Chapter 41

Oliver Arthur had thought there might be problems with Simone Milton. But to his surprise, Simone Milton didn’t have any problems at all.

In fact, Simone Milton even somewhat overshadowed Donna Walpole.

Donna Warburton frowned slightly at Simone Milton’s behavior, then thought to herself: So what if you’re a good actress? If you block most of the screen with your body, how can you possibly impress anyone with your acting skills?

With that in mind, Donna Walpole pretended to make a casual move, effectively blocking most of Simone Milton’s frame from the camera.

When Oliver Arthur saw what was happening in the camera, he frowned, but didn’t intervene.

After all, although most of Simone Milton’s face was blocked from view, a small portion of her face was still visible in the frame.

If Simone Milton is unable to resolve such a situation, then it can only be said that Simone Milton is not competent enough.

To be honest, Donna Warburton still seems to be trying to block the camera’s view. But since her movements are subtle, it appears like she’s just moving naturally.

Meanwhile, Simone Milton on stage seemed completely unaware that most of the camera coverage had been taken away from her, and continued to perform with all her effort.

Oliver Arthur felt a bit sorry upon seeing this. Although Simone Milton was a good actress, she simply lacked common sense and understanding of human behavior.

Anyway, it’s not a crucial shot anyway. Let’s just leave it at that. No need to waste more film.

Oliver Arthur thought this way, but in the end, he still didn’t say “Click”.

At that moment, another change took place on the scene. Li Rong heard the questions from two strangers. After answering their questions and showing them the way, she even invited them to her home to rest.

She skillfully made her way out of the circle formed by Katie Adams and Donna Warburton. Pointing in a certain direction, she said, “It’s getting late now. If you two have nowhere else to go, you might as well stay at my place for the night before continuing your journey. My house is over there; it’s not far at all.”

This is a plot element that wasn’t originally in the script. But with Simone Milton’s addition, it doesn’t seem out of place at all. In fact, it helps to reinforce the image of Li Rong as a naive and gentle person.

After all, given the personality of the character Li Rong, upon meeting two women wandering in the mountains, and after lowering his guard, he would most likely try to keep them around as dusk fell.

With this change, the entire character seems much more well-rounded now.

Oliver Arthur was satisfied with this. Although it might be considered altering the script, the changes weren’t significant or excessive.

It was more of a case of letting things slide, and in the end, he just turned a blind eye.

In any case, after this scene ended, Simone Milton wasn’t scolded, as Katie Adams had thought she would be.

He even received praise from Oliver Arthur for his impromptu performance.

It made her secretly annoyed, as she believed Oliver Arthur was deliberately favoring Simone Milton.

Who knows, maybe Nick Arthur deliberately greeted Oliver Arthur after learning that Simone Milton had joined such a production team.

The more Katie Adams thought about it, the more convinced she became that her guess was correct—that Oliver Yane could see Simone Milton in a different light solely because of Nick Arthur.

At this moment, she completely forgot that her role as the heroine was something she had only obtained through Alberta Arthur.

At that time, she learned about this opportunity from Sister Hu.

She even found out that the director was Alberta Arthur’s uncle. She went straight to Alberta Arthur and pleaded with him, and finally got the role of the female lead.

Of course, Katie Adams didn’t think there was anything wrong with getting ahead by taking shortcuts. After all, her acting skills were recognized by others.

This role of the heroine surely belongs to her, even if she goes through the audition properly and legally.

However, to be extra cautious, she resorted to a little trickery.

It’s completely different from Simone Milton, who was there solely because of Nick Arthur’s connections and influence.

With these thoughts in mind, after finishing filming, she went to her private dressing room, closed the door, and called Alberta Arthur to vent her troubles.

Albert Arthur, who was busy filming at the time, suddenly felt annoyed after receiving Katie Adams’ half-serious, half-joking complaints and suspicions.

This sudden awkwardness made Alberta Arthur feel, for a moment, that Katie Adams on the other end of the line seemed strange to her.

