Chapter 106: Fear

He could no longer control his emotions, bursting out like a bomb, directly pointing at Ethan Smith’s nose and unleashing a torrent of reprimands. "What kind of filth are you spouting! Just shut up! Do you know how stringent the current review system is? A movie that even slightly touches on sensitive topics will get sent back for recuts! Are those investors voicing their opinions blindly? It’s right to have them remind you! Don’t dance around the review line; make the film properly!" The argument between them grew louder and louder, with a strong sense of tension filling the air. And at the center of the incident, Clara Bennett felt like her head was about to explode. The tangled mess of information and arguments made her temples throb faintly. She covered her ears, trying to block out all the noisy clamor, but it was all to no avail. Objectively speaking, if one were to evaluate the film, it had indeed cut quite a few intimate scenes. The reason was simple: next month’s review standards had become even stricter. In order to comply with the new regulations, the production team had no choice but to painfully cut out any scenes that could potentially cause controversy. When watching the few remaining intimate scenes in the film, Clara was able to maintain a surprisingly calm demeanor. This wasn’t because she was naturally composed, but because she knew that these scenes had been specially arranged during shooting. To avoid any awkwardness between the actors, the crew had waited until the male and female leads were familiar with each other before beginning to shoot the related scenes. Thus, these scenes weren’t scheduled to be filmed anytime soon. Therefore, Clara wasn’t in a hurry to remind anyone. She understood that it was better to patiently wait than to worry about it now. Soon enough, those scenes might be entirely cut because of the reviews. After all, tighter policies had become a consensus in the industry, and no one could defy them. Moreover, she had already learned about certain plot arrangements in advance, so she could still accept the overall scope of the film. However, what surprised her was that something she didn’t care much about could spark such heated debates among so many people. After Edward Bennett hung up the phone, Clara leisurely came downstairs. Her steps were light, her face wearing a faint smile, yet her eyes carried a hint of complex emotions. She paused at the landing of the stairs, her gaze directed at her brother sitting on the sofa. Edward noticed the movement, looked up at his sister, and said, "Clara? Did you hear?" His tone was somewhat serious, seemingly trying to discern something from her reaction. Clara nodded, her tone calm and firm: "Yes, I heard, Edward. Ethan is the director, I think you shouldn’t lose your temper with him." Edward furrowed his brows, his face darkening, clearly displeased with her words: "No matter who he is, in my eyes, anyone who dares to bully my sister is unacceptable! Using my family as a target for attack is something I cannot tolerate no matter what!" Clara sighed, trying to soothe her agitated brother: "Actually, you don’t need to be so angry. Even if he says that, it doesn’t mean he’ll definitely include that many intimate scenes. We all know that many things are just for show, and the final product may end up far from what was intended." However, Edward was evidently not convinced and became even more indignant: "Even just saying it isn’t okay! Clara, you are our sister, not some arbitrary role to be used! Why should they use you as a topic of conversation? This is no small matter! If you really don’t want people to gossip, the best way is to put a stop to it directly. Don’t be afraid; leave this to me to resolve, and I will definitely handle it for you!" Faced with her brother’s passionate protectiveness, Clara found it somewhat exasperating. She slightly frowned, her tone serious yet with a trace of helplessness: "Edward... you know, I’m always grateful for your concern, but I hope you don’t interfere too much with my own matters. Such things should be left to Young to handle. Young is experienced, has professional communication skills, and should be able to find a better solution." Upon hearing this, Edward’s eyes widened in shock, full of tension and unease. He stood up abruptly, almost blurting out his questions: "Clara, do you actually resent your brother? How could you think this way?" His voice rose eight octaves, his expression filled with hurt and disbelief. Clara quickly shook her head, her voice urgent and firm as she replied: "No way! Of course, I know you’re doing this for me. How could I not understand your concern for me? But you are in a high position in the entertainment industry, with a prestigious status and widespread connections. If you suddenly protect me, a newcomer, so fiercely, outsiders will undoubtedly make all sorts of wild guesses." "Moreover, this might even backfire. If Ethan becomes wary of your status and during the directing process holds back from guiding me properly or even alters his attitude towards me, wouldn’t that be a great loss for me?" "Consider this, it’s my first time acting, and I get to collaborate with a director as renowned as Ethan. His reputation in the industry is well-deserved, and his skills are exceptional. Learning more from him can benefit me greatly, whether in improving my acting skills or understanding his works." "This way, my future development in the industry would be much smoother. Besides, which popular starlet in the entertainment world hasn’t relied on experienced, resourceful directors to make a name for themselves and steadily rise?" The deeper issue was that Clara was slightly apprehensive in her heart. If her brother interfered too much, it might provoke Ethan into a rebellious mindset. If Ethan really harbored any grudges, he might even treat her, the "specially cared-for" newcomer, with even more strictness and harshness. But she couldn’t speak these thoughts aloud nor let her brother sense her real feelings. Otherwise, with her brother’s personality, he would certainly become overly concerned and try to resolve every problem on her behalf. And that was not the situation she wanted to see. At this moment, she could only try to align her reasons with practical benefits, using a calm and rational approach to persuade her brother to let go of his worries. Clara’s sharp explanation quickly made Edward realize the issue at hand, and he nodded repeatedly as if a light bulb had lit up: "Right, right, I wasn’t thinking long-term enough, was too impulsive. You’re right, Ethan is indeed a rare talent with great strength; learning from him is definitely beneficial." "Clara, but since you have such a strong sense of ambition, why not switch to the performing arts program? We can plan ahead, and I’ll help you get into the best schools with top instructors, so you can get into the groove faster." Clara hurriedly waved her hand, maintaining a serene expression: "Graduation is looming, and there’s no need to switch majors now, nor is there time. Besides, my present circumstances don’t support such a big change; let’s just proceed methodically. But rest assured, I’m already preparing to improve myself in private, and Young has agreed to help arrange some professional courses focused on acting skills, which should be implemented soon."