Chapter 29 Exchanging Contacts
Chace arrived quickly. For Lara, this was her first time attending a script rading, and or top of that, she would be sharing scenes with Chace. A wave of nervousness bubbled inside her. Chace looked a little surprised when he saw her.
His manager had mentioned that the lead actress for The Red was a newcomer named Lara, recently signed under Mayer Entertainment. But he hadn’t expected her to be the same girl who had been learning pottery at the pottery shop.
Chace gave her a smile, and Lara responded with a small wave.
Once the script meeting ended, Lara walked out of the room, and Chace followed behind. “That cup you made was pretty nice,” he said.
His deep voice made Lara’s heart race. “You taught well,” she replied.
The moment the words left her mouth, they both paused for a second, slightly taken aback. Chace asked, “How did you get
here?”
“I drove.” Lara regretted answering so quickly. If she had kept quiet, maybe he would’ve offered to drive her back..
More than anything, she was just thrilled to see Chace up close again. She was so happy, she felt a little dazed. She really, tridy liked Chace.
“Here” Chace handed her a small box, the comers of his lips curling up slightly. “Consider this a thank–you gift for the cup you gave me.”
Back in her car, Lara could barely contain her excitement as she quickly unwrapped the package. Inside was a bracelet– radiant, dazzling, simply beautiful beyond words. She recognized the brand and knew it had to be worth at least twenty thousand.
Teng Chong had given her a bracelet that was dazzlingly radiant, its beauty was beyond words.
Biting her lip, she felt the gift was too extravagant. After all, her handmade cup was nowhere near that valuable.
As Chace got into his car, his manager handed him a bottle of water. “You know Larn?”
The role of the female lead had initially been expected to go to a well–known actress from Redhole Entertainment. She had plenty of popularity–along with a fair share of scandals–but her loyal fanbase and solid reputation made it a safe, beneficial
choice.
Yet somehow, the role had gone to Lara, a complete newcomer with zero recognition.
His manager was utterly baffled. Chace was a man of few words. And when it came to talking to women, he was even quieter. Seeing him take the initiative to speak to Lara made his manager feel like the sun had risen in the west.
“Yeah, she came to my brother’s pottery shop before,” Chace said. And with that, he closed his eyes.
The manager scratched his head. Is that all?
The car’s AC was on full blast, so he draped a blanket over Chace. Chace’s eyelashes fluttered slightly. He remembered her clear, bright eyes. That day at the pottery shop, he had found himself getting distracted by her.
After thinking for a moment, he turned to his manager. “What’s Lara’s contact info?”
His manager was utterly taken aback.
When Billy found out Lara had signed with Mayer Group, he was furious. Trying to appease their parents, Lara decided to make a trip back home.
She personally prepared a few dishes and set them on the dining table before heading to the study to find her father. Standing behind him, she started massaging his shoulders.
1/3
Tad just look at how well I’m doing. Mayer Entertainment is known for being picky, yet they signed me right after graduation. That has to mean I have potential, right? Mr. Mayer himself is the big boss–he has an eye for talent. Don’t you
think so?”
Billy scoffed.
“Dad, you’ve worked so hard for so many years. It’s time I start earning money and taking care of you guys.”
Billy let out another grunt.
The Ross family was already enormously wealthy What Lara could earn from acting for eight years wouldn’t even make a dent in their fortune. Besides, the women in his family never lacked money. They lived comfortably–so what was the point of her becoming an actress?
“Dad, there’s more! I’m in the same talent agency as my idol, Chace.”
This time, Billy didn’t scoff. He knew the person on that giant poster in Lara’s bedroom. “Didn’t you say you wanted to marry him?”
Lara’s cheeks instantly flushed. She had said that–years ago.
Back when she was young and naive, she used to tell her best friend every day that she wanted to marry Chace. Looking back, she realized she had liked Chace for a long time.
Seven years, to be exact. Seven years had passed, and nothing had changed.
“The things kids say don’t count,” Lara mumbled, touching her face.
Billy turned to look at her. Still denying it? Her face said everything.
“If you really want to do this, go ahead. I won’t stop you. But remember–take care of yourself. If anything happens, don’t keep it to yourself. Let me know. Got it?”
Lara’s eyes welled up. Her father was finally supporting her.
Oscar dropped Lara off at home. Just as he was about to leave, he turned back and saw her sitting in the passenger seat, eyes wide and sparkling with excitement. He raised an eyebrow. “What?”
Lara shoved her phone toward him. “Oscar, Chace just added me on WhatsApp!”
“What’s the big deal? You two are working on a show together. Isn’t it normal to exchange contacts?”
Lara didn’t respond. Sull holding her phone, she completed the friend request verification.
Oscar sure knew how to kill the mood. She was just happy–it was not like she was overthinking it.
Looking at Chace’s profile picture, she suddenly thought of Donovan. She turned to Oscar. “Oh, right, Oscar.”
“Hm?”
“Last time, I scratched my boss‘ car. Can you help me cover the cost?”
Donovan had said she didn’t need to pay him back. But how could she just let it slide? She hated owing people.
Oscar rubbed his temples. “Just don’t drive anymore.”
Lara felt wronged, Honestly, she was pretty good at everything–except parking. But if she didn’t drive, it wouldn’t really matter. They had a chauffeur anyway.
Chace didn’t post much on social media. In less than half an hour, Lara had already scrolled through all of his posts. Most of them were about his work, with a few glimpses into his daily life.
She hesitated. Had Chace looked through her profile too? Her heart skipped a beat as she quickly opened her page to check/3
for anything embarrassing.
Scrolling through her feed, Lara suddenly felt nervous. She had expresseder admiration for Chace multiple times. But then again, she had already declared herself a fan in person. Even if he saw it wasn’t a big deal.
Besides food and video games, there wasn’t much else in her posts. Lara put her phone down and flopped onto her bed, trying to calm her racing thoughts. Ever since their encounter at the pottery shop, everything had felt surreal. She grinned, curled up into a ball, and kicked her legs in excitement.
I’m so happy!
Although The Red was a suspense thriller, it actually had a fair share of romantic scenes, including many kissing scenes.
Eek!
Lara covered her face, her cheeks burning.
I wonder if Chace’s lips are soft.
an emoji.
The more she thought about it, the more excited she became. She grabbed her phone, opened their chat, and sent an She didn’t know what to say–but she wanted to text him anyway.
But her brother was right. The male and female leads working together would obviously add each other on WhatsApp For all ‘she knew, Chace had added every cast member.
Meanwhile. Chace sneezed. Wrapping a towel around his waist, he stepped out of the bathroom. His phone screen lit up. Lara had sent him a message
Drying his hair, he glanced at it. A simple, cute emoji.
Chace texted back: Do you play The Pesticide?
Lara: I do!
Chace: Want to play in ten minutes?
Lara: Okay!
Chace chuckled.
3
