Reborn as Mr.CEO's Fat Wife-Chapter 952: Mary, Are You in a Relationship with Director Locke?

Chapter 952: Chapter 952: Mary, Are You in a Relationship with Director Locke?

Mary Scott received Jocelyn Spencer’s call shortly after arriving in Anson City.

Recently, she’d been embroiled in scandal—the news was everywhere about her entering Simon Baker’s room late at night to "discuss the script." Overnight, she was subjected to slut-shaming across the board, while the Starlight Entertainment PR department seemingly dissolved and collectively silenced themselves.

Mary had finally managed to clear her name, landing a Raspberry Snacks endorsement through the program team and even drawing the support of Brian Joule, a popular star. With David Locke publicly showing affection towards her, she’d accomplished a dramatic turnaround in her reputation. Now, the agent who had discarded her for years finally remembered her existence.

After hearing Jocelyn Spencer’s words, Mary curled her lips in sarcasm and hung up the phone.

David Locke noticed Mary’s mood. "A call from Starlight?"

"Mm." Mary nodded.

David Locke studied Mary’s expression. "Wanting to renew your contract?"

"You figured that out?" Mary was surprised by David’s perceptiveness.

Thinking of Starlight Entertainment, David’s gaze turned cold. "Over the past few years, Starlight has only produced two successful actresses—you and Charlotte Leigh. Now that Charlotte is washed up, they probably don’t want to put much effort into saving her; nor can they. Their only option now is to retain you."

"Exactly. Jocelyn wants to negotiate a renewal, and the offer is incredibly tempting." Thinking of the hardships she’d endured over the years with Starlight, Mary delivered that last sentence with biting sarcasm.

"What’s your plan?" David Locke, though confident Mary wouldn’t renew, wanted to hear her intentions directly.

Mary pressed her lips together. "I won’t renew." Then, she looked at David Locke. "Now that I’ve almost escaped the lion’s den, I’d have to be truly foolish to throw myself back in. Don’t worry about me."

"Given Starlight’s history, refusing them won’t end smoothly. When you had a poor reputation, they couldn’t extract much value from you, especially with Charlotte Leigh overshadowing you. Keeping you around didn’t matter much; it even gave me some leeway. But now, leaving Starlight would mean losing half of their market share." David analyzed softly for Mary.

Mary had already thought about this and understood Starlight’s ways better than David. If she rejected their offer now, there was no guarantee they’d let her leave without trouble.

"I know. When Jocelyn was listing the terms, I already knew they wouldn’t let it go if I refused." Mary’s gaze held as much icy determination as David’s. But after saying that, her tone shifted with a sudden smile. "You don’t have to worry about me, though. After all, I haven’t been idle during my time at Starlight. You, on the other hand, have your movie releasing during the National Day holiday and ’The Doctors’ about to start filming for next year’s blockbuster season. You’d better stay clear of my issues with Starlight—it wouldn’t be worth it if they turned nasty and sabotaged you."

David’s already-wrapped film posed no major issues, but the upcoming one was another matter entirely. Film crews are complicated operations, and if Starlight Entertainment decided to take revenge by causing delays, it could jeopardize the entire project.

The time, energy, and resources required to take a movie from planning to production are incalculable, and Mary didn’t want David risking it for her sake.

"Are you worried about me?" David raised an eyebrow in amusement at Mary’s words.

He could sense that, during this West Mountain trip, Mary’s attitude towards him had softened considerably. Their relationship had also never been more harmonious.

Thinking this, David’s smile deepened as he casually grabbed his phone to ask Martin how things were progressing.

Martin, upon seeing the message, felt his otherwise handsome face contort slightly. He was struggling to comprehend why his boss, Director Locke, decided to spend money buying the recipe for a bowl of noodles after eating just one serving!?

Keeping a dignified face, Martin had been wrangling over the deal all morning and was thoroughly exasperated. Love really does compromise intelligence, he thought, especially when the boss himself falls victim to this phenomenon. He could only shoulder the burden and reluctantly reply "OK," hoping the boss might pick up on his dissatisfaction and give him a raise.

The subject of Martin’s complaints—David Locke—paid no attention to the innuendo of his concise reply. His focus was squarely on Mary and not his phone.

Mary was a bit flustered by David’s teasing question. "Worried? Where? That was just an objective assessment of the situation; it doesn’t count as worrying, okay? Speaking of which—weren’t you supposed to head back to Swallow City today? Where’s Assistant Jonah?"

David saw Mary trying to divert the subject, and his chest vibrated with a low laugh laced with playful teasing and a hint of enticing mischief.

