James Franco, with a scruffy beard and disheveled hair, looked like a homeless man. His simple shirt and jeans, with the wrinkled shirt seemingly unchanged for days, gave off a "visual" smell of sweat. For a moment, Chris thought a stranger had broken into the house.
However, the "homeless man" himself seemed completely unaware. He walked right up to Chris and gave him a big hug.
Chris turned his head to look at Anson for help, only to find that Anson had put some distance between them, as if to draw a clear line. Chris's face was full of confusion: ???
"Congratulations, congratulations, congrats!" James was unusually cheerful. After releasing the hug, he turned to Anson. "You heard, right? Chris got the role."
Anson raised his beer in acknowledgment. "Just now."
Chris punched James in the chest. "I thought you went to Johnny's party."
James waved his hand dismissively. "Seth and the others went. When I heard you got the role, I had to be here. Johnny's parties happen all the time. Trust me, they're more frequent than you think. But you landing the lead in a new project isn't."
"Wait a minute." Anson raised his hand. "Chris, you told James and invited him to the party, but you didn't call me? I'm hurt."
Chris couldn't believe his ears. "Anson, I called you three times, all went to voicemail. I thought this big superstar had abandoned us for the upper class."
Anson clutched his chest as if he'd been shot in the heart. "Oh no, I've been found out."
His overly dramatic expression made James shake his head in disdain. "And everyone raves about this acting. I keep telling people I'm more suited to play Peter Parker."
Unexpectedly, Chris seriously sized James up and down. "No, I still think Anson is better."
"Chris Evans, I'm coming for you!" James lunged, not to wrestle with Chris, but to grab a can of beer, open it, and chug it down in one smooth motion.
Chris wasn't about to back down and tipped his own beer back, finishing it all in one go.
Then, Chris and James exchanged a knowing glance and both looked at Anson.
"Hey, what about you?"
"Don't you know anything about parties? Standing there like a dummy."
Anson: ???
Relaxed, natural, cheerful, and easygoing—
They could still joke and tease each other; nothing had really changed.
At least for now, what Lucas feared hadn't happened.
But maybe that's exactly why creating some distance before those worries became reality might be the right thing to do.
"Oh, right, right!"
Chris cheered, clearly in high spirits.
"Scarlett, this time I'm paired with Scarlett. She said she knows you."
Anson wiped the beer from the corner of his mouth. "Looks like I should visit the set. Did you say you start filming in Vancouver?"
Chris nodded. "Yes, next month."
Anson wore a mysterious expression. "I'll check my schedule, you know, being a Hollywood superstar always means a packed agenda."
"Busy with parties, more like," James snarked.
Unperturbed, Anson nodded. "Correct answer. Soon, I'll only be dining with Leonardo and Tom."
Chris burst into laughter.
Seeing James was ready to continue his assault, Anson beat him to it. "That Leonardo from the next street over, and Tom from the corner coffee shop."
"Haha," James couldn't hold back, clutching his stomach and laughing uncontrollably, unable to say another word. He just gave Anson a thumbs-up.
Putting down his beer, Anson didn't hesitate to speak up. "I'm planning to move out, probably next week if nothing unexpected happens."
The air stilled for a moment.
"Phew…" James let out a long breath. "I was going to bring that up too. I didn't expect you to say it first. Actually, I'm looking for a new place myself. I feel like this place isn't suitable for living anymore. You know how the paparazzi are always trying to sneak photos of me and dig through my trash. It's really annoying. My agent also suggested I move to a neighborhood with more privacy. After all, everyone wants a piece of me."
Chris: James, are you sure the paparazzi want a piece of you?
James glared at Chris. "Shh!"
Chris couldn't help but laugh.
Despite James' teasing, Anson still looked at his two friends. "I'm sorry."
This time, there were no jokes, just a hint of sincerity.
Chris looked at Anson. "Actually, I've been expecting this day for a while. Although it's come a bit sooner than I thought, that's probably a good thing because it means we're all capable of surviving in Los Angeles on our own now."
"When we were younger, we fantasized that when we got old, a group of good friends would live together, like a retirement home, but it'd be all our friends. We'd have our own space but play cards, drink, and watch movies together. If someone's heart suddenly stopped, we could all call 911."
As he spoke, Chris fell into thought.
After a short while, Chris snapped out of it and smiled.
"But as I grew a bit older, I realized how absurd that was. I need my own personal space. I'm not going to grow old with you guys. I'll live with my partner in Sicily. You guys can all scram; once a year is enough."
James and Anson both laughed.
"I was thinking about it too. This trip to Vancouver might take three to four weeks. When I come back, I should think about how to bring it up. Maybe I need my own space too."
"Now that you've mentioned it first, I'm relieved."
"I was worried you'd think I was like Hayden or Brad…"
Halfway through the sentence, Chris suddenly shut his mouth, his expression turning awkward.
James also looked embarrassed.
Instead, Anson was the calmest. "Those two names aren't Voldemort. Relax, you can talk about them. Honestly, I don't think we're enemies. We've just… chosen different paths forward."
James couldn't believe his ears. "What? You're too kind, Anson. They are enemies, enemies! I still can't believe what they did. I can't accept it."
Anson grinned—
In his previous life, when he was young, he was the same way—loving fiercely, hating fiercely, experiencing extreme highs and lows, pouring all his energy into his emotions, burning all his life force.
But later, he slowly calmed down. It wasn't because of hardship or disillusionment; it was simply that, as he grew older, life filled up with more and more mundane things that drained him. There was no longer enough passion and energy to love and hate. Intense emotions require effort, so he gradually became more peaceful. Instead of spending time worrying about others, he chose to focus on himself.
Looking at the indignant James and the worried Chris, Anson couldn't help but sigh. They were still so young. Even though his current body was young, his mindset could never return to his twenties.
But Anson didn't argue with James and naturally changed the topic. "Looks like the timing is right. You're ready too."
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