Thousands of Brilliant Stars: You Deserve the Best!-Chapter 106: Ruthless to Oneself, Capable of Anything
Upon hearing this, Iris Crawford immediately teased him a bit.
She didn’t expect a big star like Patrick Pierce could have troubles too, so she chuckled and said, "Aren’t you treated like royalty in the set every day? Why would you be tired?"
"Who told you I’m treated like royalty every day?" Patrick Pierce sneered, "Do you really think I enjoy acting like a diva? I only do it depending on the person, alright?"
"Got it, got it, I’m heading over now." Iris hung up the phone, and for some reason, Lachlan Wyatt came to her mind, but she suppressed her longing, staying clear-headed and rational.
Sometimes, she didn’t know if she should consider this a strength or a sadness.
Twenty minutes later, Iris drove to the filming site, but to her dismay, the woman she hated, Vera, was also there.
Seeing Iris rushing over, Vera, still holding onto their old grudge, was naturally displeased, clad in a bright yellow palace dress, sneered at her, "Oh, isn’t this the busy bee? How come you have time now?"
Surprisingly, Iris didn’t quibble with Vera, instead, she greeted Patrick Pierce inside, then sat at the makeup table, saying to the makeup artist, "Please hurry on with my makeup."
Iris, being so compliant?
Patrick Pierce unscrewed a bottle of mineral water beside her and handed it to her, saying, "Are you okay?"
What’s the matter? Nothing but breaking up with a man, things like this couldn’t hurt her.
Though thinking that way, her hand holding the bottle still trembled slightly.
Patrick caught on but said nothing, while the makeup artist started doing her makeup, and the prop and costume artists waited, "It’s perfect timing; you’re just in time for your scene."
Vera was nearly bent out of shape by anger, she’d never seen the crew be so accommodating to anyone. Why? Just because she’s Iris?
In fact, Vera didn’t know, her last incident had already spread, everyone in the circle knew about Iris, known for not picking fights and treating the staff nicely, even standing up to someone like Vera with a princess syndrome for everyone’s benefit, earning everyone’s praise!
With makeup done, Iris was straightforward, "Let’s take a few stills and get started."
Vera grumbled on the side, "Who knows if you’ve even read the script these days! Busy running around the world chasing men, perhaps!"
Listen to that!
Iris laughed on the spot, her villainous deep red palace dress contrasting with her intense makeup, her laugh was like a female demon looking to overthrow the world, touching a hairpin in her hair, she said, "Yes, reciting lines with a man in bed, are you jealous?"
Such sarcasm delivered with a flamboyant and arrogant edge.
Vera’s assistant interjected for Vera, "What a degenerate world! Not ashamed but proud, I really don’t know what a woman like you is happy about!"
"Who’s proud? What are you lacking that makes you think others are flaunting?" Iris spread her hands, her robe sleeves flaring, saying, "Come on, I’ll run lines with Patrick Pierce, then we’ll start."
No pretense, never affecting others, the crew exchanged glances and nodded unanimously.
They filmed until dawn, around five or six in the morning, before Iris finished her part.
She was still immersed in the villain’s emotions and hadn’t snapped out, even when the director called cut, she was fiercely grabbing Patrick’s throat, "I love you so much, and you don’t love me? Then I’ll just have to kill you!"
Patrick felt he might really get choked to death, Iris was too deeply in character, just channeling someone!
With such a grip, ready to suffocate him... Patrick patted her hand, saying, "Let go! Let go! Let your hand go! Who are you trying to kill!"
Iris finally snapped out of it but seemed not, saying, "I want to kill Lachlan!"
Those standing nearby were startled, pretending they hadn’t heard it.
Wow, anyone daring to badmouth Young Master Wyatt behind his back could only be Iris!
Raising her wide-sleeved robe, Patrick’s deep-featured face seemed somewhat elusive at this moment, he frowned, staring at Iris for a while, then lowered his voice, "Did you truly fall for Lachlan?"
"True feelings fed to the dogs." Iris replied without hesitation. She released Patrick, looking at the gradually brightening sky outside, saying, "This is my first film."
"Very good, very good."
The director complimented on the side, "Your villain is very... very... very much a villain!"
"Listening to you is like listening to you." Iris chuckled, clasping her hands like an ancient person addressing the director, "It’s all thanks to the guidance and tutoring, teaching me how to grasp the emotions."
See! How high is this emotional intelligence!
In an age dominated by online influencers, where stars rely on followers, who else dares to be this respectful to directors while willing to delve deeper? Iris’s words surely made the crew appreciate her more.
Some staff privately said, "How strange, everyone says Iris can be quite a handful when she gets mad, thought she’d be difficult, but... she’s quite fine."
"She gives no face to anyone, but she’s not innately bad."
The lighting technician said while gathering props, "Last outburst, that was Vera throwing a diva fit, she stood up for us. If you don’t provoke her, she’s very polite."
"Stars like these know how to behave, if she doesn’t become a hit, who will?" someone added, "Too bad, seems she’s not here to be a star, just a rich girl playing in the industry. If only we could encounter such artists more often, that’d be ideal."
