1545-1547

Chapter 1545: The Price of Growing Up 

It felt bitter and helpless, prompting a sigh. 

Nicholas sat there, stunned, taking a deep breath but forgetting to let it out for a long, long time. His ears caught the small sounds of someone nearby quietly wiping away tears and soft sniffling. A light sadness and emotion filled the air; his entire mind and soul were completely immersed in the world on the screen. 

Those eyes, deep and clear blue, were faintly hidden in the shadows. A ray of moonlight rippled in the depths of the pupils, reflecting a soul full of scars. 

The world, in that moment, hit the pause button. 

This was a true movie moment, slamming into Nicholas's heart like Mars hitting Earth. The inner world of his mind was collapsing, but the outside world remained utterly silent. That intense, surging feeling was almost more than Nicholas could handle; he felt completely drained. 

So, this is the price of growing up? 

Finally! 

The camera slowly moved, turning from the side to face forward, looking directly into Peter's eyes. 

Peter seemed to feel the camera's gaze. He lowered his eyelids, the shadow of his lashes covering the vulnerability in his eyes. He even held his breath. 

However, in the shot, behind Peter, by the door, a figure appeared. 

Gasp! 

The entire Radio City Music Hall collectively gasped. Even someone like Nicholas, who usually couldn't grasp romance, found himself straightening up at that very moment. 

He was just about to stand up, almost there. 

Peter, with his back to the door, also seemed to feel the warmth of a gaze from the doorway. He faintly heard a slight sound – breaking the fourth wall and hearing the audience's collective gasp from the real world. He paused, slightly startled, his shoulder and jaw muscles tensing a little. 

He turned his head and saw Mary Jane in a white wedding dress. Peter stood up, stunned, completely unable to believe his eyes. 

Mary Jane looked a little shy, saying timidly, "There are some things I just have to do." 

Peter couldn't help but hold his breath, "Mary Jane..." 

The rest of his words got stuck in his throat. He knew they had said goodbye, he knew he should tell Mary Jane to go back to the church, but he just couldn't say it. 

Mary Jane gently pursed her lips, "Peter, I can't live without you." 

Peter finally took a step, walking towards Mary Jane. "You shouldn't be here." 

Mary Jane took a deep breath, "I know you think we shouldn't be together, but please let me make my own decision." 

"I know the future means taking risks, but I want to face them with you. We shouldn't be kept apart... it's just not right." 

Mary Jane looked at Peter quietly, her smile fully blooming. 

"I love you!" 

"And now, I'm standing at your door. I'll always be here waiting, just like you've been there for me, waiting, ever since you were six years old." 

A hint of shyness and timidity appeared on Peter's face too, his ears turning bright red. He couldn't help but slightly avoid her gaze. 

This brought a full smile to Mary Jane's eyes as well, and she chuckled softly. She raised her right hand and gently cupped Peter's cheek. 

Peter looked a little surprised, his shoulders and cheek flinching slightly. 

But Mary Jane was incredibly gentle and focused, softly stroking Peter's cheek with her fingers, gazing intently at him. "Shouldn't someone come save you now?" 

Peter was completely stunned, frozen in place. 

Mary Jane bit her lower lip, a hint of awkwardness flashing in her eyes. "Say something." 

Only then did Peter realize he'd frozen up. He lowered his eyes, trying to hide his reaction in a flustered way, feeling awkward and a bit pathetic, but he couldn't hide his happiness. 

And relief. 

The heavy burden that had weighed on his shoulders for so long seemed to finally ease a little. The shackles that had tightly gripped his heart were slowly opening. 

In that moment, it struck his soft spot. 

Peter's eyes became slightly red-rimmed, his thick lashes seeming to catch a thin film of mist. He tried his hardest to avoid Mary Jane's gaze. 

Mary Jane raised her hands, gently covering Peter's cheeks, and tilted his head towards her. Gathering her courage, she looked him straight in the eyes. 

Her smile bloomed, "If you thought you could just stay silent and I'd leave, well, you're going to be disappointed." 

Pfft. 

