CHAPTER 91: CHAPTER 91: JENSON FORREST IS GETTING ENGAGED

Zinnia looked at Yara and blinked. "You must have thought of it too."

Yara laughed, pulling Zinnia to her feet. "Quick, what are we waiting for?" she said excitedly. "She’s practically begging to be humiliated, and as a pair of beautiful, kind-hearted fairies, we have to grant her wish! You go wash up; I’ll pick out a nice outfit for you."

「Half an hour later.」

At the Sutton family villa, Crystal gripped her phone so tightly that the veins on the back of her hand bulged with rage. Rose Lowell, standing beside her, tried to calm her down. "Crystal, you should stop watching. Give it to me!"

Crystal was watching a live stream Zinnia had started directly on her Weibo account. Previously, netizens, spurred on by paid commenters, had been flooding Adverse’s page with mockery and ridicule, demanding a response. This was her response: a live performance of the song she had composed.

In the live stream, Zinnia wore a fitted, dark-green long dress and a fox mask that revealed only her sharp chin. Her long hair was draped casually behind her as she stood, poised and elegant, playing the violin in a patch of sunlight from the floor-to-ceiling windows. As she gently drew her bow across the strings, the music flowed out like dewdrops at dawn or a gentle stream. The melody and the elegant visuals were utterly captivating.

[Wow, this sounds amazing.]

[I’m tone-deaf. Can someone tell me if this is the same song Crystal played? It sounds different.]

[It is the same song. So, the problem isn’t the song itself, but someone with clumsy hands who insists on pretending to be a master.]

[Didn’t Crystal hold several solo concerts abroad? And this is her standard of playing?]

[As a professional, let me tell you: those solo concerts Crystal held were just pay-to-play events with no real prestige. Anyone in the industry knows.]

[So we know who the real fame-seeker is now. Case closed, everyone.]

[How can Crystal be so shameless? Does President Forrest know? @StellarOfficial]

[I just want to know if the person playing is Adverse herself! Ugh, that silhouette in the sunlight is enough to make me fall! Wifey, notice me!]

[The mask is so annoying! I bet Adverse is a total knockout.]

[There’s nothing a VIP shouldn’t be able to see! Take off the mask for us!]

[I’m on my knees for this! Adverse, you’ve ruined me for life, so you have to take responsibility!]

[Sob, as expected of the woman my favorite boy stans!]

...

Seeing the flood of fawning comments, Crystal began to shake with rage. "Argh! Zinnia, that bitch!" she finally shrieked, hurling her phone across the room and furiously pounding the bed. Her voice was muffled by the pillows, her face was still swollen, and her teeth still ached.

Others didn’t know who "Adverse" was, but Crystal did. When she had first called the number for "Adverse," the voice on the other end had sounded familiar, but she hadn’t given it much thought. Later, after Adverse caused her to lose followers and posted numerous screenshots of charity donations, Crystal had Rose trace the information. The search led to Yara Fairchild. Since Yara had no proficiency in dance or music, Crystal realized then that Adverse must be Zinnia, a suspicion that was confirmed when she ran into her at Gigatrend Games. Crystal knew perfectly well that Zinnia was using the "Adverse" alias to collaborate with Gigatrend. Filled with jealousy and hatred, she had seized the opportunity for herself.

Now, Zinnia had struck back, and Jenson was completely on her side. Humiliated online, Crystal had tried to shift the blame to Zinnia and teach her a lesson, but who would have thought Zinnia could turn the tables so easily? Crystal was about to die from fury.

Rose hurriedly tried to coax her. "Alright, stop this tantrum. Do you want your face to heal or not? I’ll handle the negative buzz online as soon as possible. If you had just spent more time practicing the violin..."

"So even you think I’m not as good as her, is that it?!" Crystal shoved Rose away, her bruised face twisted in a vicious snarl.

