Everyone in the Entertainment Industry Thinks I’m a Flirty Diva [Entertainment Circle] - Chapter 31

Sun Chen’s fans, who had been screeching like agitated chickens moments before, suddenly fell silent after this exposé.

This… was Sun Chen?

Not only did he falsely accuse his fans of mobbing him, but he turned a blind eye to his team’s aggressive behavior. And seeing that Chu Xi no longer had a powerful backer, he even took the chance to slyly insult her in his statement.

So this was the idol they had stayed up all night supporting, spent their hard-earned money voting for, bought endorsements and magazines for—the one they had held in the highest regard.

It felt like something inside them had shattered.

The flood of orchestrated praise from Sun Chen’s fans dried up. Compared to the fan-recorded video, his studio’s statement now looked like a slap in his own face.

Some of his biggest fans even deleted their supportive comments, leaving the comment section flooded with ridicule from bystanders.

Meanwhile, in the “Brick Squad” fan group, Chu Xi’s supporters were practically setting off fireworks in celebration. If Chu Xi hadn’t always preached humility, they would’ve loved to stomp on Sun Chen’s reputation right then and there.

After the collective mockery of Sun Chen’s team for their failed smear campaign—and their attempt to drag Chu Xi into it—someone suddenly realized this wasn’t the first time Chu Xi had been maliciously targeted.

At the Golden Feather Awards red carpet two months ago, rival companies circulated articles mocking Chu Xi for wearing a 200-yuan dress, even accusing her of disrespecting the event. Yet in the end, Chu Xi’s stunning figure and beauty turned that 200-yuan dress into something that looked like high fashion, completely turning the situation around. Not only did she avoid being ridiculed, but she also won the Best Styling award at the Golden Feather Awards red carpet and was officially praised for her frugality.

Last time, when rumors spread about her smoking and being a delinquent, forcing her to leave a small variety show, she later posted a photo of her father’s police badge. Only then did people realize she was the child of a martyr who had been bullied out of school—a truly tragic story.

This time was no different. Sun Chen tried to drag her down, but the dramatic reversal ended up slapping him in the face.

It seems that anyone who dares to mess with Chu Xi ends up regretting it. Either she turns the tables spectacularly, or sometimes, without even lifting a finger—just sitting at home, relaxing—her rivals self-destruct. In the end, it all comes down to her being beautiful inside and out.

Sis Xi is amazing, hahahahaha!

Chu Xi found herself trending again.

#SisXiIsAmazing!#

Chu Xi: ???

Her Weibo followers had been steadily increasing since Brave Heart, all genuine with no bought fans. Tonight, her fan group “Brick Brigade” received a flood of join requests, leaving the moderators swamped with approvals. Eventually, they set an entry question: “Why do you like Chu Xi?”

Fu Bai had a side account as one of the “Brick Brigade” moderators. Seeing the others overwhelmed, he joined the approval process. Chu Xi watched over his shoulder as he reviewed numerous fan applications, amused by the variety of answers to the entry question.

[“I’m shallow—I’m a fan of Chu Xi’s looks and figure. drooling.jpg”]

Well, looks fans are fine too. Approved.

[“Sis Chu Xi is beautiful inside and out, and she treats her fans so well.”]

Chu Xi blushed at the praise. Approved.

[“Her personality is great—no pretentiousness. I became a casual fan after Brave Heart, now I’m a die-hard.”]

Approved, approved.

While delighted, Chu Xi was also deeply moved, feeling the truth of the phrase “I’m honored by everyone’s love.”

She considered herself lucky. After the scare, she knew her journey was still long, and with so many people supporting her, she resolved to work even harder to repay their love.

Thinking back to the past, her nose tingled with emotion.

Until she saw one particularly unique answer to the entry question:

[“Tell me, who in fandom wouldn’t want to stan Sis Xi? The sheer satisfaction of watching her haters self-destruct while she just chills is unbeatable, hahahahaha!”]

Chu Xi: “………………”

—

With more fans, the group became livelier. Some began discussing Chu Xi’s upcoming projects. Currently, she had a guest appearance on Our Little Cabin waiting to air, but beyond that, things seemed quiet. Concerned fans started leaving comments and DMs under Fu Bai’s studio account, eager for updates on Chu Xi’s next moves. Such is the life of a dedicated career fan.

In Fu Bai’s studio, after going through a few newly received emails for the day, Fu Bai looked up at Chu Xi’s expectant face across from him and shook his head.

Seeing Fu Bai shake his head, Chu Xi pouted and lowered her eyes. “Still nothing?”

“Nothing,” Fu Bai replied.

“Alright.” Chu Xi drooped her head.

She couldn’t keep participating in variety shows forever, nor were there enough shows for her to join. Yet, no film crews had come knocking on her door either.

Although Fu Bai didn’t have immediate resources at hand, he was well-informed. Like small actors auditioning, he had helped submit her resume to several reliable and well-established production teams. If her resume passed the initial screening, she could then audition for roles.

