Wendy felt a bit disappointed. If only she could use Renee Morgan as a comparison group, the buzz would definitely be higher.
Renee has a strong camera presence and decent self-management skills. Luckily, she had the foresight to prepare some "big material" in advance. Even if the coffee was spilled, the towel would surely have caught it, right?
Wendy thought that in the next couple of days, Renee certainly wouldn't be able to film the program. She needed to ask her godfather to have the people in the production team get ready, write the draft, and buy trending topics in advance.
She had already thought of the content for the trending topics.
First of all, do not reveal that Renee didn't attend filming because of an allergy. Instead, hint that she couldn't handle the training, pretended to be sick, and refused to participate in the shoot. Compare her to herself, and while the audience criticizes Renee, they'll surely end up liking her.
After Wendy finished communicating with the contact, she smiled slightly.
She was simply a genius.
"..."
Back in her room, Renee told Lynn that there wasn't enough space to hang clothes outside, so she hung them in the bathroom to air dry for tomorrow when they would go into the army.
Lynn, about to go to sleep, didn't chat much with her and told her to hang the clothes and go to bed early before closing her eyes to sleep.
After hanging up her clothes, Renee lay down on the bed. She didn't fall asleep immediately; her mind flashed with everything from the dream. She had a good memory, and trying to forget something after seeing it once was difficult.
In the dream, she would start having mild allergic symptoms tomorrow. Initially thinking it was because the hotel sheets weren't clean, she hastily went to the pharmacy for an ointment and then took a car to the army. It got worse until she ended up in the hospital on an IV, and the whole ordeal took two or three days, missing the initial filming.
Back then, she was overwhelmed and had no idea to discuss with the production team in advance to have them disclose her severe allergy hospitalization during filming. After the show aired, due to netizens' speculations, the buzz remained high. Warren contacted the production team director, asking the official account here to explain that she had no choice because of a severe allergy.
However, people tend to have preconceived notions. The netizens already believed she couldn't handle the training and was being a diva, lazing around for several days, only coming out on the last day to put on appearances. The explanation from the official account seemed like a cover-up, a whitewash for harmony in the show.
Logically, even if Renee, a newcomer, missed three days, nobody would notice. All this credit goes to someone backing Wendy, as ever since the show aired, the comparison videos merged of the two constantly trended. Originally only a two-point buzz, it went up to five, and with the show's potential to explode, naturally, the buzz went up. Wendy capitalized and became a top star, while Renee, because of her perceived diva attitude, faced catastrophic consequences, a ban in the circle, and was called to quit the entertainment industry online.
Renee sorted out the situation in her mind, and by morning, she had an idea of what to do. She peacefully closed her eyes and fell asleep.
Renee has a strong sense of time and woke up early in the morning. However, thinking of Wendy outside, she lingered under the covers with her phone, watching movies for several hours. Whenever a standout role appeared, she'd take notes on paper.
It wasn't until after nine that she finally got out of bed to wash up.
When Renee came out, the live broadcast had just begun. Her designated PD was already in place, and as she opened the door, the camera immediately focused on her.
Today, Renee appeared with light makeup, her large eyes, delicate long nose, and vibrant yet non-aggressive brows and eyes created a clear and fresh look. Her rosy lips had a youthful fullness, her peach blossom eyes were bright, and her ethereal long dress gave off both pure and seductive vibes, dashingly beautiful. Her contradictory qualities made her appearance appealing to any aesthetic preference.
As expected, usually sharp-tongued and picky netizens were now furiously typing away at their keyboards.
[Yesterday, a senior from Northern School said all the large and small institutions at B School are fans of Renee Morgan—now I believe it! Using the word 'school beauty' for her appearance indeed feels superficial; she should be called a 'beauty goddess'!]
[Renee Morgan is truly beautiful. I hope she can come out and act more so that the audience can feast their eyes.]
[OMG! What a treasure of a program with randomly invited guests surpassing all sorts of starlets in beauty.]
"..."
Wendy couldn't see the live broadcast comments, but judging by the staff's reactions around her, she knew just how superior Renee's looks were.
Both being professionally trained newcomers in the acting industry, Wendy didn't think her appearance would fall short of Renee's. This confidence still allowed a trace of jealousy to flash in her eyes.
Thinking that Renee would soon be unable to continue filming the show, Wendy's pent-up mood dissipated, and she walked over to Renee with a bright smile.
"Renee, why are you getting up so late?" she asked with feigned surprise. "It's already past ten..."
Acting as if she realized she shouldn't have said that, she quickly closed her mouth, a hint of apology on her face, and deliberately changed the subject: "Hey, this dress of yours is so beautiful; your shoes, too. You really know how to dress well."
Sweet-talking and kind-hearted Wendy subtly hinted to the netizens that Renee slept in and took her time getting ready, showing how much effort she put into her outfit, implying multiple layers of scheming.
Running her fingers through the hair on her forehead, Renee smiled and said, "Thank you for the concern and compliments, Wendy. I wasn't feeling great, and I didn't sleep well last night, so I got up late."
Her straightforward explanation made Wendy seem petty and overly calculative.
The smile on Wendy's face slightly disappeared, and thinking of something, curiosity flashed in her eyes: "Didn't sleep well last night, Renee?"
Renee replied with a hum, a bit of frustration in her voice: "Can't get used to the hotel sheets and forgot to bring long-sleeved pajamas. I just feel itchy all over."
Saying this, she didn't forget to scratch her arm, visibly trying to suppress it.
Only then did Wendy notice she was wearing a long-sleeved dress. While the air conditioning inside wasn't hot, dressing so warmly...
Thinking about Renee using the towel she gave, an ambiguous and strange smile flickered in Wendy's eyes.
Lynn, concerned beside her, asked, "Are you still itchy now? Do you need to buy an ointment to apply?"
Renee nodded and agreed: "I'll stop by a pharmacy later and pick up an anti-itch ointment."
If it were a normal allergy, the anti-itch ointment would have some effect, but the substance Wendy used made the ointment useless.
Precisely because it wouldn't work, Renee intended to make Wendy believe she was really allergic, thus basking in her own satisfaction.
After breakfast, they packed their bags and joined the other four team members, then each got into a car to head to the army.
On the way, Renee stopped by a pharmacy and bought anti-itch cream and face lotion.
The group temporarily stayed outside the army in a hotel for a day, making sure everything was ready for early filming the next day, well prepared.
The motel was not as luxurious as a hotel, with lower costs, allowing each guest to have their own room.
Renee and Wendy weren't on the same floor. Thinking of something, Renee made sure to wash up and get ready in advance.