Chapter 290 - 288: She Is Far More Clear-Headed Than You

Unlike him, he hadn’t even decided to enter the industry himself.

After entering the industry, all of his work was a result of his company pushing him along. What roles to play, what endorsements to accept, what events to attend—it was all decided by the company.

That included the manufactured trending topics, the fabricated controversies, and the clout-chasing.

The company had used every possible method on him to attract attention, and he wasn’t an exception. In fact, this operational model had become the mainstream in today’s entertainment industry.

Almost everyone needed such tactics to maintain their exposure and popularity, even if it was negative, because "infamy is still a form of fame"!

Artists weren’t afraid of infamy; they were afraid of no one talking about them at all.

But Lily didn’t want any of that, and she was in a position to decide whether she wanted it or not.

From the bottom of his heart, Andrew Sutton envied her.

Connie nodded lightly. "I had a feeling you’d say that, but I wanted to hear it from you directly. Because for an artist, especially a female artist, having no public attention can be fatal."

Lily, of course, understood the survival rules of the entertainment industry.

Public attention was proof of an artist’s commercial value, a direct reflection of whether they were popular or not.

No one entered the industry without wanting to become a huge star. Most of those who claimed they didn’t care about the attention were just being disingenuous.

But as for Lily, Connie knew she only wanted to act.

"Connie, am I being a little unreasonable?" Lily asked softly. "If I don’t have public attention, it will affect my ability to get roles in the future, won’t it?"

Her biggest worry was still not being able to land the roles she wanted to play.

But when Connie heard this, she smiled. "When it comes to getting roles, you have me. You just focus on acting your heart out. Whichever script you like, whichever character you want to play, I’ll go and negotiate for you. What else do you think a manager like me is for?"

"I signed you personally. The company put you in my hands, so I’ll be responsible for you and protect you on the road ahead."

Those words instantly put Lily’s heart at ease.

Yuna and Finn exchanged smiling glances. They knew how much influence Connie had in the industry, and this assurance was crucial for Lily.

Connie and Andrew Sutton stayed in the village until the afternoon. With Connie around, Andrew didn’t have any opportunities to be alone with Lily, which actually made Lily breathe a sigh of relief.

On the high-speed train back to the City of Beldon, Connie took the initiative to invite Andrew Sutton to sit with her, wanting to have a word with him.

Andrew couldn’t have been happier for the chance to chat privately with such a senior figure in the industry.

But Connie’s first sentence was, "You like our Lily, don’t you?"

Andrew looked at Connie, his eyes wide with surprise, but then he gave a firm nod. "Yes, I like her."

"You’ve been in the industry for a few years now. While I haven’t paid special attention to you, I don’t recall you having any romance scandals. The fact that you can admit you like Lily... I’d say you have good taste," Connie said calmly.

Hearing this, Andrew felt a wave of relief and asked tentatively, "So, Connie, does that mean... you support it?"

"I don’t," Connie said, shaking her head.

Andrew’s heart instantly sank.

Connie looked at him with a knowing smile, then said in a grave tone, "I don’t approve, whether from your perspective or Lily’s. Your contract should have a no-dating clause, shouldn’t it?"

Andrew quickly clarified, "It says I can’t date without the company’s knowledge."

"It’s the same thing." Connie laughed. "For the company, that clause means you are forbidden from dating. Because even if you reported the relationship to them, they would never approve."

"You have to remember, for a top star with a massive following like you, dating is the biggest taboo!"

"Of course, our Lily is different. I allow her to date. Non-interference in her romantic life was written into her contract from the start."

"But she can’t date you. Because the moment your relationship is exposed, the public opinion and online mobbing she would face would destroy her career."

"Andrew, you’re an A-lister. Your fan base is in the tens of millions. How is she supposed to handle your fans?"

"And don’t tell me you’ll protect her. The more you defend her, the more you’ll be throwing her to the wolves. Do you remember what happened outside the Starwood Hotel? It was just a kissing scene, and your fans swarmed the hotel entrance and almost hurt her. If you two were actually together, have you ever considered the consequences for Lily?"

This was what truly worried Connie, a fear she was taking precautions against.

She knew Lily had a very powerful sister, but online harassment doesn’t stop just because someone is strong.

Lily’s sister couldn’t single-handedly fight against tens of millions of fans!

So, as her manager, she could not allow that to happen.

Andrew was at a loss for words. He had never thought about any of this.

"It’s not just about Lily; you need to think about yourself, too. Your career has just reached its peak, and you should be prioritizing it. You’ve only known Lily for half a year. Even if you’ve fallen for her for whatever reason, I have to remind you that you are a star. You should put your fans first, or at least ahead of Lily, because they are the ones who made you who you are."

