My Fiancé's Scandals Never End, So I Married His Uncle Instead-Chapter 149: Half-Spoken Words

Besides Chloe Chambers and Nolan Scott, the other four permanent guests also came from notable backgrounds. The one asking the question was Faye Sinclair, a rising starlet known in the industry as an "Inspirational Goddess." In addition to reality shows, she had acted in quite a few TV dramas and was hailed as one of the Four New Top Starlets. Celia Sterling didn’t really watch her shows, but the woman seemed to have a powerful backer, which generated a lot of online buzz; Celia had scrolled past her online many times.

Since she didn’t know her well, Celia Sterling’s tone was rather neutral. "My last name is Sterling. My husband’s is Norwood."

Faye Sinclair felt a bit snubbed. Her expression flickered for a moment, but she quickly composed herself. Her gaze surreptitiously sized up Silas Norwood, and she fell silent.

Celia Sterling knew Silas Norwood was a hit with the ladies.

It wasn’t just Faye Sinclair; the other permanent guests’ attention was also focused on Silas Norwood. His looks were a given, but with that refined and commanding aura, no one present believed he was just a fruit merchant.

"You two have such an extraordinary air about you. Would you mind sharing what you do for a living?" another guest, the male supermodel Liam Langdon, asked. He was nearing forty and known for being cheerful and refreshingly frank. "Haha, no worries if you’d rather not say! I’m not running a background check or anything, just curious! I just heard the crew talking backstage; the live chat apparently exploded because of your arrival. Just asking a quick question for all the viewers out there."

This time, it was Silas Norwood who spoke. "Just a small business."

"Sis Chambers said the orchard is yours?" Liam Langdon teased. "I do live streams myself occasionally. Want me to promote your products for you, free of charge?"

Having lived a life of luxury and privilege for years, not to mention holding a high position, Silas Norwood was naturally aloof. He shot Liam Langdon an indifferent glance, replied, "That won’t be necessary," and then elegantly rolled up his sleeves to ladle some soup for Celia Sterling.

Both of the non-celebrity guests had rather cold personalities, but in the dazzling, decadent world of showbiz, most people knew how to spot true quality. From their fashion and accessories to the nervous, reverent attitude of the host and Director Coleman in the distance, everyone vaguely sensed that the couple’s status was extraordinary. Coupled with the fact that they were on a live stream watched by millions, the celebrity guests all put on their most polite smiles, no matter what they were truly thinking.

Celia Sterling was sitting next to Chloe Chambers.

Chloe Chambers had seen more than her fair share of pretentious people, so she genuinely liked Celia Sterling’s straightforward nature. She chatted with her warmly:

"Miss Sterling, are you from Silverwood? Your accent is so soft and melodic, it’s lovely to listen to."

Celia Sterling was much warmer toward Chloe Chambers, shaking her head with a smile. "My husband and I are both from Metropia. We’re just here on vacation."

"Really? I guessed wrong!" Chloe Chambers’s eyes crinkled with a smile as she looked her over again. "I’m from Metropia too. We should get together for afternoon tea sometime."

"I’d love that, as long as I wouldn’t be imposing."

"How could you be imposing! When you get older, you enjoy hanging out with young ladies like you. It makes your whole mindset feel younger," Chloe Chambers lamented with a smile. "The real question is whether you’ll find an old woman like me boring."

"Never! It’s not just me—my brother and I used to binge-watch your shows together. We’ve both been your fans for years!" Celia Sterling proactively placed some food on Chloe Chambers’s plate. In front of the actress, she shed all the pride and airs of a rich heiress, behaving just like a down-to-earth fangirl.

"Is that so? Then why not invite your brother to have a meal with us the day after tomorrow?" Nearby, the Music King Nolan Scott teased. "After this show, our dear Sis Chambers is probably retiring for good. If Miss Sterling’s brother isn’t busy, it’s a rare opportunity!"

Celia Sterling paused. "The show lets you just bring people on?"

"I can tell from that question you’ve never watched our show." Nolan Scott smiled. "Our show’s format is relatively simple. We just spend a vacation together enjoying the pastoral life. But, as is tradition, on the final day, there’s a popularity contest. Each guest has to invite friends to help them out, and then we all prepare a farewell banquet together."

Celia Sterling grew thoughtful. "I’ll ask him then."

