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As Anne blinked her beautiful amber eyes, she looked at Gu Ran with anticipation. "What is it?"

Gu Ran cleared his throat and spoke seriously. "Tomorrow, I have a match in London, so I'll be back late and won't be able to cook for you. You'll have to eat on your own. I've already prepared some bread, milk, cooked beef, and sausages for you."

Anne's smile remained warm, but the happiness in her eyes faded slightly. "Oh, I see. Gu, you're so good to me. You're about to play an important match, yet you're still thinking about my meals—thank you! But you don't need to worry, I'm not a child. Go focus on your match, I'll be fine on my own."

Wait a second.

She didn't sound fine at all.

How was he supposed to feel at ease leaving her alone in the villa? What if she couldn't handle it and had another emotional breakdown? Wouldn't that mean all their previous efforts in daily therapy and bonding would have been for nothing?

More importantly… he really did care.

Taking a deep breath, Gu Ran suddenly realized another issue—Anne seemed to be developing an emotional dependence on him. Otherwise, why would she get visibly downcast just from hearing he wouldn't be cooking for her?

Was it just because his cooking was too good? Or… was it possible that Anne had already grown attached to him?

His heart skipped a beat.

No way, that was impossible.

He was definitely overthinking things.

This was Anne Hathaway! He still had a long way to go before truly winning her over.

For now, he had to focus on solving this immediate problem.

He couldn't just strap Anne to his waist and take her with him, could he? He had a match to play!

…Wait.

That actually wasn't a bad idea.

What if he took her to watch him play? He could focus on the game while she sat in the stands and watched—she wouldn't feel lonely, and he'd have her there supporting him. A perfect win-win.

Not to mention, if he played well, maybe… just maybe… she'd start looking at him in a different light.

With Anne watching, he was sure he could unleash 200% of his potential on the field.

Of course, he wasn't doing this for himself—it was all for Anne's well-being.

She couldn't just stay cooped up in the house forever. A thrilling game could heal any emotional wounds!

Quickly assessing the feasibility of his plan, Gu Ran took a deep breath and said, "Anne, didn't you say before that you wanted to see me play?"

Anne hesitated. "…Yes."

"Then that's settled. Tomorrow, you're coming with me to London to watch my match," Gu Ran said decisively.

Anne's breathing quickened, and her eyes filled with panic. "No, no, Gu! I really do want to watch you play, but I—I can't! I can't show my face in public! I came here to escape from the media. If someone recognizes me, I'll—I'll break down…"

Her delicate body trembled from the overwhelming anxiety.

Entertainment reporters, Hollywood critics, fans—these were the things Anne feared most.

Yes, she was afraid of her own fans too.

She didn't think she deserved their love anymore.

Seeing that her negative emotions were about to spiral, Gu Ran firmly grabbed her trembling hands. "Don't worry. I'm here. I promise no one will recognize you."

The moment he held her hands, Anne's restless heart inexplicably calmed.

She was shocked.

Why was it that every time Gu Ran held her like this, she felt an unexplainable sense of security?

Gu Ran continued, "First of all, this is just an amateur match—there won't even be real sports journalists, let alone entertainment reporters. Second, as long as you wear a sun hat and big sunglasses and avoid speaking too much in public, no one will recognize you as Anne Hathaway."

Anne hesitated. "But… I'm still scared…"

Gu Ran chuckled. "What's there to be afraid of? Just think of it as role-playing. That way, it'll be fun, even a little exciting—a challenge! Do you dare to take on the role?"

Secretly, he activated his "Director's Persuasion" skill.

As expected, the moment she heard "role-playing," Anne's interest piqued. "Role-playing? That sounds great! If you told me to go to London as Anne Hathaway, I wouldn't dare. But if I'm playing a different role, then I don't feel pressured at all!"

Damn.

He actually managed to convince Anne to play along.

The "Director's Persuasion" skill was indeed more effective on actors than any charming smile could ever be.

"But…" Anne smiled. "If you're the director, then you need to assign me a character, right? How else am I supposed to act?"