Peter couldn't hold back, the corner of his mouth lifting. He finally looked directly into those bright eyes. "Thank you, Mary Jane Watson." 

This time, Peter was the one who took the step, finally getting to kiss the girl he had secretly liked for a very, very long time. 

Oh! 

The entire Radio City Music Hall erupted in happy sighs, people melting into the romantic atmosphere. 

It was hard to imagine the resonance of seven thousand people watching the movie together, their emotions stirred. Some couldn't even contain their excitement and started applauding— 

Cheers. Whistles. Applause. Rising and falling, one after another. 

The movie, with all its twists and turns, had already completely captivated the audience, pulling them deep into the story, unable to pull away. 

They finally broke apart only when... their lungs couldn't feel air anymore. The two still lingered, foreheads touching, eyelids lowered, just feeling – feeling the breath, the touch, the quiet romance and happiness of that moment, letting all their defenses drop for a while. 

Maybe, this was the movie's ending, just like all Disney fairy tales, where the prince and princess live happily ever after. 

Even though they were in a run-down apartment with nothing romantic about it, ending the story here seemed like a pretty good choice too. 

Wee-ooh, wee-ooh. 

Siren sounds, coming from outside the window, interrupted their tender moment. 

Peter glanced back, and when he looked at Mary Jane again, a hint of unease and nervousness flickered in his eyes. 

Mary Jane felt the same way. 

But Mary Jane took a deep breath and smiled, "Go get 'em, Tiger." 

Peter looked at Mary Jane, his expression slowly becoming determined. He gave a slight nod, didn't say anything else, turned, and ran out. 

Mary Jane followed Peter's footsteps to the apartment balcony – that run-down balcony, the one where Peter had once stood wondering if he should pursue love and his dreams. She watched Peter, now back in his Spider-Man suit, swinging among the skyscrapers, until he disappeared from sight. 

Spider-Man, making his return! 

Soaring, swinging, zipping. 

Spider-Man raced at full speed over New York, but this time it was different. He was joyful, he was happy, he was full of delight. His cheers echoed through the concrete jungle, unrestrained and bold, flashy and free. It was as if he had finally completely cast off his burden and was wholeheartedly embracing his own mission and responsibility. 

The camera, moving between the skyscrapers, after some dazzling flips and turns, returned its focus to Mary Jane. 

Mary Jane watched Peter's receding figure, leaning against the balcony railing. Her expression became calm, but a hint of thought and worry showed in her eyes. 

She couldn't help but hold her breath. 

It was only then that people realized Peter had his own journey of growth, and Mary Jane had hers as well. 

Strictly speaking, Professor Octavius and Harry Osborn both had their own growth and changes. And now, Mary Jane, who had seemed like just a pretty face from start to finish, also took a crucial step, making choices and decisions in her own life, completing her own transformation. 

Little by little, a look of determination and certainty emerged in Mary Jane's eyes. She looked towards the distance, and also towards the unknown future ahead. 

The big screen went black. 

The movie ended. 

Chapter 1546: Lost in the Moment 

The screen went black, the movie was over – a period placed on the story. 

"Director: Sam Raimi!" 

Suddenly, Nicholas held his breath, trying his absolute best to stay composed. But the very next second, from the Radio City Music Hall's 360-degree surround sound system, came the thunderous pounding of drums, powerful and stirring, like a summer downpour, washing over everything, flooding the entire space in just a brief moment. 

That, unmistakably, was the first song Ansel performed at the premiere today. 

"Sailing!" 

Thump thump thump, shocking, rolling. 

"Sailing!" 

Coming down from the sky, surging forward, irresistibly breaking through defenses, crashing directly into the depths of your soul, making goosebumps erupt all over. 

And then, some people just couldn't hold back anymore. 

Clap clap clap! 

Thunderous applause. 

One after another, then groups of them, people excitedly started standing up, immediately showing their passion with their actions. This was Radio City Music Hall, not a regular movie theater. With over seven thousand people, the capacity of the Chinese Theatre in Hollywood is tiny compared to this. It felt less like watching a movie and more like being at a concert – there was no way to suppress the emotions. 