In the live stream, the bullet comments were frantically @’ing Celia Sterling:

[Don’t let Music King Scott fool you, non-celeb sis! The popularity contest isn’t just about live stream popularity; it also depends on the guest’s number of fans. If you invite your brother, you’re guaranteed to lose!]

[I remember last season, Faye Sinclair invited three top-tier celebrities, each with over 50 million fans, to support her. She instantly crushed everyone! There’s no way our non-celeb sis can find guests of that caliber. It would be more practical for her and her brother to just focus on fangirling.]

[To the person above me, think about the value of her accessories before you talk. A rich sis who casually wears a ’small goal’ worth of jewelry, you think she lacks connections? Let’s not even talk about anything else—could Faye Sinclair get her hands on a not-for-sale pair of earrings from the Norwood Conglomerate?]

Everyone was eating, but the more proactive celebrities were keeping an eye on the live stream chat from time to time. Halfway through the meal, someone looked up at Celia Sterling’s earrings and probed, "Someone in the chat is saying your earrings, Miss Sterling, are worth a ’small goal.’"

Celia Sterling replied calmly, "My husband had them custom-designed. The materials are all our own."

’Our own designer, our own mines.’ This perfectly sidestepped the question of value without being an outright lie.

She only told half the story, but it led everyone present, as well as the viewers in the live stream, to a sudden realization...

"Oh, so Mr. Norwood personally made a replica for Miss Sterling," the popular starlet Faye Sinclair cooed. Her passive-aggressive tone had just emerged when she remembered she was on a live stream and abruptly switched to a more approachable one. "But you should be careful the Norwood Group doesn’t sue you for copyright infringement. You both have the surname Norwood. Could it be that Mr. Norwood has some connection to the Norwood Conglomerate?"

Silas Norwood shot Faye Sinclair a cold look but said nothing.

Celia Sterling cleared her throat lightly. "My husband is shy. He doesn’t know the vast majority of people at the Norwood Group."

This wasn’t exactly a lie, either. The Norwood Group was massive, with many layers of personnel. Moreover, Silas Norwood was constantly acting as a hands-off boss, so only the top executives and the direct members of the Norwood family were familiar faces to him. He didn’t recognize most of the Norwood Group’s employees.

Hearing his wife so earnestly lead the topic astray, a faint smile crept into Silas Norwood’s eyes.

Nearby, Director Coleman watched all of this silently. Several times, he raised a hand to wipe away non-existent sweat from his forehead, looking like he wanted to speak but holding back. In the end, after glancing at Silas Norwood’s nonchalant expression, he didn’t dare interrupt the rhythm of the meal.

The host had been privately briefed by Director Coleman about Silas Norwood’s identity.

He was skilled at warming up a crowd, but he had never dealt with a magnate of Silas Norwood’s caliber. He decided to play it safe, simply listening with a smile on his face until he could discreetly change the subject:

"Our non-celebrity male guest is undeniably handsome, but we can’t just stare at his good looks and forget to eat! The fish was caught fresh from the lake. What do you think? Isn’t the broth delicious?"

Everyone chimed in with praise, and their attention shifted away from Silas Norwood.

"Alright, let’s form teams at the table now. After lunch, we’ll go into the forest to pick mushrooms," the host continued. Remembering Director Coleman’s instructions, he casually assigned Celia Sterling to Chloe Chambers’s camp. "Since our two non-celebrity guests were invited by Best Actress Chambers and The Music King, let’s put the four of them in one group. This will also fulfill Miss Sterling’s fangirl dream."

Once this was said, the others exchanged glances and stopped harping on the topic of Silas Norwood. They obediently formed their own teams.

The host had already arranged for staff to bring out baskets to distribute. However, when it was time to give one to Silas Norwood, Director Coleman threw all pretense to the wind. He personally went forward, handing the basket to Silas Norwood respectfully with both hands.

And unlike the other shabby baskets, the one given to Silas Norwood was as exquisite as a piece of art. It must have been hastily purchased from somewhere on short notice. The handle was even thoughtfully wrapped with velvet cloth to prevent it from chafing his hand.

Director Coleman’s voice was also very soft, a stark contrast to his usual booming, quick-tempered self. "If you’re not used to this, Sir, you can have your bodyguard carry it."

The celebrity guests exchanged mystified glances, their hearts filled with shock and uncertainty.