Rivers of Blood?
The air suddenly fell silent—
In a second, the lady in front stood up straight. She no longer leaned back or eavesdropped. If she wasn't worried about exposing herself, she might have already covered her ears with her hands to declare her innocence.
Her neck was stiff, her shoulders tense, as she used every ounce of strength to resist the urge to turn around out of curiosity and see their faces. Otherwise...
The lady's attention was completely focused on Anson and Scarlett, oblivious to her own reflection in the elevator door.
Rigid. Grimacing. On the verge of tears.
Scarlett glanced at the reflection on the elevator door, then tilted her head slightly toward Anson.
She was already in character, lowering her voice to a near-whisper, "Don't worry, you're safe now."
"No one knows you're in Cannes. No one."
Anson shook his head slightly, "Ha. You really don't understand how groundhogs operate, do you? So young, so naive."
Groundhog?
Groundhog???
Ding.
The elevator door opened again. The lady, desperately trying to maintain her composure, left with an air of calmness. But she had no idea that, in reality, she was fleeing in utter panic, almost scrambling on all fours as she bolted out of the elevator as soon as there was a gap.
Ah.
A startled yelp escaped her.
But the lady didn't stop, terrified that even a slight delay would mean the end of her life.
Scarlett could no longer contain herself—
Pfft.
She burst out laughing.
Haha, hahaha.
She clutched her stomach, laughing uncontrollably, almost collapsing to the floor.
Anson was the same, a smile on his face. He composed himself slightly, looking at the high heel left behind in the elevator, with a serious expression.
"So, Cinderella's story can actually happen?"
Hahaha.
The laughter was deafening.
Scarlett looked at Anson, wiping away tears of laughter, "Oh God, oh God."
Anson finally let go, laughing heartily, "Haha, we're terrible! How could we do this to an innocent lady?"
"We?" Scarlett quickly pulled her smile back, disassociating herself, "It was just you! Groundhog's operating style? That's pure evil. I almost couldn't keep it together."
Anson raised his hands, pressing them against the wall in a surrender gesture, "To be honest, we really shouldn't have. That lady was too innocent. I'm starting to wonder if she'll be able to sleep tonight."
Scarlett nodded repeatedly, "Yes, 100%, you're right. This was awful. We should be more careful about our public image. Things like this could ruin our careers."
"And it could set a bad example for kids. We don't want that, right?" Anson added.
Scarlett nodded in agreement, "We should lead by example."
Ding.
The elevator stopped again, and a silver-haired man entered.
The man looked at Anson and Scarlett, nodding politely. Both of them fell silent, smiling back in acknowledgment.
The elevator doors slowly closed.
Then—
Scarlett leaned slightly toward Anson, lowering her voice, "How did you manage to get through customs?"
Anson chuckled softly, "They didn't check my wooden prosthetic."
Gasp.
The silver-haired man immediately froze, his breath catching audibly as he tried to hold it in. He stood stiffly in place.
Scarlett wanted to say more but found herself torn between sympathy and laughter, so she stayed silent, staring at the crack in the elevator wall, her shoulders shaking with quiet laughter.
At the next floor, the silver-haired man hurriedly pressed the open button and rushed out.
But as he hurried, he tripped. Looking down, he saw the lone high heel left behind, and with a start, he let out a shriek.
"Ah!"
The sound was abruptly cut off as he darted away in a flash.
He vanished in an instant, leaving only the sound of his hurried footsteps echoing down the hallway, fading into the distance.
Inside the elevator, Anson and Scarlett exchanged glances, both smiling. As soon as the doors closed, they burst into laughter.
The air was filled with a joyful atmosphere.
It was only then that Anson asked, "How did the groundhog end up in Cannes?"
One question, and Scarlett's laughter returned. She had to wipe her eyes again, "A movie. I'm purely here to see some films."
"Oh, by the way, congrats. Congrats on 'The Elephant' being shortlisted for the main competition. It's definitely one of the films I'm most looking forward to this year in Cannes."
Anson shrugged lightly, "Actually, I'm looking forward to it too, since I haven't had the chance to see the final cut. I'm not sure what the finished film looks like."
"But aside from that, I'm also excited about the other films at this year's festival."
Scarlett was a bit surprised. Anson wasn't just there for the main competition red carpet; for him, the festival was truly about the films.
But on second thought, it made perfect sense—
That's so Anson.
In fact, she felt the same way.
Up until last week, Scarlett had been in the Netherlands filming "Girl with a Pearl Earring."
In the 17th century, Dutch master Johannes Vermeer painted the famous "Girl with a Pearl Earring." In 1999, British author Tracy Chevalier wrote a fictional love story inspired by the painting, sparking worldwide discussion.
Now, a film adaptation of Chevalier's novel was in production. To capture the essence of the era, the crew decided to shoot on location in Vermeer's hometown of Delft, recreating the period's atmosphere for authenticity.
Scarlett had been in the Netherlands throughout this time.
After finishing filming, she didn't return home immediately, opting for a brief vacation in Europe. She had spent the past six months working non-stop—
A real workaholic.
Now, finally on a short break, Scarlett needed some breathing room.
Initially, she had planned a backpacking trip around Europe; but the allure of Cannes Film Festival proved irresistible, and her journey naturally led her to the French Riviera.
So, here she was.
Of course, attending the festival as a viewer didn't mean she was just any ordinary audience member. Scarlett was on her way to meet a friend.
Then came this little unexpected encounter with Anson.
As Anson's words sank in, an idea popped into Scarlett's head.
"Ah, 'Mystic River'!"
Anson immediately understood, "That's the movie you're most excited about in Cannes, isn't it?"
"Mystic River," directed by the legendary Clint Eastwood, starring Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, and Kevin Bacon, was one of the most anticipated films of the festival.
Without a doubt, it was considered a top contender for the Palme d'Or this year.
Compared to "The Elephant," "Mystic River" had far more buzz and attention, a quintessential Hollywood heavyweight.
Scarlett realized she had accidentally revealed her true feelings, and her cheeks flushed slightly, "What? Aren't you excited for it?"
Anson shook his head, "No."
Scarlett's eyes widened in surprise, completely caught off guard by his answer.