After listening to Oliver's words, Justin fell silent for a while."Fine, go ahead and reveal it. Call my manager first and let her know that I agreed. She should be ready to coordinate with you."In choosing between Lindsay and Olivia, Justin decided to help Olivia this time. He knew with Lindsay's resilient character, she could handle anything. On the other hand, Olivia was too delicate, more suited to a sheltered environment where she wouldn't be exposed to any harshness.He added, "However, revealing our relationship will only distract people temporarily. It won't last long. So, you'll still need to figure out a PR strategy to clear Olivia's name."Hearing this, Oliver let out a huge sigh of relief. "I just need some time to arrange the PR. Don't worry, I won't let Via be condemned by the entire internet."He thought for a moment and added, "You don't need to feel guilty about revealing your relationship with Lindsay. Maybe she actually wants it to be public. After all, she cares
This was what Justin instructed her to do: log into his cloud storage and specifically download these few photos. Justin wanted Lindsay to see the exposed photos after the variety show ended, hoping to evoke their beautiful memories together.Oliver then gathered some other photos and had the team release them as well. Soon, headlines like "Justin the Movie Star's Romance," "More Than Just Childhood Friends," and "Justin and Lindsay's Romance Exposed" quickly climbed the trending topics, pushing down the previously exposed paparazzi headlines.Oliver then paid to have those suppressed hot topics removed. As expected, this scandal caused a stir across the entire internet. Especially for Justin's fans, who were on the verge of exploding. They simply couldn't accept their idol's romantic relationship and rushed to Linda's Instagram to seek confirmation.Many others, however, were not surprised by the exposed relationship, as there had long been suspicions that the two were childhood s
As the variety show live stream began, the camera captured Lindsay practicing boxing. A group of older fans immediately flooded the chat with praises. However, Justin's fans were relentless, continuously hurling insults at Lindsay. They even picked fights with the older fans, criticizing their taste for supporting such a shameless woman.The older fans, naturally, wouldn't take this lying down.They liked Lindsay regardless of who she dated and found Justin's fans' behavior over the top. They retaliated, stating that the couple's relationship was none of Justin's fans' business. Despite their age, they were formidable in arguments.Soon, the fans who were mystics and Lindsayâs fans joined the fray, holding their ground against the overwhelming number of Justin's fans. After a while, some of the older fans stepped in to calm things down, advising everyone not to stoop to the level of Justin's fans. They pointed out that the bickering cluttered the chat and ruined the viewing exper
Elric, feeling a twinge of jealousy, asked Lindsay, "Were you and Justin a couple? Did you two have a fight?"Lindsay nodded. "We did date before, but I broke up with him before coming here."She emphasized, "I mentioned on the first day that I had cut ties with him, and I wasn't jokingâ I was serious."Elric's mood suddenly brightened, shifting from gloomy to cheerful. "So, you two have already broken up. No wonder both of you don't seem like a couple."He added bluntly, "I never thought you two were a good match."Fearing Lindsay might misunderstand, he clarified, "He doesn't deserve you."Charles agreed, "That's right."Despite the public arguing that Lindsay was clinging to Justin and didn't deserve him, Charles, like Elric, believed that Justin didn't deserve Lindsay. Relationships shouldn't be judged by someone's fame or status.Justin had spent a lot of time during the live broadcast subtly and overtly helping and protecting Olivia, which made him seem insincere.Seeing Elric's
After breakfast, neither group went back to work. Instead, they went outside to find open spaces to rehearse for the afternoon performance.Lindsay and her group first rehearsed the puppet play and then watched the others practice their performances. Whenever she noticed any issues, she pointed them out for improvement.The other group rehearsed their individual performances. To reward everyone for their hard work and use up the ingredients gifted by the villagers, Lindsay prepared a lavish lunch featuring six dishes and a soup. The meal looked delicious and was beautifully presented.Elric and his group happily sat down and ate to their heart's content. Meanwhile, the other group, with Olivia busy preparing for her two performances, didn't have time to cook. At lunchtime, they ended up eating oatmeal. Smelling the aroma from the other group's dishes, they found their meal tasteless and couldn't wait to return to the capital for a good meal.At 2 PM, the production team set up a st
Lindsay's group had clearly capitalized on this advantage, creating a lively atmosphere. The other group realized they had miscalculated.After Wendy's performance, it was Justin's turn. He sang a sentimental theme song from a popular TV series he starred in. Some villagers had watched his dramas, so the applause was fairly enthusiastic after his performance.Next, Leslie took the stage with the children, each painting a gourd in a traditional folk-art style. When they showcased their artwork, the parents in the audience were delighted, each feeling their child's creation was beautiful, and the accompanying decorative elements were impressive. Seeing this, other community members also praised the paintings.In this positive atmosphere, Olivia took the stage to play "Ride of the Valkyries" on the harp. Although her performance was skilled, the villagers couldn't fully appreciate it. However, the viewers in the live stream chat were fair, acknowledging that her technique was solid.
