Chapter 1409 - 1405: Bathrobe-Clad Endorsement
After Chloe Winston had thrown Constantine Stewart out, he was quiet for a while, and soon it was time for the fourth episode of the reality show to be filmed.
The official Weibo account released an announcement ahead of time, saying that Mr. Stewart would not participate in the fourth episode due to some commitments, leaving a multitude of netizens disappointed.
The production team reduced the difficulty level of the fourth episode considerably and invited an expert mountaineer, leading to the fourth episode focusing more on team collaboration, reducing the interaction between couples. Ultimately, the group of guests climbed a mountain over 4000 meters high and completed the task.
Constantine Stewart watched the broadcast from his private mansion on Fulham Road, and the final scene lingered on a young girl wearing a thick down jacket and a furry hat, standing atop the snow-covered mountain, waving and cheering brightly.
In the bitter cold, the young girl’s lips were slightly pale due to the chill. Her large black eyes, reminiscent of mist rising from a mountain spring, gleamed with a smile, showing sweet dimples that seemed almost unreal in their beauty.
In all fairness, Chloe Winston’s appearance was exquisitely gentle, characteristic of southern women. She wasn’t the blonde, blue-eyed type he was used to seeing from childhood, nor did she have the bold and bright features of northern women. However, she was adorably cute, so much so that in the instant he saw her, he wanted to take her home and care for her.
Constantine Stewart’s gaze deepened as he lightly caressed the screen showing the young girl, seemingly growing fonder of her each day.
"Mr. Stewart, Miss Yi Ren hurt her foot climbing the snowy mountain. She wants to see you." Constantine Stewart was going downstairs when Zheng Gu, who had been waiting for a long time, stepped forward and said in a low voice.
Lore Yi Ren couldn’t get through to Mr. Stewart’s phone, so she had to call him here. Zheng Gu was at a loss for words.
"Injury from the cold? See a doctor." Constantine Stewart recalled how frequently Lore Yi Ren had been calling previously, leading him to block her directly. Now, mere days of peace had passed, and she began seeking out Zheng Gu.
"Recently, Miss Yi Ren’s career hasn’t gone smoothly, combined with consecutive injuries, she probably wants to see you." Zheng Gu counted on his fingers and noted that since the filming of the show began, Mr. Stewart hadn’t really interacted with Lore Yi Ren. In the past, despite being lukewarm, he would meet with her every ten days or so at least. Has Lore Yi Ren cooled down so quickly?
"Notify the bank to cancel my supplementary card." Constantine Stewart spoke casually, his gaze deep as the long, fair fingertips lightly stroked the leather sofa. When Lore Yi Ren sought him out, the man, from a compensatory mindset, complied with her requests, partly to end a three-year-long relationship and partly because he had mistaken her identity, feeling somewhat guilty towards her.
In the past six months, Constantine Stewart had spent countless amounts on Lore Yi Ren. Originally, he didn’t mind supporting her for a lifetime, but she wasn’t the young girl he had raised, and many aspects were not to his liking, especially after seeing Chloe Winston’s circumstances. Knowing about her situation, Stewart immediately wished to retract the privileges given to Lore Yi Ren.
His sweet young girl had left home with nothing, living in poverty, while Lore Yi Ren led the life of a wealthy lady. This disparity left Stewart feeling unsettled.
"Regarding Starshine Media, there’s no need to provide them with a financial channel anymore, just handle everything as before." Stewart added another remark. When Lore Yi Ren wanted to enter the Entertainment Sector, Stewart had specifically opened a special financial channel so that investments in Lore Yi Ren could be handled directly from the headquarters’ finances.
Zheng Gu was slightly shocked; was everything going to be retracted from Lore Yi Ren?
Over the past six months, the amount of money Starshine Media had siphoned from headquarters was unknown. People said Mr. Stewart had lost his senses. Zheng Gu, having followed Stewart for years, knew that Stewart didn’t concern himself with money; his actions often followed his mood. Nonetheless, with all privileges for Lore Yi Ren cut, Zheng Gu felt happy inside.
