The Best Actor in the Vase of Meiyu

Chapter 1850 Abandoning Armor
So, you misunderstood?

Just one sentence, yet it instantly dragged Scarlett into the vortex of the storm. She stared blankly at Anson, her proud rationality crumbling in an instant.

Scarlett stared blankly at Anson.

"What if I said yes."

It was clear that Anson's expression froze slightly, all those smiles and glimmers remaining in his eyes, and Scarlett's heart twitched slightly.

The world fell silent. Never before had a London midnight been so quiet. All the noise and chaos were hidden in the darkness, vanished into nothingness. Time and space stood still. It seemed as if only the two of them existed, yet it also seemed as if a whole century had passed, and their distance had grown ever greater.

Mouth full of bitterness.

"Aha, got you!"

Scarlett composed herself and burst into loud laughter, as if playing a prank.

"Haha, you should really look at your expression just now."

"God, Anson, you've never had a girl confess to you, have you? Why do you look like you've seen a ghost?"

However, Anson did not laugh this time.

Anson stood quietly watching Scarlett, the brokenness hidden behind her smiles even more direct than words.

Anson hesitated. He knew he shouldn't speak, he knew he shouldn't overstep his bounds, but sometimes, words just come out and it's hard to tell whether they're driven by emotion or reason.

That's why we're always regretting things, regretting that we shouldn't have made mistakes, regretting that we shouldn't have acted impulsively.

After feeling regret, they continue to make the same mistakes. And so the cycle continues.

That's human nature—always paying the price for your choices. Even with a second chance at life, Anson was no exception.

Anson could hear his own voice echoing in the night, "Scarlett, you shouldn't always use jokes to hide your true feelings and try to avoid getting hurt."

"If you make too many jokes, others won't take them seriously, and your true feelings will be hidden behind those jokes, making it impossible for you to tell the difference."

Gently, yet sharply, it pierced Scarlett's softest spot. All the misunderstandings, prejudices, and hurts surged forth in an instant, only to vanish completely in Anson's gaze, surrendering utterly.

For a fleeting moment, a brief instant, Scarlett was utterly defeated and disintegrated.

But she wouldn't allow it.

Once she loses her armor and cover, she will be exposed to the clash of swords, just like now, she is already wounded and defeated.

Taking a deep breath, Scarlett donned her armor once more. "And you, Anson Wood, your girlfriend is right there in the room, and you're here comforting another woman. Is that really okay?"

Scarlett wanted to hurt Anson; she wanted to see Anson reveal his true vulnerability.

Anson's lips twitched slightly, a hint of bitterness in his smile. He didn't argue, but instead held up the cake in his hand. "Annie thinks you should share a piece. It's impolite to just let the guest leave like this."

It wasn't until now that Scarlett noticed the cake in Anson's hand.

Disheveled. Embarrassed. Panicked.

There was even a moment when I felt humiliated.

Scarlett wanted to turn and run away, but because it was so absurd and so panicked, she burst out laughing. She looked up at the sky, seemingly lost in thought for a moment, and then looked at Anson again, her eyes filled with a faint sadness and despair. "Oh, bad, this is awkward. It's my fault."

Don't mean what you say.

Despite his words and expression, Anson could see other emotions in those eyes, and he knew things weren't like that.

Anson let out a soft breath. "I'm sorry. I... I don't know what to say."

Scarlett thought about it seriously. "Traditionally, 'goodbye' is the perfect choice." It was still said in a joking tone, but Anson could sense that she was hurt, but he shouldn't and couldn't be the one to comfort her wounds.

Scarlett noticed this and, without waiting for Anson to speak, she said, "I think I should leave now. Get some rest tonight, and see you on set tomorrow."

Calm, detached, and politely drawing a line, maintaining the status of friends, and keeping a distance.

Just as Scarlett was about to turn around, Anson finally spoke.

Goodnight, Scarlett.

It was just a single sentence, but it struck Scarlett hard.

Scarlett mustered all her strength to control herself, took the cake from Anson, gestured with a smile, and said, "Thank you, I'll enjoy it."

I turned around and entered the elevator.

They watched helplessly as the elevator doors slowly closed, but Anson didn't turn away, and Scarlett didn't look away either; their gazes met in the air.

Scarlett's lips curved into a slight smile. "Happy birthday, Anson."

Snapped.

As the elevator doors closed, Scarlett felt all her strength drain away, and she leaned against the corner of the elevator, almost paralyzed. Her knees trembled slightly, and she was on the verge of collapse. She couldn't even think straight; she was just blank. The overwhelming emotional force cut off her breathing, but she didn't know what the emotion was.

How ridiculous.

Looking down at the cake in her hand, Scarlett picked up the paper plate, took a bite, and felt the whipped cream melt on her tongue. It was sweet, but her mouth was filled with bitterness.

Meanwhile, outside the elevator, Anson noticed that look. Scarlett thought she had concealed it perfectly, but at the last moment she still failed.

Thoughts surged in my mind, rushing in indiscriminately, and suddenly grabbed my throat.

Anson closed his eyes, took a deep breath, cleared away all the noisy and chaotic thoughts, let the cool night air enter his lungs, and gradually calmed down the bubbling sounds. He turned and walked towards the apartment, his steps became lighter, and a smile once again appeared on his lips.

Anne was busy cutting the cake, cutting Scarlett's portion and Noah's portion, but looking at the remaining cake, she couldn't help but worry.

Clearly, Anson is filming and needs to manage his physique; and she is even more so, needing to manage herself at all times, regardless of the season or time of day.

When Anson entered the house, this was the scene he saw: a troubled and conflicted Annie.

Anson simply found Annie adorable. "It's just a small piece, it doesn't matter. If you're worried, you can add more aerobic exercise tomorrow, adding ten minutes for each bite."

Annie wrinkled her nose. "Ten minutes isn't enough."

Looking up at Anson, Annie hesitated again. "Anson, should I have secretly come to London to create a surprise?"

"I know people always say, don't create surprises. Surprises seem perfect, but they always bring disaster..."

Anson quickly stopped her, "Annie, what are you saying? I love this surprise party."

Anne paused for a moment, "But... I disturbed your work, didn't I? You were busy, fully immersed in this project, and I interfered with your work progress. You said tomorrow is an important scene."

"Besides, I embarrassed myself in front of your friends. I looked like a clown in front of Scarlett looking like this."

Anson: "No, don't worry about that."

Anne: "But these are all facts, aren't they? You're busy with your work, trying to pursue your dreams and make a name for yourself as an actress, while I'm caught up in my own emotions, not only not helping but also holding you back. Obviously, I don't understand what's going on."

"...Anson, when your friend asked if I was your girlfriend, should I have answered like that?"

(End of this chapter)