Everyone in the Entertainment Industry Thinks I’m a Flirty Diva [Entertainment Circle] - Chapter 44

After the event, Chu Xi rummaged through her bag for her bank card, checked her balance, and prepared to transfer the 200,000 yuan back to Gu Mingjing.

She was going to return that 200,000 to him.

This kind of fan devotion was too much for her to handle.

But before she could send the money, the brand manager excitedly informed her that Yuanjing Group had decided to partner with the brand and sponsor the “Soft’s Love “ charity campaign in her name as the ambassador.

Chu Xi clutched her hair in utter frustration.

How much was this going to cost now?!

Was Gu Mingjing trying to ruin her?!

After the show, Chu Xi immediately went to question Gu Mingjing’s male secretary, demanding to know the exact amount so she could repay it even if she had to sell everything she owned. The secretary, however, replied with utmost seriousness, “Miss Chu, you misunderstand. CEO Gu spent this money without any ulterior motives, nor does he require any ‘compensation’ from you. This is simply a fan supporting their idol’s career through actions. Considering CEO Gu’s financial situation, aside from the scale of support being larger than that of an average fan, there’s no fundamental difference from ordinary fan support.”

Chu Xi: “………………”

“Alright.” She took a deep breath. “Then I’d like to ask, has that shipment of 200,000 sanitary pads arrived yet? Can you even use them all? Who’s using them? You? Or your CEO Gu? Or maybe Old Gao, who loves Taobao?”

“Well…” The male secretary coughed lightly behind his hand. “There are many female employees in the company.”

While other companies provide toilet paper in their restrooms, Yuanjing’s restrooms not only offer toilet paper but also free sanitary pads.

The employees only needed to glance at the portrait on the packaging to understand.

The boss is just supporting his idol, buying promotional items.

If only Chu Xi would endorse some cosmetics or jewelry next time.

Chu Xi’s lips twitched at the news.

No wonder she had received so many private messages on Weibo lately, asking when she would endorse jewelry or cosmetics. A quick check of their profiles revealed they all worked at Yuanjing.

It seemed pointless to argue with the secretary. After some deliberation, Chu Xi decided to go straight to Gu Mingjing.

Gu Mingjing was in the middle of a discussion with the brand manager. The moment the manager saw her, he stood up, said, “You two talk,” and left with a knowing smirk.

Seeing the manager leave, Chu Xi steeled herself and reluctantly pushed her bank card toward Gu Mingjing, avoiding his gaze. “All the money I’ve earned recently is in here. Take it. Please stop buying my endorsements.”

Gu Mingjing didn’t seem the least bit surprised by the bank card. Chu Xi had expected at least some polite refusal or courtesy, but he simply picked it up, examined it briefly, and then smoothly slipped it into his pocket.

“Okay.”

Chu Xi’s eyelid twitched. “Aren’t you going to ask… how much is in there?”

Gu Mingjing: “No need.”

They sat in silence for a while before Chu Xi gathered her thoughts and spoke again. “Now that I’ve returned the money, can I ask you for one favor?”

Gu Mingjing: “What is it?”

Chu Xi looked at him earnestly. “Could you… stop being my fan?”

“I can’t sing, I can’t dance, and worst of all, my acting is terrible—there’s no future for me. Who knows when I’ll just fade out of the industry? The person you’re a fan of has no prospects. The only passable thing about me might be this face, but look—there are so many beautiful people in the entertainment industry. Why not pick someone else to stan?”

“Besides, being a fan is exhausting. Not only do you have to buy endorsements, but there’s also voting, data tracking, anti-hate campaigns, even just signing in on super-topics—it’s all so much work. You’re so busy—why bother?”

Gu Mingjing looked at Chu Xi’s earnest expression and shook his head with a smile. “It’s fine.”

Chu Xi: “Huh?”

Gu Mingjing: “These things can be handled by assistants.”

Chu Xi’s face darkened: “Then what kind of fan behavior is this?!”

Gu Mingjing remained noncommittal.

Seeing his stubborn refusal to unfollow, Chu Xi grew angry: “Are you going to unfollow or not? If not, then give me back the money!”

