Chapter 8 Hit Her Where It Hurts

It was soon time for the first broadcast of "I Love Nature". Demi woke up early in the morning and cleaned the courtyard. She watered the flowers as well. As they were headed to the mountains, she had put on a set of sportswear. Margaret was a lively woman, and she had planted both vegetables and flowers in the courtyard. Then, Demi helped her up and led her to the courtyard for some sunshine and fresh air. Margaret was recovering from her illness rapidly. Although she hadn't been able to get out of bed two days ago, she was currently able to walk with someone's help or by supporting herself with the wall. Margaret praised her in delight, "Demi, you're the best. Other doctors said they wouldn't be able to cure me, but I've managed to recover. In the future, you'll definitely become a skilled doctor and work in the capital." She had a lot of hope for Demi's future. Every time Margaret complimented her, Demi merely smiled. However, she suddenly realized that she had to take Margaret to the capital city, Shenia City, for a spin. It was obvious that her grandmother hoped for a visit there. Apart from Shenia City, she would also bring Margaret to places with beautiful scenery. After making sure that Margaret was comfortable, Demi entered the kitchen to cook. Inside, Timothy had already taken out some grains to make some oatmeal. Demi never expected that Timothy, who was autistic, would learn how to take care of himself in the one year she was gone. After half an hour, they sat around the table in the courtyard as they had their breakfast. As Demi munched on an omelette, she said, "Grandma, Timmy, I've joined a show, and the production team will be here soon. Don't be nervous when they appear. If you want to show yourselves, feel free to do so. If you don't want to, it's fine." "W-What kind of show? Is it the kind that will be broadcasted on television?" Margaret looked at her in confusion. Demi nodded. "Yes, that's right." "How could you allow them to film here? You should've asked them to go to your biological parents' house! Look at this place. What if people make fun of you? What will happen then?" Margaret was so anxious that her face turned pale. The small courtyard was in terrible condition, and the paint on the windows and doors were chipped. There was even a pile of scraps that she had collected by the wall. Demi had put off telling Margaret about this, as she was worried that her grandmother would be overly anxious. She smiled plainly and replied, "I think our courtyard is quite alright." With her grandmother and her little brother in the courtyard, it didn't matter if it was run-down. To her, it was as warm as it could be. Margaret quickly stood up, feeling nervous. "Quick, throw away those cardboard boxes and bottles first." Demi hurriedly got up and held her. At that moment, she heard a knocking sound from outside. The person outside asked, "Excuse me, is Ms. Demi in?" Margaret was so anxious that she stuttered as she asked, "A-Are they already here?" Demi helped Margaret to take a seat. "Grandma, don't be so nervous. Television shows right now love to film the countryside. This show is meant to be filmed in the village." Then, she walked toward the gates of the courtyard and opened them. Four staff members looked back at her with a smile. The cameraman, who had a large figure, had the camera directed toward her face. One of the staff members beamed and said, "Ms. Demi, good morning. The live broadcast is starting now." "Please, come in. Have you all had breakfast?" Demi opened the door wide for them to enter the courtyard. The cameraman moved the camera to capture the entire courtyard. The staff member answered, "We ate in the car." There weren't many interested viewers in Demi's livestream, but there were more than a hundred haters. Demi had many haters due to several reasons. Not only did she frequently take on the role of the villain, but she had a scandalous personal life as well. She always stole the spotlight, bullied others, dragged others into her own mess, and even stole roles from other actors. Some haters would compile and edit these scandals together, then spread the word. After a while, she was given the nickname "vicious gal". "What a run-down courtyard!" "Does this vicious gal want to use her poor family to make herself seem more pitiful? Is she putting on a front to make herself seem more likeable?" "That's incredibly possible!" "Why is there even trash there? She's putting way too much effort into this act." Demi didn't try to hide the scraps either. She then introduced everyone to her grandmother and little brother. "This is my grandmother and my younger brother. They're a little shy, so please don't film them again later." With a flush on her face, Margaret got up with Demi's help. She greeted the viewers with a slight countryside accent, "H-Hello, everyone." Timothy had his head lowered the entire time, trying to make himself smaller and less noticeable. The staff member greeted Margaret in return, "It's nice to meet you. There's no need for you to be so careful around us. You can continue eating." Then, Demi led them around the courtyard again. Truth be told, there wasn't much inside the courtyard. Demi said, "These are the vegetables my grandmother planted, and these are her flowers. Here, we've even kept a pig." As if replying to Demi, the pig snorted. The comments from the livestream poured in. "Did everyone hear the pig snort?" "This vicious gal's family can't be this poor, right? I think this is all an act." "That's right! It must be an act. It's all just to make herself look better." Truth be told, despite their experience with reality shows, it was the staff member's first time seeing a celebrity's house in such a state. After all, other celebrities lived in either large flats or villas. The staff member asked curiously, "Ms. Demi, may I ask if your parents are living here?" Hearing that, the expression on Demi's face stiffened, and her smile froze.