Playing the Villainess, He Fell for Me

Serena Sutton?

So much had happened lately that she had almost forgotten about the woman. Hearing 166 mention her name reminded Joanna of something, and she quickly asked, ”Simon Lockwood doesn’t have the female lead’s aura on him anymore, does he?”

She could feel that Simon Lockwood was gradually returning to his old self, but she still felt uneasy and had to ask to be sure.

Her question threw 166 off. It paused, thinking back carefully. ’It does seem to have faded a bit...’

It had faded. Though not gone entirely, it was proof that the ”Emotional Reversal” could indeed weaken over time until it vanished completely.

As if a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders, Joanna Kennedy’s mood brightened considerably. The corners of her lips curved into a visible smile; she had clearly pushed 166’s tattling to the back of her mind.

was beyond exasperated. ’Hey, I said your Simon Lockwood went out to meet the female lead! Aren’t you worried at all?!’

It couldn’t believe it. How could Joanna Kennedy be so trusting of the male lead? Wasn’t she supposed to be head over heels in love with him?!

’Why should I be worried?’ Joanna Kennedy looked up, her eyes filled with a gentle, smiling warmth. ’I trust him.’

For her sake, Simon Lockwood had even resisted the ”Emotional Reversal.” What reason did she have to doubt his sincerity?

Looking at her confident little expression, 166 cringed. Muttering and grumbling, it sauntered off like a cat.

*

Back in Aethelburg, Joanna Kennedy didn’t get a chance to rest. With the movie’s premiere just around the corner, the actors were busy with promotional tours across the country, and the behind-the-scenes staff were just as occupied.

Three days later, the promotional short from the Oakhaven charity event was edited. Over six days, the footage was cut into a finished film of a mere two hours.

The run-down school, the handful of teachers, the children shouldering life’s burdens far too early, the elderly with no one to care for them...

The video was presented as a documentary, free of fancy editing techniques, and it comprehensively showed everything the actors had done for Oakhaven.

The video ended with a pledge: ten percent of the profits from the movie The Awakening Petals after its release would be donated to Oakhaven.

The director posted the finished film on Weibo, and the actors shared it in succession. Within minutes, it had garnered over a million likes.

”Whoa, is this really for movie promotion? This is so hardcore and unconventional!”

”They haven’t even earned any money yet and they’re already promising to donate, hahaha! Well, I guess I have to go buy a ticket now.”

”Hahahaha, they’re even riding a tricycle? That’s so down-to-earth, hahaha!”

The video opened with Joanna Kennedy’s team. Nathan Vance was in the driver’s seat of the tricycle. Joanna Kennedy deftly hopped onto the back and sat down, leaving only Valentine clutching her skirt with a troubled look on her face.

”Uh, why is she wearing a skirt? How is she supposed to sit...?” someone asked in the live comments, guessing that she might have to switch vehicles or go back and change.

The next second, everyone watched as Joanna Kennedy took off her jacket without a second thought, spread it over the back of the trike, and even patted it, gesturing for the other girl to sit.

The netizens: ...

Did she have to be so completely free of the typical celebrity attitude? Effortlessly showing off her ”boyfriend energy” just like that?

”Ahahaha, Joanna Kennedy is something else! Look, she even made Valentine blush, hahaha!”

”Whoa, Joanna Kennedy is actually pretty cool. She’s shattered my stereotype of her. I thought she was just some delicate princess.”

”I have to say, she really has no celebrity airs at all. Even though they were there for a charity event, you could tell the other actresses had dressed up. She was just in a long-sleeved shirt and pants with her hair in a high ponytail. That’s what you call truly relaxed.”

Joanna Kennedy’s looks were deceptive. People always assumed she was a pampered girl who couldn’t handle any hardship. This one short clip, however, changed many netizens’ opinions of her.

Many people replied to that comment—

”Gotta say, Joanna Kennedy is the prettiest one there even bare-faced and not dressed up. The high ponytail, the energetic college girl vibe... she looks so young and fresh, what a cutie.”

”I’m obsessed with her visuals!”

”There’s no need to put one person down to praise another. The other actresses are beautiful too...” a fan of Vivian Bishop retorted.

Amidst the flood of praise and passive-aggressive remarks, a new, unconventional comment suddenly appeared—

”Sob sob, I want to sit on Jojo’s jacket too... My butt would probably smell all fragrant afterward...”

Netizens immediately began @-ing both Joanna Kennedy herself and her official fan club, drawing their attention to this perverted comment.

Behind a black office desk, Simon Lockwood stared at his phone, his brow gradually furrowing. The document at his side, only half-read, was mercilessly cast aside.

The number of @-mentions was still climbing. Simon Lockwood’s frown deepened, and he used the intercom to call Jack Warren.

A few minutes later, netizens were surprised to discover that the popular ”perverted comment” had suddenly been deleted.

No one thought much of it and went back to watching the video.

By the end of the video, very few people were posting live comments. A silence had fallen over the viewers, until the first one finally appeared:

”If The Awakening Petals really donates ten percent of its box office proceeds, I’ll definitely go see it when it comes out.”

This comment quickly shot to the top, with countless netizens below chiming in with their agreement.

Quite a few people said they would contribute to the box office. After all, if you were going to watch a movie anyway, why not choose The Awakening Petals? You could enjoy a film and do a good deed at the same time.

The film was scheduled for release on October 3rd, during the national holiday week. The thought of watching a movie and contributing to charity during such a special period was inspiring.

Amidst all the buzz, even state-run television networks shared the video, with the headline: #ThisIsEffectivePositivePromotion#

It effectively brought Oakhaven into the public spotlight while also serving as powerful promotion for the movie.

A regional representative from Oakhaven made a special post to express their sincere gratitude, also @-ing the actors who had visited.

At the same time, they posted another message, this time @-ing the official Southland Group account. It included a certificate of donation for the establishment of a targeted relief fund, bearing the signature: Simon Lockwood.

This completely blew up the internet.

”...Southland? Is that the Southland I’m thinking of? Oh my god, what is this sudden, unexpected dream crossover...”

”Southland Group didn’t invest in the movie, did they? So this is a purely charitable act. My god, Southland Group is such a great company, always on the front lines of philanthropy...”

”Now that’s a true corporate leader. I heard the President of Southland is really young and super handsome, but he’s very low-key, so there aren’t many photos of him circulating.”

”Fam, I was lucky enough to see a picture of him in a newspaper once. He’s tall, with long legs, and his looks are absolutely killer. He puts all those young pretty boys in the entertainment industry to shame!”

Other netizens were skeptical: ”You got a picture? Post it for everyone to see.”

”I saw it a while ago. You can look for it yourselves. The Economic Times should have it.”

And so, the incredibly efficient netizens immediately went to search through old issues of the Economic Times. A few minutes later, staring at the man in the newspaper photo, they all fell silent.

...

Holy crap... he was way too handsome...

No, this wasn’t an entrepreneur. This was a genius, overbearing CEO from a novel!!!

In just ten minutes, the official Southland Group Weibo account gained a million new followers. The comment section was filled with people posting thirsty comments on the sly, begging the President to make a post and promising they would buy anything he’s selling!