"Fair point," Gu Ran nodded. "Then you can be my personal assistant."

An amateur high school footballer bringing an assistant to a match sounded a little ridiculous. Bringing Anne Hathaway as his assistant sounded even more absurd. But in terms of "role-playing," there really was no better fit.

He couldn't just ask her to pretend to be his girlfriend, right?

That would raise all sorts of questions. If they were pretending to date, then wouldn't they need to act out a full romantic storyline, including… certain scenes?

No, no. He had to take this slowly. Move too fast, and he might scare her away.

For now, getting her to agree to go was enough.

Besides, their cohabitation contract already said she was responsible for house chores—being his "assistant" wasn't too far off.

"Assistant?" Anne's eyes lit up. "I like that! I actually have a personal assistant myself, so I know exactly what an assistant should do. She—"

She suddenly recalled certain things she had asked her assistant to do before, and her face turned bright red.

A rather inappropriate thought popped into her head.

Would Gu ask me to take… certain types of pictures for him?

No, no way!

Anne, how could you think of Gu like that? That's so wrong!

Sure, he always acted distant and aloof, but he was an upright and principled man.

She should be finding ways to repay him for his kindness, not having such thoughts!

She internally scolded herself.

Gu Ran noticed her sudden blush and asked, "Anne? What's wrong?"

She softly said, "Nothing. I just suddenly feel… Gu, you really are too good to me. I don't even know how to repay you."

Hold up.

If she wanted to repay him, then maybe she could—

No. He had to stay strong.

Clearing his throat, he said, "Then it's settled. Let's go to bed early tonight. Tomorrow morning, I'll wake you up, and we'll head to the train station together."

"Okay!" Anne's negative emotions vanished, replaced by excitement.

The next morning, Gu Ran got up early, reheated two trays of steamed dumplings, and boiled two cups of milk.

"Time to wake up, Anne."

"Mm, coming, Gu."

Anne stepped out of her bedroom, dressed in a sleek, professional white-collar outfit.

She had specifically chosen this look for her "assistant" role.

Gu Ran was stunned.

This wasn't just an assistant.

This was a full-fledged executive secretary fantasy.

A crisp white blouse accentuated her heavenly figure, while a form-fitting beige pencil skirt showcased her impossibly perfect waist-to-hip ratio.

Anne Hathaway—half angel, half devil.

The way she carried herself in that outfit was even more breathtaking than in her movies.

Even if she covered her face, her elegance and sheer presence would still be impossible to ignore.

To Gu Ran's surprise, despite needing to stay low-key, Anne had put on flawless makeup. Her eyebrows were meticulously shaped, her lashes curled to perfection, her eyeliner and blush expertly applied, and her lips painted with a vibrant red lipstick. She even had the faint scent of an expensive custom-made perfume.

No one would see her face under the hat and sunglasses.

Had she done all this just for him?

His heart wavered for a moment.

Anne pursed her lips. "Do I stand out too much? Fine, I admit I dressed better than my real assistant, and my makeup is nicer too. If it doesn't suit the role, I can go change."

That wasn't the issue at all.

Gu Ran chuckled. "No need, this works. And I'm the director, so I get the final say."

Anne smiled sweetly. "Understood, director. I'll follow your lead."

Damn.

That was dangerously satisfying.

At this rate, he was going to start imagining her in a maid outfit calling him "Master"… 

Gu Ran steadied himself. "Alright, let's eat."

Anne cheered. "Mmm—wow! It smells amazing!"

Hearing her compliments, Gu Ran spent the entire breakfast trying to keep a straight face.

Before heading out, Anne put on high heels, a wide-brimmed sun hat, and oversized sunglasses. 

No one would recognize her.

But with that outfit, everyone would still turn to look.

"Come on, let's catch a cab to the train station."

"Gu, don't you have a car?" Anne asked.

Gu Ran smiled. "No."

Anne's eyes lit up. "Oh… what kind of cars do you like?" 

Gu Ran: Dirty, fast, and… oh, wait, she meant actual cars.

Keeping his cool, he simply said, "Anything's fine."

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