30 Days of Passion and Revenge-Chapter 199: Aiko’s Pursuit

As long as Ethan only loved her and there were no other women around him, and as long as he wasn’t promiscuous anymore, did it matter whether they got married?

Did it not matter?

Lily Anderson asked herself honestly, and if it didn’t matter, she wouldn’t feel her heart sink whenever someone mentioned it...

After the theory class ended, the group observed an advertisement shoot. Once again, Lily ran into Aiko Nakamura...

Lily suddenly felt like Aiko was haunting her.

The ancient gates of the old city stood with centuries of history and exuded a classic charm. In front of the gates, the camera crew had already set up everything.

Lily stood at the crowd’s edge, with Cipher and a few bodyguards stationed at a distance, ensuring her safety.

"Lily," Aiko called out, still dressed in her sunny athletic outfit, walking over with her long legs. "Looks like we’ll be seeing each other often."

Lily leaned against the ancient brick wall, suddenly getting a bad feeling.

What did she mean by "seeing each other often"?

"I’m the lead actress for this ad," Aiko said brightly, her face beaming. "Plus, I’ve signed a contract with your school. From now on, you’ll be able to observe all the projects I work on."

"You’re shooting an ad?" Lily was surprised. Wasn’t Aiko, an upper-class socialite? What was she doing shooting ads? Was this just a hobby?

"Haven’t I told you that I went to film school? I majored in acting," Aiko said, putting a hand on her hip and spinning around. "What do you think? Do I have star quality? How far do you think I’ll go in China’s entertainment industry? At least A-list, right?!"

Lily was speechless. Aiko wanted to join the entertainment industry... to become a big star?

"If I become an A-lister, I’ll be all over the media. Then there’ll be no way you can stop Ethan from seeing me," Aiko said confidently.

Lily found herself at a loss for words. Aiko had a powerful sense of logic. Despite everything, she still hadn’t given up on Ethan.

She had come from Japan to China to study, just to be closer to Ethan, and now she was shooting ads so Ethan would see her...

"Aiko! We’re ready to shoot!" someone from the crew called out. Aiko smiled at Lily. "Watch me shine!"

Lily wasn’t sure if she should say "good luck" or not.

Her feelings toward Aiko were complicated—she couldn’t like her, but she couldn’t hate her either.

The ad was for a sports drink. Aiko’s image was healthy, sunny, and youthful, with a bright smile and fabulous on-camera presence.

The director’s assistant stood with the students, explaining the filming process.

The ad’s storyline was simple: Aiko would run along the ancient city wall, sweating profusely, then drink the sports drink to feel rejuvenated before setting off again.

"This ad’s storyline is so lame," one student muttered.

"Yeah, it’s so unoriginal."

"Then why don’t you try? What kind of creativity can you bring to a sports drink ad?!"

The students chattered away while Lily stood behind the director, silently observing the process on the monitor, learning as much as she could.

Aiko ran along the wall again and again, full of youthful energy.

"Cut! That’s a wrap!" the director called out, satisfied.

Aiko stopped running, drank water, and sat beside the director to watch the playback. "Why do I feel like something’s missing?"

"Your performance is great—"

"No, I mean, the whole scene doesn’t feel intense enough," Aiko interrupted the director, shaking her head. Then she turned to Lily. "Lily, do you have any ideas? I noticed you frowning earlier—you must have something in mind."

Immediately, all eyes turned to Lily, the stares piercing her like needles.

Lily glared at Aiko—was she doing this on purpose?

Her reputation among the students was already bad enough, and now Aiko was making her the center of attention.

"I don’t have any ideas," Lily responded coolly.

"No ideas? Alright, then, we’ll stop filming for today. If the ad doesn’t feel right, there’s no point shooting it," Aiko said, her tone carrying the air of a spoiled rich girl who always got her way.

"Aiko..." the director said, clearly uncomfortable, but didn’t push back too hard.

Aiko might not have been a big name in the industry yet, but the director knew about her background and didn’t dare say anything harsh.

Her background?

What kind of background did Aiko have? Wasn’t she just the daughter of a wealthy Japanese family?

"We’re done!" Aiko announced, standing up. As she turned to leave, she shot another glance at Lily. "Are you sure you don’t have any ideas?"

Lily paused before responding slowly, "What if you tried running in the rain?"

Aiko’s eyes lit up instantly. "Good idea! Let’s shoot it in the rain! Running along the city wall in the rain will give it that intense feeling! Lily, I knew you were holding back a great idea!"

Running in the rain wasn’t exactly groundbreaking.

But with Aiko’s enthusiastic praise, the crew quickly scrambled to set up rain machines.

"Lily! Why don’t you direct this ad?" Aiko suddenly suggested once everything was ready.

"I don’t have any experience, and I don’t have a full plan for it," Lily immediately refused. As if she didn’t already have enough people scrutinizing her...

Besides, she was still waiting to be ready to direct something, especially since it was not an ad featuring Aiko.

