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. “The 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
As soon as Justin posted on Instagram, his fans erupted in chaos. Many had been trying to convince themselves that his relationship with Lindsay was just a publicity stunt. Now that he had personally confirmed it, many of his fans were devastated and some even burst into tears. Unwilling to direct their anger at Justin, they flooded Lindsay's Instagram with insults.The hashtag #JustinConfirmsRelationship quickly began trending. Lindsay saw the trending topic and the barrage of hateful comments. She logged into her own Instagram and posted, “We have broken up and cut ties. Thank you!”Along with her post, she uploaded a recording of her phone conversation with Justin from the day they broke up. She had initiated the breakup, but it wasn't her fault. Justin and the others wanted to protect Olivia, but Lindsay had no such obligations. She had recorded the call as a countermeasure, to show Justin's fans exactly who their idol really cared about.She refused to take the blame for O
"Too bad he misjudged Linds' temper. She’s the kind that wants nothing to do with her ex-boyfriend!""Didn't Justin's fans say that Linds was clinging to their idol before?""Now it seems your idol is the one unwilling to let go.""Justin's actions are really disgusting."Elric's team continued to stir things up."Here's another scoop: the sudden revelation of Justin and Lindsay's relationship was a deliberate move by Justin to divert attention from Olivia's adoption scandal, orchestrated with Olivia's manager.""The Instagram post was also meant to help Olivia, using Lindsay as a shield.""Have you noticed? Since the relationship news broke, Alex and Olivia haven't been criticized, but Linds has been harshly attacked."With this narrative, netizens started to catch on.Indeed, as soon as the relationship news broke, Lindsay became the new target of Justin's fans' anger, replacing Olivia."Justin is so unethical. After all, Lindsay grew up with him.""Stabbing Linds in the back like th
In another car.Justin stared intently at Lindsay’s latest Instagram post. His face showed disbelief. Not only did Lindsay announce their breakup on Instagram, but she also recorded their phone call from that day. And now, she released it all without hesitation. Had she been preparing for this all along? This realization brought a sharp pain to his heart. How could this happen? They had been doing so well before, so how did it come to this?At that moment, his phone suddenly rang. Seeing that it was Linda, he answered, "What's up?"Linda's voice was unusually sharp and urgent, "Did you see Lindsay's Instagram post? Your breakup is trending, you're getting a lot of hate right now."Justin was silent for a moment before saying, "I saw it."Linda was furious. "Is Lindsay out of her mind? She didn't even discuss it with you before stabbing you in the back like this. This sudden move caught us completely off guard."It was really a slap in the face, with Justin posting that they wer
By posting this tweet, Justin could not only show Lindsay and the others that there was nothing going on between Olivia and him but also protect Olivia from being dragged into the mess.After exchanging a few more words, he hung up the phone and posted another update on Instagram."I harbor no secret love, and my affections do not lie with Olivia. Her older brother, a childhood friend of mine, entrusted me with her care.”This post made his fans feel much better, and they flooded the comments with support, expressing their belief in him.Justin's PR team immediately began redirecting the narrative to defuse the hate. Oliver also had his PR team cooperate. As a result, Justin's fans quickly went to Lindsay's Instagram, urging her not to spread rumors and manipulate the narrative. Witnessing this, the bystanders began to question the validity of the alleged affair and supposed true love story.Meanwhile, Elric's team saw the Instagram post and listened to the recording. They fully sup
The internet was abuzz with discussions about the relationship between Justin and Lindsay. The debate revolved around whether Lindsay's reasons for breaking up, as revealed in her recording, were true, or if Justin's rebuttal held more truth.In the car, Alex and Olivia were also keeping an eye on the trending topics. Olivia saw the comments in the live stream chat of the variety show, where people were criticizing her. Her eyes reddened with frustration, feeling deeply aggrieved. Alex was her brother, so why couldn't he be good to her? It was Lindsay who was trying to take her brothers and everything away from her. Yet these people blindly criticized her.Moreover, Olivia felt increasingly aggrieved by the situation between Justin and Lindsay. She had genuinely been attracted to Justin and hoped to win his affection.Therefore, she often found excuses to interact with him privately and deliberately relied on him. In her mind, Justin's protective behavior and assistance were tes