She stretched out a fair palm toward Gu Mingjing: “If you won’t unfollow, return the money! The endorsements were your idea, not mine! The charity donations were paid by you, not me!”

Gu Mingjing rubbed the corner of the bank card between his fingers and calmly replied, “What’s given away shouldn’t be taken back.”

“I don’t care,” Chu Xi insisted, still holding out her hand. “Either unfollow or return the money! Choose one!”

Gu Mingjing pocketed the card, showing no intention of handing it over. Frustrated, Chu Xi reached out to snatch it back.

“Give it back to me.” She plunged her left hand into Gu Mingjing’s right pocket and her right hand into his left pocket, quickly finding the card clutched in his grasp.

As she struggled to retrieve it, she suddenly heard a low chuckle above her head.

Only then did she realize her current posture—almost entirely pressed against Gu Mingjing’s chest, her head beneath his chin, her eyes level with his shirt buttons—was incredibly intimate. She could even feel the warmth of his body.

Chu Xi rolled her eyes at the flirtatious atmosphere and abruptly lifted her head, her hard skull colliding with Gu Mingjing’s chin.

“Ouch—” The man winced in pain, loosening his grip just enough for Chu Xi to swiftly reclaim the bank card.

He rubbed his chin and gave her a look, as if to say, “How can you be so oblivious to romance?”

“Fine, don’t unfollow then.” Chu Xi tucked the card away, grumbling.

As she stepped outside, she was startled to see a large crowd gathered at the entrance.

Among them were fans from the “Brick Loves Xi” fan club, Gu Mingjing’s secretary, her assistant Xiao Yan, and several brand representatives.

Chu Xi was taken aback: “You… all of you…”

She noticed the odd looks they were giving her—mysterious, as if they were hiding something.

No one spoke up at the time, but on the ride back, when Chu Xi brought it up, Assistant Xiao Yan blushed and asked, “Xi Xi, when you and President Gu were arguing about ‘taking it off or not’… were you talking about taking off clothes?”

“Cough, cough!” Chu Xi choked on her own saliva.

——

The filming for Soft Experience Ambassador had taken up Chu Xi’s originally scheduled week off. Now, it was time to get back to work. With no suitable acting roles available at the moment, Fu Bai had previously signed her up for a variety show called Celebrity Big Challenge. The show consisted of twelve episodes, with two episodes filmed per session, twice a month, each session lasting two days.

In her free time between recordings, Chu Xi enrolled in an acting class. Although she had learned a lot from Li Yuanxin and Director Chen while filming The Peach Blossom Promise, she still lacked systematic training as a professional actress and decided to take classes whenever possible.

Fu Bai watched Chu Xi with a motherly smile of pride and satisfaction. Nothing was more gratifying than having a driven and diligent artist under his wing.

“Celebrity Challenge” is a prime-time variety show on Sunshine TV, featuring five regular MCs and one guest per episode. Chu Xi noticed that among the four regular MCs besides herself was a familiar face—Yan Zhun, with whom she had shared a comradely bond while filming “Brave Hearts.”

Yan Zhun’s fangirls were notoriously fierce in the industry, notorious for despising female celebrities who tried to ride on his fame for publicity. During “Brave Hearts,” Chu Xi had kept her distance to avoid gossip, barely speaking to him. She assumed he wouldn’t remember her, yet he later defied his fans by tweeting, “Chu Xi is a wonderful girl.”

The other three MCs were also well-known figures: Zhao Yu, a male model ranked in the global top 50; Ai Wenwen, a teen pop idol; and Xu Jiafan, a rising actor widely praised in the industry.

The announcement of the show’s lineup sparked widespread excitement online.

Titled “Celebrity Challenge,” each episode centered around a daring theme. The first challenge was “Bravery,” set in a notorious escape-themed haunted house known for its thrills.

When Chu Xi read the script, she shook her head in dismay, trembling. “N-no, I can’t.”

Fu Bai: “What’s wrong?”

Chu Xi: “I’m a coward. I’m scared of ghosts.”

“I don’t even dare walk alone at night.”

“That haunted house is infamous. I can’t do it.”

Fu Bai: “But the contract’s already signed. If you back out now, you’ll have to pay a penalty. This much.” He held up a finger.

