Chapter 15: The Starry Dispute

Chapter 15: The Starry Dispute

"Ah, I'm doomed, I'm finished!" Olivia lay back in her seat, looking like a fish out of water. "I've offended Chairman Harrison this time. When my dad finds out... wah, I'm really screwed!"

After her dramatic outburst, she did a dramatic flip and pulled out her phone. "I need to order some crayfish..."

Emily: "?"

"What's this solution supposed to be?" Emily asked. "Is eating crayfish going to magically fix things?"

"How can you be so indifferent!" Olivia glared at Emily. "It's all because of you!"

"I've offended a big shot, and my dad is probably going to skin me alive. Plus, he definitely won't continue investing in me... what am I supposed to do now?"

Olivia looked despondent. "To keep my figure, I haven't eaten crayfish for three years. Now, it's over; I can finally eat as much as I want!"

Emily: "…"

Emily never imagined she would feel guilty towards Olivia one day.

"It's not that bad," Emily said. "Chairman Harrison won't hold this against your family. He doesn't bring personal issues into business..."

Olivia scoffed. "As if you know him so well. Do you even know what Chairman Harrison is like?"

Emily: "…"

You might not believe it, but I actually know quite a bit about Ethan in some respects. :)

"It's all your fault!" Olivia said angrily. "Why did you have to provoke that person? What kind of person is he that you can just mess with him like that?"

"I didn't provoke him!" Emily defended, pouting. "He started it first..."

Olivia: "…"

Indeed. Olivia had seen firsthand that the richest man was persistently trying to shove jewelry into Emily's hands.

Thinking about it, Olivia felt a pang of jealousy.

Emily was already married, so why were other men still so attentive?

Especially someone like the richest man, who was offering rare jewels.

Olivia glanced at Emily, who sat upright and composed, looking like a proud little swan.

She was quite full of herself.

For someone like Chairman Harrison, who was impossible to offend, Emily would switch between giving him the cold shoulder and teaching him a lesson with "money can't buy stars and true feelings"...

Could this be what they call "using beauty to get away with anything"?

Olivia looked at Emily with a hint of jealousy and nudged her.

"Hey, you should be more careful. You're married now. What if your husband finds out about this?"

Emily looked at her expressionlessly.

Coincidentally, her husband was right there earlier.

She should have interviewed the person involved.

"What does it feel like to be green and have your own identity exposed?"

Olivia thought of something else and sighed again.

"By the way, Chairman Harrison is also married. Well, looking at it this way, his wife seems pretty pitiful, with her husband flirting with other women..."

Emily: "…"

Olivia even began to gossip. "Chairman Harrison has been married for so long, but his wife has never been exposed. Why do you think that is? Could it be that he was forced into marriage by his family for business interests, ending up with an old and unattractive rich woman?"

The "old and unattractive rich woman" stared at Olivia in silence for a few seconds before suddenly letting out a chuckle.

Olivia widened her eyes. "What are you laughing at?"

Emily laughed so hard her shoulders shook. She raised her hand and pinched Olivia's plastic nose.

"I'm laughing at how adorably naive you are."

**

At the end of the month, the annual Top Ten Covers were announced.

The fashion shoot Emily did with Ryan topped the list, receiving countless accolades.

Even professionals, like fans, praised it, describing it as "an alternative interpretation, revealing the true self, the best of the year, well-deserved."

The cover credits listed the staff, and everyone discovered that aside from the styling being handled by Jessica's studio, the concept, production, planning, and shooting were all done by Alisa alone.

Emily, riding the coattails of top-tier fame, once again made headlines. Marketing accounts, seemingly paid off, spread the word, calling her "not just a beautiful photographer who shoots celebrities, but a star herself."

Even Jessica commented that Emily had really boosted her career. Since they started working together, the studio had been thriving, and lately, the demand was so high that the appointment schedule was getting cramped.

Emily was quite calm despite the praise and the surge in popularity. However, when she received a follow notification from Ryan on Weibo, she lost her composure.

