“No, I’m going to find her right now!” He said, attempting to leave, but Tobias blocked him at the door.
“Mr. Burns, if you want to find her, you need to know where she is first. Otherwise, how long will it take for you to find her like this?” Tobias grabbed his arm, advising, “Listen to me, eat your meal first. I’ll check her schedule. Don’t lose your strength when you meet her.”
“Mr. Burns, you’ve waited for more than three years. Are you afraid of a few more hours?”
This is different. Three years of waiting felt like waiting for death, but now it’s about survival.
But Tobias had a point. He returned to the sofa, continuing to watch the live broadcast.
There was no fresh food in the fridge. It would take too much time to cook. Tobias ordered takeout on his phone and got something for himself as well. He had intended to take a vacation, but it seemed that wouldn’t happen.
Tobias stood at the study door, glancing inside from time to time, worrying that something might happen to Hamish. He watched the ugly cat sitting on the sofa, craning its neck to watch the phone with Hamish.
They say animals are intuitive. Could the “Elisa” in the video really be Elisa?
Tobias pondered for a moment and felt a chill run down his spine.
While waiting for the takeout, Tobias also checked the location of the program recording. Coincidentally, it was in Bankshire.
He searched for “Elisa” and found nothing but negative information. By checking in real-time, he found several comparative images.
“Elisa’s” change had only occurred recently. According to netizens, not only did her face change, but her acting had also changed. It was as if she had become a different person, as if the real her had never been known.
In the comparative images, one was of a heavily made-up Elisa, the other of Elisa in a qipao. Clearly the same person, yet giving completely different impressions.
-The eyes never change.
Tobias scrolled through early photos and videos of “Elisa” on Twitter, then compared them to today’s. Indeed, they seemed like two different people. For a moment, Tobias even thought that Elisa had returned.
He quickly shook his head, dispelling the absurd thought.
The takeout arrived. Tobias had ordered congee and side dishes with a mild flavor. He didn’t know how long it had been since Hamish had eaten, but his stomach was sensitive, so he could only eat bland food to avoid getting sick.
Comparing his state half an hour ago, Hamish now seemed as stable as a normal person. He quietly held the congee, ate, then got up to go to the washroom, where he washed his face, brushed his teeth, shaved, and changed clothes.
Seeing that Hamish had tidied himself up, Tobias followed him without a word, taking the car keys directly without needing a reminder.
“Where is the program recording location?”
“Bankshire,” Tobias said. “I’ve already booked the tickets; the timing is just right.”
Upon hearing “Bankshire,” Hamish’s expression shifted slightly, and he recalled some past events, his eyes reflecting a hint of pain.
Mimi, limping, followed behind the two. As they descended the stairs, Tobias heard the “thud” sound from behind. He glanced back at the ugly cat.
“You can’t come with us. Pets can’t travel on planes. Stay at home, we’ll be back soon.” He didn’t know if the cat could understand human speech, but the ugly cat did stop and sat on the stairs, watching them.
Tobias met the blue eyes of Mimi, and for a moment, his breath caught. The cat didn’t seem so ugly after all.
In fact, this cat wasn’t originally ugly. It was just that the fire had burned it severely, scorching its fur, breaking its tail, crippling its legs, and burning off one ear, making it look so ugly.
In the blink of an eye, three years had passed, over a thousand days, not only eroding a person’s traces but also making people forget how beautiful the puppet cat that Elisa used to cradle actually was.
…..
Tobias drove ahead, and Hamish leaned back in the back seat, half-closed eyes, watching a video repeatedly with Elisa’s voice.
Tobias glanced at Hamish through the rearview mirror. When Hamish closed his eyes, the sharp sense of intimidation on him would be greatly diminished, probably because his eagle-like eyes were hidden.
He could sense Hamish’s fragility. The word “fragile,” if it were three years ago, it would have been hard to imagine it being used for Hamish.
