Finn had no preparation at all.
Standing under the spotlight, he was as calm as if he had practiced a thousand times, perfect and flawless.
Noah skipped straight to the part after the press conference, where Finn practically ran into another secret control room to find Harry, wearing a look of.. pure excitement, hoping to be praised.
"Little liar." Noah sneered in a low voice, his knuckles turning white from how tightly he gripped the camera.
The camera continued to zoom in. As Harry said those words of "Happy Birthday" to Finn, the person in the frame was like a small animal suddenly startled awake, instantly withdrawing from his joyful anticipation. A flash of confusion crossed his eyes, which was quickly replaced by alertness and vigilance. In the next second, the young man cast aside all his softness and spat out a series of mocking words at Harry.
Noah's gaze grew increasingly somber as he stared fixedly at Harry Osborn, who also looked stunned on the screen.
And after that, Peter grabbed Finn's wrist in a panic, forcibly pulling him away from the scene.
Peter's words crashed clearly into Noah's ears—
Finn, that's not what you truly feel at all!
You are the protagonist of the stage, you are also the protagonist of this world.
This has nothing to do with Harry Osborn.
You don't need to shine for him, you certainly don't need to.. deliberately bury yourself for him.
Hearing this, Noah couldn't help but take a deep breath, he spoke in a low, self-mocking voice:
Anyone can see it, anyone can clearly see it.
Noah's hands trembled uncontrollably, his fingertips rubbing the casing of the camera forcefully; what Peter said to Finn was exactly what he was thinking.
“Yet that genius fails to see it.”
He can continue to turn a blind eye to his own younger brother's existence.
Noah had never met Harry, but.. he had always harbored a suppressed rage regarding the existence of Harry Osborn.
Finn was not incapable of doing what Harry could do; he was deliberately suppressing his own abilities, deliberately acting as if he were truly good for nothing. He would clamor about hating Harry and wanting to crush him, pretending to cause an uproar in front of them, but in reality? When the opportunity was truly handed to him, he didn't do anything substantial or anything that would truly harm Harry.
Finn did all this, not to win or lose, but simply to help him.
As long as he could get a compliment from Harry.. he would be very happy.
Andrew gazed at the complex emotions swirling in Noah's eyes, hesitating repeatedly before finally unable to hold back the question—the doubt and worry he had kept hidden in his heart for a long time.
Mr. Wilson once told me.. that Young Master Finn has mental illnesses.
Noah slowly raised his head, his gaze falling heavily upon him, as if the surrounding air had grown somewhat stagnant.
"How could he—" Andrew said, his voice hoarse as he forced himself to continue.
Why wouldn't he?" Noah said with a cold sneer. "Is it because you think he's always been like a Happy Prince, carefree and oblivious, so he has no worries at all?
Andrew fell silent.
But the Happy Prince was never happy to begin with." Noah spoke to this point, letting out a soft sigh and lowering his gaze, his tone turning somewhat indifferent. "You don't need to know these things.
"I just want to help.. Young Master Finn." Andrew's voice was very soft, but it carried a stubborn determination.
"Is that so? How do you plan to help?" Noah asked in return, looking up.
Andrew faltered, a sense of overreaching frustration washing over him.
Finn clearly has so many powerful friends, so what was the point of him, such an insignificant minor character, offering to help.
“You and Harry Osborn really are quite similar,” Noah sneered, this time he wasn't referring to the resemblance between Andrew and Harry's looks. “You both have mouths that don't know how to speak.”
Andrew: ".."
Before, Andrew felt that comparing him to Harry Osborn was a stretch, of course, he still wasn't worthy, but he—
Andrew opened his mouth to argue, but he didn't know what to say, so he could only lower his head in silence.
If you keep hitting him, you'll realize that his behavior, emotions, attention.. all will show very obvious abnormalities." Noah looked at the silent, head-down Andrew, finally spoke, "Finn's mouth can lie, but his actions won't.
"Is it serious?" Andrew's brow furrowed, his voice filled with worry.
I can only say that he has improved." At least Noah felt that Finn's condition had been much more stable lately. Then, Noah said coldly to Andrew, "Not many people know about Finn's condition; I only told you because Finn and Mr. Wilson trust you. Keep your camera and video footage secure, know what can and cannot be released. I don't want anything from you to provoke him.
"I know." Andrew nodded heavily, his expression incredibly solemn.
"Finn has sold a lot of things lately. What did he buy?" Noah threw out another question.
"No." Andrew thought seriously and shook his head.
"If he shows any abnormalities, contact me immediately," Noah nodded and said.
Noah's gaze fell back onto the camera screen, watching Peter in the video thoughtfully: "Even though he's Harry's friend, he's quite a smooth talker, it seems like Finn can actually take advice."
“Did Peter not come?” Noah asked casually.
"Peter is with Mr. Osborn; he said he'll come during the party tonight," Andrew replied hurriedly.
Finn had finally changed into his clothes by this time; it was a birthday formal set that Noah had specially made for him.
A pure white shirt served as the base, from the chest to the waist, it was luxuriously inlaid with countless perfectly cut diamonds and emeralds. The diamonds shimmered with tiny, dazzling lights, while the emeralds were as clear and vivid as Finn's eyes; they shimmered with every movement, clearly showing that Noah had put a great deal of thought into this garment.
A sharp, black, long-length formal gown was layered over the shirt, featuring subtle patterns embroidered with gold thread on the garment. Upon closer inspection, the patterns were almost indistinct, yet they would shimmer under any light, revealing an extreme level of sophistication hidden within the understated elegance.
A simple, minimalist crown made of white gold sat askew on Finn's head, its rim adorned with a ring of star-shaped diamond fragments. It lent him an air of flamboyant nobility, making him look like a little prince stepped straight out of a fairy tale.
