Chapter 280 - 279: A Two-Way Street

Joanna’s Fans were numerous and fiercely loyal. They could tear people down without so much as a curse word, showing absolutely no mercy. This only made the haters hopping mad, causing them to fixate even more intensely on the rumors of Joanna Kennedy’s love life.

Some troublemakers had even started trying to dig up the identity of the man in the video.

A storm was raging online, but the subject of all the drama was currently at the supermarket.

"Mindy? I’m really not dating anyone. That’s all just stuff the gossip blogs made up," Joanna Kennedy explained into her phone as she shopped.

Of course, Mindy Morgan didn’t believe her. After all, the video was real. God knows, when she woke up that morning and saw the trending topic, she’d nearly passed out from sheer rage.

"Not dating anyone? Then tell me who the man in the video is!" Mindy Morgan was about to go insane. "Joanna Kennedy, do you have any idea that your career is on the rise right now?!"

New stars were constantly popping up in the entertainment industry; there was never a shortage of young, beautiful faces. Countless people were eagerly waiting to snatch up Joanna Kennedy’s resources, yet here she was, serving up a scandal on a silver platter.

A mountain of fame and opportunities awaited Joanna Kennedy, yet she was showing signs of starting a relationship at such a critical time. How could Mindy not be furious!

She did her best to calm down and said, "I’ve already had the PR department prepare a statement of clarification. Just give me a straight answer—are you really in a relationship or not?"

No matter how many times she explained, Mindy still didn’t believe her, stubbornly asking again and again. Joanna found it a little amusing and sighed. "I’m really not..."

No sooner had she spoken than she added a single word: "Currently."

Mindy: "..."

’Never say everything, always leave yourself an out. Joanna had certainly figured out how to play the game.’ Mindy felt her blood pressure spike again. It took her a long while to recover before she finally said, "Don’t you pull that stunt on me."

Her bluff called, Joanna stopped hiding it and said honestly, "I’m not in a relationship at the moment, but I will be soon."

’She could deceive herself and restrain her actions, but her heart was a different matter.’

’Logically, Joanna knew Simon Lockwood wasn’t a suitable match. Whether it was his family background, his personality, or the short time they’d known each other, she knew she shouldn’t be with him. Yet, she couldn’t control the way her heart stirred restlessly every time.’

’She was just a simple person, one who liked a handsome face and craved the unconditional devotion and love that Simon Lockwood gave her.’

’Was this love? Joanna had never been in a relationship, never even really liked anyone before, so she wasn’t sure. But she was certain of one thing: Simon Lockwood was different.’

Once she said it out loud, Joanna felt inexplicably lighter, as if this answer had been circling in her mind for ages and had finally broken free.

After a long silence, Mindy finally spoke from the other end of the line, her tone earnest and heavy. "Jojo, you’ve been in this industry for years. I don’t need to tell you how many fans an idol loses when she goes public with a relationship before she’s established herself as a serious actress. There are so many cautionary tales right in front of you. I hope you’ll... think very carefully about whether this is worth it."

Gambling your career on a relationship that might go nowhere was simply not a wise move.

But Joanna just smiled and said, "Mindy, if we do start dating, I’ll tell you beforehand. And when that time comes, whatever the situation, I’m prepared to face the consequences."

’This was her choice, and she was prepared. She might regret it in the future, but not now.’

’Denying her present self for the sake of the future just wasn’t her style.’

"I’m sorry to have disappointed you," Joanna said.

After she spoke, there was a long silence from the other end of the line. When Joanna glanced at her phone, she realized Mindy had hung up.

Joanna: "..."

’What a temper. Really one of a kind.’

Tucking her phone into her pocket, Joanna went back to her shopping. She’d looked up a tutorial online for making dried flowers; you could use desiccant or an air fryer.

Considering the sheer number of flowers, desiccant was impractical. Joanna decided to buy a larger air fryer. That way, she could also cook with it—killing two birds with one stone.

After finding an air fryer, Joanna spotted some photo frames on a shelf. She thought for a moment, then grabbed a few glue sticks and some picture frames as well.

Once she had finally gathered everything, Joanna pushed her cart to the checkout. Concerned she might be recognized, she headed for the self-checkout area.

With her baseball cap and mask, paired with a loose-fitting T-shirt and long pants, Joanna’s outfit was very ordinary. Still, she was almost recognized.

The young female employee at the self-checkout hesitated for a long time before she couldn’t help but lean in and ask quietly, "Are you Joanna Kennedy?"

Joanna was startled, but thankfully her reflexes were quick. Displaying the professionalism of an actress, she calmly shook her head.

She could feel the employee’s gaze lingering on her, so intense that Joanna couldn’t help but furrow her brow.

Even though it was a weekday, the supermarket was still quite busy. And since she was currently a trending topic online, getting recognized here would be a huge hassle.

At that thought, Joanna started bagging her items faster.

Just as she finished bagging the last item and was about to leave, a voice came from behind her.

"Okay, if you say you aren’t, then you aren’t..." The employee’s voice was soft, as if she’d finally made up her mind after a long internal struggle. "What I wanted to say is, whether you’re in a relationship or not, we, Joanna’s Fans, will support you."

"It’s not easy to find someone you like. You shouldn’t give that up just because of what other people say. Your opinion is the only one that matters; everyone else is just full of crap. Don’t listen to them."

There were plenty of toxic, extreme fans in the circle, but in the end, the sane ones were still the majority.

’The essence of being a fan was finding a role model and striving to move forward in that direction, not to satisfy one’s own selfish desires.’

’A healthy, mutual relationship was what deserved the most respect.’ Joanna paused for a long moment before slowly saying, "Thank you..."

Hearing such a sincere thank you, the employee felt a little embarrassed. "You should get going. It’s about to get more crowded."

"Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone I saw you."

’Netizens were a resourceful bunch. By identifying the supermarket’s location, they could easily investigate the nearby residential complexes and figure out what neighborhood Joanna lived in.’

The young employee’s promise had really hit the nail on the head.

Joanna turned back, a sudden smile on her face. Her tone was light and gentle. "Would you like to take a picture together?"

"That might be a bit forward of me, if you’re not willing—"

"Yes! Yes, I would!"

’She actually... she actually offered to take a photo! Right now, at the height of all this drama! Who said Jojo was cold to her fans?!’

’This Jojo wasn’t cold at all! This Jojo was the absolute best!’

*

The supermarket wasn’t far from Sinclair Gardens, just a short walk away. Joanna carried her bags, having to switch hands every couple of steps.

The plastic grocery bags were digging painfully into her palms. The pain subsided into an itch, and after a moment, Joanna couldn’t stand it anymore. She dropped her bags on the ground. "If you don’t come out right now, then don’t ever show your face to me again."

This was the sycamore-lined path leading to Sinclair Gardens. The road was completely empty. But after the young woman tossed out that angry declaration...