Now, Hamish’s fragility wasundeniably real, like a cracked mirror pieced together, seemingly complete, yet a touch could shatter the entire mirror.
Tobias had worked alongside Hamish for eleven years, witnessing Hamish transform from youthful exuberance to mature stability, and then to a somber, lifeless state.
Hamish was wealthy and powerful, living a good life compared to those of lower classes, but it seemed as though he had nothing beyond money and influence.
His parents died in front of him, depriving him of affection from a young age. The Burns family was a ruthless place, and he lived cautiously. Perhaps due to the lack of love from a young age, he didn’t know how to love someone.
By the time he realized his affection for someone, Elisa didn’t even give him a chance to see her for the last time.
They say money is a good thing, but what’s the point of a life like Hamish’s? He couldn’t even hold onto the most important person in his life.
Whose fault was it? It was his own fault.
“If one day you remember my kindness, don’t cry, don’t think, don’t look back, I won’t be there.”
No one would wait for him to learn how to love.
Tobias redirected his focus to driving. The rain grew heavier, and the city outside the car window was blurred, fragments of reflections strewn across the ground.
…
The performance lasted for a full twenty minutes. It was a remarkable stage act, surpassing the previous three groups by far. But the greatest contributor, of course, was Elisa. Her acting was outstanding, even the mentors might not have been able to achieve such excellence. It was a slap in the face to everyone else.
Many people in the audience were still deeply affected, with Elisa on her knees, tears in her eyes, a despair devoid of light in her dark eyes, a stunning beauty in the midst of despair.
Louis sat in the front row, eyes slightly red, a proud smile on his lips.
There she was, the girl he adored, a priceless gem. Not only was she beautiful, her talent was extraordinary. Besides him, he couldn’t think of anyone else who could match her.
Luckily, the girl he adored secretly had feelings for him too.
Louis arrogantly adjusted his position, thinking that perhaps the luckiest thing in the world was when the person you liked also liked you back.
Sitting in the first row next to him was Amelia, a nationally renowned actress, followed by Roman and Elowen. Among the four mentors, Louis had the least experience, but his seat was earned through his talent, and no one disputed that.
In front of them, along with the artists’ profiles, were the scripts.
Roman was the first to speak, “Elisa, I really admire your performance. You brought Brigitta to life. Your performance has redefined what an actor from a web series background can achieve.”
Elisa bowed deeply to him, “Thank you.”
Mr. Usoro, standing in the audience, couldn’t help but applaud. Ever since “Years” concluded, the live audience had been applauding, and his hands were almost numb.
He wasn’t applauding the whole group’s performance, but solely for Elisa.
He remembered what Elisa said in the café that day. It turned out she wasn’t bragging; she truly had the ability to prove she wasn’t just a pretty face.
Mr. Usoro shook his head in self-reproach. He had to admit that Asher had found a treasure.
Everyone thought Elisa was just a stone, but it turned out she was a priceless jade inside.
Mr. Usoro noticed that Elisa’s hands were trembling. He didn’t have time to check the online information, but the staff reminded him that the program was trending.
Furthermore, “Elisa’s acting” was steadily rising and had a high chance of reaching the top trend.
It would be abnormal if she didn’t trend. Once the show was edited and aired, he believed that people’s perceptions of Elisa would change.
After the performance came the mentors’ comments. Roman gave the group high praise, even joking, “For the actors about to go on stage, I suggest you have your lunch first. Forget about the pressure of this performance. When you get on stage, there might not be so much pressure…”
“Teacher White, I have something to say,” Amelia interrupted, cutting off Roman before he finished speaking.
“I don’t think this group’s performance was that great, and I don’t agree with Elisa’s acting.”
“What do you mean, Teacher White?” Roman looked at her in astonishment, having seen people criticize, but never like this.
Amelia held the script in front of her, looking serious, “I just want to ask if Elisa has seriously read the script?”