Everyone in the Entertainment Industry Thinks I’m a Flirty Diva [Entertainment Circle] - Chapter 63

The air grew still as they stared at each other in silence.

Gu Mingjing finally lowered his hand and asked softly: “Does it hurt?”

Chu Xi looked up at him, lips parting: “Of course it hurts.”

Her ears tinged a cute shade of pink as she explained: “It’s not that I think you’re… um… that kind of person. I’m just… shy.”

She didn’t know why she was suddenly being so coy—it wasn’t like he hadn’t seen every inch of her before. Yet here she was, feeling embarrassed.

This reaction gave Chu Xi a headache.

Hearing the word “shy,” Gu Mingjing raised an eyebrow and slowly moved closer, his voice deepening: “Tell me, what exactly is there to be shy about?”

Chu Xi instinctively leaned back as he advanced until her posture became increasingly awkward—then suddenly, “Ow!”

Tears welled in her eyes from the pain: “My waist.”

The previously suggestive atmosphere vanished with her yelp. Gu Mingjing quickly pulled Chu Xi upright, and she clung to him, resting her chin on his shoulder.

Gu Mingjing: “Did I touch it?”

Chu Xi nodded tearfully against his neck: “Mhm, it really hurts.”

Since he’d caused it, guilt washed over Gu Mingjing: “Should I rub it for you?”

“Don’t touch it! It’ll hurt worse.” Chu Xi hissed sharply, stopping him.

Gu Mingjing’s hand moved up instead, gently stroking the back of her head: “I’m sorry.”

“No more accepting roles like this in the future.”

Chu Xi nodded: “Okay.” Curiously, she asked: “Why didn’t you just tell me to quit acting or use a stunt double?”

Gu Mingjing: “Would you have listened if I said so? Would you have actually done it?”

“Hehe.” Chu Xi let out an embarrassed chuckle after being caught in her little scheme.

The two of them remained in their embrace, with Chu Xi resting her head on his shoulder, breathing in his scent and feeling his hand occasionally stroking her back. Gradually, she suddenly felt her nose sting.

Chu Xi: “Mr. Gu.”

Gu Mingjing: “Hmm.” He noticed that Chu Xi had been calling him “Mr. Gu” quite often tonight.

Chu Xi sniffled and voiced her most genuine thought: “You remind me of my dad.”

Gu Mingjing: “………………”

Feeling his body stiffen, Chu Xi hurriedly explained: “Don’t misunderstand! I really don’t mean you’re old!”

The corner of Gu Mingjing’s mouth twitched.

This explanation only made things worse.

Puffing her cheeks, Chu Xi decided to continue: “I mean… the way you make me feel, it’s like my dad.”

She let out a soft sigh.

In the past, when she lived with her grandmother, she was the one who had to take care of her. There was no one to rely on, no one to confide in. She had to grit her teeth and bear everything alone, crying only under the covers late at night. During the day, no matter how hard it got, she had to push through. But now, things felt different. She didn’t dare tell her grandmother about the injuries she got from filming, afraid of worrying the elderly woman, but she could let Gu Mingjing know, complain about how tough it was, and listen to him scold her a little, telling her not to film anymore—only to see his eyes filled with helpless concern.

Gu Mingjing immediately understood and silently scolded himself. Here Chu Xi was, pouring out her heart, while his mind had been wandering into far less innocent territory.

Chu Xi decided to confess: “I’m sorry… I actually forgot you were coming back today and didn’t go to the airport to pick you up.”

“It’s fine.” Gu Mingjing turned his head and kissed her earlobe.

Hearing this made Chu Xi feel even guiltier than if he had outright scolded her. She thought she was being utterly unreasonable—this was a distinguished, high-profile man she had turned into a nameless, unofficial boyfriend, their dates feeling almost illicit as they had to hide all the time. And now, she hadn’t even fulfilled her girlfriend duties, forgetting the day he returned. The more she thought about it, the worse she felt. Finally, she grabbed Gu Mingjing’s hand and placed it on the buttons of her pajamas, lifting her head with a look of resigned determination: “Here, look! If you want to see, then see!”

Gu Mingjing’s fingers rested on her buttons but didn’t move for a long time, his gaze at her extremely complicated.

