Reborn as Mr.CEO's Fat Wife-Chapter 904: The Self-Cultivation of a Female Artist

Chapter 904: Chapter 904: The Self-Cultivation of a Female Artist

Mary Scott glanced at the young man whose smile was growing increasingly greasy. "No need for apologies. Let’s hope our cooperation goes smoothly from here on out."

With that, Mary sat back in her seat. Seeing her reaction, Duke Blue lowered his eyes and remained silent, but his assistant next to him couldn’t hide his dissatisfaction with Mary’s attitude and muttered indignantly, "What kind of attitude is that? Young Master Duke has already apologized, and she’s still acting all high and mighty—does she even know her place?"

"You..." Mia Anderson shot up in anger but held herself back, afraid of causing trouble for Mary. She could only fume silently.

Beside her, Mary’s gaze turned icy as she looked at Duke Blue. "So this is Young Master Duke’s sincerity in apologizing? Consider me enlightened."

"Shut up!" Duke Blue usually liked to play the good cop while his assistant played the bad cop, but having just been silently humiliated by Mary, he felt a lingering frustration, even if he didn’t show it outwardly. While he inwardly enjoyed hearing his assistant speak up on his behalf, he did nothing to stop it. However, he hadn’t anticipated that Mary, who had seemed so easy to talk to just moments ago, would suddenly lash out. The thought of his agreement with Charlotte Leigh and Mary’s stunning face made him turn abruptly, barking at Ace to stop.

Ace froze in place, startled. He then slumped down in his seat, looking aggrieved. Only then did Duke turn back to Mary. "I apologize for any offense, Miss Scott."

Mary was indifferent, closing her eyes and pretending to nap.

Seeing this, Duke grew even angrier inside, though he chose to remain silent, thinking of future plans.

The production crew hadn’t expected such drama on the very first day. They chuckled nervously at the duo before instructing the driver to head off.

By the time they arrived at the hotel, it was already past eleven. Mary and Mia took their room cards and went to rest. Duke, who had originally received his card before them, noticed Mary’s card as they passed by and, after the two women left, found an excuse to exchange his card for another before leisurely heading upstairs.

Ace still looked annoyed. "Young Master Duke, isn’t she just flaunting because she’s Director Locke’s wife? Is that any reason for her to act so arrogant? She has no projects and no fanbase—why does she think she’s somebody?"

"What the hell do you know?!" Without others around, Duke dropped the pretense and snapped at his assistant, letting a lewd smile curl on his lips. "Married women are the most fun!"

Especially married women who’d been involved with Director Locke!

Just thinking about it gave Duke a burst of excitement.

Ace’s eyes widened. "Young Master Duke, you can’t! You know she’s Locke’s wife. If he finds out, how will you keep your place in the industry?"

"What’s there to fear? I’ve looked into it. That guy Locke doesn’t even care about her. She’s just a shield for him, and their divorce is only a matter of time. Plus, you might not know what he’s like, but I do. Do you really think Locke would care about a woman?" Charlotte Leigh had assured Duke that Locke didn’t take Mary seriously; otherwise, he wouldn’t have let her languish at Starlight like an afterthought.

Ace still looked uneasy. "But didn’t Locke just clarify those divorce rumors yesterday?"

"Ha, acting. Just like I claimed to be ’lifelong single’ at twenty-five the other day. Did you believe that?" Duke responded nonchalantly. He was a man and had been in the entertainment circle for four or five years—he knew exactly how men in this industry operated. Locke was probably waiting for a scandal involving her so he could finalize the divorce.

Plus, according to Charlotte, the only reason Locke defended Mary yesterday was to pressure her into aborting a child. Otherwise, why clarify the rumors precisely when she was hospitalized? It just didn’t add up.

You really couldn’t trust appearances in situations like this.

Ace, listening to this, shook his head doubtfully but then nodded in agreement. "You’re right, Young Master Duke."

Hearing this, Duke felt satisfied. Swiping the new card, he opened his room and glanced smugly at the door opposite with a sense of certainty.

After Duke entered, Mia came over from her room and knocked on Mary’s door. The moment she stepped inside, she burst out, "Oh my god, sis! What are we going to do? Duke switched to the room opposite yours. I don’t trust him one bit!"

Mary frowned, relaying what she had overheard on the plane to Mia. As Mia listened, her skin crawled. "He’s working with Charlotte? Then what do we do next?"

