Playing the Villainess, He Fell for Me

"That won’t work either. Director Conor Archer is very strict, and filming is basically on a closed set. What would it look like to have someone delivering my meals every day? I’m not a child..."

Joanna Kennedy was right, actually. Simon Lockwood began to wonder if he was being too controlling.

His reflection lasted less than two seconds before he heard the girl beside him say unhappily, "Why didn’t you insist?! Right now, aren’t you supposed to be coaxing me and telling me I *am* a child??"

"I just turned twenty-five, and you’re already tired of me? Fine, fine. I guess I was the one getting my hopes up for nothing!" Joanna Kennedy said resentfully, pouting her lips, which were red and swollen from the spicy food.

Simon Lockwood: ".........."

Simon Lockwood felt ashamed of himself for having genuinely considered self-reflection.

「A few days later」

Joanna Kennedy was about to join the cast. Julie had sent her a message in advance—a long checklist of things not to forget.

Joanna Kennedy glanced at it, then handed her phone to Simon Lockwood. "You didn’t forget to pack anything for me, did you?"

Simon Lockwood didn’t even look, placing a folded jacket in the suitcase. "No."

He then placed some of her underwear into a separate small bag before putting it in the suitcase. Joanna Kennedy felt a little embarrassed watching him. "I can do it myself..."

Simon Lockwood glanced coolly at the girl’s unmoving hands, then looked away. "Don’t worry about it."

Joanna Kennedy: "............."

After everything was packed and the suitcase was closed, Joanna Kennedy didn’t even know what Simon Lockwood had packed for her. But she knew he was more reliable than her and definitely wouldn’t have missed anything.

"When you get there, send me—"

"Send you a message, I know, I know~" Joanna Kennedy, though happy, feigned annoyance. "Simon Lockwood, you’re such a nag..."

Simon Lockwood: ".........."

After all that work, all he got in return was being called "a nag." Simon Lockwood laughed in exasperation and couldn’t resist pinching her cheek. "Have you no conscience?"

Joanna Kennedy was caught off guard by the pinch. Annoyed, she tried to pull his hand away. By the time she finally did, a small patch on her face was red, making her look quite pitiful.

"How am I supposed to face anyone like this!" Joanna Kennedy cried in dismay, seeing the obvious red mark on her face in the mirror.

She wasn’t as thick-skinned as Simon Lockwood, who could negotiate business deals without batting an eye even with a bruised lip.

The more Joanna Kennedy looked, the angrier she got. She turned around, about to scold him, but he pulled her into a hug. A warm kiss landed unexpectedly on her neck, and Simon Lockwood’s deep voice sounded by her ear, "Be good over there. Remember to message me every night, understand?"

He held her tightly, his head buried in her neck. As he spoke, his warm breath on her skin felt both tingly and itchy.

Joanna Kennedy couldn’t help but shrink her neck, her voice muffled, "Mmm..."

"And don’t run off anywhere."

"Mmm..."

"Don’t be alone with anyone who isn’t part of the cast or crew."

"Mmm... Huh??" Joanna Kennedy realized what he meant. "What’s that supposed to mean? Who are you alluding to? Who would I be alone with?!"

But Simon Lockwood didn’t say anything. After a moment of silence, he said in a strained voice, "Just promise me."

Joanna Kennedy: ".........."

He gave her waist a threatening squeeze, and she couldn’t hold out. "Okay, okay, I promise!"

’I really have no idea what goes through Simon Lockwood’s head all day. A man’s heart is truly a needle at the bottom of the ocean...’

Despite her words, the moment she got in the car, Joanna Kennedy couldn’t bear to leave him. She clung to Simon Lockwood, her arms wrapped around his neck.

Simon Lockwood lowered his head, following her pull, and kissed the corner of her lips, comforting her, "Be good. I’ll come see you as soon as I’m done with work at the company."

Joanna Kennedy reluctantly let him go. "Mmm..."

The car drove on for some time, his figure in the rearview mirror gradually blurring until he disappeared from sight. Only then did Joanna Kennedy reluctantly pull her gaze away, letting out a weary sigh. "Agh..."

Julie, driving in the front: ".........."

"You shouldn’t be so... dependent on Mr. Lockwood," Julie said, unable to hold it in any longer.

Seeing Joanna Kennedy’s puzzled look, she couldn’t resist sharing her wisdom. "You don’t get it. Men love a challenge. The moment you show you’re too into him, he’ll stop taking you seriously!"

Julie wasn’t even finished speaking when Joanna Kennedy’s phone rang. Joanna held up a finger for silence and answered, her voice instantly softening. "We’re at the cross-river bridge now... Uh-huh... Simon Lockwood, you’re such a nag..."

Julie: ".............." ’Turns out, I’m the clown.’

’It’s only been fifteen minutes since we left! Was this necessary?! Was this really necessary?!’

’Yep, watching other people’s romance is the best kind. It takes one lovesick fool to handle another.’

The production was set up in the suburbs of Marinus. Security was so tight that Joanna Kennedy didn’t even know who the male lead was until she arrived on set.

Seeing the man walking towards her with a smile, Joanna Kennedy was truly stunned.

"Jojo, what are you spacing out for? Are you not happy to see me?" Owen Jennings clutched his chest, feigning heartbreak.

Joanna Kennedy: ".........." ’What an ill-fated connection.’

She could already imagine it: once the cast was officially announced, her and Owen Jennings’s "couple" fans would go crazy, and a certain someone would be fuming again.

She went with Owen Jennings to meet the director. Joanna Kennedy discovered that the famous director was a bit different from what she’d imagined. He wasn’t stiff at all, but a witty and humorous little old man.

"Let’s all have dinner together tonight and get to know each other. Especially you two, my two leads. You should run lines together whenever you have free time."

"Won’t that just create a storm of romance rumors?" Owen Jennings chimed in, joking, "To generate some pre-release hype for the movie?"

Director Archer’s eyes widened. "If you want to think of it that way, there’s nothing I can do about it."

"Jojo, are you willing to be in the gossip columns with this kid?" Director Archer changed the subject to her, giving her a wink.

Joanna Kennedy played along. "Not really..."

Owen Jennings took a few steps back, his face a mask of hurt.

That evening, the other actors arrived. They were all veteran actors, and two of them were even on the national list of Class-A Artists.

Although they were the leads, they were still the juniors, so they went around greeting everyone one by one.

Among them was a middle-aged actress, Leah Shaw, who played Joanna Kennedy’s mother in the film.

"Hello, Ms. Shaw. I’m Joanna Kennedy. I’m looking forward to learning a lot from you." Her tone was humble.

Leah Shaw took a sip of tea before giving a faint nod, a flash of disdain in her eyes.

’Conor Archer’s standards are slipping. He actually cast a flower vase.’

Joanna Kennedy saw the disdain clearly but her expression didn’t change. She continued on to greet the other veteran artists.

Some veteran actors were like that, proud to their bones and looking down on younger talent. Joanna Kennedy wasn’t offended; she knew that only ability could silence the critics.

Being part of a major director’s production was truly impressive. Joanna Kennedy took a deep breath, feeling a sudden sense of pressure. She felt she needed to review her lines more, to make sure she didn’t hold everyone back.

She lowered her eyes, focusing on her script. On her fair, beautiful cheek was a faint red mark, looking very out of place—almost like a hickey.