However, every resume Fu Bai submitted on her behalf either sank without a trace or received a rejection.

Noticing Chu Xi’s dejected expression, Fu Bai comforted her, “It’s fine. There are plenty of crews still hiring.”

Chu Xi fiddled with her fingers, head still lowered. “No need to comfort me. It’s normal that no reputable crew wants me—my acting reputation is just too poor.” After all, she was once publicly known as the “rotten apple” who ruined major films.

“And… actually, I don’t really want to act anymore,” Chu Xi added.

In the beginning, she hadn’t been so resistant to acting—in fact, she found it quite interesting. But later, she realized that on sets funded by Gu Mingjing, no matter how she performed, the director would always say, “Good, good,” “Yes, yes,” or “Exactly.” With the director offering no critique, the A-list actors she worked with naturally kept their mouths shut too. Chu Xi, untrained and confused, would then see her inexperienced acting ruthlessly mocked when the films came out, especially in contrast to the seasoned performances of her co-stars. Before she could even process the ridicule, Gu Mingjing would send her straight into another project—one with an even bigger budget than the last.

Chu Xi was trapped in a vicious cycle: act—get mocked—act again—get mocked even harder. Over time, she grew increasingly resistant to acting. Every time she stood in front of the camera, faced with indulgent directors and sneering A-listers, the memory of those taunts and jeers made her want to run away.

Fu Bai thought back to Gu Mingjing’s past tactics of “killing with kindness” toward Chu Xi and shook his head at her current aversion to filming.

The poor girl had been traumatized.

But now that she was under his wing, Fu Bai—an ambitious and determined agent ready to make his mark—looked at Chu Xi’s reluctance and said, “Didn’t you tell me before that we should think long-term and aim for sustainable growth? If you don’t act, if you don’t even do your core job and just wait around for variety shows, how is that ‘long-term’ or ‘sustainable’?”

Chu Xi sniffled.

Fu Bai pressed on, “If you quit acting now, whenever your name comes up in the future, people will only remember your failed works—not a single decent one among them. How embarrassing is that?”

“And what’s so great about formal training? Aren’t there plenty of trained actors whose terrible acting makes them their alma mater’s shame? The industry is full of non-trained actors who never studied performance before. Take Ye Su—she wasn’t trained either, right? Yet she’s won so many Best Actress awards her arms must be tired. She used to be a terrible actress too, with a closet full of cringeworthy outfits and a resume packed with awful, cheesy dramas. But the key is improvement. That’s what matters. Now, when people talk about her, it’s all about her triple-crown Best Actress wins, her perfect life, her lovely kids. Who even remembers those old trashy dramas?”

Chu Xi lifted her head, thinking Fu Bai might have a point.

Fu Bai once again sent Chu Xi’s resume to various major production teams, and finally, one of them responded.

It was a historical idol drama with a large investment and a solid crew. The male and female leads had already been cast, but several supporting roles were still up for grabs.

The role Fu Bai was pushing for Chu Xi was the male lead’s younger sister in the drama. The character had a great setup—innocent, kind, and delicate, an “Innocent White Flower” type, and a good friend to the female lead. This perfectly matched Chu Xi’s appearance. Since Chu Xi had previously built her image around the “Innocent White Flower” persona and had only played roles of this type, sticking to this archetype was a safe bet.

When Chu Xi saw the audition details—time, location, and script excerpts—in the email from the production team, she was extremely nervous. To be honest, in her two years since debut, she had never properly auditioned before. Gu Mingjing had always directly cast her as the female lead in his projects, so auditions were unnecessary.

The audition was to be held at Xinghui Film and Television Company in City B. By the time Chu Xi received the email and script excerpts, there were only two days left before the audition. The role didn’t have many lines, but she memorized them all flawlessly. She didn’t just practice alone—Fu Bai even pulled a male model from his studio to rehearse with her. The three of them meticulously went through every line and expression until Fu Bai was completely satisfied with her performance. He assured her she did great and that there would be no issues.

On the day of the audition, Fu Bai dropped Chu Xi off at the entrance of Xinghui Film and Television Company.

Chu Xi looked up at the towering building, gripping her bag strap so tightly she nearly trembled, her face scrunched up in anxiety. “I’m scared…”

Fu Bai felt like a parent sending their child off to the college entrance exams and encouraged her, “You’ve got this. It’ll be fine.”

If she didn’t go in now, she’d really be late. Chu Xi took a step forward, glancing back three times before finally walking through the company’s doors.

When she arrived at the audition venue, many actors who had come to audition that day were already waiting.

Chu Xi quietly signed in, found a seat in the corner, and took a deep breath to calm her nerves while observing her surroundings.

A few girls sitting in front of her were chatting, and their conversation drifted into Chu Xi’s ears.

“Hey, did you guys hear? The new CEO of Yuanjing Group is apparently at Xinghui today.”

Chu Xi hadn’t meant to eavesdrop, but the mention of “the new CEO of Yuanjing Group” made her freeze.

