117

A familiar notification sound rang in Gu Ran's mind, one he hadn't heard in a while.

"Detected 100 points of negative emotion from Anne Hathaway. Generating system bubble…"

A bright, red Perfect Bubble formed at Anne's feet.

Gu Ran froze.

So… it was this easy to get a perfect bubble from Anne?

He didn't need to do anything extra—just stand within ten meters of her and wait for her emotions to spiral?

So this was how much pain she carried inside.

Strangely, he didn't feel excited.

Instead, his heart ached.

Since his rebirth, Anne Hathaway was the first woman to make him feel this way.

At this stage in her life, she was struggling.

She had a face that could captivate the world, acting skills that deserved recognition, and yet Hollywood shunned her. The mainstream industry didn't accept her, pushing her into depression, making her incapable of living like a normal person.

That was an injustice he couldn't ignore.

Gu Ran understood—Anne was sick.

Not physically, but mentally.

Years of harsh criticism, self-doubt, and pressure had taken their toll, leading to what some called **"extroverted loneliness," "bipolar disorder," or just "depression."

People with this kind of illness seemed fine on the outside— cheerful, social, normal. But their emotions could collapse in an instant over the smallest trigger, revealing the pain they couldn't clear away on their own.

From a bubble collection standpoint, Anne's condition was practically a godsend.

He wouldn't even need to do anything. Every day, she'd drop at least one talent-level bubble.

But from a personal standpoint, Gu Ran didn't want it to be this easy.

The pressure of being a Hollywood actress was beyond imagination.

Thankfully, based on what he observed, Anne's depression was still in its early stages. If handled properly, she could recover.

Even if that meant fewer talent bubbles, Gu Ran still wanted to help her heal.

And in the process…

The bubbles would make him stronger.

And when he became stronger, he'd be able to help Anne even more— to the point where he could rewrite her fate.

With that thought, he focused his will and absorbed the bubble into himself.

Meanwhile, Anne, realizing she had lost control of her emotions, quickly wiped her tears away and started cleaning up the broken plate.

Gu Ran walked over and grabbed her hand.

Anne's eyes widened. "Gu, w-what are you doing?"

She instinctively tried to pull away, but compared to Gu Ran, her strength was nothing.

Gu Ran's tone brooked no argument. "Stop cleaning. Come with me."

"W-Where?" Anne stammered, looking flustered.

A warning flashed in her mind—her assistant's words.

She suddenly felt a sense of danger.

Living alone with a male roommate… was dangerous.

Anne struggled harder, her breath quickening. "Gu, please—let go of me! I lost control earlier, and I'm sorry! But I'm fine now! Really! I'll pay you back for the broken plate, double if I have to!"

Her frightened expression made Gu Ran feel like he was committing a crime.

But he still refused to let go.

"Just listen to me and come."

Even if she misunderstood him, even if she hated him for this, Gu Ran had to do this.

He was going to forcefully step into her world and drag her out of her depression, whether she wanted it or not.

The more she tried to resist, the tighter he held onto her hand.

With one swift motion, he tore off her apron, ignoring her panicked protests, and pulled her out of the kitchen, out of the villa, all the way onto the soft, warm beach.

Anne was completely stunned.

When Gu Ran yanked off her apron, for a brief moment, she thought…

But it turned out—he had only taken her to the beach.

Wait.

Wait.

Was he planning to do something on the beach…?

A beast?!

Out in the open?!

On the sand?!?!

Anne turned pale with fright, her whole body going stiff.

She opened her mouth, about to scream for help.

Gu Ran's voice rang out, low and serious.

"There's only the two of us here. You can shout as loud as you want. No one will hear you."

Anne froze, then immediately shut her mouth.

Gu Ran raised an eyebrow. "Go on, scream."

Anne shook her head furiously.

Gu Ran sighed. "Fine, if you won't… I will."

Then, he took a deep breath—

And HOWLED toward the ocean.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"

Anne: …

When he was done, he exhaled in satisfaction. "Damn, that felt great. Anne, you should try it. Just like me—face the ocean and scream with everything you've got. It'll help you let go of all your negative emotions. Trust me, once you're done, you'll feel like every cell in your body just had a full reset."

Anne hesitated, then gave him a baffled look. "You dragged me out here… just to teach me to scream?"

Gu Ran answered as if it were obvious. "Yeah. What else?"

Anne let out a massive sigh of relief.

"I thought you were… I thought you were going to introduce me to this beach."

It was all a misunderstanding.

But oddly enough, this misunderstanding made her trust Gu Ran more.

After all, they were alone on this empty beach.

If Gu Ran really had bad intentions, she wouldn't have been able to fight him off.

But he didn't.

Only now did Anne realize—he just wanted to help her.

For some reason, she suddenly felt safe.

Gu Ran… was an honest, kind, and truly understanding person.

And yet, I actually suspected him.

I feel so guilty…

She gave him an apologetic smile. "Gu, thank you. But I really am fine now."

Gu Ran shrugged. "If you don't want to shout, I won't force you. Let's just take a walk on the beach instead."

Anne thought for a moment, then nodded. "…Okay."

Gu Ran didn't let go of her hand.

Instead, he held onto it firmly as they walked along the shoreline.

Anne found him a little too forceful.

They had only just met today— was it really okay for him to grab her hand without permission?

But…

She stole a glance at him.

Being led by such a handsome, assertive guy…

Her heart fluttered.

And when he held her hand tightly, she felt an unexpected sense of security.

The two of them walked in comfortable silence, side by side, with the sound of waves crashing around them.

When they finally reached an area with people, they wordlessly turned back.

Back at the villa, Gu Ran finally let go.

…Damn.

Her hand smelled amazing.

Walking on the beach while holding Anne Hathaway's hand…

It was an indescribable thrill.

Gu Ran nearly broke character.

Thankfully, his acting skills kept him in check.

Anne, her mood visibly lifted, smiled at him. "Thank you, Gu. I feel much better. I'm sorry you had to see me like that."

She laughed at herself. "I must be an embarrassment to Hollywood. No wonder they don't like me."

Gu Ran looked into her amber eyes.

"No," he said firmly. "Hollywood doesn't deserve you, Anne."

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