Playing the Villainess, He Fell for Me

The vicious online drama hardly affected the *Falling Osmanthus* crew, who continued to go on location shoots several more times.

Marinus’s coastal scenic area was well-developed and a popular filming location for many crews. The road was lined with tall plane trees, their withered, yellow leaves carpeting the ground.

DING-A-LING! The sound of a bicycle bell rang out. A young man in a blue and white school uniform rode past, his tires crunching over the leaves on the road, stirring up a gust of autumn wind. Joanna Kennedy hastily lowered her head and stepped aside, her grip tightening on her bookbag strap.

In a youth filled with insecurity, a young girl’s budding affection must not be revealed in the slightest.

”CUT!” Director Archer reviewed the take and nodded in satisfaction. ”This scene’s a wrap. Prepare for the next one!”

Joanna Kennedy adjusted her bookbag strap and rubbed her shoulder. For the sake of realism, the bag was filled with real books. Her shoulder was already starting to hurt after carrying it for just a short while.

”Jojo, Walter sent over two scripts and a few variety show proposals. He said you should see if there’s anything you like,” Julie said in a low voice, taking the bookbag and setting it aside.

The filming for *Falling Osmanthus* was going smoothly. Barring any surprises, it would wrap in a week. Walter Young’s thinking was that Joanna Kennedy shouldn’t take a break. She should shoot something else before the movie’s release to keep her popularity from fading.

Joanna Kennedy’s rise to fame had been incredibly fast. While she’d taken on many roles, most were minor. The only memorable ones were the few she’d played this year.

She needed to capitalize on the existing hype from *Falling Osmanthus*, quickly take on more good scripts, and press her advantage.

”Okay, I’ll look at them after we wrap for the day.” Joanna Kennedy opened her script and scanned the lines for the next scene again.

Seeing how focused she was, Julie stopped talking so as not to disturb her and sat to the side to chat with the other actors’ assistants.

As a competent assistant, building good relationships with the other assistants was part of her job.

A week later, the *Falling Osmanthus* cast and crew wrapped filming. The production team booked a large private room at a big hotel and invited everyone to a wrap party.

The room was filled with seven or eight lively tables as the alcohol began to flow. With Owen Jennings leading the charge, the main director, several assistant directors, and the producers were all drunk under the table. Owen Jennings himself was also quite plastered.

Even though Joanna Kennedy was a woman, as the lead actress, she couldn’t avoid having a few drinks. The alcohol went down the wrong way, making her face flush instantly, and she ducked into the restroom to escape the toasting.

She splashed cold water on her face. Her vision cleared a little. She was still a bit dizzy, but not to the point of being incoherent.

Just as she was about to head back, she turned and saw Owen Jennings leaning against the wall.

The drunken haze was gone from Owen Jennings’s face; his expression was completely clear. Seeing her freeze, he raised an eyebrow. ”Jojo, pulling a bathroom escape?”

Joanna Kennedy: ”...”

Joanna Kennedy detected the teasing tone in his voice, rolled her eyes, and said flatly, ”Go ahead, snitch on me.”

”So in your eyes, I’m just a tattletale, Jojo?” Owen Jennings sighed, feigning heartbreak. ”I’m hurt. I’m really, truly hurt...”

’If Conor Archer saw this terrible acting,’ she thought, ’he’d never let it pass.’

Joanna Kennedy replied icily, ”If you’re sad going south, try going north.”

Owen Jennings: ”???”

Joanna Kennedy took a few steps away. Watching her retreating back, Owen Jennings’s eyes flickered, and he suddenly called out with a smile, ”Are you heading back to rest now?”

Thinking he was about to childishly tattle on her again, Joanna Kennedy shrugged. ”I already cleared it with Director Archer.”

”How about we head back together later?” Owen Jennings suggested.

Her back to him, Joanna Kennedy didn’t see the complex emotion that flashed across Owen Jennings’s face. She impolitely flipped him the bird over her shoulder. ”No,” she said, without a shred of mercy.

They had developed a certain camaraderie from filming together, and Joanna Kennedy could tell Owen Jennings meant her no harm. Still, she had no desire to interact with him much in private.

The reason was simple: their shipping fandom was too powerful.

It was the answer he expected, so Owen Jennings wasn’t disappointed. Watching Joanna’s figure grow smaller in the distance, he leaned lazily against the wall. After a moment, he let out a low chuckle.

’He’d already played the part of the villain, yet here he was, growing a conscience. What a hypocrite... trying to have it both ways.’

’But the Jennings family was already bankrupt. Charles Jennings probably wouldn’t dare do anything too outrageous.’

’...Probably.’

Joanna Kennedy got in the car and rolled down the window, letting the night wind blow in. She could faintly smell the salty, damp sea air. By the time they reached the hotel, the wind had cooled the flush from her face, and her head wasn’t so dizzy anymore.

”I’m going to park. Can you make it upstairs on your own?” Julie asked, looking at her with some concern.

Joanna Kennedy walked a perfectly straight line to prove her point. ”Of course I can.”

Julie: ”...” ’Not bad.’

The parking lot was around on the other side. It was already past nine p.m., and there was hardly anyone at the hotel entrance. Joanna Kennedy adjusted her mask and began to walk at a leisurely pace.

Just as she was about to step onto the stairs, she heard rushed footsteps behind her. Before she could react, someone clamped a hand tightly over her nose and mouth. All she could smell was a strong chemical scent before she lost consciousness completely.

「Aethelburg.」

Inside a luxurious VIP private room, a business deal had just been closed. The leader of the other party stood up first, extending his hand with a smile. ”Mr. Lockwood, it’s a pleasure doing business with you.”

”I must thank you for the opportunity, Mayor Gale.” Simon Lockwood shook his hand politely, his demeanor calm and composed.

Two days earlier, the project for a joint government and private-sector partnership to develop an economic tourism zone had just been approved.

It was one of the biggest projects in recent years; government investment alone totaled over a billion.

Aethelburg was the city with the highest GDP in the country, a powerhouse driving the nation’s economic growth. And Southland Group was the leader among its many corporations.

Coupled with Simon Lockwood’s recent philanthropic acts—donating to remote, underdeveloped regions and establishing a foundation—this enormously profitable project had naturally fallen into the hands of Southland Group.

After seeing off the officials, Simon Lockwood pinched the bridge of his nose, a hint of fatigue in his eyes. Still, he said, ”Take me to the airport.”

”To pick up Miss Kennedy?” Jack Warren asked.

Simon Lockwood didn’t deny it, his gaze softening. ”Yes.”

He remembered Joanna Kennedy had wrapped filming; she would be free to leave the set tomorrow.

Simon Lockwood’s expression was gentle, the icy thaw on his face showing more happiness than when he’d signed the contract moments before. Even though Jack Warren had seen it many times, he still couldn’t help but marvel internally, ’The power of love is truly something else.’

The black Maybach cruised smoothly down the road. While waiting at a red light, Simon Lockwood’s phone suddenly rang. The sound was piercing in the quiet car, inexplicably making one’s heart clench.

Jack Warren had been watching the traffic light countdown. When the phone rang, he instinctively glanced in the rearview mirror and saw the handsome, refined man answer the call.

He couldn’t hear what the person on the other end said, but Simon’s expression suddenly froze, then sank like a stone. A menacing hostility flared in his eyes as a glacial voice bit out, ”What did you just say?”