Actor in Hollywood

"Get lost!"

The young man clenched his fist as he turned and walked directly toward Anson. The tension between them grew thick, like the heatwaves rising from the pavement.

Scarlett couldn't stand it any longer. "Stop, Adrian, for God's sake, stop!"

But the situation didn't slow down.

The young man didn't halt his steps, and Anson was closing in fast. In the blink of an eye, the two were like two speeding trains on a collision course.

Anson's attention was razor-sharp. He quickly sized up the young man—shorter by a bit, smaller build, and from the look of his shoulders and arms, probably not someone who works out or exercises regularly. Anson completed his assessment in a split second and continued his approach.

The young man hesitated for a fraction of a second before recognizing Anson's face. "It's you!"

However—

When Anson saw the young man raise his right hand, his eyes narrowed. Acting swiftly, Anson grabbed the man's right hand and pulled him toward himself.

Caught off balance, the young man stumbled toward Anson.

Anson sidestepped slightly, meeting the young man's right shoulder with his own. As they collided, Anson used his shoulder as a pivot point, pushing forward with his upper body while sweeping his right leg behind the young man's right leg, trapping it and using it as leverage.

The forces combined, and—

**Boom!**

The young man was tossed to the ground like a rag doll, landing hard on his backside with a heavy thud. The impact echoed in his ears.

As the world spun around him, the young man found himself flat on his back.

Dizzy and disoriented, he heard birds singing in his head.

He groaned as waves of pain crashed over him, overwhelming his senses. He was so stunned he forgot to cry out, lying there in a daze.

Everything had happened in a flash.

The confrontation didn't even have a chance to begin; the outcome was already decided.

Scarlett was left stunned, her hands covering her mouth in disbelief as she stared at the young man on the ground. Then she looked at Anson, her eyes darting back and forth between them.

In the next moment—

**"Ha."**

Scarlett knew she shouldn't laugh; it was completely inappropriate, but—

**"Haha. Hahaha."**

It was just too funny.

The young man lay there, utterly defeated, giving Scarlett a look of pure despair.

Scarlett noticed and said, "Sorry, Adrian, haha, sorry, I know, I know, I know… but, haha, this is just too funny."

"I should tell Hunter about this. Haha, he'll laugh himself silly."

Scarlett was laughing so hard she had to wipe away the tears from her eyes. Then she noticed Anson rushing toward her, but she didn't react quickly enough.

Anson grabbed Scarlett's right hand without pausing and took off running.

"Run!"

Anson's voice rang in her ears, and Scarlett didn't have time to think. She just ran with him. The afternoon breeze of California, carrying the scent of the sea and the warmth of the sun, whipped through her hair, bringing a smile to her lips. Her heart felt like it had wings, soaring as they ran.

Faster, just a little faster, and they might fly.

Scarlett couldn't help but look up and see those bright blue eyes glancing back at her, full of joy and shining brilliantly.

Time seemed to pause for a moment, stretching the seconds into infinity, as if they would keep running like this forever.

Laughing, running, they crossed the street and finally stopped by a car. It was only then that Scarlett noticed Anson was pulling out his keys to unlock the car door.

"Wait, wait, Prince Charming..."

Scarlett's thoughts were a bit scrambled as she tried to process everything.

"Anson, wait, Anson..."

She finally managed to catch her breath and remember his name, stopping him.

"We don't need to run. That's my brother."

Straight to the point, Scarlett explained the situation as simply as possible.

Then, she saw the confusion and panic in Anson's eyes.

"Ha." Scarlett couldn't hold back a laugh. "Sorry, I know I shouldn't laugh, but I just can't help it. Haha, hahaha."

Anson glanced at Scarlett, then over at the young man across the street, who was now sitting cross-legged on the ground, looking rather pitiful. He then looked back at the lonely cart with the abandoned cases of water behind them—

He had to admit, the whole scene was kind of funny.

If Anson remembered correctly, Scarlett had an older sister, an older brother, and a twin brother. That older brother was likely named Adrian.

"But..." Anson's smile began to spread, but he still couldn't quite piece together what had just happened. "So what was all that about?"

Scarlett realized she owed him an explanation. "Adrian is my brother, my real brother. I... uh... I was actually trying to avoid him."

Anson: ???

What kind of twist was this?

So, it was all just a big misunderstanding?

"I thought he was some sort of mafia enforcer," Anson couldn't help but joke.

Scarlett's lips twitched with amusement. After thinking about it for a second, she replied, "In a way, you're not entirely wrong."

Anson looked at Scarlett. "You mean, like Macaulay Culkin?"

The child star who skyrocketed to fame with *Home Alone* later became his parents' cash cow, with no control over his own life as a minor. Everything was managed by his parents, leading him down a path of self-destruction to escape reality.

Scarlett was taken aback. "You know who I am?"

Anson paused too. Even though Scarlett had been acting since childhood and appeared on the big screen as early as 1994, she wasn't exactly a household name at this point—

Her most notable work so far was probably *The Horse Whisperer*, but even in that, she wasn't the main focus.

His thoughts shifted, "Are you an actress?"

Anson asked, not waiting for Scarlett to answer. He then tilted his chin up slightly, "I knew it. Welcome to Hollywood."

The light-hearted tease brought a smile back to Scarlett's face.

Scarlett neither confirmed nor denied being an actress. "I'm not Macaulay, and Adrian isn't an evil guardian."

She paused for a moment, looking over at Adrian across the street, before adding with a half-joking tone, "At least, not yet."

After all, in the fame-driven world of Hollywood, who could guarantee they wouldn't lose their way?

Scarlett toned down her smile a bit and continued to explain.

"I have two jobs I need to finish, but God, I really, really don't want to work."

"Have you ever felt like that? Like you're resisting work with every fiber of your being? So, I ran away."

Anson couldn't help but laugh. "Yes, I get it. Sometimes, even before I go to bed at night, I'm already dreaming of the moment I can clock out tomorrow."

Scarlett's eyes lit up. "Exactly! I know the work has to be done, but I..." She trailed off, unable to finish her sentence. "Anyway, at least I got to run away for a bit and enjoy a—fifteen-minute vacation. It's not all bad."

Anson raised an eyebrow slightly. "Like Princess Ann?"

In *Roman Holiday*, Audrey Hepburn's character, Princess Ann, tired of her royal duties, sneaks out to enjoy a night of freedom and unexpectedly meets Gregory Peck's character, Joe, leading to a brief but delightful holiday.

Scarlett blinked, surprised by the comparison. She looked up and met Anson's clear, bright blue eyes.