"Yes, Cesare did benefit from his family connections." Lillian took down a black dress, held it up to herself, shook her head, and hung it back on the rack. "You know he was always moving around as a kid. He lived with his grandparents in New York for a while—that's when we met—then with his mother and stepfather in France. It wasn't until he came back to LA for high school that he finally settled down. Anyway, he grew up tagging along with adults to visit family connections. Sometimes Cesare's family jokes that he's the one who truly holds the family's network together—everyone else just has a piece of it."
Jenny picked up a little black cocktail dress to admire. Chanel's cocktail dresses were timeless classics; if you chose the right one, you could wear it for years without looking dated. "Really? He doesn't seem like someone raised by multiple families at all—though then again, Cesare never looked like the type who giggled as a baby or ever wet his pants."
Lillian chuckled. "Yes, I see what you mean. Cesare's parents were always busy, you know, and then they divorced. His grandparents weren't the type to raise children either—they were going through their own divorce when he stayed with them. It's a miracle he turned out this way. Everyone says he's the most serious person in the entire family, a complete anomaly in the Schmidt clan."
"Oh, so his biological father's side is Schmidt." Jenny picked out a little dress. "Lily dear, what do you think of this one?"
"It's pretty." Lilian came over to check the price tag. "Just a bit too cheap."
Jenny suppressed the urge to sigh: Needless to say, Lilian had argued with Cesare again.
—Perhaps mindful of Jenny's current finances, Lilian produced a card the moment she arrived. "Cesare's covering everything today."
Jenny didn't play coy. Cesare needed her to look polished and presentable in front of Robert, and since he was willing to foot the bill, she saw no reason to refuse.
But that didn't mean she'd climb the ladder by any means necessary. With tens of thousands of dollars to spend in a single day, Jenny's original plan was to buy one designer dress—preferably versatile enough for multiple occasions to maximize its value—and then select accessories from the original Jenny's inheritance. She had no intention of spending Cesare's money on anything else. At most, she might buy a pair of shoes if she found the right ones, since the original Jenny's taste wasn't great—many of her shoes were cheap knockoffs that Jenny felt embarrassed to wear.
Lillian's approach, however, was diametrically opposed. Upon entering Dior, she headed straight for the obviously extravagant evening gowns, seemingly intent on maxing out Cesare's credit card that very day. When Jenny pointed out it was too formal for dinner, she shifted tactics, aiming to fill Jenny's wardrobe with several new outfits. Jenny had no choice but to firmly declare she intended to buy only one dress today.
So that was that. Lillian's current goal was to find the most expensive cocktail dress possible—she simply had to fleece Cesare thoroughly to feel satisfied. Today, she wasn't quite the angelic girl; the spoiled princess side was more prominent.
Jenny had no intention of indulging Lillian's whims. She walked straight into the fitting room, slipped on the dress, and emerged looking stunning. "This is the one. I have the perfect pair of shoes to match at home. Alright, that wraps up my shopping for today."
Lillian pouted childishly, dragging her feet in protest. Jenny led her to the checkout counter. After swiping her card, she smiled. "Now it's my turn to shop with you. You have Cesare's card, right? Max it out. He deserved to upset you."
"Hehe," Lilian giggled sheepishly. "So you noticed."
But she tucked the card back into her purse. "Yes, I'm in a spending mood today, but I won't use his money. Come on, help me try on that dress I spotted."
Women shopping together always followed this pattern—exchanging compliments while seriously discussing options. Chen Zhen was well-versed in this routine. In her past life, she'd accompanied her mother-in-law on countless shopping trips. Now, putting her skills to use, she effortlessly coaxed Lillian into beaming with delight. In high spirits, Lillian swiped her card for several elegant gowns, plus matching jewelry, perfume, and cosmetics, easily racking up over ten thousand dollars. The entire morning slipped away like that. Both women were walking on tired legs when they casually stepped into a restaurant for lunch.
"Now I feel much happier," Lilian declared after ordering a mountain of junk food. "But why haven't you asked me why I argued with Cesare?"
Jenny genuinely didn't want to pry into Cesare's personal life, but since she and Lillian were close friends, such situations were sometimes hard to avoid. "Right, why did you fight with Cesare?"
Though she didn't show it, Lillian wasn't stupid. She gave a resigned smile first. "Sorry, if I had a second friend here, I wouldn't be telling you this."
Her expression darkened. "Actually, that's one of my biggest grievances with him. You know, I'm from New York. I didn't even go to college in California. I came to Los Angeles for medical school because of Cesare. Even working at this hospital now—it's the same story. Almost all my friends and college classmates are in New York. I have practically no friends here. Cesare is the only reason I stayed in LA."
Perhaps overcome by emotion, Lilian's words became disjointed. "I'm not saying this because I regret it or blame him. I chose all of this—Jenny. As long as I'm with him, none of it matters."
It was clear Lillian truly loved Cesare. Jenny frowned. "Then where does the problem lie?"
Lillian thought for a moment, shaking her head with a sense of loss. "I don't know. I love Cesare, and Cesare loves me. We're healthy, young, wealthy, and deeply in love... I just don't know what else could be missing."
The food arrived, and they fell into a brief silence while eating. After a moment, Lilian spoke. "Maybe it's because we're both so busy. Cesare barely comes home except to sleep, and I'm constantly switching shifts. Maybe I should choose general practice after my residency—that would give me more time with him."
Jenny knew Lilian was truly lonely—otherwise she wouldn't be so warm toward her. Just as she said, her entire social circle was in New York, and most of her USC med school classmates had scattered to different paths, all terribly busy. "That might be a good choice. You know, many families have the man working outside the home and the woman managing it. Cesare's income could easily cover household expenses. Even if he couldn't, you have your endowment. After marriage, you could even choose to be a full-time homemaker."
