Maria was quite certain she had never met the man before. He had not appeared at the banquet that night nor during the filming of the past few days. She hadn't the slightest clue what she could've done to offend him.Looking towards Director Grant with a puzzled expression, she questioned, "Director Grant, who is him...?"Director Grant let out a hearty laugh, patting his belly, "Ah, Mia, here's the thing. You're a hobbyist, not a professional. So, for the sake of the film's quality, I specially hired this gentleman, an amateur pool champion."Pausing for a moment, he added with a polite smile, "Don't take it the wrong way, Mia. I'm not saying you're bad at the pool. But San Diego is a small place, and we really don't know what the standard of the reigning 'Angel' is. So just for our film quality, you understand, right?"Maria did understand. She was generally easygoing, seldom taking offense unless deliberately provoked."I see, Director Grant. In that case, let's get started.""Go
Maria’s laughter echoed in the room, a mix of amusement and disbelief. "Why should I compensate you? Haven't you already been paid by Director Grant?"Maria had become a precious asset in Director Grant's eyes, and he wouldn't stand by while she was mistreated.He bristled at Samuel Wright's audacity, his face hardening. "Samuel Wright! Stop making a fuss. I know we delayed a day, but I compensated you. You've done nothing and received a good sum. You should feel lucky!"Samuel's anger stemmed from the fact that despite being hired for a handsome sum, he had not been valued. Hearing Director Grant air his grievance in front of the entire crew, suggesting he had somehow benefited unfairly, only stoked his rage."Who needs your money? What I value is my time! Do you know how much I can make by playing a game? The money you gave me isn't even worth my time!""If it's not worth your time, why are you here?" Director Grant, known for his temper, wasn't one to be disrespected.He stepped f
A wave of laughter rippled through the room, causing some people to turn.Maria’s adorable audacity was infectious.Guffaws echoed around the room.What man would willingly admit he is a loser to the whole world?The harshness of this condition was what made it so amusing.Samuel Wright gritted his teeth, irritation seeping into his features. Did they think his championship in the amateur competition was a fluke?"Fine, we'll bet!" He barked, his grip tightening around his pool cue. "Don't try to wriggle out if you lose!"Luna stepped forward, positioning herself next to Maria, "Rest assured. As Mia’s manager, I'll oversee the apology if Young Master Smith loses.I promise it will be to your satisfaction."Maria looked at Luna, surprised. Luna's support was something that would have been unthinkable in the past.Clearly, Luna was going out of her way to please her, even to the point of disregarding Mia’s honor. It seemed Charles was right about her intentions.Since filming had to co
The billiard room where Charles decided to play was neither near nor far from the film set. It required a few minutes by car, or over ten minutes on foot.Maria was familiar with the location, and her anxiety to see Charles made her sprint down the narrow path without hesitation.Her slender figure moved swiftly, much faster than girls her age. The urgency in her heart propelled her forward, and remarkably, she covered the distance in just under ten minutes.As soon as she spotted the billiard room, she rushed inside."Charles..."She called out as she ran, but her breathless panting stopped her from calling out his name again. She finally found the room Charles had given her the address for. Placing her hands on the door, she pushed it open forcefully, " Charles..."The room swung open before her eyes, revealing an empty space, save for the pool table and a single person Charlie was leaning against the pool table. Hearing her voice, he gently lifted his eyelids, a warmth in his ey
With a raised eyebrow, Charles tilted his head towards her. "Do you really think I would lose?""Of course not," she retorted. "You wouldn't have accepted the challenge if you didn't have some skills."Maria’s amber eyes sparkled as she continued, "I guess I stole your thunder last time. You didn't even show your full potential. I wonder who is the real deal, you or me. How about... we find a chance to spar?""You?" Charles shook his head with a mischievous grin, "I don't play games with women."Maria's rosy lips pouted instantly, and she huffed, "You look down on women!"Charles was caught off guard. He didn't mean to belittle women, let alone Maria. He simply believed he had an upper hand in a competitive match against a woman.But given Maria’s infuriated look, he had to reconsider.After a thoughtful pause, a devilish smirk flashed across his face, "Alright. But you know, there's no fun in a game without stakes.""Oh, definitely!" Maria's foxy tail twitched up in excitement, swayi
Luna sat on the couch, watching Mia across the room. Mia was alternating between anger and smugness over something on Twitter, and Luna frowned in irritation."Mimi," she said, considering the situation, "you should step back from the shoot. Let Maria take over and finish the film."When Mia looked up at Luna, Luna had already concealed the irritation in her eyes. Luna was the considerate, protective older sister Mia knew.Mia didn't read into it, but frustration bubbled up within her. "Why, Luna? The marks on my body are fading. A bit of concealer can cover them, and they're nearly invisible without it."She had stayed home for days to hide the love bites on her neck. This morning, seeing the marks almost gone, Luna told her that Maria would take over the shooting, kicking her out of the film. Anybody would be upset by this.Watching Mia’s outburst, Luna shook her head but replied calmly, "Mimi, it's mainly because of Maria. She's shown off her pool skills on set, even challenging