The mention of money made Chu Xi wince. If only she could be as financially free as Gu Mingjing. Seeing the amount Fu Bai indicated, she grimaced. “Fine.”

The next day, Fu Bai dropped her off at the filming location.

Since it was their first recording, the cast hadn’t met off-camera. The producers planned for them to get acquainted during the first episode’s shoot.

After makeup and mic checks, Chu Xi stood outside the haunted house. Unlike typical horror attractions with grotesque facades, this one had a plain, slightly peeling wooden door. But she knew—the more ordinary it looked outside, the more “intense” the experience inside.

Noticing her unease, the director reassured her, “Don’t worry. The other MCs have already gone in. We won’t start filming right away—you’ll meet them first and draw lots for team assignments.”

“Okay.” Chu Xi nodded. The director gave her a gentle push, signaling her to enter.

Chu Xi swallowed hard and walked over. The director watched her retreating figure before rushing to the monitor.

On the first day of filming, the production team had prepared a “welcome gift” for each guest.

As soon as a guest entered, they were greeted by a long corridor covered with a red carpet. The lighting was dim, and eerie footsteps would occasionally sound from behind. But when they turned around, the corridor would be empty. Just as the footsteps had startled them several times and their hearts began pounding, a blood-stained hand would silently emerge from the ground and suddenly grab their ankle.

This “welcome gift” proved highly effective. Thanks to the well-crafted atmosphere, the previous MCs had either screamed and bolted in terror or collapsed to the ground, paralyzed with fear. Even the bravest among them had pressed themselves against the wall, shouting at the bloody hand, “Stay away!”

No one knew how Chu Xi would react. She clearly looked timid—her response was bound to be entertaining.

The director grinned as he watched the monitor.

The moment Chu Xi pushed the door open, she realized the director had lied to her.

He had promised she wouldn’t be alone right from the start, yet here she was, facing a long, eerie corridor with not a soul in sight.

Chu Xi wanted to retreat, but the door behind her had already been locked from the outside. Trapped, she had no choice but to move forward.

She swallowed again, her legs already feeling weak as she inched along the wall, cautiously scanning her surroundings.

After just a few steps, she heard footsteps behind her.

“Who’s there?” Chu Xi whipped around.

The corridor behind her was empty and sinister—no one was there.

She took a deep breath and continued forward.

The footsteps sounded again.

“Who is it?!” Chu Xi turned once more.

Again, nothing.

She turned back, still hugging the wall. Even though she knew this was just part of the show, being alone in this creepy place with those phantom footsteps had her heart pounding in her throat.

At the end of the corridor was another door. Chu Xi kept moving toward it, clinging to the wall. But after a few steps, she suddenly froze—her foot wouldn’t budge.

Something had clamped tightly around her ankle.

Her entire body stiffened as she slowly looked down.

A skeletal, bloodstained hand, gnarled like a dead branch, had emerged from the floor and seized her ankle.

“AHHHHHHHHH!!!!!”

Her scream was ear-splitting.

The production team smirked at the sound, eyes glued to the monitor, eager to see what priceless reaction Chu Xi would give them. The more dramatic the MC’s response, the better the show’s material.

But to their surprise, the Chu Xi on the monitor neither fled in terror nor collapsed in fear. Instead…

The directors stared at the screen, baffled: ???

Chu Xi’s eyes were squeezed shut in terror as she screamed, but at the same time, she lifted her foot—and stomped hard on the hand gripping her ankle.

Left foot, right foot, then both feet, and finally, she jumped on it.

Her screams and the fear on her face were genuine, but so was the ruthless force of her stomping.

The directors: “………………”

Chu Xi had no idea how long she screamed or how long she stomped. By the time she stopped, she was drenched in cold sweat.

Gasping for breath, she leaned against the wall and glanced down.

The hideous hand was now shattered into pieces, its metal components scattered across the floor.

Chu Xi let out a long sigh of relief.

Stomp you to death, stomp you to death.

She was about to continue forward when she suddenly remembered—this was just a show being filmed, not real.

So what she had just stomped on was…

Chu Xi turned back and glanced at the hand she had crushed into fragments on the ground, her throat tightening.

She… hadn’t even officially started filming the show yet… and had already destroyed a prop.

Would she have to pay for it?