"Find that boy quickly!"
"A genius! With some training, he could be the next big star of China!"
The hallway buzzed with excited voices.
"Why is it so noisy in the company?" Angelina Dream turned to her manager, a trace of annoyance in her eyes.
The manager, well-acquainted with the angelic singer's temperament, pushed her glasses up like a block of wood and answered, "The 'Once Upon a Time, There Was a Eunuch' crew is auditioning for supporting roles today. I heard they found an extraordinary acting talent."
"What a ridiculous name. Have them change it before the official release. I don't want my debut film associated with such a lousy title," Angelina remarked disdainfully, not caring what Leon Chen thought of her attitude.
"So, what's the deal with this acting prodigy?" Angelina asked.
The manager briefly recounted the story.
"Ha, I don't buy it," Angelina scoffed. She seemed to remember Leon's presence, turning to him and asking, "Do you believe a college student could move an entire audience?"
"Aren't you supposed to be good at acting?" Leon retorted, rolling his eyes.
Angelina shot him a glance and snorted.
People who liked to be sarcastic were the worst!
As they entered the elevator, Angelina snapped her fingers.
Before Leon could comprehend what was happening, she and her manager started bustling around as if performing a magic trick.
Angelina's fringe was neatly trimmed across her forehead, her wavy hair straightened and tied into a ponytail, and she donned an ugly pair of black-rimmed glasses. The renowned angelic singer transformed into a plain-looking country girl.
It was true—there were no ugly women, only lazy ones who didn't dress up.
Leon was stunned. "What are you doing?"
"Country bumpkin, never seen a costume change?" Angelina scoffed. "I used to look like this in school. You men always judge women by their appearance. So, are you disappointed now?"
Leon chuckled, taking out his phone and snapping a few pictures.
"What are you doing?" Angelina glared.
"It's rare to see you like this," Leon replied.
Angelina snorted.
"You don't need to accompany me anymore. We have things to do," Angelina instructed her manager.
Leon suspected her manager might be a robot, given her expressionless nod and lack of movement. They left the elevator, and no one in the lobby suspected Angelina's identity.
They smoothly made their way to the parking lot, where Leon spotted a pristine white sports car in a reserved spot, his eyes lighting up.
Angelina's ride was a Maserati, known as the queen of European sports cars. This wasn't just any Maserati; it was a custom-made car gifted to her by an Italian sports car company when she started her concert tour in Italy, said to be worth over 100 million euros.
Crazy.
However, Angelina didn't invite Leon into the Maserati. Instead, they got into a more ordinary Audi. Inside, Angelina reverted to her previous glamorous self, as women often do, enjoying looking their best.
"Why not drive that one?" Leon asked, disappointed. He wanted to see the legendary queen's sports car up close.
"Are you an idiot? Everyone knows that car is mine. Do you want to make the front page?" Angelina said with disdain.
Leon frowned, taking out his phone to capture Angelina's fierce expression.
"What are you doing?" Angelina exclaimed.
"Nothing. If you don't behave, I'll let the world see the angelic singer turning into a shrew," Leon said calmly.
"Delete those photos!" Angelina lunged at him like a tigress. Leon raised his hand, obviously not intending to give them up.
Such classic shots were too precious to lose.
Two security guards noticed the unusual scene, approaching the car in shock. Was this the legendary "car shaking"?
"Miss Angelina, is everything alright in there?"
"It's fine." The window rolled down, and Angelina tidied her disheveled hair.
The guards swallowed hard, glancing at the boy in the car, their eyes widening. Could it be...
Angelina muttered something about shamelessness, stepped on the gas, and drove out of the parking lot.
With the photos as leverage, Angelina indeed became more compliant, her arrogant attitude toned down considerably. Leon mused that the acting Angelina was far more endearing.
Angelina scoffed at him. Didn't men prefer women showing their true selves in front of them? Leon had no reply to that.
At a hotel restaurant, Angelina made no attempts to disguise herself. Upon leaving, Leon noticed someone taking pictures.
