Chapter 419: No Chemistry

The entire studio erupted in laughter, applause, and cheers, creating an electric atmosphere.

Jared Reno was momentarily taken aback.

Even seasoned guests who frequently appeared on talk shows sometimes struggled to create this kind of spontaneous, engaging back-and-forth. Just earlier, Natalie and Evan's conversation had been somewhat stiff, especially with Natalie still adjusting to the talk show vibe.

But now?

This was something else.

Jared Reno's gaze naturally fell on Anson. "So, are you the leader of the band?"

"No. I'm just an intruder," Anson responded calmly, gesturing to the other three band members beside him as if to distance himself from them. "We're complete strangers."

He paused for a moment before adding, "In fact, it's because of 'The Tonight Show' that we're meeting for the second time."

Jared Reno was left speechless.

The studio audience, seeing the stunned expression on Jared Reno's face, finally caught up and burst into laughter at the absurdity of the situation.

Jared Reno turned to the audience.

"I know you all must have a lot of questions. Frankly, so do I. So, let me piece together the story."

He summarized the whole tale in a few concise sentences:

"This man, uh, Anson Wood, happened to see these three band members performing on the street. He found it intriguing and decided to join them, playing the song you just heard. Someone recorded the moment, uploaded it online, it went viral, and now they're here."

A story like that—legendary.

The crowd went wild, with Blair and Karen being the first to cheer loudly.

Jared Reno looked back at the four of them. "Is that how it went?"

Miles sheepishly raised his hand.

Jared Reno chuckled, "This isn't a seventh-grade classroom; you don't need to raise your hand to speak."

Amid the laughter, Miles, still a bit reserved, spoke up one word at a time, "The song, 'Wake Me Up,' was entirely composed by Anson, both the lyrics and music."

After speaking, Miles glanced nervously around, but his tone was firm. "That's just the truth. I just wanted to emphasize that."

Jared Reno, stroking his signature large chin—a result of a condition known as mandibular prognathism—seemed lost in thought. His chin, though treatable with surgery, had become his trademark after he opted not to undergo the procedure due to the long recovery period, which would have required him to remain silent.

"So, you're saying Anson didn't know you guys at all, showed up, composed a completely new song on the spot, you rehearsed it, performed it live, and it caused a sensation?"

"Wow."

"That's already unbelievable, but…"

"Shut up."

"Shut up!"

Jared Reno pounded the desk, shaking his head in disbelief. His exaggerated reaction left the audience in a mix of shock and amazement, leading to another round of applause, and even some whistles could be heard.

The atmosphere, which had momentarily calmed, was once again buzzing with excitement.

Blair and Karen were no exception.

They thought they had witnessed the entire process firsthand, believing they knew all the details. But as it turned out, they had only seen the tip of the iceberg. Behind the performance lay an even more incredible story.

So, this wasn't just a pleasant surprise; it was a miracle?

Involuntarily, their hearts began to race with excitement again.

Anson, imitating Miles' earlier move, raised his right hand like a well-behaved student.

The gesture immediately caught Jared Reno's attention, causing him to pause for a moment. But he quickly realized that Anson was doing it on purpose, so he rolled his eyes, spread his hands, and, with a look of resignation, said, "Alright."

He gestured with his hand, signaling Anson that he could speak.

Anson, with a serious expression, asked, "You didn't really mean for us to shut up, did you?"

After all, how could the talk show continue if they all went silent?

The whole studio erupted in laughter once again.

Jared Reno's earlier command to "shut up" had been more of an expression of emotion, but Anson had turned it into a playful challenge, shifting the focus from the backstage stories to light-hearted banter, perfectly fitting the talk show's tone. The audience couldn't help but laugh, their amusement genuine.

Jared Reno gave Anson another look—he wasn't angry at all. In fact, he appreciated Anson's quick wit. This was what a talk show was all about. If everything depended solely on the host, the show would quickly lose its spark, which was one of the reasons Jared didn't care for the relentless summer blockbuster movie promotions with their often dull celebrity guests.

Honestly, those big stars were often boring.

It seemed that God was fair, giving those stars good looks but taking away their sense of humor; just like how He gave Jared unparalleled humor but also a… big chin.

Jared Reno's lips curled into a slight smile. "If I was serious, would you really be willing to keep quiet?"

Was this a challenge?

Anson smiled, spreading his hands, his eyes bright with amusement.

But he said nothing.

The atmosphere froze just slightly.

Miles, sensing the tension, cautiously whispered, "Anson, Jared's asking you a question."

Laughter exploded throughout the studio.

Miles, confused, had no idea why the audience was laughing and stared wide-eyed at the crowd. Connor patted Miles' knee to reassure him, though Connor himself couldn't help but smile.

Jared Reno shook his head, both amused and resigned. "God, we've really stumbled upon a set of gems, haven't we?" He then turned toward the director, "I told you we should interview independent bands more often. See? I'm making a fool of myself here. It's really tough for me."

His self-deprecating humor lightly teased both Anson and Miles, adding to the already joyous atmosphere in the studio.

Then, Jared Reno turned his attention back to the four of them.

"So, you're not worried about making mistakes?"

"Oh, and you can speak up; you don't need to raise your hands. God, this isn't kindergarten."

"What I mean is," Jared Reno had to pause as the laughter from the studio audience subsided, "Anson created this song on the spot, right? I don't know much about music, but I can tell it wasn't easy. So, you just created, rehearsed, and performed it all on the fly?"

"Is that even possible?"

Anson was about to answer, but to his surprise, Lily spoke up first—proving once again that they weren't exactly in sync, lacking any real chemistry.

But Anson was quick on his feet. As Lily started to talk, Anson, who had just opened his mouth, closed it slowly and quietly, maintaining a slightly opened mouth posture, as if in slow motion, trying not to draw attention away from her. It was as if he was trying to minimize his presence as much as possible.

A small portion of the audience noticed Anson's genuine, unpolished reaction and couldn't help but smile.

Lily didn't notice this at all; it was clear she had something on her mind and was determined to express it. "Of course, we were worried about making mistakes."

"In fact, during the performance, when I first plucked the cello string, my thumb pressed the wrong string, and one note was off."

"That was a very obvious mistake, and I doubt anyone could have missed it."

So that's what it was.

Lily… was still dwelling on it.

In reality, that was the only mistake in the entire performance. Everything else had gone perfectly, and the audience had stayed engaged, not letting that small error disrupt their immersion. In Anson's view, there was no need for Lily to dwell on it; however, it was clear she couldn't get past it and felt the need to admit it openly.