Chapter 26 Adding Her Own Lines.
Everyone quickly regained their composure and returned to their performance.
+B Pearls
As a tree, Jean didn’t have any lines. She had very little stage time, but from the moment she stepped onto the stage, she drew everyone’s attention.
The girl had a pair of lively eyes. Her dark pupils seemed as deep as a night sky sprinkled with stars, and her entire being radiated an unpolished, natural charm.
Compared to her heavily made–up classmates, each sporting thick layers of white powder and exaggerated red cheeks, Jean- completely makeup–free–stood out like a pure little deer wandering in from a forest
All she needed to do was stand there quietly, and she effortlessly outshined everyone else on stage.
After briefly appearing at the beginning, Jean stepped back, leaving the spotlight to Lacey.
She watched blankly from the sidelines as Lacey’s big moment began.
Vaguely, Jean felt a particular gaze fixed steadily on her.
Instinctively, she glanced toward the audience
To her surprise, Easton was watching her.
Instead of paying attention to Lacey’s performance as he should have been, Easton had openly turned his head toward Jean, his gaze landing squarely on her.
He smiled softly, his eyes curving gently.
Jean was momentarily confused.
Are we even
dose?
She knew the host’s relationship with her five brothers was terrible, yet Easton was now behaving as though they were very close siblings.
No
This must be my imagination.
Meanwhile, on the stage, Lacey had reached the most crucial part of her performance–the singing segment she’d often stumbled over during rehearsals.
Jean crossed her arms, calmly watching Lacey standing at the center of the stage.
Whether Lacey messed up or not, Jean honestly didn’t care.
She was simply a bit curious if Lacey would struggle like usual or miraculously nail it today.
Music began playing.
Lacey opened her mouth, ready to sing.
second
However, the next sed
Jean froze, disbelief flashing through her eyes.
The voice filling the theater right now wasn’t Lacey’s–it was Jean’s own voice, a voice she knew all too
well
What the hell!
Larry was actually lip–syncing-
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Chapter 26 Adding Her Own Lines
She was thoroughly pissed off.
But no one seemed to care about her feelings. At this moment, the audience was utterly captivated by the singing performance.
+8 Pearls
Their reactions transitioned from surprise, to delight, to astonishment. The entire audience seemed bewitched by Lacey’s fake performance.
As the song finished, a brief silence enveloped the theater. After several stunned seconds, thunderous applause erupted from. the crowd, all aimed at Lacey, who stood center stage
Even Easton, previously distracted, now gazed at Lacey approvingly.
At this moment, Lacey was unquestionably the shining star of the show.
A delighted smile spread across her face, radiant and full of joy.
Standing quietly in the shadows, Jean watched all of this unfold.
At this point, the play was nearing its end.
Jean only had one final task: she needed to “revive” in front of the audience, bringing the story to a perfect close.
The stage lights settled on her.
Jean lowered her gaze, expressionless.
Then suddenly-
She smiled.
Lacey watched Jean nervously, afraid jean might mess up their ending.
As far as Lacey was concerned, her flawless performance meant they had the group award in the bag. There was even a strong chance she’d win Best Actress.
And if she did, Lacey could secure a future recommendadon for admission to the Empire Drama Academy..
Lacey had always dreamed of acting, of becoming a star.
These awards were crucial stepping stones toward her dream.
All she needed was for Jean to play along and neatly wrap things up.
But Jean merely stood there, smiling.
In that seemingly gentle smile, Lacey caught a glimpse of something cold and unsettling.
The next second-
Jean opened her lips and spoke clearly, her voice bright and ringing as it reached every ear. “It’s so good to be alive.”
Everyone on stage who knew the script stared at her, dumbfounded.
They knew perfectly well Jean–as a tree–wasn’t supposed to have a single line.
Shock and anger surged through them. If it wasn’t for the fact they were still on stage, they’d have confronted Jean right then
and their
What the hell is she thinking!!
She actually went and added her own lines without permission!
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Chapter 26 Adding Her Own Lines
They all assumed this cute moment had been deliberately written into the script.
Jean’s sweet, clear voice saying such an adorable line made her seem.
even more like a lovable little forest sprite.
+8 Pearls
Then, Jean calmly gazed out at the vast audience. The stage lights reflected brightly in her eyes, like countless stars blooming right before them.
Softly, Jean began to sing.
She sang exactly the same song Lacey had just performed.
No musical accompaniment. Just pure, beautiful singing.
Her voice was heavenly.
The audience was spellbound once more.
Initially, they thought this too was part of the planned performance. But halfway through Jean’s song, some realized something strange:
This voice sounded exactly like the one they’d just heard from Lacey.
“What’s going on?”
People in the audience began murmuring in confusion.
“Isn’t this the same song the main character just sang?”
“Yeah, it’s a nice callback having the little tree sing it too. Pretty neat, I think.”
“No, that’s not the point! Not only is this song identical, but their voices are literally exactly the same. The only difference is that one had music and one’s singing it a cappella!”
“How could two different people have precisely the same voice and singing style?”
“Holy crap!”
“Did they both lip–sync? Did they both use the same recorded audio?”
“Either both were lip–syncing, or one was lip–syncing and the other is the real singer.
“Now here’s the question–who’s the real voice behind this incredible singing?”
“What’s happening exactly? Which one of them was faking?”
I’ve got no idea, but seriously, this voice is beautiful. They should definitely tell us who actually sang it.” Confusion and chatter filled the audience. Onstage, Jean’s classmates were on the verge of losing their minds-
Jean, this unpredictable freak, had nearly given them a collective heart attack.
Did she even realize what she was doing?
Lacey’s lip–syncing had long been known and tacitly approved by the whole group and their teacher. They’d agreed beforehand that bending the rules a little was fine, as long as it guaranteed their victory.
But now Jean, their carefully chosen “tree,” had blatantly exposed the deception.
Larry stared at Jean in disbelief, desperately suppressing her rage, her fingernails digging deep into her palms.
And Jean, standing calmly in the spotlight, merely smiled softly at the audience, completely ignoring the chaos unfolding
