Chapter 398 - 394: Extreme Joy Begets Sorrow

Timothy Rowe couldn’t help but suppress a smile at Cecilia Sterling’s question.

Just then, Paige walked by. Timothy Rowe stopped her and said, "She’s asking why the eight of us named our studio ’Calabash Brothers.’ Why don’t you explain it to her?"

Paige rolled her eyes dramatically at his words. Looking at Cecilia Sterling, she complained, "The seven Calabash Brothers were a team! They’re calling me the Siren, and you’re the grandpa!"

Cecilia Sterling: "..."

’How did I get dragged into this?’

"It’s just a joke, really. Anyone who’s seen *Calabash Brothers* knows there are actually eight of them. The last one is King Kong, who’s a symbol of unity."

Timothy Rowe explained with a grin. He was beaming today. It was clear that establishing the studio meant the world to their entire team, proof that their little group had gone from a ragtag operation to a legitimate enterprise.

Cecilia Sterling was, of course, happy for them. Even though her arrival had completely altered the team’s trajectory, she believed her seniors’ paths would only get better and better.

She pulled a red envelope she’d prepared earlier from her bag. "Congratulations on the new studio. This is for good luck, so you can’t refuse."

The moment Cecilia Sterling presented the envelope, Timothy Rowe knew it contained a hefty sum. "You’re always doing this. You even gave us extra on last month’s funding. We feel really bad about it."

"If you feel bad about it, then just work harder on the project. As long as it succeeds, I’ll naturally get my return," Cecilia Sterling said with a casual smile.

After spending so much time with Cecilia Sterling, Timothy Rowe had come to understand her personality. To her, money was just a number, so it was best not to argue with her about it.

Accepting Cecilia Sterling’s red envelope, Timothy Rowe nodded and vowed, "We’ll definitely give it our all!"

"Oh, right. About my mom’s housekeeping service app..."

Before Cecilia Sterling could finish, Timothy Rowe jumped in. "Don’t worry. I’ve already assigned Youcai and his team to it. This kind of app design is relatively simple. The main thing is to have comprehensive features and a clean interface. Youcai will stay in contact with your mother and make sure all her requests are met."

Hearing this, Cecilia Sterling nodded in relief.

*

Around noon, Lily Sterling returned to her dorm. The moment she walked in, she found Hannah Warner crying, her head resting on her desk.

"Hannah?"

Startled, Lily Sterling quickly closed the door and hurried over. She placed a hand on Hannah Warner’s trembling shoulder. "Hannah, what happened? What’s wrong?"

Hannah Warner lifted her head to look at Lily Sterling. Her eyes were red and swollen from crying, like two big walnuts.

She sobbed, her voice choked with tears. "Lily... I didn’t get the part of Mona Underwood..."

With that, she burst into wretched sobs again.

Lily Sterling’s heart ached for Hannah Warner. She grabbed a tissue and gently wiped her friend’s tears. "It’s okay if you didn’t get it. We’ll just try harder next time. You were amazing this time! You made it to the final round, at least!"

"Come on, stop crying. Your eyes are already so swollen."

But the more Lily wiped away Hannah’s tears, the more they flowed. "Lily, am I totally useless? You helped me so much, and I still couldn’t do it. I’m just not cut out to be an actress."

"Nonsense," Lily Sterling said sternly. "Don’t you dare think like that. Have you forgotten what I told you? You weren’t the only one who didn’t get picked. If everyone who got rejected thought like you, should they all just stop auditioning forever?"

"Besides, it’s not like a great performance guarantees you the role. A casting director’s criteria aren’t limited to just acting ability. You can’t fall into self-doubt just because you didn’t get it. That will only shatter your confidence."

"But I’ve been rejected so many times. This was the one I was most excited about, the one I felt most confident in," Hannah Warner cried. "I’m not going to be a sophomore and still have never landed a single role, am I...?"

"You do your best and leave the rest to fate. As long as you give it your all, you won’t have any regrets. Have you forgotten how you felt that day after you walked off stage? You said you’d never had such a satisfying audition in your life. That alone makes it worth it!"

Hannah Warner bit her lip and nodded. When she first got the news that morning, she’d been alone in the dorm. All her frustration and bitterness had overwhelmed her at once. With no one to talk to, she could only cry by herself.

Now that she’d had a good cry, she’d released most of her negative feelings and didn’t feel quite so awful.

Seeing she had stopped crying, Lily Sterling couldn’t help but sigh softly. "You haven’t eaten anything, have you?"

Hannah Warner nodded meekly.

"Okay, you wait here. I’ll go to the cafeteria and get you something to eat. Better not let anyone see you with those big, puffy eyes."

With that, she gathered the trash from the bin and headed out, calling over her shoulder as she left, "And no more crying!"

Hannah Warner forced a pained smile and nodded.

But as soon as Lily Sterling got to the cafeteria, she just so happened to run into the girl who’d landed the role of Mona Underwood.

Her name was Keira Quincy.

Keira Quincy was with a few of her friends, a complete contrast to the tear-stained Hannah Warner back in the dorm. She was all smiles, glowing with triumph.

It was only natural to be happy after landing a good role, so Lily Sterling didn’t think much of it. All she wanted was to get in line at the malatang stall—it was Hannah’s favorite.

But the other girl saw Lily Sterling too and called out to her, "Lily Sterling!"

Lily Sterling turned to see Keira Quincy walking toward her, a smug smile plastered on her face. "Weren’t you asking me about the role of Mona Underwood? I just got the news this morning. They cast me."

She was openly gloating, and the girls with her were basking in her reflected glory, looking on as if they were waiting for a show to start.

Lily Sterling just nodded slightly. "I already know. Congratulations. Your performance was excellent."

"I don’t need you to judge whether my performance was good or not." Keira Quincy sneered, her expression turning contemptuous. "But let me offer you a piece of advice. Don’t think acting in a couple of productions makes you a veteran. That little bit of experience might be enough for you, but isn’t it a bit presumptuous to think you can coach other people?"

One of her friends chimed in, "Yeah, after all that coaching, she still didn’t get the part, did she?"

Keira Quincy had been stewing over the fact that Lily Sterling had coached Hannah Warner. In her mind, if Lily hadn’t stuck her nose where it didn’t belong, Hannah would have been zero competition for the role, and they would have cast her on the spot.

’It’s all Lily’s fault for making me wait this long!’

The hostility in her tone was obvious, and the faint smile on Lily Sterling’s face vanished. "What I choose to do is none of your business either. But if we really want to split hairs, then going by when we entered the industry, I *am* your senior."

"And let me give you a friendly reminder: a casting notice is just the beginning, not the final word. You must know how many actors get replaced at the last minute. Be careful you don’t get too carried away. Pride comes before a fall."