They walked along, bantering back and forth, not at all like strangers who had just met today. Instead, there was a sense of camaraderie, like old friends reunited, with laughter constantly in the air.
And then...
The hotel lobby unfolded before them like a vintage painting, with a glass wall allowing the San Francisco sunlight to pour in unobstructed. Dark brown wooden floors, light brown and natural wood-colored furniture were arranged in a crisscrossing pattern in front of cream-colored walls. The soft, flowing light gave the entire space a natural and expansive feel.
Ansen's first thought was:
The composition is perfect.
It's not just great for photos; it's also ideal for painting.
Among Ansen's many fleeting hobbies, the one that had lasted the longest was drawing. It was his way of relieving stress. When he was wide awake late at night, drawing helped him relax.
He didn't like portraits, nor was he good at them. He found it difficult to capture the spirit and essence of a person. Instead, he preferred architecture—not landscapes, but buildings. The interwoven lines, like musical notes, carried a certain rhythm.
The lines, whether parallel or intersecting, constructed a world.
It had nothing to do with architectural design; it was just about sketching buildings.
He enjoyed capturing the core essence of a building from its lines, then adding his own imagination and colors to give the building new life. Watercolors, oil paints, ink, pencil—each medium had a different feeling.
Just like the lobby in front of him.
Amidst its cold and open atmosphere, there was a hint of playfulness—vibrant and bold. The constant flow of people moving in and out seemed to resonate with the space, as if one could almost hear the melody created by the collision of light and air.
Ansen had an idea.
So he called out to the doorman, "Is there a spot with a panoramic view here?"
The doorman was briefly startled, not quite understanding, but then caught on, "Of course. The rooftop. From there, you can see the bay area, Fisherman's Wharf, the Golden Gate Bridge, and Alcatraz Island. The entire ocean spreads out before you."
Exactly what Ansen had in mind.
He thought, this would be a perfect setting for *The Princess Diaries*.
Although the hotel was limited in space due to the city layout and surrounding buildings, it didn't feel cramped. Instead, the building thrived in its confined space, exuding a leisurely charm, like an old man puffing on a pipe while humming jazz, stuck in a hammock.
The atmosphere was especially bright, and it seemed like the film crew would have an easy time working here.
Annie, confused, asked, "What's up?"
Ansen smiled. He thought that maybe during breaks in filming, he could sketch this building, slowly picking up old hobbies he had discarded. This time, life might be a little different. But he didn't explain, simply saying, "Just curious about the view."
Ansen turned to Annie, "Do you think we can see the ocean from our room?"
Annie didn't answer. Instead, she raised her right hand, crossing her middle finger over her index finger—a gesture of prayer. Coupled with her eager smile, the answer was clear.
Before Ansen could say more, a commotion started to swell in the hotel lobby.
Following the noise, Annie's eyes widened, and she gasped softly, "Is that Mandy?"
Ansen blinked. "Who?"
Annie, not noticing his playful tone, was caught up in her excitement. "Mandy Moore! Don't tell me you don't know her. So, is she here for a concert?"
Ansen rubbed his forehead but kept a straight face. "Maybe she's here with our film crew."
Annie stared at him in shock, "No way."
She clearly couldn't believe it.
Ansen nodded lightly, "You didn't know? Julie Andrews is also joining our crew."
"What?!" Annie's eyes widened, her mouth dropping open in disbelief, as if someone had hit pause on her entire being. Then she blurted out, "Shut up!"
It wasn't that she actually wanted Ansen to stop talking, but she was too shocked to believe it.
Ansen grinned but tried to tone it down, "Yeah, really. Julia Roberts also agreed to a cameo role."
Annie's eyes grew even wider as she formed an "O" shape with her mouth, silently screaming, "Ah!"
Ansen kept a serious expression, "I think Richard Gere is still in talks, but I'm not sure, so I'm keeping my expectations low."
Seeing that Annie was about to get too excited and possibly faint from lack of oxygen, Ansen started to feel bad. Teasing an eighteen-year-old girl like this didn't seem very fair.
"Alright, I was just kidding," Ansen confessed.
Annie's heart crashed from the clouds to the ground, and she couldn't hide her disappointment. "All of it?"
Ansen cleared his throat, "Julia and Richard, those were made up. But Julie Andrews and Mandy Moore are definitely real."
Annie didn't trust him easily this time and glared at him.
Ansen nodded again to confirm, "Really!"
Even though there wasn't going to be Julia Roberts or Richard Gere, and despite Ansen's little prank, Annie didn't mind at all—she didn't care one bit. She let out a silent scream, expressing her excitement with every movement of her body, clenching her fists and jumping up and down on the spot. After all, she was still just a kid at heart.
—This, this was truly eighteen.
Unbelievable.
Absolutely unbelievable!
Annie's smile blossomed completely. "We're going to be in a movie with Julie Andrews! Ahh, I'm so happy!" As she spoke, she gave Ansen a playful, hard shove with her shoulder, flashing a set of perfectly white teeth. It was her way of exacting her "revenge" for his earlier prank. "Even though you were spouting nonsense earlier, this is Julie Andrews!"
"I'd love to work with Julia Roberts someday, but there's always a chance in the future."
"Yeah, plenty of chances."
"But right now, it's Julie Andrews."
Ansen wasn't particularly excited at first—just mildly eager. It was the same during the last filming of *Friends*. There had been a bit of excitement, a bit of anticipation, but after having already worked with stars like Chris Evans and James Franco, he had become a little more grounded, his emotions leveling out before filming even began.
But now, because of Annie's infectious excitement, Ansen couldn't help but feel a wave of joy wash over him too—
After all, it's Julie Andrews. She's the movie star whose films he watched countless times as a child. Whether it was *Mary Poppins* or *The Sound of Music*, she always seemed like a magical figure who made everything seem easy. She embodied all his childhood fantasies about magic and love.
And now, they were about to work with this legend.
Who could say no to that?
Watching the eager Annie, Ansen couldn't help but feel excited himself. Then a thought crossed his mind—*The Princess Diaries* didn't just produce one star.
For starters, Annie herself was one.
Ansen still vividly remembered the assistant from *The Devil Wears Prada*, the one who underwent a complete transformation. He also recalled the wild and seductive Catwoman from *The Dark Knight Rises* and the love-stricken woman from *One Day*. This actress, who had graced so many different films with her charm, was now standing right in front of him. It felt as though the barrier between movies and real life, between fantasy and reality, had completely dissolved.
And for the first time, Ansen felt it hit him hard:
He was about to step into the world of cinema.