So, he stepped in to try to smooth things over. “We all know each other here. If there’s a misunderstanding, we can discuss it after we return to the city. There’s no need to blow it out of proportion.” His intention was clear – he wanted to encourage Simone to ease off.
Simone looked at Leon with raised eyebrows. “So, Leon, you think I’m making a fuss over nothing? Every time someone initiates trouble, it’s never me, but it always ends up being my fault. I can’t quite grasp your perspective on this. I’ve clarified that I’d rather not be involved in this. Please respect that. Take good care of your ‘Jojo,’ and let’s not continue bothering each other.” She appeared exasperated. “If I can’t find common ground with you, then perhaps we should keep our distance, right?”
Since he wanted to help Jodie, they could be in the same boat together.
Her words carried significant subtext, intensifying the gossip among the onlookers. The livestream viewers were equally curious and intrigued.
Leon was caught off guard by her continued misunderstanding of his relationship with Jodie. He couldn’t comprehend her motivations.
What did she mean by “Take good care of your Jojo”? Was she deliberately stirring up unnecessary trouble?
With a resigned expression, he suggested, “Simone, let’s try to avoid causing a scene. I don’t understand why, even if you don’t like Jodie, we can’t simply pretend to get along for the sake of the variety show. After all, this is a live stream, and we’re making it more dramatic than necessary.”
While Simone remained silent, Zac chimed in with a sly smile, addressing Leon, “You’re exaggerating this. Accusing Simone of wrongdoing and irrational behavior. As a bystander, I didn’t see anything wrong with her actions.” He continued playfully, “If I didn’t know you two were childhood friends, I would think there was some grudge between you.”
Simone, still smiling, added, “It’s not just you. I also had the same impression.”
As Simone and Zac sang in harmony, Leon’s irritation grew. In that moment, he developed a strong dislike for Zac. Frowning, he looked at Zac and said, “There seems to be a misunderstanding between Simone and me. You don’t need to get involved.” He wanted Zac to mind his own business.
However, Zac casually shrugged and confidently asserted, “That’s not right. Simone saved my life, so her problems have become my concern.”
Leon suddenly found himself at a loss for words, which only added to his frustration. He genuinely hoped that Simone wouldn’t become Zac’s savior, as it would only complicate things. At this moment, he didn’t want to engage with Zac. So, he turned to her and explained, “I didn’t mean to imply that you were wrong. I just hope we can all get along peacefully.”
She responded calmly, “As long as none of you actively provoke me, we’ll get along just fine.” She clarified that she had no intention of starting conflicts, especially during a live broadcast. However, she wouldn’t hesitate to defend herself if provoked.
He understood her unspoken message and replied, “Understood.” He decided to have a private conversation with Jodie, encouraging her not to instigate further conflict with Simone.
It was clear that Simone wasn’t showing respect to him and Aaron. Leon decided it was best to step back and prevent the situation from escalating.
Aaron wanted to say something else, but Jodie pulled at his sleeve. Normally, she would have enjoyed her brother reprimanding Simone. However, she now feared that she might release that recording if he pushed Simone too far.
He wasn’t worried about people knowing about his relationship with Simone. However, for Jodie’s sake, he held his tongue and did not reveal what he wanted to say. The courtyard fell into an awkward silence, prompting the director to intervene and ease the tension.
With a smile, the director announced, “I have something important to share with all of you.”
All eyes turned to him as they asked, “What is it?”
“As you all know, this village is home to many elderly residents and children. To bring more joy to their lives, the production team has decided to organize a village event next week. Your task will be to prepare performances that entertain the villagers. As a special incentive, we will give each villager a small red flower, allowing them to vote for their favorite group. The group with the most red flowers will have one request fulfilled by our production team.”
This initiative aimed to generate interest and conversation.
Eric asked, “What kind of performances should we prepare? Are there any specific guidelines?”
The director shook his head and replied, “There are no strict rules. You can brainstorm and decide among yourselves. The main goal is to ensure that the villagers enjoy the performances.”