"I don't want to give up my career," Lilian shook her head instead, suddenly laughing. "What was I just rambling about? I couldn't even accept myself becoming a general practitioner. Jen, I'm already so dependent on Cesare. If I give up my career, he'll become my entire life. Of course, many women accept that—my sisters live that way, and I..."
She sighed. "It's not that I oppose that life. You could even say I envy it a little. It's just... just the thought of depending on Cesare even more makes me feel uneasy."
"Do you feel he doesn't love you enough?" Jenny asked. "Or do you not trust him? This is a pretty serious issue. I think you two need to talk."
"Almost eighty percent of our arguments stem from this," Lilian said. "My therapist also told me I should talk to Cesare. This trust issue could become a huge barrier between us. But—but I don't know how to put it—Cesa thinks everything's fine between us now, that there's no problem."
She exhaled. "Anyway, I'm insisting on staying in my own place and not using his card, even though he'd be happy to let me—maybe precisely because I don't want him saying, 'Look, honey, I've spent hundreds of thousands on you. Doesn't that prove how much I love you?'"
As it turned out, Lilian had been putting on a brave face all morning. Once she opened up, she poured out her gloom nonstop. Jenny, having been through it herself, spent the entire afternoon as a devoted listener. They parted ways in the mall parking lot around dinnertime, each driving home.
After enduring the dreadful evening traffic jam, she didn't get home until past seven. Jenny threw together a quick salad, did a rushed workout, and after showering, though inexplicably exhausted, she refused to rest. She headed straight to the performance space.
Her dinner with Robert was in just two days—time was already precious. Having spent the entire afternoon socializing today, she now had no choice but to work overtime to catch up. Jenny had already watched the behind-the-scenes footage of the Chicago musical in real life, so she could now select it in the performance space to watch, simulate, and review the stage effects. After obtaining the disc, she had already spent over seventy hours studying and simulating it—equivalent to an entire day in real life.
It was also her first time staying in the space for such an extended period. After logging out, Jenny suffered a headache for at least two hours and vomited several times. Truthfully, she still felt an instinctive dread about entering the space now, but with time so limited, she had no choice but to push through her fears.
Due to her passion for film and television, Chen Zhen had seen some musicals in her previous life, though certainly not with the same encyclopedic knowledge of the film industry. She had visited Broadway but missed Chicago, instead seeing Cats. Cesare's materials weren't tedious to read, though the names were tricky to memorize. But necessity breeds invention—using a crash-study method of repeated recitation, Now she at least had a basic grasp of Broadway's landscape, avoiding moments like when Rob made a joke and she stared blankly, utterly lost. Still, Jenny's focus remained squarely on Chicago-related materials.
Originally a 1926 play, Chicago was based on a true story: a housewife seeking fame in showbiz who, after being cheated out of money and betrayed by her lover, killed him in a fit of rage. Arrested and imprisoned, she was ultimately acquitted and released from jail thanks to her lawyer's masterful manipulation of public opinion and the jury and judge's psychology. She became a sensation, reaping both fame and fortune. This darkly satirical comedy vividly captures Chicago's glitz and decadence, exposing the darker aspects of human nature. Adapted into a musical in the 1970s, it has remained a stage staple ever since, featuring many iconic songs. The lead characters, Roxie and Velma, are complex, strong-willed individuals who are notoriously challenging to portray. Past productions consistently cast seasoned, renowned actresses for these roles—not mere pretty faces. Naturally, this aligns with the characters' portrayal as mature women.
At just 20 years old—barely 21 after New Year's—Jenny was undeniably too young for the part. Yet in terms of vocal prowess and dance technique, after reviewing the recorded version, she felt she didn't fall far short of the original lead.
Regarding dance, she had always been interested and possessed natural talent. After several months of intensive training, her movements had become polished and convincing. She tested them in rehearsal spaces, and the results left Jenny thoroughly satisfied. —She's not the type to cut herself any slack; in fact, she's even stricter with herself. If she's satisfied, it truly means it's excellent.
As for singing, Jenny has a good voice. Chen Zhen studied vocal music as a child but later gave it up due to unfavorable vocal conditions. However, her foundation remains, and she has taken lessons. She tried learning to sing it herself, and well... At the very least, she sounded better than Renee. While the filmed version's Roxie had strong vocal technique, her voice carried a slight nasal quality. Jenny surpassed the original actress in that regard, though opinions might differ elsewhere.
As for acting in musicals... music comes first, drama second. The live-action actress's performance pales in comparison to Jenny's, who's got a golden touch, let alone compared to Renee.
Summing up these three points, Cesare's idea, though wildly ambitious, surprisingly isn't entirely unfeasible. Objectively speaking, Jenny has the raw talent. The biggest hurdles are actually Broadway's clique mentality and her own low profile.
The only way to overcome these two obstacles is through Rob Marshall. No wonder Cesare gave her a full four or five days to prepare for this dinner—he could pitch her to Rob, show him reels, arrange the meeting, but ultimately, Rob would judge her worth based on who she was. The one to win him over had to be Jenny herself.
As an aside, Jenny fully understood why Lilian couldn't find security with Cesare. He wasn't the kind of man you could rely on without reason. He wasn't like Dave, who practically embodied security. Though Cesare had offered her excellent opportunities, Jenny still felt little sense of security with him. Working with Cesare felt like running hurdles—each barrier crowned with a temptingly attractive opportunity, yet the hurdles grew ever higher. Ultimately, you still had to rely on yourself. Clear it, and it was yours. Fail—
So far, Jenny had performed remarkably well. She didn't want to know what happened if she failed. She was determined to secure Robert Marshall, no matter what it took.