The Number One Star in the Interstellar Era

THE woman had caramel brown hair styled in a short bob. Her green eyes didn't have much emotions in them. Her expression contrasted with the cute, pink dress and pink beret she was wearing. But when she saw them, a smile appeared on her face.

Astrid quickly noticed how that smile didn't even reach her eyes. But it wasn't as if it's a smile that could offend anyone. To him, it just looked like a well practiced smile. As if she had tried to do that in front of the mirror countless of times until she got it right.

He didn't mind, though. There's no rule saying that one should always have a genuine smile for anyone they met. The important thing was the intent behind the smile. Whether it was mockery, goodwill, or indifference.

For someone like him who's adept at reading people's emotion just based on their expression, it was easy for him to see the meaning behind a person's smile. In his view, her smile carried no negative implications. And that was enough.

Besides, the other was his leading lady in this movie. He should at least give her the benefit of the doubt and not judge her just based on one smile.

Yes, that's right. The young woman would be playing the role of Abby. Her name was Charlotte Anderson. She also debuted last year, just a few months earlier than Astrid.

From what Ellis had told him, Charlotte was very diligent in her job. Appearing constantly in various TV series, not caring if her role was just that of an extra. When he heard that, he thought that the other must have really liked acting.

When he found out that Charlotte would be acting opposite him, he searched for a few clips of her acting. He was very satisfied by what he saw. It's not just because the other had talent, it was more due to the fact that she was giving her all in every role she played, no matter how small that role might be.

Just that was enough to ease Astrid's mind. At least, he didn't have to worry that the other would not do her best.

But seeing Charlotte Anderson in person, he still felt a bit surprised. From the clips he had watched, he was expecting the other to be a bright-eyed, lively young woman. The type who would energetically greet everyone with a smile. But her real personality seemed to be more on the reserved side.

The fact that she was able to make him think this way just showed her talent for acting. Which only made Astrid more satisfied.

Charlotte Anderson walked towards them. The woman walking behind her, who appeared to be her manager, went to the seats on the side designated for agents and managers. Ellis was already sitting there.

"Hello, I'm Charlotte Anderson and I'll be playing the role of Abby," she said, introducing herself when she arrived in front of them.

"Hi, I'm Astrid Townsend, playing the role of Jace," Astrid said, also introducing himself. "I'm looking forward to working with you."

His warm response seemed to make her uncomfortable, because she awkwardly answered, "Ah, yes. Me as well."

"I'm Snow Bell. Nice to meet you, Miss Anderson," Snow introduced himself.

He did not use his real surname because the company decided that it would be better for his career if the public didn't know that his father was a viscount. That way, people wouldn't just casually label him as some kind of Nepo baby. It's better to be known for his talent than his family background. And Snow completely agreed.

After the short greeting, Charlotte went to her designated seat, which was near the end of the table. There were names floating above the chairs, so one could immediately know where they should seat. Astrid's designated seat was opposite the Charlotte.

Since the other actors weren't there yet, he decided to chat with Snow for a bit. Even though the other didn't show it, he could tell from the tense muscles on his face that he must be feeling nervous right now. He should help Snow relax before the script reading started.

As they chatted, Snow's manager returned, giving him a canned drink. Then the manager went to where Ellis was, sitting down beside her.

A few more minutes passed and actors arrived one after another. Astrid had left Snow's side and sat down on his designated seat.

As actors and actresses continued to fill the room, Astrid also dilligently greeted all of them. He didn't know if it was because of his influence, but Snow also did the same. With them doing that, Charlotte must have felt that it wouldn't look good if she just sat in her seat, doing nothing, when she was also a rookie like them. So, she also greeted the other actors as soon as they entered the conference room.

Those around the same age range gave a lukewarm response. Some were even downright indifferent to Astrid. He didn't mind though, since he already expected something like that to some extent.

After all, his current rank on the [Star List] could easily make him a target for jealousy. Especially to those who were just a few years older than him. Thankfully, the older actors seemed to appreciate their greetings, praising them for being polite kids.

When all the actors arrived, it didn't take long before Director Hale also walked into the room. Following her were two women. Astrid was slightly surprised when he recognized one of the two.

It was the author, One Leaf.

Knowing the other's shy personality, he thought she wouldn't attend the script reading. Even if she didn't, no one would think badly of her. After all, the original author of the book a movie or series was based on was not obligated to do such a thing. Maybe One Leaf just wanted to make sure that the actors chosen were really the perfect fit for their roles.

Director Hale sat at one end of the table, while the two women sat on each side of her. "Alright. Shall we begin by introducing ourselves?"