Amelia Lockhart brought Holly Yardley a cup of coffee. Holly, who was frowning at her phone, took the cup and shot her another glare.
"Was it Ethan Quinn who used your phone to like that post?"
"He said his hand slipped."
Holly Yardley nearly spit out her coffee. She glared at her naive client again.
'She actually believes that crappy excuse? It's obvious Ethan Quinn was getting back at her for the "accidental like" she did before.'
'But… is Ethan Quinn really that petty?'
Holly Yardley considered Ethan's excuse again and surprisingly found herself thinking it might have some truth to it. After all, given Ethan Quinn's celebrity status, he really had no reason to get even with Amelia Lockhart.
"Forget it. Let's get back to business. I watched the entire first live episode. The viewer count for your stream was consistently high, which was probably thanks to Ethan Quinn. Even if it's the kind of fame that comes from being hated, it's fine as long as you solidify your on-screen persona. On another note, you and Ethan Quinn are an impossibility. Don't go looking for trouble."
Holly Yardley couldn't resist sounding another warning for Amelia Lockhart.
If the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl were separated by the Milky Way, then Amelia Lockhart and Ethan Quinn were separated by seven or eight of them.
To sum it up in two words: no chance!
"A dating show is still a variety show, after all. There's always careful planning and a bit of a push from the production team. Fans might get excited and start shipping the on-screen couples, but that doesn't mean they'll accept Ethan Quinn actually getting into a real relationship!"
Since Ethan Quinn was confirmed for the dating show *Random Lovers*, his fans have been split down the middle. Some see it as just another job, while others worry that someone might try to turn the on-screen romance into a real one.
The fans wouldn't blame Ethan Quinn. Instead, they'd just worry about him and his best interests.
Seeing Amelia Lockhart nod obediently, Holly Yardley could only sigh.
'Amelia looked obedient, but whether any of it actually sank in was anyone's guess.'
"Let's just drop what happened today. It's not the first time you've had an 'accidental' like, anyway. Just remember to repost the official *Fated Love* social media post tonight. Take the photo poll seriously. Ethan Quinn is incredibly popular, so if you're lucky, this could be some great free exposure for you. By the way, where are your photos together? Let me see them."
Holly Yardley knew Amelia Lockhart had a carefree personality, so she always made a point to give her thorough, detailed instructions when it came to work.
At the mention of the photos, Amelia Lockhart fell silent.
"Actually, I'm pretty curious myself," Holly Yardley said. "I caught a glimpse of what you did during the livestream. You can't really be blamed, since Ethan Quinn didn't want to take pictures to begin with." She had to admit, she was dying of curiosity.
Ethan Quinn's joke, in particular, had sent the live comments into a frenzy of curiosity.
"Not bad."
"Don't take any next time."
When Holly Yardley saw the nine photos that had earned Ethan Quinn's comment, she spat out the coffee she had just sipped.
She'd had her suspicions, but seeing the actual photos was just… hilarious.
Ethan Quinn sat perfectly still in the pavilion, eyes closed, against a backdrop of blue skies, white clouds, and lush green scenery. In the foreground, Amelia Lockhart was striking all sorts of bizarre poses.
Punching Ethan Quinn, putting Ethan Quinn in a headlock, putting Ethan Quinn in a chokehold, and "flirting with" Ethan Quinn…
They were all forced-perspective shots, but the fact that she could even think up such prank photos suggested that perhaps Amelia Lockhart was a natural for variety shows.
"I'm not sure if the fans will go for it, but as far as couple photos go, yours are definitely one of a kind. The 'Prankster Lovers' angle might actually help you two stand out." Holly Yardley mulled over whether she should hire some online shills to generate some buzz.
After all, the other three couples would surely have sickeningly sweet photos. A set like theirs might be a breath of fresh air.
Amelia Lockhart just assumed Holly Yardley was trying to comfort her and didn't think much of it.
At nine o'clock that night, to the great anticipation of the public, the official *Random Lovers* social media page finally posted four nine-photo grids in a row.
Each post was dedicated to one of the on-screen couples from the first episode's random matching. It seemed everyone had unspokenly agreed to submit a nine-photo grid.
Ruby Sawyer and Vincent Vance went with a sweet "spring outing" theme. The photos were as pure and lovely as something from a teen web series. The most-liked comment read: "Feels like I'm falling in love for the first time all over again."
Iris Yates and Rhett Reynolds' photos had a "comedic rivals" theme. The top comment from netizens was: "She runs, he chases… she can run, but she can't hide!"
Anna Summers and Leo Bishop opted for a woodland theme, finding a forest bathed in the brilliant light of spring. A popular comment read: "This has major 'forest prince and princess' photoshoot vibes."
After looking through the other three couples' photos, Amelia Lockhart scrolled down to the post with her and Ethan Quinn's pictures, her heart heavy with dread.
To her surprise, the number of comments was several times higher than the number of likes! The like count wasn't high, but the comment volume was staggering!
There were several top comments!
[Talk about a change in tone! The Prankster Lovers and their uncooperative star!]
[HAHAHA! If you love him, punch him!]
[And maybe a headlock and a chokehold for good measure!]
[When I see the picture of her 'flirting' with him, I can just picture Amelia Lockhart's terrified expression from the livestream!]
The comment section was having a field day, full of laughter.
Of course, there were still plenty of haters, but Amelia Lockhart chose to ignore them.
'Looks like people found these photos pretty funny? Then why aren't they liking the post?'
She didn't understand why until she scrolled to a comment with a huge number of likes.
"The fact that Ethan isn't cooperating probably means he really doesn't want to be paired with Amelia Lockhart. Being on a show is a job, sure, but isn't his completely checked-out attitude telling us something? So, I'm waiting for Ethan to post about it. If he doesn't repost this, I'm not liking it!"
'That actually made a lot of sense.' Amelia Lockhart reflected silently. 'Looks like I still haven't raised my favorability with him enough!'
After reposting the photo set, Amelia Lockhart went to check the pages of the other six cast members. Without exception, they had all reposted it, many with their own witty captions.
Only Ethan Quinn's social media page remained silent.
Another hour passed with no activity on Ethan Quinn's page. The public's speculation began to solidify. A verified influencer had already posted a long take: "Ethan Quinn was clearly forced into this dating show. It's highly likely he wants no part of it, especially since he's being packaged with a scandal-ridden nobody trying to ride his coattails. According to insiders, Ethan Quinn refuses to even acknowledge Amelia Lockhart."
As soon as the influencer's post went up, it gained a lot of traction and agreement.
Suddenly, Amelia Lockhart's phone buzzed.
A priority notification: Ethan Quinn has posted!
Amelia Lockhart scrambled to open the app. Ethan Quinn's account had actually reposted it!
Not only had Ethan Quinn reposted it, but unlike his usual silent shares, he had actually added two words—
"Not bad."
Instantly, new top comments started appearing at a visible rate!
[Don't take any next time! HAHA!]
[HAHAHA! Everybody, start liking! And remember to like the original post too!]
The influencer hastily deleted their post. In an instant, a new hashtag—#PranksterLovers—shot to the top of the trending charts and went viral!
[Friendly Reminder]
Soul Painter Huahua has drawn stick-figure versions of the photos as an easter egg in the QQ fan group. Feel free to check them out if you're interested (it's okay if you don't, because I am a 'soul painter,' after all *covers face and runs away*).