The storm gradually passed. Rumor had it that Javier remained in the hospital for nearly a week before he was finally well enough to return home.
Quentin and Amanda paid him no mind. They were both buried in their own work, though they made sure to wrap themselves around each other every night.
The premiere of the movie Love Is Tested was fast approaching. The event was scheduled for 7:00 PM, but Amanda's preparations began as early as 1:00 PM. Between skincare, makeup, hair, and fitting her formal attire, Amanda was busy enough to start scratching her head in frustration.
"Have you eaten anything yet?" a voice asked from her phone.
"Huhu, not yet! I'm about to starve to death!" Amanda complained to Quentin, turning her head slightly to allow Celia to apply her makeup.
On the other side of the line, Quentin had just finished signing a stack of documents. He handed them to Secretary James and waved him out of the office. Hearing her whine about hunger, he couldn't help but feel a pang of pity.
"Tell them to pause for a moment. Find something to fill your stomach before you continue," he urged. "Shall I order food for you?"
Amanda squinted one eye open and pouted at her phone, which lay on the table on speakerphone. "It's okay. I'll just finish up early and then find something to eat."
"What if you get too hungry?"
"Just two words of coaxing from you and my hunger will disappear in no time!" Amanda teased.
Celia's hand trembled, and her makeup brush fell to the ground. She couldn't take it anymore and screamed, "Will you two stop? Please, show your PDA in moderation! I'm going to die from all this sweetness!"
Amanda gave Celia a shy smile, then covered the phone and whispered to Quentin, "That's it, I have to hang up now."
Quentin smiled softly. "Alright. I'm hanging up too."
"Bye-bye!"
Amanda happily set her phone aside. Celia looked at her and grinned. "People in love really do look brighter, don't they?"
Amanda shrugged, examining her meticulously made-up face in the mirror. "If there's love, of course it looks different than a single person like you!"
Celia smiled "kindly" before unceremoniously pinching Amanda's waist.
"Cece! Ouch!"
"Do you still dare to call me single?"
Amanda rubbed her waist, grumbling loudly. "I don't dare! But it's true—people who lack love are always so irritable!"
This time, it was Celia's turn to scream. "Amanda!"
Having learned her lesson, Amanda immediately bolted from the chair, laughing as she ran. "Go ahead, hit me! If you're so tough, go find yourself a boyfriend!"
A female staff member had to hold Celia back to keep her from lunging at Amanda. "Amanda, you brat! Just wait for my revenge!"
The makeup room was filled with the sound of their boisterous laughter.
The premiere of Love Is Tested had attracted press from all over the world. Today, Amanda was scheduled to walk the red carpet with her co-star, Jasper.
Jasper had finished his preparations early and arrived to pick Amanda up. He waited in the car so long he was on the verge of losing his temper when Amanda finally emerged. He saw a graceful figure walking toward him and hopped out of the car, fully intending to scold her for being late.
But as he looked closer, Jasper froze as if someone had hit his pressure point. He could only stand there with his mouth open, staring at the girl descending the stairs.
He knew Amanda was beautiful, but he hadn't expected her to be this dazzling when she truly dressed up. Her long hair was meticulously styled, highlighted by two elegant bows that perfectly framed her face. Her large, round eyes, framed by curled lashes, sparkled with mischievous joy.
She wore a princess-style, ankle-length gown; with every step, a slit in the skirt revealed her long, slender legs. As she drew closer, Jasper noticed her creamy white shoulders and delicate collarbones—a sight that seemed to tug at his very soul.
Amanda ran over and, seeing Jasper staring blankly, frowned. she snapped her fingers twice in front of his face. "Hey! What are you doing standing there like a statue?"
Jasper, who had been entranted by her "princess" image, was jolted back to reality by the sound. He gave her an annoyed look to hide his flustered state.
"You're so slow! Does it really take an entire afternoon just to put on makeup and change your clothes?" He turned abruptly and headed back to the car.
Amanda shouted at his back, bewildered. "I'm a girl! What's wrong with taking time to get ready?"
"Are you coming or not? If you're staying, I'm leaving!" Jasper threatened, pulling the car door open. Amanda hitched up her skirt and ran after him.
"You jerk!"
The two of them began bickering immediately, their dynamic no different than Amanda and Celia's. As the car sped away, a person standing near a nearby flower bed silently tucked a camera into a bag and slipped away.
Inside the car, Amanda was fuming. Because she had run so fast, her high-heeled shoe laces—which had been tied into pretty bows—had come undone. Her dress was off-the-shoulder and quite restrictive; she bent down several times to try and retie them, but she couldn't reach properly.
"It's all your fault! Now I can't tie them back! Ugh, I'm so frustrated, I'm going to throw these shoes away!"
Jasper leaned his chin on his hand and stared out the window, ignoring her. But after a few minutes of her constant nagging, he finally turned around. "Are you done with the nonsense?"
Amanda glared at him. The effort she'd spent all day to look beautiful—especially for Quentin to see the dress he had chosen for her—felt ruined.
Jasper pursed his lips and took a few deep breaths, seemingly fighting the urge to toss her out of the vehicle. Amanda braced herself, thinking he was actually going to snap, but to her surprise, Jasper bent down.
He took her ankle in his hand and slowly, carefully began to tie her shoelaces.
Amanda was stunned. Jasper's personality was notoriously prickly; she could believe him starting a fight, but she never expected him to swallow his temper and tie her shoes.
Jasper's movements were quick and efficient. He finished the bow, sat back up, and immediately turned his gaze back to the window.
After her initial shock, Amanda didn't say another word. She turned to look out her own window, her back to him. Because of this, she didn't notice that Jasper's ears were turning a bright, vivid red.