**Chapter 122: A Special Visitor**

"Anson..."

"Anson!"

"Hahaha, Anson!"

The bustling crowd, with their lively banter and cheerful laughter, accompanied by whistles and applause, surged towards Anson.

Anson, still full of questions, found himself with more and more unanswered ones.

But he didn't panic.

Seeing one smiling face after another, radiating ease and happiness, was enough to explain everything.

Indeed, it's the same world, the same dream—

Clocking out on time.

The world after work was bright and cheerful.

But was it really just the end of the workday making everyone this happy?

Anson stopped asking questions. He noticed a pattern—everyone was coming from the same direction. It couldn't be more obvious.

In fact, Anson had just seen a member of the camera crew directing a sound technician towards the same direction, both grinning from ear to ear.

—Also in the same direction.

So, Anson decided to stop asking and simply followed the crowd. With his hands behind his back, he walked leisurely as if inspecting the scene, smiling and waving at the cheerful faces he passed by.

The destination was thirty yards to the left of the Fairmont Resort's main entrance, where something caught his eye—a standard food truck.

In San Francisco and Los Angeles, food trucks are everywhere.

Anson was particularly fond of a burger from a Los Angeles food truck that usually parked on Fairfax Avenue, though it occasionally moved around.

A food truck wasn't anything to get excited about.

But.

A food truck at the entrance of a resort?

That was unusual, and Anson immediately sensed something was off.

The resort had its own restaurants and buffets, and it offered room service. Although guests were free to dine at city restaurants, the resort would naturally want to maintain its own services and would not allow a food truck to set up nearby.

Moreover, resort guests might not even be interested in food truck fare.

During his stay at the resort, Anson had never seen a food truck.

But now?

If he guessed correctly, the food truck's presence required a city permit and likely involved negotiations with the Fairmont Resort. That's why the truck was here but kept a thirty-yard distance from the entrance.

Clearly, this wasn't a "coincidence" or "accident."

With one glance, Anson noticed something unusual and slowly approached. As the front of the food truck came into view, a smile crept across his face.

"For the world's most handsome and perfect Anson Wood—

Thank you from the entire cast and crew of 'The Princess Diaries.'"

Next to the food truck stood a life-size cutout, featuring a picture of Anson himself, custom-made to scale. But the photo itself was quite intriguing.

The picture was from *GQ*. Anson was certain it wasn't one that had been published; it must have been found among other photos from photographer Bruce Douglas.

He was barefoot, sitting on the ground with a skateboard tossed to the side, looking up at the camera with a fully blossomed smile. But the pose and composition were a bit different. On his head was a tray, like an Indian bread server balancing a plate, with a burger, fries, hot dog, and a soda on top.

In the photo, he was sitting on the ground, so the cutout was made to appear that way too. If someone didn't know better, they might think he was a homeless person begging on the street.

The photo packed a visual punch.

It was clearly a prank—

"Anson, what a handsome photo!"

Turning around, Anson saw Mandy Moore giving him a big thumbs up. Since filming was still ongoing, like Anne, she opted for a low-calorie option and ordered a black coffee instead of something more indulgent.

Mandy was even posing next to the cutout, having one of the crew members take a picture of her with a bright, sweet smile, wrapping an arm around the life-size Anson like a goodwill ambassador visiting a homeless person.

"Anson, want to join in?" Mandy cheerfully invited him.

At this point, everyone noticed Anson, and a chorus of cheers erupted—

Why is the line starting from the cutout, proceeding to the food truck for orders, then to the photo spot, and finally collecting their food? Is this some sort of official tour route?

The call of "Anson, Anson" echoed from all directions, making Anson more popular than ever.

Clocking out was a good thing; getting to eat some junk food afterward, and for free, was even better; and if you could also tease a coworker, share a good laugh, and have something to talk about tonight, it was perfect.

No one could resist.

Anson paused, then chuckled to himself—

Looking back at the food truck in front of him, it was clearly a surprise visit, a gift for the cast and crew.

Anson was genuinely surprised.

In the distant future, he often saw fans sending support trucks to their idols, but he didn't realize Hollywood had such a culture as early as the year 2000.

In an instant, Anson knew exactly who the "mastermind" behind this was.

However, other matters could wait; the lively scene in front of him needed to be properly handled, and Anson had no intention of turning around and fleeing.

With confidence and grace, Anson walked up to his cutout, smiled at Mandy, and said, "How about a photo together?"

Mandy hadn't expected Anson to be so gracious, not only unbothered by the prank but also actively participating, her face lighting up like a blooming flower.

Bothered? Why would he be?

Anson played along, even sitting on the ground to mimic the pose of his cutout, completely unphased by the prank. This instantly shifted the mood, making even those crew members who had no interest eager to seize the moment and take a memorable photo.

After all, handsome guys usually carry some vanity, and superstars often have a certain demeanor.

Recently, Gary had been full of praise for Anson. It was evident to everyone that Gary appreciated the young man, making him a rising star within the crew.

And when someone's in the spotlight, rumors and gossip follow. Even within the same crew, it's no different.

Inevitably, people began to distance themselves subtly. Even before the movie was released, whispers and speculation had already started, spreading quietly behind the scenes, waiting for the crew to return to Los Angeles where rumors would take off.

But now.

A food truck, a cutout, and a photo.

With ease, Anson broke down the barriers, bringing everyone closer again, blending in seamlessly with the crew, and lifting the atmosphere back to a lighthearted mood.

Laughter and joy filled the air, making everything feel lighter.

In an instant, Anson experienced the treatment of a celebrity, becoming the center of attention. The bustling excitement chased away the day's fatigue in no time.

After twenty busy minutes, Anson finally had a moment to himself. He approached the food truck, ordered a beef patty and a hot dog, with an extra cheeseburger, and then carried his food as he headed toward the resort's lobby.

Standing in the lobby, he paused, glanced around, and with little effort, he easily spotted the figure on the sofa in the waiting area.

However...

That figure didn't seem to be trying to hide at all, sitting there openly.

**Third update.**