Everyone in the Entertainment Industry Thinks I’m a Flirty Diva [Entertainment Circle] - Chapter 37

Gu Mingjing was staying at the same hotel as the main crew of The Peach Blossom Promise. As he stepped out of the hotel entrance, his driver was already waiting with the car.

Just as he was about to get in, a sweet, coquettish voice called out from behind, “Mr. Gu!”

Hm?

Both Gu Mingjing and Assistant Gao turned around to see a slender woman leading a heavier-set woman toward them. The slimmer one was dressed in modern clothes but had her hair styled for a period drama, her makeup already done.

The woman hurried up to Gu Mingjing, glanced at Assistant Gao, then smiled sweetly up at him. “Mr. Gu, are you heading to the set? I missed the crew’s shuttle and need to get there quickly. Could I ride with you?”

Gu Mingjing studied her briefly before shifting his gaze to the woman behind her for a couple of seconds.

Thinking he was concerned about space, the slender woman quickly added, “My assistant can make her own way. She’s in no rush.”

Gu Mingjing withdrew his gaze from the plump woman and turned it to the slender one. Seeing the expectant look on her face, he couldn’t help but frown before finally uttering three words: “………………Who are you?”

Xia Qiao’s carefully crafted, poised smile froze on her face.

Assistant Gao let out an awkward chuckle and quickly interjected, “President Gu, this is Miss Xia Qiao, the female lead of the drama ‘Peach Blossom Promise.'”

Xia Qiao hadn’t expected that even after desperately trying to make an impression in front of him last night, Gu Mingjing still wouldn’t remember her name. Not only that, but he didn’t even seem to recall her appearance or that she was acting in a drama he had invested in. However, the shock on her face lasted only a moment before she regained her perfectly sweet smile. “President Gu, may I ride with you to the set?” She clasped her hands together in a pleading gesture, pouting pitifully. “I’m almost late.”

Assistant Gao discreetly shuddered at the sight.

Gu Mingjing still showed no intention of agreeing. Instead, he countered with a question: “Do you often arrive late for filming?”

Xia Qiao: “………………” Her lips twitched. “I—”

Gu Mingjing pressed further with a stern, “Hmm?”

Xia Qiao’s face flushed crimson, and she took two steps back. “President Gu, I’ll hurry to the set now. You must be busy. Thank you, goodbye!”

With that, Xia Qiao fled with her assistant in tow.

Assistant Gao first watched Xia Qiao’s hasty retreat, then glanced at the unfazed President Gu.

A deep sense of admiration welled up inside him.

“Miss Chu Xi goes to the park behind here every morning to practice her lines, then takes the crew’s shuttle to the set promptly at 7:45,” Assistant Gao inexplicably added as the two got into the car.

“Hmm,” Gu Mingjing replied casually.

A faint smile curled at his lips.

——

At the filming location of Peach Blossom Promise.

Xia Qiao was late again today and still hadn’t arrived, much to the director’s displeasure.

Peach Blossom Promise had garnered significant attention since its casting announcement and promotional stills. Today, the crew had specially arranged for reporters to visit the set for half a day. The scene scheduled involved Chu Xi, Xia Qiao, and He Feng. But with Xia Qiao nowhere in sight as filming was about to begin, the director had no choice but to let Chu Xi and He Feng rehearse their lines and blocking first.

He Feng, who usually only socialized with the female lead Xia Qiao on set, had barely spoken to Chu Xi. Having starred in numerous idol dramas, he was utterly unfazed by today’s kissing scene. He was already seated at the table set up for filming, with the makeup artist applying a faint flush to his cheeks to simulate drunkenness.

In contrast, Chu Xi had been so nervous she barely slept the night before, her mind consumed by thoughts of the upcoming scene.

She had even watched several films featuring female characters initiating deep kisses with male leads for reference, but even after studying them, she still felt unsure.

Director Chen noticed her tension and asked, “Have you ever filmed a kissing scene before?”

Chu Xi clutched her script and shook her head vigorously.

“Your first on-screen kiss,” Director Chen nodded. He genuinely liked Chu Xi—the actress he had immediately envisioned for the role of the seductive concubine Liuli upon seeing her costume test. Her steady progress over the past days hadn’t gone unnoticed. He smiled reassuringly. “Don’t worry. I’ll demonstrate how to act it out for you later. Just relax.”

“Th-thank you, Director,” Chu Xi replied with a nod.

——

The entertainment reporters and photographers on set dutifully recorded the scene of the director coaching the actors.

“Hold him like this—yes, the eyes, pay attention to the eyes. They must be full of tender affection.”

