Everyone in the Entertainment Industry Thinks I’m a Flirty Diva [Entertainment Circle] - Chapter 70

At this point, the magazine editor finally took another look at the doorplate. The “4007” she had seen earlier now unmistakably resembled “4001.”

Her grip on the phone faltered completely, and with a clatter, it fell to the floor, screen facing up.

Both Gu Mingjing and Chu Xi glanced at the phone screen simultaneously.

The interface was unfamiliar to Gu Mingjing, but Chu Xi, as someone in the industry, recognized it immediately.

It was a live stream!

——

The live stream abruptly cut to black, leaving Xia Qiao’s fans and Chu Xi’s fans utterly stunned.

Xia Qiao likely never imagined that her planned morning beauty live stream would be derailed, replaced instead by three trending topics that skyrocketed to the top of the hot search list within minutes.

#Chu Xi Gu Mingjing#, #Chu Xi Fan Scandal#, #Chu Xi Live Stream Mishap#.

Even the dark-red “Explosive” tag next to the trending topics couldn’t fully capture the unprecedented frenzy. The servers struggled valiantly for a few minutes before collapsing entirely less than ten minutes after the two names appeared on the list.

Backend programmers sprang into emergency action, fingers flying across keyboards as they worked feverishly to restore the servers. The blue glow of their screens reflected off their glasses, beads of sweat forming on their foreheads. Just as netizens, unable to access the trending topics, reached peak frustration and curiosity, the servers were successfully expanded.

The newly expanded servers, faced with an overwhelming flood of traffic, resembled a fragile thatched hut in a storm, barely holding on under the programmers’ frantic repairs.

The incident had been triggered by the magazine editor misreading the room number and knocking on the wrong door. A brief clip of the recording—starting from Gu Mingjing answering the door in a bathrobe to Chu Xi, still drowsy and covered in love bites, appearing in the frame—told the whole story.

No narration or additional context was needed. Anyone could see that this was clearly a morning after.

Chu Xi’s sleepy, childlike questioning and the two suggestive hickeys on her collarbone silently hinted at the previous night’s escapades with the man beside her, fueling endless speculation.

Netizens who finally managed to access the trending topics were left utterly speechless.

[Holy shit holy shit holy shiiiiiiit!!!]

[A female celebrity caught in a hotel with a business tycoon the morning after? A first in the entertainment industry, damn!]

[“And strawberries, oh my god!”]

[“Didn’t she put out a statement pretending she doesn’t sleep with fans? Hahaha, guess she doesn’t—it’s the fan who sleeps with her instead.”]

[“Money really lets you do whatever you want. You chase stars by drooling over your phone screen, while others chase stars by sleeping with your goddess, hahahaha.”]

[“No wonder Chu Xi got roles from Deap Sea Film and endorsements from BANZ—probably slept her way there too.”]

[“Congrats! After being dumped by her previous sugar daddy, she finally found a new one to take over.”]

[“Might not be a sugar daddy though. They’re both young—could be a real relationship.”]

[“Yeah right. Just because Gu Mingjing calls himself a ‘boyfriend fan,’ you actually think he wants to be a boyfriend? Celebs are just playthings for tycoons like him—used and tossed aside. You think he’d actually marry her?”]

[“Off-topic, but Chu Xi is seriously gorgeous. No wonder Gu Mingjing went for her.”]

[“+1. She clearly just woke up without even washing her face, and her skin—ugh, so jealous.”]

[“Not gonna lie, that soft, girly sleepwear and her sleepy ‘Is breakfast here?’ voice—if I were a man, my phantom limb would’ve gone rock-hard.”]

[“So soft and cute, uwu.”]

[“Which means Gu Mingjing definitely went rock-hard last night—otherwise, where’d those strawberries on Chu Xi come from? Side-eye.jpg”]

…

Meanwhile, in the livestream, the diehard “Brick” fans who had been clamoring to revoke Gu Mingjing’s fan status fell dead silent the moment Chu Xi appeared on screen.

She wasn’t in Xia Qiao’s room. This had to be Chu Xi’s room.

Their rich fan hadn’t slept with Xia Qiao. The CEO of Yuanjing, Gu Mingjing, had slept with…

No matter how much the Brick fans didn’t want to accept it, no matter how much they tried to delude themselves into thinking that a man and woman in pajamas in the same hotel room in the morning didn’t prove anything—their eyes landed on the hickeys on Chu Xi’s collarbone. Those two unmistakable marks were like sharp little knives, slicing into their hearts.

The last thing the Brick fans had said before Chu Xi appeared, after seeing Gu Mingjing, was a sarcastic, “Must’ve been a wild night, huh.”

Yeah. Judging by the looks of it… it must’ve been wild indeed.

They just never imagined the one having that wild night was their own idol.

