Chapter 312: Lost in the Clouds

"Gloria... Gloria!"

A voice called out, pulling Gloria's focus back to the ground. Her brain, which had felt like mush, gradually became clear, and she regained her senses.

Turning her head, Gloria saw Elaine's face, filled with excitement and enthusiasm, her cheeks flushed, and a light sheen of sweat on her forehead.

As her vision focused again, Gloria's lips curled into a smile, and the first thought that came to her mind was, "Wow."

A single exclamation.

Although she didn't say much, Elaine somehow understood and nodded repeatedly.

"Yes. Wow!"

"Oh my God, can you imagine?"

Gloria grinned happily, "Did you like it?"

Elaine nodded frantically, "Like it? Of course I liked it. I absolutely loved it."

Gloria's eyes brightened too, "Me too..." She paused slightly, "I thought I would love Michael's entrance at the ball the most. Jesus Christ, at that moment, I literally forgot to breathe..."

"Yes, yes, yes," Elaine nodded like a bobblehead, her eyes full of hearts, "Really, he's like a prince!"

Gloria continued, "But in fact, what impressed me the most was the scene where Michael, wearing the mask, rejected Mia. Wow, I mean, did you notice his eyes? Even though we couldn't see his face or expression, you could still sense his emotions through his eyes."

"Who would have thought that such a moment could exist in this kind of movie?"

As Gloria spoke, she suddenly noticed—

Around her, a small crowd had silently gathered.

Including Elaine, everyone was nodding vigorously, showing expressions of finding a kindred spirit, their eyes reflecting the same emotions of joy and excitement.

Although movies like "The Princess Diaries" always had a market, and Garry Marshall had already proven himself with "Pretty Woman" and "Runaway Bride," objectively speaking, films of this genre often followed the same patterns, with similar plots repeating endlessly, lacking innovation.

Of course, "The Princess Diaries" was no exception. This story of a teenager's growth was far from innovative, let alone a classic. From Mia's transformation from an ugly duckling to Michael's grand entrance, the same core was just repackaged.

It was good, but ultimately familiar.

However!

No one expected the film to contain such a scene, cleverly using a small prop to change the atmosphere, delicately and complexly presenting more layered and profound emotions.

It inevitably reminded people of the 1996 version of "Romeo and Juliet," where Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes exchanged glances through a fish tank, a moment so quiet and brilliant that it became an eternal highlight of the film.

"The Princess Diaries" had a similar effect. The mask covered the expression, but it made the eyes shine, instantly elevating the film to a higher level.

Unfortunately, Michael's act of "forgiving" Mia later was too simple and abrupt, leaving the character arc less fulfilled.

Still, they couldn't ask for more. After all, Garry Marshall was never known for his whimsical ideas, and this scene alone was enough to astonish.

It was precisely this brief moment that pushed "The Princess Diaries" beyond an ordinary genre film, offering more possibilities.

Clearly, Gloria wasn't the only audience member who noticed this moment.

This realization filled Gloria with joy, her chest swelling with happiness, "Ah, I want to watch it again right now."

Looking around, she saw a group of people nodding madly like prairie dogs, their eyes full of uncontrollable excitement and enthusiasm—

All along, Gloria had always been fickle and had a short attention span. She didn't mind and never denied it, believing that it wasn't about being unfaithful but rather about having a broad love. She could like many people, and whenever she did, she was genuine and gave all her passion.

There was no contradiction in that.

And Anson was no exception.

However, today was different.

Even Gloria hadn't anticipated that, even after the movie ended, the masked scene remained deeply etched in her mind, impossible to forget.

Everything felt different, a tremor from the depths of her soul lingering on.

Gloria had a feeling that something had quietly changed.

Then.

Gloria noticed Elaine's eyes, clear and bright, with a touch of innocence, as if stepping into an entirely new world:

It was indeed the first time for them.

For the first time, they believed that their princess dreams could become reality; for the first time, they saw a truly perfect prince on the big screen.

It was also the first time that they completely blurred the line between fantasy and reality, remaining in a dreamlike state even after the movie had ended.

Involuntarily and uncontrollably, Gloria became just as excited.

In the past, when a movie ended, it simply ended; the giddy happiness stayed in the theater. But today, the overwhelming emotions in her mind and the burning excitement in her chest couldn't be suppressed. Words couldn't express even a fraction of her happiness, which ultimately turned into an impulse.

The impulse to scream.

"Ah!"

With a scream, a smile spread across Gloria's face as she burst into laughter. She looked at Elaine, and the two exchanged glances before screaming together.

"Ahhhh!"

Compared to words, this way of expressing themselves was simpler, more direct, and more passionate. The boiling excitement and enthusiasm in their blood poured out in this manner.

Around them, the excitement spread and surged, spilling onto Hollywood Boulevard.

The night deepened, but the celebration at the entrance of the Chieftain Theater had only just begun.

...

In fact, it wasn't just at the Chieftain Theater. When Anson returned home, he was greeted by a night of revelry as well.

A premiere for them, a party for them, had officially begun.

"Ugh."

Waking up with a hangover, his head throbbed painfully, and the entire world buzzed loudly. Anson sat dazedly on his bed, his focus scattered, with every muscle in his body protesting in agony, feeling utterly drained.

For a moment, he was in a daze—

The applause and cheers from last night seemed to still echo in his ears, the crowd and media forming layers upon layers around them.

In that moment, it was as if they were standing at the center of the world.

But with a turn, all the cheers, all the excitement, and all the people vanished, as if it had all been a dream. Though it felt real, it had never actually happened.

The current discomfort and soreness pulled him back to reality, where all was quiet, empty, and unchanged.

So, what was real, and what was false?

This, it turned out, was the true nature of the fame game—

Besides the headache and dry mouth, there was only a buzzing echo vibrating in his eardrums, yet nothing could be grasped or felt, leaving him to fall into an endless void.

Bang!

A burst echoed in the air, his heart skipped a beat, and for a moment, he couldn't tell if it was his eardrum bursting or if the sky had torn open.

Maybe, it was neither.