Chapter 8

“Shocking! The popular, scandal-free movie star actually turned against her boyfriend? Now, her ex-boyfriend is her brother-in-law?”

Ex-boyfriend, brother-in-law – those are the only three words that come to mind.

As she shed her past, she also got rid of everything related to the Eden family. But she never imagined that one day, Channing Snow would be brought back by those people.

When she opened Weibo and saw the photos, Lynn Newman’s eyes turned icy. The more she scrolled down, the colder her gaze became, almost terrifying in its intensity.

And the comments below are also polarized.

True fans are trying to whitewash it.

“Can’t one fall in love before even joining the circle? I’m really curious. Why did my ex-boyfriend become my brother-in-law? Could it be that my sister was actually the mistress?”

“If someone has no scandals, it’s because they don’t try to create them. So what’s wrong with them having a relationship?”

The black powder is being sprayed vigorously.

“The character portrayal went wrong. What are you going to do now, Miss Universe? Just sitting there and watching?”

“Become famous and then turn around and ignore those who helped you? What a lesson to learn.”

“Wow, from what the blogger described, it seems like this movie star almost caused her own sister to have a miscarriage?”

She was the first to dial Julie Berkeley’s number. After all, Julie Berkeley knew quite well what was going on in the circle of people they knew, so she didn’t misunderstand Lynn Newman at all.

“Let me handle this matter. You’re currently in a very delicate situation. Just stay at home. Remember, don’t go anywhere.”

Lynn Newman nodded obediently in agreement.

Even later on, some bloggers claimed that Lynn Newman was actually having an affair with two men at the same time. On the surface, she was the president’s fiancée and a renowned actress. But behind the scenes, she was involved with other men. They called her a woman of low moral character.

Also, Julie Berkeley actually doesn’t like Lynn Newman at all. It’s just that the CEO is interested in new things for now. All the comments below are just echoing what others say.

However, it wasn’t long before Julie Berkeley issued a statement through her Weibo account, making her stance quite clear.

“Lynn and I will get married soon. Her past isn’t particularly important to me. After all, it’s me who’s with her now, and I’ll spend the rest of my life with her. If anyone continues to spread rumors online or post pictures of her, I’ll take legal action to make them pay for their actions.”

Whenever the topic of legal proceedings came up, everyone became quiet, especially since it was the person involved in the matter who made the statement. The trending topics related to this issue gradually faded from the headlines. A few people continued to post negative comments from time to time, but eventually, all posts related to this matter disappeared. All the social media accounts that had posted pictures or made negative remarks were banned, without exception.

Drew Defoe called. Lynn Newman thought she’d get scolded, but instead, she heard his indifferent voice.

“Your boss is really great at handling things like this – everything’s handled flawlessly.”

“It seems Mr. Berkeley is preparing to host another dating livestream show. He mentioned to me that it’s to try to salvage his reputation. You have to participate in this show, whether you want to or not. Although things have passed, they were suppressed by force. If his reputation can’t be restored, then you’d better just wait and see what happens.”

After saying that, Drew Defoe simply hung up the phone. Lynn Newman heard a series of beeps coming from the phone, and felt inexplicably panicked.

After Lynn Newman finished her breakfast, Julie Berkeley indeed called.

“I’ve accepted a dating live show. It’s a program we’ll be doing together. It’s called ‘We’re in a Relationship’. Will you join us?”

Lynn Newman nodded in agreement without even thinking.

The live show was finalized just like that. Lynn Newman had breakfast as well. She felt like her mood was like a roller coaster, going up and down all the time.

She picked up the script on the table and read the last paragraph over and over again. She was very satisfied with how the female lead’s ending was handled, as it brought the entire character development to its climax.

Taking a deep breath, Lynn Newman immediately called Director Chen. It seemed like he already guessed why she was calling, as his voice was full of laughter.

“I guess you’ve pretty much read the script by now. What do you think? Are you going to take the role?”

Although this is a web drama that relies heavily on the Internet, it doesn’t hinder the development of the characters. As an actress who has won awards, she shouldn’t be limited to just that one field. If she gets a great role, even someone who has won an Oscar might be tempted to take it.

She replied, “I plan to play the female lead. First, I’ve never played a villain before, so I’d like to give it a try. And second… if I can bring this character to life well, it’ll be a challenge for me as well.”

Just exactly, the woman he had in mind for the role of the female lead was Lynn Newman. Having portrayed all aspects of human emotions—joy, sorrow, separation, and reunion, love, hate, and obsession—she was undoubtedly the perfect choice for the role.

Director Chen continued to speak.

“Perfectly timed. The novelist is available today. I’ve arranged to discuss some details of the script with her. Would you like to come along? We can sign the contract in person as well. I can’t wait any longer.”

Lynn Newman hesitated for two seconds, but still agreed.

The driver who came to pick her up was still the same one from yesterday. He was honest and reliable. He took Lynn Newman to the entrance of the restaurant, and even thoughtfully handed her the hat, mask, and sunglasses that he had prepared in advance.

“I know what happened today, but this was something the boss specifically ordered to be prepared.”

After entering the private room, Lynn Newman immediately joined in the discussion about the plot. Before leaving, she signed the contract unilaterally. She believed that Drew Defoe wouldn’t object.

After dinner, Director Chen, as was only natural, offered to take Lynn Newman home. He was aware of the trouble she had caused.