"Peter Parker: Ansel Wood." 

As the cast list slowly appeared on the big screen, the surging emotions in their chests and minds completely broke free. Fully released. 

In an instant, the entire hall was on their feet, the applause rising like a tidal wave, filling the entire space in the blink of an eye, the air vibrating with excitement. 

At this moment, Nicholas also realized he couldn't control himself either. 

Clap clap clap! 

When his hands came together, the powerful emotions in his chest just flooded out. That incredible, cathartic release completely ignited his adrenaline, the boiling blood making his body naturally stand up to join this feast of collective revelry. Reason was completely forgotten. 

A coming-of-age film, a growth film, a movie about life, dreams, responsibility, mission – a film that moved and impacted you deeply from every different angle and direction. But what was amazing was that, ultimately, this was still a pure superhero movie. Because the movie's true theme was still Spider-Man! 

The two scenes – Doctor Octopus's birth and the subway fight – were absolutely off the charts in terms of sheer spectacle and excitement. Their brilliance is arguably historic, able to stand the test of time. 

However, the real key was Spider-Man's "existence." The movie actually tried to explore how a superhero finds balance between ordinary life and saving the world! In the long history of Hollywood films, from Superman to Batman and all the other superheroes, they were always deified beings, placed on pedestals, turning into symbols, labels, gods to be worshipped. But Sam Raimi's Spider-Man did just the opposite. He stripped away the mythical aura, bringing him back to a real person of flesh and blood, starting with a high schooler and using the theme of growth to build the character. 

Not only was it bold, it was brilliant – truly a new era. It pushed open a door for the superhero film world, showing people another possibility. In that instant, it blew your mind! 

And that wasn't even all. The whole movie was about choice. Standing at the crossroads of life, everyone faces countless potential choices. We can blame others, blame circumstances, shirk responsibility and say we can't help ourselves, but the choice is actually always there— Just look at Peter Parker, Professor Octavius, Mary Jane, Harry Osborn, even the newspaper editor – everyone made their own choices. And so, they ultimately stepped onto the path of the destiny they chose themselves. 

Now, everyone should understand the meaning behind all the activities at the premiere, even including the two songs. Nothing, absolutely nothing, was just a random arrangement. Those activities sowed seeds in the audience's minds, waiting for the movie to start to take root and sprout, growing into a towering tree over the course of two hours. All the countless threads condensed into a single force, delving even deeper into the theme of "growth" than the first film. Shocking, impactful, resonant – creating a storm. 

Precisely because of this, Nicholas's personal favorite moments in the movie were the three times the camera focused on Peter. That loneliness and dejection, that struggle and pull – that's precisely the price of growth, and also the moment Peter Parker was truly given life and flesh. 

To be honest, if the movie had ended when Peter and Mary Jane reunited and kissed, it would have been perfectly fine. Nicholas would have liked it just as much. The reason is Peter's eyes in that scene – subtle yet deep, complex and real. A single simple look conveyed so many of a young person's inner thoughts. It wasn't something you could simply summarize with a word like "sad" or "regret," nor could you just dismiss it with a phrase like "the person I love got married, but not to me." It was a kind of loss and helplessness, a complexity that perhaps only the adult world can truly grasp. It was also the heartbreak of "I can't be with you, but that doesn't mean I don't love you." Only by truly understanding that "being together doesn't mean you love each other, and loving each other doesn't mean you can be together" can you truly understand the complexity of love and life. 

Everything, all of it, was condensed into that one look – a profile, a look, a ten-second freeze-frame that somehow said everything. 

For years, the accusations of Ansel being just a "pretty face" had been buzzing around constantly. Even after roles in films like "Elephant" and "Eternal Sunshine," the prejudice remained deeply rooted. But Nicholas never in a million years expected that the moment truly showcasing Ansel's charisma as an actor would come from "Spider-Man 2" – a one hundred percent commercial genre film. 

