Chapter 356

Joanna Kennedy wasn’t deliberately keeping track of the movie’s box office numbers, but someone was always there to tell her.

The very next morning, Mindy Morgan’s call came through. She was practically bursting with excitement the moment the line connected. “Jojo! We broke a hundred million on opening day!”

Joanna Kennedy was taken aback. “For *Blossoming*?”

“What else could it be!” Mindy Morgan was ecstatic. “I thought it would be tough for an art film to fill seats. I was originally hoping for just twenty million on the first day. I never expected this, I really didn’t. Jojo, you’ve made it big!”

“…”

A professional film critic’s social media account predicted that *Blossoming*’s total box office would reach at least eight hundred million, making it the highest-grossing art film of the past decade. The moment the prediction was published, it was met with a wave of ridicule from netizens.

“LMAO, did Joanna Kennedy’s team pay off this critic? The nerve to say something like that.”

“I don’t know much about movies, but in my opinion, breaking a hundred million on the first day isn’t that big a deal. After all, the director is Quentin Simmons. Everyone just went because of his reputation…”

Talking like an expert when they know nothing. Joanna’s Fans patiently explained, “*Blossoming* is an art film, and art films are notoriously low-grossing. A total box office of over a hundred million is considered a great success, so for *Blossoming* to break that on opening day is an incredible achievement.”

To avoid attracting negative attention for Joanna Kennedy, most of Joanna’s Fans kept their explanations polite. This, however, only emboldened trolls who were looking to stir up trouble, and they began to slander her without restraint.

Accusations like “celebrating too early” and “buying her way onto the trending charts” popped up one after another. Some even claimed that Joanna Kennedy had paid for her role and that Quentin Simmons couldn’t stand her.

But no matter how vicious the online ridicule became, Joanna Kennedy never responded. She simply reposted the movie’s promotional photos.

“The more you say, the more mistakes you’re likely to make. Real talent is the best way to shut people up.” This was the message Quentin Simmons sent to Joanna Kennedy, telling her not to be affected by the outside world.

Of course, Joanna Kennedy was more resilient than that. She had, after all, survived being public enemy number one online. This current wave of “criticism” wasn’t even a tenth of what she’d faced in the past.

A little over ten days later, the final box office numbers were released: one billion, sixty million. It was a figure that could hold its own even against major commercial blockbusters.

Almost overnight, public opinion of Joanna Kennedy turned completely around. The labels “clickbait celebrity” and “trophy actress” were no longer stigmas attached to her name; instead, they became icing on the cake.

Her messaging app showed 99+ notifications, and Joanna’s hand was sore from replying. People from all over the industry, whether she knew them well or not, were congratulating her on this “triumphant first battle.” How much of it was sincere was another matter entirely, but at least for this moment, no one was being passive-aggressive.

“The higher you climb, the more nice people you’ll find around you.” The truth of that saying just kept proving itself.

“Jojo, take a look at these scripts. I think they’re all excellent. They’re all from major production teams—an award contender for sure.” Mindy Morgan sat beside Joanna, a thick stack of scripts in her hand.

After the disaster with the reality show and the drama from her relationship scandal, Joanna Kennedy had staged a magnificent comeback. It was as if all the major directors were suddenly discovering for the first time that a person named “Joanna Kennedy” even existed in the industry.

Thrillers, comedies, art house pieces, for both film and television—you name it. Every one was a major IP, the kind of coveted script that others fought over but could never get their hands on. Now, they were all being delivered right to Joanna Kennedy.

“…This… this is a bit much, isn’t it?”

“What’s so much about it?” Mindy Morgan said dismissively. “You’re already a hot commodity. You generate buzz, and you’ve got the acting chops to back it up. If you hadn’t been held back these past two years, you would’ve been getting this kind of treatment long ago.”

“You even trend more often and more explosively than other celebrities. The company doesn’t even need to spend money to buy you a spot on the charts!” Mindy added.

Joanna: “…”

“…That’s not exactly something to brag about.”

Meeting Mindy’s expectant gaze, which looked like she wanted to pack Joanna up and ship her off to a film set that very second, Joanna swallowed and spoke tentatively. “Mindy, I was just wondering… is it possible…”

“What?” Mindy’s brow furrowed.

Joanna: “That I could take a few days off.”

“…”

Mindy suspected she had misheard. Either that, or Joanna had lost her mind, asking for a vacation at a critical juncture like this!

In the entertainment industry today, new male and female stars were popping up constantly. There were more young, beautiful actors than you could count, all of them willing to work 24/7 just for a little more exposure and fame.

The bigger the star, the busier they were, working nonstop. They were terrified that the moment they stopped, they’d be trampled by the competition. And once you were down, it wasn’t easy to get back up.

Joanna had finally managed to successfully reinvent her career, and instead of seizing the opportunity to solidify her position, she wanted a vacation?!

Joanna had her excuses ready. “Mindy, look,” she said, pointing to her cheek. “My skin still hasn’t recovered. I’d look terrible on camera like this, and it wouldn’t be good to ruin the viewers’ experience.”

Joanna had always had fair skin. She’d gotten a little tan after returning from the mountains, but she had already gotten her complexion back after a few days at home. In fact, she had probably been eating well, because her skin was fair and her complexion was rosy and radiant, like a well-tended rose.

Mindy looked at Joanna’s beautiful face and fell silent.

“Even Simon Lockwood said I got tan and ugly!” Joanna spouted nonsense without batting an eye.

“…Are you crazy?”

“I’m ugly now,” Joanna said, blinking innocently.

Mindy: “…”

Mindy took a deep breath. “What do you want to take time off for?”

Joanna said she was exhausted and hadn’t had a chance to recover yet. She looked so frail as she spoke, as if to imply Mindy would be a heartless tyrant if she refused. Mindy took another deep breath to calm herself. “How much time do you need?”

“Half a month,” Joanna said.

Half a month. It wasn’t terribly long, but it wasn’t short, either. At the very least, no other rising star would dare to take a break like that.

“…Fine.” Mindy felt like she was coughing up blood as she forced the word out.

But her agreeing to the vacation didn’t mean Joanna could just switch her brain off and relax. Mindy’s tone was stiff. “I’ll leave this script here. You can look it over during your break. I expect a response the moment it’s over.”

Joanna’s jaw dropped.

Mindy didn’t give her a chance to refuse. “If you don’t read it, then I’ll just pick one for you when the time comes.”

“…” ‘Savage.’

This was proof that Mindy was truly a gold-star agent. Joanna relented, sitting up ramrod straight. “Don’t you worry, Mindy! Mission accepted!”

Mindy rolled her eyes, not wanting to deal with her anymore. She grabbed her bag and made to leave.

Joanna followed after her with a grin. “Mindy, let me walk you out!”

“There’s no need.”

“Oh, it’s no trouble! Mindy, don’t worry about me. I’m not tired. Think of it as exercise! A celebrity has to be conscious of maintaining her figure, you know.”

Mindy stopped in her tracks and looked Joanna up and down. Her gaze finally landed on Joanna’s rosy face, and she rolled her eyes. “Eating a little less would be more effective than anything else.”

Joanna looked like she was about to cry. “Mindy, you know me so well! I think so too!”

Mindy was truly speechless.

When Joanna said she’d walk Mindy out, she meant it. She went all the way to the underground parking garage and watched until Mindy’s car was out of sight.