Chapter 319 - 318

"Are you sure you’re okay?" Joanna Kennedy asked, suspicious. "Then why is your face so red?"

"I’m hot!" the assistant said.

Joanna Kennedy glanced at her assistant, who was bundled up tightly in her coat. "..."

’So weird.’

But since her assistant didn’t want to talk, there was no need to press the issue. She had barely slept last night, and now, in the warmth of the car, a wave of drowsiness washed over her.

The back seat was spacious. Just as she was about to lie down, she remembered something and pulled a pink, fluffy blanket from her backpack. Simon Lockwood had packed it for her.

The fluffy blanket was soft and warm against her. Joanna Kennedy snuggled into it, closing her eyes in contentment.

「Sinclair Gardens」

As soon as Joanna Kennedy left, Simon Lockwood returned to the apartment and retrieved a packed black suitcase from the guest room.

His phone rang. It was an unsaved number. Simon Lockwood answered. A man’s voice, thick with an accent, came through the line.

"Julius, have you arrived yet?" the man asked, annoyed. "Ugh, the roads in your Celestria are so complicated. I almost couldn’t find the place."

"They didn’t even send a car to pick us up. How arrogant. I swear, after we’re done filming this show, I’m never doing another Celestria variety show again!"

After Dunley finished his rant and heard no response, he glanced at his phone. The call was still connected. "Julius," he asked tentatively, "are you still there?"

The members of Mensa all used codenames. Dunley didn’t know this "Julius’s" real name or identity, only that he was some kind of big shot. How else could he have joined Mensa and been recommended for the show after only a few days?

"Not yet," Simon Lockwood said, his voice cool and detached. "But I will be soon."

"Oh, okay, okay." A shiver ran down Dunley’s spine at the sound of his voice, extinguishing his anger instantly. "Julius, call me when you get here. We can go over together."

He wasn’t a complete idiot. This was a cooperative puzzle-solving show, which probably meant they’d be split into teams. Naturally, he wanted to partner up with the person who had the highest IQ.

"Mm," Simon Lockwood grunted. "Anything else?"

"Nope, nothing!" Dunley took the hint and quickly hung up.

It was still four hours until the scheduled meeting time with the production crew. Simon Lockwood scanned the living room one last time, making sure he hadn’t forgotten anything.

He walked out onto the balcony and picked up the kitten. It started to struggle, but after a single, cool glance from the man, it froze and went perfectly still.

Bringing the kitten to the shoot wasn’t feasible, so Simon Lockwood found a pet shop to board it. The clerk was very enthusiastic, promising she would take good care of the kitten.

Simon Lockwood set down a backpack. "There’s kibble, wet food, and toys in here."

"Sir, we provide food here. You don’t need to bring your own."

"He’s a picky eater," Simon Lockwood stated.

The clerk paused for a moment, then her smile grew even warmer. She had started working at the pet shop because she loved animals. When she first saw this exceptionally handsome man with his cold demeanor, she’d assumed he wasn’t very attached to his pet. She never expected him to be so thoughtful.

"Of course, sir. Don’t you worry, we’ll take excellent care of your kitten."

"Thank you."

*

Thorne Company had always treated its celebrities well. As their main cash cow, Joanna Kennedy always flew first class.

She slept for most of the flight, waking up just as they arrived in the city where the show was being filmed.

One of the surest signs of a celebrity’s popularity is the size of the crowd that greets them at the airport. The moment she stepped off the plane, Joanna Kennedy was met with a wave of enthusiastic cheers.

Joanna’s Fans held up LED signs and banners, loudly chanting their support.

Joanna Kennedy: "..."

"I thought this trip wasn’t public," Joanna Kennedy asked in a low voice. "How did so many fans know to come to the airport?"

Mindy Morgan retorted irritably, "Do you have any idea how famous you are?"

Joanna Kennedy was speechless. ’Fair enough.’ She couldn’t help but marvel once again at the skill of her fans and the paparazzi. They could even uncover her private schedule.

’Good thing I didn’t bring Simon Lockwood along.’ If she had, stepping off the plane would have been like announcing their relationship to the world.

A few of the girls at the front were familiar faces. She remembered seeing them at the last gala, and they had attended several of her other in-person events as well.

After a moment’s thought, Joanna Kennedy walked over to them. "How long have you all been waiting?"

Joanna Kennedy’s voice was gentle. Next to the fresh-faced young women, she seemed like a caring older sister, the concern in her tone unconcealed.

The group of fans gasped, unable to suppress their smiles. Yet, they were well-behaved enough not to scream, each one reining in their excitement to reply, "Jojo, we haven’t been waiting long! We’re just happy we got to see you."

"Yeah! We were afraid of causing a disturbance at the airport if we came too early," one of Joanna’s Fans said, incredibly thoughtful. "Don’t worry, Jojo. As soon as you’re gone, we’ll leave too."

There’s something so heartwarming about being liked, especially by a group of kind, lovely young women. A warmth spread through Joanna Kennedy’s chest. "You shouldn’t come to the airport next time," she said. "What if the flight gets canceled? You’d be waiting for nothing."

Her voice was soft and gentle, full of genuine concern for them. The fans were overjoyed and excited, their faces flushing red one by one.

"N-No, it’s okay! We don’t mind."

"Yeah, it’s no trouble for us at all. Don’t worry about us, Jojo."

Joanna Kennedy gave a slightly bashful smile, which only made her look all the more vibrant and stunning.

For most of the fans, it was their first time speaking to Joanna Kennedy up close. Overwhelmed by their idol’s beauty, they were left completely tongue-tied.

One veteran fan, who attended all her live events and was more composed, asked, "Jojo, are you on your way to film *Escape*?"

"Yes," Joanna Kennedy replied with a smile.

The show had already been officially announced, and the regular cast members had been tagged, so there was no need to hide it.

The fans exchanged hesitant glances, looking like they wanted to say something more but stopping themselves. In the end, one said, "Jojo, you have to take care of yourself. Don’t let anyone bully you."

"That’s right! Protect yourself and don’t let anyone set you up."

"And if someone does try to bully you, don’t just take it. We’ll always believe you."

The comments seemed to come out of nowhere, but Joanna Kennedy understood exactly what they meant. After the show announced its regular cast, it had trended online several times—always in posts about her and Susan Lee.

The netizens were just there for the drama, but the fans felt uneasy, worried that their idol would be bullied. Naturally, Joanna’s Fans were concerned for her.

’They’re all friends who care about me.’

As they walked out of the airport, Joanna Kennedy’s heart was still glowing with warmth, a smile playing on her lips and in her eyes. Mindy Morgan couldn’t take it anymore. "Alright, wipe that smile off your face. They say they’ll believe you now, but that could change in a heartbeat."

"Most people just follow the popular narrative," Mindy Morgan said gravely. "The moment you don’t live up to their expectations, they’ll drop you and turn on you. They can be even worse than the haters."

Joanna Kennedy understood the implication. She fell silent for a moment before murmuring, "But... they all said they support me being in a relationship..."