Angelina, unbothered, took several detours before arriving at a café. This time, she wore a baseball cap and sunglasses, her hair styled differently, making her nearly unrecognizable. This transformation was largely thanks to her angelic aura, which she could change at will.
Sitting in a cozy corner, Leon watched as Angelina, absorbed in the café's music, sipped her coffee and hummed softly, her demeanor elegant. "You know, I love listening to my own music in my free time. Listening to a song is a mood thing. Every time you listen, you find new nuances. This helps avoid mistakes in future compositions."
"Impressive," Leon admitted. No wonder she always won Best Composer and never seemed to run out of inspiration. Each album brought a fresh wave of impactful music.
"Success doesn't come by chance, idiot," Angelina snorted. "The industry is brutally competitive. If you don't want to rely on scandals and gossip, you have to make music that sticks with people. That's how you create an era! Like Lo Ta-yu and Jay Chou. They never stopped pushing their limits, always striving for breakthroughs. That's what I aim for."
"Jay Chou is quite controversial," Leon noted, though he couldn't deny Jay had led a trend. That was the hallmark of true stardom.
"Online media thrives on polarizing opinions, and that's a good thing!" Angelina was optimistic.
Leon pondered this, noticing that Angelina, under the spotlight, was different from the girl before him. "We were photographed earlier. Was that intentional?"
Angelina laughed, "Tomorrow's headlines will say I was on a date with a mystery man. This will be my first scandal. I'm looking forward to it."
"Will that be good for you?" Leon frowned.
"No worries. When Lily debuts, they'll realize our date was just to discuss her songs. This will create a buzz. In this business, being forgotten or ignored is the worst. If you want your girlfriend to get attention, we have to put on a good show!" Though she despised hype, Angelina was adept at it.
She asked seriously, "Do you still want Lily to enter this industry?"
"A bit of change wouldn't hurt, as long as it's positive," Leon nodded.
Angelina fell silent, continuing to listen to her music, humming along, her mood seemingly relaxed.
Leon reflected on her words, especially about polarizing opinions. He wondered if Angelina ever faced negative feedback. From what he had seen, it seemed rare.
Almost as if to prove her point, a couple's laughter came from behind.
"Darling, stop looking at Angelina Dream. It's so annoying. Is her music really that good? It's terrible."
"Who said I like her music? She's just so pretty. I wonder what she's like in bed."
"No wonder you wanted the lights off last night and let me…"
Leon turned to see a non-mainstream couple shamelessly commenting on Angelina, occasionally throwing out some crude remarks.
Angelina seemed unfazed, still lost in her musical world. Leon admired her composure.
"Waiter!" Angelina called.
"How may I help you?" The waitress asked gently.
"I'd like a pot of iced water," Angelina said, looking down.
The waitress was momentarily stunned. Iced water in the middle of winter? Odd request, but she quickly brought it.
Angelina thanked her, a hint of displeasure in her eyes behind the sunglasses.
"You bastard! How dare you two-time me!" Angelina suddenly exclaimed, pointing at Leon.
Leon was taken aback, bewildered by Angelina's impromptu performance.
What the hell?
The other patrons turned to look at their table.
"I'm no less than that Angelina Dream," Angelina proclaimed, puffing out her chest in a way that indeed sparked imagination. "How dare you like her!"
Amused whispers and glances followed. It seemed this woman was jealous of her boyfriend's celebrity crush.
Leon didn't know what Angelina was up to, but he played along, wearing a dismissive expression. "I like obedient girls!"
"I'm going to throw water on you," Angelina winked, silently conveying a message as she grabbed the icy pitcher.
"?"
"I really will."
"?"
"I'm very unhappy with you," Angelina declared loudly.
"?"
Splash!
Angelina poured the water like it was a festival celebration.
Ah, so that's her game.
Leon dodged, looking back sympathetically at the couple behind him. Best not to provoke a woman who appears angelic—her soul is likely devilish.