Holding her phone, she spun around in bed for a bit, then took a screenshot of the notification and shyly followed him back.

Not long after the mutual follow, Ryan sent a direct message:

"Remember we talked about working together again? Is there an opportunity recently?"

Emily replied:

"Aren't you busy with your current project? Do you have any available slots?"

She regretted sending the message as soon as she did.

Who besides fans would be so focused on someone's schedule?

Oh no, has my fan identity been exposed?

Ryan responded quickly:

"If it's you shooting me, then I have the time."

Emily's heart skipped a beat. She muttered "Wow" under her breath. Looking down, Ryan sent another message:

"Do you have time then?"

Emily hesitated for a moment, then typed a few words:

"If it's for you, I'm available."

Emily put down her phone, feeling stunned and unable to process it for a moment.

It was hard to believe.

Was this fangirl about to achieve the ultimate goal of dating a celebrity?

Could her and Jessica's three-year plan of "making money and getting a good guy" be completed ahead of schedule?

Amidst her happiness, Emily quickly organized her thoughts.

First of all, she must, definitely must, get a divorce soon.

Is Ethan still in Paris drafting the agreement?

Why hasn't it been finalized yet?

Emily frowned, hesitating whether to call him. Just then, the studio's assistant came in.

"Alisa, someone came by and asked me to give this to you."

Emily: "Who?"

The assistant shook her head. "I don't know. He was wearing a suit and black-rimmed glasses, looking very neat."

The man with black-rimmed glasses reminded Emily of that assistant named Shen—he was the one enabling the trouble.

Emily opened the box and first saw a very familiar velvet jewelry box.

Emily: "…"

This man is not only ridiculously confident but also persistently so.

But she still couldn't accept it.

Accepting it would feel like indirectly agreeing to "create a new story" with him. :)

To avoid any strange images appearing in her mind, Emily placed the box far away.

Seeing the document folder, she felt a thrill. But her excitement quickly turned to disappointment—it wasn't the divorce agreement but a certificate.

It was a purchase certificate for naming rights of stars from the Star Association.

The certificate showed that Ethan had bought five stars in the Pisces constellation and named them "A," "L," "I," "S," and "A."

Emily's lips parted slightly in shock.

He bought five stars from her constellation and named them after her?

Her curled lashes fluttered several times as she tightened her grip on the certificate, feeling her throat go dry.

The momentary flutter of emotions passed quickly, and she soon realized—

"Chairman Harrison, eight million can buy rare gems, but there are many things money can't buy, like stars in the sky..."

Her temples throbbed a couple of times. Emily took a deep breath, closed her eyes.

Ethan's smug smile seemed vividly alive.

"Money can't buy stars, huh?"

The popular meme flashed through Emily's mind:

Sorry, money really can get you almost anything. :)

**

Ethan picked up his phone. Seeing the caller ID, he curled his lips as expected.

"Hello?"

"You sent me that stuff, right? I've just returned the package. Has the agreement been finalized? If not, I can come over and finalize it with you. If you don't have time, I can wait. If there are issues, I can bring a lawyer. Just get the agreement ready so I can sign it quickly!"

Ethan listened to the furious rant, and his eyelids twitched several times.

He mentally cut off the sentence, automatically ignoring the rest.

"You don't like stars?"

"Don't like them!" The woman snapped, her voice coming through the receiver, sounding very irate.

Ethan's smile widened. He asked softly, "Then what do you want?"

"I want a divorce!"

Ethan's knuckles tapping on the table stopped abruptly. He licked his lips, and his smile faded a bit.

"Anything else besides a divorce?"

There was a moment of silence on the other end, followed by a cold snort.

"I want to be a widow."

Ethan: "..."

Ethan lowered his eyes, his long lashes casting a deep shadow over his eyes.

Hearing his wife curse him, Ethan smiled instead of getting angry.

"Do you want me dead?" he asked淡淡地, even tapping the table calmly.

"Only in bed."

He switched the phone to the other ear and chuckled again.

"Not at other times."