"Lily, how's the acting?" Agent Rylee walked toward Lily upon seeing her walk out of the agency while dragging her feet one after the other, her face downcast and pitiful.
Seeing Lily's posture, Agent Rylee sighed; she already knew that Lily wouldn't be able to win Director Wang's tough heart.
However, Lily was interested in the movie and wanted to try out for the audition of her own accord, so Agent Rylee had tried to satisfy her. "It's fine if you didn't pass the audition. There are also other good scripts available in the company. Director Wang isn't the only good…"
Lily got into the car and plopped onto the passenger seat while gasping for breath like a fish. She exhaled a shaky breath. "Who said I didn't get in?"
Agent Rylee froze and stared at Lily in disbelief. "What did you say? You passed?"
Lily's lips curved up in a triumphant and cocky smirk. "Of course. I studied all yesterday afternoon and a few hours before that; how can I not pass?"
Upon hearing this, Agent Rylee's hand itched to raise and slap the triumphant smirk off Lily's face.
Some people had been training for months but still missed the opportunity.
However, Lily just practiced for a few hours yet magically managed to gain Director Wang's approval!
It seemed once this person was interested in something, she'd put in her best. This kind of thing—she didn't know if it was a good sign or not.
Agent Rylee eyed Lily. "Then why were you looking depressed and dragging your feet as if the world's burden were on your shoulders?"
Lily's expression changed, and she lashed out unhappily, "Isn't it because…" Lily sighed and waved her hand in the air. "Forget it."
That shameless Zane Ji was too much. Her body ached so much it felt as if she'd fall apart with each step she took.
Lily really couldn't walk and could hardly stand in the audition room. It's right to say that keeping her composure was harder than acting the role!
And when she finally left the audition room, Lily wanted to fall apart.
But still, Lily was happy that she was able to win the role with her own effort.
"Since you're tired, I'll return with my car. Congratulations on your role; I'll handle the rest. My driver will bring you back to the Ji mansion, okay?"
"No. No. Just drive me back to the Shen mansion. I miss my mom; I'll be staying there for a few days." Lily said breathlessly and placed her head on the seat. Soon, she fell asleep.
Lily was truly tired — going shopping, going to the club, getting eaten to the bone by Mr. Ji several times in a row, and practicing the script.
Now that Lily got the role, she could finally rest!
The car was silent as it drove straight to the Shen mansion. By the time the car arrived, Lily was fast asleep, and the chauffeur was filled with mixed feelings.
It was at this moment that Quist stepped out of the mansion. Upon seeing the sleeping Lily, he was stunned but still picked her up and strode into the mansion.
Mrs. Shen hurriedly stepped forward and followed Quist. It had just been a few days of marriage, but Lily had already gotten thin. Sigh, this little child!
Mrs. Shen carefully tucked Lily into bed and stroked her hair with heartache.
Lily's face furrowed in a frown and she pursed her lips. "I am so pitiful. I missed Mom a lot," she whispered in her sleep and pouted unhappily.
Mrs. Shen's eyes pooled with tears, and she held Quist's hand. "Perhaps we were wrong. We shouldn't have let Lily get married. What if she's suffering? Look at her; she's already thin and crying in her sleep!"
"Mom, let's talk outside so we won't wake Lily up." Quist held Mrs. Shen's hand and led her outside.
When they arrived in the living room, Quist frowned slightly and said, "When Lily wakes up, we can ask her if she's being bullied by Zane Ji."
Even though his sister liked to cause trouble and Quist was always strict with her, he still couldn't bear for her to go through any suffering.
Mrs. Shen used a handkerchief to wipe the tears from her eyes. "Lily is only rebellious. In fact, without us, she can't do anything. If she's being bullied, she'll take it silently and only hold the pain in her heart. I'll tell your father; perhaps it's time to arrange a meeting with the Ji family. If Lily is unhappy in the marriage, we'll break it off," she said firmly.
Quist nodded his head and responded with, "Hm."
Meanwhile, Lily, who was fast asleep, was unaware of how the world was already crashing because of her.
From the moment Lily had arrived at the mansion around ten, she hadn't stirred even a bit from sleep.
It wasn't until Lily's phone rang that she grumbled and unhappily stretched her hand to pick up the call. "Hm?" She yawned and rubbed her eyes.
"Where are you?" Zane Ji asked from the other end of the phone.
The woman was supposed to be done with her audition since ten, yet it was past six in the evening and she hadn't come home? Was she planning to cause trouble again?
Lily had already dozed off, but she only heard a voice asking where she was, so she said, "Home," and cut off the call.
Home? Wasn't that her home? Zane Ji frowned, but in the next second, he understood something. The woman had run home.
Then he could only bring her back. Zane Ji picked up his car keys and left the mansion in long, fast strides.
It took him over forty minutes before he finally arrived at the Shen mansion. He got out of the car and strode inside.
"You're here." Quist's eyes and voice turned cold as he stared at Zane with hostility.
Zane arched his brows. While he and Quist weren't friends, they had always given each other due respect. "Where's Lily?" he asked straightforwardly.
Mrs. Shen grumbled and responded without looking at Zane. "You could have come to pick her up tomorrow. She's fast asleep."
Zane Ji's brows knitted. He could already notice that something was wrong with the Shen family's behavior. It seemed this family was quite hostile today.
It couldn't be that this woman had already brought her divorce plan home? Sigh. What was he to do with that naughty woman?
The door was suddenly pushed open, and a half-awake and half-asleep Lily bypassed them drowsily.
Lily yawned while holding a white bear that the family hadn't seen in years. "Mom, I want to eat osmanthus cake. Big brother, my sweet." She instinctively raised her hand toward Quist.
Lily's actions were so fluid, as if she couldn't see Zane Ji at all. Zane's eyes darkened. What was this woman playing at?
Quist and Mrs. Shen froze. This act, this speech — this was how Lily had always acted before that accident!
Since that accident years ago, Lily had changed. She didn't even remember her favorite bear, and she didn't sleepwalk anymore.
Later, when they had given her the things she once played with, she looked at them blankly and ignored them. She even spat the sweet out when Quist had given it to her.
Quist dipped his hand into his pocket and handed the sweet to Lily.
Even though years had passed, Quist still carried the sweet around. He helped her unwrap it and handed it to her.
Lily's eyes lit up and she put the sweet in her mouth. She spoke sweetly, "Only big brother Quist cares about me. Big brother loves me."
Quist's expression softened, and he rubbed her head fondly. The cold billionaire act the media knew him for completely disappeared. "Silly. If I don't care for you, who will?"
Zane Ji's expression darkened. Did he even exist to the Shen family? He is her husband!
It was at that moment that Lily finally woke up from sleep.
When Lily saw Quist's face, she froze immediately. This face.
They had always told her she was hallucinating, that she was just dreaming about it. But it turned out she wasn't — Quist was her elder brother.