Overprotected By My Tsundere CEO
Chapter 55: Sophie Scott Is Moved by the Storyboard

Chapter 55: Chapter 55: Sophie Scott Is Moved by the Storyboard

The lights angled over softly, casting long or short shadows that shifted with each step forward.

Nora Scott asked, "How did you meet her?"

Henry Chapman replied, "My mom’s friend’s daughter."

"Trying to set you up?"

"She’s a comic artist and wants to create a story about the entertainment industry, so she sought my advice."

A comic artist...

Nora Scott raised an eyebrow.

With a similar name and as a comic artist, it was quite a coincidence.

"Do you still read comics?" Henry Chapman suddenly asked.

Four years ago, the first time he collaborated with Nora Scott, he remembered that she had read comics on set, sometimes using an app called Mihua Comics, and sometimes by reading comic books.

"Occasionally, maybe."

At this point in the conversation, Nora Scott stopped, glanced at a storefront on the side, and said, "Right here."

*

Inside the BBQ restaurant.

It took a while before Sophie Scott gradually found herself amidst her complex thoughts.

Awkwardness, embarrassment, anger, confusion... a multitude of emotions intertwined, making her unable to lift her head for a moment.

She was filled with shame, wishing to block out all sensory perception, as if everything and everyone in the store was watching and mocking her. She wanted to dash out the door but lacked the courage to support herself.

The phone on the table rang like a lifeline, rescuing Sophie Scott from her embarrassing predicament.

She picked up her phone and handbag, deliberately ignoring the grilled potatoes on the table, and hurried out of the store without daring to look back.

After running a distance, Sophie Scott stopped, took a deep breath, and answered the phone under the streetlamp.

"Lily."

Putting the phone to her ear, Sophie Scott spoke with unstable emotions, anxious and nervous.

"Sophie, what’s going on?"

Lily Turner’s gentle and concerned inquiry gradually calmed Sophie Scott, easing her embarrassment as the wind blew it away.

Lightly pressing her lips together, Sophie Scott truthfully recounted, "Henry called Nora Scott over, then left me at a BBQ restaurant, and they left together."

"Nora Scott?"

Lily Turner was first taken aback, then caught on, "It’s normal for them to know each other; after all, they have worked together."

That was Henry’s first movie, but at that time, Henry was the lead, and Nora Scott had less than three minutes of screen time as a minor character. Plus, even in those three minutes, the performance was mediocre and was said to lower the film’s standards by the audience.

Frowning slightly, Sophie Scott fiddled with her handbag and spoke softly, "Lily, I’m worried about Henry and Nora Scott... have you heard any rumors?"

Lily Turner paused, recalled, then assuredly said, "No."

"Really?"

"Yes. I’ve never heard of them having a good relationship. If Nora Scott were truly close with Henry, given Henry’s resources in the industry, Nora Scott wouldn’t be blacklisted and left in such an obscure position."

"But..."

Thinking about Henry’s casual defense of Nora Scott made Sophie Scott feel uneasy.

Lily Turner sneered silently, calmly reassured, "Relax. The worst-case scenario is that Henry wants to use Nora Scott to break away from you. Henry has great acting skills; fooling you wouldn’t be a big deal, right?"

Is it deception?

Sophie Scott’s heart fluttered, suddenly uncertain.

Lily Turner continued, "Henry is a well-known method actor; he’d look down on someone like Nora Scott with her acting skills."

Lily Turner had always scoffed at Nora Scott’s poor temperament and acting, clearly not believing that Nora Scott and Henry could have any real relationship.

At most, it was just an act cooperatively put on.

"...Alright."

Hearing Lily Turner’s analysis, Sophie Scott felt considerably at ease.

Quite reasonable.

Besides, in this cold weather, Henry even made Nora Scott buy grilled potatoes alone...

After some thought, Sophie Scott exhaled and asked, "Then, what about the reporters, what should I do?"

Finding an excuse to have dinner with Henry and secretly hiring reporters for candid photos was Lily Turner’s advice.

Sophie Scott wasn’t doing it for publicity; she wanted to use this opportunity to establish some connection with Henry, hinting to both their parents about their potential. With the encouragement of their parents and netizens, maybe they could ’turn fiction into reality.’