Listening to Katie Adams, it felt like no one else in the world worked as hard as she did. Only her efforts were considered real efforts.

The resources that others obtain through hard work are all acquired through improper means.

“Alright, I’ll go talk to my second uncle. If what you say is true…” Alberta Arthur waited for a long time before finally managing to say those words.

He was afraid that if he continued to listen, he would become extremely angry. Right now, it seemed like he couldn’t stand hearing anyone speak ill of Simone Milton. After all, he knew that Simone Milton was a truly wonderful person.

Such an excellent woman shouldn’t be subject to such slander. He even wanted to tell Katie Adams to stop paying so much attention to Simone Milton.

This makes him wonder if Katie Adams is jealous of Simone Milton.

But upon careful consideration, this seems unlikely. After all, Katie Adams is also a very talented girl. There’s no reason at all to be jealous of Simone Milton.

After hanging up the phone, Alberta Arthur comforted herself like that.

On the other end of the line, Katie Adams, who had just hung up the phone, couldn’t stop thinking about various things. She couldn’t help but wonder why Alberta Arthur had suddenly become so cold toward her.

Is it because of Simone Milton? Definitely that woman! Before, the atmosphere between them was fine. It wasn’t until Simone Milton was mentioned that things started to go wrong between them.

The more I thought about it, the more I realized this was true. Katie Adams continued filming, though her mind was preoccupied with various thoughts. As a result, her performance wasn’t as good as before.

Oliver Arthur did curse a few times during that period, but Katie Adams’ situation was really tough. Besides, Katie Adams was after all Alberta Arthur’s girlfriend. It wouldn’t be right of him to be too harsh on her.

So, Oliver Arthur had no choice but to pinch his nose and lower his expectations of Katie Adams. As long as Katie Adams didn’t behave in a way that was completely unacceptable to him, he wouldn’t say anything further.

It’s obvious to anyone that Oliver Arthur has completely ignored Katie Adams. But Katie Adams, with her inexplicable confidence, thinks that her efforts have finally paid off, simply because she’s being criticized less often.

Oliver Arthur finally realized how excellent he actually was, which is why he didn’t scold her so often.

Looking at Simone Milton in reverse, she wasn’t scolded at first, but later became the one who got scolded constantly. It was as though their roles had switched. Katie Adams was truly delighted by this.

Katie Adams thought back to how frustrated and upset she had felt when she was scolded before. Subconsciously, she assumed that Simone Milton would feel the same way.

But in reality, that wasn’t the case at all. Simone Milton really enjoyed the lessons taught by Oliver Arthur.

Although Oliver Arthur was somewhat strict, he became even stricter with her over time.

Cassandra Milton knew very well that if Oliver Arthur really didn’t have high hopes for her, there was no need to be so harsh on her.

In fact, Oliver Arthur inadvertently increased her screen time as well.

Yes, before Katie Adams even realized it, Oliver Arthur had already quietly added more lines for Simone Milton.

But since Simone Milton was often scolded by Oliver Arthur, it confused all the actors.

Donna Walpole seemed to have noticed something. Although she was somewhat dissatisfied, she didn’t dare to confront Oliver Arthur. All she could do was complain to herself in secret.

After that, the atmosphere throughout the entire crew became even more hectic. Oliver Arthur’s film was scheduled to be released during the New Year holiday season.

And with the New Year holiday season approaching soon, they have no choice but to speed up. Otherwise, they’ll definitely not be able to meet the deadline.

This also means that each person has to take on an even heavier workload.

All this busyness has made Simone Milton lose a lot of weight. She hadn’t even called Martha and the others in ages to keep in touch.

As the Winter Solstice approached, Oliver Arthur, perhaps moved by conscience, finally showed generosity. With a wave of his hand, he gave the entire crew three days off.

Upon hearing this news, the actors and crew were overjoyed, almost jumping for joy.

“Long live the director!” The crew members cheered in approval. Then, they went off in small groups to discuss what to do and where to go during the break.

Seeing the staff in such a state, Oliver Arthur also shook his head helplessly.

