The air was a little too quiet.
Too quiet, which made it feel unnatural.
"...Oh, Anson."
The physical therapist who had just entered took one look at the scene before her. As long as her eyes were working, she could sense the subtle tension floating in the air.
But she couldn't stop herself in time and the words slipped out.
Anson turned his head, pretending to be calm.
The physical therapist hesitated for a moment, "Do you need me to leave? I can come back later."
Wrong thing to say!
Anson's throat felt a bit scratchy, but he steadied himself and said, "If you leave now, you'll make something out of nothing. I'm not sure that's helpful."
"So, I think it's better if you stay. Besides, my session is already over, and we should be leaving."
A small joke successfully dissolved the tension, and the awkward atmosphere became relaxed once again.
The physical therapist blinked in surprise: Could it be that she was just imagining things because she wanted to find romance? Maybe there really was nothing going on between Anson and Annie.
Anson had already regained his composure, effortlessly talking his way out of the situation.
Turning to Annie, he asked, "I'm going to grab a coffee. Do you want one? Or are you avoiding caffeine right now?"
Everything was perfect.
Annie, still a little shy, cleared her throat and said, "Orange juice? Does the hospital have that?"
"Come on, hospitals only ever have orange juice, right? I'm so sick of it by now."
Anson rambled on ahead while Annie followed close behind, the two of them leaving the therapy room one after the other.
Inside, the two remaining people exchanged glances until one broke the silence, "So, was there something going on or not?"
Outside, Anson and Annie's pace began to quicken.
They hadn't forgotten they were in a hospital, where running and loud noises were off-limits, and other patients were resting. So, they tiptoed quickly, walking fast and speaking in hushed tones.
Once they were out of the patient area, they darted into the stairwell, broke into a jog, burst through the door, and ran out onto the lawn. Their feet moved faster and faster, their laughter spilled out, turning into simple, pure joy.
It was like being kids again.
No reason, just running. No need for a reason, just enough to feel happy.
Happiness used to be that simple.
They ran until their lungs burned, their chests tight with lack of oxygen, and their bodies felt tired. That's when they finally stopped.
Looking at each other, without any reason, they burst into laughter, like they had just gone through the funniest, most ridiculous, and thrilling moment in the world.
Maybe, after cooling down and thinking about it, they'd realize how silly they had been, but it was moments like these that made you believe life was still full of possibilities.
Sometimes, a little silliness is just what you need.
Huff, huff.
Annie was gasping for breath, hands on her knees. Looking at Anson, whose face was glowing and eyes were bright, she couldn't help but smile. His whole being radiated energy, and just standing there, he was impossible to look away from.
She knew that lately, Anson's world had been flipped upside down.
The outside world was chaotic, with Sony Columbia and the paparazzi stirring up trouble like leeches, waiting to drain every ounce of value from Anson before discarding him and moving on to the next target.
But that wasn't all. His inner world was also in turmoil.
Anson's back injury was much worse than it appeared, more difficult to recover from. But he had to race against time, not just to heal, but to regain his agility and strength. He had to return to set and keep performing all those intense action stunts.
And he'd have to face the wirework again.
Sure, there was always the option of using a stunt double. He didn't need to put himself at risk.
But things weren't that simple.
Sony Columbia was still watching him closely, waiting for the slightest slip-up, ready to strike.
If Anson refused to perform his stunts due to his injury, Sony Columbia would have no choice but to support him. They wouldn't say no.
But behind the scenes, they could play the victim, pretending to be helpless, subtly implying that Anson was using his situation to blackmail them, making Sony Columbia look like the bad guys, forcing them to comply with his demands, revealing his true diva side.
Little by little, if Sony Columbia kept up the charade, they could sway producers, directors, and studio executives to their side, completely overturning the current public opinion.
In the end, while Anson might still get movie offers, his relationships in Hollywood would become increasingly strained. Reputation is hard to shake once it's set.
For talented actors, like Jim Carrey, skill always wins in the end. But for a "pretty face," it's a different story.
That's why Anson was so focused and worked so hard on his rehab.
On the surface, it seemed like Anson had it all under control, effortlessly managing Sony Columbia and emerging as the clear winner of the media storm.
But in reality, he was walking on thin ice.
The path to the top was always like that—full of thorns and traps. One wrong step, and he could be crushed, forgotten.
Over the last twenty days, out of sight of reporters and fans, Anson had sweated, suffered through sleepless nights of pain, and finally conquered his injury, reclaiming control over his body. No one knew the full extent of his struggle.
Even Annie had only seen the tip of the iceberg.
Now, seeing that bright, beaming smile on Anson's face again, Annie finally understood why there was always a trace of weariness and melancholy hidden beneath his brightness. It was like reading a profound story, and she wanted to take her time and carefully savor every page.
Then, Annie raised her voice, "When are you going back to the set?"
Anson laughed freely, "You think I'm fully recovered already, huh?"
Annie's heart skipped a beat. Could it be... he wasn't?
Anson waved her off. "Nah, it's just Luca. You know how those guys are, always overthinking. He still treats me like a kid, threatened the doctors to keep me in rehab longer. He doesn't care about movies or actor schedules."
Annie smiled knowingly, "Yeah, I get it."
Anson said, "The day after tomorrow, I'll be back on set. I wanted to go back earlier, surprise everyone, but it's all Luca's fault."
Annie burst into laughter, "And you were acting all helpless in the therapy room?"
Anson widened his eyes, "Didn't you say you didn't see anything? I can't believe you, Annie. I'm so disappointed."
Watching Anson's exaggerated head-shaking and sighing, Annie's heart felt light too.
Growing up was long and painful, but they'd keep going, right?