Chapter 231: Princess Annie’s Invitation

The Princess Diaries is a successful Cinderella and Ugly Duckling-style film.

The story is about a typical high school girl named Mia, who suddenly learns that she is the heir to the throne of the small European country of Genovia.

To help her properly assume this identity, Genovia's queen, Mia's grandmother, begins to overhaul Mia in every possible way.

Throughout this process, Mia's carefree attitude clashes with the royal family's complex protocols, leading to countless humorous situations.

In the end, Mia undergoes a complete transformation from an awkward duckling to a graceful swan, and by the conclusion of the film, she becomes a true princess, stunning everyone with her beauty and talent.

This kind of movie is Disney's specialty.

Anne Hathaway's performance in this film is also particularly remarkable.

The girl has a radiant smile and an elegant, poised aura, with a hint of playful charm. In addition, the dramatic transformation in her looks—from the unattractive "ugly" makeup at the beginning to the beautiful makeup later on—was an eye-catching contrast.

Indeed, she captivated the majority of the audience present.

Even Martin, usually a critic, acknowledged her beauty, remarking that, as long as she didn't laugh too much, Anne Hathaway was a top-tier beauty.

After the film ended, the applause in the theater was quite enthusiastic.

Anne Hathaway, excited, walked up to the stage with the crew, unable to stop smiling.

Now, she was no longer just a "nobody." The reporters threw the majority of their questions at her, not at the Oscar-winning actress Julie Andrews, who played the grandmother.

"Anne, are you satisfied with your performance in the film?"

"Miss Hathaway, how did you land this role?"

"Anne, did you feel pressure acting alongside an Oscar-winning actress?"

"Anne, what are your box office predictions for the film?"

Anne Hathaway's responses were a bit stammered, but no one minded; instead, the audience found her authenticity endearing, gaining her much goodwill.

Afterward, Martin, sitting in the audience, was also asked questions by the reporters.

"Wow, I'm already sitting down, and you still won't leave me alone?"

Laughter erupted.

"Alright, alright, I'll share my thoughts. The theme of this film can definitely be traced back to the stories of Cinderella and the Ugly Duckling. Even though it's set in modern times, its fairytale elements are still very strong."

"In my eyes, this is a good film. Though the ending is predictable, the details throughout the story are rich and full of life, much like a delightful sitcom, with little surprises in every scene."

"Director Marshall perfectly handled the story, and the outstanding performances of Julie Andrews, Anne Hathaway, and Hector Elizondo, the three stunning actresses, added much to the film."

"What? You want me to talk about Anne specifically?"

"Alright, she's a good friend of mine. What can I say? Her performance was perfect. She was like a blend of Julia Roberts and Audrey Hepburn, perfectly capturing Mia's transformation from messy and carefree to pure, captivating, and regal."

Anne Hathaway, on stage, was struggling to suppress her smile.

Martin's praise made her extremely happy!

"Hold it in, hold it in."

"Don't laugh, don't laugh!"

She could only repeatedly remind herself not to show her imperfect side in front of the media.

The premiere concluded successfully.

Anne Hathaway and Martin left together.

On the way, Martin curiously asked, "Director Marshall said you unexpectedly fell off a chair during your audition, and that's why he picked you right away. Is that true?"

"Of course not. During my audition, there was no chair incident. That was just a little promotional stunt devised by the film's marketing team."

"Heh, looks like it worked well. Congratulations, Anne. You're going to be famous."

"Hehehe... Wahahaha..."

Anne Hathaway finally couldn't hold it in anymore. At first, she laughed softly, but then she burst out into uncontrollable laughter, unable to stop.

"Ma, Martin, hahaha, sorry, hichahaha, I—I'm just so happy, hahahaha, I can't help it, hahaha, hichahaha..."

This girl not only laughed but even started hiccupping.

Martin couldn't help but be amused, realizing that while her big laugh might not be the most graceful, there was an innocent charm to her, which made her oddly appealing.

Even Gordon, who was driving in front, couldn't help but grin.

Sure enough, silly laughter is contagious!

Forty minutes later, the car stopped in front of Anne's rented apartment.

"Goodbye, Martin."

Anne Hathaway said goodbye to Martin and was about to get out of the car when she suddenly stopped, turned around, and nervously asked Martin:

"Ma, Martin, would you like to come up for a cup of coffee?"

Martin looked at her face, which, despite her nervousness, only made her seem more alluring, and he had no reason to refuse.

"It would be my honor."

Anne smiled with delight, her cheeks flushing with a hint of shyness.

"Then... let's go downstairs."

"Wait!"

Martin stopped her, retrieved two face masks from the car—one for her and one for himself—and then said, "Let's go."

Gordon, who had been driving, quietly asked, "Boss, do you want me to wait here?"

Martin replied just as quietly, "No need. Go ahead and head back. Pick me up tomorrow morning."

This was an older apartment building, so although it was located in a wealthy neighborhood, the rent wasn't too high, which was why Anne had chosen to live here.

Anne Hathaway lived on the seventh floor, with two units per floor.

As she and Martin walked hand in hand out of the elevator, the door to a neighboring apartment suddenly opened.

A tall, beautiful woman stepped out holding a trash bag.

"Anne, you're back? How was the movie?"

Although Anne Hathaway was wearing a mask, the neighbor immediately recognized her. After asking her question, her curious gaze fell on Martin.

"Oh, it was... it was good! Yeah, really good. The response was great! How about you? How did your audition go? Did you get the result?"

At first, Anne Hathaway was a little nervous, but as soon as she started talking about the movie, remembering the enthusiastic reaction at the premiere and how she was about to become famous, her nervousness was replaced with excitement.

The beautiful woman, however, shook her head dejectedly, her tone low as she said, "I was rejected. They said my acting wasn't mature enough. Damn it, it was just a small role with only three lines! What kind of acting do they want?"

She then looked at Anne and said, "Looks like you're going to be famous now. Don't forget about me when you're on top!"

"Don't worry. If there's a chance, I'll help you out," Anne Hathaway replied casually, not noticing the displeasure in the woman's eyes.

Help out?

Martin couldn't help but silently shake his head. Anne's emotional intelligence was truly lacking, no wonder she would ruin a great future if given the chance.

The beautiful woman suppressed her discomfort and then looked at Martin, asking, "Anne, is this your boyfriend?"

For some reason, she felt that Martin's eyes seemed oddly familiar.