"Then I’m not filming anymore," Aiko pouted. "If you’re not directing, I’m not doing it."

"Aiko, stop acting like a child!" Lily snapped, her tone growing sharper. What was Aiko trying to pull?

"Lily, I’m giving you this opportunity because we’re friends. It’s hard to get ahead in this industry, especially when you’re from a small school like yours!" Aiko said, sounding hurt as if she were only trying to help.

Lily suddenly wanted to leave. She didn’t need Aiko to do her any favors.

What was going on in Aiko’s head? She was utterly delusional, thinking they were friends and she was helping Lily...

Did Aiko love Ethan, or was she actually in love with her?

"Come on, Lily, take the opportunity. Aiko believes in you—you must have some hidden talent," the director said, clearly worried about finishing the ad, and practically forced Lily into the director’s chair.

Under the harsh, judgmental gazes of the other students, Lily had no choice but to take the position.

The students all stared at her with disdain, whispering among themselves.

"Who is this, Lily, anyway?"

"She’s someone who got here through connections."

"Running in the rain? Big deal. What’s so great about that idea?"

"Let’s see what kind of disaster she’ll make. There’s no way she can come up with a brilliant concept in such a short time."

Lily felt a headache coming on. Her reputation among her classmates was already terrible, and now... she had been pushed into the spotlight again.

She was beyond frustrated.

But it was too late to refuse now...

I want to give it a try. One day, she would have to direct her projects anyway... Consider this a challenge.

Aiko created a scene of heavy rain in front of the ancient city wall, refusing to use any protective covering, running through the rain repeatedly with surprising professionalism.

Lily watched intently, quickly getting into the flow of the work. "Give a close-up of her neck when she drinks the sports drink. Let the rainwater drip down her face, emphasizing the physical exertion."

Not far away, a black Rolls-Royce sat quietly.

"I’ve said it already! Don’t answer any more calls from Europe! Do you not understand plain English?!" Ethan barked into his phone before angrily throwing it down.

His father was dead set on meddling in his marriage.

His second brother wasn’t married yet, and now the old man had turned his attention to him?!

Damn it!

He was only 26—why the hell should he get married?!

"Miss Anderson seems to be doing pretty well, directing her project," the driver said from the front seat, looking out at the filming crew.

Directing?

The rear window rolled down, and Ethan looked out.

He saw the large set where everyone was either standing or sitting quietly.

Lily was entirely in control of the scene, her expression focused, and she was fully immersed in her work. There was a spark in her that he had never seen before. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

She seemed so confident.

Ethan’s gaze deepened, and the anger on his face began to fade.

So, this was her dream? Sitting in the director’s chair, commanding the set? Even though the work was exhausting, she was entirely absorbed in it...

That little jealous pot. If she knew his father was planning to arrange a marriage for him, she’d be seething with jealousy.

As a member of the Blackwood family, none of them had control over their marriages.

His father had given them money, fame, and status, but in exchange, none of his three sons could resist...

Suddenly, his phone rang again.

Ethan’s brow furrowed in annoyance.

Damn it! Will this ever stop?!

The driver picked up the phone and handed it to Ethan. He snatched it and was about to start yelling when his father’s angry voice came through the line. "Ethan, don’t think I can’t control you just because you’re in Asia!"

Ethan’s expression darkened immediately. "Father."

"I can tell by the way you said ’Father’ that you sound like you want to kill me," his father said with a cold laugh. "You’re too hot-tempered. Getting married will be good for you."

"I’m only 26!"

"When I was your age, your older brother was already in school," his father said, his tone brooking no argument. "I’ve already chosen your bride. I hear you’ve had a history with her."

"What?"

"Do you know Aiko Nakamura? The daughter of the Nakamura Group in Japan? She’s your bride. I’ve arranged the wedding date and will notify you."

Aiko?!

The woman who made Lily insanely jealous?! What kind of joke was this?!

"I’m not getting married!" Ethan growled through clenched teeth.

His father laughed instead of getting angry. "Ethan, don’t say such impulsive things. You know what happens when you defy me."

"I said I’m not getting married!"

He wasn’t done with Lily yet.

He had worked so hard to keep Lily by his side—how could they expect him to get married now, which would surely drive her away?

"I know you’ve got some woman you’ve kept around for a while—longer than I expected. My son, a romantic, who would’ve guessed?" His father chuckled, though it was hard to tell if he was amused or displeased.

"Don’t you dare touch her!"

"Of course not, especially since she’s carrying my grandchild," his father said with a laugh. "I’m just asking you to get married. You don’t have to break things off with her."

To him, it was perfectly normal for a man to have several women.

Of his three sons, Ethan had the fewest women... His two older brothers had women clinging to them constantly.

For a man, being promiscuous... was perfectly normal.

His father even knew that Lily was pregnant?!

Ethan’s gaze darkened. "If you want a grandchild, then don’t interfere!"

"Ethan, are you threatening your father?!" His father’s voice grew cold.