Chapter 16: Currently Single
1281 Words
As the opening ceremony continued, the crowd was still stunned by the ongoing support for Celia, but she and Lily remained calm. They knew exactly who was behind the mysterious "JZC" account.
That "dog of a man" knew how to support his wife publicly, after all.
After finishing his questions with Mason, the host shifted the focus to Celia.
Viewer comments:
- “Ugh, enough with this nobody! Give us more Mason already!”
- “Did anyone else notice Mason gave his microphone to Celia? Their chemistry is amazing!”
- “Who the heck is this JZC? Why are they still showering her with gifts?”
- “It’s probably Jasper Lawrence, the CEO of YT Corp.”
- “No way! That’s impossible!!!”
The host smiled, turning to Celia and said, "I've noticed a lot of fans are curious about your relationship status. Could you share a bit about that?"
Celia looked directly into the camera, her expression sincere and sweet. “I’m currently single and planning to focus on my career. Honestly, my goal is to win Best Actress.”
She didn’t hesitate for a moment, her words confident and without a hint of doubt.
Viewer comments:
- “LOL, best joke of the year—Celia aiming for Best Actress.”
- “What if she actually has the connections to make that happen? I’m getting curious about her background, but there’s barely anything about her online!”
- “Yesss, I love watching a beautiful woman chase her career goals. Way better than those love-obsessed starlets!”
- “OMG, where is her dress from? It’s stunning! I’ve been searching online but can’t find anything like it.”
Meanwhile, Jasper Lawrence, watching the stream from his office, let out a low chuckle after hearing her declaration.
His assistant, John, shuddered, getting chills from the sudden laugh.
“Make a note of all the gifts I sent earlier and prepare an invoice for my wife to reimburse later,” Jasper said, his expression calm but clearly irked.
Currently single? If she had even hesitated for a split second before saying that, he wouldn’t be this annoyed.
John, feeling a mix of confusion and disbelief at how petty his boss could be, nodded obediently. The things he did for his paycheck. *Good luck, Mrs. Lawrence.*
The ceremony ended smoothly. Celia’s leaderboard ranking skyrocketed, leaving second-place Mason trailing by miles.
#CeliaJZC became a trending topic on social media, with fans frantically trying to uncover the identity of "JZC." Some even started a dedicated discussion group to investigate, but Celia’s personal information was so well-protected that no one could dig up the details they wanted.
Director Hughes invited everyone in the cast and crew to dinner that evening, but Celia had already informed him in advance that she wouldn’t be attending. As she was about to leave, Mason stopped her.
“You’re not coming to dinner?” he asked. “You’re too thin.”
He assumed Celia, like many other actresses, probably starved herself to look good on camera.
“Oh, no. You enjoy yourself,” Celia politely declined.
Mason chuckled and, without hesitation, took her phone and entered his number. “We’ll have a kissing scene together later. You don’t have to be so reserved around me.”
Celia found his behavior a bit strange, but out of courtesy, she just smiled and nodded.
As Mason walked away, he suddenly turned back and said, “By the way, I noticed your acting during *Where Am I*. You were really good!”
“…Thank you,” Celia replied, slightly surprised.
Just as he left, Jenna suddenly appeared out of nowhere, her expression full of disdain. “The big shot actor says a few words to you, and you’re grinning like an i***t. How pathetic.”
Celia glanced at her watch and decided not to waste time on Jenna.
But Jenna wasn’t done. She strutted over to Celia, full of arrogance. “I’m heading to the Radiant Charity Gala soon. One of my best friends is hosting it—none other than the Young family’s precious daughter.”
At the mention of the charity event, Celia raised an eyebrow.
Seeing Celia’s reaction, Jenna assumed she was envious of her access to high society. With an even more condescending tone, she added, “It’s funny, you share the same last name, but our statuses couldn’t be more different.”
“Oh, right. Your name isn’t your real name, is it? I bet you’re actually called something like Lily Smith,” Jenna cackled, her laughter clucking like a hen laying an egg.
Rolling her eyes, Celia shot back, “Do you have a head just to make yourself taller?”
To be fair, it wasn’t entirely Jenna’s fault she didn’t know about Celia’s true identity. After all, Mary had always promoted herself as the family’s only daughter.
Celia changed into her gown in the car. When the curtain was pulled back, both Lily and Jack were stunned.
The dress was a rare shade of soft lavender, resembling the hues found in a delicate oil painting. The gown’s fabric shimmered like iridescent silk, catching the light with every subtle movement.
But no gown could outshine Celia herself.
The back of the dress was intricately cut, revealing her smooth, alabaster skin. Her figure was flawless, her slender shoulders giving way to delicately visible shoulder blades.
Jack snapped a few pictures, already crafting his next post for her social media account.
Lily pulled out a necklace and clasped it around Celia’s neck, muttering, “In my next life, I want to be Jasper Lawrence. That lucky bastard doesn’t know how good he’s got it.”
The necklace was shaped like a rose, with a pink diamond from Harry Winston set at its heart. Jasper had bought it at auction for over $20 million the previous year and given it to her as a birthday gift.
Celia added a touch of shimmering powder to her collarbone, enhancing her glow.
Lily grinned mischievously and said, “Hey, bestie, when the gala’s over, why don’t you gift me this necklace?”
“Sure,” Celia smiled back. “If you call me ‘Mom,’ I’ll even leave all my diamonds to you in my will.”
“Get lost!” Lily laughed.
After Jack finished posting the pictures, he turned to them and said, “By the way, I heard that Director Wang got beaten up yesterday. Not only did he break a few ribs, but the bones… down there were shattered too!”
Apparently, someone had found him in a garbage heap, filthy and reeking like a beggar who’d been imprisoned for days.
“Serves him right!” Lily said, satisfaction evident in her voice.
That outcome was exactly what she’d been hoping for. Director Wang’s actions didn’t quite meet the legal threshold for harassment, so at most, he would’ve been fined and jailed for a short time. And none of the actresses who had benefited from his “favors” were willing to speak out.
Celia raised an eyebrow, unfazed.
The Radiant Charity Gala was held at a luxurious hotel, and John, on Jasper’s orders, had rented out an entire floor of the banquet hall.
After dropping Celia off, the car drove away.
As she was about to head inside, a hand suddenly grasped hers.
The familiar sensation and the ever-present scent of cedar filled her senses.
Just as she was about to lace her fingers with his, Jasper’s lazy voice interrupted, “Oh, I’m sorry. I forgot you’re *currently single*, Miss Young. I hope holding your hand won’t ruin your reputation.”
Celia: "…?"
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