After the program crew tallied the red flowers, Charles announced to Lindsay's group, "Congratulations on winning the most red flowers and earning first place."As we mentioned earlier, the group that came first can make a request to the program crew. Have you decided what you'd like to ask for?"Lindsay, Elric, and Wendy all looked at Leslie. They had already discussed beforehand what they would ask for if they won. Leslie, being the eldest and the most courteous among them, was chosen to be their spokesperson and get some extra screen time.Smiling at the director, Leslie said, "We've already discussed this. If we win first place, we'd like the program crew to donate a library and a set of musical instruments and art supplies to the village school. âThe children love extracurricular books, singing, playing instruments, and painting, so we hope they can continue to expand these interests."This request surprised everyone but was understandable. The children were delighted, their e
Furthermore, Olivia, a C-list celebrity, acting high and mighty in front of Sharon, a B-list actress?It was incredibly rude. The four members of the other group seemed much more harmonious. Sharon regretted her decision to join Alex and Olivia's group, thinking she had made a poor choice in believing they would be good to work with.Next time, she would strive to switch groups.In the first car, Lindsay and her group members took out their phones, catching up on a week's worth of messages and responding to them. They also checked the reactions to their participation in the live-streamed variety show.Soon, they encountered a major revelation. Leslie, in particular, noticed that the comments on the program's official website were not only discussing Lindsay and Alex being siblings but also fervently debating her relationship with Justin. He exited the site and checked the trending topics.Sure enough, there were two trending topics about Lindsay and Justin's romance. After readin
In the vibrant district of the historic town, the streets were lined with vintage boutiques and various artisan stalls. Lindsay's group visited the townâs administration office and rented a temporary booth.Alex and Justin eagerly borrowed a table and chairs, setting up the booth. Following Lindsay's instructions, they also bought a piece of white fabric and worked together to create a simple sign. The production team provided markers and other supplies.Lindsay glanced over at Benedict and said, "Benedict, Iâll let you handle writing the banner."She was eager to observe his writing and the energy he gave off while doing it.Benedict sighed inwardlyâthis girl was constantly trying to test him. After a momentâs thought, he nodded. "Alright, Iâll write it."He grabbed a marker, uncapped it, and wrote in bold letters across the white fabric: âFortune Telling, Divination, and Tarot Readings.âLindsay watched him closely, noticing the fluidity of his movements as he wrote, his posture exud
Justin added, "My momâs been trying to get me to help Olivia and distance myself from Lindsay. Sheâs also said plenty of nasty things about Lindsay. This time, not only did I ignore her, but I even pushed back. It probably pissed her off, and now sheâs taking it out on Lindsay."Alex, clearly upset, said, "You should talk to her and tell her to stop fixating on Lindsay. Lindsay hasnât done anything to provoke her. Itâs ridiculous."He was frustrated that Justinâs mom had been stirring up trouble, making Grace even more difficult to deal with.Justin nodded. "Alright, after the show is over, Iâll have a talk with her."He also felt his mom was acting out of line. Back when he liked Lindsay, her disapproval at least made sense. But now that Lindsay had kicked him to the curb, his momâs continued obsession was baffling.Although they were speaking softly, Lindsay and Benedict, walking ahead, heard every word.Lindsay found the situation with Abby baffling as well. A woman who fawned over
After Lindsay left, the other guests quickly followed, leaving only Alex standing there awkwardly. He spoke briefly to the production staff, and they soon shifted the cameras away from that area. Alex then walked over to Grace, saying, "Mom, since Lindsay wonât lend it, letâs just drop it."Grace shot him a cold glare, her expression dark. "How can you be so heartless? The one lying in bed is your fourth brother. Are you hanging around Lindsay all the time just to learn how to be cold and ruthless?"Unable to contain her frustration toward Lindsay, Grace directed it at Alex instead.Alex sighed in exasperation. "Even if we need help, it has to be something sheâs willing to do! Weâve wronged Lindsay enough as it is, so why do you keep trying to guilt-trip her? Brandonâs situation isnât Lindsayâs fault. Why donât you go find Olivia? Sheâs the one who caused all this, maybe she can fix it. After all, whoeverâs behind her is no easy target."Right now, all Alex felt toward Lindsay was gui
Grace held back her anger and said, "It'll only take a few minutes. I have something important to discuss with you."Lindsay sat back down in her seat. "Fine, go ahead."The livestream was on, and Lindsay was fully aware of itâshe was doing this on purpose.Grace was about to speak when her assistant whispered something in her ear. Her expression changed, and she subtly shifted her body to turn away from the camera.Then she looked at Lindsay. "Can we talk outside?"In her rush to find Lindsay, she had almost forgotten that this was a live-streamed variety show. She didnât want to be on camera, much less discuss such personal matters in front of an audience.Lindsay, however, refused. "If it's important, say it here. If not, then donât say anything."Graceâs expression darkened. "Itâs because itâs important that we need to talk privately."She emphasized, "Itâs not appropriate in front of the camera."Lindsay just smiled. "Unless it's something shady, whatâs wrong with saying it on cam