"Behind your success, there’s also your team and your company. They’ve all poured their heart and soul into you. Don’t let them down because of a moment’s impulse."

"It’s okay to be greedy, but not too greedy. Trying to have it all will only lead to you losing everything. Everything you have now was hard-won, so you must hold onto it. The competition among male artists is just as fierce, and fans have far more options than you think. If you don’t cherish them, they can abandon you at any moment!"

Her words, delivered with methodical precision, struck him like an alarm bell, leaving him unable to calm his thoughts for a long time.

"One more thing."

Connie looked at Andrew again, a flicker of reluctance in her eyes. "I was hesitating whether to say this, but since we’ve come this far, I’ll just be direct."

Andrew nodded numbly. Connie continued, "Even if you were to throw everything away for Lily, charging forward like a moth to a flame, she wouldn’t be with you. Because she is far more clear-headed than you are! Don’t be fooled by her delicate and gentle appearance. It’s true she’s inexperienced with the world, but she knows with absolute certainty what path she wants to walk. That won’t change for anyone, and you will not be the exception."

Andrew fell completely silent.

*

Three days later, Cecilia Sterling received another call from Eugene Jacobs.

It was the same coffee shop as last time, The Sparrow, and they were even at the same table.

Cecilia Sterling arrived as scheduled. After sitting down, she looked at the Hot Americano in front of her and sighed softly.

"You look as radiant as ever, Miss Sterling," Eugene Jacobs began, offering a sincere compliment.

Cecilia’s appearance was such that his praise didn’t need to be an insincere, polite pleasantry.

Cecilia sized up Eugene Jacobs. He was wearing a navy-blue suit today and had even swapped his gold-rimmed glasses for a black frame. It was clear he was a man who paid close attention to his attire.

"As for you, Mr. Jacobs, I personally think your last outfit suited you better. It made you look much more refined and scholarly."

Eugene suddenly lowered his head with a slightly sheepish smile. "Since you liked it, Miss Sterling, I’ll be sure to wear that outfit again the next time we meet."

"Here is the drafted contract." Eugene took the contract out of his bag and handed it to Cecilia. "It’s a formal land acquisition contract. Please take a close look, Miss Sterling."

Cecilia looked at the contract but didn’t reach out to take it. Instead, she slowly shifted her gaze to Eugene’s face and said softly, "Not so fast, Mr. Jacobs. I think we need to revisit the matter of the price."

The smile on Eugene’s face instantly froze. He then said anxiously, "What do you mean by that, Miss Sterling? Didn’t we already agree on a price?"

"But the contract hasn’t been signed yet, has it?" Cecilia blinked, looking at him with an innocent expression. "Until the contract is signed, isn’t everything still part of the negotiation?"

"Or are you saying I don’t even have the right to bargain?"

"That’s not it at all." Eugene quickly composed himself, his smile returning. "It’s just that I thought we had already reached an agreement. Miss Sterling, the price I offered is already very substantial. Are you still not satisfied?"

Cecilia gave him a genuine smile. "If I can earn more, then of course I’m not satisfied with the current price."

Her words made Eugene’s brow furrow instantly, and his heart tightened with nervousness. "What do you mean, Miss Sterling? Has another corporation given you a quote?"

"I’m not at liberty to disclose that. However, if you’re willing to renegotiate, Mr. Jacobs, I believe there’s still a chance for us to cooperate."

"Of course!" Eugene nodded without hesitation. If he refused to renegotiate now, Cecilia would most likely give up on them and sell the land to another corporation instead.

If he lost this piece of land, he would lose the chairman’s trust. Along with it, he would lose his role as the lead for the subsequent project and his chance to join the board of directors!

’No, I absolutely will not allow that to happen!’

Cecilia could already see the urgency in his micro-expressions. She spoke in an unhurried tone, "I won’t ask for much. Just add another ’3,000’ to the original price. Let me make a nice little profit of 10,000, just to round things out."

"You don’t have to answer me right away, Mr. Jacobs. If you agree, just draft a new contract within a week and contact me."

’Ten thousand?’

’A small profit?’

Eugene’s eyes flickered. He couldn’t help but feel that the Cecilia he was facing today was somehow different from the last time they met.

But he didn’t have the luxury of overthinking it. He could only nod in agreement for now. "No problem. I’ll go back and discuss it with the company."

Cecilia gave a slight nod, then rose to take her leave. She hadn’t taken a single sip of the Hot Americano on the table.

Just as she stepped out of the coffee shop, a message from Estelle came in: "Honey, I found something. Get back to me ASAP!"

Cecilia smiled slightly as she read the message. She glanced back through the glass window at Eugene Jacobs, who was still sitting there in a daze, and a cunning glint flashed in her eyes.