Chapter 83：The Review (1)

The individual was not really calling Joann by name, it was more like a mention in passing. In other words, Joann was probably not meant to hear it.

However, Joann did catch it because she was more sensitive to the sound of her own name compared to normal people. This was because for a celebrity, the name was their brand and a good and successful celebrity knew how to correctly manage their brand.

Joann looked around her and she eventually noticed two middle-aged women standing not far away holding a copy of newspaper between them. They alternated between looking at Joann, pointing at the newspaper and whispering to each other.

Joann believed she was their topic of conversation from the way the two kept sneaking surreptitious glances at her as well as the fact that they were holding the entertainment section of the daily newspaper.

Joann thought to herself, 'Have I done any interviews recently? Perhaps it is press for the movie, Bringing the Nation's Husband Home...'

In any case, she slowed down her pace to allow the two women to catch up to her. However, she maintained this glacial speed for at least 10 minutes and still no one approached her to ask for signature or a picture like she expected.

This confused her and Joann could not help but turn away with befuddlement to see what the two middle-aged women, which she assumed were her fans, were up to.

Joann was dumbfounded because the two women were still standing where they were. Their discussion seemed to have intensified because their movements and gestures became more animated and one of them even pointed at Joann thinking she wasn't looking at them.

Joann then realized something was wrong. These were not fans that she was dealing with. If anything, it felt like they were gossiping about her. 'What is this article that they're looking at? The news has to be about me, but what kind of news could it be?'

Due to the scandal from before, a bad feeling settled in Joann's stomach. She had had a rocky relationship with the press since then and she had a premonition that history was going to repeat itself.

Desperate to find out, Joann ran to a nearby magazine and newspaper stall, a rare commodity in today's day and age when virtual newspaper and website were just clicks away. The stall operator was an old gentleman who was nodding off. He had cupped in his hands a box for people to drop the money in after they made the necessary purchase.

Joann looked at the selection of papers available. She tried to find the one that matches the copy the two middle-aged women were reading. Her eyes scanned the stall before they settled on an issue that sat on the bottom left corner.

When Joann picked it up, she realized it was not an actual newspaper, it was a tabloid. This realization made her heart sink even more. Unlike newspaper, tabloids rarely reported on good news and Joann, like many celebrities, dreaded to find any article on them in there.

A part of Joann was thankful because this tabloid wasn't one of the more popular ones. This explained why the old man didn't feature it right and centre on his stall but sequestered it to the side. Other than that, unlike other reading materials which the stall carried in tens of copies, the tabloid Joann grabbed was the last copy available. Joann doubted they sell so fast since the day was just beginning. Joann suspected the operator probably only bought one or two from the supplier. She had one and the pair of middle-aged women earlier bought the other.

Joann flipped through the tabloid hurriedly and when she found the page she was looking for, her mind froze.

'A Wizened Hag: The Wrinkle to What Would be a Perfectly Acceptable Film,' was the headline.

'Bringing the Nation's Husband Home was a film adaptation of a romance webnovel of the same name written by author, Ye Fei Ye. The film, being what it is, a chick flick, is perfectly viewable. It is like fast food, it is not nutritious, does not do anything good to your body and mind but it is perfect for a lazy afternoon.

'This means that the film is by no means a masterpiece but it should be slightly above average for what it is, provided it does not have this fatal flaw, its cast. From what this reviewer understands, the story should feature a young couple but for some reason, the director has cast an aged actress in the role of the main female lead.

'Miss Joann Fong has been in the business for years already and to be perfectly honest, she is more suitable for the role of the main lead's mother rather than the main character herself. While we are on this topic, the up and coming actress, Miss Qing Qing, who is also featured in the movie, is in this reviewer's humble opinion, a better fit for the main role.

'While this reviewer admits that Miss Joann Fong has years of experience under her belt, it is because of her experience that she fails to carry this important role. The original plot features a young couple and Miss Joann Fong is no spring chicken.

'A situation that is not helped by the inclusion of the sex scene in the movie.'

Here there was a still of the sex scene captured from the movie and it was enlarged to an unflattering proportion. A red marker was used to digitally circle the places on Joann's body where the signs of aging was most obvious. Photo-editing software was used to highlight the love handles, saggy parts of the skin, uncomplimentary folds of fat as well as to deepen the wrinkles and lines on the body.

The reviewer did not comment on Joann's conditions but a picture spoke a thousand words and this manufactured piece of photographic evidence carried with it more than a thousand words of insult.