Nicholas's only thought was how incredibly, incredibly bold Sam Raimi was, daring to think it, shoot it, do it, and ultimately achieving a moment like this! What was even more unbelievable was that the movie didn't stop at that moment. It took a small step beyond a "happy reunion" ending, not only making Mary Jane's character complete but also bringing the whole story full circle, echoing earlier parts. You simply couldn't ask for more. 

From any angle you looked at it, this was a perfect movie. 

Right at that moment, the first movie that came to Nicholas's mind as a comparison was... "Titanic." These were completely different movies – type, style, narrative, and so on were all distinct. But in various aspects and levels – emotional resonance, character building, staging, pacing control, etc. – both films pushed their genres to the absolute limit, making you feel... incredibly moved. Your blood boiled. 

Clap clap clap, clap clap clap. Nicholas took a deep breath, clapping his hands with all his might, becoming a small part of this roaring wave, this vast ocean before him. For that brief moment, Nicholas temporarily forgot himself, let go of his defenses and burdens, simply enjoying the excitement of the moment. 

And who could refuse? No, that's not the right way to put it. It should be, why would you refuse? A brilliant movie, a happy moment, an unforgettable experience – they should enjoy it to the fullest, celebrate wildly. They should sing, dance, and bloom proudly. The night was too short; they should really seize the time. 

Chapter 1547: The Raging Fire 

Finally, Nicholas understood. He put down his burden, broke free from his constraints, and just let himself sink into the atmosphere of celebration. 

He closed his eyes. The roar pierced his eardrums and felt like it was crashing deep into his soul, past any defenses. An emotion that words couldn't accurately describe was fully erupting. 

Even though he came in with expectations, even though he had set a high bar, the two hours of watching the movie were still the most wonderful, happy, and engaging time he'd had all year. 

Not just this year, but Nicholas hadn't had an experience like this in the past five years. 

As a journalist, Nicholas had watched countless movies – genre films, art house films, commercial blockbusters, indie films. But gradually, watching movies had become work. It was incredibly difficult to let down his guard and truly enjoy a film. Sometimes, watching a movie even felt like painful torture. 

No wonder people say you shouldn't turn your hobby into your job, because "work" has that kind of magic – the magic to kill all fun, all joy. 

But not tonight. 

A pure, simple happiness. An unforgettable experience. 

It's hard to believe, but "Spider-Man 2" truly awakened the joy deep within Nicholas's soul – the most basic, most simple, most primal emotion. It was the same sense of wonder and awe he felt the very first time he walked into a cinema and saw the world built by light and shadow on the big screen, bringing the purest impact to his soul. 

Back then, a movie was just a world. It didn't matter what the theme, genre, or style was; it was a way to open your eyes and embark on an adventure, creating endless possibilities. 

And now, "Spider-Man 2" brought back that feeling. 

On the big screen, he saw himself, he saw life, he saw growth, he saw transformation. He saw adventure, he saw possibility. He saw a vast world, somewhere between reality and dreams, full of countless unknowns waiting to be explored – a feeling simply beyond words. 

Movies were no longer just work. They were an exploration and adventure into life itself, giving him the courage to keep going, to keep struggling through real life. 

Clap, clap, clap! Clap, clap, clap! 

Nicholas clapped with all his might, straightening up involuntarily. He stopped controlling himself completely, temporarily shedding his identity as a journalist. He was just himself again – a film lover, a kid who had dove headfirst into the world of movies with a dream, just enjoying the happiness the film brought. 

A full smile blossomed on his face, and the tears in his eyes shone brightly. 

Finally, Nicholas merged into the vast ocean of people in the hall, becoming one drop of water, joining hands to whip up this storm and completely detonate the energy. 

The entire hall erupted in thunderous applause, which was still climbing, quickly turning into a roar. 

Boom! 

It was like a sudden surge that blew the roof off, like a volcano erupting in a mighty, explosive, continuous geyser. The earth-shattering energy was completely out of control. 

Boom boom boom! 

Outside the Radio City Music Hall, the waiting audience could clearly feel that soul-shaking, scalp-tingling force rolling towards them like an army of thousands. They even felt the slight tremor from the ground before the wave of energy hit, as if the entire world was being shaken, the earth moving and the mountains swaying. 

