Playing the Villainess, He Fell for Me

The two fanbases were at each other’s throats, digging up old dirt and exposing scandals. Some of the major fan accounts even tagged mimniu’s official page, but for the longest time, there was no reply.

This was to be expected. Luxury brands like this typically filmed the promotional material and then announced it directly. Until then, even with a signed contract, the spokesperson could still be replaced. So, no response was the best response.

But the fans didn’t see it that way. They doubled down on their questions, determined to force an answer out of them.

[You’re just going to watch your spokesperson get treated unfairly? At least say *something*, right??]

[Exactly! Just announce it already! Is it Shirley Shepherd or Ivy Nash?]

Comments like these flooded the page, drowning out the few that speculated about other celebrities.

Inside a skyscraper that pierced the clouds in downtown Aethelburg, a stern-faced, middle-aged man hung up the phone. He knocked on an office door and waited for permission from within before pushing it open and entering.

”President Valentine, everything has been arranged as you instructed,” Wyatt Young said. ”Director Lawson will take full responsibility for all matters concerning mimniu’s promotional campaign.”

The man behind the sandalwood desk nodded. He waited a moment, but when he saw the middle-aged man hadn’t left, Liam Valentine looked up. His tone was gentle, yet detached. ”Is there something else, Uncle Young?”

Wyatt Young paused for a moment, bowing his head even lower. He replied, ”No, nothing,” and then slowly backed out of the room.

The door clicked shut. The black pen in Liam Valentine’s hand froze. A few seconds later, he tossed it aside without a second thought.

The black pen rolled once before stopping on a sheet of paper. It was the acting portfolio submitted by Joanna Kennedy’s agent. A photo was neatly affixed to the top-left corner, showing a girl with a bright, charming smile.

Liam Valentine averted his gaze and casually gathered Joanna Kennedy’s file, placing it with a stack of other actresses’ portfolios. Just as he was about to toss the pile into the trash, his hand paused almost imperceptibly in midair.

After a moment, he pulled that one file out and placed it in a drawer.

’Oh, well. She was the spokesperson he’d personally chosen, after all. He ought to put in a little more effort.’

Liam Valentine had arrived in Aethelburg two days ago. His decision to relocate the company had been met with fierce opposition from many in the Valentine Family. The reason was simple: the Valentine Group had been based in Marinus for generations. How could they just up and move?

Aethelburg was prosperous, true, but it already had Southland. No matter how hard the Valentine Group tried, they would never be able to catch up.

The Valentine Group of Marinus and Southland of Aethelburg had been evenly matched rivals. This move would immediately put the Valentine Group at a disadvantage. Naturally, the senior executives from the branch families of the Valentine clan were opposed to this decline in standing.

Wyatt Young’s lingering earlier was his attempt to persuade him one last time. For some reason, though, he ultimately held his tongue.

’Humans, swept up by fame and fortune their entire lives, are so shallow and selfish. Why did ”Simon Lockwood” ever want to understand their emotions?’

A flicker of confusion crossed Liam Valentine’s clear, dark eyes before vanishing just as quickly. ’Whatever the reason,’ he thought, ’it’s time for it to end.’

*

Joanna Kennedy was on the set of an indoor variety show for a movie promotion when she saw what was trending online.

Owen Jennings, who had been out of the public eye for over half a month, looked somewhat haggard. He had lost a noticeable amount of weight. Dressed in a white tracksuit, his boyish aura had faded slightly, replaced by a hint of maturity.

His steps faltered when he saw Joanna Kennedy. After a few seconds, he walked over anyway, nervously tugging at the hem of his shirt. ”Are... are you okay?”

After returning from Marinus, he had shut himself away at home. Every call from his agent brought news of another brand terminating his contract. In just a few short days, Owen Jennings had lost nearly all of his endorsements and commercial deals.

He had been unofficially blacklisted.

Owen Jennings knew exactly why. But despite his agent’s frantic questioning, he hadn’t said a word.

Everything has its cause and effect; he accepted the consequences. Just as Owen Jennings was convincing himself to leave the entertainment industry, his agent had called, ecstatic. All his endorsements were back—every single one. The agent stressed that he absolutely had to cooperate fully with the movie promotion.

His agent had repeated the instructions over and over. What was there for Owen Jennings not to understand? The man from Southland had done this for Joanna Kennedy’s sake. He didn’t want to see her hard work go to waste, so he’d let him off the hook.

He didn’t share his agent’s wishful thinking. His acting career would probably be over for good after this movie was released.

Owen Jennings found it both ironic and, in a way, a relief. He had been an accomplice in hurting Joanna Kennedy, yet in the end, she was the one who had saved him.

”I’m sorry, Joanna Kennedy. Really... I’m so, so sorry...”

Owen Jennings kept his head down, his expression a mixture of fatigue and obvious guilt. He clearly hadn’t had an easy time these past few days.

Joanna Kennedy, however, remained unmoved. She busied herself checking her mic without even glancing up. Her tone was placid. ”We’re on in a minute. Get ready. Don’t let there be any issues.”

She wore a polite smile. It reminded Owen Jennings of the first time they’d met—she had been just as polite and distant then, too.

For some reason, a hollow feeling bloomed in Owen Jennings’s chest. It came on suddenly and was impossible to ignore. He forced the corners of his mouth into a smile. ”Okay. Don’t worry. I... I won’t drag you down.”

Joanna Kennedy offered a small smile but didn’t respond. Dejected, Owen Jennings shuffled off to the side.

The variety show began. After some lighthearted banter, the host seamlessly transitioned the conversation to the movie.

”I hear Director Archer has brought our audience another fantastic film! What kind of masterpiece can we expect this time?”

”I wouldn’t go so far as to call it a masterpiece. It’s the result of everyone’s hard work. Our two leads and the other veteran actors put in a tremendous amount of effort to bring *Falling Osmanthus* to life!”

”Such fine actors...” the host praised with a sigh, then smoothly turned to Joanna Kennedy and Owen Jennings. ”So, Joanna, Owen—did anything interesting happen on set? Ladies first. Joanna, why don’t you start?”

The camera focused on Joanna Kennedy. She always maintained a smile for the cameras. At the question, a perfectly timed look of contemplation flickered across her face before she smiled and said, ”During filming, the senior actors would hold mini-classes for us, teaching us acting techniques. I learned so much from them.”

Her tone was sincere and she kept a smile on her face. As she spoke, she made a point of looking over at the veteran actors beside her.

The host keenly observed that the veteran actors’ eyes immediately filled with admiration and satisfaction. Their gazes toward Joanna Kennedy softened, becoming much more affectionate.

This was a clear sign of seniors appreciating a junior. The host, reacting quickly, widened his eyes in pleasant surprise. ”Getting lessons while you film? That’s Director Archer’s set for you! No wonder every one of his productions is so exceptional!”

After Joanna Kennedy finished, it was Owen Jennings’s turn. He seemed distracted; the host had to call his name twice before he responded. Joanna Kennedy’s brows furrowed slightly, but her expression remained neutral as she smoothly came to his rescue. ”Our Owen here is just lost in thought.”

Her voice, laced with a smile, carried through the microphone and struck Owen Jennings’s ears. He snapped back to his senses, playing along with Joanna’s comment before sharing an amusing anecdote from the set. This was followed by some good-natured teasing from the others, as expected.

The host boomed, ”Then let’s wish *Falling Osmanthus* huge success at the box office!”