Chapter 36: Day 1

——South City.

Jiajia Community.

This is considered the most rundown community in South City. Auntie Nian rushed out of one of the buildings.

Her wrinkled eyes were brimming with tears, clutching an old-fashioned keypad phone in one hand and holding onto her canvas bag while running out.

She didn't stop until she reached the plaza near the public security bureau. She sat down on the concrete steps, panting for breath.

This run had lasted two hours. Her back was drenched, and even her hair was disheveled from running.

She was illiterate and didn't know how to take the bus, so she could only ask for directions while running. Gazing at the distant public security bureau, her cloudy eyes seemed lost.

Suddenly, she felt a bit of despair.

Having lived most of her life, the changes between the city and their rural area had become far too significant.

Getting up, she continued walking towards the public security bureau, her thin legs wobbling inside the not-so-wide gray pant legs, still tightly clutching her keypad phone and protecting her canvas bag.

First, she looked up at the big characters of the public security bureau. She couldn't recognize the words, only confirmed by the symbol she saw.

"I want to report a case, young man, I want to report a case." Auntie Nian grabbed the hand of a police officer, pleading in her eyes.

"Oh dear! Ma'am, don't worry, come with me." The officer saw Auntie Nian's urgency and hurriedly led her inside.

An hour later, Auntie Nian came out from the public security bureau and started heading back.

She returned to the community, back to her rented room, just a small space two meters long and one meter wide.

In the corner was a sack of dried buns and a bucket of tap water. On the floor were some clothes and a faded, gray blanket.

She had picked up this blanket next to a garbage bin.

With dusk approaching outside, she ate a dry bun, drank two mouthfuls from the bucket, rested for a bit, then took her canvas bag and a tarpaulin bag out the door.

During the day, she wasn't allowed to rummage through garbage bins for bottles, so she changed to doing it at night, with the scrap collectors just across the community.

―――North City, Vicars Hotel.

Elliana was engrossed in her script, practicing while reading, and didn't notice when Norman Bennett returned.

"Young master, Miss Elliana has been looking at it all day and hasn't had time for lunch." Lana said, holding a bowl of lean pork porridge toward Norman Bennett.

"Give it to me." Norman Bennett took the porridge and walked beside Elliana, directly taking away her script, his tone commanding: "Eat."

"Ah? Norman Bennett, return it to me first! Let me finish the last segment!"

"Be good!"

...

2 AM.

Rumble! Rumble! Crack!

The rolling thunder was like a mountain collapsing, accompanied by flashes of lightning...

A little white cat ran to her feet, and Elliana joyfully picked up the kitten, "Hello, Little Lotus, you're so obedient."

"Meow～"

In an instant, the Little Lotus in her embrace changed, its right eye became a bloody hole, continuously seeping, its white fur dyed a soggy red.

Elliana jolted awake, sitting up in panic, her heartbeat conspicuously resonating in the room, thumping loudly.

At that moment, a deep thunder pealed into her ears, startling her heart with a tremor.

Yet the thunder paused only for a moment before the next one came again.

"Norman Bennett———Norman Bennett——! I want to sleep with you, Norman Bennett——!"

Elliana pounded the door, and within seconds, it opened. She stumbled into the man's arms.

"Norman Bennett, I'm scared!" Elliana clung tightly to the man's waist, her hands clasped firmly, holding him tightly.

Norman Bennett was a bit choked by her grip. He gently patted the girl's back, soothingly saying, "Don't be afraid, it's just thunder."

"I want to sleep with you!"

"Go back to the room, I'll watch you sleep, okay?" The man gently comforted.

Elliana shook her head like a rattle drum, "No, I want to sleep with you."

"Be good, we still…" Before Norman Bennett finished, the girl in his arms already slipped into the room from his hold.

Like a rabbit burrowing into the covers, leaving only a pair of big eyes staring at him.

The man took a deep breath, feeling quite helpless.

This night was peaceful, at least according to Elliana.

However, the man beside her remained awake all night.

In her unconscious state, her legs occasionally wrapped around the man's waist, and her feet kicked aimlessly.

7 AM.

Elliana woke up, but Norman Bennett was no longer in bed, and the sound of running water came from the bathroom.

She muttered, "Taking a bath so early in the morning?"

Getting off the bed, Elliana tiptoed on the floor, carefully approaching the bathroom. Just as she pressed against the bathroom door, the water stopped.

She was still puzzled when suddenly! The door opened from inside!

The man, showing his chest and wrapped in a towel, looked down at her. His tone carried a hint of teasing, "What are you trying to do?"

Elliana blushed, declaring boldly, "I...I just wanted to see what you were doing! Can't I?"

After breakfast, Victor King came to pick her up, saying nothing much other than telling her not to be nervous.

But today was truly unlucky, encountering a traffic jam halfway, hastening all the way to the crew, she was still late…

"Director Lee, I'm sorry, I was stuck in traffic."

Elliana felt very apologetic, but Thomas Lee didn't seem to hold it against her at all, instead politely saying, "It's okay, glad you're here."

However, the second female lead, Timara Zephyr, glared disdainfully at Elliana upon her arrival.

She sneered, "Just a newcomer, yet thinking she's a big deal, isn't it just because someone is backing her?"

Victor King was worried that Elliana might get into a dispute with Timara Zephyr, making things awkward for everyone, so he whispered into Elliana's ear, "Timara Zephyr is an artist under East Glory Film Brokerage Company, which is currently the largest film company in the country."

The meaning was clear, Victor King was advising her not to cause trouble for Norman Bennett.

Elliana knew she was at fault and didn't intend to argue, only apologized to everyone.

"Quickly take Miss Elliana to change costumes…"

After Elliana followed the staff to leave, Timara Zephyr impatiently said, "Director Lee, if Elliana doesn't work out, wouldn't she delay everyone's progress?"

"Oh, whether she works out will be seen later, please calm down, she's under Manager Shen's people." Thomas Lee smiled pestily, trying to use Norman Bennett to pacify Timara Zephyr.

However, hearing this further infuriated Timara Zephyr.

...

The first scene was where the female lead, as the eldest daughter of the Gu family, slips and falls into the water, while the second daughter, Clara Grey, does nothing to save her, leading to the female lead's death and subsequently being possessed by a time traveler.

Coincidentally, Clara Grey was played by Timara Zephyr.

"Big sister, if you're fine, I'll head back first." Timara Zephyr's portrayal of Clara Grey was one of a delicate young lady from a noble family.

"Stop! What are you running for? Are you afraid of me?" Elliana pointed at Timara Zephyr ahead, proudly, with her facial expressions and tone perfectly matching the original character.

"Afraid of you?" Timara Zephyr might have been provoked, turning around and directly shoving Elliana.

"Cut!" The director hastily shouted to stop!

Elliana struggled a few times, ultimately swimming herself back to the shore.

Thomas Lee instantly dissatisfied, said to Timara Zephyr, "She's supposed to slide herself into the water, not be pushed by you. Did you even read the script?"

"Director Lee, I made a mistake just now, apologies." Timara Zephyr's nonchalant response was a plain denial of her anger for pushing Elliana into the water.

However, Thomas Lee wasn't truly intending to pursue anything, likely only pretending for the crowd and Elliana's sake.

Elliana swam up from the water herself, fortunately she could swim, just accidentally swallowed a mouthful of water, which tasted evidently disgusting, causing her to want to vomit.

Li Mian Mian hurriedly helped her up, full of concern: "Elliana, are you alright?"

"I'm fine!" Elliana lifted her head, glancing once at Timara Zephyr, saying nothing more.

Little wench, you're done for, I'm telling you!