Just like in her dream, Miles Yates' assistant knocked on Renee Morgan's door around seven-thirty.
"Morgan, today is Mr. Yates' birthday. We're throwing an outdoor party on the lawn at the park. Are you free to join us?" The young assistant flashed her two tiger teeth, looking bashful. Anyone seeing such a beautiful girl would have a hard time not getting excited.
Renee Morgan had light makeup on, wore a white blouse with a long white tulle skirt, and stepped into a pair of pure white stilettos. She looked both restrained and ethereal, completely unaware of how attractive she was.
Miles Yates is the male member of the show posing as a 'movie king'. Though this title is a bit inflated, and lately he's faded in the entertainment world, his fanbase is still strong. His birthday always causes quite a stir online, but he prefers celebrating his lunar birthday in private, so the actual date is always a few days—or even a couple weeks—off from what's published online.
No one in the crew was prepared; Miles Yates' assistant handled everything solo.
This scene happened in her dream too, but there, the show was pre-recorded, so trivial things like this got left out. This time, though, it's live. Glancing at the camera in the hallway, Renee Morgan immediately knew the party tonight would be streamed live.
"Okay, thanks for the invitation, Mr. Yates. But it's all so sudden, I didn't have time to get a gift…" Renee explained calmly.
The assistant waved her hand quickly: "No gifts, no gifts! Mr. Yates said he's not taking any gifts. If everyone's willing to show up, have some drinks and snacks together, that's enough to make him happy."
After telling Renee Morgan the party location, the assistant excused herself—she still had to notify other crew members.
Renee Morgan thought for a moment, didn't leave right away, and instead pulled out her phone and looked up Miles Yates' info online.
Miles Yates started his career young, with plenty of interviews out there. Renee Morgan searched a few keywords and quickly found several videos about his preferences.
Once she got the idea, Renee put away her phone and headed for the garden lawn.
Since she'd been delayed a bit, by the time Renee arrived, most of the crew was already there. The assistant handed props to everyone—candles for the guys, flowers for the girls: "When Mr. Yates comes out, everyone sing happy birthday and make sure it's sincere. We've got to hype up the mood!"
Everyone chimed in enthusiastically.
On the lawn, there were barbecue grills with professional chefs manning the skewers. Crew members pitched in, and a bartender mixed drinks nearby. Renee Morgan saw people carrying plates of barbecue and cups of sake, sitting together chatting, bursts of relaxed laughter floating in the air.
Lynn Miller grabbed a huge plate of barbecue, asked the bartender for two low-alcohol drinks, and pulled Renee to an empty spot to sit down.
The two clinked their glasses. Lynn tucked into the meat without any restraint, comforting herself as she ate: "I heard bootcamp training is super grueling—so I'll probably get slim pretty fast…"
Renee Morgan was always disciplined about food; even though she wasn't someone who gained weight easily, she still avoided overeating. Facing greasy barbecue, she took a cup of cold water, picked out a few veggies, and dipped them in the water before eating.
Lynn looked on, stunned, and sighed: "Being an actress is really tough." Even the lamb skewer in her mouth didn't taste as good anymore.
Renee Morgan smiled: "No job is easy. This is basic professional skill for female artists."
The PD's camera happened to fixate on Renee Morgan's refined face, and her reply instantly set off a barrage of comments.
Because Zara Chapman and Miles Yates—the big names everyone wanted—hadn't arrived yet, the camera mainly focused on Renee Morgan. After all, she was the recognized beauty of the show.
[Renee Morgan isn't that old, but she's so clear-headed. Not like a certain four-letter female star who takes million-dollar appearance fees and makes tens of millions yearly, only to play victim in press releases!!]
[The four-letter female star above—are we talking about that singer, "I wanna cook, be pretty, be skinny and eat everything without gaining weight, be likable, and have crazy impressive professional resilience, withstanding all the pressure"—do millionaires really need to say that??]
[...]
[Morgan is so grounded, don't get carried away! You're the next big star!!!]
Wendy Aldridge glanced at the live stream, seeing all the praise for Renee Morgan. She couldn't hold back and put away her phone, taking out her mirror to double-check her makeup before finally stepping out her door.
But she seemed to have gone the wrong way. The PD brother behind her reminded her a couple times. Only then did she turn, looking confused: "Did I take a wrong turn?" The PD suppressed a chuckle: "Yeah, the stairs are over that way."
"Ah…" Wendy looked embarrassed, her cheeks flushed, her big eyes fluttering—sweet and adorable.
"I just checked into the hotel and haven't left my room yet…" she explained hurriedly in a small voice, when noises came from up ahead. Curious, she blinked her big eyes: "Is that someone from our group? Perfect—we can go together."
She walked forward and saw that it was Miles Yates, fresh from makeup.
With Miles Yates' status, he's got both a team of assistants and his own makeup artist. Surrounded by people, he just exuded that strong aura, making Wendy's heartbeat speed up.
Miles Yates spotted Wendy and her cameraman and greeted them openly.
Wendy seemed surprised to run into Miles Yates, and blurted: "Wow, it's Mr. Yates—he's my idol, I really like him!"
Talking to the PD, facing the lens, she displayed her little fan's excitement.
Wendy quickly regained her composure, stepping forward with a sweet smile: "Mr. Yates, you're headed to the party too? Shall we go together?"
Miles saw he was pretty much ready, and nodded: "Sure, let's go together."
Wendy was wearing a very formal dress today. The two walked side by side—a handsome guy and a pretty girl, pleasing to the eye.
The livestream's viewer count had been scattered, but the moment Miles Yates appeared, it shot straight to peak, with traffic climbing rapidly.
Some fans who loved ship dynamics couldn't help but gush about how sweet it was. They hadn't even done anything, yet somehow it felt like the CEO and his cute wife vibe?
When Wendy and Miles arrived on site, everyone on the lawn, prepped by the assistant, put down their drinks and food, lit candles and held roses, forming a heart shape to welcome Miles Yates.
"Happy birthday to you…" Everyone sang the familiar birthday song, keeping their eyes earnest and fixed on Miles Yates.
All the PD cameras zoomed in on Miles Yates.
Miles Yates has a mixed-race "Eastern Breeze" look—sharp, pretty features. With makeup, his attractiveness was dialed up to the max.
Wendy should have sensibly stepped aside, but she took a step forward instead, her big rose skirt blocking Miles Yates' path.