In the vibrant district of the historic town, the streets were lined with vintage boutiques and various artisan stalls. Lindsay's group visited the town’s 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, I’ll let you handle writing the banner."She was eager to observe his writing and the energy he gave off while doing it.Benedict sighed inwardly—this girl was constantly trying to test him. After a moment’s thought, he nodded. "Alright, I’ll write it."He grabbed a marker, uncapped it, and wrote in bold letters across the white fabric: “Fortune Telling, Divination, and Tarot Readings.”Lindsay watched him closely, noticing the fluidity of his movements as he wrote, his posture exud
Justin added, "My mom’s been trying to get me to help Olivia and distance myself from Lindsay. She’s 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 she’s taking it out on Lindsay."Alex, clearly upset, said, "You should talk to her and tell her to stop fixating on Lindsay. Lindsay hasn’t done anything to provoke her. It’s ridiculous."He was frustrated that Justin’s mom had been stirring up trouble, making Grace even more difficult to deal with.Justin nodded. "Alright, after the show is over, I’ll 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 mom’s 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 won’t lend it, let’s 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 she’s willing to do! We’ve wronged Lindsay enough as it is, so why do you keep trying to guilt-trip her? Brandon’s situation isn’t Lindsay’s fault. Why don’t you go find Olivia? She’s the one who caused all this, maybe she can fix it. After all, whoever’s 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 it—she 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 didn’t 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 don’t say anything."Grace’s expression darkened. "It’s because it’s important that we need to talk privately."She emphasized, "It’s not appropriate in front of the camera."Lindsay just smiled. "Unless it's something shady, what’s 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 couldn’t 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 Brandon’s condition."Lindsay replied, "Tell her not to waste her energy."Seeing that message, Alex knew right away that she wouldn’t lend it out. It didn’t surprise him—his sister could be ruthless when she wanted to be."We can’t convince her otherwise, not even Dad can stop her... sigh," Alex added. When their mom’s temper flared, she wouldn’t listen to anyone.Lindsay didn’t seem to care. "Then let her come. I’m 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. We’ve always had a decent relationship. We’re just closer now, that’s all.""What do you men know about women’s matters? Don't interfere." She now had plenty to talk about with Abby. Jenny wa
Richard glanced at Grace with clear disapproval. “This whole mess was caused by Olivia and Brandon. What does any of it have to do with Lindsay?”He 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. “If it wasn’t for her ongoing fight with Olivia, Brandon wouldn’t have gotten involved. He’s her brother. Doesn’t she owe him some consideration now that he’s in this condition?”Richard frowned. “What exactly are you trying to say?”Valarie, who had been quietly listening, finally spoke up, her displeasure clear. “I see it differently. It’s Olivia and your son who started the trouble, and all Lindsay did was defend herself. Are you really looking to embarrass yourselves even more?”Grace shifted uncomfortably, feeling the sting of her mother-in-law’s words. “I’m just thinking abou
Given the Harper family's persistence, there was no way the Divination Association could avoid a thorough investigation. Seeing that Randolph wouldn’t 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 Brandon’s 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 trouble—far 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. “Knowing you’re wrong doesn’t change anything. It’s too late now.”Turning back to the two mystics, Randolph asked, “If you can’t break the curse directly, could you at least help suppress his misfortune? Maybe with a protective charm or some kind of mystical object?”Despite his frustration with his grandson’s foolishness, he couldn’t just leave him to suffer.Both mystics exchanged uneasy glances. “We don’t have the ability to suppress his bad luck with charms.”“For something like that, you’d need t