The car window was rolled down. Julie Berkeley, sitting in the driver’s seat, turned her head slightly. Her sharply defined features still exuded charm even in the darkness. She smiled gently, and her eyes held a warmer expression, less intimidating than before.

She gave Director Chen a polite smile, then turned her gaze toward Lynn Newman. Her eyes were so gentle that it seemed like tears might fall from them.

“Lynn, get in the car.”

He originally thought that Lynn Newman, who had never been involved in any scandals, would surely be flustered and try to explain the situation. In the end, however, she might accidentally give the other party an opportunity to criticize her.

He seemed to have forgotten about Julie Berkeley altogether. But she’s no simple person. With their wedding approaching, she’ll surely stand by Lynn Newman. He’d been worrying for nothing.

In the car, Lynn Newman thought about the script. She was a little excited. Finally, she’d come across a great script. Although she wasn’t cast as the lead actress, she really liked it. If this show were to be broadcast online, it would definitely become a huge hit.

Julie Berkeley couldn’t help but smirk. “What’s so funny? I thought today’s events would keep you up at night with worry.”

Lynn Newman leaned back comfortably in the passenger seat. “I was overthinking it. After entering the entertainment industry, I’ve seen many such situations, though I’ve never experienced them myself. My outcome was actually quite mild compared to others. Now I feel relieved. If it weren’t for you, I’d have to explain everything on my own. There’s no way to deny or confirm it. The facts are there, plain and simple.”

Julie Berkeley suddenly spoke up, but she wasn’t responding to Lynn Newman. Instead, she brought up a different topic.

“Stop staying at Jinjia Garden. Come live with me instead. I’m afraid you’ve forgotten, but we’re supposed to meet at the civil affairs office at 3 p.m. today. It’s already past 2 now. Have you brought your household registration book and other necessary documents?”

Lynn Newman then remembered the incident. She covered her face in frustration. “Oh my God, I completely forgot about it this morning. I just got ready and came here to eat.”

Julie Berkeley pressed her forehead with one hand, feeling somewhat helpless inside.

“You can even forget something as important as getting married. I really have no idea how bad your memory is.”

Lynn Newman awkwardly touched her nose when she heard the man’s deep voice, rich and melodious, like that of a cello.

Last time, Channing Snow just knocked on the door and the two of them had a little argument. But if it were someone else knocking on a woman’s door in the middle of the night, it wouldn’t just be a simple argument.

Kerlin Newman had gotten used to living alone in Jinjia Garden. Now, she suddenly had to move in with a man she didn’t know well at all. It was hard for her to adjust. But when she glanced at the man beside her, she remembered that night. Feeling guilty, she could only nod in agreement.

Upon arriving at Jinjia Garden, Julie Berkeley personally got out of the car to open the door for her. Many paparazzi, who had been lurking in the shadows, saw this and immediately took pictures with their cameras.

However, after Lynn Newman left, Julie Berkeley didn’t go either. Instead, she took out her phone and made a call. With a smile on her face, she leaned against the car, clearly in a good mood. Her sleek black Cayenne and her suit really complemented each other perfectly.

The paparazzi lurking in the shadows waited patiently, unsure of what those two people were up to. Eventually, Lynn Newman came out, wearing a white shirt and carrying a bag in her hand. She walked away at a brisk pace.

Julie Berkeley looked at her. “Did you bring your household registration book?”

Lynn Newman shook the bag in her hand and glanced around carefully. “There must be quite a few people here right now, huh? If we just go to the civil affairs office like this, we’ll probably make the news. The famous actress, who’s been in the center of a scandal, suddenly gets married to her boss.”

Julie Berkeley opened the car door and leaned against the window, taking her time to look at her. “I don’t know if this will make the news headlines or not. All I know is that if you keep standing here, by the time we get to the civil affairs office, your fans will probably already have heard about it and be waiting for us there.”

She touched her nose and shyly got into the car.

Julie Berkeley closed the door for her, glanced toward the greened grassy area ahead, her expression dark and cold. A sneer crossed her lips before she turned away.

The paparazzi who were lurking there all turned away at the same time, their voices trembling with fear.

“Oh my God… Could it be that they’ve discovered me?”

“This… this gaze is simply terrifying…”

“Don’t worry about it. Just send back the photos you just took.”

After 3 p.m., the two of them arrived at the civil affairs office on time. At that time, there weren’t many people there. They waited in the car for a while, during which Lynn Newman watched helplessly as the civil affairs office was cleared out for no apparent reason.

She stared blankly for a long time, until Julie Berkeley tapped her forehead and said, “It’s time to go in. Stop acting like a naive child who’s never seen the world.”

When Julie Berkeley first suggested getting married over the weekend, Lynn Newman wasn’t entirely convinced. After all, although he was the boss of StarRui and a young, successful CEO, he wasn’t that powerful after all, right?

After taking a look inside, Lynn Newman felt she might not have been overthinking things. A man who could clear out a place like the civil affairs office… how could he possibly be just a simple entertainment company owner?

The person in charge of the Civil Affairs Bureau had already been waiting inside. Seeing the two of them enter together, he greeted them with a smile.

“I’ve been waiting for a long time. There’s no one here right now. It’s very fast.”

It took the two of them just a few minutes to complete the necessary procedures, after which they began taking photos.