Everyone in the Entertainment Industry Thinks I’m a Flirty Diva [Entertainment Circle] - Chapter 52

When Fu Bai heard Chu Xi’s decision to shoot the Siren concept, he was stunned. “R-really?”

“Mm.” Chu Xi nodded. “Is that not okay?”

His surprise lasted only a second. Seeing the determination in her eyes, he immediately agreed. “Alright.”

The sudden change in theme required adjustments, but fortunately, the proposal was already prepared. The studio only needed to switch the set design.

Chu Xi sat in the makeup chair, getting her look transformed.

Earlier, she had only applied a base before Fu Bai called her away. Now, the makeup style shifted entirely. Previously, her looks leaned toward soft and sweet, but the Siren concept demanded dark, striking allure. The makeup artist started by fitting her with gray-colored contact lenses, then sharpened her brows, making them thinner and more defined. The eye makeup was a bold yet tasteful smoky look, with black and silver rhinestones glued near the corners. Her lips were painted in a glossy berry shade to complement the eyes. To match the aquatic theme of the Siren, highlighter was generously brushed across her face, creating a shimmering, scales-like effect when she turned her cheeks under the light.

Chu Xi had cut her hair short for Brave Heart, and it had just grown to shoulder length. The stylist added extensions to lengthen it to her waist, then curled it with a curling iron before lightly spritzing it with water to achieve a damp, just-emerged-from-the-sea look.

Her nails were also done—extended with tips and painted a deep blue with fine glitter, adorned with rhinestones on the ring fingers.

Once the styling was complete, Chu Xi stood up. Fu Bai, who had been waiting nearby, was utterly mesmerized.

It was Chu Xi, yet not quite Chu Xi. He had never imagined Chu Xi could pull off this style of makeup and styling. With light makeup, her clear eyes and delicate features made her look pitifully charming, but with heavy makeup, her entire aura transformed. Without uttering a word, she seemed to render everyone else speechless. Perhaps it was the eye makeup, but her gaze carried a mix of aloofness and sharpness—as if she were sitting on a reef, singing softly while gazing into the distance, captivating countless sailors. Then, the moment she’d had enough, her eyes would suddenly turn fierce, and ship after ship would sink to the ocean floor. The sailors who had just been enchanted by her would, in an instant, become bleached bones on the island.

Noticing Fu Bai’s prolonged silence, Chu Xi finally asked, “Do I look good?”

Fu Bai snapped out of his daze, his eyes filled with awe as he nodded vigorously.

Next came the costume change.

In mythological illustrations, alluring sirens were often depicted bare-chested. Of course, Chu Xi couldn’t pose naked, so the stylist prepared a nude-colored undergarment. During the shoot, she would cover her chest with one hand, and the undergarment lines would later be edited out in post-production.

Chu Xi had initially felt shy about it, but once she put it on, it didn’t feel so bad. The long, voluminous hair extensions the stylist had given her cascaded down, covering most of her body anyway. The studio had been cleared out, with only a handful of people remaining inside. Even Fu Bai had stepped out.

The stylist, a woman, couldn’t help but compliment Chu Xi when she emerged: “Your figure is amazing—how do you maintain it?”

No one would have guessed that beneath the innocent “Innocent White Flower” image, Chu Xi had curves in all the right places—ample bust, a slender waist, delicate collarbones, a flat stomach, and even shoulder blades shaped like butterfly wings. Not an ounce of excess fat could be found on her.

Chu Xi thought for a moment. “Eat less at night.”

The stylist chuckled and shook her head. Truthfully, most actresses were already thin, but many were so skinny that they looked bony and flat without clothes—far from attractive. A figure like Chu Xi’s, with its natural curves, was simply a gift from the heavens.

The studio was air-conditioned to a comfortable temperature. Dressed in the nude undergarment, Chu Xi sat on the prop reef, one hand lightly covering her chest as she followed the photographer’s direction, turning her head slightly to gaze into the distance—as if she had already set her sights on a ship destined to become bleached bones on her island.