Today marked the last day that Maria had agreed to stand in for Mia during the filming.Ever since that day, Luna had been accompanying Maria to the set daily. Partly to forge a good relationship with Maria, and partly to win over Charles.So, she waited early outside Charles' room. She arrived early but chose not to ring the bell, opting to wait quietly by his door instead.In a short while, the door opened and Maria emerged.As usual, Luna peered into the room and didn't see Charles, so she grabbed Maria and shut the door behind them."Maria..."She began in a hushed tone, leading Maria towards the elevator while she spoke, "Can you finish filming this movie for Mia?""Huh?"Maria paused in surprise, "Where's Mia? Has she...?"The thought of Alexander, the man with the seductive eyes who had Charles, filled her with rage.Luna licked her lips, whispering, "No, she's been in her room doing nothing. But Maria, your performance on set has been exceptional lately. If Mia suddenly replac
Luna and Charles didn't try to stop her. Luna even chuckled, "Poor Mimi, she's beaten."She didn't want to keep them waiting, so Maria made a beeline for the restroom. But about ten meters out, she saw a man at the entrance -- a man she knew.A rush of anger surged within her as she recognized him under the dim streetlight."Alexander, you're guarding the restroom now?"She didn't run away but went toward him. On her wrist was a monitor bracelet from Charles . Even if Charles was not watching now, she could use this as evidence when she told him about Mia’s matter later.To his surprise, Alexander had not expected "Mia" to approach him. He gave a slight smirk, his eyes full of lewd amusement."Miss me, Mia?""In your dreams! Bastard!"Maria cursed, yet she stopped when she was about ten feet away from Alexander.Even if she intended to gather evidence, she had to ensure her safety first."Oh, the pianist has a potty mouth..."She didn't move, so Alexander did, closing the distance be
After leaving the banquet courtyard, Maria and Charles got into a sightseeing car and headed towards the Lesser family gate.Along the way, Charles remained silent, his thin lips pressed into a straight line, and his face looked terrifyingly solemn.Maria also didn't say anything. She held his hand tightly as if she wanted to give him her strength.Even when they got into their own car, Charles didn't say a word. He just gently rested his head on Maria’s shoulder, like an injured child.**********Back at the villa, Maria fetched a bottle of red wine, opened it, and took out two glasses. She tilted her head at Charles."Let's go and drink in the room."She smiled and raised the wine bottle in her hand. Charles noticed and finally relaxed the corners of his tightly pressed lips.He stood up and laughed softly, "How is one bottle enough? You are never drunk after a thousand cups."Maria looked at him speechlessly, seeing him take out two more bottles of red wine. She felt like things wer
Eva had been with Eric for more than twenty years, and she had no doubt about his feelings for her. Moreover, Eric always took good care of her and loved her deeply. If there was any rift between them, it was Charles.For the past twenty years, she had always been cautious in protecting their relationship, never inquiring about any news about Charles. That's why they had been living in harmony, until Mia came to Beijing. She had started investigating Charles' affairs under the old lady's orders.And since then, she felt that Eric had become more and more distant from her, a distance that she couldn't close no matter what she did.Now that Charles had come to Beijing, she had to make a choice between Eric and Charles. She didn't want to, but she had to…"Eric…"Her voice trembled as she pleaded, looking at him. "Can't you…?""No!"Those two resolute words instantly crushed the only hope in Eva heart.On one side was her husband, and on the other was her biological son, and she owed C
David and Hamya exchanged glances as they heard this. It was as if they had made a decision. They immediately said in unison, "We want to go too!""Huh?"Charles looked at them with confusion.David patted his stomach and smiled at Charles, "Young Master Smith, I wonder if your company is in need of pianists? What do you think of me?"Hamya chuckled and nodded, "I think I can do it too. Young Master Smith, please consider signing both of us. We don't ask for much, just a chance to perform in top music halls."David was worried that Charles would disagree, so he put on an even more sincere smile. "Ah yeah, haha... We just feel that Patrick is not enough on his own. With Hamya and I joining, after all, we have better qualifications than him. When the three great piano masters embark on anglobal tour together, and with Maria and Linda, it will be twice as successful.""Exactly!"Hamya laughed happily, "Young Master Smith, a single concert takes too long, Patrick won't be able to handle i