Rose quickly soothed her again. Crystal reluctantly calmed down, but her eyes were filled with a dark, ominous gloom. "Zinnia," she hissed, "I won’t let you get away with this! Just you wait!"

Once the tide had turned online, Zinnia finished her song and ended the live stream. Just then, a call came from Nathan Nash, and Zinnia answered.

"Sis, I just sent you a gift during the live stream. Did you see it?"

Zinnia paused. She had been so focused on playing that she hadn’t noticed any gifts. She glanced over at Yara, who was still typing away on her laptop, replying to Weibo messages. "Yara, were there really gifts during the stream?"

"Of course! A ton of them."

Zinnia’s eyebrows lifted in a smile. "In that case, please thank everyone for me. And while you’re at it, post on Weibo that all the gifts from this live stream will be donated to charity."

Yara gave her an "OK" sign. Zinnia then said to Nathan, "Thanks for your gift."

Nathan laughed. "Sis, I’ve already spoken with my company. The director said you can come straight in for an interview. Is ten o’clock good for you?"

Zinnia glanced at her watch. "Of course."

"Then I’ll come pick you up—"

"That’s not necessary. I’m about to leave now. Let’s just meet at the agency."

After hanging up, Zinnia grabbed her bag and headed for the door. Cradling her laptop, Yara watched her go and tutted admiringly. "Zinnia, focused on her career and making money—that’s the best Zinnia. Go get ’em!"

Zinnia waved at her and left, closing the door behind her.

Her interview was a success. She signed a contract with Nathan’s company, becoming the dance instructor for the group SV Spark. That same day, she moved into the training dorm the agency had arranged for the boy band.

Zinnia was busy for the entire following week and didn’t see Jenson or Crystal at all. It was as if they had vanished from her life, and she enjoyed a rare period of peace and fulfillment.

That evening, she and Nathan’s group finally locked down the choreography for a new song. Since they had all been training in isolation for a long time, they decided to go out for a meal to relax.

Even though her pregnancy had her eating more than usual, Zinnia couldn’t match the appetites of the growing boys. Once she was full, she excused herself from the table and left the private room.

The restaurant featured a classic Chinese design. As Zinnia passed an adjacent private room, its door was pushed open and a waiter stepped out. Zinnia glanced over instinctively, and her steps faltered.

Four people were seated at the round table inside. Coincidentally, Zinnia knew all of them. Jenson Forrest and Crystal Sutton were sitting together. Beside them were Crystal’s parents, Simon Sutton and Mandy Lowe, and Jenson’s mother, Katherine Rhodes. Crystal was dutifully placing food on Jenson’s plate while Katherine and Mandy chatted and smiled about something. Simon Sutton raised his glass to Jenson. The man’s long fingers rested on the glass before him, looking as if he were about to drink with his future father-in-law.

It was a harmonious meeting of the two families. Zinnia only paused for a second before quickly averting her gaze and continuing toward the restroom.

She never expected, however, that just as she entered a stall, she would hear the voices of Crystal and Mandy Lowe from the main washroom area.

"Crystal, how are you? Feeling any better?"

"I’m fine. I just suddenly felt sick when I smelled the fish..."

"That fishy smell is bound to trigger morning sickness. It was my carelessness; I shouldn’t have let them order that dish. And it’s Jenson’s fault, too, for insisting you love fish!"

"Mom! Don’t blame Jenson. I was the one who said I wanted fish, so he only ordered it for me."

"You’re not even married yet and you’re already taking his side? It seems I’ll have to discuss the engagement date with your Aunt Forrest later and see if we can move it up a few days. My daughter is just so eager to get married."

"Mom, stop teasing me. Let’s go back... the baby’s getting hungry," Crystal said, her voice full of shy delight.

The sound of Crystal’s coy voice echoed in the restroom. Zinnia stood motionless in the stall for a long moment.

So, today really was about Jenson and Crystal meeting each other’s parents. They were already discussing the engagement and the wedding date.