Mary’s awkwardness grew—she now found David’s current demeanor as a "pretend innocent wolf with hidden fangs" immensely annoying. "I’m asking you a question!"

Her tone unintentionally carried hints of coyness.

David grew even more pleased. "Are you trying to drive me away?"

"Who’s driving you away? I’m only worried you might delay your work. Also, your leg—what’s the deal? It needs a follow-up examination; don’t let it worsen into a permanent problem. Imagine being a cripple—that’d be such a sight." Mary’s tone became serious as she addressed his injured leg.

To be honest, she was truly worried about David’s condition.

"If I do end up crippled, will you despise me?" David purposefully asked as he noticed Mary’s genuine concern.

Mary nodded firmly. "Of course! One hundred percent. So you’d better go see a doctor and follow their advice."

"Truly heartless." David shrugged.

Mary wasn’t bothered by his words, stubbornly urging him to leave for Swallow City. But David’s expression became serious. "Is Lambert Norman leaving too?"

The pleasant mood suddenly cooled, and Mary noticed David’s sharpness. Carefully, she answered in a subdued tone, "He’s the program’s investor; how would I know if he’s leaving or not?"

"Why does your tone sound so guilty?" David asked, sensing Mary’s hesitation and casting her a cold, scrutinizing gaze.

Mary forced a nervous laugh. "Guilty? No way. My tone is perfectly normal. If anything, you’ve been jealous far too long over this."

David stared directly into Mary’s eyes, observing her closely, then unexpectedly asked, "What’s the deal between you two? Why has he been hanging around for all these years?"

"Between him and me..." Mary began to explain that she truly had nothing going on with Lambert, but just as the words reached her mouth, memories of their brief marriage popped up instead. She faltered and shut her mouth, making her guilty conscience even more obvious. "There’s nothing between us," she murmured uneasily.

David, with his understanding of Mary, immediately noted her hesitation and doubt grew in his heart. Her claim of "nothing" looked like an outright lie stamped across her face. He felt a sudden wave of frustration—could she have genuinely liked Lambert Norman?

This unsettling thought caused David’s mood to take a sharp downward turn. His intense gaze locked onto Mary, as though trying to pressure her into revealing the truth. Mary, however, ducked his look entirely and said nervously, "Um... Is Assistant Jonah here yet? I’ll help pack your things so you can eat something before you go—plane food’s terrible, and you might get hungry."

After finishing, Mary grabbed onto the luggage but was stopped mid-step by David grabbing her wrist. She hesitated slightly and turned back, "What’s wrong?"

David looked at Mary’s uneasy expression. He sighed softly, his unspoken question shifting to, "Nothing. Let’s go eat together."

Mary felt relieved upon hearing this. She was genuinely afraid of David continuing the interrogation, wherein she’d likely spill the truth, unraveling the fragile rapport they’d managed to rebuild.

She knew David well—if he found out about her marriage to Lambert Norman, his reaction would be unpredictable. Mary knew keeping secrets wasn’t right, but she clung to a "head-in-the-sand" mentality, unwilling to disrupt their newly budding harmony.

"What do you want to eat?" Mary asked, calming herself down, but before David could answer, something crossed her mind. "The hotel the program group booked is close to Anson City’s famous Cross Alley and the Drum Tower. You have an afternoon flight, right? How about we go explore?"

She didn’t think much of her suggestion at first, but after saying it, she realized they’d never gone shopping together before. Her eyes showed an unmistakable sense of expectation.

David looked at Mary, then glanced at his wheelchair. "If you’re okay being seen with a disabled husband, I’ll reluctantly accompany you."

"Why not? My husband is so handsome that even in a wheelchair, you’d still be the coolest guy in Cross Alley." Mary replied casually while patting her chest for emphasis.

"What did you just call me?" David fixed his gaze on Mary’s cheerful face and asked.

Mary, still daydreaming about their upcoming outing, absent-mindedly replied, "Husband."

When her answer registered, she realized the surrounding silence. She instantly knew what she’d just said. Her face turned a deep shade of red as she muttered under her breath, "What are you doing?"

"Nothing. Let’s go, wife." David called playfully, his deep and magnetic voice carrying the term "wife" with deliberate intimacy.

Although they’d been married for a while and had been rumored to be divorcing at least a dozen times, this was the first time they’d addressed each other as husband and wife. It felt fresh and intriguing, sweeping away earlier tensions as they disguised themselves and stepped outside the hotel.

The program crew was scouting locations today, giving them free time until filming started the next day. Mary pushed David’s wheelchair out of the hotel and followed the signs toward Cross Alley.