The fans shut their eyes in despair, picturing all the “wild possibilities” from last night, and lost it.

[“Xi Bao! My Xi Bao, nooooo!!”]

[“I’m crying. I’m actually fucking crying. What the hell is this?! Why did this happen?!”]

[“Gu Mingjing, get the hell away! Don’t touch my daughter! Don’t touch my daughter, waaaaah!”]

[“Even if you have to touch her, can’t you be gentler? You made her skin red—my daughter’s so soft, she can’t take it, wuuuuh.”]

[“We knew he was shady ever since that forced kiss on set. ‘Boyfriend fan’ my ass—he calls himself a fan to trick us real fans, then turns around and does this to Xi Bao. What kind of ‘boyfriend fan’ is this?!”]

[“Chu Xi, didn’t you say you weren’t dating anyone?! Didn’t you say you weren’t close to him?!”]

[“I’m laughing my ass off, hahahaha. Chu Xi, you really aren’t close to him, huh? Just ‘not close’ during the day but ‘negative distance’ close at night, right?”]

[“Flew all the way abroad just to be together—bet they’ve been doing it nonstop back home too. Smirk.jpg”]

[“With others it might be one thing, but with Gu Mingjing? He says a few words about being your fan, throws some pocket change to buy your endorsements, and you just rush right into his arms? He’s only after sleeping with you, treating you like a booty call, you know that?”]

[I can’t stand these gold-digging women who preach about working hard for their fans but can’t resist their loneliness behind the scenes. Unfollowed.]

[Unfollowed +1]

…

The air was quiet in the Paris hotel suite.

Chu Xi stared at the comments from fans unfollowing her, at the withdrawal messages in the fan group chats, and tears instantly streamed down her face.

How could this happen? How could someone from Xia Qiao’s side have knocked on the wrong door?

But it was all her fault—wanting to keep her fans while also unable to resist being with Gu Mingjing. It was her fault for not making him leave last night, for giving in to that fleeting affection and physical pleasure.

So many fans leaving her was what she deserved.

A soft sob escaped her. Gu Mingjing noticed Chu Xi was crying and quickly grabbed tissues to wipe her tears, then gently stroked her back in comfort.

Chu Xi pushed his hand away slightly and turned her back to cry on her own.

While soothing Chu Xi, Gu Mingjing shot a sharp glance at Fu Bai across the room.

The man’s aura was overpowering, and Fu Bai shuddered in fear.

What did this have to do with him?!

Then his gaze fell on Chu Xi, who was still sniffling and sobbing.

He had only just realized Chu Xi had someone on the side, and now he was hit with this massive “surprise.”

No wonder she skipped the performance yesterday—Gu Mingjing had come, and even stayed the night.

They… were back together.

Fu Bai sighed. No wonder Chu Xi had kept it so tightly under wraps from him.

But right now, the most pressing issue was how to handle the PR crisis. Fu Bai stared anxiously at the trending topics. As always, if the person with Chu Xi had been just some guy she was seeing, they could have handled the PR their way. But of course, it had to be Gu Mingjing. If the studio didn’t want to be turned into a livestock farm, the PR statement had to meet his approval.

Just as Fu Bai was racking his brain, someone lightly tapped his shoulder.

He turned to see Gu Mingjing’s assistant.

Assistant Gao nodded at him. “Mr. Fu, hello. We’ve drafted a PR statement. Please review it, and if there are any issues, we can discuss them together.”

Only then did Fu Bai remember—Gu Mingjing had the most elite PR team at his disposal, the same one that had kept Chu Xi’s two-year relationship with him completely under wraps.

Meanwhile, Chu Xi lifted her tear-streaked face and asked in a choked voice, “What do we do now?”

Gu Mingjing looked at her with a serious expression. “Let’s go public.”

He never expected that their relationship would be revealed under such circumstances.

He almost wanted to laugh, yet he was also deeply moved—he was no longer that nameless, unofficial… secret boyfriend.

Finally, he could have a proper title.

Chu Xi let out a soft “Mm” and lowered her head.

At this point, if they still tried to deny their relationship, it would only confirm the rumors—whether it was about her sleeping with a fan, a fan sleeping with her, or some kind of transaction involving money and beauty.

As the two of them discussed, the internet in China was already in a frenzy, wildly speculating about how the two parties involved would respond.

Given the situation, it all came down to whether President Gu was willing to give Chu Xi a proper title.

Opinions were sharply divided. Some believed the two would soon announce their relationship, while a large number of onlookers and Chu Xi’s haters stood firmly on the other side, convinced that Gu Mingjing would never give her any official recognition. To them, it was just a wealthy man toying with a female celebrity who got caught—one chasing beauty, the other chasing money. They mocked, “Did those fanboys supporting you and buying your endorsements really think they could become your boyfriend? And now you expect to be Mrs. Gu? A mere actress?”

