Everyone in the Entertainment Industry Thinks I’m a Flirty Diva [Entertainment Circle] - Chapter 10

When Chu Xi split the brick, the cameraman’s framing was nothing short of perfection.

The low-angle shot captured her slender figure backlit, adding a touch of desolation and determination. Even this unflattering angle couldn’t diminish her beauty—her gaze was resolute, her nose bridge delicate, and her jawline impeccably refined.

With her left hand raised high, straightened like an executioner’s blade at high noon, she let out a crisp and resounding “Ha!” that cut through the air. That small yet powerful hand descended at lightning speed.

The viewers’ hearts seemed to rise with her raised hand, only to lodge in their throats as it came down.

The sheer, awe-inspiring dominance of her stance left everyone on-site utterly stunned.

Time seemed to freeze for a moment.

Especially Zhao Mincong, who stood there clutching his brick, mouth agape enough to fit a duck egg.

Comments:

[Well? Did it break?]

[It must have! Damn, how does Chu Xi still look this good even from this angle?!]

[Say what you will, but I’ve always admired Chu Xi’s looks.]

[Splitting a brick? Who the hell put this curse on her?!]

[First time seeing a female celebrity split bricks on a variety show…]

[Do you think Liang Yan could’ve broken it?]

[That brick’s gotta be fake.]

[Definitely fake. Scripted for her rebranding, using a fake brick. Think we’re idiots?]

[I also think it might be fake. Even if it’s live, these shows are all scripted anyway.]

The camera finally focused on Chu Xi.

Contrary to expectations—where a fake brick would split, and Chu Xi would stand there with a smug, scheming smile—the brick on the platform remained intact, untouched, as a gust of wind blew past, leaving it looking rather forlorn.

And Chu Xi? Where was Chu Xi?

The camera panned up, finding no one, then down—finally spotting the crumpled figure.

The person who had just been brimming with confidence and acting like she owned the place was now curled up in a ball on the ground, clutching her right hand that had just chopped a brick, her face flushed red all the way to the tips of her ears.

Her expression was pained, as if she was desperately trying to hold something back, but after several deep breaths, she couldn’t hold it in any longer. With a whimper, she burst into tears.

Glistening teardrops sparkled at the corners of her eyes.

The crowd was silent for a few seconds:

[“………………”]

Then:

[“HAHAHAHAHAHAHA OMG HAHAHAHAHAHA”]

[“She built up so much momentum, I really thought she could break it HAHAHAHAHA”]

[“Damn, she hit it so hard! Just thinking about it hurts!”]

[“The ‘Chosen One’ persona stays strong HAHAHA what do I do, I kinda wanna stan now!”]

[“Someone above said it was scripted and the production team used fake bricks. Well, that aged like milk.”]

[“Fake my ass! Look at this brick—it’s the epitome of brick integrity! Not even a crack after being chopped!”]

[“Hey production team, got a link? My family’s building a house, wanna buy the same kind!”]

[“Where on earth did Chu Xi get the confidence to think she could chop a brick?! Does she think she’s Liang Yingjun the weightlifter?! (No offense to Liang Yingjun!)”]

[“She’s crying from the pain, my heart aches for her.”]

Seeing Chu Xi crouched down in a ball, the competition was temporarily halted as people immediately gathered around her.

Today’s barrage of comments showed a slight shift in tone. After the laughter, most were now flooding the screen with [“My heart aches for Chu Xi.”]

Everyone had witnessed Chu Xi’s performance these past few days. Even if it was all an act to craft a persona, she was doing an exceptional job at it.

Regardless, the current Chu Xi, who seemed like she’d been cursed, left a pretty good impression. The sight of her trying to chop a brick bare-handed made it hard to dislike her.

A team medic stepped forward to tend to Chu Xi’s left hand, now bright red from the brick-chopping attempt.

Tear streaks from her earlier crying still lingered at the corners of her eyes.

However, amidst the flood of [“My heart aches for Chu Xi”] comments, there were still a few sarcastic remarks.

[“Oh, crying now? Probably fake.”]

[“Definitely fake. Didn’t expect her to whitewash her image so quickly, huh? Heh.”]

Finally, someone couldn’t take it anymore and retorted:

[“Give it a rest already. What has Chu Xi ever done to you? I think she’s been doing great lately.”]

[“Yeah, yeah, I’m almost a fan now.”]

The brick was clearly real, but now people started debating whether Chu Xi’s tears were genuine or fake.