Unlike the purely modern urban aesthetic of Swallow City, Anson City’s heart retained an old-world charm: brick courtyards and pavilions. It boasted a distinct cultural identity, and the pair lingered as they meandered through the Drum Tower and past the City God Temple, finally reaching the bustling Cross Alley.

The alley buzzed with life, lined with food vendors selling all sorts of delicacies. Mary was visiting for the first time and seemed enchanted, her curious eyes leaping from stall to stall. Soon, her slender finger pointed excitedly at various treats, "I want that, and that, and that... Oh, and that too!"

Following the path of her finger, David saw grilled meat, yogurt, stinky tofu, and fried crab. He rubbed his forehead. "Are you sure?"

"Of course!" Mary brightly declared, even licking her lips at the sizzling grilled meat nearby. David truly believed she might start drooling.

Seeing no way out of it, David relented, "Fine. Go ahead."

As soon as he agreed, Mary practically sprinted towards the vendor, calling out, "Six skewers!"

She hastily paid, as though fearing David might change his mind, then bought two bottles of a local specialty yogurt, excitedly handing one to David while eagerly digging into hers with a spoon. Moments later, she sighed blissfully with satisfaction.

David watched Mary’s reaction with amusement, tilting his head and smiling to himself.

Mary nudged David’s hand. "Have some! I already tried it—it’s delicious."

"Mm." David didn’t usually eat street food but, seeing Mary’s enthusiasm, indulged and took a bite.

Mary’s expectant gaze locked onto him. "Isn’t it amazing?"

David wasn’t particularly fond of the snack, but facing Mary’s shining eyes, he still nodded.

Mary became even more joyous, digging into her yogurt while occasionally eyeing the grilling skewers nearby.

David chuckled softly and quietly snapped a few pictures of Mary with his phone.

Hearing the camera clicks, Mary asked curiously, "Were you taking photos of me just now?"

"Nope, just the skewers," David lied without a change in expression.

Mary scoffed, wanting to check his phone, but her attention shifted entirely when the vendor handed over the skewers. Thrilled, she dashed to grab them.

Afterward, she made sure to share three skewers with David.

David glanced at the meat in his hand with both amusement and exasperation but didn’t want to ruin Mary’s mood. He ate quietly, properly disposing of the skewers’ sticks afterward.

Once they finished the skewers, Mary continued pushing David’s wheelchair deeper into the alley, sampling lamb legs, rabbit heads, grilled crabs, and other unique local dishes.

David turned his phone to silent, taking occasional pictures of Mary, who was constantly on the move. She’d wander off briefly before darting back to share details of the fascinating things she’d just discovered. David listened patiently, his lips always carrying the faintest smile.

Towards the end, the two even shared a bowl of the alley’s famous internet-celebrity soup dumplings. With their bellies full, they happily returned to the hotel, with Mary bringing back bags of food for the program team and James Jerome.

Back at the hotel, Martin had returned. He ate a few bites of the soup dumplings Mary brought back before urging David to hurry to the airport.

David’s detour on this trip hadn’t been planned, leaving him unable to stay longer. Mary, having spent time exploring together, felt an inexplicable attachment and struggled with the thought of David leaving.

David noticed Mary’s emotions. "Why don’t you finish filming tomorrow, and then we leave together?"

Mary waved her hand. "Can’t. I’ll finish the supplementary shoot tomorrow, but then there’s more material filming, and after that, I have to head to Gills City to shoot the Pine Nuts advertisement with Brian Joule."

David had forgotten about that advertisement. "So you won’t get back to Swallow City until after the seventh day of the Lunar New Year?"

Hearing this, Mary’s reluctance grew, but knowing David’s tight schedule and need for a medical checkup for his leg, she could only push down her feelings. "Yeah, if all goes well, I should wrap up by then—just three days. You go wait for me at Rose Valley."

David clasped Mary’s hand, sighing softly. "Alright. I’ll wait for you."

After saying that, David hesitated but couldn’t help warning her, "Try not to interact much with other men, and call me if anything happens. I’ll have a surprise for you when you get back."

Mary rolled her eyes—such a jealous man!

Despite her complaint, she nodded in agreement. By the time David left, she was already looking forward to his surprise.

The two lingered together for quite some time. When time started running out, Martin urged them once again, and David finally left the hotel room.

As soon as David was gone, Mia Anderson gave Mary a teasing look, "Mary, are you and Director Locke dating now?"

Mary froze. "Aren’t we married? How does this turn into dating?"

Mia thought about their previous interactions, then looked at their earlier reluctance to part. They seemed just like a couple in the throes of a new romance. She clicked her tongue a few times, "Alright, I’ll say it—married!"

Mary: "..."

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