The two of them walked onto the stage and sat down at the piano. Maria raised her head and exchanged a glance with Linda, who placed her hands on the keys.The young pianists were curious about what music Maria and Linda would play. This was the second round of the training camp's open competition, and they usually wouldn't get to hear it.Suddenly, the piano played a melancholic melody, carrying a touch of elegance in the air, instantly striking at people's hearts!"This is..."Some couldn't remain calm instantly. "Butterfly Lovers?!""Is that possible? Butterfly Lovers arranged as a piano piece?""Yes, everyone knows that Butterfly Lovers is best played on the guqin, or the zheng would also work. It's my first time hearing it played on the piano.""Hey, no, this version of Butterfly Lovers has been adapted for piano. It suits the instrument perfectly while still preserving the essence of the original piece. It's absolutely refreshing!"After a few seconds of discussion, an unexpect
Two days later, Maria and Linda arrive at the venue of the exchange conference in their finest attire.They hand over their invitation cards and wait for the security guard to check them.Suddenly, a mocking voice comes from beside them, "Oh oh, who is this? Linda!? Am I mistaken?"The one speaking is Linda manager, and standing next to her is the pianist signed by Linda economic company."Aria, you're not mistaken, isn't that Linda herself?"Hearing their voices, Linda's face darkens. She turns her head and glares at them, "Aria, your eyesight is really not good, you can't even recognize me. You should go to the hospital to have your eyes checked."Aria originally wanted to embarrass Linda, but she didn't expect her to retort so sharply. She immediately gets furious."Linda, the company didn't give you an invitation card. Tell me, where did you steal it from?""Hehe..."Linda raises her chin triumphantly, holding Maria's arm. "Do I need the company to give me one? Just look at who's
After arriving in Beijing, the feeling of uneasiness never appeared again, and Maria felt an indescribable relief.Charles had sent someone to take Andrew back to the Lesser family, while Patrick and Linda followed Charles and Maria back to their villa.Originally, Andrew had strongly invited Patrick to come back to the Lesser family with him, but Patrick knew that the Lesser family was big and complicated, so he used the excuse of being with Linda and followed Charles.***********On the third day, when Luna returned from Brussels, she went directly to Maria’s place and looked at Linda, her expression becoming more flattering."Linda, I heard that your contract with your previous agency is about to expire, right?"Maria sat next to Linda, holding a big doll in her hands, feeling very angry."Yes, they told me before that if I could achieve good results in the training camp this time, they would sign me for another ten years and give me all the resources. But just when I announced my
At this moment, Maria had already packed up and left the hotel with Charles, Linda, Andrew, and others.On the way to the airport, Linda still couldn't understand and turned back to Maria, "Ria, as long as the misunderstanding is resolved, we can still stay in the training camp, right?"Of course, Maria knew that if she returned to the training camp now, everyone would treat her like a deity.Just kidding, being able to decide the life and death of their teacher, they would definitely flatter and serve Maria obediently.Maria shook her head, "Actually, I have already achieved my goal. Linda, if you want to go back, you can go back, no need to accompany me.""Hey!"Linda casually waved her hand, "Without you here, why should I go back? Besides, I have hugged your thigh, and you have hugged Master Smith's thigh. Am I still afraid of not being able to reach the pinnacle of the international piano world?"She said it so casually, as if she was joking. But Maria could tell that she still f
Maria, so smart, why couldn't she understand what they meant?She smiled and turned to shout inside the house, "Honey, it turns out they are looking for you." Charles was inside, and he had heard everything at the door clearly. The girls had looked down on him before and said he was weak, but now they all came to beg him with a straight face. It was really funny.He remained silent for a while before saying, "Ria, in our home, I make the major decisions and you make the minor ones. But in my eyes, besides you, nothing else is a major matter. So, you make the decisions."The girls outside, "..."Didn't that mean that Maria would be in charge of everything in the house?They felt a toothache and couldn't believe they were caught off guard by this unexpected situation.Maria shrugged and looked at them again.Originally, they came to apologize to Maria as a pretense, hoping that she would persuade Charles, but now, the initiative was completely in her hands, and they had to lower their
Maria was not foolish. Why did her reputation stink so much? Was it only because of the ambiguous relationship between her and Charles at that banquet?Just that one time was not enough to make everyone dislike and envy her.Lucy's face was extremely embarrassed, but at this moment, she had already lost all confidence in front of Maria and could only cry helplessly."Maria, I really know I was wrong. Can you forgive me? Please...""Lucy, your intentions were truly wicked. You even used Rivata as a weapon. Honestly, I admire you for that."Even while saying this, Maria's expression remained calm, her tone as if chatting with a close friend."You, alone, have bewitched the hearts of all the girls in the training camp. You treated others as pawns to sacrifice for your own gain. Wasn't your goal to drive me out of the camp? Congratulations, you achieved your goal. You should be happy, so why are you crying?"When Maria said this, the other girls immediately began pondering.After thinkin