Chu Xi felt somewhat flustered under this stare: “Y-you… you’re not looking anymore?”

Gu Mingjing pressed his tongue against his left cheek, then chuckled softly.

If it had been earlier, he would have looked without hesitation—it was just checking her injury, after all. But now, if he looked again, it would be hard not to think of other things.

Yet her waist was still swollen, causing her to grimace with every slight movement—hardly suitable for anything more.

Gu Mingjing fastened Chu Xi’s buttons and smoothed her collar. “Next time.”

—

The subsequent filming of Misty Abyss proceeded relatively smoothly. Chu Xi immersed herself in the set every day, remaining out of the public eye for quite some time. The production team maintained strict secrecy, with not even a single leaked photo surfacing.

In the fan group, her devoted “bricks” could only console themselves by scrolling through old photos of Chu Xi, waiting eagerly despite their longing.

Xi Bao focusing on filming is what matters most. No matter how much we miss her, we mustn’t disturb her work.

The injury on Chu Xi’s waist had mostly healed, though she still wore a protective belt daily and took extra care during action scenes.

Her chemistry with the male lead, Li Zhengxu, grew increasingly seamless. Not only did their acting complement each other, but at times, it even seemed like they were engaged in a subtle acting duel.

While Chu Xi was in the middle of filming, Fu Bai suddenly dropped by, unable to contain his excitement, bearing news of a new endorsement.

Her jaw dropped when she saw what it was.

A… car endorsement.

Car endorsements were among the most prestigious for celebrities, second only to luxury brands. Typically, only male stars with widespread recognition and status landed such deals. Female endorsements were rare, and the prestige often depended on the car’s price range. High-end car endorsements weren’t just about the brand leveraging the celebrity’s fame—it was a mutual elevation.

As Deap Sea Film’s major annual production, Misty Abyss had faced some criticism over the female lead’s casting, but industry insiders remained optimistic about the series. Numerous advertisers sought product placements and collaborations. This time, the offer came from Banz, an internationally renowned car brand, for their newly launched “Aurora” series sedan.

Banz wanted product placement in Misty Abyss, including scenes where the protagonists drove the car, and specifically requested Chu Xi and Li Zhengxu as the endorsers for the Aurora series, with the contract lasting until the eventual release of Misty City.

Chu Xi looked up the price of the Banz Aurora—around 500,000 yuan for the base model, placing it among Banz’s more affordable options. But still, it was Banz!

No other actress her age in the domestic industry had ever secured a car endorsement before.

The Banz product placement and endorsement were a perfect fit. The Aurora series was mid-to-high range, and the male lead’s character—the mayor’s son—made it an ideal choice for his on-screen vehicle. There was no reason to refuse. The production team promptly signed the advertising contract with Banz, while Chu Xi and Li Zhengxu inked their endorsement deals.

The benefits of endorsing a major brand not only help elevate an artist’s image but also come with generous endorsement fees, as big brands spare no expense. Even before the contract was signed or the ads were filmed, the brand gifted each endorser a car from the line they were promoting.

When Chu Xi signed the contract, she almost felt like she was dreaming. Receiving the car keys left her even more thrilled.

Wow, she didn’t even have a driver’s license yet, and now she had a car.

Speaking of licenses, Chu Xi suddenly panicked.

Oh no, the brand probably didn’t know she didn’t have a license. What if they found out their endorser couldn’t even drive? Would the deal still go through?

Fu Bai, seeing Chu Xi’s worried expression, laughed and explained. A brand like Banz was extremely meticulous in selecting endorsers, scrutinizing every aspect of an artist’s image and even checking their background thoroughly. They already knew she didn’t have a license. What they valued was her bold, justice-driven persona in the drama, not whether she could actually drive.

While the cast congratulated the male and female leads on landing the Banz endorsement, Gou Meiru was the exception. Chu Xi noticed the woman seemed particularly displeased, catching her rolling her eyes more than once.

Her unhappiness only made Chu Xi happier. Swinging the car keys Banz had given her, she deliberately hummed a tune as she passed Gou Meiru, thoroughly enjoying the sight of her stomping her feet in frustration.