"Alright, I’ll handle it immediately."
Lore Yi Ren suffered greatly during this episode’s filming. The company executives were already dissatisfied with her previous performance, and combined with the severe loss of fans, most people turned against her. This tension caused Lore Yi Ren to vigorously attempt to erase previous criticisms, enduring the whole process, resulting in frostbite on her toes. Yet, there wasn’t a hint of media buzz online, leading her to angrily stay in bed for two days.
Constantine Stewart seemed to have forgotten about her presence entirely, compelling Lore Yi Ren to call up an assistant and go on a shopping spree out of frustration.
Despite Constantine Stewart adopting Chloe Winston due to the Jade Pendant, showing her utmost care when she came knocking, Lore Yi Ren had hired private investigators to look into her background, but couldn’t uncover her origins, let alone the connection between Stewart and the Jade Pendant.
Having experienced tough times before, Lore Yi Ren simply didn’t care anymore and started aggressively making money. Through the agency, she snagged a small villa, spent lavishly to grab resources from a top female star, and used Stewart’s supplementary card without hesitation for all her daily expenses. Each season change, she seemed intent on moving the stores into her villa.
With summer outfits released, Lore Yi Ren, as usual, went on a shopping spree. She brought a little assistant to carry bags, visited high-end boutique stores, picked the styles she didn’t like, packed everything else, and bought half the shop’s clothing in one go, drawing attention with her wealth. The store’s employees recognized her and knew she was a major client, diligently serving her. Yet, when it came time to swipe the card, they suddenly discovered the card wasn’t working.
"Miss Yi Ren, this card has been suspended by the bank. Would you like to use another card or contact the bank?" The store manager smiled.
"Impossible." Lore Yi Ren instinctively raised her voice. This was Constantine Stewart’s supplementary card; how rich was Stewart?
The store manager attempted another swipe but couldn’t process the card. Lore Yi Ren’s face turned livid and called the bank.
"Miss Yi Ren, Mr. Stewart notified us a couple of days ago to cancel the supplementary card. You can contact Mr. Stewart for any questions." The bank’s diamond client manager said with a smile. In fact, Stewart’s assistant went to the bank directly to freeze the card and opened another one.
Lore Yi Ren’s face turned pale as she hung up the phone, feeling embarrassed as if all the store staff were looking at her disdainfully. She instantly flew into a rage, considering using her own card but realizing that each piece of clothing cost tens of thousands, and this tripled amount of store clothing would definitely exceed her card limit. She was furious, saying, "Your new styles this year are quite average. I’m not buying."
She then walked out with her assistant, stomping off in high heels with a sour expression.
The store employees were left speechless.
Back in Imperial City, Chloe Winston urgently began filming an advertisement endorsement. International premium brand ads had numerous requirements, and Chloe completed the shoot in three exhausting days, eventually wrapping it up. The ad’s effect turned out well; unlike typical skincare ads where female celebrities would wash and apply face products, this was split into two parts. The first part was bathroom allure, the second part was a luxurious banquet, concluding with the introduction of a high-quality skincare brand.
Kyla Zamora felt it was somewhat of a loss for Chloe Winston’s first endorsement, priced at 3 million. Their sweet girl appeared in a bathrobe; such a big exposure fee for only 3 million seemed too undervalued! Luckily, the ad was shot beautifully and luxuriously. The bathroom allure revealed Chloe’s creamy skin and flawless beauty from every angle, while in the luxurious banquet scene, the dress she wore was S brand’s haute couture. The skincare ad felt like a fashion film, leaving Kyla Zamora satisfied.
Although the price was a bit undervalued, if such a beautiful ad is broadcasted, their sweet girl would surely become popular!
After filming the ad and receiving the endorsement fee, Chloe Winston joyfully rolled on the bed several times; she now had more than 6 million, enough for renovations. Now she just waited for Finnian’s application results.
"A-Chu, check this out, Lore Yi Ren is trending." Desmond Wood frantically tagged Chloe Winston in the group.