The Best Actor in the Vase of Meiyu

Chapter 1820 The last time

"...Action!"

Filming resumed, and the entire crew was completely silent. Even the light rain outside the window seemed to slow down and quiet down.

Emmanuel lowered his camera, aiming at Anson from the other end of the coffee table, focusing on Anson from below, trying to capture the fleeting emotions in Anson's eyes.

However, Anson did not respond. For now, that's it.

Anson sat slumped on the sofa, seemingly lost in thought, his appearance and state suggesting he was in a trance.

Anson was the one who suggested trying again, but it was also Anson who lost focus and drifted off.

Speechless.

But Anson was completely unaware.

Theo visits his friend Jasper, but this visit is not so simple.

Humanity is being destroyed and the world is in chaos because no newborns are being born, all order is being broken, and the social system is on the verge of collapse.

In Britain, the frail and sickly, as well as the elderly with gray hair, were all abandoned and sent to "Paradise Lost" to face death. Jasper and his wife were among those "dealt with," but they escaped and lived in a remote forest near London.

Jasper's wife, Janice, was a journalist who was blacklisted for exposing secrets the authorities were trying to cover up. Now she is mentally unstable and suffering from Alzheimer's disease. She no longer recognizes Jasper or Theo. Jasper only wants to accompany his wife on her final journey.

Jasper and Janice were not only friends with Theo, but also with Julianne. Janice still keeps photos of Theo, his family, and their child.

Photos taken while their children were still alive.

Of course, Theo knew this, and every time he came to visit Janice, he would remind himself not to look at the photos on the table.

But without exception, I saw it every time.

Sometimes, Theo couldn't tell whether he wanted to see that photo or not.

So when Theo and Jasper returned to the living room to continue their conversation, Theo was somewhat distracted, his attention wandering without him even realizing it.

I think again of Julianne and her child, I think again of Janice's situation, and I think again of the world being swept into the vortex of dark horses and continuing to sink.

A sense of unease and a touch of restlessness, yet at the same time, I tried to put them aside and return to my usual routine.

Does everything seem familiar?

Just like Anson.

I'm preoccupied and absent-minded, but I desperately want to relax. This isn't just about pretending not to care; it's also about forcing myself not to care.

The character and oneself, illusion and reality, performance and truth, burn like fire in the stomach, entering a state that is difficult to describe in words.

Behind the camera, Emmanuel remained patient, extremely patient.

Regardless of his personal thoughts, once filming begins, he enters his role as the cinematographer to complete his task. Other things are beyond his control, but everything captured by the camera is in his mind.

Emmanuel noticed Anson's gaze.

Calm and natural, completely relaxed, yet behind this relaxation, one can sense the pull of emotions, a tangled mess of feelings.

Is this Anson or Theo?

Emmanuel moved the camera slightly, lowering it by five centimeters to capture the halo of light rippling within the drooping eyelids from an upward angle.

Involuntarily, I held my breath.

But then, Anson let out a soft breath—

Whew. Emmanuel noticed that Jasper had come out of the room. The rustling sounds seemed to have alerted those outside. Like a fox with its fur standing on end, he immediately went into defensive mode, then, like a chameleon, went into disguise mode. He grabbed a brochure that was lying to the side, casually put his feet up on the coffee table, and lay flat on the sofa, sinking deep into its embrace, pretending that he was reading.

Emmanuel: ? ? ? These feet?
He's not Quentin Tarantino!

But seeing those feet brazenly and straight propped up in front of the camera, dominating the frame with an oppressive angle, seemingly stealing all the focus—

The face in the distance of the camera, and the eyes that couldn't hide all their emotions, went unnoticed.

Emmanuel noticed, and Alfonso behind the monitor noticed as well, and they held their breath.

Anson is interacting with the camera.

Perhaps, just perhaps, on their last shoot, they seemed to have finally found their rhythm.

His words and actions were exactly like... Theo's.

Emmanuel remained focused and stiff, standing still, looking up along those long legs, trying to find the emotion in those eyes.

But Theo concealed it.

Theo picked up the brochure in his hand, casually placed his left hand on the cat next to him, and began to pet the cat while reading the brochure in a relaxed manner.

"...Is it possible that it won't work for me?"

There are currently no documented cases of anyone surviving after taking the medication.

As Theo read on, the corners of his mouth turned up, and he seemed to completely relax, his shoulders and body sinking deeply into the sofa.

Jasper entered from behind, slowly and swaying, his voice carrying a hint of laziness and casualness, yet still unable to conceal the sarcasm in his words.

"The fathers distributed suicide supplies and antidepressants as rations, but leaflets are still illegal?"

Jasper handed the teacup in his hand to Theo as a gesture.

Theo shook his head to indicate that he didn't need it, and his legs, which were propped up on the coffee table, swung back and forth, as if he had finally relaxed and was quite content.

Emmanuel could see in the footage that Theo actually started flipping through the brochure and reading it with great interest.

Jasper didn't mind, and walked to the sofa opposite him with his teacup. "Now most of my leaves are sent to Bethshill. There's a guy who buys from me and then secretly imports them."

Jasper sat on the sofa, opened the cigarette pack, and inside were neatly arranged rolled "cigarettes"—

But Emmanuel didn't care or notice; the camera was now focused on Anson, and only Anson and Michael Caine were off-camera.

Although Michael Caine was off-camera, he didn't slack off at all. He knew that the overall presentation and feel of a scene made a difference, and if they wanted the visuals to have quality, then regardless of whether they were on camera or not, their co-stars needed to give it their all.

Jasper took out a cigarette. "Guess what his job is? His main job?"

Theo didn't even lift his eyelids. "The Immigration Bureau?"

Jasper was taken aback. "You guessed right!"

Theo, however, didn't care at all; it wasn't difficult at all, and the answer was obvious.

Jasper lit a cigarette. "That's one of the advantages of living near a refugee camp."

Jasper was enjoying himself, seemingly savoring every moment.

Theo lay on the sofa, gradually showing signs of boredom and weariness. The brochure was full of meaningless drivel. He had initially felt like complaining while reading it, but as he continued, even that interest vanished.

Silence, accompanied by the smoke filling the air.

(End of this chapter)