Everyone looked at each other, wide-eyed and stunned. 

Stunned by the onslaught of the rolling heatwave, they stood frozen, staring blankly at the hurricane that was gradually taking shape before their eyes. 

In the past, many of An Sen's films had received standing ovations after premieres, but this time was a little different— 

This was "Spider-Man 2," a genuine summer blockbuster commercial film, and it was doing this with expectations already through the roof! That made the difficulty of igniting the premiere increase exponentially! 

Also, this was the Radio City Music Hall. The surging crowds inside and outside combined were not just twenty or thirty thousand people, perhaps even over fifty thousand. Getting a small venue with eight hundred seats hyped up is one thing; getting the atmosphere going at a hundred-thousand-person concert venue is something else entirely. The difficulty increases tenfold, a hundredfold! 

From any angle, the scene of thunderous, earth-shattering applause before them seemed unbelievable. 

They strained their ears, trying to feel that energy closely, attempting to distinguish if it was just polite, customary applause or genuine admiration and fervor. 

And then. 

"...Is this, a success?" 

"What happened inside?" 

"This fervor... are they kidding?" 

"That amazing?" 

"Wow... this seems even crazier than the first one two years ago." 

All sorts of guesses, all sorts of confusion, stirred up a storm in their minds. They once again felt deep regret, regretting that they hadn't been able to get inside. 

Six thousand seats? 

Haha, before, some media were worried it wouldn't sell out, and the eager audience members were celebrating that they would finally get in smoothly to watch the movie right away. But now? They were still standing outside the Radio City Music Hall like fools, waiting anxiously, trying to figure out what was really happening just from the sound. 

Boom boom boom, boom boom boom. 

As if answering the questions on the street, the wave of sound coming from inside climbed another level. 

In that instant, the Radio City Music Hall completely exploded, a surging heatwave rushing out in all directions. Applause, whistles, cheers – everything was completely out of control. 

It wasn't just Rockefeller Center; half of Manhattan felt this astonishing energy, and people's eyes, one by one, started focusing on the area again. 

Shock waves, layered and spreading everywhere. 

The people standing outside the Radio City Music Hall were all stunned, speechless, standing there dumbfounded, feeling that overwhelming tide of fervor washing over them. 

Meanwhile, everyone inside the Radio City Music Hall was on their feet, without exception. Over seven thousand people were clapping with all their might, joining the celebration. 

Little by little, the rolling heatwave kept climbing. A flame ignited the night sky, and the peacock blue night just started burning fiercely and wildly. 

The earth shaking, the mountains swaying— 

Closing their eyes, the whole world seemed to be shaking. A roar continuously pounded their eardrums. Overwhelming energy entered their bodies through their pores, their blood boiling, as if they were in a hundred-thousand-person music festival, celebrating together. 

Opening their eyes, the boundless crowd spreading out in the darkness filled every corner of their vision. It was impossible to see the end or the boundaries of this sea of people. It truly was a celebration party like a hundred-thousand-person music festival. 

No exceptions. 

Rationality had long since been burned to ashes, reduced to nothing. 

The raging heatwave lasted a full seven minutes, and still seemed endless. The passionate moviegoers had literally transformed the Radio City Music Hall into something like the Toronto Film Festival, continuing until all the credits had rolled, the movie ended, and the house lights slowly came up, light spilling into the entire space. 

Boom! 

The fervor, unbelievably, climbed another level! 

Attention from half of Manhattan swarmed towards Rockefeller Center from all directions. It was almost as if you could see a mushroom cloud slowly rising. 

The heatwave was overwhelming. 

Gloria's eyes lit up. She took a deep breath, barely managing to control her urge to scream with all her might. She turned and looked at Blair. 

The two exchanged a look, then glanced at Karen, Elaine, and the others next to them. One by one, they couldn't control themselves anymore and joined the celebrating crowd on Sixth Avenue, joining the party inside the Radio City Music Hall— 

Raising their arms and cheering! 

Their hearts grew wings, flying towards the boundless sky, soaring into the clouds.