Everyone in the Entertainment Industry Thinks I’m a Flirty Diva [Entertainment Circle] - Chapter 6

Who the hell didn’t know Chu Xi?

Last year on the hit variety show Limitless Invincible, she made her entrance like a princess surveying her lowly subjects. Throughout the program, all the male hosts had to pamper and indulge her. She acted coy and spoiled, forcing the male hosts to leave the easiest tasks for her, yet she still couldn’t handle anything—whining about exhaustion after moving just two bricks, ultimately dragging down the entire team and nearly causing the day’s mission to fail.

Even worse was the rural life variety show earlier this year. How could someone so grown not even twist open a bottle cap? She put on such an act, insisting the male guests do it for her. Then, spotting a cockroach in the house, her midnight scream nearly blew the roof off—utterly ridiculous, making viewers want to punch through the screen and throttle her.

And now she’s announced for a military-style reality show?

The official poster was met with a flood of criticism.

[Is Goose Factory so desperate for clout they’d stoop to inviting Chu Xi? Is she going to play princess to all the soldiers or showcase how a green tea b*tch is made?]

[The thought of such a positive show being tainted by this trash makes me sick.]

[Chu Xi, please spare this show. With your top-tier resources, why bother with this low-budget web series that isn’t even TV-bound?]

[Ahhh! Yan Zhun is on this show too! Chu Xi, if you dare act spoiled around him, you’re dead!]

[Forcing a woman into a male-centric show—what a joke.]

[I can already picture her bawling during training. I’m out. Goodbye.jpg]

[She probably gets off on being the center of attention, surrounded by men fawning over her.]

…

Fu Bai told Chu Xi not to read the comments under the show’s announcement, but she did anyway.

Contrary to his expectations, she didn’t react strongly. In fact, she was eerily calm.

Because, truthfully, she sometimes hated her on-screen persona too.

In front of Gu Mingjing, she was the delicate little lover who could never open a bottle cap—how could she suddenly manage it on a variety show?

At home, even a palm-sized pet dog sent her scrambling into Gu Mingjing’s arms—how could she stay composed seeing a cockroach on camera?

But the accusation that she reveled in being the pampered princess among male guests was somewhat unfair. Brave Hearts was originally set to feature two female guests, but she was the only A-list actress willing to join. The lesser-known actresses and influencers who expressed interest were dismissed by Goose Factory, so they reconfigured the lineup to feature Chu Xi as the sole female guest—better for stirring up buzz.

The male guests had been finalized long ago, while the female spot remained vacant. Chu Xi was a last-minute addition, signing the contract just before the show’s premiere.

Chu Xi thought for a moment and, after signing the contract, found a stylist from Fu Bai’s studio to cut her long hair short.

From her debut, she had always kept her black hair waist-length, never changing its color or even perming it much. Occasionally, for styling purposes, the hairstylist would add some curls to make her hair look fuller. Gu Mingjing also loved her long hair—sometimes when she woke up, she would find him playing with the ends of her hair between his fingers. However, Chu Xi didn’t actually like her long hair much. It was too much hassle to maintain, too hot in summer, and always prone to static in winter. Every time she washed it, she had to spend ages blow-drying it.

This time, she wanted to do as she pleased.

The stylist hesitated, holding Chu Xi’s satin-like hair in her hands, looking regretful. “Such beautiful hair—it’s a shame to cut it. Are you sure you don’t want to reconsider?”

“It’s fine, go ahead,” Chu Xi said with a smile.

Only then did the stylist carefully make the first cut.

Long strands of hair fluttered to the floor like rain. The stylist worked meticulously, and an hour later, she finally brushed the stray hairs from Chu Xi’s neck. “All done.”

Fu Bai had also been waiting while Chu Xi got her haircut. When she stood up and turned around, his eyes lit up.

Chu Xi had a delicate, heart-shaped face, fair skin, and a swan-like neck. With long hair, she had looked soft and charming, but now, with a short, delicate bob, her whole aura seemed different—her dark, starry eyes made her look like a mischievous little fairy from a forest tale, making people want to ruffle her hair.

“Do I look good?” Chu Xi asked, touching her hair.

Before Fu Bai could answer, she made a face at the mirror. “Well, I think I look good, so there.”

With her new hairstyle, Chu Xi took a selfie in the mirror without any editing, opened her Weibo, glanced at the hateful private messages, and still posted the photo with the caption: “New day, new energy!”

After posting, she ignored the negative comments.

She was posting for her real fans. Even if she didn’t have many before, at least now she had the old man and his family as her supporters.

Even if she only had one fan, she would cherish them.