The girls continued talking.

“No way! I heard someone saw him in person—he’s insanely handsome! Remember when Le Shan claimed she had a new boyfriend and posted hints on Weibo, making people guess it was him? She kept riding his coattails for clout, got warned, and still didn’t stop. Then she even issued press releases saying netizens were slandering her. Her antics were so shameless that she pissed him off, and she got slapped down hard—all her Yuanjing-backed film resources and endorsements were pulled, hahaha! Now she’s stuck at home with no gigs.”

“Is it true? That’s so hilarious, hahaha!”

“Ugh, just hearing about it makes me swoon. What’s he doing at Xinghui today? Will we get to see him?”

“Probably just business stuff. Don’t get your hopes up—someone like him has seen all kinds of beauties. Even if he saw you, he wouldn’t remember you.”

“Can’t I at least fantasize?”

The group of girls burst into laughter, their playful banter filling the air. One of them glanced back and suddenly noticed Chu Xi sitting behind them, head bowed as she studied her script.

“Hey, hey, look! Who’s that sitting back there?”

Chu Xi heard the hushed whispers and saw them sneaking glances at her.

“Oh my god, isn’t that Chu Xi?!”

“It really is Chu Xi! She actually came to audition? Am I seeing things?”

“It’s definitely her. Don’t you remember? She got dumped by her sugar daddy. Now she’s got no one backing her, so no resources.”

“Oh right! She used to star in all those big-budget films with A-listers supporting her, and now she’s here auditioning alongside us? Wow, that’s just tragic.”

“Serves her right. She used to act all high and mighty because her sugar daddy spoiled her. With that awful acting, no crew would dare cast her. Karma’s a bitch, hahaha!”

“I can’t believe she put up with that greasy old man for two years. Just thinking about it makes me sick.”

“Ugh, enough about that! Is Yuanjing’s new CEO really at Xinghui today? I wanna see him!”

Their voices were low, but every word reached Chu Xi’s ears.

Her expression remained unchanged as she closed her script and cleared her throat softly.

Realizing they’d been caught, the girls immediately fell silent.

Chu Xi stood up, eyeing their heavily contoured faces with obvious plastic surgery marks, and said coolly, “I don’t know if Yuanjing’s new CEO would take a liking to me, but I’m certain he wouldn’t spare a glance for any of you.”

“You—!” One of them shot to her feet, pointing at Chu Xi. The tension was palpable, but Chu Xi stood her ground, unfazed even against multiple opponents.

Just as the standoff reached its peak, a staff member with a lanyard emerged and announced that auditions were about to begin.

The girl shot Chu Xi a venomous glare before they all dispersed.

Today was the group audition for supporting roles, with the director personally overseeing the selections. Each actor had a specific role to audition for. Chu Xi took a deep breath and joined the group vying for the role of the male lead’s younger sister.

The director sat at the front, silver-rimmed glasses perched on his nose, watching as actors took their turns.

When it was Chu Xi’s turn, she stepped forward.

She had rehearsed this scene countless times. Today, her performance was flawless, matching every beat of her practice sessions. Fu Bai had assured her she’d do well.

Finishing her act, Chu Xi exhaled in relief and bowed to the director. “Thank you, Director.”

The director studied her briefly before murmuring something to his assistant.

Chu Xi watched the whispered exchange, shifting nervously, biting her lip as she waited for his verdict.

After a moment, the assistant waved her off, signaling she was done.

That… that was it?

Stunned, Chu Xi hadn’t expected such an abrupt dismissal—no feedback, no words at all. Dazed, she stepped away.

The next actor took the stage.

As she watched the others perform one by one, an indescribable sadness settled in her chest.

This… this was basically the end of the road.

She believed she had performed quite well, and Fu Bai had also said this was the role that best suited her appearance and persona, one she was most familiar with. Yet, some things might truly depend on innate talent.

Chu Xi smiled self-deprecatingly.

Just then, the assistant who had been whispering with the director earlier passed by. Unable to resist, Chu Xi mustered the courage to stop him and asked, “Excuse me, I was wondering… do I still have a chance?”

The assistant looked at Chu Xi and didn’t hide the truth. “Actually, your acting wasn’t bad. It’s just that the director felt you didn’t quite match the overall vibe of the character. How should I put it? You didn’t have that ‘wow’ factor.”

“Oh, thank you,” Chu Xi replied, lowering her gaze.

She had been ready to leave after the audition but noticed another group of actors nearby trying out for different roles in the same drama. She paused and watched.

Chu Xi saw that the actors here seemed to be auditioning for a villainous role, distinctly different in tone from the others.

When the director happened to glance up, he suddenly noticed Chu Xi standing among the other actors, observing their auditions.

First, the director was struck by Chu Xi’s profile, then by the role she was watching others perform.

Finally, it dawned on him why he had felt something was off earlier. He immediately nudged his assistant and urged, “Quick, go stop Chu Xi from leaving! Have her try out for the seductive concubine in the drama!”