He also knew how strict he had been in order to keep things on schedule lately.

This time off is also meant to prevent all employees from experiencing a complete burnout due to excessive work.

Fortunately, nowadays they only need to complete some final tasks. Once they return from their holidays, it will take just one week to finish the filming completely.

So, in terms of time, there’s still plenty of time available.

As long as the review process doesn’t cause any delays, it’s obvious that they won’t miss the deadline for releasing movies during the New Year season.

And because of these three days off, Simone Milton finally got the chance to go home and spend time with Martha.

To surprise Martha, Simone Milton deliberately didn’t tell anyone that she was coming back. She quietly got into the nanny van with Marian and went home.

Inside the villa at that moment, the atmosphere was very lively. Martha sat there seriously, wrapping dumplings. Although her attempts were a bit awkward, the dumplings still looked adorable.

Juliet Milton, sitting next to Martha, held the tutorial in one hand while making dumplings. Unfortunately, her dumplings turned out just as crooked as Martha’s.

Even so, Juliet Milton shamelessly claimed that her bouquet was the most beautiful.

Simona Milton sneaked into her home. To her surprise, there was another unexpected guest there: Nick Arthur, who shouldn’t have been there at all. He was crouched there, acting as if he were in danger.

“You…” Simone Milton exclaimed in surprise.

Nick Arthur, who had raised his head at the sound, met Simone Milton’s surprised gaze. Feeling a bit shy, he cleared his throat a few times and put down the dumpling wrappers in his hands.

“Ahem… You’re back? Have you finished filming yet? Come and sit down. In a bit, we can start cooking dumplings!” Nick Arthur didn’t act like he was an outsider at all.

Juliet Milton, who was standing nearby, didn’t argue either. She said, “It’s the Winter Solstice after all – the perfect time to eat dumplings. Would you like some? We made them with beef and corn filling.”

Upon hearing Juliet Milton say that, Simone Milton smiled. She put down all her luggage, went to the kitchen to wash her hands, and then sat down at the table to make dumplings.

Making dumplings is a very simple task for Simone Milton.

Compared to two grown men who have never wrapped dumplings before, and Martha, who tries hard but still can’t wrap them properly.

Simona Milton, who’s able to create intricate patterns while wrapping dumplings, is undoubtedly incredibly talented.

“Wow, Mom, that’s amazing! Could you teach me how to do that?” Martha, who was standing nearby, couldn’t hold back any longer. She rushed over, acting very cute and begging Simone Milton to teach her.

Simone Milton didn’t reject Martha’s attempts to get close to her. She nodded and patiently taught Martha how to wrap things up.

“Mom, since you’ve come back, you’re not leaving, are you?” Martha, who was wrapping dumplings, slowly raised her head and asked Simone Milton.

She hadn’t seen Simone Milton in a long time. She really hoped that Simone Milton could spend more time with her.

“I’m afraid not. In a few days, Mom will have to go back to filming.” Simone Milton shook her head and told the truth about her situation.

When she saw Martha’s disappointed expression, she gently rubbed Martha’s head.

“I’m sorry, but there are still a few scenes left to shoot in this movie. Once that’s done, Martha will be able to spend more time with Mommy, okay?” Simone Milton tried to comfort Martha, though reluctantly.

Of course, she also knew that her attempts at persuasion were completely useless.

Perhaps, in Martha’s eyes, it was just something said to fulfill the requirement.

But Simone Milton couldn’t do anything either. After all, the project was already nearing its end. It was impossible for her to stop the filming of this movie halfway through.

Simone Milton could only hope that Martha would be understanding and compassionate toward her.

Although it was hard to bear, seeing the faint hope in Simone Milton’s eyes, Martha finally nodded. “I understand… But at least for these few days, Mom can be by my side, right?”

“Yes!” Seeing how upset Martha was, yet still forced to accept reality, Simone Milton couldn’t help but hug her.

Martha and Simone Milton got very close to each other, shared their feelings with each other, and the atmosphere between them became increasingly harmonious.

