Chapter 35: Touching His Heart

The thought that someone far away can also gaze up at the same starry sky brings an indescribable warmth and comfort to his heart. He turns to his old assistant and earnestly requests, "Zam, please help me order a pair of contact lenses." Zam asks with some confusion, "What type of contact lenses?" William Foster patiently explains, "Clara said my eyes are very beautiful. She particularly loves looking into them and advised me not to wear sunglasses that cover my eyes, suggesting I try wearing transparent contact lenses." After hearing this, Zam is silent for a few seconds, seemingly caught off guard by this sweet interaction between the couple. Then he slowly nods in agreement. Early the next morning, when Clara Bennett, who is particularly fond of William Foster’s eyes, unexpectedly receives a script for an audition, she can’t help but feel a bit excited and nervous. Seeing the change in her expression, Edward Bennett’s expression turns somewhat serious, and he speaks with concern, "This scene involves martial arts. If you need, I can help you find a professional martial arts instructor privately." Clearly, though he speaks of treating everyone fairly, Edward Bennett secretly hopes to help his younger sister overcome this challenge. In his view, this was a difficult scenario deliberately designed by director Ethan Smith to challenge the auditioning actors. Clara takes the script handed to her, carefully skims through the content, then looks up and calmly replies, "Thank you for your concern, second brother. But I think I can handle this myself. After all, we’ve already agreed that the competition is about fairness, and I don’t want to gain any extra advantages or rely on anyone else’s help to achieve my goals." Hearing this, Edward Bennett questions very dissatisfiedly, "Obviously, Ethan Smith is deliberately making things difficult for you. How could he ever consider fairness!" However, Clara is not swayed by his negative attitude and instead, with a smile, begins to reassure him, "You can’t completely say that. At least every candidate participating in the audition faces the same difficult challenges. Since the conditions are equally tough for everyone, it means everyone has the same opportunity to showcase their strengths." Listening to these words, Edward Bennett still looks at his sister with worry, his tone full of high concern for her safety. "But this involves dangerous props with blades, even if they’re fake and specially made, there’s still the risk of causing accidental personal injuries." Clara sighs helplessly and softly says, "Second brother, remember when I wanted to try new things and learn new skills when I was younger, the family would strongly oppose it out of safety concerns? They feared I might accidentally splash harmful chemicals into my eyes while painting, resulting in vision loss. Or feared I would pull a muscle or sprain an ankle while practicing ballet. Or fall and get hurt if a horse suddenly went out of control during horseback riding training... In short, children brought up with such excessive protection might easily become timid and cowardly in the future, right?" After hearing this, Edward Bennett feels somewhat guilty, "Clara, we just wanted to make sure you wouldn’t get hurt. We’ve always been worried about you taking risks because we truly care about your wellbeing." Clara gives a sweet smile, "I know it’s all for my good, which is why my favorite people are you, my brothers. You not only take special care of me but also give me an incredibly warm home. Yet looking at how amazing you all are, every one of you so outstanding, sometimes I feel really discouraged comparing myself. I want to prove to you that I can do it too; that I can make myself more exceptional and make my brothers proud and pleased, is that okay?" Hearing this, hope seems to light in Edward Bennett’s eyes: Our favorite, unexpectedly, is us! This sentence completely moved his heart. It seems the easiest way to move a brother is to gain his sister’s recognition and affection. Warmth fills him, as if the whole world is flooded with sunlight. He excitedly grabs her hand and responds, "Second brother supports you. I believe you are the best and most exceptional! You will become even greater, and your brother will always cheer for you!" Clara beams brightly in response, "Second brother is still the best! Thank you for supporting me so much!" But in truth, inside, she mischievously couldn’t help but think: What I said is indeed the truth, and I am genuinely very proud to have such outstanding brothers. However, saying something like this now might have a bit of flattery in it. Sorry, second brother, this is also for your own benefit, definitely not allowing a woman like Nell Sue another chance to approach. She holds these little secrets in her heart, her face still showing a gentle smile. At this moment, Edward Bennett is full of surprise! The light in his eyes intertwines with emotions of being touched and anticipation, as though rediscovering the simple sibling relationship of the past. About five minutes later, Edward Bennett comes downstairs, meeting with James Bennett and Charles Bennett who are waiting for feedback. Both older brothers look tense, clearly worried about how the situation is developing. By rights, they had intended to stop Clara from participating in scenarios involving weaponry. Such dangerous behaviors are obviously outside their range of acceptance. James Bennett questions with a sense of severity, "How is it? Has Clara decided to give up? Is she willing to withdraw from this turmoil?" Edward Bennett frowns, his tone displeased, "Big brother, you shouldn’t do that." James Bennett shows a confused expression and asks again, "What did you say?" Edward Bennett continues, "Why not give Clara more trust? Do you realize how seriously she’s been preparing for this performance? It seems to me that you care only about your safety concerns, ignoring her efforts altogether." James Bennett can only express helplessness in response, "Where did you wake up from, what kind of nonsense are you talking about? I completely don’t understand what you’re saying." On the other hand, Charles Bennett also confusedly asks, "Second brother, have you gotten too involved? Weren’t you just worried about the potential dangers this performance might entail? How did your stance change so quickly?" Despite the brief pause, Edward Bennett still insists on his point, "I was merely worried. But after speaking with Clara, I changed my mind. From now on, I will support her dreams. No matter how tough and challenging the road she takes in the entertainment industry may become, I am willing to stand by her side, offering her the firmest support and encouragement, rather than hindering her path forward. Everyone, please believe in our little sister, she is equally outstanding." Charles Bennett squints and focuses on him, "Second brother, honestly, what was it that moved you so much and made you support her decision? It can’t be just a few simple words, can it?"