Director Chen was instructing Chu Xi on the scene where the seductive concubine confesses her love to the drunken prince. As he spoke, he leaned his head against He Feng’s chest, then looked up at him with eyes brimming with emotion.

He Feng, serving as the human prop, stiffened slightly under the director’s amorous gaze.

“After resting your head on his chest, start delivering your lines. Don’t just recite them dryly—add some neck caresses, focus on the interaction. There needs to be interaction.”

Director Chen nuzzled against He Feng’s chest before wrapping an arm around his neck.

“After the lines, gaze at him deeply—remember, keep those eyes full of tenderness—then take the initiative to kiss him.” Director Chen slowly pulled He Feng’s neck down, their faces inching closer. He Feng, who had been expressionless, widened his eyes as the director drew near, instinctively leaning back slightly. Unable to push him away outright, the gap between them continued to narrow, making Chu Xi tense up.

The reporters’ smiles twitched at the sight.

Finally, when only a breath separated them, Director Chen opened his eyes, arms still draped around He Feng’s neck, and turned nonchalantly to Chu Xi, who stood frozen. “See? Just like this. As long as the emotions build up properly, you can improvise the rest.”

He Feng exhaled in relief.

The reporters exhaled in relief.

“Uh, right, got it,” Chu Xi nodded hurriedly. She’d rather not have the director personally demonstrate the kissing part.

She had worked with many renowned directors—stern, humorous, hot-tempered—but today was the first time she encountered one so… vivid.

She dared say that if the director were a little more handsome, many young actors in the industry would be out of a job.

After Director Chen finished coaching Chu Xi, Xia Qiao finally arrived, her expression slightly off. She changed quickly and went through a brief rehearsal before filming began.

“1, 2, 3, action.”

At the cue, Chu Xi recalled the director’s instructions, gazing tenderly at He Feng, who played the drunken prince.

Then she leaned her head against his chest.

The set fell silent.

Gu Mingjing and Assistant Gao approached from a distance, spotting Chu Xi nestled in He Feng’s embrace.

Gu Mingjing frowned slightly and walked over to the monitor.

The filming was in progress. Director Chen noticed Gu Mingjing’s arrival but didn’t greet him verbally, merely nodding before turning his attention back to the monitor screen.

Chu Xi had already delivered her lines and was now circling He Feng’s neck, about to kiss him.

Suddenly, the director called out, “Cut.”

The actors all turned to look at the director.

Chu Xi had finally mustered the courage to offer her first on-screen kiss, only to be abruptly interrupted again.

Director Chen was both exasperated and amused. “Chu Xi, why is your face so red? Look at the monitor—your face is practically glowing.” A seductive concubine shamelessly stealing a kiss from the prince should be smug, not blushing.

Chu Xi’s face turned even redder at the director’s words, and she kept bowing her head in apology. “Sorry, Director. I’m so sorry.”

Director Chen sighed. “Don’t blush. There’s nothing to be shy about. Let’s do another take.”

“Okay, thank you, Director,” Chu Xi replied, then glanced toward the director’s direction again. Her expression suddenly froze.

It was time to start again. Chu Xi stiffly returned to her position in front of the camera.

By the monitor, Gu Mingjing sensed something was off and asked, “What scene are they filming today?”

The director promptly explained, “Today’s scene is a kiss between Chu Xi and He Feng. It’s their first time working together, and Chu Xi has to take the initiative, so she’s probably a bit nervous.”

Before Gu Mingjing could react, the director called out, “Action!”

Chu Xi wrapped her arms around He Feng’s neck again, preparing to kiss him. This time, she wasn’t blushing, but the director still yelled, “Cut!”

“Chu Xi, your eyes—where’s the tender, affectionate gaze?”

Chu Xi nodded frantically like a chick pecking at rice. “Sorry, Director. I’m sorry.”

The thought of Gu Mingjing watching made her unbearably self-conscious, and her acting suffered as a result. Naturally, she forgot about her expression.

The kiss scene had already been interrupted three times before it even properly began.

Director Chen shook his head and was about to continue when Gu Mingjing suddenly spoke up. “Is this the kind of scene you’re filming?”

“Huh?” Director Chen looked at Gu Mingjing in confusion.

Gu Mingjing’s brows were tightly knit as he stared at the two actors under the lights, his gaze lingering on Chu Xi with unmistakable displeasure.

The temperature on set seemed to drop several degrees in an instant.

Oh no, oh no.

Chu Xi had stood Gu Mingjing up last night, skipping his dinner invitation to secretly meet with her young lover. That must have already angered and offended him. Now, with this kiss scene dragging on and repeatedly getting cut before it even started…

As the investor, he naturally wanted to see smooth filming progress, not this mess.