——

The recording location for Brave Heart was a military training base in the suburbs of City B. As an educational program, the filming process was much stricter than other variety shows—24-hour uninterrupted live broadcasts documenting the guests’ real military training lives. Once recording began, the crew couldn’t interfere, following a “zero intervention” policy, only responsible for capturing the footage.

The base was remote and secluded. Chu Xi arrived the night before and met the other five male guests.

The first to greet her was Yu Yiyuan, a child star who was only seventeen and still in high school, preparing to apply to film school next year.

People in the industry tended to be polite when meeting. Chu Xi had reviewed the other guests’ profiles beforehand and greeted each of them accordingly.

There was veteran actor Liu Jinxiang, powerhouse singer Dong Wei, host Zhao Mincong, and the currently popular teen idol Yan Zhun.

None of them were very familiar with each other, except for Zhao Mincong and Dong Wei, who had met before. After exchanging a few pleasantries, they all returned to their hotel rooms to rest.

At six o’clock the next morning, the six participants gathered punctually at the hotel entrance and boarded the same bus, heading toward the military district.

The location of the military district was extremely secluded. After winding through numerous twists and turns, the bus finally passed through the gates before nine in the morning.

Chu Xi peered out the window at the soldiers standing guard outside, her heart pounding with nervousness.

Once the bus came to a stop, everyone disembarked. At the same time, the nation’s largest video streaming platform officially began the live broadcast of the large-scale educational program Brave Hearts.

Goose Factory’s promotional efforts had been strong, and the fact that Chu Xi was the only female participant had already sparked considerable controversy online. As a result, Brave Hearts enjoyed high viewership right from the start. Fans tuned in promptly to the livestream, watching as the show’s guests stepped out of the bus one by one.

The first to emerge was the popular idol Yan Zhun.

Fans hadn’t expected to be hit with Yan Zhun’s stunning visuals the moment they opened the livestream. The barrage of comments instantly turned pink.

[Holy crap, everyone, quick—lick the screen! prprprpr]

[Can’t wait to see Yan Zhun in a military uniform! He’s gonna wear it soon, omg I’m so excited.]

[I’m watching this livestream just for you today, wuwuwu~]

The male guests exited the bus one after another. Even though the official posters had already announced the lineup, fans were still wildly enthusiastic and excited, making the livestream incredibly lively. However, when the last guest stepped out of the bus, the tone of the comments suddenly shifted.

Chu Xi appeared on camera with a fresh, short haircut, dressed simply in a white T-shirt, jeans, and canvas shoes. The cameraman deliberately gave her a close-up, revealing the light makeup she wore.

Comments:

[Remember the horror of Chu Xi’s dominance in last year’s Limitless Challenge…]

[I know, right? She showed up dressed like she was at a wedding, made all the male MCs carry her train, and now she thinks cutting her hair short and dressing like this will make everyone forget the past? Hilarious.]

[She even put on heavy makeup for a military program—does she think she’s on vacation? Gross.]

[I suddenly find it weird. If Chu Xi’s sugar daddy is so rich, why would he let her join this show?]

[It’s all for clout and fame. How can that clueless sugar daddy not see he’s propping up a lost cause? #HasChuXiMadeItBigToday?# Nope, hahahahahaha!]

[I have a feeling this show’s gonna be ruined by Chu Xi again.]

[Ahhhh Yan Zhun, don’t even glance at Chu Xi these days! Not even a single look at this fake innocent b*tch!]

[Same goes for Yu Yiyuan, little bro!!!]

[And Big Brother Dong Wei too!]

[Teacher Zhao Mincong as well!]

[Uncle Liu Jinxiang too!]

Amidst the barrage of “……also” comments, a few faint voices said something different.

[Actually, I don’t think Chu Xi is that bad. Didn’t she help an old man cross the street last time? She seems like a kind girl.]

[Girls who like to act cute and cry are pretty common in real life. It’s just magnified on camera.]

However, these two comments were instantly mocked.

[Yeah, yeah, a kind girl. If she weren’t kind, how would her sugar daddy have taken a liking to her? Must be expensive for a night.]

[What did kind girls ever do to deserve being lumped together with someone like her?]

[What did girls who like to act cute and cry ever do to deserve being compared to such a white lotus bitch?]

The two comments defending Chu Xi quickly fell silent.

The guests dragged their suitcases and were first led to the dormitory. The six of them stood in a row at the dormitory entrance when two men in military uniforms stepped out, saluting them crisply before speaking firmly:

“Greetings, new recruits. Starting now, you will be assigned to Company Six, Third Platoon of XX Battalion, XX Division. I am your company commander, Wang Jinzhao.”

