Chapter 472: Could She Be Just a Pretty Face?
Cecilia Vaughn used to only have a pen name account on the comic posting site, and readers could only leave messages for the author through the comics.
Who is behind the pen name "Seven Leaves"? In reality, besides Cecilia’s friend and editor Mona Summers, even Cecilia’s brother Evan Vaughn doesn’t know.
Comics remain comics, and life remains life. Cecilia draws a clear line between her online identity and real life. "There are branches on the mountain" was her motivation and source of income while she was in prison. Fortunately, the laws of Veridia do not prohibit prisoners from submitting their works, though the content must pass prison review and contain no illegal information.
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Due to her past imprisonment and being betrayed by Tyson Law, Cecilia has poured a lot of emotion into the characters she writes. She doesn’t want others to compare "There are branches on the mountain" with her personal image.
If readers can silently enjoy and support her work, Cecilia is more than happy.
Now being favored by Director Chapman for a movie adaptation means more fame, something Cecilia wouldn’t have dared to dream of even if it actually happened.
Whether it’s the female protagonist Blossom Vaughn, a minister’s daughter in "There are branches on the mountain," or the introverted and darkly calculative male lead Lucas Morrison, both are very dear to Cecilia’s heart.
The last time during the audition for casting, Cecilia immediately noticed Claire Sinclair, finding her beautiful, spirited, and gentle in character, and really liked this young lady.
As for the male lead being played by the three-time award-winning actor Kane Hale, although Cecilia isn’t a fan, Kane’s looks, aura, and acting skills are unmatched by his peers, let alone those newcomers. Cecilia couldn’t be more satisfied with this choice for the male lead.
As soon as the character photos were released, Cecilia shared them.
Since this was a newly registered Weibo account and the screenwriter identity verification would take a day for manual review, initially, some people suspected Cecilia of faking to gain followers.
But soon, Director Chapman retweeted Cecilia’s Weibo with just three small flowers, without saying much else.
Then, Kane Hale, who plays the male lead, also liked and shared Cecilia’s post.
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With the support of the nation’s "dream boy," Cecilia’s identity as the screenwriter was confirmed. Even though public verification on Weibo hadn’t yet been completed, the number of followers was skyrocketing.
Since Claire Sinclair, who had no prior works, was cast as the leading lady in this major production, Director Chapman completely kept the female lead casting a secret, and outwardly claimed that the position was still undecided, keeping everything under wraps.
Among the comments under Cecilia’s Weibo, a vast majority were Kane Hale’s fans eagerly exclaiming, with a few curious about the female lead casting or asking about the plot.
—— Hello, dear screenwriter mom. I’ve followed a bit of the comic, and "There are branches on the mountain" hasn’t concluded yet. Could you tell us if it will have a happy ending?
—— Count me in. Despite Director Chapman’s excellent productions without any bad films, he’s also famous for being a "knife-wielding demon," often letting characters love in vain or separating them by life and death. I’m quite traumatized by his works; dear mom, could you sprinkle some sugar on the main leads?
—— I’m really worried about my dream boy Hale getting heavily tormented by the director, and it’s been years since my brother has acted in a period drama. Director Chapman is known for his strict demands; even fight scenes require actual weapons and many takes. We beg you, screenwriter, look after my brother.
—— Kane’s character photo looks amazing, dear screenwriter mom. Can you secretly tell us who’s_cast_as the female lead? Please don’t tease the fans anymore, and don’t pair my brother with a mere pretty face, I beg....
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In just a little over ten minutes, leveraging Director Chapman and Kane Hale’s fame, Cecilia’s follower count soared by over ten thousand.
By the end of the day, she could easily gain tens of thousands more followers.
If she reveals more movie spoilers, added to her existing comic fans, even before the movie’s release, her screenwriter Weibo fan base might easily break into the low millions.
And these aren’t just fake followers, but active fans, which is precious indeed.
Behind the scenes, many were watching and secretly envying Cecilia’s good fortune, all speculating who the real person behind the alias "Seven Leaves" could be.
Seeing her fans increase crazily, Cecilia didn’t have any arrogant thoughts because she knew she was benefiting from others’ support to create this situation.
Thinking about it, since she had shared two or three meals with Claire Sinclair and considered her a friend, Cecilia decided to give an ambiguous reply to those worried about the female lead being a mere pretty face.
—— Don’t worry, Director Chapman is in charge of the female lead casting. Trust in Director Chapman’s discernment! They won’t choose someone who’s all beauty and no talent.
Fans never expected Cecilia to be so active and reply so freely, immediately eager to probe for more information.
—— Dear screenwriter mom, does that mean Director Chapman might focus more on acting skills and overlook beauty? I remember the original comic describes female lead Blossom Vaughn as a beauty, with a spirited and heroic appearance before her time travel.
—— Please don’t choose a tomboy because the female lead often dresses as a man. Buddha bless, I hope we can enjoy this on-screen. I don’t want my dream boy Hale to act against an unappealing face. Of course, acting skills matter too; otherwise, how can they match my brother’s acting?
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Cecilia was dumbfounded, feeling the fans’ high standards and strong preference for looks...
She imagined Claire Sinclair’s fresh and elegant face, which actually deviated a bit from the comic’s spirited look, but with the makeup artist’s touch, such issues weren’t much of a problem.
After pondering for a few seconds, Cecilia finally responded.
—— Rest assured, the female lead will have both acting skills and beauty.
At the very least, when Cecilia first saw Claire Sinclair, she was truly amazed. Although she wanted this "white moonlight" type to play the spoiled supporting role of The Ninth Princess, Claire insisted on playing the female lead. Fortunately, she had real talent, and her acting could handle the role.
The male lead fans, hearing Cecilia’s reply, became even more eager for gossip, craving to know who the acting partner was.
Their dedication to their idol’s career means that if the female lead is unknown with no looks or talent, the movie would likely flop, regardless of how hard the male lead works.
—— Dear screenwriter mom, from what you’ve said, does it mean the female lead casting has been finalized? Could you possibly reveal who it is?
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Seeing the fans digging deeper, Cecilia, honoring confidentiality agreements, naturally refrained from further responses.
Just as she was about to log off Weibo, a notification unexpectedly popped up.
Cecilia saw that Fiona Vaughn’s Weibo account had shared her post and followed her "Seven Leaves" account!
What is this?!