Chapter 281 Natalie Felt Cold Sweat Trickling Down
When Natalie finished her class and arrived at the filming site, most of the other guests had already arrived. The area was cordoned off, and a crowd of onlookers, including students from various universities who had come after catching wind of the event, stood outside the designated space.
From a distance, Natalie caught sight of someone seated among the guests. Her eyes lit up and a joyful smile appeared on her face as she exclaimed, “Jane!”
Jane rose to her feet and hugged Natalie as Natalie ran toward her.
The students began to murmur among themselves upon seeing this.
"Is Natalie also a guest?"
"I can’t believe it! She's sitting next to Jane?"
"Who's that? They have such a commanding aura!"
“Don’t you know Jane? She’s the former top socialite in Paykston!”
"Birds of a feather flock together! It’s only natural for beautiful people to befriend each other, right?”
Puzzled, Natalie asked, "Jane, why did you decide to join a variety show?"
Jane’s personality was clearly not suited for variety shows. She did not even enjoy watching them; she found them foolish. Unexpectedly, she was participating in a variety show now.
Jane said with a shrug, “The pay is good, and they promised to put us in the same team. That’s why I agreed.”
Having been friends for more than ten years, Natalie had a hunch about Jane's actual motive. Shea asked, "You're trying to avoid Anthony, right?"
Jane's expression turned frosty. "Yes, that jerk moved into my house."
She added, "Moreover, I see this show as a platform to showcase my photography skills. My goal is to win the Pulitzer Prize and go to war zones…"
The Pulitzer Prize was often likened to the ‘Nobel Prize of Journalism’. The photos were usually taken under life-threatening circumstances.
Natalie gasped. "Jane, you're not serious, are you?"
Jane laughed. "I'm just kidding! I've got to wait for my brother to recover first. I wouldn't put myself in such danger."
In fact, deep down in her heart, Jane did consider going to a war zone. She was confident Anthony would not dare to follow her there.
At this time, a silver-haired woman nearby removed her sunglasses and stood up before greeting Natalie with a smile, “Natalie, what a coincidence!”
"Indeed, it is," Natalie replied with a forced smile. It seemed like Emily was right; Lily was here as well.
Excitement filled the air as screams of Lily’s name erupted from the crowd.
Lily, a top model who graduated from the same school as Natalie, had amassed a considerable fan base on campus. She exchanged pleasantries with those around her, earning a wave of goodwill.
The variety show was set to run for three episodes on a trial basis. Its guests included three photographers, three models, and three celebrities, who would act as stylists, and they would be divided into three teams.
Typically, celebrities were styled by others, raising the question: how could they style models professionally?
However, this was where the appeal lay. Guests making fools of themselves was precisely what drew the viewers in.
The models were all from Sense Academy. There were Natalie, Lily, and Sharon; an exotic beauty on par who was comparable to Natalie but had yet to achieve much fame in the industry.
Aside from Jane, the other two photographers had a particular expertise in portrait photography, giving them an advantage over Jane.
The celebrities, who would act as stylists, were Grace; an emerging actress, Zoey; a popular singer and dancer, and Jacob; an up-and-coming male idol. All of them were on the brink of achieving A-list status.
After a brief introduction among the guests and the filming of the show's opening segment, they were escorted to their accommodations—a set of graduate dormitories provided by Sense University. These dorms, designed for single occupancy, featured two bedrooms, a living room, a bathroom, and a kitchen, rivaling the quality of high-end apartments.
…
Natalie ventured to a supermarket not too distant from the dorm to buy ingredients for dinner. After pondering for a moment, she decided to call Oliver. She asked, "I’m at the supermarket buying ingredients. Is there anything specific you’d like for dinner?"
To her surprise, Oliver paused for a brief moment before responding, "There’s no need for you to cook tonight. I have other plans."
"Are you working late again?" Natalie asked, her brows furrowed with concern as she continued, "Even if you’re busy with work, you have to eat properly. Otherwise, your stomach is going to hurt again.”
She had worked hard to take care of him, after all.
“Alright,” Oliver said before ending the call.
"What does your husband feel like eating tonight?" Jane asked, clutching a bag of lollipops. She found comfort in sweets.
"He has plans tonight, so I don’t need to cook for him," Natalie replied, feeling an inexplicable sense of disappointment. In the past, even on busy days, Oliver would have Jamie pick up the meals. Why was this time different?
“Since he’s not eating, then let’s eat together!” Jane said cheerfully, providing Natalie with ample comfort.
…
Natalie went on to prepare a small feast for dinner. If it were not for filming tomorrow and the fact that Natalie’s early graduation depended on the result, Jane would have suggested having a few cans of beer.
After eating, Natalie intended to browse the Internet on her phone. However…
"Forget it, let's play a game instead," Jane suggested, taking Natalie's phone and launching PUBG. They played in duo mode.
Natalie eyed Jane with a hint of suspicion, noting that Jane had been scrolling through Instagram herself earlier.
Nevertheless, they played the game until midnight before retiring to bed.
…
The next day at the filming site, Natalie noticed the odd glances directed at her. Some avoided making eye contact, while others looked at her mockingly.
"Natalie, will you be able to deal with it?" Lily asked, with a smile masking her intent.
Natalie frowned in confusion. "What do you mean?"
Lily laughed before she asked with slight disbelief, “You really have no idea? Haven’t you gone online? Look it up yourself, and you'll see.”
As Lily spoke, she brought her phone out and added, “It’s still trending at number six.”
The sixth trending headline read: Susan Returns to the Country! She Was Picked Up by a Mysterious Handsome Man in a Rolls-Royce with a Bouquet of Flowers!
Susan was from the Hastings family. In the past, she won a pageant in Tycoon City, and she was now a famous designer. Not too long ago, she faced public scrutiny, but her popularity had surged after successful attempts at cleaning up her public image.
The article was published by a media outlet the previous night along with several photos, which clearly showed Susan, while the ‘mysterious man’ was only visible from the side or behind. The timing of the photos coincided with just minutes after Natalie called Oliver.
A chilling realization washed over Natalie, leaving her feeling cold and hollow. She scrolled through the comments, where speculation ran rampant about the man's identity. Was he the childhood sweetheart whom Susan had mentioned or a new suitor? It seemed like good news might just be around the corner.
At this time, Natalie recalled Jane’s actions last night. She knew now that Jane had insisted they play games to prevent her from seeing this.
Jane noticed Natalie looking at her phone, and her brows creased with worry.
“Natalie…”
Natalie tried to reassure Jane with a smile, but she found that it was difficult to lift the corners of her lips. Her chest felt constricted. It was as though something heavy was pressing against her chest, leaving her breathless with a tinge of bitterness.
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