Anti-fans claimed Chu Xi was faking it—that she was a master at putting on an act and feigning vulnerability for sympathy.

Casual fans claimed Chu Xi was genuinely crying—unlucky yet giving her all in the variety show, making it impossible not to feel for her.

The argument between both sides grew heated until someone couldn’t take it anymore and snapped:

[Enough! Are you done yet? As if we’ve never seen Chu Xi’s acting before! The girl who can’t even cry on set without eye drops—you think she can burst into tears in three seconds on camera?]

The tension in the debate instantly froze at this remark.

Silence.

Dead silence.

Yeah, as if we’ve never seen Chu Xi’s acting before.

Her crying scenes? Fake as they come, stiff and unnatural. It’s been exposed long ago that her acting was so bad she couldn’t even cry during filming, relying entirely on eye drops.

Chu Xi, who could never cry on cue during shoots, bawled in three seconds after breaking bricks in a live broadcast. And you’re telling us she was faking it?

Since when did Chu Xi have such stellar acting skills?

???

If you insist she was acting, then the anti-fans must first admit that crying on command in three seconds proves her acting is top-notch.

The epic battle between casual fans and anti-fans ended with the latter’s defeat.

The show’s official account clipped the segment, and Chu Xi’s brick-breaking video soon trended on social media.

The two-minute clip was packed with twists.

First, Chu Xi drew the task of breaking bricks. While everyone expected her to whine, refuse, or storm off, she silently gathered her energy and assumed the stance.

Her form was so textbook-perfect, her aura so intense, that just as viewers thought the entertainment industry’s top White Lotus would shatter her image with a heroic display—she let out a fierce “Hah!”, only for the brick to remain intact while she crouched, clutching her hand in pain.

Even those who didn’t watch the show were drawn in by the trending clip.

[LMAO this is too tragic!]

[Is this really Chu Xi? My last memory of her was all those pretentious antics on Extreme Invincible.]

[It’s really her! Everyone should watch the show—I swear she’s nothing like before!

—From a new casual fan after watching.]

[Holy crap, an actual Chu Xi fan? Never thought I’d see the day. Sure it’s not a paid account?]

[Profile pic and username don’t look like the usual bots.]

[Legit fan here. Watch it—Chu Xi’s hilarious as the “Chosen One.” She’s seriously winning people over.]

……

Without access to phones in the military camp, Chu Xi only learned about her brick-breaking trending topic during dinner.

Her left hand, despite ice treatment, remained swollen. The medic said it wasn’t serious—just painful for a couple of days.

Staring at her puffy hand, Chu Xi refused to admit it resembled a pig’s trotter.

Thinking about the online buzz, she felt a pang of gloom.

The last time she was photographed helping an elderly man cross the street, the internet crucified her, claiming it was her sugar daddy. That memory was still fresh.

Who knew what nonsense awaited this time.

Nothing good, that’s for sure.

Sighing into her bowl, Chu Xi figured no phone meant no need to read those soul-crushing comments. Out of sight, out of mind.

Tonight was the singing competition, where battalions would gather to belt out military anthems.

The soldiers of the Sixth Company noticed Chu Xi sitting in the front row, somewhat distracted, apparently still brooding over the incident from earlier that day.

Company Commander Wang walked over. “Chu Xi, what’s going on? You’re not even singing properly.”

Chu Xi, who feared Commander Wang the most, quickly straightened up in alarm. Yet when she saw his stern face, she couldn’t hold back any longer and asked the question that had been troubling her all day.

With a pitiful expression, Chu Xi said, “Commander, why do we have to break bricks in the strength assault drill? It’s impossible to break them! What’s the point of this obstacle?”

The morning’s recruit assessment had been temporarily canceled because of her injury.

Commander Wang looked at Chu Xi’s pale face under the brim of her cap in the darkness but didn’t answer directly. Instead, he picked up a brick from the nearby open ground.

Holding the brick, he returned and crouched in front of Chu Xi, placing one end of the brick on his knee. Then he raised his left hand and brought it down sharply.

The brick split cleanly in two.

“Nice!” some soldiers cheered.

Commander Wang picked up the two halves of the brick he had broken, stood up, and glanced at the stunned Chu Xi before casually remarking, “Just basic skills here.”

Seeing the two halves of the brick in Commander Wang’s hand, Chu Xi felt utterly defeated.

It wasn’t that the bricks couldn’t be broken—it was just that here, only you couldn’t break them even if you bruised your hands trying.

You little weakling.