"You’re in the room at the far edge, right? I’ll sleep there with you tonight. Just keep an eye on him during the day. If you notice anything unusual, don’t act rashly—tell me first," Mary instructed after thinking it over.

"Got it, got it. But..." Mia glanced at Mary’s room. "Mary, this production crew is shockingly generous. Your room must be really expensive, right? Mine’s nowhere near this large!"

"As long as it’s clean, it’s fine. Haven’t we made do with all sorts of crappy hotels before?" Mary scolded with a laugh.

Mia nodded. "True."

Back when Mary had been blacklisted with no gigs, the two had even shared a fifty-dollar motel room. Mia had once kicked Mary out of bed in the middle of the night because of her bad sleeping habits.

Having settled on this, the two packed lightly and went out for lunch.

At the restaurant, they saw the other cast members arrive one after another. Besides Duke, there was veteran actor James Jerome, washed-up middle-aged actress Stella Murray, and fresh-faced beauty Zoe Thatcher, who hadn’t even graduated yet. What surprised Mary most was the unexpected appearance of Adam Piers.

Mary still remembered this man—Brandon Piers’s cousin. Though he hadn’t inherited the family business, she had discovered during their last encounter at Moon Lake Manor that he was remarkably perceptive. She hadn’t expected him to join a second-rate variety show like this.

Noticing her gaze, Adam raised his eyebrow in greeting, a gesture subtle enough to go unnoticed by the others.

The show’s newbie director, Simon Baker, introduced himself next. A graduate of a lesser-known film academy, he had directed a handful of obscure films. Despite his artsy look with long hair tied into a ponytail, his demeanor was slick. After his self-introduction, he politely introduced each participant to the group.

By the end of the round, everyone had a rough idea of who the others were. Mary learned that Adam had even acted in one of David Locke’s films. She was momentarily surprised but said nothing, as Adam showed no signs of acknowledging her in public.

Having finished breakfast, the group prepared to head to the filming location.

Just as they boarded the vehicle, the previously artistic-looking Simon flashed a sly grin at everyone. "Oh, I forgot to mention—this program will feature live-streaming in addition to regular episodes."

"What?" Everyone froze in surprise at his announcement.

Simon chuckled. "Does anyone have any objections, esteemed cast members?"

"Of course I do!" James theatrically exclaimed. "You didn’t tell us about this live-streaming part beforehand! I was planning to borrow the show’s makeup artist to touch me up, and now the whole nation will see my bare face! What am I supposed to do?!" His comedic delivery broke the tension as everyone burst into laughter.

Sitting next to him, Stella feigned disgust. "Do you think the audience wants to see your bare face? They’ll be the ones suffering!"

She quickly pulled out a compact mirror. "I can’t take a chance—I need to touch up my makeup. I’m counting on this show to revive my career! If directors are scared off by my bare face, what will I do?"

Their playful banter lightened the mood considerably. Even Zoe joined in, pulling out her own makeup kit, while Duke checked himself out in the mirror too.

In contrast, Mary and Adam’s lack of participation stood out. Curious, Simon turned to Mary. "Mary, are you naturally beautiful enough not to need touch-ups?"

His question drew the attention of the cameras and cast. After all, while everyone else was busy powdering their faces, Mary’s behavior seemed out of place.

The program’s limited live-stream audience, already predisposed to view Mary negatively, immediately blew up. Comments flooded in:

"Wow, is she seriously trying to craft a ’no-makeup goddess’ image now?"

"So fake! Bet she already knew about the live-stream."

"She’s delusional if she thinks she can outshine Zoe!"

Unaware of the live-stream drama, Mary twitched her lips and silently pulled her disproportionately large shoulder bag into view. Amid the intense scrutiny, she unzipped it and asked Simon plaintively, "What should I use to touch up, exactly?"

The room went silent. Even Simon looked curious. On the other end of the stream, viewers were equally puzzled. What could she mean by that—didn’t she bring any makeup?

At that moment, the camera zoomed in on Mary’s bag, and the cameraman couldn’t help but let his lip twitch. Everyone caught sight of her bag stuffed full—chips, energy bars, bottles of water—it was jam-packed with snacks but completely devoid of makeup products.

Everyone was speechless: "..." What was this?

The live-stream comments exploded with confusion: "???"

Simon’s lips twitched. "Mary, what’s this about?"

"I’ve seen similar shows before," Mary explained, looking embarrassed. "I thought Director Baker might make us eat weird stuff later, so I packed some food just in case. As for makeup, I figured I’d rely on the makeup team—just like Mr. Jerome!"

