Chapter 552 - 548: Sis, I Want to Play Games

Lily Sterling and Connie were laughing and chatting as they left the restaurant.

"All this trouble was worth it," Connie said. "Director Alan is incredibly picky with his casting. He wouldn’t even give someone with Heather’s qualifications a second look, but he chose you on the spot. That just goes to show you have real talent. You have to keep working hard. Opportunities like this don’t come around every day."

"I know, Connie. After filming for March Alley wraps up, I’ll take some time to ground myself and then sign up for a professional class on line delivery."

"Good. You have to rush back to the set today, right? Take care of yourself, and let me know immediately if anything comes up, okay?"

Lily Sterling smiled and nodded, her happiness written all over her face.

Behind them, however, a dark cloud seemed to hang over Kiara Holden and Rowe.

The more Rowe thought about it, the angrier he got. The moment they stepped out of the restaurant, he couldn’t help but explode. "So, I was the only one you were trying to fool with that ’bare face’ of yours, huh?"

"This was such an important opportunity! I told you a thousand times that the director wanted to see your bare face! Your bare face! Do you not understand the meaning of those two words?"

"Or does ’bare face’ to you just mean putting on makeup that you think other people can’t see?"

Kiara Holden was frustrated with herself, too. Normally, she used her fame as an excuse for her bad temper, but today, she was unequivocally in the wrong. Faced with Rowe’s scolding, she simply endured it with her head hanging low.

"That’s enough, Rowe." Connie, having heard enough, couldn’t help but step in. "The girl is new to this, and she skyrocketed to fame so quickly. It’s normal for her to feel the pressure. She deserves a scolding for not listening to you, but you bear some responsibility in this, too."

"Connie, I told her everything she needed to know. She just..."

"Yes, but as her agent, you need to be able to anticipate these kinds of risks. Everyone is different. You should know your own artist’s personality inside and out."

’If Kiara were my artist,’ Connie thought, ’I would have personally supervised her this morning to make sure she didn’t put on any makeup.’

’But I didn’t have to watch Lily, because I knew she would listen and do exactly as she was told.’

Feeling wronged, and with Connie having spoken up for her, Kiara Holden couldn’t help but start crying. Such a great opportunity was gone. She felt worse than anyone.

When she got upset, she wanted a cigarette.

She subconsciously patted her pockets. She hadn’t brought any.

Lily Sterling watched her. She wanted to feel sorry for her, but she couldn’t muster any sympathy. ’Is going without makeup really that terrifying?’ she thought. ’Does she really need to wear makeup just to be seen by people?’

This was just as Connie had said: everyone is different. Lily simply couldn’t comprehend Kiara’s way of thinking, so she couldn’t empathize with her at all.

Having auditioned for Director Alan’s film and feeling almost certain she had landed the role, the first thing Lily Sterling did when she got back to her room was to share the amazing news with her sister.

Cecilia Sterling was still out walking her dog early in the morning when she got the video call from her sister. Listening to her sister’s excited voice relaying the good news, the corners of her mouth turned up into a smile.

"That’s amazing. You’re my sister, after all."

"Sis, filming here is almost wrapped up. And Director Alan is casting for his film in Lorcain, so I’m planning to just wait for news there. I should be able to stay home for a longer time."

Hearing this, Cecilia sighed contentedly. "That’s wonderful. Mom was just talking about you yesterday. Even though she has the company now and her days are full, she still misses you from time to time. Haven’t you noticed that whenever you post something about the film set in the group chat, Mom is always the first one to reply?"

"I’ve noticed. I miss you guys, too. I’ll spend a lot of time with her when I get back."

She chatted with her sister for a few more minutes before they hung up. But before Cecilia could even turn off her screen, a message from her brother came through.

It was a short sentence, but it made Cecilia pause.

"Sis, I’m going to start gaming."

Cecilia blinked at the words, then slowly typed back a single question mark: "?"

But then a thought struck her, and she instantly understood. She slowly typed out a three-word question: "She rejected you?"

When a person feels a sense of defeat in one area, they tend to seek a sense of accomplishment in something they’re better at.

This was clearly a case of being heartbroken before the romance had even begun.

After a long pause, Ethan Sterling slowly replied with a single exclamation mark: "!"

Cecilia laughed. She didn’t offer any long-winded words of comfort, only replying, "Do what you want to do. I told you back then, as long as you didn’t mess up your college entrance exams, you could do whatever you wanted afterward."

Getting his sister’s support and approval was as good as getting it from the whole family.

That afternoon, carrying the brochure given to him by the Esports Club senior he’d met, Ethan Sterling found his way to the Lorcain U Esports Club.

"Ethan, are you really joining?"

Jameson Stone was with him, asking the same question over and over on the way there.

Ethan patiently nodded each time, showing that he wasn’t joking.

It wasn’t until the very end that Jameson Stone was finally convinced he was serious.

What neither of them expected was how huge the Lorcain U Esports Club was. The door was open, revealing a massive space inside that was spacious, bright, and airy.

The first thing they saw were dozens of computers, all of them top-of-the-line builds.

It was lunchtime, and many of the Esports Club members were playing together in groups. The room was bustling with energy.

Ethan Sterling and Jameson Stone stood at the entrance, completely stunned. The atmosphere was even better than an internet cafe.

"Excuse me?"

Just then, a sweet female voice sounded from behind them, asking quizzically, "Are you guys looking for someone?"

Ethan and Jameson both turned around to see a tall, sweet-looking girl with big, sparkling eyes looking at them.

She was also holding a heavy PC tower in her arms.

"Oh, yeah, I’m looking for someone." Ethan snapped out of his daze and held up the brochure. The name of the senior from the other day was written on the cover. "I’m looking for Brandon Marshall. Is he the vice president of the Esports Club?"

The girl smiled and nodded at his words. Her smile made her look even sweeter, and her voice was clear and pleasant. "That’s right. Come on in. He’s probably in the middle of a game."

Jameson finally reacted and reached out a hand. "Here, let me help you with that. It looks heavy."

The girl didn’t stand on ceremony and handed the PC tower over to Jameson.

"Are you guys looking to join the Esports Club?" the girl asked casually.

Ethan nodded. "I’d like to sign up. Are there still spots open?"

"I’ll check for you in a bit." The girl pointed toward the back of the room. "He’s over there. You’ll have to wait a little while. The spirit of esports is no AFKing and no surrendering. You have to wait for him to finish this match."

"Feel free to look around in the meantime and get a feel for the club’s atmosphere."

Ethan nodded. "Thanks."

The two of them then made their way over to Brandon Marshall and stood behind him. Just as they stopped, they heard him say to his screen, "Tsk, Penguin, can you stop dying already? You’re feeding them a carry! How are we supposed to fight in the late game?"

As he spoke, he missed two cannon minions in a row, which made him curse in frustration, "Fuck!"