Aurora felt awful. She had grown up in soone else’s ho, always watching her tone, reading the room. Even now, living on her own, she still had to deal with Mrs. Wilson’s attitude.
Her life had been nothing but suffocating. She wanted to talk back—but out of respect for her uncle, who had always treated her well, she bit her tongue.
"Auntie, if Kimi didn’t like the gift, I’ll just send him money. Please help him buy whatever he wants," Aurora said calmly, though inside, she was boiling. Wasn’t family supposed to be supportive? Since starting her career, she’d given nearly two million to Mrs. Wilson.
But in her aunt’s eyes, it still seed like Aurora owed her everything.
"Well, that works too, haha. Honestly, I get it. Grandma doesn’t like you, so it’s understandable that you wouldn’t want to co," Mrs. Wilson’s tone suddenly softened.
Aurora felt sick. The only reason she’d called was for money.
Her uncle’s business hadn’t been doing well these past few years, so Mrs. Wilson’s personal allowance had shrunk. Whenever she was short on cash, she’d co to Aurora.
"Okay, I’ll transfer it now. Gotta go," Aurora replied blandly and hung up.
Mrs. Wilson let out a satisfied little laugh. That laugh reeked of smugness.
She knew Aurora would never tell Mr. Wilson about these things. Out of gratitude for being raised by him, Aurora had always avoided creating tension between the couple.
Aurora opened her phone and transferred money via an app.
This ti, she sent ¥500,000.
After the transfer, she couldn’t help but feel like she’d been too naïve in the past—sending such large amounts early on ant anything less now would seem stingy. Her own kindness had backed her into a corner.
She was frustrated with herself for being such a pushover. But she reminded herself: She’s your aunt. Yeah, she wasn’t great to you growing up, but compared to stepmothers who straight-up abuse their stepkids, she’s not the worst.
"Fine. Just consider it repaynt for raising ," Aurora muttered. "Money’s just money."
What truly bothered her wasn’t giving money.
It was the attitude.
After a day of rest, filming for the MV continued.
They had only four scenes left to shoot in S City—after that, it was off to Country Y.
The song "Losing You" was a deeply emotional track with the longest MV yet—25 minutes long, blending narrative with music. It was the newest way to hook fans.
And the extended format? Crafted specifically for Everett.
A huge na like his guaranteed views. A longer MV ant more screen ti, more value for fans, and better sales.
On the plane, Everett and Aurora barely crossed paths. They sat far apart in first class, along with several other A-listers and key cast mbers.
Joining the shoot this ti was Amanda.
She’d be playing the new girlfriend of the mute photographer—Everett’s character. Though it was a supporting role, casting a major celeb like Amanda showed how seriously the company valued this project (and Aurora).
Amanda was easy to get along with. Aurora had always liked her, so working together felt smooth and natural.
After ten hours, they landed in Country Y.
"Everyone, rest for three hours," Director Z announced. "We’ve got eight shots ahead—four by the lake, four on the roadside. Once you’re rested, a car will take you to Swan Lake to prep for the shoot."
Amanda and Aurora exchanged a glance—they were exhausted after ten hours on a plane.
Dominic had co along with Aurora this ti, since Eleanor had last-minute obligations. As usual, Dominic was chill and didn’t even need rest—she was Aurora’s personal human alarm clock.
"We’ll rest first. I’ll wake you after three hours," Dominic said cheerfully.
Aurora nodded, and by chance, her eyes t Everett’s. His gaze was dark, deep, almost overflowing with unspoken emotion.
Aurora headed to her room with Dominic and Amanda. After a quick nap, Dominic woke her.
They got ready, changed clothes, and fifteen minutes later, Aurora and Dominic were in the hotel lobby.
Everything about the Country Y hotel oozed romance. Off to the side, a pianist played gentle tunes, giving the air a dreamy calm.
"This is the final stop for the MV, right? At least it’s a good place to relax a little," Amanda said with a smile.
Aurora pressed her lips together. The final stop? Good. That ans I won’t have to see him again afterward.
Once in the car, Amanda leaned in close with a sly grin. "So... I heard you and Everett have a little history. Aurora, do you actually like him?"
Aurora was caught off guard. She quickly shook her head. "No way. Don’t believe the rumors."
Amanda giggled, her fresh and sweet laugh like a spring breeze.
As Ella’s friend, Amanda was soone Aurora felt safe around.
"I won’t end up with him," she said, biting her lip, her brows knitting with worry.
"But... now that we’re filming together again, and he’s still the tragic male lead... no matter what I say, you guys probably won’t believe , right?"
Amanda raised an eyebrow playfully. "Honestly... whether people believe it or not doesn’t matter. What matters is how you want to move forward with him. Why worry what others think? Just follow your heart."
Aurora fell silent.
Amanda had a point—she really didn’t need to care so much about what everyone thought. She was just one person. If she always lived according to others’ opinions, how could she ever be herself?
The scenes at Swan Lake featured the mute photographer and his new girlfriend traveling together and filming, only to unexpectedly run into the female lead and her boyfriend.
In all four shots, Everett’s character—the mute photographer—wore a somber expression, his eyes filled with lancholy. Distant, joyless.
The crew had coordinated with the lake’s managent in advance and booked the location for half a day. That ant they had to shoot all four scenes within that window.
Luckily, the total screen ti for the four scenes was only about eight minutes, so if all went well, they could wrap in one to two hours.
The small boats were rowed by local boatn. Aurora and Brown sat in one, both smiling gently, looking bright and relaxed.
Approaching from the other direction was Everett and Amanda in another boat. Amanda’s character was cheerful and sweet, a stark contrast to Everett’s mood.
The encounter scene, followed by a brief exchange, was done in one take.
Applause erupted from the crew.
Everyone seed pleased—except Everett, who still wore a furrowed brow and a shadow in his eyes. Was he too deep into the role? Even after the director called cut, he couldn’t snap out of it?
That’s what Aurora thought as she glanced over.
But to her surprise, he was already looking at her. Quietly. As if he had been waiting.
The orange glow of the setting sun bathed him in light, turning him into a soft, almost surreal silhouette.
From a distance, he looked like a prince out of a storybook.
Aurora quickly looked away, but just then, a female crew mber snickered sarcastically, "Oh my, such soulful eye contact—I totally caught that mont on cara!"
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