“Gorgeous! Yes, just like that—perfect! So beautiful, give me a little more intensity in your eyes.” The photographer’s shutter hadn’t stopped clicking since Chu Xi entered the studio, and he had exhausted every complimentary word he could think of. Initially, when he heard Chu Xi was shooting this siren-themed set, he had been skeptical. Her “Innocent White Flower” appearance and demeanor seemed worlds apart from a seductive sea siren. But the moment she appeared before him, all his doubts vanished, leaving nothing but awe in his eyes.

Perfect, just perfect. No one could be more suited for this photoshoot theme and role than her.

Unlike those female stars who go for the glamorous route, Chu Xi’s appearance seemed completely opposite at first glance. Yet her delicate features paired with slightly upturned outer eye corners gave her a completely different vibe. Previous stylists only saw the surface, always styling her as the innocent “Innocent White Flower,” which always felt slightly off in an indescribable way. Now with this new style—glamorous yet dark—it was as if a blocked breath in her chest had suddenly cleared, bringing instant enlightenment.

Chu Xi realized magazine shoots shared similarities with acting. Recently in acting class, the teacher kept emphasizing immersing oneself in the character—imagining you are that role. Today during the shoot, she fully embraced this after makeup, embodying the siren Siren. By the time she stood before the camera, her facial expressions and body language had naturally transformed into those of Siren.

Compared to her fear and helplessness in front of the camera two years ago, Chu Xi now faced it with ease, fully immersed in her world as the siren Siren, changing poses fluidly with each camera click.

The shoot lasted an entire day before concluding.

As soon as it ended, Chu Xi rushed to change and remove her makeup. The devouring, glamorous dark enchantress instantly reverted to the innocent “Innocent White Flower,” the stark contrast making people wonder if it was even the same person.

Her manicure remained intact the next day, catching Gu Mingjing’s attention. He found it odd since he remembered Chu Xi usually disliked nail art.

She shot him a “none of your business” look but eventually explained it was done for the magazine shoot.

Gu Mingjing, aware of her magazine assignment, nodded.

He wondered how the final photos would turn out—he was already prepared to buy them.

——

Chu Xi also filmed another episode of “Celebrity Challenge” during this period. Half a month later, the January issue of “Yue Xiu” released both its main and supplementary editions simultaneously.

Although the last-minute theme change had been resolved, rumors still circulated that two actresses had fought over the same photoshoot theme, creating an ugly standoff.

Soon, speculation pointed to Chu Xi and Gou Meiru.

Gou Meiru’s previous photoshoots had been decent—not stunning but never flawed—while Chu Xi’s sole magazine appearance had been widely mocked. Hearing these two were competing for a theme, netizens eagerly jumped into the gossip.

[Chu Xi actually dared to compete with Gou Meiru? Bold move.]

[With her sugar daddy gone and fanboys deserting her, where does she get the confidence?]

[Couldn’t she just yield to her senior? With Chu Xi’s photoshoot skills, even the best theme would turn into a tacky studio shoot.]

[But regardless of skills, the rumors say the theme was given to Chu Xi first, and Gou Meiru forcibly took it. Why blame Chu Xi?]

[Looking forward to the final shots.]

[Can’t wait for Xi Bao’s photos!]

…

At 8 PM that evening, “Yue Xiu’s” official Weibo posted Gou Meiru’s “Jade Rabbit” themed photos along with purchase links. Though Gou Meiru lacked die-hard fans to boost sales, the magazine still hoped viewers might buy a copy or two if they liked the photos.

In the images, Gou Meiru wore a high-end ethereal gown, posed against a moonlit backdrop with two snow-white rabbits as live props.

The public reacted to this set of photos.

It does look quite nice, but hmm…

Ethereal is ethereal, beautiful is beautiful, yet there’s something slightly off about it.

What looks good is the photoshoot theme and styling, but what feels odd is Gou Meiru herself.

