Everyone in the Entertainment Industry Thinks I’m a Flirty Diva [Entertainment Circle] - Chapter 33

[F*ck, this is Chu Xi!!!]

[This character poster is so on point! No smoky eyes, but you can tell at a glance she’s the kind of seductive concubine who could topple nations.]

[Oh my god, if I were an emperor, I’d lose my mind over her too ahhhh]

[Chu Xi’s really broken through since her sugar daddy dumped her—brick-splitting, driving a tricycle, and now playing a femme fatale. It’s like she’s been hit with a dark magic curse.]

[The one about the dark magic curse LOL]

[Her resources took a nosedive after the sugar daddy dumped her too—now she’s just playing supporting roles in TV dramas.]

[The poster does look good, but with Chu Xi’s acting skills… ehh…]

[Ugh, don’t even mention it. The biggest regret of my life was spending thirty bucks to sit through 120 minutes of her movie in theaters.]

[Not a Chu Xi fan, but this poster actually looks promising. Don’t write her off yet—she’s already been reduced to TV drama supporting roles after the sugar daddy dumped her. Hope she wakes up and puts in the effort.]

…

Chu Xi stared at the comments under the official poster, her heart pounding. She bit her lower lip.

No matter what, this role was given to her purely because the director believed in her. She couldn’t let him down—couldn’t let her fans down. At the very least, she had to deliver a passable performance.

With only a few days left before filming began after the poster release, signing up for acting classes was out of the question. Chu Xi vaguely remembered hearing somewhere that “the foundation of acting is imitation,” so she dug up classic films and shows with characters similar to hers, studying how others portrayed them.

She started with a movie where the actress playing the seductive concubine had even won an award for the role. Chu Xi noticed how expressive the actress’s eyes were—three parts allure, seven parts disdain. Even when her brows and eyes curved with a smile, there was an underlying sense that she might casually order someone’s execution at any moment.

Chu Xi paused the film and practiced mimicking the expression in front of a mirror.

Looking at her reflection, she saw the same expression—though a bit forced, it did carry some of that essence. At least she no longer looked like a stiff, expressionless doll.

Pleased, she immediately jotted down the scene in her notebook, marking it as a standout moment.

Chu Xi was a quick learner, and soon she had noted several brilliantly acted scenes. Just as she was engrossed, her phone rang beside her.

Assuming it was Fu Bai, she rejected the call without looking.

But less than two minutes later, the phone rang again, the cheerful tone insistent, as if it wouldn’t stop until she answered.

Reluctantly, Chu Xi picked up the phone—only to see an unfamiliar number on the screen.

Hesitating, she answered. “Hello?”

“Chu Xi.” A man’s voice came through.

Her face darkened at the familiar tone. No wonder the number wasn’t saved—she’d deleted Gu Mingjing’s contact long ago.

“Come downstairs. I’m outside your building,” Gu Mingjing said.

Chu Xi got goosebumps the moment she heard this, immediately imagining Assistant Gao standing downstairs with a few men in black, holding a large sack, just waiting for her to step out so they could throw it over her. No matter how desperately she struggled inside, they’d simply tie the sack shut, lift her up, and dump her right in front of Gu Mingjing.

“No.” Chu Xi refused without a second thought. If she went down now, she’d be an idiot.

Gu Mingjing: “Then I’ll come up to you. 0804, right?”

Not only had he found out which complex she lived in, but he’d even dug up her apartment number! Although there was a security door downstairs, people came and went frequently at night—slipping in wouldn’t be hard at all.

Chu Xi nearly cursed out loud but reluctantly threw on some clothes and went downstairs.

As soon as she stepped out of the building, she spotted the man standing under the streetlight, dressed casually and alone.

Chu Xi frowned slightly, cautiously scanning her surroundings.

Just him? Where was Assistant Gao? Where were the men in black?

Nowhere to be seen.

This was one of the rare times Gu Mingjing had appeared alone.

He had already noticed her.

Dragging her feet, Chu Xi walked over, tugging at her jacket zipper to hide half her face—she didn’t want to be recognized.

“So… what’s the matter?”

Gu Mingjing didn’t answer.

After seeing her costume photos, he had driven straight here without really knowing why.

It seemed there was no real reason.

The silence stretched awkwardly between them until Chu Xi couldn’t take it anymore. She cautiously lifted her gaze to look at Gu Mingjing.

She might be a bit wooden when it came to acting, but she wasn’t completely oblivious in other areas.

What kind of sugar daddy kept chasing after a mistress who had dumped him? Mistresses weren’t irreplaceable—he could easily find another. If he didn’t want to, why keep fixating on this one? And now, he even wanted to upgrade her to girlfriend status?

“Gu Mingjing,” Chu Xi ventured carefully, “you’re not… falling for me, are you?”

The moment the words left her mouth, she regretted them. Falling for her? What nonsense! He had made it crystal clear—this was strictly business, no emotions involved. And here she was, asking if he liked her? Gu Mingjing would surely think she was delusional, getting ahead of herself. Wasn’t being humiliated once with his “business only” stance enough? Now she was practically begging for a second round?

Chu Xi wanted to stomp her foot in frustration. Before, she had wished he’d go blind. Now, she wished he’d go deaf.

Gu Mingjing’s mind blanked slightly at her question.

Not like her?

Then why had he rushed here in the middle of the night? He wanted to tell Chu Xi not to take that seductress role, but… he had no right to demand that of her.

But say he did like her?

Gu Mingjing’s handsome face flushed slightly.

He had always been a silent and introverted person since childhood, finding it difficult to express many things in words. His previous “be my girlfriend” proposal was already the most straightforward phrase he could muster after careful consideration.

He glanced at Chu Xi’s peculiar expression and suddenly stepped forward. Unsure of how to articulate his feelings, he thought of kissing her—using action to convey his affection.

So Chu Xi saw Gu Mingjing approach, reach out toward her, lean in, and close his eyes.

Instantly recalling how he had cupped the back of her head and kissed her in the car last time, Chu Xi pushed the approaching man away with all her might, sending him staggering back two steps. This time, she didn’t dare hit his face—or any part of his body, for that matter. Finally, she looked down, steeled herself, and—stomp—lifted her foot and gave him a hard step.

……

Chu Xi couldn’t remember how she had managed to get upstairs and return home safely after stepping on Gu Mingjing. At least he hadn’t chased after her.

Lying in bed, she stared at the ceiling and let out a long sigh before grabbing a pillow and covering her face.

Forget it—no use dwelling on it. Right now, focusing on acting well was the most important thing.

Chu Xi drifted off into a hazy sleep.

The next morning, she was jolted awake by the ringing of her phone.

Fumbling under her pillow for her phone, she answered groggily with her eyes still closed, “Hello?”

Fu Bai sounded extremely agitated: “Who is he? Who’s that man? Is it the male model I sent over last time to rehearse lines with you?”

What on earth? Chu Xi was jolted awake by Fu Bai’s rapid-fire questions. Rubbing her eyes, she sat up in bed. “What male model?” The one from last time? She could barely even remember what he looked like.

Fu Bai: “I told you that neighborhood of yours isn’t safe! You’ve been photographed—did you know that?!”

Chu Xi froze. Photographed? She’d been photographed?

Fu Bai: “You’re today’s headline.”

Chu Xi exited the call and saw that her phone had already pushed her the latest entertainment news.

The top gossip headline of the day:

“Chu Xi’s Love Life Strikes Again! Little Wolf Dog Waits Two Hours Late at Night, Whining for a Kiss Only to Be Brutally Rejected!”

Chu Xi: ???