The crew adjusted the schedule, and Chu Xi spent two days filming the ad with Li Zhengxu. Only after learning the creative concept did she realize that even if she could drive, she wouldn’t have had the chance to perform. The two sat in the “Aurora” series car inside the studio, surrounded by green screens. Li Zhengxu, in the driver’s seat, mimed steering and braking to simulate a drift, while Chu Xi, in the passenger seat with the window down, had her hair wildly whipped by the wind machine as she pointed in the direction of the fleeing villain: “After them!”

Endorsements must remain confidential until officially announced by the brand, and both parties are bound by this secrecy. Still, Fu Bai subtly hinted to fans that Chu Xi would soon announce a new endorsement.

With Chu Xi busy filming and silent online, her loyal “Brick” fans eagerly awaited updates. The news of an upcoming endorsement sent them into a frenzy.

[Wow! Our Xi Bao has another endorsement!]

[Finally, a chance to spend money on Xi Bao again. I’ve bought so much sanitary pads and magazines, I’m sick of it, wuwuwu~]

[What kind of endorsement is it? So excited!]

[Whatever it is, just buy it!]

[Buy it! Buy it! Buy it!]

[Exactly! If it’s snacks or drinks, we can enjoy them. If it’s cosmetics or skincare, female fans can use them, and male fans can gift them to moms or girlfriends. Perfect. inserts Jin Xing’s hand gesture]

…

Last time, fans mostly bought sanitary pads individually. But now, with the Brick fandom growing, they even started pooling funds to make a grand purchase the moment Chu Xi’s

Chu Xi didn’t like fans spending too much money on chasing stars, so she never accepted any gifts from fans except letters. Her fans had hardly ever crowdfunded before, but this time, they managed to raise a significant amount in just one round. Everyone rubbed their hands in anticipation, eager to prove the purchasing power of their “Brick Fan” community and show how right the brands were to choose Chu Xi as their spokesperson.

The fan groups were buzzing with guesses about the endorsement. That evening at home, Gu Mingjing noticed Chu Xi was in a particularly good mood and asked her about her new endorsement deal.

Although endorsements are supposed to be kept confidential before the official announcement, Chu Xi still gave her boyfriend a very obvious hint. She fished out a car key from her bag and waved it in front of him. “Guess?”

Gu Mingjing smiled. As a major shareholder of Deap Sea Film, he already knew what the endorsement was, but he played along. “A keychain endorsement?”

“This!” Chu Xi huffed, shoving the Banz brand logo on the car key right under his nose. “It’s this.”

“Congratulations,” Gu Mingjing said with a laugh, pulling her into a hug and feeling the waist brace she was wearing. “Is your back better?” he asked.

Chu Xi replied casually, “Pretty much.” She kept staring at the car key in her hand. “I want to get my driver’s license after I finish filming this drama. I want to drive.”

Gu Mingjing nodded. “Sure.” His fingers brushed over the stiff brace beneath her clothes. He wanted to drive too.

A week later, after much anticipation from fans eager to spend money, Chu Xi’s team finally announced her endorsement deal in collaboration with Banz’s official Weibo and Li Zhengxu.

Banz’s official post read: “Welcome @ChuXi and @LiZhengxu, who delivered outstanding performances in Misty Abyss, as the new spokespersons for Banz’s ‘Aurora’ series sedans!”

Both Li Zhengxu and Chu Xi reposted the brand’s announcement.

Li Zhengxu had long moved away from the idol path, so his fans weren’t as hyper as those of younger celebrities. His endorsements didn’t rely on fan-driven sales—his face alone carried enough public appeal to drive spontaneous purchases.

Meanwhile, Chu Xi’s devoted “Brick Fans,” who had been eagerly waiting by her Weibo, finally saw her repost the endorsement announcement.

It’s here! The big fan accounts and small fans alike rolled up their sleeves, ready to blindly buy whatever was being endorsed. But when they saw the product, they froze.

This… this… this…

It wasn’t snacks, drinks, skincare, or makeup. The sleek curves of the car body, the understated black paint, the spacious interior, and the gleaming Banz emblem on the hood all conveyed one cruel reality—

Wahhhh.

Our beloved Xi Bao is so impressive, but we bricks can’t afford this.

Author’s Note:

Gu Mingjing (rolling up his sleeves): Step aside, the boyfriend fan is here.