Chapter 281

After Phoebe agreed, the man grinned. “Great! Take good care of the seal.” She infused her aura into it, branding it as hers, then slipped it into the embroidered pouch tied to her waist. Turning to the others, she said, “I’m Phoebe Jenkins. This is Jamar Jenkins, and this is Reece Hill. What about you?”

The man gave a slight nod. “Raylan Flynn. Looking forward to working with you guys?” Phoebe smiled. “Same here. Now that we’re officially a team, we need to figure out how to make some money.” The others nodded. Jamar looked at her. “Got any ideas?”

He thought hard but couldn’t come up with anything, so he figured he would just go with whatever Phoebe suggested. Reece and Raylan had the same look, waiting for her to take charge. “We’ll do what you—”

Phoebe had been paying attention since they entered the city, already brainstorming ways to make money. “I noticed a lot of people show up in fancy new clothes, but their makeup doesn’t match. We could set up a stall and offer makeup services,” she said. The city had plenty of old-style inns, and tourists often stayed for days before moving on. If they weren’t good at doing their own makeup, they had to visit a specialty shop. She had spent enough time in ancient settings to know a thing or two about styling and makeup.

Reece was the first to chime in. “That’s pretty good.” Phoebe turned to the others. “What about you guys? What can you do?” Reece thought for a moment. “Does singing and acting count? I’m great at them.”

Phoebe gave him a look. “Seriously? You’re just gonna pretend you don’t know how to play the flute? Don’t tell me you forgot everything.” She had always loved classical music, and when she was younger, she was mesmerized by flute players. That was why she dragged Reece to learn with her. Back then, he acted annoyed but still stuck with her. He even practiced extra on his own so he could turn around and teach her. Before coming back to Solara City, Reece had always spoiled Phoebe, letting her do whatever she wanted. That was part of why she used to rely on him and maybe even why she liked him so much.

Reece’s lips curled into a smile when he realized Phoebe still remembered he could play the flute. He had only learned it because she liked it. “Of course I remember,” he said, his usually cold expression softening. Phoebe clapped her hands together. “Great. Then you can play the flute to bring in customers.”

She turned to Jamar and Raylan. “What about you two? Got any skills?” Jamar sighed dramatically. “I can sing and dance, but only modern stuff… is still useful.” Phoebe smirked. “Then you can be in charge of attracting customers. At least your face is still…”

Even though Jamar had lost a lot of fans, he was still conventionally good-looking. Getting a few girls interested in a makeover shouldn’t be a problem. Jamar blinked, a little stunned. Well, at least his face was still useful. Otherwise, he might have been completely cast aside.

Before Phoebe could ask, Raylan spoke up. “I’m good at horoscopes and fortune-telling. I can also play the cello. Does that work?” Phoebe nodded. “Yeah, that works. But if you’re gonna play the cello, you should dress the part. A white brocade robe would really—”

Raylan shrugged. “That’s easy. I already have a few ancient-style outfits someone gave me. There’s a white one, I’ll go change.” Phoebe raised a brow. “Wait, you live here?” “Yeah,” Raylan said. “I stay at the Honacope Association.”

Chapter 281

Phoebe crossed her arms. “So you’re actually a certified horoscope master?” Raylan nodded. “Yep.” Phoebe grinned. “Well, that makes things even better. Alright, let’s do this.” They headed to the city’s management office and rented a temporary stall for the day. Phoebe got the production team to provide a set of cosmetics and buy some cheap accessories. They also arranged for a flute and a cello.

Half an hour later, the stall was set up. A crowd started forming, mostly Phoebe’s fans, calling her name excitedly. Phoebe waved and flashed them a bright smile, which only made them cheer louder. Right on cue, Raylan returned in his white robe, sat down, and started playing the cello, immediately drawing the attention of several young…

Phoebe shot him a nod. Showtime. Raylan’s hair was all his own. Before, he had just thrown it into a simple bun. With Phoebe’s help earlier, he had switched things up, giving himself the look of an ancient nobleman. He wasn’t wearing any makeup, just a white brocade robe that suited him perfectly. As he ran his fingers over the cello, he looked like someone who had stepped straight out of history, like a refined gentleman from another era. There was an effortless grace to him, a quiet charm that made it impossible not to look his way.

Before long, people started gathering around. As soon as he played, the crowd broke into applause, cheering for another song. Then, Reece took out his flute. Dressed in a black brocade robe, he looked as sharp and striking as ever. He had acted in plenty of period dramas, and right now, he fit the part perfectly, like he had walked right out of an ancient aristocratic family.

His appearance alone turned heads, but people recognized him immediately, and their reactions were…not great. “Okay, I see why Pheebs liked him before. He does have the looks and presence.” “Still doesn’t change the fact that he is trash.” “I mean, yeah, he’s handsome, but a cheater’s a cheater.” “This scumbag ex-friend of Edith is just as bad as her scumbag ex-brother. Only good for eye candy.” “I’d rather focus on Phoebe and the guy in white beside her.” “Too bad Maddie isn’t here. If he was, this lineup would be insane.” “Right? Maddie in that red brocade robe? That whole carefree, untamed vibe? Perfection.”

Reece heard everything. He nearly messed up his playing. He sighed, feeling completely defeated. He had officially become the scumbag ex-boyfriend in everyone’s eyes. The worst part, he had never even cheated. But at this point, nothing he said could clear his name.

While Reece played, Jamar wandered through the crowd, searching for young women whose makeup didn’t match their outfits, or who weren’t wearing any at all. Phoebe stepped in with a warm smile, offering to fix their makeup herself. At just 20 dollars a pop, plenty of them were in…

A girl sneered at Jamar. “Ugh, scumbag ex-brother, stay away from us. Even if you don’t say anything, we’re still going straight to our lovely Phoebe.” Jamar blinked in disbelief. Seriously? Now he was labeled the ex-brother? How is that fair? If anyone deserves the title, it is Cain.

Meanwhile, a line had already formed, young women eager to have Phoebe do their makeup. The other three guys exchanged looks, half amused, half exasperated. At this point, they were basically walking advertisements, bringing in the crowd while Phoebe did all the work.

Chapter 281

Still, they didn’t slack off. No way were they going to let themselves look useless. Phoebe worked fast, finishing each makeup look in about ten minutes. And it wasn’t just about speed; every look was customized, perfectly enhancing each girl’s best features. At first, people lined up just to see her in action. Then, they lined up for her actual skills. Before long, the line stretched down the street.

Sebastian let out a sigh. Phoebe could thrive anywhere with talent like that. Even on the live-stream, fans were freaking out, spamming comments about how impressive she was. Fans of the other contestants started tuning in too, drawn by Phoebe’s makeup skills and Raylan’s cello playing. As for the other two guys? Sure, they were good-looking, but their reputations were in the dumps. Most people ignored them, except for their dedicated fans, of course.

Phoebe’s group was making money in no time, while the other two groups… well, they were struggling.