The afternoon shoot was still utter chaos. Yvonne Sutton could already imagine how much of a stir it would cause online when this reality show aired.
Miller’s ten-year-old grandson got out of school early, so she had him co to the orchard to help pick apples.
The boy didn’t understand anything about filming, so he kept wandering into the shot. Just as the director was about to lose his temper, Yvonne Sutton quickly led the child to pick apples under a tree in the farthest corner.
"Miss, what’s that big thing they’re holding?"
"That’s a cara."
"Is that a plane flying in the sky?"
"Yep, a drone."
"Why are they holding umbrellas?"
"They’re for lighting."
"Are they fighting?"
’Fighting?’
Yvonne Sutton looked over and saw Daisy Shaw and gan Hughes at it again, so she rushed over to stop them. Whenever those two started fighting, anyone who tried to intervene would get caught in the crossfire—not even Wyatt Shaw was an exception. Only she could handle them.
After she had pacified the two of them, the shoot could finally continue.
The assistant director clasped his hands together in gratitude. "Miss Sutton, you’ve been a huge help. We wouldn’t have been able to keep filming without you."
Yvonne Sutton waved her hand dismissively and quickly stepped away from the set.
When she returned, however, she saw Candice Yates shove Miller’s grandson to the ground. Candice was dusting off her clothes while scolding him, "How long has it been since you bathed? You’re disgusting! And you touched !"
The fall hurt, and tears welled up in the boy’s eyes, but he tried hard to hold them back.
"I... I wanted to get you so water."
"Who’d want water from your house? Your thermos is covered in gri, and who knows how many people have used those bowls. And you, stay away from . You reek."
The boy’s face flushed red from her scolding. He whispered, "I did take a bath. I don’t stink."
"You stink if I say you stink!" Candice Yates sniffed her own arm with a look of disgust. "Now I have to go change my clothes."
Furious, she kicked over the basket of apples the boy had just picked. Big, red apples tumbled to the ground, scattering everywhere. So even rolled down the hillside.
Seeing this, the boy could no longer hold back his tears, and they stread down his face.
Yvonne Sutton’s brow furrowed. She stepped forward to block Candice Yates.
"Pick up the apples!"
Candice Yates saw her and sneered. "Who do you think you are? You tell to pick them up, and I’m supposed to listen?"
Candice Yates lifted her chin, shot her a scornful glance, and continued on her way.
Yvonne Sutton grabbed her and shoved her back.
"I said, pick them up!"
"Hey, you’re looking for a fight, aren’t you? You..."
Yvonne Sutton held up her phone and played the video she had just recorded for Candice Yates to see.
The video showed her shoving the little boy, kicking the basket of apples, and spewing vicious words. The footage was crystal clear, especially the shot of her face.
"If I release this video, your ’frank and friendly’ public persona is going to co crashing down."
"Delete it! I order you to delete it right now!"
Candice Yates frantically tried to snatch the phone, but Yvonne Sutton pushed her away again.
"’Order ?’ You really think you’re so high and mighty queen, don’t you?"
"Yvonne Sutton!"
"Pick up the apples!"
Candice Yates gritted her teeth, refusing to back down. But when she saw that Yvonne Sutton was actually about to post the video online, she finally caved.
"I’ll pick them up! Just don’t post it!"
She shot Yvonne Sutton a resentful glare, then bent down and started picking up the apples she had scattered on the ground.
Yvonne Sutton went over to help the boy up. After checking to make sure he wasn’t hurt, she felt relieved.
"Miss, I really did take a bath last night," he said sadly.
Yvonne Sutton leaned in and sniffed the boy’s hair. "Are you using orange-scented shampoo?"
The boy nodded eagerly. "Yes."
Yvonne Sutton smiled and ruffled the boy’s hair. "It slls lovely."
The boy gave a shy smile and told Yvonne Sutton that his grandmother had bought the shampoo just for him. It cost ten yuan a bottle, he said. Usually, she and his grandpa just washed their hair with laundry powder.
