My Fiancé's Scandals Never End, So I Married His Uncle Instead-Chapter 148: Rich Woman
"Please put on a mask first and come with us to see Director Coleman."
Chloe Chambers and Nolan Scott could already predict his appearance would blow up the live stream. He would completely overshadow the few "connected guests" the investors were pushing. Whether Director Coleman would dare to accept him was hard to say.
Sure enough, half an hour later, in a spot away from the cameras, Director Coleman lit a cigarette, a headache already forming. "I told you to find an amateur, not to dig up an immortal."
He hadn’t met Silas Norwood and his group yet. All he knew from Chloe Chambers’s description was that the man had looks that could rival a top celebrity and would likely steal the spotlight from the others on set. But Chloe Chambers was never one for exaggeration, and she had a keen eye. If she called him top-tier, then he had to be top-tier.
"He’s the owner of an orchard. We can promote his orchard at the end, which fits the theme of supporting agriculture," Chloe Chambers retorted casually. Her status in the industry was so high that she could challenge even the director. "Director Coleman, if you’re going to be this indecisive, you might as well have shown some backbone earlier."
"Can backbone put food on the table?" Director Coleman’s head throbbed. "Fine, where is he? I’ll meet him first, then we’ll talk."
Annoyed as he was, he was also curious.
’Just what kind of person could earn the highest praise from both Chloe Chambers and Nolan Scott?’
’I’ll just take a peek first.’
’We’ll decide whether to use him later.’
In the rest area behind the tea room, Celia Sterling was curiously asking a few cameramen about the basic operational procedures for filming a variety show. Silas Norwood stood a few meters away, his gaze resting quietly on her.
Director Coleman caught a glimpse of them from a distance, and his expression changed abruptly.
"Really a no-go?" Chloe Chambers frowned slightly, noticing his odd expression.
"Could you all please go to the front and prepare lunch with the other guests?" Director Coleman didn’t answer, instead dismissing the group. Only after everyone else had left did he cautiously walk over.
Two bodyguards silently stepped forward, blocking Director Coleman’s path. The director paused for two seconds before bowing respectfully from a distance and greeting, "Chair-Chairman Norwood."
Silas Norwood glanced back calmly and gave his bodyguards a slight nod.
The bodyguards moved aside. Director Coleman hurried forward and stood before Silas Norwood, speaking again with respectful enthusiasm. "I never imagined the person Best Actress Chambers found would be you, Chairman Norwood."
"You recognize me?"
"Three years ago, my station head and I attended the Norwood Group’s annual gala. I had the honor of seeing you from a distance, Chairman Norwood. Your presence was so striking, it’s a sight I’ll never forget." Director Coleman chose his words carefully. "Chairman Norwood, are you planning to participate in our show?"
"My wife is curious." Silas Norwood’s voice softened slightly. "Is it convenient for you, Director Coleman?"
"Convenient, of course it’s convenient!" Never mind the connected guests on set; even the financial backers behind them would have to bow and scrape before this man. Besides, he had also seen the recent public announcement about Silas Norwood and Kian Sterling. He knew that behind Silas Norwood’s wife stood Kian Sterling, the head of another top-tier conglomerate. Her background was terrifyingly deep.
Director Coleman’s tone grew slightly excited. "I’ll have the cameramen give all the screen time to your wife and you, Chairman Norwood..."
"The less screen time, the better," Silas Norwood said languidly. "She’s mainly here to have some fun with Best Actress Chambers. We won’t steal the show. Director Coleman, just film according to your original plan."
He paused. "But one thing. My wife is here to have fun. I hope she leaves completely satisfied. Don’t let any of the usual industry nonsense get in front of her."
Director Coleman hastily assured him, "No problem, no problem at all. You and your wife can do whatever you please, Chairman Norwood. I’ll have a private word with the host and tell them to prioritize your wife’s enjoyment above all else."
After saying this, he hesitated. "Have you and your wife had lunch yet, Chairman Norwood? The guests foraged for ingredients and made a few simple dishes with wild greens. If you don’t mind, perhaps you and your wife could give them a try?"
Silas Norwood looked over at Celia Sterling, who was still engrossed in her conversation with the cameraman, and called to her softly:
"Darling, would you like to try the crew’s food?"
