Maeve and Sienna Thornton hugged briefly before Maeve got into the nanny van.
The white Alphard drove out of The Imperial Court Club courtyard.
As soon as Maeve got in the car, she put on her sunglasses, tilted her head back, and remained silent. It was hard to tell whether she fell asleep.
Her manager sat beside her, cautiously opening the yellow gift bag trimd in gold. Inside, there was a box with a distinct Qing-era palace style. As she opened it, her eyes lit up, and her face reflected a glow of wealth.
The gift box had three layers.
The first layer held various flavors of Qing Royal Court snacks, beautifully packaged with the "Imperial Court Club" logo printed on the transparent wrappers.
The second layer contained two sets of exquisite green jade-handled teaspoons, with gold inlays on both ends of the spoon and a central round jade handle. The gold-handled ends were shaped like auspicious clouds, and erged even under the dim car lights, they appeared to shine brightly.
Finally, the third layer held two sets of Qing court-style porcelain tea sets with trays. The porcelain had a regal yellow hue, with overglaze decoration, gold edges, and lively depictions of birds, beasts, and fish hidden in the design.
The gold and green colors clashed with the red velvet interior, radiating a sense of opulence that even caught Maeve’s eyes behind her sunglasses.
The manager continued to rummage through the bag and soon pulled out an envelope-like item. However, this envelope was not ordinary, featuring the sa royal yellow with gold trim and the embossed "Imperial Court Club" in gold letters on the front.
The manager looked up at Maeve, then down at the envelope in her hand, her hands trembling as she opened it. A card resembling an invitation fell out, revealing a cobalt blue hard card with a simple design, the right side adorned with a gold-embossed auspicious knot and the left with the "Imperial Court Club" logo and three striking gold letters—VIP!
The manager eagerly searched through another gift bag; sure enough, it also contained a mbership card, and both cards were sequentially numbered. The manager could hardly believe she was included and grabbed Maeve’s arm, both excited and surprised, exclaiming, "Maeve, you’re going to be famous!"
Maeve withdrew her gaze, curling her lips into a mocking smile.
The manager’s eyes glead with excitent, as if she could see Maeve becoming a superstar in the next mont.
Trembling with anticipation, she took out her phone and said excitedly, "If I post these two items on Weibo, don’t you believe you’ll end up in Wyatt King’s movie? As a Crane Girl! Making a leap to Hollywood?"
"So what if I do?" Maeve scoffed, "I don’t even want to go to Hollywood."
The manager didn’t hear a word she said, overflowing with excitent, instructing the driver to take Maeve back to her apartnt and then imdiately bringing herself to the agency. Simultaneously, she called the boss, indicating that Maeve’s career direction might need a rethink.
Maeve couldn’t be bothered to stop her; all she wanted now was to space out.
It took her so much ti to adapt to the new way of interacting with Sienna Thornton, yet today, at The Imperial Court Club, Simon Forrester stirred up her emotions again.
If it weren’t for Simon Forrester truly being able to bring Sienna Thornton happiness, she would have plenty of ways to bring Sienna back to her side.
But she finally understood that Sienna needed soone like Simon — a strong person — and not soone like her, who wandered through life with an emotional void.
She, like a shade-loving plant, thrives and grows in damp, cool places. Sienna Thornton was the sa, but she had always yearned for warmth, always growing towards the light, striving to escape those dark, damp environnts.
Maeve knew she couldn’t give Sienna the happiness she needed, couldn’t lead her towards the light. Being with Maeve would only pull Sienna further away from brightness.
But Simon Forrester was different; he was a man with great passion and capability, who ward Sienna Thornton, making her increasingly joyful and happy.
Maeve realized this, so she let go.
With closed eyes, she recalled those inseparable years with Sienna Thornton, causing an ache to spread from her heart until the manager tugged on her arm —
"Is Lawyer Thornton really marrying into the Forrester Family?" the manager asked. Receiving no response, she continued, "Before I ca, I thought the Forrester heir was just playing with her, but after that al, I knew the heir was serious. And from the look of it, a bit henpecked."
Maeve didn’t respond, still resting with her head tilted back and sunglasses on.
The manager, by now calm, wore an intelligent expression that had resulted from her considerations: "Lawyer Thornton, you should seize this chance. The Forrester Family has so many businesses. Without even asking them to sponsor your concerts or movies, just being their spokesperson for their golf courses, resorts, or wineries ensures your status in the entertainnt industry! And even if you co out in the future, it won’t affect your standing in the industry. A diva, you know?"
Inside, Maeve’s emotions were in turmoil; rather than encouragent, what the manager said made her feel even more hopeless and resigned.
Yes, relying on Simon Forrester’s resources made her feel weak.
She rolled her eyes, sneering, "Wouldn’t everyone know then that the Forrester Family is sponsoring ? If rumors spread about and Simon Forrester being involved, wouldn’t it be fun?"
The manager carefully packed the gift box, taking a glance at Maeve’s short hair, flat chest, and single eyelid, and joked, "There are so rumors these days about your increasing masculine aura — you should tone it down."
Though unstated, the underlying ssage from her manager was clear — Simon Forrester wouldn’t be interested in a tomboy like her!
Maeve curled her lips, turned away, and decided to ignore her manager.
The manager, quite pleased, didn’t take Maeve’s little mood to heart at all.
Maeve’s rising fa was a matter of luck; in so sense, she was a child of the era.
She had damaged her voice with smoking, making it coarse and husky, yet this voice was uniquely suited for singing folk and rock, leading to her passionate following among young people.
And although not considered beautiful — at most, she was pretty — her individuality was undeniable. Her every movent carried a charisma unrelated to her appearance, which could ignite the enthusiasm of young audiences. It must be said that in this industry, innate charm was a gift from the heavens.
-
The black S90 ascended the overpass, leaving the bustling old district behind.
Simon Forrester was driving, and Sienna Thornton, sitting bored in the passenger seat, noticed his worn jeans and casual jacket, his hair naturally tousled over his forehead without any styling. She wondered, "Why are you dressed so casually today? Don’t you normally wear a suit when you go out?"
Simon Forrester focused intently on the road, answering absentmindedly, "To match your style."
Sienna lowered her head to look at her casual attire, smiled, and said, "Quite particular, aren’t you?"
"When it cos to anything related to you, how could I not be particular?" With that, Simon Forrester freed one hand, lifted Sienna’s hands resting on her lap, and kissed the back of her hand.
He continued to watch the road without a sideways glance, maintaining a cold, abstinent look; yet the mont he kissed the back of Sienna’s hand, his deanor changed to one deeply tender and passionate.
At that mont, Sienna thought he seed to embody a refined scoundrel.
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