Chapter 75: Chapter 75

"I’m asking you a question!" Seeing Anna Thornton not answering immediately, President Sterling reiterated.

It seems President Sterling is really curious about how the seductive scenes in the film are shot.

However, Anna was still angry about his attitude four years ago, so she deliberately didn’t tell him, teasing him: "Weren’t you the one who said I shouldn’t talk and didn’t need to explain? Why ask someone as unprofessional as me?"

Haha, finally made him take a hit.

Conrad stopped asking questions, but seeing his displeased face, Anna worried he might come up with some plan to get back at her.

The hospital surgery fee issue hadn’t been settled yet, so she couldn’t just watch as the atmosphere grew more awkward.

After a silent movie ended, the seal on their silence was finally lifted, and it was a good time to explain without losing face for either of them.

"Actually, it wasn’t me in that scene you just saw. The undressing scenes were all done by a body double who has a similar figure to mine. Didn’t you notice? She didn’t have a tattoo on her waist!" Anna explained to him.

Conrad honestly hadn’t noticed that detail.

Because when a man put his hand on Anna’s waist in the film, he had looked away.

If he wasn’t unable to move, Conrad would have simply turned it off.

"If it weren’t for the tattoo on my waist, which the director thought wasn’t suitable to include, I would’ve done that scene myself."

From her tone, it seemed she was a bit disappointed she couldn’t undress in front of the camera.

"Are you really that willing to let others take advantage?" Conrad asked.

"That’s not taking advantage. It’s a requirement for actors to handle scenes like kissing and nudity. Do you know that because I used a body double for that scene, people said I wasn’t dedicated enough? Competitors for the same award even used it against me, nearly costing me the prize."

"What impact could it have?"

In Conrad’s view, even if the scene was cut, it wouldn’t affect the story the film wanted to tell.

"You want to subdue a man, can’t you think of other ways than taking off your clothes?"

President Sterling was seriously discussing with Anna Thornton what he thought was unreasonable about the script.

"There might be other ways, but thinking requires time. In the movie, wasn’t the situation urgent? If there was time, of course, I would first get close to him, spend time on an in-depth understanding and analysis of the person, find his weakness, and hit the mark without disadvantage."

Conrad didn’t hear that as a film analysis but rather perceived that Anna was embodying Anni.

And he, was the target she was preparing to hunt.

"Then you’ve been approaching for quite some time, have you found my weakness?" Conrad asked.

"To be honest, I..." Anna realized he was laying a trap for her, so she quickly stopped herself.

She turned and smiled at Conrad with a harmless smile, mimicking Pop, pretending not to understand what he meant.

"Most movies retain some ambiguous content, to deepen the exploration of human nature," Anna changed the subject, "By the way, hasn’t Marilyn Ford been in quite a few films? You think her intimate scenes are the same?"

Conrad hadn’t watched any movies starring Marilyn, although she always hoped he would.

But Conrad was too busy, and it was rare for him to have such free time today.

After watching a movie, about two hours had passed.

Anna sat up straight and stretched.

"I see you don’t have any postoperative side effects, I’ve been here long enough, I should go check on Pop."

Anna wanted to leave, but Conrad called out: "How long will you be gone?"

Did he mean he was waiting for Anna to come back?

"Um, do you still need me here?"

She planned to stay next door to accompany the child and wasn’t planning on coming back. Tʜe source of this ᴄontent ɪs novelꞁire.net

"Now that I’ve d my bone marrow and am of no use, you’re not going to care?" Conrad asked her.

"Do you want me to care?" Anna’s question had a double meaning.

"..." Conrad refused to answer this question again, as she once more slipped in some hidden meaning.

Anna noticed that Conrad was somewhat clingy today; wasn’t it usual that if she stayed a few more minutes in his hospital room, he’d be quick to order her out?

Before, he guarded against her like she was a dangerous siren; maybe today it was the anesthesia, and he hadn’t fully cleared his head, competing for her attention with a child?

"Alright, alright, I’ll go next door for two hours and then come back. Being in each place for two hours is fair, right?"

Anna’s tone towards Conrad was like coaxing a child: "Do you want to watch any more movies? I can put one on for you?"

"I don’t want to watch anything."

"Then take a nap; sleeping is the best way to kill time."

To Anna, sleeping seemed a good way to pass the time.

Conrad couldn’t fall asleep; his routine was one he had maintained for ten years, not feeling sleepy during the day.

Not interested in more movies, the man could only watch the clock on the wall.

From the second hour, the third hour, all the way to the fourth hour...

Anna finally came back, but President Sterling was losing his patience: Where were the promised two hours?

"Do you know how long it’s been?" Conrad asked her.

"Ah, sorry, I was a little late."

"I doubt you even care."

Previously, Conrad could only lie flat, but now he had started to rise.

Indicating at least four hours had passed, and that counted as just a little late?

He was about to go next door to settle the account, yet Anna finally remembered to check back.

"You can’t blame me, do you know what I was doing just now?" Anna asked him.

"Weren’t you with Pop?"

"I was for a while, but then I went to make you some soup." Anna took her hand from behind her back, where she held a thermos, "Aunt Murray called me from the nursing home when she found out you had surgery today. She said you’d be starving since you couldn’t eat or drink because of the operation, so she asked me to make some soup for you."

"Um, I did." Anna admitted, "Before, I didn’t want Pop’s condition to be known by others, but isn’t Aunt Murray like family to you? I see when others have surgery, their family is with them, and even if Aunt Murray can’t come to the hospital, at least she can call to check on you."

Otherwise, not a single person concerned, it seemed too pitiful.

Conrad caught the subtext in Anna’s words, giving a cold snort: "Unnecessary! It’s just minor surgery, no need for all that!"

Even as he said this, seeing Anna place the thermos next to the bedside, Conrad, despite his protests, unconsciously leaned toward it, asking, "What kind of soup did you make?"

"Chicken soup, Aunt Murray gave me the recipe. It’s supposedly a Sterling Family tradition. Very delicious, very nutritious!"

Conrad was upset about being stood up, but seeing that Anna had made something worthwhile this time, his anger halved.

However, he was a bit skeptical: "Can you even make soup?"

"Of course! Don’t underestimate me!" Anna confidently replied, "I made this soup entirely by myself, filled with sincerity and effort, as a reward for your surgery efforts... and to thank you for covering the hospital surgery fees for the child."

Anna knew what to say; she helped Conrad adjust the bed upright. Then she opened the thermos lid and, before the steam even emerged, couldn’t help but praise her soup: "Wow, it smells so good!"

He was sitting so close, but why couldn’t he smell anything?

"Chicken soup is best when hot. Do you want to drink it yourself, or should I feed you?" Anna asked.

She assumed Conrad would want to drink it himself, but he remained still for a long time.

Anna took the initiative to scoop up some chicken soup, partially filling a spoon so it wouldn’t spill.

When the chicken soup reached Conrad’s mouth, the man finally opened his regal mouth to accept the service.

Yet the distance so close, Conrad still couldn’t catch any aroma of the chicken soup.

As soon as the soup hit his mouth, his expression changed.