Early in the morning, as the sun rose, the gray sky slowly brightened. At the edge of the city's skyline, a faint yellow glow appeared, like the gentle heartbeat of a waking city, bringing life back to the world.
Pushing open the window, the lush greenery of Luxembourg Gardens extended as far as the eye could see. In the soft light, the leaves glistened with moisture, hinting that a rain cloud had just passed before dawn.
The scent of damp earth mingled with the fresh morning air, as the city's sounds began to stir, blending the vibrancy of late spring with the bustle of early summer.
So quiet, yet so alive.
Ding ding, ding ding—
A bicycle passed by the window, not a car, and the woman with long flaxen hair riding it had a woven basket. Her coat fluttered in the wind as she cheerfully passed by, disappearing from sight in an instant.
A rich aroma lingered, like a gentle autumn breeze sweeping over golden wheat fields.
Following the scent, a long line could be seen outside a small bakery on the corner. Freshly baked golden bread emitted a mouth-watering fragrance, making it impossible not to salivate, even without seeing the loaves.
Paris in the morning, the same, yet somehow different.
While the media in North America dug deep, trying to track down Anson, he had quietly arrived across the ocean, entirely escaping their radar.
"Oh, Anson, you're up."
A girl's voice sounded from behind. Turning around, Anson saw Lily, a member of the August 31st band.
She was wearing a simple white T-shirt and jeans, her long hair tied into a neat ponytail, exuding youthful energy with not a single unnecessary accessory.
Lily glanced at the next room. "Where are the other two?"
Anson shrugged lightly.
Without asking further, Lily walked up to the door and knocked with force, making it rattle like the Big Bad Wolf trying to blow down the Three Little Pigs' house.
"Miles, Connor, get up, or we're going to be late!"
No sooner had she spoken than the door opened. Miles appeared, fully dressed in a white shirt and jeans. Though he wasn't wearing a tie, the crisp lines of his shirt hinted at a certain seriousness.
Miles nodded to Lily.
Lily asked, "Where's Connor?"
Miles replied, "Out for a run."
Lily's eyes widened, surprised that Connor had gotten up before them.
Miles, however, wasn't surprised. "He wanted to see more of Paris, so he's running along the Seine."
Lily immediately understood. "We've been in Europe for three weeks now; shouldn't the novelty have worn off by now?"
Anson chimed in, "But it's his first time in Paris. I've heard that the best bakery in Paris is right downstairs, on the corner. Fresh bread is coming out now. Shall we give it a try?"
Without waiting for an answer, Anson grabbed his denim jacket and headed for the door.
Miles called after him, "Anson…"
Lily noticed the concern in Miles' expression and waved it off. "Don't worry. Anson's been moving around freely for a while now. This isn't America. Few people here would recognize him."
Miles frowned. "But it's still Paris. Other cities aside, this is a place that loves cinema. What if someone here does recognize him?"
Lily paused, a bit worried herself. "So should we go after him?"
Miles looked at Lily, and Lily looked back at Miles. Neither said anything.
They had been in Europe for three weeks already. How did all of this happen?
To understand, time would have to rewind five weeks.
After finishing the filming of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Anson had some downtime, which allowed him to sit down with Warner Records to discuss—
How should the band promote their new album?
To be honest, it had been a whole year since their electrifying performance on The Tonight Show, and all the buzz and excitement had long since died down. Any hype they once had had cooled completely. Now, with the release of August 31st's album, they were basically starting from scratch.
Promotion was going to be tough.
Of course, they had a trump card: Anson.
However!
In North America, the worlds of film and music were completely different. While there were plenty of crossover stars, only a few managed to shine in both fields. Becoming a superstar in both was no easy feat.
Just because Anson had delivered two box office hits in the film world didn't mean that people would buy the album just because of his name.
Moreover, even in the movie business, Anson was still seen as a newcomer, with many doubting his ability to consistently draw in audiences.
So while using Anson's name could help, it had to be done carefully. One wrong move, and it could backfire, turning people off. The last thing they wanted was for people to see him as—
"A pretty face actor turned wannabe musician."
At that point, the whole endeavor could end in failure.
Warner Records was well aware of this.
In their view, the best approach was to reignite memories of the Tonight Show performance, reminding people of the raw, authentic street performances that had made the band stand out. Only then could they spark interest in the album.
But therein lay the challenge.
A blunt, in-your-face approach would come across as just another hard-sell advertisement, which listeners tend to ignore. You could shout a hundred times and barely get anyone to pay attention.
Marketing, like everything else, required strategy.
Warner Records discussed with Anson how they could sync promotion with his schedule to avoid conflicting with his filming of Spider-Man 2. It was during this time that news of The Princess Diaries 2 came in.
Unfortunately, their schedules didn't align.
On one hand, the script was delayed, with the story not yet complete.
On the other hand, scheduling conflicts arose. Both Anson and Julie Andrews had other commitments, making it hard to move forward.
From the looks of it, The Princess Diaries 2 wouldn't start filming until at least June—
The same month as Spider-Man 2.
Since The Princess Diaries 2 was dragging its feet, Anson had already committed to Spider-Man 2, clearing his schedule from June onward. The answer was clear.
Unless The Princess Diaries 2 moved its production to September or October, Anson wouldn't be able to join the sequel.
In the end, after much discussion, Anson had to drop out of The Princess Diaries 2.
This decision left him feeling regretful.
After all, The Princess Diaries was his big-screen debut, and his memories of working on the project were positive. The movie had significant personal meaning for him.
It pained him to miss the sequel, and he personally apologized to director Garry Marshall, as well as co-stars Anne Hathaway and Julie Andrews.
But… that's how Hollywood works.
Schedule conflicts are inevitable. No matter how much it hurts, choices have to be made.
Still, what did The Princess Diaries 2 have to do with the band?
Directly, nothing. But indirectly? Everything.
Between The Princess Diaries 2 and the album promotion, something else happened. It was a small event, but one that tied everything together and sparked an idea in Anson's mind.