Hearing these comments, Vera’s assistant, who had been standing offstage, listened in detail, then angrily went to report to Vera. Just as Iris’s scene ended, it was Vera’s turn, she had a scene slapping a servant girl. Iris didn’t know the actress she was working with, seemed obscure, and just as they got on stage, with the director’s call, Vera delivered a crisp slap!
The sharp sound stunned everyone!
Anyone with eyes could tell, Vera was upset, couldn’t vent on Iris, and targeted this small artist instead!
The slapped actress lifted her head, her pale face instantly reddened and swollen, pitiful, biting her lips but continuing her lines, as this role was the best resource her company had secured for her.
Clenching her fingers until the scene was over, Vera finally lifted her head and sneered, "Sorry, I got too into the scene and hit you. I’ll ask my assistant to get some ice water for you to apply."
The actress lowered her head, making it hard to read her expression, but Patrick Pierce called out, "No need, I’ve got ice water. Noelle Rivers!"
Noelle Rivers looked up, finding Iris Crawford and Patrick Pierce standing not far away, especially Iris, with her red robe fluttering in the wind, her black hair cascading like a waterfall, following the sleeves.
She raised an eyebrow, making one want to live and die with her.
She said, "So your name is Noelle Rivers!"
Noelle walked over, and Patrick handed her the ice water, "Vera has a bad temper, please bear with her."
Such things were common in the crew, and Patrick’s words already made Noelle feel grateful. She glanced at Iris, "Are you Iris Crawford?"
Iris nodded, "Do you need anything from me?"
"Um... I’m Gia’s friend." Noelle glanced around and introduced herself, "I was the one who contacted your agency earlier. I want to know what happened to Gia..."
So she was Gia’s good friend that Sarah Shaw talked about.
Iris explained everything to Noelle, whose expression changed, "So much happened, and I didn’t even know..."
"You have it tough too; Gia surely didn’t want you to worry."
Iris noticed that Noelle wasn’t actually bad-looking, and Vera’s slap probably held some jealousy. She said, "It’s okay, with Gia helping out, the punishment will surely be lessened."
Noelle nodded, "Thank you, and thank you, Mr. Pierce, for the ice water."
Iris was surprised, "Why? Are you being ostracized?"
"My status isn’t great." Noelle brushed her hair, giving a self-deprecating smile, "I used to be a female streamer."
Is there a discrimination chain here? Iris looked at Patrick, who typed a line of words on his phone for her—Noelle had gained popularity as a sexy streamer dancing scantily.
No wonder she was hit by Vera, and no one spoke for her at the scene.
Is everyone fundamentally a bit discriminatory towards streamers?
However, Noelle seemed to accept her identity. She said, "I hope I’ll have a chance to repay you in the future."
Iris quickly waved her hand, saying no need, but this interaction with Noelle resulted in Noelle getting slapped by Vera in the next scene!
Vera seems to take it out on whoever gets close to Iris!
Iris stood there, stunned. Before the director spoke, she immediately shouted, "Stop!"
"No need to stop!" Noelle immediately followed behind Iris, "It’s just as it is in the play... I can handle it."
"What play? How come I don’t know?" Iris had read the script and hadn’t seen slaps in these two scenes!
Vera’s assistant said smugly from the side, "Vera just contacted the screenwriter, and it was added in last minute. You didn’t know because you’re not familiar with the screenwriter~ Besides, if the supporting roles agree, is it really up to you!"
People around whispered, "Seems a bit much, her face is swollen..." 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚
"She was originally a sexually suggestive streamer, what’s the big deal, it’s not easy for a streamer to become an actress, is it?"
"So you mean actors are superior, and it’s okay to hone new acting skills, but what does this hitting mean? We know what Vera’s intentions are."
The more they talked, the more Noelle gritted her teeth. The director calmed the commotion and asked her, "Can you continue?"
"I can continue." Noelle’s face was swollen, looking pitiful under the camera, she said, "Let’s continue."
Iris gritted her teeth, watching Noelle finish the scene and head backstage to change costume, she immediately went backstage, "Are you alright!"
"I’m fine, thank you." Noelle’s eyes were red, "I used to think Gia was exaggerating, but I didn’t expect the showbiz to be so deep..."
It seems Gia used to be bullied too...
Iris frowned, "You’re really stupid, why endure it, I couldn’t tolerate it."
"You spoke up for me, and I’m very touched." Noelle looked at Iris, "Actually, I know what image I have in people’s eyes, they probably think I got famous by suggestive means, shameless, incomparable to someone like Vera who is a proper actress. I envy you for being able to do as you please, but I’m different from you, Iris, I want to be famous, so I have to grit my teeth, keep climbing up, by any means necessary, not caring about my own feelings, completely abandoning dignity and shame, to make a name for myself. Just two slaps, I might even have to cling to Vera in the future."
Iris was dumbfounded.
She saw another different soul in Noelle.
Gia was a different kind of tragic aesthetic, becoming someone else’s plaything, manipulated, eventually awakening, sacrificing herself to tear open a crack in the darkness.
Whereas Noelle carried a humble, dirty, little person’s cunning and struggle.
People say they’re unclean, but...
Iris said, "I might know why you and Gia became good friends."
Having a friend like you remembering her, Gia doesn’t lose.
Being ruthless, gritting their teeth, if a person is this hard on themselves, they can do anything.