"Grandma says that even though we’re poor, we have to keep ourselves clean. That way, people won’t dislike us."
Yvonne Sutton bent down to the boy’s eye level. "You are very clean, and you’re a good, dutiful boy. I believe you’ll grow up to be very successful. But I want to tell you not to worry about what other people think. Not all of them are good people. Bad people see everything as dirty because their own hearts are dirty. For people like that, we have to ignore them and stay away from them, because their inner filth can rub off on you."
The boy nodded seriously. "I’ll rember what you said, Miss."
Swallowing her rage, Candice Yates picked up all the apples. Yvonne Sutton then told her to go get the ones that had rolled down the hill. Candice shot her another glare, then trudged off to retrieve them, panting with effort. Along the way, she scratched her hand on a thorny wild jujube branch.
Finally, all the apples were back in the basket.
"Apologize to him," Yvonne Sutton said, looking at Candice Yates.
"Yvonne Sutton, don’t take it too far!"
"I’m not going to waste my breath on you. I’m counting to three. One... two..."
Before she even reached three, Candice Yates hurriedly apologized.
"I’ve done everything you said. Can you delete the video now?"
A corner of Yvonne Sutton’s mouth twitched. "I don’t recall promising to delete it, did I?"
"You!"
"As long as you don’t ss with , I won’t post it. So stay away from from now on!"
It was as if Yvonne Sutton had her by the tail. Although Candice Yates was furious, she didn’t dare say or do anything more and just stord off in a huff.
That evening, the film crew prepared a long-table banquet where all staff mbers could sit down and eat together.
Yvonne Sutton hadn’t planned on attending, but the assistant director called her repeatedly, afraid that if she weren’t there, Daisy Shaw and gan Hughes would get into a fight and flip the table.
When she arrived, she sat at the very end of the table. Daisy Shaw and the others were at the front. Wyatt Shaw, in particular, was pulled by the director to the seat of honor in the middle, where several staff mbers surrounded him to offer toasts.
He didn’t refuse anyone, downing every glass offered to him.
Daisy Shaw tried to talk so sense into him, but Wyatt Shaw wouldn’t listen, so she gave up and went back to bickering with gan Hughes about their old grudges.
Yvonne Sutton had just sat down when Kelsie Kensington arrived. Perhaps sharing the sa idea, Kelsie also walked to the far end of the table and sat in a spot not far from her. The two of them nodded at each other in greeting.
Halfway through the al, Candice Yates ca over and sat down next to Kelsie Kensington.
"Why are you sitting all the way over here? I’ve been looking all over for you and couldn’t find you anywhere."
Kelsie Kensington didn’t want to engage with Candice Yates, so she just kept eating on her own.
"Oh, right, there’s sothing I need to tell you. That Republican-era drama you were cast in? I didn’t think you were a good fit, so I had the company turn it down for you."
Kelsie Kensington was stunned to hear this.
"What gives you the right to decide whether I’m a good fit for a role? And what right do you have to turn it down for ?"
"Because with a single word from , the company has to do as I say."
"Candice Yates, what do you want from ? To blacklist ? To force out of the entertainnt industry? Or do you want to get on my knees, kowtow, and beg for your forgiveness?"
Candice Yates blinked, feigning innocence.
"You make it sound like I’m bullying you. I’m not, of course. I just think you’re better suited for a supporting role than a leading one. I’m joining the cast of a historical drama next month, and I’ve recomnded you to the production team to play my handmaiden. The company agrees it’s a good fit. You don’t have to thank . As a senior at the sa company, it’s my duty to look after the newcors."
Kelsie Kensington had endured for so long, but this was the final straw. She shot up from her seat and lunged at Candice Yates. But Candice was prepared. She kicked her chair back hard, and it slamd into Kelsie’s legs, nearly causing her to trip.
Seizing the opportunity, Candice Yates grabbed a plate of stir-fried vegetables and flung it at Kelsie Kensington.
The dish splattered all over Kelsie Kensington’s body and face, and the sauce even splashed onto Yvonne Sutton.
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