Everyone in the Entertainment Industry Thinks I’m a Flirty Diva [Entertainment Circle] - Chapter 2

Gu Mingjing pressed his tongue against the inside of his left cheek, amused as he watched Chu Xi bundle herself up like a virtuous maiden cornered by a bandit.

What was she wearing?

A pink-skinned, mud-puddle-jumping, oink-talking pig-shaped cartoon character from England?

Gu Mingjing vaguely recalled seeing the same character on the clothes of a business partner’s ten-year-old illegitimate daughter.

“Take it off,” he said flatly.

Chu Xi looked at him, confused.

Gu Mingjing elegantly undid his shirt cuffs. “I don’t want to feel like I’m bedding a minor.”

……

The Peppa Pig pajamas lay somewhat pitifully on the floor.

The next morning, sunlight streamed in.

Chu Xi finally woke up, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand. She stared blankly at the ceiling for a while before struggling to sit up.

She reached out and touched the spot beside her where Gu Mingjing had slept last night. The cold temperature told her he had already left—and had been gone for quite some time.

This was normal. From the moment Chu Xi had met him, she knew Gu Mingjing was the type who would never waver from his routine: waking up at seven every morning for breakfast and exercise, then arriving at the office promptly at nine. It was only after meeting Gu Mingjing that Chu Xi realized there really were people in this world who were born at a finish line others could never reach in their lifetime. That in itself wasn’t terrifying. What was terrifying was that these people, already born at the finish line, often held themselves to even stricter standards than the average, aimless person. They ate meticulously balanced meals planned by nutritionists, followed workout regimens tailored by personal trainers, and practically measured out their days with a ruler—refined to the extreme, disciplined to the extreme.

And Gu Mingjing’s discipline, as it pertained to Chu Xi, manifested in the fact that no matter how late they went to bed the night before, he would always wake up naturally on time the next morning.

Despite going to bed around the same time, Chu Xi rose much later. She lazily made her way to the bathroom, brushing her teeth with the electric toothbrush humming in her mouth.

As she brushed, she studied her reflection in the mirror.

Female celebrities in the industry could generally be categorized by their looks: some had the bone structure of a classic movie star, some had the unconventional appeal of a “catfish face,” some had a youthful, sweet charm, and others had the girl-next-door “first love” look.

And her? When she was first scouted, the agent had praised her for having the perfect “Innocent White Flower first love” face. After her debut, her agency had worked hard to cultivate that image, casting her in roles and ads that fit the style. But then, the anti-fans who dedicated themselves to mocking her with posts like “Has Chu Xi gotten famous today?”—someone among them had remarked, Chu Xi isn’t some first love face at all. At first glance, she looks like an Innocent White Flower, but take a closer look and it’s obvious she’s the type of White Lotus mistress who specializes in seducing rich men. The comment, for reasons unknown—perhaps given a push by some rival who disliked her—suddenly gained traction, drawing enthusiastic agreement from countless netizens. From then on, public opinion about Chu Xi’s appearance took a sharp turn. The more people scrutinized her with that mindset, the more they became convinced that her “first love” face was just a facade, and that she truly had the sly, manipulative look of a White Lotus.

Toothbrush still in her mouth, Chu Xi examined her reflection. The woman in the mirror had snow-white skin, a few vivid love bites scattered across her neck and shoulders, a delicate upturned nose, cherry lips, and eyes that should have looked innocent—bright and dewy—but the faint upward tilt at the outer corners gave that innocence a different flavor. Forget the general public—even she herself was starting to see it. The more she looked, the more her face seemed to radiate the hypocritical aura of a scheming White Lotus.

Tsk tsk tsk! Chu Xi quickly dismissed that thought. Who would think of themselves like that? Besides, no matter what she looked like, as long as Gu Mingjing believed she was a genuine Innocent White Flower, that was all that mattered.

From the moment she signed her contract and debuted, Chu Xi had been molded into the Innocent White Flower persona. Her manager kept a constant watch—no walking too fast, no speaking loudly, and absolutely no appearing without makeup. She had to wear white knee-length dresses, maintain straight black hair, and always have someone else twist open bottle caps for her. At the sight of cockroaches or mice, she was required to scream loudly. No matter how infuriating a situation was, she couldn’t confront anyone directly; instead, she had to move them with her pure, innocent tears.