Lindsay thought about it for a while and figured that if Grace was coming to find her, it was probably for Brandon. The only thing she could want would be the artifact in her possession.Alex saw her reply and couldnât help but smile wryly. His sister was indeed sharp and saw right through it.He sent a voice message, repeating what the head of the Divination Association had told them. "Mom just wants to borrow the artifact from you to suppress Brandonâs condition."Lindsay replied, "Tell her not to waste her energy."Seeing that message, Alex knew right away that she wouldnât lend it out. It didnât surprise himâhis sister could be ruthless when she wanted to be."We canât convince her otherwise, not even Dad can stop her... sigh," Alex added. When their momâs temper flared, she wouldnât listen to anyone.Lindsay didnât seem to care. "Then let her come. Iâm not going to do her any favors."Alex recalled the conversation between their parents at the hospital and decided to warn her, "M
Recently, Grace had been spending more time with Abby, often meeting up for outings. Over time, Richard noticed that Grace's anger towards their biological daughter had deepened. Abby had always disliked Lindsay and showed more favoritism towards Olivia. She must have been stirring up trouble and egging Grace on whenever they met. With time, Grace was bound to be influenced.Grace, clearly annoyed, said, "You even want to control who I make friends with? Aren't you going too far? What's wrong with me getting along with Mrs. Ford and spending more time with her?"Richard felt cornered. "I just think there's something off about her. Her intentions in getting close to you don't seem good. That's why I'm trying to give you a heads-up."Grace didn't believe him at all. "I think you're overthinking it. Weâve always had a decent relationship. Weâre just closer now, thatâs all.""What do you men know about womenâs matters? Don't interfere." She now had plenty to talk about with Abby. Jenny wa
Richard glanced at Grace with clear disapproval. âThis whole mess was caused by Olivia and Brandon. What does any of it have to do with Lindsay?âHe could tell that recent events, and the embarrassment caused by their sons, had left his wife feeling bitter. It seemed she had begun to project that frustration onto Lindsay, despite the situation having little to do with her.Grace crossed her arms defensively. âIf it wasnât for her ongoing fight with Olivia, Brandon wouldnât have gotten involved. Heâs her brother. Doesnât she owe him some consideration now that heâs in this condition?âRichard frowned. âWhat exactly are you trying to say?âValarie, who had been quietly listening, finally spoke up, her displeasure clear. âI see it differently. Itâs Olivia and your son who started the trouble, and all Lindsay did was defend herself. Are you really looking to embarrass yourselves even more?âGrace shifted uncomfortably, feeling the sting of her mother-in-lawâs words. âIâm just thinking abou
Given the Harper family's persistence, there was no way the Divination Association could avoid a thorough investigation. Seeing that Randolph wouldnât back down, the official left, courteously escorted out by Randolph, who, for the moment, had ceased his protests.Valarie carefully placed the multicolored stone inside a small protective pouch before securing it around Brandon's neck. Though he felt a slight relief after putting it on, the bad luck continued. As the official had warned, his misfortune was too severe for one artifact to fully contain.Randolph tried every connection he had, attempting to borrow a second artifact, but came up empty-handed. Time slipped by, and evening approached before they could find any further solutions.By the time Richard and Grace arrived at the hospital, they were met with the weary faces of their parents. Feeling guilty for everything his father had gone through, Richard bowed his head. "Dad, Mom, I'm so sorry you had to go through this today."
Hearing their words, the hope that had briefly flickered in Brandonâs eyes quickly faded, leaving him more devastated than before. "Grandfather, I know I was wrong," he muttered, finally realizing the truth. His foster sister had been nothing but troubleâfar from trustworthy, she had been a constant source of harm. Meanwhile, his real sister, though harsh and distant, had proven to be far more reliable. Regret gnawed at him deeply.Randolph sighed, his voice heavy with disappointment. âKnowing youâre wrong doesnât change anything. Itâs too late now.âTurning back to the two mystics, Randolph asked, âIf you canât break the curse directly, could you at least help suppress his misfortune? Maybe with a protective charm or some kind of mystical object?âDespite his frustration with his grandsonâs foolishness, he couldnât just leave him to suffer.Both mystics exchanged uneasy glances. âWe donât have the ability to suppress his bad luck with charms.ââFor something like that, youâd need t