As the “Weekend Show” began its recording, beneath the seemingly calm surface, a storm was brewing.
Lorelei, knowing that it was Thomas who arranged for Elisa to appear on the variety show, erupted in anger at him.
“Thomas, are you out of your mind? What are you trying to do by pushing Elisa forward? I’ve already let you hide Elisa, and yet you still arranged for her to join the variety show. Do you think I’m not capable and want to win her over again, so you can earn double the money? Let me tell you, forget it. If you dare to promote Elisa, I will expose everything you’ve done behind my back!”
Thomas sat on the studio sofa, taking the scolding in silence.
Finally, upon hearing the last sentence, Thomas grew impatient. He reached out, grabbed the teacup from the table, and violently smashed it to the ground. The glass shattered, scattering across the floor. He glared at Lorelei with a dark expression.
Having been an agent for so many years, Thomas still had his presence. Suddenly bursting into anger, Lorelei was momentarily unable to speak up.
“Now, Elisa is no longer the same person she used to be. I advise you to not provoke her now. It’s best to avoid trouble,” Thomas said, gradually calming down.
Lorelei’s face twisted in response. She certainly knew that Elisa had changed, and it was precisely because of that change that she was afraid.
Take, for example, her recent screen test; her outstanding acting skills meant she wouldn’t fall short once on stage. Lorelei feared that if Elisa turned the tables, she would be left in the mud. Whether it was Elisa’s face, her acting skills, or her name, Lorelei couldn’t afford to lose her.
Thomas let out his anger, and his emotions gradually balanced out. Elisa was a threat to him. After all, she still held something against him. Solving her quietly would be the best.
He and Lorelei were like grasshoppers tied to the same string, with the same goal. It wasn’t the time to rock the boat.
Gritting her teeth, Lorelei asked, “So, what should we do? Do we really want her to shine in this variety show and rely on her acting to redeem herself?”
Thomas let out a disdainful laugh. “It’s not easy to clean up her tarnished image. Acting on stage is different from a screen test. Don’t worry, I’ve already come up with a plan.”
“What is it?”
“The pairing of actors for the show is decided by drawing lots. We can tamper with it here. I have people on the inside. Additionally, Filippa has also joined the show’s team, so we don’t need to take any action ourselves.”
What’s cleaner than using someone else to do the dirty work? Filippa now detested Elisa for stealing her role. Her purpose in joining the “Weekend Show” was obvious. They just needed to fan the flames quietly and make the whole thing blow up.
… In the following days, Elisa continued recording the variety show, following the program’s flow. First, the actors’ levels were determined based on public ratings, ranging from S level to D level. Those in the last D level didn’t even have the qualification to choose a script.
Elisa was placed in the D level, essentially sitting on the bench all day, with no chance to appear on stage.
… After the S, A, and B-level individuals had selected their scripts, the remaining actors who hadn’t received a script drew lots to determine which group they would perform with on stage.
This was no longer a matter of luck. The program’s rules almost seemed devilish, as they were designed to eliminate a group of underdogs. The remaining C and D-level actors would draw lots to perform with the S, A, and B-level individuals. It was akin to NPCs taking on a boss and being easily defeated.
The remaining actors themselves had average acting skills, no significant works, and a mediocre fan base. Having to compete with seasoned actors was quite the ordeal.
Many had already begun to lose heart. Elisa quietly observed all of this from a corner, thinking back to what Mr. Usoro had told her a few days prior.
“This isn’t fair,” someone voiced their dissatisfaction. “How can we possibly win? I finally get to participate in a variety show, only to be eliminated in one round?”
No, this was indeed fair. The survival of the fittest. The entertainment industry was never a place of fairness. The capable rise to the top; that’s the fairest thing there is.
The members of the directing team just stood by quietly, capturing every detail of each person’s expressions through the camera lens.
When the camera focused on Elisa, it froze.
There was no unnecessary expression on her face. Propping up herchin, she appeared somewhat distracted. Yet, even so, she held a captivating presence, akin to a rare flower quietly blooming in a corner.
Elisa sensed someone filming her, and she slightly lifted her chin, meeting the camera’s gaze with a confident smile playing at the corner of her lips.
The cameraman’s heart skipped a beat and then raced uncontrollably. He had a premonition that a casual shot of Elisa like this posted on Twitter would undoubtedly cause a stir.
In stark contrast to the people around her, she didn’t appear flustered, nor did she furrow her brow in self-pity. She simply observed everything calmly, like an outsider.
Elisa’s empathy was thin at best. She didn’t care about the feelings of those around her. She relished her current role as an observer, much like a god surveying the mortal world.
… Mr. Usoro wasn’t in the mood to coddle these actors. He had stated that he didn’t need overly sensitive artists on his show.
“Those who want to stay, draw lots. If you think it’s unfair, we won’t force you to stay!”
As soon as he finished speaking, the previously lamenting actors instantly quieted down. They all lowered their heads, obediently waiting for the staff to bring the lots. Internally, they prayed to land in the B or A level group and fervently hoped to avoid being paired with the S-level “boss,” lest they be sent home after just one round.