At that moment, Juliet Milton had already prepared a plate of dumplings and invited everyone to eat.

“Come here quickly, it’s time for dumplings!” Juliet Milton waved at Martha, speaking slowly.

Martha nodded and ran over to Juliet Milton.

While eating dumplings, Juliet Milton couldn’t help but say to Simone Milton, “Martha really misses you. If you have time, you should spend more time at home with her.”

Juliet Milton certainly understood how busy Simone Milton was right now. But even while understanding, she couldn’t help but feel sorry for Martha.

Such a young child is, in effect, no different from an orphan these days. How can anyone survive without anyone at home?

As Juliet Milton spoke, she even suggested that Simone Milton should just find someone to marry. With a father in her life, Martha wouldn’t have to be alone at home all the time.

Simonetta Milton, who was being pressured to get married in a subtle way, said helplessly, “That can’t be true! I think Martha is very sensible. Besides, my workload now is much less compared to those popular actresses of my generation…”

In the end, Simone Milton felt extremely guilty.

Although her workload is indeed much less compared to the other popular stars of her generation, the amount of time that can be allocated to Martha isn’t much more either.

“I certainly know your work is tough, but you can’t ignore Martha just because of work! I can help take care of her for a while, but sometimes I really don’t have time!” Juliet Milton said, sighing in the end.

After all, his divorce from Simone Milton’s mother was also due to his extremely busy schedule at work.

“I understand. Next year, I’ll reduce my work hours so I can spend more time with our Martha. Is that acceptable?” Simone Milton said, sighing helplessly as she listened to Juliet Milton’s nagging.

“I’m not forcing you either. I just hope you understand the situation yourself.” Juliet Milton said this after seeing Simone Milton’s helpless expression.

No matter what Simone Milton was thinking, that first meal after being reunited really left her with no appetite at all.

In the days that followed, Simone Milton didn’t attend any gatherings arranged by Georgia. Instead, she stayed at home with Martha.

When it was time to resume work, Simone Milton reluctantly flew to the filming crew.

After resuming work, Simone Milton filmed the first scene of the play, which also serves as the climax of the entire production.

Having discovered the Demon Lord’s scheme, Li Rong, with the help of the female character who had turned traitor to join the Demon Lord, managed to escape from his prison. She then faced a battle between the male and female protagonists and the Demon Lord.

Of course, in reality, no one can see any magical battles. These have to be created during post-production in order to appreciate just how grand the scenes are.

When the male and female protagonists used up their last bit of strength yet still couldn’t inflict any harm on the Demon Lord, Li Rong appeared and posed questions that shook the Demon Lord’s heart.

The male and female protagonists seized this opportunity to merge their bodies with their swords and attack the Demon Lord. The Demon Lord became furious, but Li Rong held onto him tightly.

Tears welled in her eyes as she looked at the Demon Lord, her gaze filled with deep affection and sorrow. She said, “You once promised to be with me for life, to travel everywhere together, to share all the joys and sorrows of the world. Do you still remember…”

“Rongrong…” Hearing these words, the mad Demon Lord’s face showed an emotional expression. If possible, he would have preferred not to be the Demon Lord. But since he already was, there was nothing he could do about it.

“I know you still remember. I also know that our positions are such that we’re destined not to be together. So, I won’t put you in a difficult situation either…” After saying that, Li Rong summoned his magical weapon. Caught off guard, the Demon Lord was pierced through by the weapon, killing both of them.

The Demon Lord was utterly shocked and helpless. In the end, he simply accepted this reality. He said indifferently, “So be it…”

After saying that, he completely lost his breath.

“This way, we can be together forever… Don’t you think?” Li Rong smiled, but couldn’t help crying. She nestled in the Demon Lord’s arms, murmuring the poem that had been recited during their engagement.

“…How wonderful.” By the time Rong said those last words, she had already lost her breath.

In the final fire, the bones of both people were completely burned to ashes.

