"Anson..."
Lucas' call pulled Anson's wandering gaze and scattered thoughts back into focus. He quickly spotted the concern in Lucas' eyes and waved his hand with a smile.
"It's fine, no need to worry."
After scanning the area, Anson still couldn't find Jack, nor did he see any other students or children, which made him a bit anxious.
Lucas noticed. "Do you want to contact mall security? They could announce a search, or maybe even help us look around?"
"Hah." Anson laughed out loud. "No need, no need. If we do that, we'll ruin their plan."
Lucas asked, "What plan?"
Anson mysteriously said, "Teenage plan."
Lucas thought for a moment and understood, his eyes showing a trace of helplessness. "You're just messing around with those kids."
Anson spread his hands. "That's why they're nowhere to be found. Teenage rebellion. Didn't you ever go through a rebellious phase?"
Lucas nodded slightly. "Of course."
Anson's eyes lit up. "Wait, what rebellious things did you do as a teenager? I can't imagine it. I seriously can't picture you doing anything wild. The thought—haha."
Seeing Anson's increasingly amused expression, Lucas chose to ignore him, silently turning and walking toward the screening hall, leaving only his back behind.
Anson almost called out to him, but at that moment, the previous screening ended, and a large crowd rushed out. Startled, Anson quickly stepped forward, quietly hiding in Lucas' shadow, trying to blend in as calmly as possible.
Out of the corner of his eye, Lucas noticed Anson suddenly becoming low-profile, and a small smile appeared in his eyes. He deliberately sped up his pace.
Sure enough, Anson hurriedly followed.
Lucas' lips twitched slightly, holding back a laugh, just a bit painfully.
"Oh my God, Anson is so full of charm."
"I can't understand the bond between Little Frank and Carl. Did Steven romanticize it?"
"Wow, now I finally get why everyone is all about Anson."
Chatter filled the air.
From just a few snippets of conversation, it was clear that Catch Me If You Can was still a hot topic. The back-and-forth banter showed that the film's buzz hadn't died down.
However, no one realized that the very person they were discussing was right next to them.
"I think Anson's just okay."
"Haha, if Anson's just okay, what does that make you?"
"Shut up. Anyway, I don't like Anson."
"Jealousy makes you ugly, and you're already ugly. Seriously, stop."
Lucas turned to Anson and mouthed, Just okay.
Anson shrugged lightly, looking calm: I agree.
True confidence isn't easily shaken by a few casual remarks.
After the crowd dispersed, Lucas and Anson didn't immediately enter the theater. Instead, they sat nearby, patiently waiting. Once everyone had gone in and a bit more time had passed, they finally strolled over to the ticket counter and entered.
Inside the theater, the lights were completely out. The two brothers, Wood and Lucas, stuck close to the walls as they climbed to a secluded area and found empty seats. This minimized the chances of Anson being recognized.
The sound from the big screen filled the space in 360-degree surround sound. From the first few moments, it was clear the movie had begun, with a fictional game show featuring three young Frank Abagnales introducing themselves. The seemingly mundane opening quickly captured the audience's attention.
In an instant, the theater fell silent.
So, no one noticed Lucas and Anson.
After settling in, Lucas swiftly set down the soda and popcorn. He noticed that Anson's first bag of chips was almost empty, and paused for a moment:
Did I not buy enough?
He hesitated slightly, but ultimately decided against getting up to buy more chips. Turning back to the screen, he focused on the movie.
Lucas had paid for the entire office to see Catch Me If You Can, but he hadn't stayed for the screening himself. Seeing Anson on the big screen now felt strange.
Moreover, he couldn't stand the scene where a group of women screamed in adoration of Anson. It made him cringe, his skin crawling all the way to his scalp.
Tonight, if it hadn't been for Anson, he would've skipped this too.
But now, looking around, the number of people in the theater wasn't too bad—a good thing, at least for Lucas.
However!
What Lucas hadn't expected was that someone came in even later than they did. Over five minutes into the movie, a figure slipped into the theater.
They moved cautiously, tiptoeing and hunching down.
Clearly, the person realized they were late and tried their best to avoid disturbing others, carefully finding a seat.
It looked like they were about to succeed—
Plop.
Their entire bucket of popcorn spilled onto the floor.
In the darkness, the figure visibly stiffened, and even though their expression was hidden, the despair in their movements was unmistakable.
"Sorry," the person whispered, then paused, unsure whether to offer a proper apology or quietly watch the movie. In the end, they sat down, trying not to make any more noise.
But from their silhouette, it was clear they reluctantly glanced at the spilled popcorn, exuding an air of sadness.
This scene almost made Anson burst out laughing, just barely holding it in, though the corners of his mouth curled up.
"… Over the years, only a select few gentlemen have had the honor of becoming lifetime members. It is a privilege. There are now 57 names on this wall of honor, and tonight we will add the 58th…"
On the big screen, the movie continued, finally diving into the heart of the story.
The scene shifted, and bright light illuminated young Frank Abagnale's youthful, handsome profile. His confident, cocky smile immediately captured everyone's attention.
Just then, the latecomer turned around, and her gaze accidentally locked with Anson's.
Frank's face overlapped with hers for a moment, then shifted, gradually revealing her delicate, radiant features.
As the light fell upon her, it became clear—it was Anne Hathaway.
Anne also spotted Anson. By now, Anson had taken off his baseball cap, revealing his entire face. She was stunned, clearly not expecting to see him there.
Neither had anticipated running into each other.
And suddenly, both of them held their breath.
It was just a brief moment of crossing paths and pausing. The camera on the big screen continued to roll, and light and shadows kept flowing. Their faces dimmed again as their gazes parted, and the theater returned to its calm.
Yet neither of them moved.
The light continued to shift, and their eyes met once more. This time, they both smiled, their moods instantly lifting.
Then Anne turned back to face the screen, watching the version of Anson on screen in a completely different light. A gentle smile played on her lips.