Chapter 496 - 492: This Old Bastard Is So Shameless

The dog days of summer had been over for more than a month, but it wasn’t until the end of September that the temperature began to drop. Even so, the lingering heat left everyone restless and irritable.

The film set.

Finn carried the boxed lunches into the lounge, where the blast of air conditioning was an instant relief.

"Someone else just got heatstroke," he remarked casually.

Lily Sterling, who was sitting on the sofa reading her script, looked up and asked with concern, "A crew member? Are they all right?"

"One of the PAs. I heard he got dizzy and fell, nearly hitting his head on the stone steps. He was sent home to rest."

Lily Sterling frowned, her heart clenching at the news. This summer had been especially hot; over the past few months of filming, several crew members had already been hospitalized for heatstroke.

"Yuna, please order some heatstroke medicine and iced cooling tea. Get enough for all the crew members. They’re working way too hard."

Yuna nodded. "Got it. I’ll do it now."

Just then, the director’s assistant knocked and entered, holding a blue folder. "Ms. Sterling, here’s the new script for today. The director wants you to take a quick look at it."

Lily Sterling was slightly stunned but instinctively took the folder. "A new script? Aren’t we about to start filming the afternoon scenes? Why has the script been changed?"

Besides, she was holding the original script, and the plot flowed perfectly well. There was nothing wrong with it.

The director’s assistant just said, "I’m not clear on the specifics, but the director said it’s just some minor alterations. They don’t conflict much with the original storyline, so you just need to give it a quick look."

With that, Lily Sterling nodded gently. "Okay, I understand. Thanks."

Once the assistant had left, Lily Sterling opened the new script, puzzled. Seeing her, Finn gestured her over. "Lily, come eat first. You can read that later."

Lily Sterling walked over to the table and sat down. Perhaps because of the heat, the meals prepared for the main cast had recently been very light and refreshing—dishes like bitter melon with scrambled eggs, or stir-fried shrimp and lily bulbs.

It suited Lily Sterling’s tastes perfectly.

Her older sister and younger brother both loved spicy food; she was the only one who couldn’t really handle it.

She flipped through the script as she ate. The first half was almost identical to the previous version, but as she read on toward the middle, her expression involuntarily darkened.

Yuna and Finn noticed her expression and exchanged a look. Yuna asked quietly, "What’s wrong, Lily? Don’t tell me they cut your scenes."

Lily Sterling shook her head and, with a SNAP, slammed the folder shut.

Not only had they not cut her scenes, but they had also added more.

And the reason for her reaction was that the new scenes were with George Lowe. In her view, these additions were completely superfluous—utterly unnecessary.

"Yuna, go find Heather and tell her I need her for something," Lily Sterling said. Her first thought was of Heather Keaton.

But Yuna said, "She has a brand event for the National Day holiday. She took a flight out last night."

Lily Sterling froze, momentarily at a loss for what to do.

But she quickly composed herself. ’I can’t always count on Heather to help me with things like this. I have to find a way to handle it myself.’

Reopening the script and reading further, she saw, just as she’d expected, some "intimate scenes" that weren’t really intimate at all.

Since her scene partner was that old lech George Lowe, she had to be extra careful.

She remembered what had happened to Suzanne Sawyer on the set of *Heavenly Destiny as Phoenix*. Henry Marshall, relying on his status as an investor’s son, had taken on the role of a rake and used his intimate scenes with Suzanne to actually molest her.

And while today’s scene was just a seemingly simple hug with George Lowe, it had been added so abruptly that Lily Sterling resisted it with every fiber of her being.

She loved acting and every one of her roles. Though she hadn’t been in the business long, she was extremely professional. If a role required something, she never said no. But this time, she refused.

Her appetite was completely gone. Lily Sterling grabbed the script, got up, and strode out of the lounge. Yuna and Finn saw this and hurried after her.

The entire crew was on their lunch break.

Beneath the soundstage awning, the director and assistant directors were gathered together, eating and chatting. The surrounding shady spots were also filled with crew members.

Lily Sterling felt her heart hammer with anxiety, but she knew she couldn’t back down this time.

"Director."

"Lily?" The director looked up in surprise, setting down his lunch box and getting to his feet. "What’s wrong? It’s still early. How about I push your scenes to after three? It should be a bit cooler by then."

Since she was one of Connie’s artists and a two-time Golden Magpie Award nominee—and most importantly, a talented and intelligent actress—the director valued her highly and wanted to lay a good foundation for future collaborations.

The people nearby cast curious glances in her direction, making Lily Sterling’s heart pound even faster.

But she took a deep breath, held out the script, and, mustering her courage, said to the director, "Director, I’ve read this revised script. Have you seen it?"

The director glanced at the folder, his eyes flickering guiltily.

He hadn’t. The screenwriter had made the changes.

"Is there a problem?" the director asked, reaching out to take the script.

Lily Sterling lowered her voice. "I feel the revisions and additions are illogical. They make the original pacing feel drawn-out and sluggish. And some of the shots are completely unnecessary. For example, why am I supposed to hug George Lowe’s character at the end? In the story, he’s not even a close older relative."

The director was, of course, a professional. He only needed a quick look at the new script’s outline to know Lily Sterling was right.

His expression darkened. He turned and ordered his assistant to go get the screenwriter.

"Don’t worry, Lily. I’ll take care of this." The director offered a small smile, and his words put Lily greatly at ease. "When the screenwriter mentioned some minor changes, I thought he was just planning to polish the original draft. I didn’t expect him to add all this nonsensical stuff. Thanks for bringing it up."

The screenwriter arrived a few moments later.

The moment he saw Lily Sterling standing there, his confidence faltered.

Feigning calm, he nodded at the director. "Director, you wanted to see me?"

"What the hell is this script?" The director didn’t mince words, immediately laying into him. "What is all this garbage you added? It’s completely nonsensical! Who the fuck taught you to butcher a script like this?"

"It’s not like that, Director." The screenwriter looked anguished. He pulled the director aside and lowered his voice. "It wasn’t my idea. It was George Lowe’s. He felt adding these scenes would forge a tighter bond between his character and Lily Sterling’s, and make his own role feel more well-rounded."

At the mention of George Lowe, the director instantly understood.

They had both been navigating the industry for years; how could he not be aware of certain things?

The director couldn’t help but spit on the ground. "That fucking old bastard has no shame. He’s already slept with several of my actresses. Fuck!"