"A prince?" Finn asked curiously.
“No.” Noah looked at him, a clear smile of satisfaction shimmering in his eyes, “Today, you are the king.”
Noah had even prepared a castle for Finn as a venue for his birthday party, just as he had promised Finn before, it was grander than anyone could have imagined.
Andrew, who also arrived at the scene, could be said to be as shocked as if he had accidentally stumbled into.. another world.
It was like a hidden dreamlike castle, one that only truly revealed its brilliance at night.
Andrew used his lens to record the magnificent castle banquet he had never imagined.
A bright red carpet stretched from the castle gates all the way to the banquet hall, flanked by statues of knights clad in silver-white armor, escorting the king for tonight's festivities.
On the backdrop of the main stage, the name Finn Osborn was spelled out in brilliant crystals, shimmering so dazzlingly that it was impossible to look away.
On the long dining tables, exquisite silver cutlery and a dazzling array of delicacies shone together, with every detail exuding ultimate sophistication.
Giant crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling of the banquet hall, pouring down diamond-like light that spilled onto the polished marble floor, illuminating the young guests moving to and fro. They were all high-spirited, their voices filled with vibrant energy and their eyes brimming with infinite longing for the future. Every gesture they made radiated the flamboyant spirit unique to youthful people at their peak, like a group of light-chasers running toward the sun and toward the light.
Undoubtedly, Andrew still felt out of place, but it didn't matter; he just treated himself as a camera.
Andrew's camera followed Finn's figure throughout.
Watching the young man wearing a crooked crown, dressed in a gown adorned with emeralds, smiling and walking amidst the light and shadow, as if surrounded by a warm and soft halo. Everyone who saw Finn would excitedly mention his stunning moment at the press conference, as if it were the best birthday gift the world had ever given him—
On his twentieth birthday, he allowed everyone to see his brilliance.
The most *** moment of the party was when Noah specially invited a group of VVIP guests and friends for Finn—
Finn's pupils suddenly dilated as he looked at Elias in disbelief. Elias was driving a pickup truck in a cool, stylish manner, rumbling across the red carpet, in the pickup truck.. there were actually mascot suits of all the chibi characters Finn had created before.
As soon as the vehicle came to a halt, those chubby, soft figures swarmed out in a frenzy, instantly surrounding Finn.
There were unicorns with colorful hair, little wizards wearing pointed hats, sailors in striped uniforms, cool racers in racing suits wearing goggles..
Including Finn's own chibi version of [Sleepless Summer]—a boy wearing loose white pajamas with a pair of small wings fluttering on his back.
"Where is Mr. Suit?" Finn asked impulsively, his voice trembling with excitement.
Noah watched Finn with a smile, as if maintaining a final shred of politeness.
".." Finn's smile suddenly froze, as if he were pretending he hadn't asked anything just now.
Finn was so happy that he finally broke his streak and had a little alcohol after being coaxed by Anthony and Blake, his face flushed. Andrew had originally thought Finn would play late into the night, but Finn insisted that he had to be home before midnight. Finally, under the enthusiastic questioning and crowding of his friends, he revealed that he had a second half to his birthday celebration—Spider-Man had made plans to come and celebrate his birthday with him.
When the name Spider-Man appeared, everyone was shocked.
It was as if something had broken through the wall.
But it wouldn't be that strange if it were Finn, because he really loved making friends, his social circles were quite extensive. Both Finn and Spider-Man were people who were quite active in New York, so it wouldn't be strange for them to become friends.
Before Finn went home, Andrew couldn't help but ask nervously—
Young Master Finn, may I upload a video using your social media account?
Do whatever you want. Didn't I say before that you were in charge of it?" Finn, slightly tipsy, leaned against the car door, his tone full of indifference, treating it as if Andrew simply wanted to post some videos from the birthday party. "Don't ask me, just post them.
Andrew returned home.
It was a room completely different from Finn's world—dim, cramped, filled with a sense of stifling oppression.
Andrew sat in the cold chair and began editing the video, working until four in the morning.
During this period, he couldn't help but watch many of the latest media reports, such as—
On his birthday, Harry Osborn gave his younger brother the best coming-of-age gift—a ticket to running the group.
Rumors of inheritance disputes are debunked as the Osborn brothers join forces to usher in a New Era
From 'Behind the Scenes' to 'Center Stage': Harry's Layout, Finn's Debut
"Finn Osborn's Breakthrough: Behind It All is the Full Support of Harry Osborn"..
Andrew's gaze fell gloomily upon these false reports—
Why?
Why does everyone think that it was Harry Osborn who gave Young Master Finn his chance?
And what was that about a full-hearted recommendation?
It clearly isn't like that.
This is completely unfair!
Andrew remembered how Finn looked pale, weak, wretched, lying in the wilderness while searching for stray dogs; he remembered how indifferent Harry's response had been on the other end of the phone after the accident, not even sparing a single word of concern; he remembered how, in Finn's home, Harry had sternly cursed Finn, calling him a fool and saying he was unworthy, warning him in an extremely cold voice—
I don't know how your friend taught you.
[But if you try to fight me to the very end, it won't do you any good whatsoever.]
Clearly.. Finn's friends are all good people; they care for, cherish, protect him.
But what about him? Even the mental illnesses hidden behind Finn's smiles, Harry Osborn had never even noticed.
From beginning to end, that man never had a single expectation for his younger brother. He simply, with a lofty and arrogant attitude, constantly belittled Finn's talent and ability, carelessly tossing him onto the 35th floor of the Osborn Group before never paying him any mind again.
So-called "mentorship" and "strategic planning" were nothing more than a massive joke.