Following this announcement, Simone and her group gathered in their room to discuss their performance ideas.
Meanwhile, Aaron and his group did the same. Jodie was eager to showcase her talents and volunteered to perform a classical dance and play the harp. Leyla suggested singing a song, while Aaron, known for his singing and dancing abilities, decided to perform solo. Leon, with prior experience in singing, proposed singing a song. This allowed their group to prepare a total of five performances.
On the other side, Zac looked at everyone and asked, “What kind of performance should we do? I don’t think singing and dancing would be popular with the villagers.”
Eric agreed, “Considering that our audience mainly consists of elderly people and children, magic tricks might be more appealing than singing and dancing.”
Keira had initially wanted to sing a song, but after hearing their discussion, she thought it made sense. “Let’s brainstorm some creative ideas for our performances.”
Zac turned to Simone and asked, “Do you have any ideas?”
Simone pondered and then suggested, “What do you all think about shadow puppetry?”
The other three were surprised. “Shadow puppetry?”
She nodded and explained, “The village leader mentioned that there’s an elder in the village who’s a master of shadow puppetry. Despite its declining popularity, this elder has been diligently making shadow puppets for ten years, hoping that more people will appreciate this art form. If we perform this, we can fulfill the elder’s wish and promote and preserve this cultural heritage. Additionally, I believe the elderly and children would enjoy watching shadow puppetry.”
Zac suddenly became interested. “So, are you suggesting we perform a shadow puppet show?”
She confirmed, “Exactly. We can each play different roles and put on a shadow puppet show for everyone to enjoy.”
Eric also became intrigued. “This is a good idea. I find it quite interesting.”
Keira said, “I agree.” Then, she asked, “Are we only going to perform one shadow puppet show?”
Simone smiled. “Didn’t we already tell the village leader and the villagers that those interested can come here for a class tomorrow? At that time, you can teach the children to sing and dance. Perhaps they can perform together on stage.”
Eric added, “This idea is excellent. Parents will be thrilled to see their children on stage, and the villagers will feel more connected when they see familiar faces performing.”
In the past few days, very few people in the village could recognize them. The elderly and children weren’t interested in celebrities, so their performances of popular songs and dances didn’t receive a warm reception.
He also believed that having familiar faces perform would bring delight to everyone.
After concluding their discussion, they decided to approach the master of shadow puppetry in the village the next day and ask for his opinion. They could start preparing for the shadow puppet show if the elder agreed.
While they were discussing, the flood of online comments continued.
“Simone’s idea is inspiring. I’ve never seen a shadow puppet show before.”
“I’m looking forward to how they’ll teach the children.”
“Especially Zachy! He’s still a little kid himself.”
“I’m excited for their next performance.”
“Simone is so nice. She doesn’t try to steal the spotlight and is good at organizing and coordinating.”
“She’s beautiful and kind-hearted.”
“Why were there so many people criticizing her before?”
“This is a question for a certain duo’s fans.”
“I also wonder how Simone offended them.”
“There must be some big drama between Simone and Aaron. I’m so curious about that so-called recording.”
“I’m curious too. Simone openly mentioned the recording, while Jojo looks like she’s hiding something.”
“Leon doesn’t support his childhood friend but stands with Jojo. This is a big deal.”
“I noticed before that Leon always protects Jojo. I even wondered if I was mistaken.”
“Now it seems like I wasn’t mistaken. Leon and Jojo’s relationship isn’t simple.”
“There was never any news about them knowing each other before. They’ve kept it hidden very well.”
“No wonder Simone wants to cut ties with him. Childhood friends like this are too scary.”
“It is true that Aaron and his sister constantly provoke Simone. However, according to Leon, it is Simone’s fault. I wouldn’t want a childhood friend like that either.”
“Could someone please find out more details about this major drama? I am eager to know.”
“Paparazzi: It is our turn to shine now.”
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.