The staff present couldn’t help but look sad as they watched Simone Milton’s performance. They were completely immersed in it.

“That’s really terrible!” the film director couldn’t help but mutter.

When this act was over, the crew members hadn’t yet left the stage. By the time Simone Milton and the others came off the stage, full of energy, the crew members were utterly amused.

The contrast between what happens on stage and off stage is too stark, causing the crew to instantly break away from their previous state of sadness.

After filming this scene, Simone Milton will only need to shoot a few more moments showing her interaction with the demon lord’s actor over the next day or two, after which the filming will officially be complete.

Simona Milton, who no longer had any roles to perform today, quickly returned to the hotel to rest.

What I didn’t expect was that while at the hotel, Simone Milton happened to meet Alberta Arthur by chance. Judging from Alberta Arthur’s tired and disheveled appearance, it seemed like she had come there specifically to check on Simone Milton.

With a detached and polite nod to Alberta Arthur, Simone Milton went back to her own floor.

She ignored Alberta Arthur, which instead left Alberta Arthur somewhat distracted. It’s true that he had come to visit Katie Adams. But he hadn’t done so voluntarily.

Last night, Katie Adams insisted that he absolutely had to come and see her performance, to pay her a visit. Alberta Arthur simply had no way of refusing.

Lately, Alberta Arthur has felt that dealing with Katie Adams is extremely exhausting. He can’t quite put his finger on it, but he no longer feels the same enthusiasm for Katie Adams as before.

Even just now, during that brief encounter with Simone Milton, Alberta Arthur no longer felt the usual disgust and guilt. Instead, she suddenly realized: Ah, she’s become even more beautiful.

Looking at the radiant Simone Milton like that, Alberta Arthur felt a mix of sadness and emotion in her heart.

He couldn’t help but think how wonderful it would be if such a radiant Simone Milton would take a few more glances at him.

Such thoughts, though fleeting in his mind, quietly took root there.

Although he tried to force himself not to think too much about Simone Milton, he couldn’t help but want to know more about her.

With a sigh, Alberta Arthur suddenly found the idea of visiting the set rather dull. As if to avoid it, she sat down somewhere outside casually.

It just so happened that Alberta Arthur’s gloomy expression was caught by the paparazzi, who even came up with a sensational headline for the photo.

By the next day, Katie Adams learned from an entertainment magazine that she and Alberta Arthur had “broken up.” The magazine featured a photo of Alberta Arthur covering her face.

To find out more, Katie Adams, who had heard the news from Sister Hu, went to Alberta Arthur’s room and asked what was going on.

Of course, she didn’t ask explicitly why Alberta Arthur was alone outside, with such a sad expression on her face.

It was actually a skillful way of asking Alberta Arthur what had happened during her visit yesterday.

Albert Arthur, who didn’t understand what was going on, felt instinctively that something might have happened when he heard Katie Adams ask that question.

“What’s wrong? Did something happen?” Alberta Arthur frowned and asked Katie Adams.

Katie Adams nodded and slowly read out the news headlines.

“Those paparazzi are simply horrible. They have it in for us, that’s why they come up with such outrageous headlines!” Katie Adams grew angrier and angrier as she spoke. She handed the headline that Sister Hu had sent her to Alberta Arthur to show him.

Upon seeing the picture with such a title, Alberta Arthur was shocked and immediately felt that she had been careless.

At the same time, he couldn’t help but feel relieved in his heart that he hadn’t had much interaction with Simone Milton yesterday.

Otherwise, those damned paparazzi wouldn’t know what nonsense to make up again.

“I wasn’t in my best state yesterday, so maybe there was some misunderstanding. I’ll go talk to my agent right away to clarify things. Don’t worry, Katie Adams.”

After saying that, Alberta Arthur immediately made a phone call and instructed her agent to handle the matter.

“Oh, I see. I thought maybe something unpleasant had happened to you!” Hearing this, Katie Adams felt relieved.

Then, with a hint of helplessness, she said, “But Alberta, if you do encounter anything unpleasant, you can tell me about it.”