Unfortunately, her agency at the time was utterly unreliable and completely missed the market trends. They didn’t realize that the Innocent White Flower persona had long fallen out of favor. Everyone else was embracing tomboy, cool big sister, or bluntly honest personas. After half a year of effort, Chu Xi still hadn’t made even the slightest ripple in the industry. She was practically broke and on the verge of quitting when, out of nowhere, a golden opportunity dropped into her lap—Gu Mingjing, the CEO of Yuanjing Group, took a liking to their company’s Innocent White Flower and decided to sign her.

Chu Xi did the math. From the day Gu Mingjing signed her until now, it had been nearly two years.

He gave her a new management team, tailored movies and TV shows for her, and handed her an unlimited credit card. In return, she dutifully stayed by his side, always available at his beck and call, clinging to him like a pet, playing the role of the perfect little lover. She never dared twist open a bottle cap by herself in front of him, let alone smash a cockroach with her bare hands. If he liked his Innocent White Flower in silk pajamas, then she would never reveal her true love for Peppa Pig.

Of course, last night had been an exception.

After freshening up, Chu Xi leisurely ate breakfast and lunch together before planning out her day.

She had no schedule today, and Gu Mingjing would be at work until evening, so she had the entire afternoon to herself.

Chu Xi was just considering whether to play a couple rounds of games and then go for a spa treatment when her phone rang—it was the hospital, informing her that her recent physical exam results were ready.

Normally, she’d just send an assistant to pick up the report, but this time, the hospital said there were a couple of irregularities in her results and requested she come in for further tests.

It was probably just the result of her recent late-night filming schedule throwing her hormones out of whack and messing up her period. A quick doctor’s visit to regulate things would do the trick. Chu Xi didn’t think much of it. She applied light makeup, put on her sunglasses, slung the new Hermès bag Gu Mingjing had gifted her over her shoulder, and hummed a tune as she headed to the hospital.

——

At Yuanjing Tower, Gu Mingjing twirled a pen between his fingers, a faint smile on his lips as his assistant reported the final handover details from the old estate.

“Good,” Gu Mingjing nodded after listening to the report.

Assistant Gao closed the folder hesitantly. “Mr. Gu, now that everything is settled, what about Miss Chu Xi…?”

At the mention of “Chu Xi,” Gu Mingjing tapped his fountain pen against the desk, his gaze darkening.

Chu Xi was nothing more than a decoy to him.

The Gu family was wealthy but also complicated. Gu Mingjing, in order to make his stepmother—who schemed daily over the old man’s fortune—lower her guard, took a fancy to a minor female celebrity and lavished money on her. He even brought the young starlet to various social events, making everyone believe the eldest son of the Gu family was utterly infatuated with a third-tier entertainer, indulging in debauchery and idleness every day. Once his stepmother’s vigilance had sufficiently relaxed and her true colors were fully revealed, Gu Mingjing finally began to reel in the net. Within two months, he successfully turned the tables, teaching those who schemed daily for the inheritance—waiting for the old man to die—what it meant to have their plans come to nothing.

Now that the matter was settled, the question of Chu Xi’s fate as a decoy naturally had to be addressed.

Assistant Gao cleared his throat lightly, carefully observing Gu Mingjing’s expression.

After all, Miss Chu Xi—whom President Gu had spent a fortune promoting for two years—had consistently lost money on every project she starred in or invested in. She had barely scraped her way to the edge of the second tier in the entertainment industry, yet her public reputation was abysmal. Fortunately, President Gu had bought annual packages on Weibo and major forums to suppress the anti-fans. Though this money was merely a drop in the bucket compared to the entire Yuanjing Group, for a ruthless capitalist like him, the goal had already been achieved. There was no reason to continue losing money.

As a diligent and responsible top-tier assistant, Assistant Gao was extremely mindful of Gu Mingjing’s bottom line.

Thinking of Chu Xi, Gu Mingjing inexplicably recalled the pink pig on her pajamas last night.

He suddenly chuckled.

Assistant Gao was startled by the abrupt laughter. “P-President Gu?”

Gu Mingjing immediately schooled his expression, tossed his pen onto the desk, and stood up. “As for Chu Xi, maintain the status quo.”

“Yes, President Gu,” Assistant Gao promptly replied.

