Chapter 38: Chapter 38: New Show’s Press Conference
She considered herself a fan of Yuna Sutton.
Although she wasn’t a stan who spent all day online managing comments and boosting rankings for Yuna Sutton, she had seen every show she’d been in and dreamed of becoming an actress just like her.
Surrounded by staff and on-site security, Yuna Sutton, wearing sunglasses, walked by at a rapid pace. Lily Sterling, on the periphery, only caught a glimpse before the star disappeared into her private dressing room.
Still, the thought that she would soon be sharing a stage with her at the press conference filled Lily Sterling with an excitement she could hardly contain.
"Lily Sterling!"
Just then, someone suddenly reached out and tapped her on the shoulder.
Lily Sterling turned in surprise. She paused for a moment upon seeing the person behind her, then broke into a happy smile. "Oh? Winnie!"
Winnie, carrying her makeup bag, asked with a smile, "Watching Yuna Sutton?"
Lily Sterling nodded shyly.
It seemed Winnie’s professional habits were kicking in. She suddenly began to seriously scrutinize Lily Sterling’s makeup for the day, making Lily feel a bit self-conscious.
She awkwardly touched her face. "I did it myself. Is something wrong with it?"
Winnie raised an eyebrow. "No major problems. You have a great base to work with. It’s just a few details that are a bit... Maybe I’m just being too picky as a makeup artist. It’s actually pretty good."
But after saying that, she seemed to reconsider. "You know what? Come with me. I’ll touch it up for you in a bit."
Lily Sterling was more than willing and nodded happily.
Following Winnie further inside, Winnie instructed as they walked, "When we get in, just have a seat off to the side. I have to do Jessica Reynolds’s makeup first. I’ll help you after I’m done with her."
"Jessica Reynolds?" Lily Sterling was slightly surprised. "She’s one of the main leads too?"
Winnie nodded. Thinking that the press conference was about to start anyway, she told Lily Sterling directly, "She’s the second female lead."
An understanding expression appeared on Lily Sterling’s face. The second female lead was the villain, the female protagonist’s number one nemesis. And Jessica Reynolds had debuted playing a villain; it seemed she hadn’t played a good person in years.
But her acting was good, and she’d won awards, so she had virtually no competition in her niche. You could say she was at the height of her career.
Lily Sterling couldn’t help but recall what her sister had said. If she played the part of the evil maidservant too well, she could very well get typecast. Jessica Reynolds was a living example of that.
Entering the dressing room, Lily Sterling immediately spotted Jessica Reynolds surrounded by her team. It looked like a group of people was helping her go over the script; she needed to memorize the answers to some of the questions she would be asked.
"Jessica, sorry I’m late," Winnie said, greeting her naturally.
Jessica put down her script. She shot a casual glance at Lily Sterling, who had taken a seat by the door, before turning to Winnie with a smile. "It’s fine, no rush."
In front of the vanity mirror, the makeup lights instantly revealed the less-than-perfect condition of Jessica’s skin. Not wanting to look at it herself, she sighed in frustration. "It’s like I’m cursed. My forehead keeps breaking out with these little bumps, and the sides of my nose, too. It’s driving me crazy."
This wasn’t the first time Winnie had done Jessica’s makeup, so she knew her skin condition wasn’t great. Although she’d never asked directly, she had heard bits and pieces of gossip. Rumor had it that Jessica smoked and drank in private, and also loved sweets and dairy products—all things that could easily cause acne.
"It’s a small problem. Leave it to me. I guarantee you won’t be able to see a thing on camera," Winnie said confidently.
A smile instantly appeared on Jessica’s face. "I knew I could count on you. You have to make me look extra beautiful, please."
Lily Sterling was sitting in the back, positioned perfectly to be seen in the reflection of the vanity mirror. It was impossible for Jessica to ignore her even if she wanted to.
Superior features, flawless skin, thick, dark hair... she was undeniably, almost frustratingly, beautiful.
Jessica watched her impassively for a long moment before asking tentatively, "Winnie, who’s that young woman? Your assistant?"
Winnie was taken aback for a second. She glanced back at Lily Sterling instinctively, then smiled. "No, she’s an actress in your show. She’s playing Flora!"
The moment Jessica heard that, her expression changed instantly.
’Flora?’
’Isn’t that the fourth female lead? And wasn’t Charlotte Travis playing the fourth female lead?’
’Why was she replaced by some unfamiliar rookie?’
Her mind raced for a moment, then she let out a soft, mocking laugh. "The competition in this industry is really intense, isn’t it? I heard Charlotte Travis got stuck haggling with the investors over her salary and ended up getting replaced outright. What a shame."
Winnie just smiled. "This young woman is great. A freshman at The Film Academy. I heard the camera crew has been praising her."
"Oh?" Jessica raised an eyebrow. "Going out of their way to praise a newcomer? Now that’s new."
As she spoke, she watched Lily Sterling through the mirror, her eyes dark and a smirk playing on her lips.
About half an hour later, Winnie had finished Jessica’s makeup, leaving the rest to the hairstylist.
She carried her makeup bag over to the chair next to Lily Sterling and sat down. "Let’s make do. I’ll just touch you up right here."
Lily Sterling nodded. "Thank you, Winnie."
It only took a few minutes for Winnie to adjust Lily Sterling’s makeup, making it more suitable for her and better accentuating her lovely features.
When she was done, she nodded in satisfaction. "Much better. Your bright, sparkling eyes are your best feature. They’re really captivating."
Lily Sterling smiled, her pretty face blushing slightly. She saw Winnie stand up. "The press conference is probably starting soon, so I should get going."
Lily Sterling politely walked Winnie out. The moment Lily left, Jessica said to her assistant at her side, "Mia, go get Tommy."
"Now?" Mia glanced at the time. "It’s about to start. Isn’t Tommy busy right now?"
"I told you to go get him, so go. Hurry up," Jessica urged impatiently.
Mia had no choice but to nod and hurry out.
Before long, a man in a suit wearing a headset and holding a walkie-talkie walked in quickly with Mia.
"What’s up, Jessica? I’m sweating buckets over here. What’s so important you had to call me?" Tom Chase asked, frowning.
Jessica smiled and beckoned him over with a crooked finger.
Tom Chase looked a little annoyed but leaned in anyway. He listened as Jessica whispered a few words in his ear.
Tom Chase’s expression turned to surprise. "You... you’re not serious, are you? She’s just a rookie. How much screen time could she possibly get on stage? There isn’t a single question about her in the script. She’ll just be standing there like a prop."
"I don’t care. Anyway, I’m asking you for this favor. Just tell me if you can do it or not." Jessica pouted, putting on a pitiful expression.
After all, with her hair and makeup perfectly done, Jessica looked quite beautiful at that moment.
Tom Chase gave a "can’t-say-no-to-you" look and nodded. "Fine, fine. I’ll take care of it. But this is the last time!"
"Listen to how fierce you sound. I’m still coming to you next time I need something," Jessica said triumphantly.
Tom Chase laughed helplessly as an urgent voice came over his walkie-talkie again. He lifted it to his mouth and, seizing the opportunity, said, "We might not have enough room on stage. A few of the actors might not be able to come up. Bring me the cast list so I can take a look."
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