Celia Sterling walked over to him and hummed a soft "Mhm."
In the live stream, the guests were working together at the cooking station. While Chloe Chambers and her group were out looking for the amateur guests, the others hadn’t been idle. They had dug up wild vegetables, caught fish, and pulled up radishes, creating plenty of buzz. The live stream chat was filled with mouth-watering emojis and lively discussions about the taste of the wild produce and the guests’ amusingly bad cooking skills.
Only the group of viewers who had followed Chloe Chambers and Nolan Scott’s stream kept chiming in with comments about the amateurs:
[Why haven’t today’s amateurs shown up yet? Usually their self-introductions are done by now.]
[I’m so curious! What kind of looks could rival a top celebrity? Is this for real, or just some marketing ploy by investors?]
[I vaguely overheard some of their off-camera chatter. Sounded like some unremarkable rich kid who owns an orchard or something. Don’t take that ’top celebrity’ talk too seriously.]
At the cooking station, the celebrities were laughing and chatting, happily placing homemade dishes like fish soup, stir-fried vegetables, and pork ribs stewed with radish on the table. They couldn’t help but ask Chloe Chambers:
"Sis Chambers, where are the people you found?"
Chloe Chambers was pondering her reply when, off-camera, the host walked over with a complicated expression. Beneath a seemingly calm tone was a barely suppressed excitement:
"Our amateur guests have arrived! Let’s welcome Mr. Norwood and Miss Sterling! Let our short but beautiful journey begin with this autumn feast!"
The celebrities casually glanced over.
And then, in unison, their smiles vanished and they fell silent.
[What’s going on, what’s going on! Why did they all suddenly go quiet!]
[Camera! Pan the camera over! Let me see what they’re seeing!]
Wave after wave of comments flooded the screen as the live camera slowly panned toward the amateur guests. The afternoon sun was bright, obscuring the faces of the two approaching figures. But the man’s tall, elegant silhouette and the enchanting, fairy-like figure by his side, their hands intertwined, instantly triggered a frenzy of comments!
As the figures drew closer, the viewers stared intently at their screens. But then, whether intentionally or not, the camera suddenly panned down, showing only a side view of Silas Norwood and Celia Sterling’s clasped hands. A few seconds later, even that was gone, and the camera cut back to the celebrities.
[I was finally about to see their faces, what the hell are you doing, cameraman?!!]
[The moment I saw the amateur guests, I thought I’d seen the man of my dreams! My heart skipped a beat! I don’t believe they’re amateurs. Director, get out here and get your useless cameraman in line! Pan the camera back so we can verify if a heart-stealing male siren has really shown up!]
...
The live chat was already in an uproar, but the cameraman remained unmoved. Remembering Director Coleman’s repeated instructions, he didn’t dare give them too much screen time. He simply positioned himself behind Celia Sterling and Silas Norwood. In the wide shot, all the celebrities and the host were clearly visible, but the two amateurs were only shown from the back.
[It’s over. I’m in love with just their backs. I’m glued to this live stream today. I refuse to believe I won’t get a look at this super-classy amateur couple’s faces over the next few days.]
[HOLY SHIT! I saw the cuffs on the amateur couple’s clothes have a cloud pattern embroidered with silver thread! That’s the exclusive signature of the legendary Valorian master craftsman, Cloud! A set like that costs well into the six figures! And the ruby necklace on the woman’s wrist, that was LR’s most expensive piece, their crown jewel, featured in a luxury magazine last month for over thirty million! Cameraman, please zoom in, let me get a closer look!]
[WTF, WTF, WTF!!! Look at the lady’s purple diamond fox-tail earrings! Aren’t those the ones that have been on the Norwood Conglomerate’s official website for two years? The ’not for sale’ item said to be crafted from the finest purple diamonds from the Norwood Mining District? There’s only one pair, valued at over one hundred million!]
[Even the celebrity guests wouldn’t dare to flex this hard! Damn! Where did the show find this rich sugar mommy?]
...
The celebrity guests were a whirlwind of different emotions, but they all feigned composure as they politely greeted Silas Norwood and Celia Sterling. "With looks like yours, the two of you would be unrivaled even in our industry! How should we address you?"