Elisa was at the end of the line and had no need to draw lots. When she opened her eyes and saw “S-level Sebastian” on the lot, her excitement surged. Sebastian, with a background in stage drama, was an award-winning veteran actor.
The script he held was for a Period Drama set in the Middle Ages, a story that had been made into a movie, with Sebastian playing the male lead.
As Elisa eagerly searched for information about the script, a voice reached her ears.
“Xiu Xiu, your level is A. Which script did you choose?”
“Years, my senior brother also chose ‘Years,’ so naturally, I’ll go with him.”
“If you and your senior brother end up in the same group, that would be disastrous. Your coordination isn’t great, and your acting skills are lacking…”
Elisa followed the voice’s direction and spotted Filippa. She had seen her on Twitter, so she recognized her instantly.
To be honest, Filippa didn’t look as good as she did in her photos, but she still stood out among the crowd.
Seemingly aware of being scrutinized, Filippa looked up, glanced around, and then fixed her gaze on Elisa. After a brief pause, a mocking smile tugged at her lips.
Filippa knew Elisa was participating in the “Weekend Show.” She had instructed her agent to cancel all her current appointments to join the show. She wanted to see how blind Asher’s judgment truly was.
Her motives were twofold: to prove herself and to make Elisa regret taking her role, ultimately forcing the “Revenge and Love” production team and Asher to beg her to return.
At a glance, Elisa could see the greed and unshakable confidence in Filippa’s eyes.
A confident girl is the most beautiful, but unwavering confidence isn’t always a good thing. …
Elisa had a week to prepare for her stage performance. She received the script from the staff, a segment taken from a classic movie. Her task was to utilize the week to memorize her lines, familiarize herself with the plot, and, under the guidance of acting coach Teacher White, present a perfect stage performance with her co-actor.
During the seven days, they had to find time for rehearsals. Acting flaws could only be discovered during the practice of lines with the other actors. Elisa was already familiar with the script; she was given the role of the malicious supporting female character, Brigitta.
“Brigitta was a girl raised in a kiln, adept at disguises. Superficially, she appeared to be a harmless girl, but she had been plotting for three years. She set fire to a brothel, burning thirty-eight people alive.”
The male lead, Ezra Ragsdill, first encountered her in the midst of the fire. Taking pity on her, he brought her home and took care of her as a sister. Little did he know, this “sister” had sinister intentions towards him.
Brigitta had lived in darkness for years, expecting that the fire would end her life, only to be saved by Ezra. Fifteen years of living without anyone being kind to her had momentarily stirred her emotions. She felt both unworthy of being with Ezra and uncontrollably drawn to him, craving the only light in her darkness.
She carefully concealed these thoughts, assuming that she and Ezra would forever remain as “siblings” until Ezra’s fiancée, “Camellia,” appeared.
Camellia did not bear the same unfortunate fate as Brigitta. In these tumultuous times, she was a pampered young lady, born into privilege. Beautiful and kind, everyone adored Camellia, including Ezra. They were hailed as a perfect match.
Brigitta was instantly consumed by jealousy, watching them like a light-deprived mouse, and her heart was filled with envy. Consequently, she committed irreparable mistakes. She drugged Camellia and arranged for her to be defiled, even using dark forces to ruin her family, ultimately leading to Camellia’s suicide. Thereafter, the once admired young lady was no more.
When Ezra discovered the truth after Camellia’s death, he could not believe it. The obedient and gentle sister had been so ruthless. He realized that it was his own actions that had led to Camellia’s death and the deaths of many others by bringing Brigitta into his home.
Upon learning the truth, Brigitta openly admitted her feelings of infatuation for her “brother.” “I knew this day would come. Do you hate me now, brother? Do you want to kill me? But I am not at fault. I just loved you too much. It’s your fault for saving me in the first place and then wanting to abandon me. If it weren’t for Camellia, you would have been my forever brother.”
Ezra, once intelligent, ended up making a fatal mistake in bringing Brigitta into his home. When Brigitta’s plans were exposed, she openly admitted her feelings of infatuation for her “brother,” threatening his mother’s life. “I knew this day would come. Do you hate me now, brother? Do you want to kill me? But I am not at fault. I just loved you too much. It’s your fault for saving me in the first place and then wanting to abandon me. If it weren’t for Camellia, you would have been my forever brother.”
Brigitta had made preparations from the start. She wanted to possess Ezra, destroy his character, and imprison his body. But Ezra’s next move, to Brigitta’s horror, was to raise a gun and take his own life.
The story ended there, with Brigitta trembling as she held Ezra’s bloodied body, a mix of tears and a smile on her face. “Even in death, you are my brother, the one I will always love.”
After reading the script in one go, Elisa took a deep breath. She realized that the script, from Brigitta’s perspective, required her to immerse herself fully in the character. Honestly, Brigitta, as a character, was both a malicious supporting figure and the ultimate villain, very appealing to modern audiences, yet morally skewed.