However, she couldn’t have anticipated that a ’Nora Scott’ would emerge halfway through.

"News has already leaked out, so asking the reporters to leave now isn’t realistic." Lily Turner’s tone was steady, pausing for a few seconds as if contemplating, then said, "I’ll keep an eye on this. If the reporters do get photos, I’ll see if I can suppress it. I know this person well, and with money, anything’s possible."

With Lily Turner’s assurance, Sophie Scott’s anxious heart finally settled back in place.

Taking a sigh of relief, Sophie Scott managed to calm down, "Yeah, money’s not an issue."

Lily Turner chuckled, "Don’t worry, since it started because of me, I’ll see it through to the end."

"Thank you, Lily."

Chitchatting a bit, Sophie Scott hung up the phone.

But—

Just as she was beginning to feel at ease about this matter, Sophie Scott couldn’t help thinking about the storyboard in Nora Scott’s bag.

Dystopia, desolate, brutal, war, humanity...

The sensory-stimulating storyboard techniques and narrative style, even in the roughest of sketches, with just a few images, could immerse her completely.

One could say this storyboard could easily belong to top-tier comic artists like Zero and White.

No.

To be precise, this art style... seemed more like an imitation of Zero. Those intensely visually impactful storyboards, the straightforward image expressions, were more aligned with Zero’s technique.

Was it really drawn by Nora Scott?

Deliberately imitating Zero?

If Nora Scott truly had such capability, there should have been rumors about her in the comic industry long ago.

Sophie Scott’s restless thoughts were filled with that story, a profound shock she couldn’t shake off.

*

"Try this, the nasal cartilage. It’s their specialty."

Nora Scott placed a handful of grilled skewers from the plate onto the table, pushing it towards Henry Chapman.

The heater was on inside, with not many customers around. Yet, Henry Chapman didn’t lower his hoodie, his handsome features hidden in shadows with a hint of curiosity.

"Nasal cartilage?"

"Yes."

Raising a skewer, Nora Scott sat down opposite, unceremoniously taking a bite.

"..."

Watching her for a moment, Henry Chapman eventually picked up a skewer, bit into it slowly, and as he chewed, the tight furrow of his brows gradually eased.

Pretty tasty.

After eating two skewers, Henry Chapman picked up another and said, "Check your email."

"What?" Nora Scott raised her eyebrow.

After chewing and swallowing, sipping on her drink, Henry Chapman slowly said, "Birthday gift, sent to your email."

Sent to email?

Looking at him skeptically, Nora Scott took out her phone, logged into her email.

Sure enough, there was an email from Henry Chapman sent half an hour ago.

Opening it, she found it was a document.

"A script?" Nora Scott was somewhat surprised.

"Yes."

Nora Scott paused, "Let me see it?"

"You can choose the role."

Nora Scott smiled, teased him, "Even a gender-bending role?"

Henry Chapman: "..." Didn’t really want to pay attention to her.

"Where did this come from?"

"It’s for the next drama series, a series where each episode is a story, with multiple directors and screenwriters collaborating. Each set of directors and screenwriters is responsible for one story," Henry Chapman explained, "the director for this script owes me a favor."

"The filming approach is quite novel..." Halfway through speaking, Nora Scott suddenly chuckled, "Who said they’d never want to work with me again?"

"Wanted to add some challenge to the acting career."

That was quite an affronting way to put it.

Understanding his good intentions, Nora Scott appreciated it but regretfully shrugged, "I don’t have time recently."

"Filming starts in the second half of next year," Henry Chapman noted, "You can think about it slowly."

"...Alright."

Thinking it over, Nora Scott didn’t shut the door entirely and agreed.

...

In the evening darkness.

The young man crouching in the cold wind, trembling, hadn’t seen the target for a long time; his initial passion was slowly worn out by the cold.

Had he been deceived?

He fished out a crumpled cigarette box, found the last cigarette, exhaled a cold breath, put the cigarette to his lips, and lit it.

Once he finished this cigarette, if nothing came of it, he’d leave.

Just as this thought surfaced, two silhouettes appeared in the young man’s vision. He squinted, and in a moment, his pupils contracted sharply.

They were...

Suppressing the heart that had jumped to his throat, relying on professional instincts, the young man reflexively raised the camera hanging from his neck.