Chapter 351 - 349: Return to School

"Lily, we’ve finished packing everything. Yuna and I will head out now. Call us anytime if you need anything."

Finn had already moved all of Lily’s things into the villa with swift efficiency.

Jasmine Sterling held her daughter’s hand and warmly invited them, "Why don’t you stay for dinner? You’ve worked so hard taking care of Lily on this trip. I’ll make you something delicious."

"You’re too kind, Ma’am. We’re Lily’s assistants, so it’s our job to take care of her. You two haven’t seen each other in so long, so we won’t intrude."

Lily Sterling didn’t insist. They had been on set for over two months, and now that they were finally back, she knew they must be eager to get home.

So she nodded. "I’m going to the company tomorrow. I’ll ask them to give you two half a month of paid leave. If the company has other work for you after that, just take it. As for me, we’ll see when I start my next project. Thank you for all your hard work."

Hearing this, Yuna and Finn glanced at each other and smiled. They were probably the only ones in the entire company who got to enjoy this kind of paid vacation. They had definitely made the right choice in working for Lily.

Around ten o’clock that night, Ethan Sterling came home from school. Before he even stepped through the door, he started shouting at the top of his lungs, "Sis! Sis!"

Lily Sterling was sitting on the sofa playing with the dog. Hearing his voice, she couldn’t help but get up to greet him. "You’re back from school?"

"You wrapped up filming?"

Ethan Sterling was especially happy to see his sister. Without even taking off his shoes, he fired off a barrage of questions: "How long are you back for this time? Do you have to join a new production right away? Are you going back to school?"

The questions made Lily Sterling’s head spin. She laughed helplessly. "So many questions! I’m not going anywhere for now!"

"Really? That’s great! Our family is finally reunited in Lorcain!"

These words happened to reach Jasmine Sterling’s ears. She lowered her head and smiled. Though it was just an offhand comment from her son, it filled her heart with a deep sense of happiness.

The next day, Lily Sterling woke up early and packed her things for her return to school.

Not long after starting school, she had joined two productions back-to-back, so the time she’d spent on campus was negligible. She was a complete anomaly among the freshmen.

Jasmine Sterling accompanied her daughter to school.

The mother-daughter duo entered the campus, each pulling a suitcase. It was Jasmine Sterling’s first time at her daughter’s school, and her first time setting foot on a university campus at all. She looked around, her curiosity piqued.

’The Film Academy itself isn’t particularly novel,’ she thought, ’but all the kids walking around campus are exceptionally good-looking.’

Some of the students recognized Lily Sterling, and assessing, curious glances were frequently cast in her direction, accompanied by faint whispers.

"Hey, it’s Lily Sterling from the freshman class!"

"I heard that right after wrapping up *Heavenly Destiny as Phoenix*, she immediately joined a second production as the lead!"

"I’m so jealous. Her resources are amazing!"

"Of course her resources are good! She signed with Connie from Locke Entertainment. That’s Heather Keaton’s agent. She’ll never have to worry about opportunities!"

"How could she be so lucky? Connie spotted her right after she debuted. I heard Connie is extremely picky."

"I don’t know about that, but Lily Sterling definitely has the looks for it. Is that her mom next to her? She’s gorgeous too..."

When they reached her dorm room, Lily Sterling stared at the door, a little dazed. It was as if she had been transported back to her first day of registration as a freshman.

But before she could push the door open, it was suddenly pulled open from the inside. Hannah Warner, who had been on her way out, hadn’t expected anyone to be there and froze in surprise. When she saw that it was Lily Sterling at the door, a look of delight instantly spread across her face!

"Lily! You’re back!"

Lily Sterling smiled and nodded at her long-unseen friend, and then they simultaneously opened their arms and hugged.

"I missed you so much! You finally finished filming. It must have been tough this time, right?"

"It was actually fine. Why are you here by yourself? Where are Yvette and Nina? Did they go to class?"

Hannah Warner let go of Lily, her expression a little sad. "They both passed their auditions and went off to film. Now I’m the only one in our dorm who hasn’t been in a production yet."

Hearing this, Lily Sterling was happy for Anna Sanders and Nina Zimmer, but she also understood how Hannah felt.

"Don’t worry, you’ll definitely get your chance."

The film and television industry was fiercely competitive right now. The various platforms and companies were churning out hundreds, if not thousands, of shows a year, which also created many opportunities for new actors.

With more auditions came a higher chance of being cast. You might not get an important role at first, but it was better than nothing. After all, not every newcomer was as lucky as she was; most people started out with bit parts.

Hannah Warner nodded, only then noticing the other person standing beside them.

"Lily, is this your mom?" she asked, quickly and politely greeting her. "I’m so sorry, Ma’am. Please, come in."

The dorm room was very clean. Even though Hannah Warner was the only one there, she still helped clean and wipe everyone’s desks every day. Lily hadn’t lived in the dorm for a long time, but her desk, chair, and bed were still spotless.

"Are you in a rush to join a new production this time?"

Everyone she met asked her this question. Lily Sterling tirelessly shook her head and answered, "I don’t have any plans for that at the moment. I want to catch up on the major-specific courses I’ve missed."

"That’s great! Having you here with me will make me feel a little better. Otherwise, I’d be all alone in the dorm."

Jasmine Sterling helped her daughter make her bed and organize her things. She didn’t stay long, leaving the dorm after a few simple words of advice.

As soon as she left, Hannah Warner eagerly pulled Lily Sterling down to sit. "Your mom is so beautiful."

Lily Sterling pressed her lips together and nodded. ’It’s a shame I don’t look more like her,’ she thought.

"Lily, did you know? Suzanne Sawyer is the talk of the school right now. She came back to campus after *Heavenly Destiny as Phoenix* wrapped up, and this semester she’s auditioned for three production teams in a row and got cast in all of them. She’s totally unrivaled in our year."

At the mention of Suzanne Sawyer, Lily Sterling’s mind instinctively went back to that incident on set. The rift between them might not have been mended, but Suzanne had said "thank you" to her back then.

"She’s actually a pretty good actress," Lily Sterling said sincerely.

They had worked together, after all. Even though Suzanne Sawyer was a "resource celeb," she definitely had real skills.

Although Hannah Warner didn’t want to admit it, she had to nod. "True. I went to those auditions too and saw clips of her screen test. I feel like she’s improved a lot since her audition for *Heavenly Destiny as Phoenix*. I guess filming experience really is the fastest way to get better."

At this, Hannah Warner started to feel anxious again.

It had been a year since she started school, and she still hadn’t been in a production. While she wasn’t the only one, she was the only person in her dorm without any filming experience, which was definitely a bit discouraging.

Lily Sterling noticed her friend’s spirits were low and quickly took her hand. "Do you have class today? I have to go to the company. Want to come with me?"

The gloom on Hannah Warner’s face vanished, instantly replaced by brightness. "Okay!"

’I’ll definitely get to see some celebrities at an entertainment company!’