Actor in Hollywood

The performance ended—

It was hard to imagine that Michael and Mia had yet to have a direct conversation, yet the sparks between the two characters had already started to fly.

"You've just enjoyed a performance by Hawaiian Pizza. We're now off to pick pineapples. Thank you!"

A bow concluded the band's performance.

There was a slight pause in the theater, as the audience finally realized that this was a garage band practice by middle schoolers, not a professional performance. It was purely for fun.

Haha.

A wave of low laughter, mixed with rustling whispers, spread through the theater. This was clearly another unexpected moment—no one had anticipated the film's first mini-climax to occur here.

On screen, Michael boldly approached Mia for the first time. Mia, feeling shy and a bit flustered, turned around, tossing her backpack into her car, pretending to examine her beloved ride.

Seeing this, Michael's lips curled into a small smile. He lightly knocked on the car's hood, as if knocking on a door—"Knock, knock."

A bit childish, but a bit heartwarming too.

Another wave of melting sighs swept through the theater.

Mia slightly tilted her head, stealing a glance at Michael from the corner of her eye before quickly refocusing on her car, half-jokingly diverting the conversation, "I never knew you guys had performances like this. Ned was practically howling just now."

Michael glanced at Mia from the corner of his eye, "We've always been afraid to perform publicly, in case the person in question overhears."

There was a deeper meaning to his words.

Mia's heart skipped a beat. She quickly looked up, stealing a glance at Michael but immediately worried about being caught, she quickly averted her gaze and held her breath.

Fortunately, the garage owner stepped in to rescue poor Mia and the nervous Michael. Hearing the owner's call, Mia immediately raised her voice, deliberately asking very loudly, "Doctor, how's my baby doing?"

Clearly, she was trying to cover something up.

Michael glanced at Mia again.

Mia didn't turn her head, but it was obvious her neck was completely stiff, holding an awkward angle as she stared intently at her car, trying her best to divert her attention.

The atmosphere was a bit awkward.

The garage owner noticed this too. He glanced at Michael knowingly but didn't say anything. Instead, he looked at Mia and took a deep breath.

"Four hundred dollars."

Mia, who had just regained her composure, was stunned by the quote. She couldn't keep herself steady and accidentally pressed the car horn, which let out a loud, piercing sound.

*Honk!*

Mia looked at the garage owner with a face full of despair.

The garage owner shrugged slightly, "Yes, I know, looking cool comes at a price, right?"

Mia let out a long sigh, her shoulders slumping as she grabbed her backpack again, full of disappointment, "Clearly, today is not my day."

Seeing this, Michael became anxious. He quickly glanced at Mia before looking at the garage owner, "I'll offer free labor."

Oh.

A collective "aww" rose from the entire theater, like cotton candy slowly melting into milk.

The garage owner looked at Michael with an expression of disbelief.

---

**Chapter 306: Laughter Abounds**

Michael spread his hands and shrugged lightly, meeting the skeptical gaze with clear eyes and a calm expression.

Mia didn't notice this. She reluctantly looked over her car, "Thanks, but I need to talk to my grandmother. It should be fine. Anyway, see you later. I need to go somewhere now."

Waving, Mia hopped on her electric scooter and rode off.

Michael's gaze followed Mia as she left, revealing a hint of reluctance.

The garage owner pulled a funny face, mimicking Michael's voice, "Oh, I offer free labor? What, are you in love with her?"

The teasing made Michael a bit embarrassed, and he quickly retracted his gaze, rubbing his nose as he tried to explain, "She's my sister's best friend."

But the garage owner wasn't convinced. "Haha, that's what makes it tricky. Just a friend? Or maybe something more?"

Michael shook his head repeatedly, ignoring the garage owner, but his eyes couldn't help but drift back to where Mia had gone. Even though she was long gone, he couldn't tear his gaze away from the empty air.

And what about Mia?

Mia returned to the Genovian consulate, officially beginning her princess training.

It wasn't until this moment—though the movie had maintained a light-hearted and joyful tone from the beginning, with plenty of humorous moments—that the audience clearly and directly realized:

This is a comedy.

Watching Mia go through her princess training, watching the Queen try to refine the rough-around-the-edges Mia, and seeing Mia make a fool of herself in school and at the consulate.

She even directly fell off a chair.

The theater was filled with laughter, from soft chuckles to loud laughs, from scattered giggles to unanimous roars of laughter. The viewing experience couldn't be more relaxed.

Summer is when audiences need movies like this, movies that truly let them unwind.

Then.

Watching Mia's stunning transformation, under the hands of professional stylists, she turned from a caterpillar into a dazzling butterfly.

Wow!

The entire theater gasped in amazement.

Although the audience had already seen Anne Hathaway on the red carpet, it was different in the movie. Watching Mia's 180-degree transformation—from an ugly duckling to a swan—the stark visual contrast rippled through the theater, with exclamations of admiration, amazement, and astonishment spilling out.

In that instant, it was like a flashback to *Pretty Woman*.

Even after ten years, the scene where Julia Roberts made her grand entrance after a makeover in *Pretty Woman* remained a classic, becoming an iconic moment for countless movies to emulate.

And now, in *The Princess Diaries*, Anne Hathaway completed her transformation under Garry Marshall's lens, proving that the sense of wonder and emotion never fades.

Memories break free from the confines of time, returning to Hollywood Boulevard.

However.

Amidst the admiring gazes of others, Mia felt no joy, only unease and confusion. She didn't recognize the face in the mirror. Even though she had always wished to become beautiful and get rid of her unruly hair, now that it had happened, she hardly recognized herself.

Apprehension and chaos.

For the teenage Mia, unease outweighed happiness.

Everything was happening too fast, too overwhelmingly.

Because of her change in appearance, she could feel more and more eyes on her. Being suddenly thrust into the spotlight left her deeply unsettled, making her retreat into her protective shell, trying to hold on to the center of her life.

But clearly, this wasn't an easy task.

Finally!

After Lily got angry at Mia for being distant and unfamiliar, Mia shared her secret, revealing the heavy burden that had been weighing on her heart.

Then, she agreed to appear on Lily's TV show and promised to attend Michael's band performance. In the midst of the changes and upheaval, there were still some things, some people, and some friendships that remained constant. This allowed Mia to regain a bit of her footing in the chaos.

But she didn't expect that before her life could fully return to normal, it would be disrupted once again—

Someone leaked the news to the media, revealing that Mia was the Princess of Genovia. Reporters swarmed the school, surrounding it until it was impenetrable.

Mia, who had tried so hard to keep a low profile, ultimately found herself standing under the spotlight.