"He offended me, I offended him, that's what you call fairness."
The oppressive air pressed in from all directions, making Lily's heart tremble as she instinctively bit her lip.
"Apologize?"
The tone slightly lifted, carrying a hint of amusement.
The palm opened upward, and the falling orange landed right in her hand, her five slender fingers slowly closing around it.
"This is the stuff you sycophants and social butterflies deal with."
She chuckled lightly, lazily, yet each word was clear.
Arrogant to the extreme.
The weight on her shoulder lightened, Lily gritted her teeth, catching a glimpse of Nora casually tossing an orange up into the air, its bright yellow hue quite dazzling.
*
The flashy sports car returned to the set in the afternoon.
Jesse Johnson had changed into a new outfit, Yellow Fur had cleaned up and sprayed hair gel, the scent of perfume could be smelled from afar, and he still carried that arrogant attitude of a second generation rich.
After getting off the car, Jesse Johnson looked around but didn't find the army coat, instead he saw a familiar face—
"You!"
Isabel Lyle, who was passing by with a down jacket, was called out, she paused for a moment and turned to look back.
"Where's the army coat?" Jesse Johnson asked.
"...Nora?" Isabel Lyle was slightly taken aback, and replied, "Lily is filming, she followed her."
With a wave of his hand, Jesse Johnson said, "Take me there."
"Alright."
Isabel Lyle lowered her eyes, nodded, and led the way ahead.
After a few steps, Jesse Johnson called out, "Hey, wait."
Isabel Lyle stopped at the sound, just about to turn around when she felt her down jacket's hood being grabbed, she stepped back a few steps from the force, directly pulled in front of Jesse Johnson.
She looked up, meeting Jesse Johnson's suspicious gaze, her heart pounded, but being so close, she clearly sensed his breath, and her earlobes unwittingly flushed red.
Nervous and flustered.
After a while, she heard Jesse Johnson's question, "Be honest, is that Nora girl bullying you?"
"Ah?" Isabel Lyle's voice wavered, snapping back to reality, she quickly denied, "No."
Jesse Johnson frowned, clearly not believing, and asked, "Then why are you always the one working while she does nothing? I saw earlier that your hair and clothes were wet, it was her doing, right?"
"Really, no..."
Isabel Lyle's voice faltered, not knowing how to explain.
Having been close to Lily for a long time, she naturally knew that in Jesse Johnson's heart, Lily was like a perfect goddess. If she told the truth, Jesse Johnson definitely wouldn't believe it.
Seeing her pink ears, Jesse Johnson assumed it was from the cold, casually pulling her hood up and patting her shoulder with a look that said 'no need to say it, I get it', he said, "Alright, let's go."
"..."
Isabel Lyle was so conflicted her stomach hurt, but after mulling it over for a moment, she could only bow her head and lead the way.
But thinking of his unintentional action just now, her heart pounded harder, like it could break through her chest.
*
Lily was filming a fight scene and had to retake many times due to her incorrect movements.
Nora leaned against a tree, her gaze lazily fixed on the boring fight scene, and with a Bluetooth headset hanging on her left ear, she was on the phone with Miguel Smith.
"Your grandfather just asked me what you're doing for work, and I didn't have the face to tell him." Miguel Smith's tone was full of deep sorrow. "After all, who would have thought that among the new generation of actresses, the one known as the queen of fight scenes, Nora, would fall to the point of being an assistant to a star."
"If you tell the truth, Easton would be very happy."
"The old man is really interesting, not allowing you to be an actress, not allowing you to be a bodyguard, isn't that ruining the only two skills you have?"
"..."
Nora raised her hand, pinching her brow, not wanting to respond.
Pausing for a moment, Miguel Smith asked again, "When are you quitting?"
"The day after tomorrow."
"Alright then, do you have any idea what job you're looking for? I can help you find one."
"Homebody."
After "Little White Dove" was completed, she had been planning a new project. Now that her ideas were mature, it was time to start writing.
"...No, don't give up on yourself. You're still young, you can do whatever you want. If you don't know, you can learn!"
Pulling an orange from her pocket, Nora leisurely peeled it, chuckling, "I actually quite like photography."
"..."
After a silent pause, Miguel Smith spoke again with resignation, "Some things, you can't just learn with effort and passion alone, you need talent too. Don't be too upset; you can think of it this way, Heaven gave you enchanting beauty, if it also gave you the skill to capture beauty, letting you be beautiful forever, it would be too unfair."
"..." That explanation, kind of works.
Peeling a segment of the orange into her mouth, Nora caught sight of a figure coming straight towards her, lifted her eyebrow, and whispered, "Hanging up," then removed the Bluetooth headset.
"You seem pretty relaxed!"
Jesse Johnson walked up, his tone abrasive, with displeasure written all over his face.
Seeing his confrontational stance, Nora lightly curled her lips.
Alright.
So there are still those who don't heed advice.
Lazily casting a glance at him, Nora peeled another segment of the orange into her mouth.
Though the weather was cold, the orange was pretty sweet.
Seeing her ignoring him, Jesse Johnson's anger flared up, threatening to erupt, when he heard Nora ask in a lazy tone, "What's up?"
The flare of his temper was mildly suppressed, and Jesse Johnson surveyed her with disdain, giving a cold snort before saying, "I'm giving you a chance to apologize."
"..."
Nora looked at him with a slightly amused expression.
The wind blew strongly, and Jesse Johnson waited several seconds but did not receive a sincere apology, causing him some embarrassment. He irritably repeated, "I'm giving you a chance to apologize."
"..."
In the stalemate and silence, Jesse Johnson felt Nora's gaze on him, as if she was gazing at a 'village idiot', making him feel extremely humiliated, he immediately snapped—
"I'm only doing this for Lily's sake! If you apologize properly, this matter will be over. Otherwise, don't expect to have a good time ahead!"
This was a threat.
Yet, the lack of conviction made it seem pretentious in front of Nora.
Nora finally straightened up, stretching her wrist, looking calmly at the furious Jesse Johnson, about to speak when an elderly and kindly voice rang out—
"Who does Master Johnson want to make life difficult for?"
Loxley?
Slightly startled, Nora's gaze went past Jesse Johnson to see the elderly figure walking in the snow.
Butler Loxley was impeccably dressed in neat black attire. His face carried a kind smile, but his eyes were sharp, hiding a brilliance that perfectly combined the old man's kindness with an aura of hidden majesty. He could draw people in, foster goodwill, and also command respect without being underestimated.
Hearing the voice, Jesse Johnson's body stiffened, sensing that things weren't good, he stiffly turned around.
"Lox..." Seeing Butler Loxley, Jesse Johnson opened his mouth and was at a loss for words, his heart filled with tension, licking his lips before his voice wavered like walking a tightrope, "Grandpa Loxley."
Respectful and not daring to show any slight.