Gou Meiru is no longer young, and this kind of “fairy-like” theme on her lacks a sense of lightness and vitality, coming across as somewhat awkward.

Many female stars in the industry refuse to accept aging, still playing teenage or twenty-something Mary Sue leads in idol dramas well into their thirties or forties, romancing male actors a decade younger. Even with flawless skincare, one’s demeanor and gaze betray their age, creating a severe dissonance—just like Gou Meiru in these photos. The styling and outfits are youthful, her face shows no wrinkles, yet the mismatch is glaring.

[Is this the theme Chu Xi was fighting for?]

[Sister Meiru really won’t accept getting old…]

[Actually, the overall look is nice—this photoshoot concept is great.]

[Feels like watching a middle-aged idol drama.]

[There are so many elegant or sophisticated styles to explore—why do female stars nowadays refuse to age? (facepalm)]

Since rumors claimed this theme was snatched from Chu Xi, someone immediately photoshopped Chu Xi’s face onto Gou Meiru’s in the photo, and the dissonance vanished instantly.

[Damn, that looks amazing!]

[Chu Xi has always embodied this ethereal, pure style—it suits her perfectly.]

However, the face-swap sparked backlash. Gou Meiru’s casual fans mocked:

[What’s the point of changing the face? The most important aspects of a magazine shoot are styling and body language. Does Chu Xi even have that kind of photographic presence?]

[Right, as if anyone’s forgotten Chu Xi’s tacky rural studio-style magazine covers. lol.jpg]

[Even if she got the shoot, I doubt she’d produce anything decent.]

[Why can’t female stars age without being criticized? I think Gou Meiru looks great!]

Some bystanders couldn’t take it and retorted:

[It’s just bad! Stop pretending to be a young girl at her age—I don’t care what you think, I think it’s awful. End of story!]

[Why not leave these opportunities to actual young girls with ample collagen? Must they hog everything?]

[I get that everyone ages, but people should act their age. Forced youthfulness is just jarring.]

As the argument heated up, Chu Xi’s fans, who had stayed quiet, finally spoke up:

[Enough arguing. Chu Xi’s fans will just wait quietly for the magazine.]

[Senior Gou did a great job, Chu Xi’s fans are just waiting quietly for Chu Xi]

…

Two hours later, at 10 PM, the official Weibo of “Yue Xiu” magazine released Chu Xi’s “Siren” themed hardcover photos, along with the purchase link for this issue’s supplement.

Chu Xi’s loyal fans, affectionately called “Bricks,” had been waiting on the magazine’s official Weibo. Everyone knew that Xi Bao (their nickname for Chu Xi) wasn’t particularly skilled at hardcover shoots, and this theme didn’t seem suitable either. They expected the final results to be rather lackluster. But as fans, no matter how the magazine turned out, no matter how stiff Xi Bao looked in the photos, no matter how unflattering the theme was, their duty was simple—buy and support. They wanted to encourage Xi Bao, believing she would improve over time.

So when the magazine’s official Weibo posted, the Bricks first clicked the purchase link before even looking at how Chu Xi turned out in the photos.

But the moment their casual glances landed on the hardcover images, their eyes widened in shock.

This…

Holy shit!

Holy shit!

HOLY SHIT!!!

——

Chu Xi’s magazine issue was released today. Gu Mingjing had already instructed Assistant Gao to anonymously purchase 10,000 copies. But now that the purchase link was live, Gu Mingjing decided to buy a few more himself.

He opened the magazine’s official Weibo, where the latest post featured Chu Xi’s hardcover photos.

Gu Mingjing scrolled down, first seeing the words “Chu Xi” and “Siren” in the caption.

He briefly recalled the myth of the Siren in his mind, then continued scrolling until the nine-grid photo set loaded.

Gu Mingjing tapped on the first enlarged image.

“…”

“…”

“…”

He was going to buy this damn magazine company right now and turn it into a breeding farm!