She gave an awkward laugh. This was not the situation she had expected to find herself in.

Simon coughed awkwardly. "Mary, you sure have... foresight."

Mary chuckled nervously. "Just being prepared."

The others: "..." They didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

The live-stream audience, seeing Mary’s self-deprecating, quirky actions, began to warm to her. The abrupt shift in tone cracked them up, especially when she reflexively tightened her grip on the bag and looked worriedly at Simon, fearing the snacks might be confiscated. Her visible anxiety was unexpectedly endearing.

Simon laughed along, then feigned contemplation. "Well, we initially weren’t planning to ration the food—but with Mary’s stash, I’m starting to reconsider."

Mary froze, her jaw dropping slightly in shock. "Director, are you trying to make me a public enemy?"

The entire van burst into laughter once more!

Ignoring Mary, Simon turned his attention to Adam, who had leaned back, seemingly preparing for a nap. "Adam, you’re not touching up either. Forgot your tools? Should the production team provide a set?"

"Born beautiful. Why would I need them?" Adam drawled lazily, shooting Simon a dismissive look before closing his eyes again.

The others glanced back at him: "..." Sure, why not?

Even though Adam couldn’t compare to Brandon in looks, his face was still leagues ahead of most actors in the industry. Judging by Duke’s sour expression, it was clear Adam’s remark had hit its mark.

Simon chuckled. This broadcast already had its highlights.

The vehicle continued its journey. With James and Stella providing humor, Zoe bringing youthful energy, Mary flaunting her stunning looks, Duke contributing star power, and Adam exuding effortless coolness, there was no shortage of content to entertain the viewers.

By the time they reached their destination, the live-stream audience had grown to fifty thousand. Though it couldn’t compare to top-tier shows, the numbers were climbing steadily.

The moment they stepped out of the vehicle, everyone was stunned. Even the usually unfazed Adam froze in place. He turned to Simon and asked incredulously, "Are you expecting us to skate on a frozen river in the dead of winter?"

Simon grinned slyly. "You wish."

In the live-stream, the audience watched the cast tremble in the freezing cold while furiously typing: "Does anyone else find the director’s smile both shifty and evil? I seriously thought he was an artsy type."

A cascade of "+1" messages followed.

Adam raised an eyebrow upon hearing this. "Don’t push it too far."

James huddled up tightly. "This show isn’t very kind to us older folks. My brittle bones might just shatter in this cold!"

James looked around, noticing that the younger members weren’t faring much better. Zoe and Duke, both dressed thinly for the sake of appearances, looked pale from the cold. Even Adam and Stella were visibly uncomfortable.

The group stood there trembling in the wind, while the audience began to wonder: "Where’s Mary?"

"Did she stay in the car out of fear of the cold?"

"Ugh, I knew she’d be a drama queen. Scared of the cold and hungry all the time—why even sign up for a variety show?"

Just as people were gearing up to criticize her, a soft voice spoke up. "Um... what’s that fluffy thing by the car?"

Though the live-stream audience was busy spamming insults, a few noticed the comment and zoomed in on an inconspicuous furry blob near the vehicle. However, most dismissed it as some kind of prop from the production team.

It wasn’t until the crew called out Mary’s name that the fluffy figure moved. To everyone’s astonishment, a gloved hand appeared from the pile, and a voice called out sheepishly, "Hey, I’m over here."

Mary couldn’t understand—was she really that invisible?

Her greeting left everyone momentarily speechless, especially Simon. His lips twitched as he asked, "Mary?"

"Is there a problem?" Mary glanced at him, then at the shivering group. "Wow, you guys are dressed pretty lightly."

The group: "..." Are you a damn bear?! Where’s your responsibility as a female celebrity?

Mary sensed their angry glares and felt slightly embarrassed. "Uh... is there something wrong with bringing warm clothes?"

Was it her fault that her winter gear was so thick? Brandon had bought it all for her!

The others groaned inwardly. They were certain she had pulled some strings to snag this spot on the show—how else could she be so absurdly prepared? They hadn’t paid much attention when she was on the bus holding her coat instead of wearing it.

Simon shook his head, chuckling dryly. He was starting to feel like he’d invited a walking cheat code onto his show.

Relieved by their silence, Mary rummaged through her shoulder bag again, huffing and puffing as she dug around. Just as the cast members were about to ask what she was doing, she pulled out a stack of heat packs. "Here... anyone want one?"

Simon: "..."

The live-stream viewers: "..."

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