alone.
That simple "I know" easily broke through Blair's final defenses.
Taking a deep breath, Blair mustered the courage to look up at Anson. His deep blue eyes were smiling at her, like the Mediterranean Sea bathed in golden sunlight, lazily enveloping her. Her heart suddenly sank, falling into that endless blue.
Her disheveled state didn't seem to matter anymore.
Blair's smile fully blossomed. Laughing and crying at the same time, she really did look like a lunatic, but this time she gave up on wiping her tears. Instead, she confidently displayed her disarray. "Nice to meet you, Anson."
"Oh, God, I must look terrible right now. I can't believe this."
Blair tried to cover her face, but after shaking her head, she decided to give up, lifting her head to look at Anson again. This time, she found herself caught in his smiling eyes, which glimmered with sunlight.
Then, Blair boldly asked, "Anson, can I give you a hug?"
Anson didn't reply with words but instead opened his arms, smiling.
Carefully, Blair stepped closer, waiting for Anson's arms to wrap around her. A clean, refreshing scent surrounded her, like morning dew on pine trees with golden sunlight slowly filtering down. It was intoxicating.
Instinctively, Blair closed her eyes, allowing herself to get lost in this warmth.
It turns out that happiness is truly within reach.
It turns out that dreams really do exist.
For a brief moment, Blair was almost lost in the warmth, unable to pull herself away.
Finally, she summoned the courage to step back from the embrace, looking up at Anson with boldness and courage, his handsome face shining through the tears in her eyes.
"I'll definitely watch your movie."
Blair blinked, flashed a big smile, and quickly turned around, dashing out of the studio.
Her heart was racing, almost to the point of bursting, but happiness surged like a volcano, making the whole world seem brighter.
It wasn't until she was outside the studio, her steps slowing down significantly, that she realized she had forgotten something:
Karen!
What about Karen?
She abruptly stopped, turned around, and looked back at the studio, thinking about going back to find her friend. But before she could, someone else appeared—Karen, running towards her with open arms, her face, actions, and every movement radiating pure joy.
Karen screamed, "Ah!"
Blair screamed back, "Ahhh!"
No words, no conversation, just screaming, as if they had reverted to their primal instincts. But somehow, those screams conveyed everything.
They paused, exchanged glances, realizing that despite their overwhelming joy and excitement, they couldn't find the right words to express it. So they just went back to screaming together.
"Ahhh!"
Clearly, they weren't alone.
As Anson and the others left the studio, the California sun still shone brightly, and they could see people outside, reluctant to leave, screaming as soon as they saw them—
For Connor and the others, the scene was completely unexpected, even a bit overwhelming. It was hard to believe that a single recording session could have such an impact.
Looking around, there was no sign of Edgar.
Apparently, Edgar was still busy with the show, paving the way for Anson.
Anson didn't hesitate, urging his bandmates to jump into the car. They sped off before the enthusiastic fans could surround them.
The situation hadn't gotten out of control—just a little bit crazy.
Breathless, drenched in sweat, they sat in the car, looking at each other. It took them a while to process what had just happened, and then they all burst out laughing.
"Oh my God, what just happened?"
"I don't know, I don't know! Damn, I can't believe any of it."
"Someone just asked me for an autograph. My brain completely froze: An autograph? Are you serious?"
"So, did you sign it?"
"Yeah, I just signed my name, but it felt so weird, like I was signing a mortgage agreement or something."
"Hahaha."
The laughter echoed in the car as the Aston Martin raced through the sunlight, golden streaks of light carrying their joy and happiness across the road.
As the laughter began to die down, someone started choking on their own spit from laughing too hard, causing them to cough violently. The sight of it was so comical that it set off another round of teasing, filling the car with lively chatter once more.
Despite standing in the spotlight on stage moments ago, radiating brilliance as if they were at the center of the world, offstage, they were just a group of young people who loved music.
Happiness was really that simple.
Anson, sitting in the driver's seat, glanced up at the rearview mirror, taking a moment to gauge everyone's expressions. An idea popped into his head, and he spoke up, "Guys, how about we record an album together?"
The air in the car suddenly froze.
The other three fell silent, staring at Anson in stunned silence.
The lively, cheerful atmosphere from just a second ago vanished, plunging into an icy stillness as all eyes focused on Anson, stunned.
The abrupt shift left Anson momentarily taken aback.
With his hands on the steering wheel, Anson shrugged slightly and pulled a funny face, "Hello, is anyone there? Looks like that was a bad idea."
Lily immediately grew anxious.
She glanced at Miles and Connor, unable to hold back any longer. "No, no, that's not what I meant… Anson, are you serious?"
"Oh my God, this is amazing news! Of course, I mean, at least I'm all in, but Miles? Connor? Are you guys going to say something?"
"Anson, are you joking? I mean, this couldn't be better! Jesus Christ, I'm sweating right now."
Lily's words tumbled out in a rush, disjointed and almost incoherent, but her enthusiasm was unmistakable—
She was thrilled.
Anson wasn't joking; he was dead serious.
Whether as an actor or a musician, Anson had made up his mind from the start—this time around, he wasn't going to squander his opportunities. He would enjoy every moment and run wild, not worrying about the outcome, but focusing on the experience.
He had said he wanted to reclaim the version of himself that he had lost before he was twenty-five in his previous life—the one who lived life boldly and passionately.
A band?
Why not!