Especially when the one causing the trouble had already crossed him.

The entire crew’s eyes turned to Chu Xi.

She had offended the investor, and now her performance wasn’t even satisfying him. She was doomed.

Would she be scolded as a warning, or outright replaced and blacklisted?

Either way, it was going to be bad.

Chu Xi felt the weight of everyone’s stares, her skin prickling with discomfort.

She was on the verge of tears. Gu Mingjing had already visited yesterday—why was he here again today?

Gu Mingjing coldly declared, “Use a body double for this scene,” then fixed his gaze on Chu Xi. “She comes with me.”

With that, he walked away.

The crew cast sympathetic looks at Chu Xi.

How tragic. She usually performed well in regular scenes, but today, the one time she struggled with a kiss scene, the investor had to witness it.

And on top of that, she had already offended him by skipping his dinner last night.

They directly brought in a stand-in—wasn’t that a slap in the face to the actor? It showed just how dissatisfied they were with your performance.

But Mr. Gu was already being considerate by giving you some face. He had the decency not to scold you in front of everyone, only summoning you to the break room for a private reprimand.

At that moment, the most excited were the reporters visiting the set. They had already drafted the headlines for today’s news:

#Passionate Director Critiques Performance, Chu Xi’s Poor Acting Angers Investor, Sparks Replacement Rumors#

Chu Xi suddenly felt like a student who had messed up and was called into the teacher’s office after class.

She looked around blankly, and everyone was staring at her.

He Feng, standing nearby, got up and left without a word.

Chu Xi also stood and shuffled toward the director. “Director, I—”

Director Chen sighed at the sight of her. “Go apologize properly to Mr. Gu, alright?”

Xia Qiao, standing nearby, scoffed, clearly enjoying the spectacle.

Gu Mingjing was a man who wouldn’t budge an inch. Once provoked, Chu Xi was in for it.

Chu Xi acknowledged the director’s words, glanced in the direction Gu Mingjing had left, sighed, and followed.

The set moved on from the incident. Chu Xi’s stand-in arrived, requiring makeup and costume adjustments, so the crew took a half-hour break.

Xia Qiao’s assistant approached the reporters and whispered a few words, urging them not to mention Xia Qiao’s tardiness.

“Sure, no problem,” the reporter replied, reviewing footage from the set. Today’s news was already juicy enough—who cared about Xia Qiao’s habitual lateness?

She wondered how harshly Chu Xi was being berated by the investor.

Casually opening a gossip forum frequented by entertainment journalists, she found a post already trending on the homepage—before her own article was even published.

“Actress Angers Investor on Set, Replaced Mid-Shoot by Stand-In!”

Below was a sneak photo of the stand-in in the makeup room.

——

Outside the Peach Blossom Promise studio, a few shadowy figures lurked.

Local scalpers from the film base had led obsessive fans to sneak closer.

Scalpers were rampant in the film base, tracking celebrities’ schedules and hotels, taking money to smuggle fans onto sets for secret peeks. Many unofficial behind-the-scenes photos and videos online were leaked by these obsessive fans. Scenes exposed by them often had to be reshot, making them a constant headache for crews. Despite crackdowns, the scalpers never fully disappeared.

Several people had fake work passes hanging around their necks. They slipped into the filming set and stuck to the edges, afraid of being spotted in crowded areas.

“The main cast is all here today, and the call sheet even has a kissing scene! You’re in for a treat if you catch it!” the scalper said.

“Got it, got it.” The obsessive fans nodded eagerly. A kissing scene—ah, just the thought was thrilling! After spending so much money, this was totally worth it!

The scalper led the obsessive fans around like FBI agents, dodging and hiding. The studio was cluttered with props, makeup rooms, equipment storage, and all sorts of things besides the main sets—perfect for concealment. The scalper knew the place like the back of his hand and was leading them straight to where the filming was happening.

As they passed by a makeup room in the back, one of the obsessive fans suddenly peeked through the window and saw something that made her eyes widen in shock. She frantically slapped her companion’s thigh but kept dead silent, pulling out her phone while signaling for the others not to make a sound.

……

——

The reporter stared grimly at the trending post on the homepage: “This Morning, a Certain Two-Character Female Star Angers Investor on Set, Gets Replaced on the Spot by Stand-In!”

Who leaked this? An extra? Or someone with an agenda?

How despicable.

Then, as she refreshed the page, another new post suddenly appeared—

“Certain Two-Character Female Star Loses Control in Makeup Room, Passionate Kiss with Flirty Bastard Puppy—Full Face Exposed!”

The reporter: “……………………”

Why were so many two-character female stars in trouble today?