Gu Mingjing felt that Chu Xi had been quite satisfactory these past two years by his side—obedient, gentle, and docile, like an affectionate cat. He liked the way she pitifully begged him to open bottles for her, the way she curled up on the sofa and clung to his arm while whining, and especially the way she whimpered softly in the dead of night.

The more he thought about it, the more perfect their relationship seemed. He immediately instructed Assistant Gao not to forget to greenlight Chu Xi’s next film—with the biggest investment and the most high-profile supporting cast. Money was the last thing he lacked.

In high spirits today, Gu Mingjing also had his secretary inform Chu Xi to join him for dinner that evening. However, after a while, the secretary returned hesitantly.

“What is it?” Gu Mingjing frowned slightly.

The secretary answered nervously, “President Gu, um, Miss Chu asked me to tell you that… she doesn’t want to go out for dinner today and would rather eat at home.”

Gu Mingjing thought he had misheard. Chu Xi—rejecting his arrangement? Saying she didn’t want to go out to eat with him?

Never mind. After a moment’s thought, he let it go. If Chu Xi wanted to eat at home, so be it. It wasn’t a big deal.

So after work, Gu Mingjing drove straight back to Nanjing Residential Area.

He opened the door to find all the curtains drawn, the room dimly lit and eerily quiet.

Was this supposed to be a candlelit dinner?

Gu Mingjing didn’t turn on the lights immediately. After changing his shoes in the entryway, he was about to walk further inside when he noticed a dark shadowy lump by his feet.

The shadowy lump seemed to sense his arrival and slowly stood up.

“Chu Xi?” Gu Mingjing barely made out her face in the darkness.

With a click, he turned on the light and saw Chu Xi with reddened nose, staring fixedly at him.

The dining table was completely empty—no romantic candlelit dinner in sight.

This was the first time Gu Mingjing had returned home to such a scene. He frowned in displeasure. “What’s going on?”

Chu Xi sniffled. “Gu Mingjing, I… I might not have much time left.” As soon as these words left her mouth, tears began streaming down her face.

“What?” Gu Mingjing was baffled.

Chu Xi wiped her tears. “Can I ask you for one favor? Take fake wedding photos with me, then come meet my grandmother. She’s always wanted to see her granddaughter’s husband.”

Gu Mingjing: “………………”

“Please, I’m begging you.” Thinking of her grandmother, Chu Xi sobbed uncontrollably, reaching out with her small hand to clutch at Gu Mingjing’s sleeve.

After all, she’d been with him for two years. Even if she hadn’t contributed much, she’d put in effort. They’d shared a bed countless times—surely there was some affection between them. Now that she was dying, this was her only request. She hoped he would help her.

Gu Mingjing’s brows furrowed deeply as he looked at Chu Xi’s tear-streaked face. Even the Innocent White Flower first love face he’d initially been drawn to now seemed increasingly off-putting to him.

He could give, but what he despised most was people actively asking him for things.

Not having much time left, so out of lingering affection, he’d fulfill her final wish—take fake wedding photos and play the grandson-in-law for her grandmother.

Many fake acts often became real the longer they were performed.

“Not having much time left” often turned into living longer and longer.

His stepmother, who was over twenty years younger than his father, had used methods that were still widely discussed among high society ladies to secure her position.

Gu Mingjing didn’t understand why, on the very first day after resolving the mess with the Gu family, the usually docile Chu Xi had suddenly changed her tune.

The thought of his stepmother made Gu Mingjing irritable. He brushed off Chu Xi’s small hand clutching his sleeve.

“Come on, let’s go out to eat.” Gu Mingjing didn’t want to continue this topic. Considering Chu Xi’s good behavior over the past two years, he could pretend nothing had happened and give her another chance.

Chu Xi took a step back, silently watching Gu Mingjing.

He’d said they would only discuss transactions, never feelings.

Yes, no matter how many times they shared a bed, it would always be a contractual relationship. No matter how passionate last night had been, in the end he was just a cold-hearted capitalist.

Chu Xi suddenly felt ridiculous for hoping Gu Mingjing would consider their shared affection.

What she thought was affection was merely a transaction—just her own wishful thinking.

Seeing Chu Xi unresponsive, Gu Mingjing frowned impatiently. “Are you coming or not?”

Chu Xi remembered their contract was probably about to expire—or perhaps it already had.

She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, then opened them and said:

“Fuck off.”