“And I am your squad leader, Liu Wei.”

The six guests stood in a line, facing the two stern officers, exchanging furtive glances.

Chu Xi stood silently at the far end.

Company Commander Wang Jinzhao scanned the six of them, his gaze finally settling on Chu Xi. “This is a solemn and sacred place. Here, there are only the strong and the weak—no special treatment based on gender. The first step is your appearance and bearing. The military uniforms are behind you. I expect you all to look like real soldiers!”

“Yes, sir!” they chorused.

Comments: [Hahaha, that was definitely aimed at Chu Xi. Love to see it.]

The grooming inspection revealed that male guests Yan Zhun and Dong Wei had hair that was slightly too long, so they were taken for a haircut. Female guest Chu Xi was ordered to remove all her makeup. Then, all six were instructed to organize their belongings, keeping only the most basic toiletries, neatly arranged on the shared washstand alongside the other soldiers’ items. They were given only seven minutes.

Seven minutes to pack everything and change into uniform.

At the sound of the whistle, the guests immediately scrambled into action.

Youngster Yu Yiyuan was the most flustered, clutching his suitcase in panic. “W-wait, we’re starting now?!”

“One minute has already passed,” Squad Leader Liu reminded, checking his watch.

Only then did Yu Yiyuan realize he’d wasted a minute and hurriedly began unpacking.

All six guests were busy, so the live feed switched to a wide shot of the outermost room. The audience saw one person darting over, then another rushing past with a basin.

Chu Xi was the first to dash to the washstand, hastily removing her makeup. She didn’t even have time to dry her face before rushing back to organize her belongings. Staring at her toiletry bag, she gritted her teeth and kept only toothpaste, face wash, and a bottle of sunscreen, tossing the rest—serums, eye creams, moisturizers—into the discard bin.

The announcement warned that only two minutes remained.

Chu Xi spotted the military uniform lying on her bed—oh no!

She frantically began changing.

The final countdown began.

Three,

Two,

One.

The whistle blew sharply.

“Fall in!”

The six of them reappeared in front of the camera simultaneously.

The live stream audience took a moment to process the sight of them back on screen before the comments exploded with [HAHAHAHAHA].

Dong Wei had his clothes on inside out, Liu Jinxiang’s pants zipper was undone, Zhao Mincong hadn’t even put on his trousers yet and had rushed out in just his boxers.

Among the male guests, Yan Zhun was slightly better off—only his shoelaces were untied. The most exaggerated was the kid Yu Yiyuan, who hadn’t managed to put on any clothes or pants at all. Even the only shoe he had on was worn backward.

Chu Xi’s hat was missing, and her clothes were loosely draped over her.

The two instructors nearly lost their composure at the sight before them.

The guests looked at each other, laughing and joking around.

Company Commander Wang Jinzhao immediately hardened his expression: “Attention! Stand properly!”

They quickly straightened up.

Commander Wang walked past them, first delivering a lecture, then assigning punishments based on how neatly they were dressed and how well they had organized their personal belongings.

Yan Zhun, who only had untied shoelaces, was given five push-ups.

Yu Yiyuan, who hadn’t put on anything properly, got fifty.

Chu Xi, missing her hat, was assigned ten.

Just as the dressing penalties were announced, Squad Leader Liu returned from inspecting their quarters.

He was holding something in his hand.

He raised the items: “Whose are these? Hidden under the sink—did you think I wouldn’t find them?”

In Squad Leader Liu’s hand were a brow pencil, a hydrating serum, and an exfoliating mask.

Comments:

[Bet it’s Chu Xi’s, lol.]

[So pretentious even in the military, ugh.]

[This kind of person always tries to cut corners and cheat, unbelievable.]

[Hiding it under the sink—I’m dying!]

[The instructors have no idea this is just the beginning with Chu White Lotus, there’s more to come hahaha]

[No amount of products can fix an ugly heart.]

[Can we replace Chu Xi already? Can’t stand seeing her! One-person petition to remove Chu Xi!]

[Two]

[Three]

…

Almost everyone—the instructors, the male guests—their gazes all landed on Chu Xi.

Chu Xi looked up, sensing the weight of multiple stares.

The sternness of the two instructors, Liu Jinxiang’s disdain, Yan Zhun’s contempt, Dong Wei’s indifference, and Yu Yiyuan’s curiosity.

No need to guess what the audience’s reaction must be right now.

“That, I…” Chu Xi was just about to speak when the host Zhao Mincong beside her slowly raised his hand.

He cleared his throat awkwardly: “Sorry squad leader, these items… they’re all mine.”

Everyone: “…………”

Nothing is more awkward than sudden silence.