[My heart aches for Chu Xi’s fans. Worse than their idol sleeping with a tycoon is their idol sleeping with a tycoon and not even getting a title out of it. Hahaha.]

[It’s not impossible for him to acknowledge her—as a girlfriend who just broke up with him.]

[Serves the gold-digger right. Humiliated in front of the entire nation.]

[Don’t fool yourselves into thinking President Gu would spare Chu Xi’s dignity. The cruelty of capitalists often exceeds your wildest imagination.]

…

A portion of Chu Xi’s fans had already abandoned her, while the rest waited silently for an outcome.

As much as they didn’t want Chu Xi tied to this man, what was done was done. She was a woman, and the only way to salvage her reputation was to admit she was in a relationship with Gu Mingjing.

Her fans clenched their teeth.

If Gu Mingjing acknowledged Chu Xi as his girlfriend, they could continue supporting her—they could always wait for the eventual breakup. But if he refused, it would mean Chu Xi had thrown herself at a wealthy fan who wouldn’t even claim her, and that was something they couldn’t tolerate.

All eyes were fixed on Chu Xi and Gu Mingjing’s Weibo accounts. After what felt like an eternity, there was finally movement.

Surprisingly, it was Chu Xi who posted first. Her message was brief: “Boyfriend @Yuanjing Gu Mingjing.”

They were admitting their relationship!

Just as those rooting for the couple were about to celebrate, the “money-and-beauty” skeptics shut them down.

“Don’t celebrate too soon. Chu Xi posted, but what about President Gu? His response is what everyone’s waiting for.”

“If Chu Xi unilaterally declaring a relationship counts, then I can also announce that I’m President Gu’s girlfriend.”

The argument sounded convincing.

So, the crowd’s attention shifted back to Gu Mingjing’s Weibo, holding their breath in anticipation.

One second, two seconds… thirty seconds.

One minute.

Two minutes.

Three minutes.

Announcing a relationship was usually a coordinated effort—both parties posting at the same time. Yet, three full minutes after Chu Xi’s solo declaration, President Gu still hadn’t responded.

Not only did he not post a Weibo to acknowledge the relationship, but he didn’t even repost Chu Xi’s announcement.

The anti-fans and onlookers had already begun to smirk.

As expected, announcing the relationship unilaterally while the other party ignores you completely—Chu Xi, does your face hurt?

Did you really think that just because he acted like a fanboy for a few days, he actually liked you? For someone of his status, female celebrities like you are just playthings. Do you even know your own worth?

How pathetic for Chu Xi—now the whole country knows she was dumped after being slept with, too ashamed to even show her face in the industry again.

Just as the anti-fans were celebrating Chu Xi becoming the new laughingstock of female celebrities, and her fans were silently preparing to unfollow her, someone casually refreshed their page. Suddenly, nearly ten new posts flooded Gu Mingjing’s previously silent Weibo account.

“Girlfriend @Chu Xi”

“Girlfriend @Chu Xi”

“Why isn’t this posting? Did it get shadowbanned?”

“Still no reaction—is the internet lagging or is it shadowbanned?”

“Did this even go through?”

After five failed attempts, the person managing the account finally lost his temper.

“F*cking hell, Miss Chu finally agreed to give President Gu official recognition, and now Weibo won’t post? You’re done, Weibo. Do you want to be turned into a livestock farm?”

“Weibo, do you know President Gu is busy comforting Miss Chu and had to delegate posting to his assistant? Are you deliberately blocking this?”

“Thirty more seconds! President Gu must get his official recognition from Miss Chu Xi!”

“Old Gao here, begging you, Weibo—do you know how hard it’s been for President Gu as a secret little boyfriend? Do you know how long he’s waited for this?”

Nine posts in total, neatly arranged in chronological order on Gu Mingjing’s Weibo page, meticulously documenting the inner turmoil of the self-proclaimed assistant “Old Gao” and revealing some… rather significant details.

Finally willing to give President Gu official recognition…

President Gu busy comforting Miss Chu…

How hard it’s been as a secret little boyfriend…

People struggled to digest the meaning behind these words before finally realizing the truth.

President Gu was currently comforting Chu Xi. President Gu had been her secret, unacknowledged boyfriend all along.

This wasn’t about a sugar daddy or a powerful man toying with a female celebrity.

It was Chu Xi… finally… giving him official recognition.

Some people, does your face hurt?

Xi-jie is amazing!

——

At the same time, Chu Xi scowled, glancing at Gu Mingjing, then at Assistant Gao, who was lowering his head as if preparing to go home and draft his resignation letter.

Assistant Gao had always given her the impression of being a man in a suit—stiff, polite, smiling, and so old-fashioned he barely knew how to use Weibo.

Yet beneath that refined exterior lay a heart so fierce and wild.